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1Seishun Buta Yarō - Volume 01
2青春ブタ野郎はバニーガール先輩の夢を見ない
3Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai
4
5
6
7
8Contents
9
10Prologue
11Chapter 1 — My Senpai is a Bunny Girl
12Chapter 2 — Reparations of Reconciliation
13Chapter 3 — Problems Come With A First Date
14Chapter 4 — Our Memories
15Chapter 5 — A World Without You
16Epilogue — Thus, Dawn Breaks
17Afterword
18Bonus — How Fast Is Evolution?
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26PROLOGUE
27
28
29Hey, let’s kiss.
30
31Said the girl that had come to tease me, then vanished from before me for a while.
32
33In the end, this could be called a tale of the romance between me, her, and them... probably. Maybe.
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35
36
37
38CHAPTER 01
391
40
41
42On the final day of Golden Week, Azusagawa Sakuta encountered a wild bunny girl. It had been around twenty minutes since he had cycled away from his apartment. The townscape surrounding Shonandai Station where the Odakyu Enoshima, Soutetsu Izumino and Yokohama Municipal Subway lines intersected had come into his sight. It was a calm commuter town with relatively few of the tall buildings typical of the suburbs. As he passed the station on his left, Sakuta turned right at the lights and after less than a minute had reached his destination: the library.
43
44Sakuta left his bike at the roughly half-filled rack and headed into the building. No matter how many times he came, he could never get used to the particular silence characteristic of libraries, and stiffened slightly.
45
46Simply because it was the largest library in the area, there were a large number of patrons. There was a middle-aged man that Sakuta often saw in the magazine and newspaper corner, which was right next to the entrance, reading the sports section with a displeased expression. His baseball team had probably lost yesterday.
47
48As he arrived in front of the loans counter his eyes fell on the tables which filled most of the inside. High school students, university students, and workers stood out, with laptops opened in front of them.
49
50As he absently acknowledged their presence, Sakuta moved to the bookcases with hardcover contemporary novels. Bending down slightly he shifted his gaze across the alphabetised spines; he was looking for a book that began with ‘Yu’ and compared to Sakuta’s height of 172 centimetres, the short bookcase barely reached his waist.
51
52He soon found the book his sister had requested. It was written by Yuigahama Kanna, its title was The Prince’s Poison Apple and it had been released four or five years ago. She had enjoyed the author’s previous work and had decided that she would chase after all of them.
53
54Sakuta took the rather tattered book from the short bookcase. It was right at that instant, as he raised his head to take it to the loans counter, that filled his vision.
55
56A bunny girl was standing between the bookcases.
57
58“…”
59
60He blinked several times, unsure if it was an illusion or something different, and took in her appearance and existence.
61
62She had glossy black high heels on her feet. Her legs were wrapped in slightly translucent black stockings that showed her skin colour through them. Likewise a black leotard emphasised her curves and, while her chest was modest, showed off her cleavage well. Her wrists had white cuffs around them; accenting the look and, of course, a black bow-tie was around her neck.
63
64Removing the height from her heels, she stood at around 165 centimetres. Her refined face had a somewhat bored expression upon it and an adult listlessness and sex appeal flowed from her.
65
66At first, he wondered if there was some kind of filming going on, but when he looked around there were no adults that looked like TV staff. She was completely alone, a stray. Amazingly she was a wild bunny girl.
67
68Of course, her presence filled the early-afternoon library. Would out of place be the term…? The only places that Sakuta could think of that were inhabited by bunny girls were Las Vegas casinos and slightly shady restaurants, but in any case: she was out of place. However, the real reason for Sakuta’s surprise was something completely different. That being that although she was in such an ostentatious outfit, no one was looking at her.
69
70“The hell?”
71
72He couldn’t hold in his voice and a nearby librarian shot a glare at him, telling him to be quiet. While he nodded back at the librarian, he thought No, no, there’s someone else you should be worried about.
73
74But that in itself was what cemented Sakuta’s strange conviction. No one was concerned with the bunny girl: there wasn’t even the restrained disturbance from ignoring something, no sign that anyone had noticed her at all.
75
76Normally, if they had a stimulating bunny next to them, even the student that was currently grappling with statute books, his brow furrowed, would look up. The older man reading the newspaper would have kept pretending to read and stolen glances at her, while the librarian would have had to politely scold her with something like: “Those clothes are a little…”
77
78It was strange, it was clearly strange. It was almost like she was a ghost that only Sakuta could see.
79
80A trail of cold sweat ran down his back.
81
82Ignoring his unease the bunny girl reached out for a book, and headed to a study corner within the library. On her way, she peered at a student’s face and stuck her tongue out, waved a hand around between a worker’s face and his tablet PC as if to make sure he couldn’t see her. When she knew that they wouldn’t react, she smiled in satisfaction and then took the empty seat that was furthest in.
83
84The university student opposite her didn’t notice. Even when she adjusted the chest area of the leotard, that had slipped down slightly, he didn’t react in the slightest. Even though she should certainly have been in his field of view…
85
86After a while, the student gathered up his books and started getting ready to leave. Then, as if nothing had happened, he left and as he did so he didn’t glance at the girl’s chest.
87
88“…”
89
90After worrying over it for a while, Sakuta sat down in place of the student that had just vacated the seat. He stared fixedly at the bunny girl. At the curves of her arms that flowed from her bared shoulders, the pale skin from her neck to her chest, at the oddly sensual, gentle motions that accompanied each of her breaths. Despite being in a library, which should give the impression of diligence, it seemed like his mood would take a strange tone. No, his mood had already gone strange enough.
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94
95
96After a while, his eyes met the girl’s as she raised her gaze from the book in her hand.
97
98“…”
99
100“…”
101
102They both blinked twice, and the girl was the first one to open her mouth.
103
104“This is a surprise,” her voice had an energetic impishness about it, “you can still see me.”
105
106Her remark sounded like she expected other people to not be able to see her. But that was probably the right way to take her words, because not one of the people around had noticed the girl’s existence, which was like a mass of discordant sensations…
107
108“In that case.”
109
110The girl closed her book and stood. Normally, this would be where they parted, and he could chat about how he had met a strange person later. But Sakuta had a reason to avoid simply parting; what he was troubled over was the fact that he knew the girl. She went to the same school as him and was in the year above, a third year in Minegahara Prefectural High School. He knew her name too, her full name.
111
112Sakurajima Mai.
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114That was the bunny girl’s name.
115
116“Um.” He called out quietly at her pale, departing back. She stopped dead, and asked ‘what?’ with her gaze alone. “You’re Sakurajima-senpai, right?”
117
118He kept the volume of his voice in mind as he spoke her name.
119
120“…” Mai’s eyes showed surprise for an instant. “If you address me like that, are you a student at Minegahara High School?”
121
122Mai once more took her seat and stared straight at Sakuta.
123
124“I’m Azusagawa Sakuta from class 2-1. Azusagawa Sakuta is from the Azusagawa in the ‘Azusagawa Service Area’, and the Sakuta from ‘Blooming Flower Tarou’.”
125
126“I’m Sakurajima Mai, Sakurajima Mai is from the Sakurajima of ‘Sakurajima Mai’ and the Mai of ‘Sakurajima Mai’.”
127
128“I know, you’re famous, Senpai.”
129
130“Right.”
131
132Disinterestedly, Mai put her hand to her cheek and let her gaze drift to the window. She was leaning forwards, which put emphasis on her cleavage, and naturally, drew Sakuta’s eyes in. Surely, a sight for sore eyes.
133
134“Azusagawa Sakuta-kun.”
135
136“Yes?”
137
138“I will give you a piece of advice.”
139
140“Advice?”
141
142“Forget what you saw today,” before Sakuta could say a word, she continued further, “If you talk to someone about this, you’ll be thought of as insane and be treated as such.”
143
144Indeed, it certainly was advice.
145
146“And by no means should you become involved with me.”
147
148“…”
149
150“If you understand, say ‘yes’.”
151
152“…”
153
154Mai looked sullenly at him as Sakuta remained silent. However, she soon returned to her earlier listlessness, and once more stood, and after returning the book to its shelf, walked towards the exit.
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156In that time, not a single person paid attention to her. Even as she calmly passed right in front of the loans counter the librarian silently carried on with their work. Sakuta was the only one watching her beautiful, slender, stocking-clad legs in fascination.
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158When she had completely gone, Sakuta fell forwards onto the desk.
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160“Telling me to forget it,” he murmured to himself, “there’s no way I’d be able to forget such an arousing rabbit.”
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162The eroticism of her shoulders to her chest had been laid bare to see, and Mai putting her hand on her cheek had emphasised her cleavage. She had left behind a pleasing scent and the murmur of her voice had only been audible to Sakuta. He’d looked straight into her clear eyes. All of these things had stimulated Sakuta’s masculinity, and a certain part of his body had become rather energetic.
163
164Thanks to that, he would worry about everyone’s gazes if he stood, so he couldn’t rise from the chair. He would just have to sit there quietly for a while. That was the reason why, even though he had a lot of things he wanted to ask her, he didn’t chase right after Mai.
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171
172The next day Sakuta awoke from a strange dream of being crushed by a herd of rabbits.
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174“I’d have thought it’d be of the bunny girl, but…” he went to get up while he complained about his dream. “Hmm?”
175
176But he couldn’t get up, his left shoulder was awfully heavy. Rolling back the quilt, the reason for that became clear.
177
178There was a pyjama-clad girl sleeping curled around his arm as if hugging it. She had an innocent expression as she slept. She pulled herself closer to Sakuta as if she was cold without the quilt.
179
180This was Kaede, his younger sister that would turn fifteen this year.
181
182“Kaede, it’s morning, wake up.”
183
184“Onii-chan, it’s cold…”
185
186She was still mostly asleep and didn’t show any sign of waking, so Sakuta lifted his sister and stood.
187
188“Heavy!”
189
190She was his real younger sister, 162 centimetres tall, she was growing well recently and her development from girl to woman was evident in the sensation in his arms.
191
192“That’s because half of me is love for you, Onii-chan.”
193
194“What’s with that painful setting? What are you, painkillers that are half kindness? Anyway, get up if you’re awake.”
195
196“Mghh~”
197
198Even as she pouted in displeasure, Kaede got down from Sakuta’s arms. Perhaps because in the last year her looks had grown more adult-like, her appearance and actions didn’t mesh at all, so there was a strange sense of corruption to the innocent sibling skinship.
199
200“Also, grow up from crawling into my bed already.”
201
202While she was at it, she should grow up from her panda patterned, hooded pyjamas.
203
204“I came to wake you up, but you wouldn’t wake up, Onii-chan.”
205
206Her frowning face looked much younger than her age.
207
208“Either way, you’re already getting older.”
209
210“Ah, were you aroused this morning, Onii-chan?”
211
212“Who lusts after their little sister?”
213
214He lightly poked her forehead and left the room.
215
216“Ahh~, wait.”
217
218After that, he prepared breakfast for the two of them and ate with Kaede. Sakuta finished first and quickly finished dressing for school.
219
220“See you later, Onii-chan.”
221
222And, watched over by Kaede’s smiling face, he left alone.
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224
225
226He yawned soon after leaving the flat. Because he’d seen such stimulating things yesterday he’d been aroused and unable to sleep. On top of that, waking up with such a strange dream wasn’t particularly pleasant.
227
228He yawned again as he passed through the residential area. On the way, he crossed a bridge. The buildings around him grew bigger as he grew closer to the train station; the number of people increased too and they were all walking in the same direction as Sakuta. Crossing at the lights at the end of the main road and passing by a business hotel and electronics wholesaler, the station was finally in sight. It had been about ten minutes since he left.
229
230It was Fujisawa station, situated in the centre of Fujisawa City, in the Kanagawa prefecture. Commuters, students and workers, surged left and right through the station. The Oda Express Line platform was on the first floor, with the northbound train heading to Shinjuku, and the southbound headed to Katase-Enoshima via a switchback, and the second-floor had the ticket gates for the JR Tokaido and Shonan-Shinjuku Line. Sakuta went with the flow of people, and climbed the stairs. However, he turned his back on the JR ticket gates.
231
232He continued down the passageway for another thirty metres or so, and arrived in front of the Oda Express Department Store. He wasn’t going to do some shopping there, the shops weren’t even open after all. To the right of those closed doors was another platform. The Enoshima Electric Railway, commonly called Enoden. It was a single route that stopped at thirteen intervening stations before it reached Kamakura. He used his season ticket and passed through the gates, boarding the train. The train had a retro feel to it, with a cream colour around the windows, bordered by green above and below. It was a short, four carriage train. Sakuta had walked to the end of the platform and gone into the first carriage.
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234There were many passengers in school uniforms, of elementary, middle, and high schools, the rest were suit-clad workers. It just seemed like a sightseeing line until you lived there, but it was an everyday commute for the people that called this their home.
235
236Sakuta sat in a seat near the inner door.
237
238“’Sup.”
239
240And someone called out to him.
241
242The person that arrived at his side, biting down on a yawn, was a handsome person that looked like they worked at a famous male idol office. His face had a sharp structure and there was an intimidating air about him at first glance, yet when he smiled the outer corners of his eyes moved back, giving way to a young friendliness. It was a charm the girls couldn’t resist.
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244His name was Kunimi Yuuma, a second year who was a regular at the basketball club. He had a girlfriend.
245
246“Haaah…”
247
248“Oi, oi, you shouldn’t sigh when you see someone’s face.”
249
250“Your energy first thing in the morning is a poison to my eyes, it depresses me.”
251
252“Seriously?”
253
254“Seriously.”
255
256As their usual pointless conversation unfolded the departure chime sounded and the doors closed. The train was only progressing fast enough that it still seemed to be accelerating, like someone hauling their heavy body forwards. As that came to mind it had already started to drop its speed to stop at the next station: Ishigami Station.
257
258“Hey, Kunimi.”
259
260“Hmm?”
261
262“You know Sakurajima-senpai—”
263
264“My condolences.”
265
266Even though he’d yet to really say anything, Yuuma forestalled him and placed a commiserating hand on Sakuta’s shoulder.
267
268“What are you consoling me for?”
269
270“I’m delighted that you’re showing an interest in a girl other than Makinohara, but we~ll, she’s just tooooo much.”
271
272“I didn’t say I’d confess, or that I liked her.”
273
274“What then?”
275
276“I was just wondering what kind of person she was.”
277
278“Mhhhmmmm, well, she’s famous ain’t she?”
279
280“Well, yeah.”
281
282That was right, Sakurajima Mai was a celebrity, every student at Minegahara Prefectural High School knew of her. No, it was probably more like seventy or eighty percent of the country’s population as a whole. She was a true celebrity, such that it didn’t sound like an exaggeration to say that.
283
284“She debuted in the world of showbiz as a child actress at six-years-old. She started with a morning drama that boasted ratings and popularity on par with big hits, and became an overnight sensation, right?”
285
286She had appeared in many movies, dramas, and adverts since that explosive start, and attained such popularity that literally not a single day passed without her being on the television. Of course, after two or three years passed since her debut, she lost the influence of being ‘Sakurajima Mai, in anything and everything’, but, on the contrary, gained even more offers for her acting talent.
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288Amongst the many actors that vanished after a single year, her acting career continued well, even as she entered middle school. That alone was plenty impressive, but she even had her second break. At fourteen, Sakurajima Mai had grown into a beautiful young woman with the looks of an adult, and with the movie that was showing at the time, once more rapidly gained attention, and within a week, the gravure pictures on magazine covers had been utterly buried by her smiling face.
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290“I liked her back in middle school. It was, you know? I couldn’t resist that mysterious blend of cuteness and eroticism.”
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292It wasn’t just Yuuma, many young men had had their hearts stolen by her.
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294Her popularity was once more on its way to its zenith but, right as that was happening, she suddenly announced that she would be taking a break from her activities. It was just before she graduated from middle school, and no specific reason was given. Since then, two years and a few months had passed.
295
296Of course, when they found out that Sakurajima Mai went to the same school as them, they were surprised, and simply thought celebrities really are real.
297
298“There were loads of rumours. She was that well known that she was working in the pillow trade, that she was having an affair with her producer, and stuff like that.”
299
300“She was still a middle-schooler back then.”
301
302“It’s since she became a middle-schooler. Besides, there was that rumour on the talk shows that her mother was her manager, and now she’s starting an entertainment office right? I saw it on TV last week.”
303
304“Hmmm, I didn’t know that. But, as far as rumours go, they’re just baseless ramblings.”
305
306“There’s the phrase ‘there’s no smoke without fire’, you know?”
307
308“And we live in an age where it’s not just the person themselves that lights that fire.”
309
310Information would spread and be shared in an instant on the internet. And even if it had no basis… The recipients placed little importance on its veracity, and just wanted to talk about it, make jokes about it, find it funny, enjoyable, or get satisfaction out of it.
311
312“It’s really persuasive when you say it, Sakuta.”
313
314He lightly ignored those words.
315
316The train, trundling along as usual, passed through four stations, Yanagi-Koji, Kugenuki, Shonan Coastal Park, and Enoshima.
317
318Looking outside of the window, they were passing through a section of road. It was a strange sight to have cars right next to the train but, the moment you would think to remark on it, you would have returned to normal tracks.
319
320In this area the train and buildings seemed so close that they would collide, and if you put your hand out of the window you would be able to touch the walls of the houses and wonder if each garden’s leaves and branches would hit the train.
321
322Leaving aside those worries, the train slipped leisurely through the houses and arrived at the next station: Koshigoe Station.
323
324“But, I’ve not seen her with anyone at school.”
325
326“Hmm?”
327
328“Sakurajima-senpai, you were the one that brought her up.”
329
330“Ah, right.”
331
332“She’s always alone, y’know.”
333
334Let alone being cut off from her class, she was cut off from the school. Sakuta had that impression from her too.
335
336“I heard from a senpai in the basketball club, but she apparently didn’t come to school at all at the start of the first year.”
337
338“Why?”
339
340“Work. Even after she announced that she was taking a break, things came out that she was already cast in.”
341
342“Ah, that’s what you mean.”
343
344But in that case, wouldn’t it have been better to finish everything and then announce it? There must have been something she had to say it first for, but…
345
346“Apparently she started coming properly around when the summer holidays ended.”
347
348“…That’s got to have been tough.”
349
350He could easily imagine how the classroom was when Mai went to school in the autumn. During the first term, her classmates would have completely cemented the relationships and power balance within the class.
351
352“And you can guess how it went from there.”
353
354Yuuma was probably imagining the same as him. Once decided a class’ structure wouldn’t change so easily, relieved at finding a place, people would cling to those places and protect their standing within the class.
355
356Mai, having started to attend in the second term, would have undoubtedly been hard to deal with. Of course; she was an actress, they would have been interested but they couldn’t thoughtlessly interact with her either. Going out of their way to talk to Mai would make them stand out, and if they stood out someone might start calling them annoying, or saying that they were getting full of themselves. For that reason, she was now cut off from her class. Everyone knew that there was no coming back from that when it happened; that was the atmosphere of a school.
357
358Because of that, Sakuta didn’t think Mai hadn’t been given a chance to get familiar with the school.
359
360At the end of the day even though people whined about things being boring, or asked for something interesting to happen, no one really wanted any change.
361
362Even Sakuta was the same, things were easier when there was nothing special. He enjoyed things being easy, not tiring his mind or body. Eternal tranquillity and free time were the best.
363
364The departure chime sounded and the doors closed with a hiss. Again the train ran between the houses leisurely. Before their eyes were building walls: wall after wall, house after house and, occasionally, tiny railway crossings. Then, as they wondered if the walls would continue, their line of sight suddenly expanded right to the horizon.
365
366The sea. The blue, endless seas were visible, sparkling as it reflected the morning sunlight.
367
368The sky. The blue, endless skies were visible, the clear morning atmosphere creating a gradient from blue to white.
369
370Directly between the two was the perfectly straight line of the horizon, with the power to irresistibly draw their gaze.
371
372For a while the train ran along the Shichirigahama coastline that looked out to Sagami Bay. It was a fascinating sight, with Enoshima to the right and Yuigahama, known for its ocean swimming areas, to the left.
373
374“But what brought her up all of a sudden?”
375
376“Do you like bunny girls, Kunimi?”
377
378Asked Sakuta, still looking out of the window.
379
380“No, I don’t.”
381
382“Then, do you love them?”
383
384“Yeah, I love them.”
385
386“I won’t tell you then.”
387
388“Huh? What the hell, tell me.”
389
390Yuuma prodded at Sakuta’s stomach.
391
392“Let’s say you came across a charming bunny girl in the library, what would you do?”
393
394“Look again.”
395
396“Right.”
397
398“And then: feast my eyes.” That would be a normal person’s reaction. Or at least a normal man’s reaction. “What’s that got to do with Sakurajima-senpai?”
399
400“I mean I guess it’s got something to do with her, but I wonder what.”
401
402“What the hell?”
403
404Sakuta avoided the question and, not feeling like questioning him anymore, Yuuma just laughed. Still running along the coast, the train had another station, and then arrived at the station for their school: Shichirigahama Station.
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406
407
408The doors opened, and the scent of salt met their noses.
409
410Within that scent groups of students wearing the same uniform descended to the platform. There was just a single ticket gate, with a scarecrow-like figure to scan their passes on. During the day the station would have attendants, but there was no one there at the time they headed into school.
411
412Leaving the station and going over a single crossing would put you right in front of the school.
413
414“Oh yeah, how’s Kaede-chan?”
415
416“You’re not having my sister.”
417
418“How cold, Onii-sama.”
419
420“You’ve got a cute girlfriend, Kunimi.”
421
422“Yeah, that’s true.”
423
424“She’d be angry if she heard.”
425
426“It’s fine, I like Kamisato’s angry face too. Huh? Speak of the devil.”
427
428Following Yuuma’s line of sight, he saw Sakurajima Mai walking alone about ten metres ahead. Her long legs, her small face and her slender, model-like build. Even though she was wearing the same uniform, she seemed different from the other students. None of it quite fit… not the black tights around her legs, nor the skirt hiding her backside, or the perfectly sized blazer. It felt like she was wearing a borrowed uniform: even though she was already a third year, the uniform wasn’t familiar to Mai at all.
429
430In fact, the three girls near her that were chatting away wore the uniform much better. The senior energetically greeting their club members was the same, and even a male student that was lightly kicking at his friend’s back was full of energy.
431
432The short road from the station to Minegahara High School was filled with happy voices and laughter. Within that Mai seemed oddly isolated, walking silently, alone. Like an outsider that had lost their way and ended up at a common prefectural high school. An odd existence, an ugly duckling. That was the impression that Sakurajima Mai gave here.
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434No, if anything no one was paying attention to her. Even though Sakurajima Mai was there, no one turned to look. Not a single student was making a fuss, this was normal for Minegahara High School.
435
436If he had to put it into words, Mai was like the ‘atmosphere’ here. Something that everyone accepted. The sight made Sakuta remember the reactions of the people he saw in Shonandai library, and an oddly uncomfortable feeling rose in his stomach.
437
438“Hey, Kunimi.”
439
440“Hmm?”
441
442“You can see Sakurajima-senpai, right?”
443
444“Yeah, clear as day. My eyes are good you know, 2.0 in both.”
445
446A reaction like Yuuma’s was normal for that kind of question. Something had happened yesterday.
447
448
449
450“See you.”
451
452“Yeah.”
453
454Yuuma and Sakuta were in separate classes this year, and so parted in the second-floor corridor where Sakuta entered the classroom for class 2-1. About half the students were already there.
455
456He sat in the first seat by the windows. Thanks to his name being ‘Azusagawa’, he was in roughly the same place as in spring. As long as there wasn’t an ‘Aikawa’ or ‘Aizawa’, he would be the first by attendance number. There were somehow many disadvantages to that ‘first’, but when he came to Minegahara High School he was guaranteed the window seat, so he didn’t think it was that bad of a number.
457
458And that was because, the sea could be seen from the windows, and several sails of windsurfers that had been after wind since that morning were visible.
459
460“Hey.”
461
462“…”
463
464“I said hey.”
465
466He noticed a voice near him and looked up.
467
468Standing right in front of his desk, a girl was looking down at Sakuta in displeasure. She was the centre of the most eye-catching group of girls in the class. Her name was Kamisato Saki. Her eyes were wide and beautiful and her hair reached her shoulders, curling gently inward. Her lips were a pretty pink with a slight layer of makeup, and she was famed amongst the boys for being cute.
469
470“It’s rather rude to ignore me, isn’t it?”
471
472“Sorry, I didn’t think there was anyone in this class anymore that would talk to me.”
473
474“You know—” The bell sounded, and following it, the homeroom teacher entered the room. “Geez. It’s important, so come to the roof. After school. Swear it.”
475
476She slapped her hands on his desk, and then Kamisato Saki returned to her own desk, diagonally behind his.
477
478“Don’t I have any say in it?” He murmured to himself, and rested on his elbow, staring at the sea. The sea was there again today, but that was all there was. “This is going to be annoying…”
479
480Even though he’d been sought after when school ended by a girl, Sakuta wasn’t happy in the slightest, his heart didn’t skip the slightest beat.
481
482After all, Kamisato Saki was Kunimi Yuuma’s girlfriend.
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488
489
490After school Sakuta had headed to the shoe racks, he had pretended to forget, but then showed up on the roof as requested anyway. He had reconsidered the annoyance that would come his way if he pretended to have forgotten. It wasn’t quite the right saying, but slow and steady wins the race.
491
492And yet, when he was immediately scolded with a “You’re late!” from Kamisato Saki, who had arrived there first, he regretted it deeply.
493
494“I had to do the cleaning.”
495
496“Do I care?”
497
498“So, what do you want.”
499
500“I’ll get right to it,” with that introduction, Saki glared straight at him, “if he’s with you, Azusagawa Whatever, Yuuma will look bad.”
501
502“…” He’d been told something awful, she really had gotten right to it. “You know a lot about me for speaking to me for the first time today.”
503
504He answered monotonously.
505
506“Everyone knows about the ‘hospital incident’.”
507
508“Yeah… the ‘hospital incident’.”
509
510Sakuta repeated vaguely, not seeming interested.
511
512“I feel sorry for him, so don’t talk to Yuuma anymore.”
513
514“By that logic, I feel sorry for you now; you must be looking awful after all?”
515
516There were other students on the roof and their sight was drawn to Sakuta and Saki, who looked like they were having a disagreement. There were people fiddling with their smartphones too, probably recording it, what a bother.
517
518“I’m fine, it’s for Yuuma after all.”
519
520“I see, you’re amazing, Kamisato-san.”
521
522“Huh? What are you praising me for?”
523
524He’d actually been teasing her, but apparently, the sarcasm didn’t get through.
525
526“Well, I don’t think you need to worry. Kunimi’ll be fine. He won’t look bad just from being with me. He’s someone that’s always saying the lunches his mother makes him are delicious, and gives his thanks for them every day; he’s a good guy that just understands consideration that much.” Yuuma always laughed that anyone would treasure their mother if they grew up without a father, but even an idiot could tell it wasn’t that simple, and there were definitely people that would pointlessly refute it. “So don’t worry, Kunimi’s such a nice guy that he’s wasted on you, Kamisato-san.”
527
528“Are you after a fight?”
529
530“I’ll fight, but aren’t you the one after one, Kamisato?”
531
532Probably because he was irritated, Sakuta left the ‘san’.
533
534“And that! That’s annoying! Why does he call you by your name but still calls me by my surname, even though I’m his girlfriend!?”
535
536She’d grabbed strangely onto that single word and suddenly changed topic. He stayed silent, just thinking like I care. He’d pass on being beaten by her love anymore. But the words that came to his lips instead may have been something he shouldn’t have said.
537
538“Kamisato, are you on your period? Getting that angry about it.”
539
540“Wha—!” In an instant, Saki’s face flushed red. “Why y— die! Idiot! Die! Just die!”
541
542Saki headed back to the centre of the roof, having completely lost her composure, and slammed the door to the roof shut behind her.
543
544Sakuta was left behind and, while scratching his head about it, said. “…Damn, right on the bulls-eye, huh?”
545
546
547
548Sakuta stood in the sea breeze for a while before he left to go home, so he didn’t accidentally run into Kamisato Saki. He arrived at the shoe racks around when the sky had been dyed red.
549
550There was already nobody left that was heading straight home, there were only students participating in their club activities now. The deserted racks were quiet and the voices that could be heard from various club members seemed awfully far away. He was certain he was the only one there.
551
552He had the road to the station nearly entirely to himself as well, and when he arrived at Shichirigahama Station soon afterwards it was empty too. The small platform, that was filled with Minegahara High School students right after classes ended, now only had a few people on it.
553
554Amongst them, Sakuta noticed a certain person: a female student standing, dignified, right at the end of the platform. She had an atmosphere about her that seemed to refuse contact with her surroundings, and the cord to a pair of earphones draped languidly from her ears to a pocket in her uniform.
555
556It was Sakurajima Mai. Her face, lit in profile by the setting sun, was somehow listlessly beautiful and even though she was just standing there, she would certainly make a picture. It was enough to make him feel like staring at her for a while… but another interest drove Sakuta on now.
557
558“Hello.”
559
560He called out to her as he approached.
561
562“…”
563
564There was no reply.
565
566“Hellooo.”
567
568He called, louder than before.
569
570“…”
571
572Of course, there was no response. But it somehow felt like she had noticed Sakuta’s presence.
573
574Waiting for the train on the quiet platform were Sakuta, Mai, and three other Minegahara students. Then, a couple in the form of sightseeing university students arrived, and showed their ‘Noriori-kun’ day passes to the station attendant.
575
576The couple got to the centre of the platform and noticed Mai before long.
577
578“Hey, is that?”
579
580“It’s got to be, right?”
581
582He could hear them whisper to each other while they pointed. Perhaps Mai hadn’t noticed, as she continued to face the tracks.
583
584“Hey, quit iiiit~”
585
586The woman’s voice didn’t even slightly seem to be trying to stop him. The playful conversation of the couple was unavoidably harsh on the ears on the quiet platform. When Sakuta couldn’t take it anymore and turned to them, the man was pointing his smartphone at Mai.
587
588Just before the shutter was released, Sakuta cut into the frame, and when the shutter sounded, it was definitely a close-up of Sakuta that it had captured.
589
590“What the hell!?”
591
592Even though he was surprised for a moment, the man came forwards confidently. He probably couldn’t let himself be shown up by a high-schooler.
593
594“I’m a human.”
595
596He answered with a serious expression, and he certainly wasn’t wrong.
597
598“Huh?”
599
600“And you’re a creep then?”
601
602“Wha! N-no!”
603
604“You’re not a kid, so stop being lame, man. Just watching you is embarrassing, as a fellow human.”
605
606“I said I wasn’t doing that!”
607
608“You were going to tweet the photo and boast though, right?’
609
610“!?”
611
612Sakuta was right on the mark it seemed, as the man’s face was filled with anger and shame.
613
614“If you want attention, I can take a photo of you and upload it with ‘I’m a creep’ if you‘d like?”
615
616“…”
617
618“You were told back in elementary school, right? ‘Treat others like you want to be treated’.”
619
620“S-shut up, moron!”
621
622Finally, after wringing that out, the man was guided by his girlfriend’s hand onto the train bound for Kamakura. Trains at this station stopped at the same platform whichever direction they were going, because the station only had a single set of tracks.
623
624As he placidly watched the train leave, Sakuta felt a gaze on his back. He slowly turned around as Mai was tiredly removing her earphones. Their eyes met, and she spoke.
625
626“Thank you.”
627
628“Eh?”
629
630Sakuta let out a noise of surprise at Mai’s unexpected reaction.
631
632“Did you think I’d be angry and tell you ‘don’t do pointless things’.”
633
634“I did.”
635
636“I’m contenting myself with just thinking it.”
637
638“I’d have rather you didn’t say that either then.”
639
640He didn’t think she was contenting herself at all when she said it right away.
641
642“I’m used to it.”
643
644“It’s got to be annoying even if you’re used to it.”
645
646“…”
647
648Maybe she didn’t expect those words, because Mai’s eyes showed a slight amount of surprise.
649
650“Annoying… it really is.”
651
652A small smile appeared on her lips as if she was enjoying something.
653
654Feeling that he might be able to talk to her now, Sakuta stood next to her. But the first one to speak was Mai.
655
656“Why are you here so late?”
657
658“A girl in my class called me to the roof.”
659
660“A confession? You’re surprisingly popular.”
661
662“It was a confession of hatred though.”
663
664“What’s that?”
665
666“Being told ‘I really hate you’ in person.”
667
668“That’s pretty fashionable recently.”
669
670“At the least, it’s the first time I’ve experienced it. What about you, Sakurajima-senpai, why are you here so late?”
671
672“I was wasting time so I didn’t run into you.”
673
674He couldn’t tell if she was serious or joking from her face. Deciding that he’d hate it if he checked and she was serious, Sakuta decided not to ask, and looked at the timetable to change the subject.
675
676“What time is it exactly?”
677
678“Don’t you have a watch?” He pulled his sleeves up and showed his empty wrists. “Then check your phone.”
679
680“I don’t have one.”
681
682“Do you mean smartphone?”
683
684“I don’t have a phone or a smartphone, I don’t just mean that I forgot it today either.”
685
686He hadn’t just not brought it, he simply didn’t have one.
687
688“…Really?”
689
690Mai looked at him disbelievingly.
691
692“Really really. I used to use one, but I got pissed off and threw it into the sea.”
693
694He could still remember it well. It was the day he had come to see the results of Minegahara High School’s entrance exam results…
695
696It had weighed about 120 grams. That convenient telecommunications device that could connect the entire world had left his hand, drawing out a graceful parabola into the sea.
697
698“Throw rubbish into the bin.”
699
700She scolded him, naturally.
701
702“I’ll do that next time.”
703
704“You don’t have friends, right?”
705
706You couldn’t go out with friends if you weren’t reachable by phone… that was how the world was today. Mai’s statement was correct, exchanging numbers, email addresses, and IDs was the first step towards friendship, so not having any of them meant he slipped through those rules of society. In the small world of school, those that couldn’t follow those rules were left out from the start. So thanks to that, it was hard for him to make friends.
707
708“I’ve got two friends even.”
709
710“You’ve even got two friends?”
711
712“Two friends are more than enough, I think. They just need to be lifelong friends.”
713
714Sakuta’s logic was that the number of phone numbers, emails and IDs stored in your phone was meaningless, having many wasn’t a good thing. Besides, there was the problem… where did you draw the line of ‘friend’? Sakuta called it the kind of relationship where even if you phoned them up in the middle of the night, they’d reluctantly talk to you.
715
716“Hmmmm.”
717
718Even as she made polite noises as she listened, Mai took her smartphone from her pocket, it had a red cover with bunny ears on it. She showed the screen to Sakuta, and the time 16:37 was displayed on it. The train would be another minute. Just as he thought that, the phone began to vibrate in response to an incoming call.
719
720‘Manager’ was written on the screen he was looking at. Mai put her finger on the reject button and the vibration stopped.
721
722“Is that okay?”
723
724“The train’s coming… and I know what they want whether I answer it or not.”
725
726It might have been his imagination, but she sounded angry with the latter words.
727
728The Fujisawa-bound train slowly pulled up to the platform.
729
730
731
732He entered the train by the same door as Mai, and they sat in adjacent empty seats.
733
734The doors closed and the train pulled slowly away. There were a fair number of passengers, and about eighty percent of the seats were filled, with several people standing.
735
736Two stations passed in silence, the sea disappeared, and the train was clattering right through the centre of the residential area.
737
738“About yesterday.”
739
740“I advised you to forget that yesterday.”
741
742“You were too sexy in that bunny outfit, Sakurajima-senpai, there’s no way I could forget that.” He let out a controlled yawn. “Thanks to that I was aroused last night, and didn’t get any sleep at all.”
743
744He looked reproachfully at Mai.
745
746“H-hey! Don’t imagine me and do strange things.”
747
748Rather than the disgusted gaze and scornful words that he expected, Mai’s face went red and she panicked. She glared up at him as if to cope with her embarrassment. It really was an adorable action. But, when she concealed her discomposure, she gave an excuse to keep up appearances.
749
750“I-I’m fine with a younger boy imagining perverted things with me.” Her cheeks were still scarlet, and it was obvious she was bluffing. Her adult appearance might belie her unexpected innocence. “Would you move away a bit?”
751
752Mai pushed at Sakuta’s shoulder as if she was brushing off something dirty.
753
754“Uwaahh, that hurts.”
755
756“I’ll get pregnant.”
757
758“What shall we call the baby?”
759
760“You…” Mai’s gaze hardened, it seemed he’d gotten too caught up in things. “I wasn’t telling you to forget my outfit…”
761
762“Then what was that yesterday.”
763
764“Hey, Azusagawa Sakuta-kun.”
765
766“You remembered my name.”
767
768“I make sure to remember names when I hear them.” It was an attentiveness that he’d like to learn. She had probably cultivated it while working in show-business, or it seemed so. “I’ve heard the rumours about you.”
769
770“Rumours… huh.”
771
772He could guess what they were, just like he could guess why he’d been called to the roof.
773
774“Technically speaking I saw them rather than heard them.” So saying, Mai took out her smartphone again and opened some bulletin board. “You went to middle school in Yokohama.”
775
776“That’s right.”
777
778“And you had a violent outburst and sent three classmates to hospital.”
779
780“I’m surprisingly handy in fights.”
781
782“And because of that, even though you were going to go to high school there, you moved here and went to the secondary exams for Minegahara High School.”
783
784“…”
785
786“There was plenty of other things, shall I continue?”
787
788“…”
789
790“Someone said ‘treat others like you want to be treated’ earlier.”
791
792“It’s not really something to pry into, if anything, I’m honoured you’re so interested in me.”
793
794“The internet is amazing, so much personal information like this is available.”
795
796“That’s true.”
797
798He answered bluntly.
799
800“Well, there’s no guarantee what’s written is true.”
801
802“What do you think, Senpai?”
803
804“It’s obvious if you think about it a little. There’s no way a person that did something that big would just go to school as if nothing had happened.”
805
806“I wish you’d tell my classmates that.”
807
808“If they’re wrong, tell them yourself.”
809
810“Rumours are like the atmosphere. The ‘atmosphere’ in ‘that kind of atmosphere’… The kind of ‘atmosphere’ that you have to read.”
811
812“Just failing to read it gets you treated badly… And you know, the ones that create that atmosphere aren’t involved with it, so if I explained the truth, it’d probably just end up a joke with them saying ‘What’s that? Laaame’.” He wouldn’t be fighting against the people in front of him, so even if he said something there wouldn’t be any response. And yet, if he did anything, there would be a concentrated reaction from elsewhere. “And fighting against the atmosphere is ridiculous.”
813
814“So you’re leaving the misunderstanding as it is and giving up without trying.”
815
816“Anyway, it’s fine really, I’m not all that confident I’d be able to be friends with those simple guys that just believe rumours and posts without thinking at all or knowing who made them.”
817
818“That’s a spiteful way of saying it.”
819
820Mai’s smile took on a tinge of sympathy.
821
822“It’s your turn next, Senpai.”
823
824“…”
825
826Mai looked unhappily at Sakuta for a moment, but after having heard about Sakuta’s circumstances, opened her mouth in defeat.
827
828“I noticed on the first day of the four holidays.” In other words, four days prior, on the third of may, Constitution Memorial Day. “I went out to the aquarium in Enoshima on a whim.”
829
830“Alone?”
831
832“Is that a problem?”
833
834“I just wondered if you had a boyfriend.”
835
836“I’ve never had one.”
837
838Mai pursed her lips disinterestedly.
839
840“Hehhh.”
841
842“Is there a problem with me being a virgin?”
843
844Mai looked up at Sakuta, teasingly.
845
846“…”
847
848“…”
849
850Their gazes met. Mai went red instantly, pure red, right to her neck. Apparently, she was embarrassed at the word ‘virgin’, even though she started it.
851
852“Ahh, I make it a rule not to worry about that kind of thing.”
853
854“R-right… anyway! I noticed that no one was looking at me in that aquarium, that was full of families.”
855
856Mai’s slightly sulky expression made her look younger and adorable. Because he’d only seen her adult looks before, it was a fresh experience in several ways. If he pointed that out, he’d derail the conversation again, so Sakuta kept it within his mind.
857
858“I thought it was just my imagination at first. It’s been two years since I was active, and everyone was engrossed with the fish.” The tone of her voice steadily lowered into seriousness. “But it was clear when I went into a coffee shop on the way home. No one welcomed me in, and I wasn’t guided to a seat.”
859
860“Was it a self-serve?”
861
862“It’s a traditional coffee shop, with seats at the counters, and only about four at each table.”
863
864“Then did you go there in the past and get banned?”
865
866“There’s no way that’s it.”
867
868Mai’s cheek shifted in anger, and she stood on Sakuta’s foot.
869
870“Senpai, your foot.”
871
872“What about my foot?”
873
874Mai asked seriously, really acting like she didn’t know, he really thought she was a pro there.
875
876“Nothing, I’m just happy you’re stepping on me.”
877
878He meant it as a joke, but Mai recoiled, and moved as far away from Sakuta as she could just as the man that had been sitting next to her alighted from the train.
879
880“It’s a joke.”
881
882“I felt at least a few percent seriousness.”
883
884“Well yeah, as a man, I’m happy to have a beautiful senpai caring about me.”
885
886“Right, right, I’m carrying on now, so be quiet. Where was I?”
887
888“You were talking about how you were banned from a coffee shop.”
889
890“You’ll make me angry.” Mai’s gaze sharpened at that, and no matter how he looked at it, she already seemed angry. To show his apology, Sakuta made a zipping motion across his mouth, and Mai continued with an unhappy expression. “Even when I spoke to the staff, they didn’t respond, and none of the other customers noticed me either. I was obviously surprised, so I ran back home.”
891
892“How far?”
893
894“To Fujisawa. But nothing happened when I got there. Everyone looked at me like normal surprised at seeing ‘Sakurajima Mai’. So I thought that it really had been my imagination, but… I was curious, so I started investigating if it happened in other places.”
895
896“And the bunny girl thing?”
897
898“In that outfit, if people could see me, they’d look, so much there would be no room for doubt.”
899
900That was exactly right, Sakuta’s reaction that day proved its effectiveness.
901
902“Then, by other places… the same thing happened in Shonandai then…”
903
904“That’s right, now I’m just waiting until I’m invisible to the whole world.” For some reason, she looked reproachfully at Sakuta. “Everything was normal at school today… for now.”
905
906Mai indirectly indicated the inner door, were a student in another school’s uniform was checking his phone and sneaking glances at them. Of course, his aim wasn’t Sakuta, it was Mai.
907
908“You look like you’re enjoying yourself Senpai, even though you’re having such a strange experience.”
909
910Sakuta gave his blunt impressions, Mai didn’t currently seem to be particularly sad about it.
911
912“Well yes, it is enjoyable.”
913
914“Are you sane?”
915
916He turned a questioning gaze at her, not understanding her meaning.
917
918“I’ve always been the centre of attention, haven’t I? Living under the gazes of others. So when I was little I made a wish, that I could go to a world where no one knew me.”
919
920She didn’t seem like she was lying, but even if he was told it was an act, there was enough reason to believe her. She was an actress that had had the ability to become a full-fledged actress from being a child actress.
921
922While they were talking, Sakuta noticed that her eyes moved towards one of the adverts hanging in the train. It was advertising the adaptation of a novel into a film. The lead actress was a popular woman who had been promoted recently, and he thought she was the same age as Mai. She probably had the trends in the showbiz world on her mind, or maybe she was nostalgic? No, he had a feeling that wasn’t it. He thought that Mai’s eyes, that seemed to be staring into some distant world, had some emotion smouldering in them. To put it another way, it seemed to be some kind of regret or attachment.
923
924“Senpai?”
925
926“…”
927
928“Sakurajima-senpai?”
929
930“I can hear you.” After a blink, Mai looked sidelong at Sakuta. “I’m happy with this situation. So don’t interfere.”
931
932“…”
933
934Before they noticed, the train had arrived at the terminus platform of Fujisawa Station, the doors opened, and Sakuta hurriedly followed Mai, who had left first.
935
936“If you understand just how weird I am now, that’s fine.”
937
938“…”
939
940“Don’t associate with me anymore.”
941
942Mai spoke bluntly and sped off through the ticket gate, and continued, opening up the distance between her and Sakuta after they parted.
943
944He followed after her departing figure, because it was his way home anyway, passing through the passageway into the JR station building.
945
946Mai was standing in front of a coin locker in a corner, and took out a paper bag. He thought that and she then hurriedly walked off to a baker’s stand.
947
948“One cream roll please.”
949
950She called out to the woman manning the stall. There was no reaction, as if the woman couldn’t hear her.
951
952“One cream roll please.”
953
954Mai repeated her order. But, of course, the woman didn’t react. As if she couldn’t see her, the woman took a thousand yen bill from the office worker that had arrived afterwards, and as if she couldn’t hear her, handed over a melon bread to a middle-school girl.
955
956“Excuse me, a cream roll please.”
957
958Sakuta walked up next to Mai and spoke loudly to the woman.
959
960“Here, one cream roll.”
961
962Sakuta handed over 130 yen for the paper bag she passed over the counter. He walked away from the stand and handed over the package to Mai, who cast her eyes down uncomfortably.
963
964“Are you really not bothered at all?”
965
966“I am, bothered that I won’t be able to eat the cream rolls from here.”
967
968“Right.”
969
970“But… Do you believe the mad things I’ve been saying?”
971
972“How should I put it, I know about that kind of thing.”
973
974“…”
975
976“It’s Adolescence Syndrome.”
977
978Mai’s eyebrows raised in surprise. He hadn’t heard of anyone becoming invisible, but there were plenty of rumours of ‘being able to read minds’, ‘seeing the future’, ‘swapping bodies with someone’, and other occult like occurrences, and if you looked on that kind of discussion board, there would be plenty of others.
979
980Normal psychologists assumed that it was a sign of instability and completely discarded it. Self-proclaimed specialists called it a new type of panic attack caused by modern society, and the general, amused thought police had opinions like ‘it’s a type of group hypnotism’.
981
982There were also people that called it an illness of the mind brought about by the stress caused by the gap between an uncaring world and a person’s ideal. The one point of commonality was that no one took it seriously. The majority of adults passed it off as ‘just your imagination’.
983
984Amongst that irresponsible exchange of ideas, though he didn’t know who had said it, the strange occurrences like what was happening to Mai had come to be called ‘Adolescence Syndrome’.
985
986“Isn’t Adolescence Syndrome a common urban legend?”
987
988Mai was exactly right, it was an urban legend. Normally, no one would believe it, and everyone would have had the same reaction as Mai. Even if they experienced something strange themselves, they’d think it was their imagination, and not accept it, because they were living where those things shouldn’t happen. But Sakuta had an undeniable basis for his belief.
989
990“There’s something I want to show you so you’ll believe that I believe you, Senpai.”
991
992“Something you want to show me?”
993
994Mai furrowed her eyebrows at Sakuta in suspicion.
995
996“Would you come with me for a bit?”
997
998After she thought over his suggestion for a while before nodding and quietly saying.
999
1000“…Sure.”
1001
1002
1003
10044
1005
1006
1007
1008Sakuta had brought Mai to the corner of a residential street, about ten minutes walk from the station.
1009
1010“Where are we?”
1011
1012Mai was looking up at a seven-storey block of flats.
1013
1014“My place.”
1015
1016A stare of mistrust and suspicion stabbed into him from the side.
1017
1018“I’m not going to do anything,” he said, and then added quietly, “probably.”
1019
1020“You just said something, didn’t you?”
1021
1022“I said that if you tempt me, I’m not sure I’ll be able to control myself.”
1023
1024“…”
1025
1026Mai’s mouth pulled into a straight line.
1027
1028“Oh, are you nervous, Senpai?”
1029
1030“N-nervous? Me?”
1031
1032“Your voice’s betraying you.”
1033
1034“E-entering a younger boy’s room is nothing to me.”
1035
1036Hmphing, Mai walked quickly to the entrance, and resisting a laugh, Sakuta followed right away and stood by her side.
1037
1038
1039
1040They used the lift to go up five floors, and the third door on the right was where Sakuta lived.
1041
1042“I’m hooome.”
1043
1044There was no answer to his call in the entryway. Normally, his sister Kaede would have ambushed him, but he had come home at an unusual time today, so she was probably sulking, or maybe just sleeping, or concentrating on reading and hadn’t noticed him come back.
1045
1046“Come on in.”
1047
1048He invited Mai, who was standing stiffly in the entryway, with her shoes still on.
1049
1050They went inside and headed straight to Sakuta’s room. Mai put the bag and paper bag she was carrying into a corner, then lowered herself to sit on the bed. When Sakuta sneaked a look into the paper bag, he saw bunny ears, she was probably planning to be a wild bunny girl somewhere else.
1051
1052“Hmmm, it’s clean.”
1053
1054Mai gave a weary opinion after she looked around his room.
1055
1056“I just don’t have much to leave around.”
1057
1058“That’s what it looks like.”
1059
1060The only furniture was a desk, a chair, and a bed, and the room was otherwise empty.
1061
1062“Senpai, you—”
1063
1064“Hey.”
1065
1066Mai interrupted him.
1067
1068“What is it?”
1069
1070“Stop calling me ‘Senpai’, I don’t remember becoming your senpai.”
1071
1072“Sakurajima-san?”
1073
1074“My surname’s too long.”
1075
1076“Then, Mai… ack!”
1077
1078Mai had grabbed his tie and pulled him down.
1079
1080“Use ‘san’.”
1081
1082“To think you’d be so bold…”
1083
1084“I hate impolite people.”
1085
1086For an instant, there was a tense atmosphere, caused by Mai. There was no room to joke about it. This sense of values, which seemed stiff at first glance, was surely something cultivated in the world of showbiz.
1087
1088“Then, Mai-san.”
1089
1090“Azusagawa doesn’t fit you, so I’ll call you Sakuta-kun.” Just what kind of image of ‘Azusagawa’ did Mai have? “Well then, what did you want to show me, Sakuta-kun?”
1091
1092“If you don’t let me go, I can’t.”
1093
1094Mai’s hand suddenly flew off his tie. Sakuta stood and loosened it, then unbuttoned his shirt, and naturally removed it along with the T-shirt he was wearing underneath, ending up half naked.
1095
1096“W-why are you stripping!?” Mai shouted and uncomfortably looked away. “Y-you said you wouldn’t do anything. Lewd! Pervert! Exhibitionist!”
1097
1098Jeering at him, Mai slowly returned her gaze to Sakuta. And then, let out an ‘ah’ of pure surprise.
1099
1100There were three vivid scars carved into his chest. It looked like he had been clawed at by a huge beast, and cut from his right shoulder to his left side. They were like a huge worm across his chest, and the moment she saw them, Mai could tell they were unusual. Not even being attacked by a bear would result in this. It looked like he’d been gored by an excavator. But, unfortunately, Sakuta had never fought an excavator.
1101
1102“Were you attacked by a mutant?”
1103
1104“I didn’t know you were interested in American comics, Senpai.”
1105
1106“I’ve only watched the movies.”
1107
1108“…”
1109
1110“…”
1111
1112Mai stared steadily at the scars.
1113
1114“They’re real.”
1115
1116“Do you think I’m the kind of idiot that would do this kind of makeup?”
1117
1118“Can I touch them?”
1119
1120“Go ahead.”
1121
1122Mai stood and extended her hand, softly placing a fingertip on the opening of the wound on his shoulder.
1123
1124“Ah.”
1125
1126“Hey, don’t make weird sounds.”
1127
1128“I’m sensitive there, so be gentle please.”
1129
1130“Like this?”
1131
1132Mai’s finger traced along the scar.
1133
1134“It feels really good.”
1135
1136Without changing her expression, Mai pinched at his stomach.
1137
1138“Ow, ow! Let me go!”
1139
1140“You look like you’re enjoying it.”
1141
1142“It really hurts!”
1143
1144Perhaps she thought it was pointless, as Mai let go.
1145
1146“So, how did this happen?”
1147
1148“Ah, I don’t really know.”
1149
1150“Huh, what do you mean? Wasn’t this what you wanted to show me?”
1151
1152“No, this doesn’t matter, don’t worry about it.”
1153
1154“Of course it concerns me. Besides, if not, why did you strip?”
1155
1156“It’s a habit to change right after I get home, so I couldn’t help it.”
1157
1158As he explained, Sakuta stretched out a hand to his locked desk drawer and retrieved a photo from it before handing it to Mai.
1159
1160“This is it.”
1161
1162“…!?” The moment her eyes dropped to the photo, they opened wide in surprise. Her expression soon turned serious, and she looked for an explanation from Sakuta. “What is this?”
1163
1164Depicted was a middle-school girl. Her arms were bared by the summer uniform, and those, along with her legs, were covered in bruises and painful looking cuts.
1165
1166“My sister, Kaede.”
1167
1168Sakuta knew that her stomach and back, covered by the uniform, were much the same.
1169
1170“…Was she assaulted?”
1171
1172“No, she was just bullied on the internet.”
1173
1174“…I don’t get what you’re saying.”
1175
1176That was understandable, most people would have that reaction to his sister being bullied.
1177
1178“She left a message read without replying, and the ‘leader’ in her class hated her. Then her classmates wrote things like ‘you’re the worst’, ‘die’, ‘you’re gross’, ‘you’re irritating’, and ‘don’t come to school’ on the social network they used.” Sakuta undid his belt as he talked. “And then one day, that happened to her body.”
1179
1180“Really?”
1181
1182“At first, I thought someone had attacked her too. But she already wasn’t going to school then, and didn’t go outside. I actually thought Kaede might be tormenting herself with them.”
1183
1184He took off his trousers and hung them over the back of his chair so they wouldn’t be creased.
1185
1186“There are people that think they’re in the wrong for being bullied and blame themselves.”
1187
1188Somehow, Mai was looking in another direction.
1189
1190“I wanted to know what was happening, so I skipped out on school and stayed with her.”
1191
1192“Hey, before you carry on?”
1193
1194“What is it?”
1195
1196“Seriously, why are you stripping.”
1197
1198He looked at his reflection in the window, he was just wearing a pair of underwear. No, he was wearing socks too.
1199
1200“I told you, it’s a habit to get changed when I get home.”
1201
1202“Then hurry up and get dressed!”
1203
1204He opened his wardrobe and looked for a change of clothes. While he did so, he continued talking.
1205
1206“Umm, where was I?”
1207
1208“You’d skipped school and were with your sister.”
1209
1210“The second Kaede looked at the social network, new wounds appeared on her body. Her thighs suddenly split open, and even spurted blood… Each time she saw a post, she’d bruise, and they kept piling up.”
1211
1212It almost looked like the wounds on her heart were cut into her body.
1213
1214“…” Mai worried over how to accept it. “…It’s hard to believe all of a sudden, but there’s no reason to go as far as to make this photo for a made up story.”
1215
1216Taking the photo back from Mai, Sakuta put it back in the desk and locked the drawer.
1217
1218“Are those scars from the same time.” He nodded slightly. “A human didn’t make them.”
1219
1220“I just have no idea what caused them. I woke up covered in blood and was taken to the hospital… I thought I’d die.”
1221
1222“Could that be what the hospital incident was?”
1223
1224“Yes, I was sent to the hospital.”
1225
1226“It’s completely the opposite, you really can’t trust rumours.”
1227
1228Mai let out a sigh, and sat down again.
1229
1230Then, the door opened and Nasuno, a calico cat, entered the room with a meow. And behind —
1231
1232“Onii-chan, are you… here?”
1233
1234— Kaede peeked out from the doorway in her pyjamas.
1235
1236“Eh?”
1237
1238She let out a sound of confusion.
1239
1240In Sakuta’s room, she could see her brother, in his underwear, and an older woman sat on the bed.
1241
1242“…”
1243
1244“…”
1245
1246“…”
1247
1248
1249
1250
1251
1252The three were silent, and their gazes met for a moment, with just Nasuno playfully rolling about Sakuta’s feet.
1253
1254Kaede was the first one to act.
1255
1256“I-I’m sorry!”
1257
1258As she apologised, she left the room for a moment, but soon peeped through the crack, and after looking between the two others, beckoned Sakuta over.
1259
1260“What?”
1261
1262Sakuta picked up Nasuno and answered, standing in front of the door. Standing on her tiptoes, Kaede hid her mouth with both hands and whispered into his ear.
1263
1264“I-if you’re going to call a lady of the night, let me know first!”
1265
1266“Kaede, you’re seriously misunderstanding things.”
1267
1268“What else could this be other than you enjoying uniform play with a prostitute!?”
1269
1270“Where the hell did you learn about this?”
1271
1272“In the book I read about a month ago, there was a girl that worked in that industry, she was a lovely girl that guided pitiful men to Nirvana.”
1273
1274“Well, while the explanation varies between people, wouldn’t you normally see this and think that your brother had brought his girlfriend home?”
1275
1276He thought that would be the much more natural assumption, but…
1277
1278“I don’t want to imagine the worst case like that.”
1279
1280“The ‘worst case’, little sister?”
1281
1282“The worst case, so much so the Earth will be destroyed.”
1283
1284“Right, then I shall get a girlfriend, and destroy the Earth!”
1285
1286“Hey, can we carry on already?”
1287
1288He turned back to the room when Mai called him, and Kaede took the opportunity to cling to his back. Both of her hands were on his shoulder as she hid behind his back, peeking out at Mai from time to time. But because she was tall, she couldn’t really hide. Being seen by Mai was just too much.
1289
1290“Onii-chan, she isn’t scamming you, is she?”
1291
1292“She’s not.”
1293
1294“You didn’t promise to go look at paintings?”
1295
1296“I didn’t.”
1297
1298“Did she—”
1299
1300“She didn’t, relax. She’s not in the date trade, she’s a senpai from school.”
1301
1302“I’m Sakurajima Mai, nice to meet you.”
1303
1304Kaede darted back behind Sakuta when Mai addressed her, like a small animal confronted by a carnivore. Then, she put her mouth on his back, and said something through the vibrations.
1305
1306“Uh, that was ‘Nice to meet you, I’m Azusagawa Kaede’.”
1307
1308“Right.”
1309
1310“‘This is Nasuno.’ Was that one.”
1311
1312He showed the cat in his arms to Mai, where it let out a meow and lolled out.
1313
1314“Thank you for telling me.”
1315
1316Kaede showed her face in response to her words, but then stole Nasuno from Sakuta’s arms and ran from the room like a fleeing rabbit, and the door crashed shut behind her.
1317
1318“Sorry about that, she’s really shy, so forgive her.”
1319
1320“Don’t worry about it, and tell her that too. I’m glad her injuries seem to have healed properly.”
1321
1322Strangely, even the scars had healed. He really was glad of that, she was a girl after all. And yet, there was still the question of why Sakuta’s scars remained, but… that wasn’t what they were thinking about, so he concentrated on Mai, who leaned back onto her hands and crossed her legs.
1323
1324“But it’s a rare girl that doesn’t know me.”
1325
1326“Well… she doesn’t watch much TV.”
1327
1328“Hmmm.”
1329
1330She had a vague expression, as if she didn’t quite agree.
1331
1332“Then, getting back to the point… Mai-san, how serious were you when you said ‘I want to go to a world where no one knows me’, how serious were you?”
1333
1334“One hundred percent.”
1335
1336“Really?”
1337
1338“…There are times I think like that, but when I can’t eat cream rolls, that’s a problem itself, and I think like this.”
1339
1340Mai took the roll out, held it in both hands, and took a small bite.
1341
1342“I was asking you seriously.”
1343
1344“…” Mai chewed, and then after about ten seconds, swallowed and answered. “I was answering seriously, moods change over time, right?”
1345
1346“Well, I guess so.”
1347
1348“Then, I have a question, why did you ask me that?”
1349
1350Sakuta’s eyes looked towards the door, to Kaede who had already left.
1351
1352“In Kaede’s case, removing her from the internet more or less solved things.”
1353
1354She couldn’t see the social networks, or post on discussion board, or use group chats. He had cancelled Kaede’s smartphone contract, and thrown it into the sea, and there wasn’t even a computer in this house.
1355
1356“‘More or less’, huh?”
1357
1358“The doctor said it was the same as people that thought their stomach hurt, so it actually started hurting. In the end, they decided the wounds themselves were inflicted by Kaede herself…”
1359
1360Sakuta didn’t agree with everything the doctor had said, but there were parts of the explanation he could agree with. Being insulted by her friends would tear up her heart, and that would appear on her body. There was nothing else you could think from seeing Kaede, and the sensation of her mental state influencing her physical body was understandable. Everyone had experiences like… feeling bad and becoming unhealthy, feeling like they’d vomit from seeing food they didn’t like, or feeling sick around a swimming pool.
1361
1362So while the scope was completely different, ‘thinking her stomach hurt and so on’ sounded relevant to Sakuta.
1363
1364“And so?”
1365
1366“The point is, the reason she was wounded was because of Kaede’s assumptions.”
1367
1368“I got that. So you’re saying that has something to do with my situation?”
1369
1370“After all, Mai-san, you’re playing the role of the ‘atmosphere’ at school, aren’t you?”
1371
1372“…”
1373
1374Mai’s expression didn’t change, and even as she showed a hint of being interested, her eyes simply said ‘so?’, coldly urging Sakuta on. Ordinary people wouldn’t have been able to manage that.
1375
1376“Well, so the situation doesn’t get any worse, I think you should go back to show business.”
1377
1378Sakuta quickly looked away and tried to say it lightly. There wasn’t a need for strange bargaining, even if they were fighting in the same arena, he’d have no chance of winning.
1379
1380“Why is that?”
1381
1382“If you stand out on TV, no matter how well you play the atmosphere, people won’t be able to ignore you, just like before your break.”
1383
1384“Hmmm.”
1385
1386“And I think you being able to do what you want would be great too.”
1387
1388Said Sakuta, as he glanced at her to judge her reaction.
1389
1390“…” Mai’s eyebrows moved in surprise, it was the tiniest change, that you wouldn’t have seen without looking carefully. “And what would those things I want to do be?”
1391
1392Her tone was still frank.
1393
1394“To return to show business.”
1395
1396“When did I say such a thing?”
1397
1398Mai let out a sigh and appeared disgusted, but Sakuta thought that it was an act.
1399
1400“If you’re not interested, why were you looking jealously at that advert on the train?”
1401
1402Sakuta cut in immediately.
1403
1404“It’s a novel I like, so I was just a little interested.”
1405
1406“You didn’t want to play the heroine yourself?”
1407
1408“You’re obstinate, Sakuta-kun.”
1409
1410Mai gave a relaxed smile, her mask not breaking. Even so, Sakuta continued without giving up.
1411
1412“I think it’s good to have something you want to do. You’ve got the ability, and you’ve got the record. On top of that, you’ve got your manager wanting you to come back, so what’s the problem?”
1413
1414“…It has nothing to do with them.” She spoke quietly, but the words were controlled, with the air of a rumble behind them. As proof of that, Mai’s eyebrows had lowered into a glare. “Don’t meddle in things.”
1415
1416It seemed like he’d touched a nerve.
1417
1418“…”
1419
1420Mai stood up silently.
1421
1422“Ah, if you need the toilet, it’s out and to your right.”
1423
1424“I’m leaving.”
1425
1426Mai picked up her bag and flung the door open.
1427
1428“Kya!” A scream came from Kaede, who had put brought tea on a tray and just arrived in front of the door. Even though she was in her pyjamas earlier, she was now wearing a white blouse and a skirt. “U-umm, umm… I brought tea.”
1429
1430Kaede was completely panicked in front of Mai, who looked awfully angry.
1431
1432“Thank you.”
1433
1434Mai smiled briefly and took the cup as she thanked Kaede, before draining it in a single gulp.
1435
1436“It was tasty.”
1437
1438Carefully, Mai placed the cup back on the tray that Kaede was holding and headed towards the entranceway.
1439
1440Sakuta hurriedly came out of the room and chased after her.
1441
1442“Ah, wait, Mai-san!”
1443
1444“What!?”
1445
1446Mai was putting on her shoes.
1447
1448“This.”
1449
1450He held up the paper bag with the bunny suit in to show her.
1451
1452“You can have it!”
1453
1454“Then at least let me walk—”
1455
1456Just before he said ‘you home’, she spoke angrily.
1457
1458“It’s nearby, so it’s fine!”
1459
1460And left the entrance.
1461
1462He went to chase her, but.
1463
1464“Onii-chan, you’ll be arrested!”
1465
1466Kaede pointed out that he was in his underwear, and he had nothing else he could do but give up.
1467
1468Sakuta and Kaede were left in the entrance way.
1469
1470“…”
1471
1472“…”
1473
1474Several seconds passed, and somehow, both of their gazes fell on the paper bag, with a full bunny girl outfit.
1475
1476“What will you do with it?”
1477
1478“I wonder…”
1479
1480He took out the ears, and, because she was carrying the tray and couldn’t resist for now, placed them on Kaede’s head.
1481
1482“I-I’m not wearing it!”
1483
1484She escaped to the living room with careful steps, to avoid spilling the rest of the tea.
1485
1486Forcing her was no good, so he gave up on having Kaede wear it for now. He would believe that the day she would be interested in bunny play would come, and put it in his wardrobe.
1487
1488“That’s sorted.” What wasn’t sorted was Mai, she was completely angry. “I’ll have to apologise tomorrow.”
1489
1490
1491
1492
1493CHAPTER 02
14941
1495
1496
1497
1498Despite his resolve to try, Sakuta was unable to apologise the day after angering Mai. His hopes of running into her on the train in the morning were resoundingly dashed. He had then thought that in that case he would go to her classroom in the short break after the first period, but he hadn’t found her anywhere. When he spoke to the third-year girl near the door she made a slightly confused face, and then said:
1499
1500“Sakurajima-san? Hmm, did she come in today?” And then returned to her conversation with her friends with “Well, she was yesterday.”
1501
1502“…”
1503
1504The classroom she was absent from was filled with the laughter of the boys and the giggling chatter of the girls, the atmosphere of break time didn’t change that much between second and third year. When he imagined Mai, isolated within it, his chest tightened somewhat.
1505
1506“Where’s her seat?”
1507
1508“Eh? Ah, over there.”
1509
1510The girl pointed at a seat in the second row from the windows, at the very back of the room. Seeing that her bag was on the isolated desk, Sakuta returned to his own classroom.
1511
1512Each break after that he traipsed to the third year classroom, but Mai wasn’t there. Her bag remained and the next subject’s books were arranged on the desk, so he was certain she was in school, but each trip ended as a wild goose chase.
1513
1514His last hope was now when school ended, and with the end of homeroom Sakuta rushed to the entrance. He looked around for Mai, searching for about twenty minutes. Once he knew he wouldn’t find her there, he left the school and went down the road to the station. Of course, she wasn’t there; he couldn’t find her even on the Shichirigahama platform.
1515
1516In the end he couldn’t even meet her today, let alone reconcile with her.
1517
1518This continued for three days, after which even an idiot would have realised she was purposefully avoiding him. The problem was that her completely enforced attitude didn’t relax even after that.
1519
1520Two weeks had somehow passed since then, and she was still avoiding him perfectly. Yesterday on his way home he’d lain in wait at the station, but even that hadn’t borne fruit. It seemed that she had walked to the next station and caught the train from there, she hadn’t appeared even after an hour of waiting.
1521
1522At any rate, she was making it difficult. She was probably using techniques she had learnt in the world of show business for avoiding news cameras, disappearing like the mist sometimes.
1523
1524“I guess I touched an absolutely massive nerve.”
1525
1526That thought had strengthened as day after day went by with Mai’s stubborn behaviour. It was suggesting that she return to that world which had caused her anger, and the specific trigger was probably the word ‘manager’.
1527
1528This made him think that there was a reason she had taken a hiatus and that she was hesitating to return, even though she wanted to. When he used a school computer to look it up the only kind of reasons he could find were worthless rumours, gossip like ‘overwork maybe?’, ‘somethin’s got to have happened with her producer’, and ‘it’s got to be a guy’. It had gotten to the point where the only thing he could do would be to ask her directly, but she was still perfectly avoiding Sakuta, so there was nothing else to do.
1529
1530After school that day, Sakuta had decided that thoughtless pursuit was worthless and changed his approach a little. Once he had finished with cleaning duty, he walked over to the physics lab.
1531
1532To meet his other friend.
1533
1534He lightly knocked on the door and then opened it without waiting for a response.
1535
1536“I’m gonna intrude.”
1537
1538He entered and closed the door behind him.
1539
1540“You’re intruding, so get out.”
1541
1542And was immediately assailed by relentless words.
1543
1544There was a single student within the large lab, who was preparing an alcohol burner and a beaker on the teacher’s desk. She didn’t even look at Sakuta as he entered.
1545
1546She was petite, 155 centimetres in height and wore glasses. The white coat over her uniform drew the eye and her straight posture was kind of attractive.
1547
1548Her name was Futaba Rio, a second-year student at Minegahara High School. She had been in the same class as Sakuta and Yuuma last year and was the sole member of the science club. She was known as a weirdo that sometimes caused power outages or small fires while performing experiments for the science club. The fact that she constantly wore her lab-coat was another reason that she drew attention.
1549
1550
1551
1552
1553
1554Sakuta took a nearby chair and sat down in front of her, with the desk between them.
1555
1556“How’ve you been?”
1557
1558“Nothing has happened I’d report to you, Azusagawa.”
1559
1560“Tell me something fun.”
1561
1562“Don’t drag me into the conversations of high-schoolers with too much time on their hands.”
1563
1564Rio raised her gaze and glared at Sakuta. Maybe she really did think he was intruding.
1565
1566“We really are high-schoolers with too much time on their hands, we can act like it.”
1567
1568Rio ignored Sakuta’s attempt at continuing the conversation and lit the burner with a match. She set it under a beaker full of water, she probably intended to do some kind of experiment.
1569
1570“How have you been, Azusagawa?”
1571
1572“Well, I’ve not really got anything to report.”
1573
1574“Liar. You’ve been obsessed with a popular child actress, haven’t you?”
1575
1576Without even thinking about it, he knew she was talking about Mai.
1577
1578“She’s graduated from being a child actress long ago, she’s an actress, performer, or an entertainer.” Or maybe he should call her a normal person while she was on hiatus. “Anyway, who’d you hear that from?”
1579
1580“That’s a stupid question.”
1581
1582“Well, it’d only be Kunimi.”
1583
1584Yuuma was the only one that knew about things Sakuta was involved with. He was also, of course, the only one along with Sakuta that would speak to Rio, singled out as a weirdo as she was for always wearing her lab-coat. That was it, QED.
1585
1586“I’ve been worrying that you’ve been sticking your nose into strange places again, Azusagawa.”
1587
1588“What’s with that ‘again’?”
1589
1590“Worrying about such a good-for-nothing as you… Kunimi is too kind.”
1591
1592“If you get how that works, go ahead and tell me.”
1593
1594He thought the phrase ‘a nice personality’ existed for Yuuma, from the bottom of his heart.
1595
1596When the rumours had spread about the hospital incident last year, it was Yuuma alone that didn’t change his behaviour. He hadn’t taken the rumours as read, and had asked Sakuta upfront when they were paired for PE.
1597
1598“Of course not.”
1599
1600“I guessed.”
1601
1602Kunimi had smiled.
1603
1604“…You believe me, Kunimi?”
1605
1606Frankly speaking, it had been a shock. Most of his classmates believed the rumours, and had distanced themselves from him without finding out.
1607
1608“Well, you didn’t, right?”
1609
1610“Well, no.”
1611
1612“Then rather than rumours from who knows who, I’ll believe you standing in front of me, Azusagawa.”
1613
1614“You’re the worst, Kunimi.”
1615
1616“Huh? How’d you get to that?”
1617
1618“Even your personality’s handsome, you really are the enemy of all men.”
1619
1620“The hell?”
1621
1622That had happened a year ago, and he had often spoken with Yuuma since then.
1623
1624He looked at the flame with an unfocused gaze.
1625
1626“The world is unfair, isn’t it?” And then she gave a somewhat rude glare. “That people are so different.”
1627
1628Rio was clearly looking at Sakuta pityingly.
1629
1630“Stop comparing me to Kunimi.”
1631
1632“I'm just mocking you, don’t worry about it.”
1633
1634“Obviously I would. Well, people like him hide all kinds of unspeakable perversions, thus the world’s balance is maintained.”
1635
1636“You’re as socially awkward as ever.”
1637
1638Rio spoke with a sigh.
1639
1640“How?”
1641
1642“Calling your friend a pervert behind his back when he’s worrying about you.”
1643
1644Rio’s statement was irrefutable.
1645
1646“…I think I just thought of a difference with Kunimi.”
1647
1648“And so.”
1649
1650Rio drew out her introduction.
1651
1652“So what?”
1653
1654Sakuta returned.
1655
1656The water began to bubble within the beaker.
1657
1658“You got over Makinohara.”
1659
1660“…Why do you and Kunimi bring that up?”
1661
1662“Don’t you get it better than anyone, Azusagawa?”
1663
1664Rio asked, before she extinguished the burner and transferred the boiling water to a mug, following it with a spoonful of instant coffee. Apparently, it wasn’t an experiment.
1665
1666“Give me some too.”
1667
1668“Unfortunately, I only have one cup. Well, you can use this measuring cylinder.”
1669
1670Rio calmly held out the thin, thirty-centimetre long glass cylinder.
1671
1672“If I drank out of that, it’d be gone in a single sip.”
1673
1674“You need to experiment to check if your hypothesis is correct, Azusagawa. Besides, there’s nothing else you could use.”
1675
1676“Did it not occur to you to use the beaker you boiled the water in?”
1677
1678“That was boring, too obvious.”
1679
1680Even as she complained, Rio added instant coffee to the remaining water in the beaker.
1681
1682“Sugar, Futaba?”
1683
1684“I don’t take any.”
1685
1686Rio removed a plastic bottle from a drawer and thumped it down in front of Sakuta. Manganese dioxide was written on its label.
1687
1688“Is this okay…”
1689
1690“It’s probably sugar. It’s white after all.”
1691
1692“Even I know there’s a lot of white powders.” He also knew that manganese dioxide was black. “Let’s try a little first.”
1693
1694Sakuta ignored Rio’s realistic advice and took his black.
1695
1696Her face grew somewhat regretful at that, and she once more lit the burner. He thought that this time she was indeed going to experiment, but she set a metal gauze over it and started to warm some dried squid and their tentacles curled up.
1697
1698“Give me some too.”
1699
1700He hadn’t thought it would go with coffee, but the smell made him want to eat. Rio tore of a single tentacle and gave it to him.
1701
1702As he chewed on it, Sakuta brought up his main question.
1703
1704“Hey, do you think things can become unsee-able?”
1705
1706“If you’re worried about your vision, why not go see an optician?”
1707
1708“No, that’s not what I mean… not being able to see things even though they’re there, like the invisible man.”
1709
1710Mai also had the symptom of being inaudible, so it was a bit different in reality, but… he wanted to get the basics down first.
1711
1712“And what, sneak into the girls’ toilets?”
1713
1714“I’m not into scat, so let’s leave it at the changing rooms.”
1715
1716“That’s you all right, a low-life.”
1717
1718Rio reached a hand out to her bag, and took her phone from its pocket.
1719
1720“Who are you calling?”
1721
1722“The police.”
1723
1724“The police won’t do anything before a crime happens.”
1725
1726“That’s true.” Rio returned the phone to her bag. “Back to your earlier question, the mechanism behind sight is in the physics textbook. You just need to study light and lenses.”
1727
1728Rio put a physics book in front of him with a thud.
1729
1730“That’s boring, so I’m asking you.”
1731
1732Sakuta politely returned the book. Rio ignored it and chewed her squid.
1733
1734“Light is the important thing. It hits the object and is reflected off it, entering the eye, allowing people to see shape and colour. You can’t see things in the dark where there is no light.”
1735
1736“Reflection, huh.”
1737
1738“If you don’t get it, think of echolocation, you should have heard of dolphins using ultrasonics.”
1739
1740“Something about measuring the distance between them and an obstacle by listening to the reflected ultrasonic waves?”
1741
1742“That’s right. It seems they can also distinguish the shape of things as well. Sonar on boats is the same. When it’s hard to image with light, it’s generally because there isn’t enough light to sense the brightness, or there’s no sensation of light entering the eye.”
1743
1744“Hmmm.”
1745
1746“So things that don’t reflect light like transparent glass are hard to see.”
1747
1748“Ahh, I get it.”
1749
1750Then it would be light not hitting Mai. That happening to just a single performer on hiatus is so unlikely it wasn’t even funny. Or maybe he could think of it like light not reflecting from her like glass… but there were a lot of ways that didn’t fit. Her voice, and the fact that there were people that could and couldn’t see her. It was a complicated situation.
1751
1752“I kind of get what you’re on about.”
1753
1754“Really?”
1755
1756She looked at him doubtfully.
1757
1758“You must think I’m an idiot.”
1759
1760“Not at all.”
1761
1762“Then you think I’m a super idiot?”
1763
1764“I think you’re an annoyance that goes out of his way to say something like that when he can guess what I want to say.”
1765
1766“You’re the annoyance.”
1767
1768“I think you’re the unpleasant kind of person that pretends he doesn’t get what’s going on, even though he does.”
1769
1770“My bad, stop gouging at me, would you?”
1771
1772“You would be able to get out of it so easily.”
1773
1774Rio slurped her coffee, unimpressed.
1775
1776He should bring the conversation back on track.
1777
1778“Umm, then I’ll put some conditions on it. Is it possible for you to not be able to see me anymore when I’m just sitting in front of you like this?”
1779
1780“If I close my eyes, yes.”
1781
1782“With your eyes open, looking straight at me.”
1783
1784“It’s possible.”
1785
1786Rio’s answer was the exact opposite of what he imagined, and came so readily too.
1787
1788“If I was concentrating on something and zoned out, I wouldn’t notice you anymore.”
1789
1790“No, it’s kind of different from that.”
1791
1792“Well, going through it fully, from a different point of view than light… ‘seeing’ is influenced much more by a person’s brain than physical phenomena.” Apparently, she had finished her coffee, and filled another beaker with water and put it above the burner. “For example, I might look small to you, but a middle-schooler would call me big.”
1793
1794“No, you’re big. You’re always wearing the lab-coat and guarding yourself but you can even tell through that.”
1795
1796His gaze fell to her full chest.
1797
1798“D-don’t talk about my breasts.”
1799
1800Rio covered herself like a girl.
1801
1802“Ahh, sorry, did it bother you?”
1803
1804“You don’t have any sense of delicacy, or shame.”
1805
1806“Maybe I dropped it somewhere.”
1807
1808He looked around searchingly.
1809
1810“Go away if you’re not going to take me seriously, the lecture is over.”
1811
1812Rio stood from her seat.
1813
1814“Sorry, I’ll take you seriously. I won’t look at your breasts either.”
1815
1816“Like I said, don’t talk about my breasts.”
1817
1818He actually wasn’t sure that he could avoid looking. His gaze unconsciously gravitated there, and putting it into practice would be hard without changing him on the genetic level. He put his coffee to his mouth and avoided it.
1819
1820“So things that are visible become subjective?”
1821
1822“That’s right. A person’s brain is able to not see things the person doesn’t want to see.”
1823
1824Just like there were the phrases ‘pretending not to see something’, ‘not considering something’, ‘paying no notice to something’, and ‘not focusing on something’, there were many ways to say it, but he could agree with a lot of it.
1825
1826It was just, Rio’s suggestions were all completely denied by Mai’s situation as he saw it. Putting it crudely, he felt that she was playing the role of ‘the atmosphere’ and was invisible to her surroundings, and thought there was a cause with Mai, but Rio had only talked from the point of view of the one who saw. In other words, it had nothing to do with the one being seen or the place.
1827
1828“There’s also something called observation theory.”
1829
1830“Ob…servation theory?”
1831
1832He just repeated the words he hadn’t heard before.
1833
1834“Putting it extremely, it’s that everything that exists in this world ‘first has its existence defined through the observation of someone’… it’s an unthinkable theory normally.” Rio spoke rather unemotionally. “You should have heard of a cat in a box, Schrödinger’s Cat.”
1835
1836“Ahh, I’ve heard the name at least.”
1837
1838Rio took an empty cardboard box from under the desk and placed it in front of Sakuta.
1839
1840“You put a cat in here,” as she spoke, Rio first put a beckoning cat money box in the cardboard box. It was one the physics teacher used to save 500 yen coins, but it seemed fairly light, “and then you place a radioactive source that has a probability of emitting radiation within an hour…” she continued, putting the beaker she had boiled water in inside, “and put a container of poisonous gas that will open if it senses that radiation with it. If it opens, the cat will breathe the poisonous gas and die.” Finally, she added the plastic manganese dioxide bottle into the box. “You then close it and wait thirty minutes.” So saying, Rio closed the lid. “Now then, here’s one that’s been waiting for thirty minutes.”
1841
1842“Is this a cooking show?”
1843
1844Rio ignored his interruption and continued.
1845
1846“What do you think happened to the cat?”
1847
1848“Hmm, there’s a probability of it emitting radiation once in an hour? Then, the poison gas container detects that and opens?”
1849
1850Rio nodded namelessly.
1851
1852“And thirty minutes is half of that, so… it’s a half probability?”
1853
1854“I’m surprised, you understood.”
1855
1856“If I didn’t get this much, I’d either be a proper idiot, or not have been listening.”
1857
1858“So then, is that cat alive or dead?”
1859
1860“It’s fifty-fifty, right? You can just shake the box.”
1861
1862“The box is metal and can’t be moved.”
1863
1864It was a cardboard box in front of him.
1865
1866“Then, I’ll believe it’s alive.”
1867
1868“Whatever guess you make, it doesn’t matter in this situation.”
1869
1870“Then don’t ask.”
1871
1872“There’s nothing to do to ‘define’ the cat’s state other than look.”
1873
1874“That’s a pretty normal method.”
1875
1876Rio opened the box and, of course, the beckoning cat money box, the beaker, and the manganese dioxide bottle were inside.
1877
1878“The instant the box is opened, the cat’s fate is defined. In other words, until you open the box and check, the cat is half alive and half dead. In the world of quantum mechanics at least.”
1879
1880“What’s with that logic. What if it died after ten minutes? Wouldn’t the cat have been dead even if you didn’t have the extra twenty minutes before opening it?”
1881
1882Or at least for the cat, its person-hood would be over. No, it’d be cat-hood in this case… either way, the result was the same.
1883
1884“That’s why I said it was an unthinkable theory. Well, even leaving explaining quantum mechanics aside, I think the way of thinking about things itself has some truth to it.”
1885
1886“Truuuth, huh?”
1887
1888It was unquestionably suspicious.
1889
1890“People see the world as they expect it to be. The rumour about you is a good example. People give precedence to the theory even over the truth. If you were the cat in the box, and the other students are the observers, you could think of reality being substituted, no?”
1891
1892It seemed she was trying to say… it wasn’t the circumstances within the box, it was the subjectivity of those that saw it afterwards that mattered. It had nothing to do with Sakuta, the person in question, the image of Sakuta was decided by the observers.
1893
1894“That’s not even funny…”
1895
1896However, it was hard to reconcile it with Mai’s situation. Sakuta could see her and others couldn’t, and he didn’t get what kind of conditions becoming invisible would require. It had been interesting, but he had the feeling that the pieces didn’t quite fit. Besides, a fake phenomenon like Adolescence Syndrome might not be able to be explained physically. It seemed like some of their conversation would be clues, but discussing it with Rio seemed to have made it more difficult.
1897
1898Just returning to show-business might not solve Mai’s problem, and that unpleasant feeling settled in Sakuta’s chest. Rio had talked about the people seeing from beginning to end, so… a change in Mai’s mental state alone might not be any help.
1899
1900“This is supplementary, but there are physical examples of observation changing the outcome.”
1901
1902“Seriously?”
1903
1904“There’s something called the double slit experiment… Talking only very simply of the conclusion, observing the experiment through its course and only observing the results cause the results to change between each case.”
1905
1906“So, it’s like… if the Japanese football team have a match and if I just check the news then they won, but if I went and watched they lost?”
1907
1908“What I’m talking about is only applicable to particles… the microscopic world. Before it’s observed, a particle’s position is probabilistic, and it’s a waveform, not matter. Observing it confines it to matter.”
1909
1910“But when you put all that micro stuff together, it makes people and things, right?”
1911
1912Even Sakuta knew that people and things were made up of molecules, atoms, electrons, and various other things.
1913
1914“If what I was saying occurred in the macroscopic world, your explanation would be fine. Also, you should never watch football again for the sake of our team. Don’t look twice.”
1915
1916He got some helpful advice from Rio when the school intercom sounded:
1917
1918“Would Kunimi-kun from class 2-2 please come to the staffroom to see the basketball club’s adviser, Sano-sensei.”
1919
1920“Did he do something?”
1921
1922“He’s not you. Besides, it’s probably confirming their training schedule.”
1923
1924She didn’t seem interested, but Rio sided with Yuuma. As he looked at the speaker he checked the time, a little past three.
1925
1926“Ah, I have work, so I’m going home.”
1927
1928“Just leave.”
1929
1930“Thanks for everything, the coffee was great too.”
1931
1932“If you’re going to thank someone, thank the physics teacher, it’s not mine.”
1933
1934Rio picked up the coffee jar and showed him the name on its lid.
1935
1936“Well, he won’t notice a little missing.”
1937
1938He said and stood, putting his back on his shoulder and walking out. As he touched the door, he suddenly remembered something and looked back. Rio was tending a gas burner flame like she really intended to do an experiment this time.
1939
1940“Futaba.”
1941
1942“Hmm?”
1943
1944She only acknowledged him verbally and kept her gaze on the pale blue flame.
1945
1946“Are you alright about Kunimi?”
1947
1948She looked at him with wavering eyes, and soon said.
1949
1950“I’m…” then stopped in mid-sentence. She had probably meant to say ‘I’m fine’ and failed, her voice sounded empty, and her usual expression of concentration tightened. “I’m used to it.”
1951
1952She gave up on saying she was fine and gave a weak smile.
1953
1954Sakuta couldn’t do anything, he could do nothing but watch her unrequited love from the side.
1955
1956“You’ll be late for work.”
1957
1958She gestured with her chin for him to leave, and then watched him go as he left the physics lab. Closing the door behind him, he unconsciously muttered.
1959
1960“‘Used to it’… you haven’t given up at all.”
1961
1962
1963
19642
1965
1966
1967
1968“Azusagawa-kun, take your break before we get the dinner rush.”
1969
1970“Right.”
1971
1972Sakuta went into the space that doubled as both the men’s changing area and break room at those words from the family restaurant manager. Yuuma had just finished changing and left the shadow of his locker, even though he’d already had club activities, he showed no sign of being tired. Yuuma noticed Sakuta.
1973
1974“Yo.”
1975
1976“Hey.”
1977
1978Sakuta replied bluntly to Yuuma as the latter fastened his apron.
1979
1980“Are you on break?”
1981
1982“I’d be in the hall otherwise.”
1983
1984“True… right.”
1985
1986He’d neatly tied his apron and was checking his appearance in front of the mirror.
1987
1988“Ah, right, Sakuta.”
1989
1990He spoke to Sakuta again, as if remembering something.
1991
1992“Hm?”
1993
1994Sakuta sat on a pipe chair and poured himself some tea from the pot on the table.
1995
1996“You’ve been hiding something from me.”
1997
1998“What’s with that phrasing, are you my girlfriend?”
1999
2000For a moment, he was startled, thinking it was about Rio’s one-sided love. But it was a different name that left Yuuma’s mouth.
2001
2002“It’s not a joke, it’s about Kamisato.”
2003
2004“Ahh.”
2005
2006Sakuta looked away as he relaxed. That itself wasn’t something he wanted to touch on. But apparently, Yuuma knew about Kamisato Saki calling him up to the roof. He’d probably heard from the girl herself. There was no avoiding it now.
2007
2008“Your girlfriend is amazing.”
2009
2010“Right, she’s my wonderful girlfriend.”
2011
2012“She told me not to talk to you.”
2013
2014“She wants me to herself, she loves me that much.”
2015
2016“Apparently I’ll make you look bad. How bad are you now?”
2017
2018“I’m sorry!”
2019
2020Yuuma put his hands together and bowed his head.
2021
2022“You’re amazing too?”
2023
2024“How?”
2025
2026“She’s so inciteful and you won’t say a word against her.”
2027
2028“Well yeah, I’m going out with her because I love her. She sometimes comes across a bit fierce, but she’s a good, honest girl.”
2029
2030He had a feeling she was a bit too honest…
2031
2032“You sound like a wife getting abused by her husband.”
2033
2034“What, the ‘he’s sometimes kind’ type? Don’t be stupid.”
2035
2036“Well, don’t worry about me. Whatever she says won’t hurt, or even tickle.”
2037
2038“That’s complicated itself.”
2039
2040Yuuma smiled with a troubled expression.
2041
2042“More importantly, I’m sorry.”
2043
2044“What brought this up?”
2045
2046“It can’t be fun to hear me complain about your girlfriend.”
2047
2048“Don’t worry about it.”
2049
2050“That’s not fair to Kamisato.”
2051
2052“Ah, that’s true.” Yuuma gave a carefree smile. “Anyway, it’s fine. And Sakuta, don’t pay too much attention in future, avoiding me will just make me angry.”
2053
2054“I’m not taking responsibility if you get in a fight with her.”
2055
2056“I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it… I sorta feel like she’ll be more focused on you, so it’s fine.”
2057
2058He spoke of an annoyance so easily.
2059
2060“Oi, wait a minute, hey!”
2061
2062“If it doesn’t hurt or tickle, it’s fine right?” Yuuma smiled triumphantly. “You’re just something else, being able to ask a girl ‘are you on your period?’. What’s your heart? Is it made of iron?”
2063
2064Yuuma cackled.
2065
2066“Ah, crap, it’s time.” Kunimi hurriedly swiped his time card as he caught sight of the time. “Clocking iiiin.”
2067
2068And then he headed out into the hall.
2069
2070But, before even a minute had passed, he was back in the break room. Maybe he’d forgotten something, though Sakuta couldn’t see anything he would have.
2071
2072Yuuma’s gaze fell on him without hesitation, and he looked like he wanted to say something.
2073
2074“What?”
2075
2076“That woman’s here again.”
2077
2078Yuuma’s expression was closed off, and there was a hint of worry mixed in with the seriousness upon his face, eloquently telling Sakuta that it was a customer that he should greet.
2079
2080
2081
2082Sakuta ignored his break and went out into the hall, heading to an inner table. In the booth sat a woman in the latter half of her twenties. She was wearing a knee-length skirt and a short-sleeved blouse that had a touch of a fresh spring day about it. She had natural looking makeup that held off from gaudiness. She seemed somewhat intellectual, and like a presenter. She was an actual presenter though…
2083
2084“May I take your order?”
2085
2086Asked Sakuta, stubbornly business-like.
2087
2088“It’s been a while.”
2089
2090“Who would you be again?”
2091
2092“I see, that’s how it is. Well then, it is nice to meet you, this is who I am.”
2093
2094The woman held out her business card with polite movements.
2095
2096The TV Station logo, her position as a presenter, and in the middle was her name, ‘Nanjou Fumika’.
2097
2098He’d spoken with her in that way, but he really knew her. He had met her when his sister was bullied and Fumika was doing a piece called ‘On the Problems of Bullying in Middle School’, and it was nearly two years since then.
2099
2100“What do you want today?”
2101
2102“I came to do a story on raw whitebait and I’m free this evening, so I came to meet you.”
2103
2104Sakuta’s expression remained unmoving in front of her forced cheeriness. He knew what she was after, when she was covering the bullying, she knew of and had an interest in Adolescence Syndrome. Of course, she didn’t outright believe an urban legend like that. She was dubious and sceptically, but it could have been a big scoop if it was real, so she couldn’t give up on it, and Fumika herself had spoken indifferently about it since then.
2105
2106“If you’re free, why not invite a baseball player on a date? That’s like a presenter.”
2107
2108“It’s a charming suggestion, but the first teams are all working seeing as it’s baseball season.”
2109
2110It was six PM, and matches would be being played.
2111
2112“Besides, I can have a date here.”
2113
2114Fumika turned a suggestive look on him.
2115
2116“I don’t have any interest in older women.”
2117
2118“A kid like you just doesn’t know an adult’s charms.”
2119
2120She looked up at his face as she held a finger to her cheek.
2121
2122“I know that you’re fatter than when we met three months ago. Your upper arm’s looking pretty bad.
2123
2124“…kh!” Her eyebrows jerked upwards and she sat back in her chair, somewhat poutily and said. “You’re not cute.”
2125
2126“You could at least say handsome… your order?”
2127
2128“One Sakuta-kun to go.”
2129
2130“You seem somewhat ill, so I’ll order an ambulance.”
2131
2132He returned dully.
2133
2134“I’ll take the cheesecake and drink set, with a hot coffee.”
2135
2136She ordered without looking at the menu. Every time she came here, Fumika would order the same thing. How would he put it? It was kind of like a man’s action.
2137
2138“Is that all?”
2139
2140“Do you still not feel like talking about the incident?”
2141
2142Fumika took out her smartphone from her bag and started checking her emails.
2143
2144“Never.”
2145
2146“I just want a photo of the scars on your chest.”
2147
2148“No.”
2149
2150“Why?”
2151
2152She scrolled the screen with her finger.
2153
2154“Then will you let me take a picture of you naked, Nanjou-san?”
2155
2156“Yeah, sure.”
2157
2158“We have a harlot heeere.”
2159
2160“Just for personal use, okay? I’d be fired if it found its way onto the internet.”
2161
2162It seemed that talking with her any further would be stupid, and Sakuta left without replying.
2163
2164But, after two or three steps, he suddenly thought of something.
2165
2166“Um.”
2167
2168He returned and spoke to her.
2169
2170“Hm?”
2171
2172She replied absently, still looking at her phone.
2173
2174“Nanjou-san, do you know Sakurajima Mai?”
2175
2176He said, with a slight hesitation before the name.
2177
2178“Is there anyone that doesn’t?”
2179
2180Fumika’s gaze was still focused on her emails.
2181
2182“Do you know… why she took a hiatus?”
2183
2184He knew that Fumika worked as a variety show assistant and did coverage on show-business.
2185
2186“…” She looked at him in puzzlement, probably wondering why he was asking about Sakurajima Mai. But her face quickly took on another expression. She was interested that he’d ask that, but even if that showed on her face she say it. “I think I know some things normal people don’t at least.”
2187
2188“I see.”
2189
2190“So, is this a request as a child? Or a negotiation between adults?”
2191
2192“Stop treating me like a child.”
2193
2194“In that case then, I can’t just tell you for free, can I?”
2195
2196“You can have a picture.”
2197
2198“Fu fu, we have a deal.”
2199
2200She returned the phone to her bag, and as Sakuta urged her onwards with his eyes, he arrived at the table of adulthood.
2201
2202
2203
2204Sakuta stopped by a convenience store on his way home, after working until nine o’clock. There were few people on the streets as he trudged through the residential areas for about ten minutes until he reached his building. The lift went up to the fifth floor in one go, and as he approached his door, he noticed someone there.
2205
2206It was Mai, sat against the wall and wearing a Minegahara school uniform, with her knees up and her arms around them. She was sat like a girl in PE, with both her knees and thighs together, and only her lower legs separate. She had probably followed someone in through the self-locking doors below.
2207
2208She looked up at him reproachfully as he approached.
2209
2210“You’re finally home.”
2211
2212“I was working.”
2213
2214“Where.”
2215
2216“At the family restaurant by the station.”
2217
2218“Hmm~”
2219
2220“Mai-san.”
2221
2222“What?”
2223
2224First, he made a gesture like he was frying something for ‘pan’, then he put his hands into a T shape for ‘ties’, followed by hooking a finger into an R for ‘are’, and then held out his hand, palm up, for ‘showing’.
2225
2226“What are you playing at?”
2227
2228She looked at him like he was an idiot, apparently, she hadn’t noticed that her pure white panties were visible through her black tights, she was way too defenceless.
2229
2230He had no other choice.
2231
2232“I can see your panties.”
2233
2234He told her bluntly. Mai panicked and checked herself.
2235
2236“I-it’s not like I care if a younger boy sees my underwear.”
2237
2238As she spoke, she put a hand between her legs and pulled her skirt down. He wondered why it was that her trying to hide them was more erotic than them being completely visible.
2239
2240“Even though you’re bright red?”
2241
2242“T-that’s because I’m excited!”
2243
2244“Uwah, there’s a harlot here too.”
2245
2246“Who’re you calling a harlot!”
2247
2248
2249
2250
2251
2252Mai glared at him.
2253
2254“Well, you should just stand up for now.”
2255
2256He reached out a hand to her. Mai reached back until they were nearly touching and then as if she had rethought things, withdrew it, standing up herself with a ‘hmph’.
2257
2258“I don’t want to touch a boy’s hand, I don’t know where it’s been.”
2259
2260She smiled triumphantly, apparently enjoying herself. However, her triumph didn’t last long, as her stomach growled.
2261
2262“…”
2263
2264“…”
2265
2266“You sound hungry.”
2267
2268He followed, monotonously.
2269
2270“You have an awful personality.”
2271
2272“Eh, I know.”
2273
2274Sakuta took a cream roll from the convenience store from his bag. After some slight hesitation, she reached her hand out. It felt like he was feeding a stray cat.
2275
2276Mai opened the package and bit into the cream roll.
2277
2278“When did you turn into the hungry character?”
2279
2280“…” She continued chewing silently and after swallowing said. “I can’t shop.”
2281
2282With a tone that made it sound like it was Sakuta’s fault.
2283
2284“Ahh, I see.”
2285
2286Other people couldn’t see her, so she couldn’t do what she had planned. Just like he’d seen happen when she tried to buy a cream roll from the bakery in the station and the woman seemed to ignore her. It was a pitiful scene.
2287
2288“There have been many more places where I’ve become invisible. The area around Fujisawa station is completely gone, and even if I buy things online, I can’t receive the parcel so it’s the same thing.”
2289
2290“So, will you come in?”
2291
2292Sakuta took out his key and gestured at the door.
2293
2294“Treat me to food.”
2295
2296“That’s a weird way of putting it.”
2297
2298Mai glared steadily at him, but was unfortunately not scary in the slightest, in fact, it was cute.
2299
2300“I’ll do so then.”
2301
2302“No way, going into a boy’s room so late is just begging for something to happen.”
2303
2304“I see, so that’s consent from you, I’ll remember that.”
2305
2306“Forget it.”
2307
2308Mai hit his head with the edge of her hand.
2309
2310“Ow.”
2311
2312“Don’t be stupid, just come shopping with me.”
2313
2314“Ah, then wait a bit, I need to tell my sister I’m home.”
2315
2316“Got it, I’ll wait downstairs.”
2317
2318Mai turned her back on Sakuta as he turned the key, and headed to the lifts.
2319
2320
2321
2322It took fifteen minutes to convince Kaede, and another fifteen to pacify Mai after she waited for fifteen minutes. It took ten minutes to travel and when they then finally arrived at a supermarket near the station the clock had long passed ten PM.
2323
2324The shop was open until eleven and had a fair few customers, young men in suits scattered around. They probably lived alone and were shopping on the way home. It was the store that Sakuta usually used, but it was rare for him to come at this hour, so it was a somewhat invigorating feeling.
2325
2326And then, invigorating him further was the fact that he wasn’t alone, he had Sakurajima Mai with him. She was slightly ahead, picking out food. Pushing the trolley along behind her was sort of fun, and his face relaxed naturally.
2327
2328“This definitely makes us look like a couple.”
2329
2330“Did you say something?”
2331
2332Mai looked back, holding a carrot in each hand.
2333
2334“Nah, nothing.”
2335
2336“It’s okay, besides, no one can see me.”
2337
2338Apparently, she did actually hear it.
2339
2340“I wonder if this is that situation where a girl stops over for the first time and cooks for me.”
2341
2342“If you just keep having stupid delusions, you’ll end up stupid.”
2343
2344She returned the carrot in her right hand to the shelf with a disparaging look.
2345
2346“Then I’ll be serious.”
2347
2348“I wonder.”
2349
2350He could tell that her tone was completely disbelieving.
2351
2352“What does that carrot look like to the people that can’t see you, is it floating?”
2353
2354“It seems like it’s invisible.” Mai answered immediately, she’d probably already experimented. She then waved the carrot in front of a passing worker’s face and he had no reaction. “See?”
2355
2356“So it does.”
2357
2358“I tried taking the shopping to a cashier before, but that didn’t work either. Besides, they can’t see my clothes either, can they?” That was true, it was completely different to just Mai herself becoming invisible. “I wonder if things become invisible if I touch them.”
2359
2360“By that logic, the Earth would be invisible.”
2361
2362“That’s thinking big.”
2363
2364“I’m a big guy.”
2365
2366“Right, right.”
2367
2368She brushed it off.
2369
2370“Then… what would happen if you touched me?”
2371
2372“Is that an indirect way of asking to hold hands?”
2373
2374“No, just an experiment.”
2375
2376He’d already experienced touching her, when she went into his room and touched the scars on his chest, and when their shoulders touched so she’d ‘get pregnant’ while they were on the train. But Sakuta hadn’t become invisible. He’d probably be able to checkout with the things in the trolley if he took them to the cashier. If he had to say, he wanted to know what would happen while they were touching.
2377
2378“I won’t hold hands for that.”
2379
2380She walked briskly over to the meat.
2381
2382“I was hiding my embarrassment by calling it an experiment, I really just wanted to hold hands.”
2383
2384He spoke to her back as he watched her.
2385
2386“And?”
2387
2388Mai smiled in enjoyment over her shoulder.
2389
2390“Please give me, having never even held a girl’s hand, my first.”
2391
2392“That’s a tad disgusting… but well, you pass.”
2393
2394Mai waited for Sakuta to catch up with her and then warmth enveloped the right side of his body as she put her arm in his. He was, of course, surprised and his heart raced.
2395
2396Mai’s face was right beside his because of her height, she was close enough to count her every individual eyelash.
2397
2398“…”
2399
2400As time passed he became more and more aware of the soft sensation of her chest pressing into him. He’d known when he saw her in the bunny girl outfit, but for her slender body, she certainly had some curves. Her faint fragrance made his head swirl.
2401
2402“You’re thinking something perverted aren’t you.”
2403
2404“Something a hundred times more perverted than you think.”
2405
2406Mai suddenly separated at his honesty.
2407
2408“But well, an adult like you would be fine with that.”
2409
2410“That’s right. A younger boy imagining perverted things is n-nothing to me.”
2411
2412Mai stubbornly held to his arm.
2413
2414“Uhah.”
2415
2416He couldn’t help but let out a strange noise. Because of that, a nearby worker looked at him quizzically. Their eyes met and the man could definitely see him. But he didn’t seem to notice Mai, she was still invisible.
2417
2418“Um, Mai-san?”
2419
2420“Is this not enough.”
2421
2422“I’m sorry, this is my loss. Any more will make it hard to walk for certain reasons, so please let me go.”
2423
2424“This is your punishment for provoking people.”
2425
2426Mai was amused and didn’t move away from him. Apparently, she was gradually becoming immune to that kind of statement. That said, Mai’s act wasn’t at all a punishment, it was too enjoyable and was more of a reward.
2427
2428“Ah, that reminded me, aren’t we fighting?”
2429
2430“That’s true.”
2431
2432Mai had been smiling gently and now moved away from Sakuta in apparent boredom. The speed with which she changed her attitude was surprising, and he didn’t know if she was serious or acting. He thought it was a bit of a shame, but still got plenty of enjoyment the rest of the shopping.
2433
2434
2435
2436There was a slight amount of unease remaining, but the food Sakuta was carrying was all paid for. He paid normally and packed the vegetables, meat, and sweets into bags.
2437
2438Sakuta left the store with a bag in each hand and walked home alongside Mai. Though that said, Sakuta didn’t know where ‘home’ was.
2439
2440“Mai-san, where do you live?”
2441
2442Going shopping at Fujisawa station would mean that she would live within walking distance.
2443
2444“Earth.”
2445
2446She said disinterestedly, and Sakuta just followed her obediently. They were currently heading in the same direction as Sakuta lived.
2447
2448“I’m looking forward to seeing your house.”
2449
2450“You’re not coming in.”
2451
2452She refused flatly, with a serious expression.
2453
2454“Ehhh.”
2455
2456“Don’t whinge like a child. Besides, we’re fighting aren’t we?”
2457
2458“That’s because you’re not honest.”
2459
2460“Huh? Did I say something I shouldn’t have?”
2461
2462“You keep going even though you want to go back to acting.”
2463
2464“Don’t bring up things that don’t concern you.”
2465
2466She spoke quietly, but strongly. It was more than a denial, it was a rejection, as she coldly refused him.
2467
2468“Is it because I don’t know anything?”
2469
2470“That’s right, don’t open your mouth if you don’t know anything.”
2471
2472“What a shame then, I do know. At least why you took a hiatus from show-business.”
2473
2474“Right, right.”
2475
2476Mai smiled indulgently.
2477
2478“It’s the photo-book that came out in your third year of middle school.”
2479
2480“!?”
2481
2482The composure vanished from her face.
2483
2484“Even though you said that swimsuits were out of the question, there was one sold with them in, and your manager, your mother signed the contract.” Until then, even in the gravure photos, she hadn’t worn a swimsuit, even though there was more than enough demand. If anything, she’d established a position of not showing skin, and been fine with just showing her beauty. “And then, you fought with your mother and got your revenge with the best way to shock your mother ‘withdrawing from the world of show-business’.”
2485
2486“…”
2487
2488“But that was worthless.”
2489
2490“Be quiet…”
2491
2492“Throwing away your own desires at the same time is meaningless.”
2493
2494“Be quiet!”
2495
2496“No, you’re the one that should be quiet, you’ll disturb the people sleeping…”
2497
2498As he spoke, a slap flew into his left cheek and resounded through the street.
2499
2500“I was obviously really worried!”
2501
2502“…”
2503
2504“I was still a middle schooler you know!? And yet they presented me with a swimsuit in the studio, and there were only adults around… I was told the contract was already signed, and even though I hated it, that I’d have to do my job, that I had to wear it… that I had to force a smile!”
2505
2506If she had more normality, she might have spoken for herself, thrown a tantrum and refused. But she was Sakurajima Mai, who had worked professionally in that world since she was six, amongst the adults…
2507
2508She wouldn’t be allowed to cause a scene at the time. She had to read the atmosphere and choose cleverly. She had to act like an adult, even though she was a child.
2509
2510“She used me, she didn’t see me as anything but a way to get money.”
2511
2512She practically spat the words, hoarsely. And so Sakuta noticed that that was the first reason, to rebel against her mother that just saw her as a product. He wouldn’t say he understood those feelings, he didn’t in the slightest, but there was one thing he was sure of.
2513
2514“That’s why I think even more that you should return to show business.”
2515
2516“Why?”
2517
2518“Just leaving it with those unpleasant feelings just mean that you’ll stay with those unpleasant feelings.”
2519
2520“Eh…”
2521
2522“If you want to do something, don’t hold back, just do it. Even I know that, so you should definitely know.”
2523
2524“…”
2525
2526Mai looked down, as if her burning rage had cooled.
2527
2528“…”
2529
2530Ten seconds passed in total silence.
2531
2532“I’m sorry for hitting you.”
2533
2534She apologised quietly.
2535
2536His cheek was still throbbing in pain.
2537
2538“Do you normally hit people that are carrying your things?”
2539
2540“I didn’t punch you at least.”
2541
2542“…Thank you very much.”
2543
2544He thanked her honestly, but tonelessly.
2545
2546“You don’t sound thankful at all.”
2547
2548“Well yeah, you slapped me. Ahhh, it hurts, it huuurts~”
2549
2550“You’re exaggerating.”
2551
2552“It hurts so much I might cry. Only a beautiful senpai’s caress can heal me.”
2553
2554“You reap what you sow.”
2555
2556“Eh, where did I sow anything?”
2557
2558He didn’t think he’d done anything wrong here.
2559
2560“And just who was it that purposefully made me angry?”
2561
2562Mai denounced Sakuta with her dissatisfied eyes.
2563
2564“What do you mean?”
2565
2566It was too late to play dumb now, but he wouldn’t admit it here.
2567
2568“You were trying to make me say what I really wanted by making me emotional, weren’t you?”
2569
2570“Not in the slightest.”
2571
2572“You’ve really got a good personality.”
2573
2574Mai’s hand reached out to his cheek, and when he thought she’d caress it, she gently pinched it, and then pinched the cheek she hadn’t slapped and pulled her hands apart.
2575
2576“Owowow.”
2577
2578“Incidentally, Sakuta-kun.” Mai had completely returned to herself and turned questioning eyes on him. “Who did you hear about that from.”
2579
2580“…”
2581
2582He looked towards the sky.
2583
2584“Look me in the eye.”
2585
2586She tightened the grip of her fingers.
2587
2588“Owowow.”
2589
2590“So, who was it?”
2591
2592She wouldn’t let him stay silent, and trying to fool her probably wouldn’t work either. Mai herself would know that it wasn’t information most people would know. After all, it hadn’t come out until now.
2593
2594“I’ve got an acquaintance that’s an announcer from when things happened with Kaede.”
2595
2596“Who?”
2597
2598“Nanjou Fumika…”
2599
2600“Ah, her.”
2601
2602“You know her?”
2603
2604“She’s been an assistant on that afternoon variety show. She’s helped me too.” The word ‘helped’ was, of course, not said in a good way. “So why do you still associate, the thing with your sister was two years ago, wasn’t it?”
2605
2606“Ahh, well~”
2607
2608“Tell me.”
2609
2610“When they were doing the news piece, she had an interest in Adolescence Syndrome. She saw the scars on my chest and sometimes shows up wanting to do a story on it.”
2611
2612Incidentally, she had said that what she was telling him about Mai was part guesswork, and that there was pressure from several sources not to go public with it.
2613
2614“And so, what did you tell that woman to get the information about me.”
2615
2616Mai looked at him with sharp eyes.
2617
2618“Not a thing.”
2619
2620He answered calmly, even as his heart raced.
2621
2622“Liar, that woman’s a reporter, besides, the media won’t just give information for free, you must have had some sort of agreement.”
2623
2624Mai was far and away more knowledgeable about the world of television, of course, he couldn’t continue the lie, and she probably wouldn’t let him remain silent. Sakuta accepted the situation and confessed.
2625
2626“I let her have a picture, of the scars on my chest.”
2627
2628He’d keep quiet about having gone into the toilet with her to take it, it would definitely be better to not say that her sweet scent had put him in a slightly aroused mood.
2629
2630“Idiot.”
2631
2632“That’s mean.”
2633
2634“You really are, what are you thinking!?”
2635
2636She glared at him in rage, showing her real anger.
2637
2638“Well, of you.”
2639
2640“…”
2641
2642“I really am.”
2643
2644He couldn’t look her in the face out of fear and looked off to the side.
2645
2646“Haaaah…”
2647
2648Either disgusted or exhausted, Mai let her hands fall from his face and released him, but he could still feel her glare.
2649
2650“Your scars will become a bad memory for you, and might even hurt your sister.”
2651
2652Mai looked at him seriously.
2653
2654“I’ll protect Kaede from it.”
2655
2656“If they did a piece two years ago on bullying, they might notice something about her too?”
2657
2658“Well, I can’t really help that.”
2659
2660“You can’t.”
2661
2662Mai then suddenly held her hand out as if demanding something. He hadn’t the slightest idea what she wanted, so he put both bags in one hand and stretched his hand back.
2663
2664But she slapped it away before they touched.
2665
2666“I told you to give me her contact details.”
2667
2668“Did you?”
2669
2670He thought back, but couldn’t remember her saying a single word.
2671
2672“Infer it from the circumstances.”
2673
2674“You’re too much like a queen, Mai-san.”
2675
2676“You’re too naive about the media. Naive enough to be careless. If the media gets an interest in you, you’ll be surrounded by reporters you know? Imagine that, cameras trained on your house.”
2677
2678He imagined it just like she said, the harsh spotlight on someone involved in a scandal, the flash of cameras, the rude questioning… putting himself in a movie that he had watched in the past.
2679
2680“…”
2681
2682He gulped.
2683
2684“…I feel sick.”
2685
2686The colour drained from his face.
2687
2688“You’ll feel a hundred times as sick if that actually happens.”
2689
2690Mai gave a vicious final blow. Sakuta began to think that he might have done something he couldn’t take back, and felt a chill down his back.
2691
2692“Be more careful, okay?” Even though she was irritated, he didn’t feel any unpleasantness from her. She seemed warm, even though she was angry, Sakuta realised that it was probably because she was actually worried about him and scolding him. “Your answer?”
2693
2694“Right, I get it. I’ll be careful. But the photo’s already…”
2695
2696“That’s why I said.” Mai held her hand out again. “You should have her contact details, right?”
2697
2698Sakuta took out the business card she had given him earlier and handed it to Mai. She looked at the front and then immediately turned it over.
2699
2700“She wrote her mobile number on the back, disgusting.”
2701
2702For some reason, she condemned Sakuta.
2703
2704“I do like older girls, but not that much older.”
2705
2706“Hmmm~”
2707
2708Still displeased, Mai punched the number into her phone.
2709
2710“Hey, Mai-san, what are you doing?”
2711
2712“Be quiet.”
2713
2714She put the phone to her ear and turned her back on Sakuta. Apparently, she picked up immediately.
2715
2716“I apologise for such a sudden call, I am Sakurajima Mai, you helped me at work before. It’s not a prank, so don’t hang up please… Yes, that Sakurajima Mai. It has been a while. Can we talk now?” Mai moved the conversation along quickly. “You spoke with Azusagawa Sakuta today, and gave him your details. He’s in the year below me. Yes…”
2717
2718Mai’s calm tone on the phone made her seem strangely like a dependable adult.
2719
2720“I’d like you to not publish the photo of his scars. I would also like you to refrain from asking specialists if you could… Yes, of course I wouldn’t ask it for free, I’ll give you a scoop in exchange.”
2721
2722“W-wait, Mai-san.”
2723
2724He thought he knew what she was going to say and panicked, thinking that she was going to offer herself up instead.
2725
2726Mai turned over her shoulder and put a finger to her lips like she was telling a child to be quiet.
2727
2728“Yes, I know. It’s suitable information, so rest assured.” She turned her back on him again and continued. “I will be coming back to show-business soon. I’ll give you and your company exclusive rights to it… yes, of course, I know that wouldn’t be enough, but I’m sure you’ll agree when you hear this.” She then paused, and spoke words that seemed almost rehearsed. “I won’t be returning to my mother’s agency, I will be returning with another.”
2729
2730Sakuta was probably more surprised than Fumika at that. Just the other day, just the other moment… they had been fighting about this, with Mai fighting against Sakuta’s suggestion to return… And yet she was saying precisely that. If this hadn’t surprised him, nothing would have.
2731
2732“I think that this will be a far more effective story than what you have from Azusagawa-kun that will make people doubt your sanity, don’t you? I hope you’ll consider it.” For a while, she just answered with short phrases like ‘yes’, ‘right’, and ‘I understand’. “Then we have a deal. I look forward to working with you.”
2733
2734Having maintained her politeness to the end, Mai hung up and immediately turned to Sakuta.
2735
2736“And that’s that.”
2737
2738“Sorry.”
2739
2740“Why are you apologising?”
2741
2742“Thank you.”
2743
2744“You’re pretty cute when you’re sad.”
2745
2746For once, he didn’t have anything to come back with, and couldn’t raise his head. The chill of being surrounded by cameras was nowhere to be found and he was filled with a sense of security. And, without a doubt, Mai was the one that had given him that.
2747
2748“But, you said you’d return.”
2749
2750And she had even said she would change agency.
2751
2752“I thought you were right.” She pouted like she didn’t want to admit it. “I enjoyed working in TV shows and movies, it’s worth doing and it was fun. I always thought I’d like to carry on doing it. I can’t help it, even if I lie about those feelings… is there a problem?”
2753
2754“There is, a big one.”
2755
2756“W-what, this is where you forgive me.”
2757
2758“You say that after avoiding me for the past two weeks?”
2759
2760“I just helped you, didn’t I?”
2761
2762“This and that are separate things.”
2763
2764“Uuhh… I’m sorry for being stubborn, okay?”
2765
2766Even as she looked annoyed, she admitted her error and apologised.
2767
2768“Once more.”
2769
2770“Please forgive me, I regret it.”
2771
2772“That would have been perfect if it had been shy and with upturned eyes.”
2773
2774“Don’t get carried away.”
2775
2776Mai pinched his nose.
2777
2778“Uwah, whad are you doink?”
2779
2780His voice was more muffled than usual and Mai laughed at it. It was then that he realised why she had come to his home. She’d come to tell him she was returning to show-business. It had nothing to do with his issues with Fumika, it was something Mai had decided for herself. He was a bit regretful about it, but also happy.
2781
2782“The world keeps turning, huh.”
2783
2784“What did you say?”
2785
2786“I was talking to myself.”
2787
2788They walked alongside each other, and their steps were much lighter than before. All that remained was for Mai’s determination to clear her Adolescence Syndrome.
2789
2790Three minutes later, Mai stopped and said.
2791
2792“We’re here.”
2793
2794They were stopped in front of the building Sakuta lived in.
2795
2796“Eh?”
2797
2798“Yeah, I’m over here.”
2799
2800Mai pointed at the building opposite. It was so close that he wouldn’t need to see her home, but it was a surprise she lived so close. Today was a day of shocks, and he was even more surprised than when she said she was returning to show-business.
2801
2802“Thank you for carrying them.”
2803
2804She said as she took the bags from him, unfortunately, it seemed she really wouldn’t invite him in.
2805
2806“That’s right, Sakuta-kun.”
2807
2808“What is it, my Queen?”
2809
2810“Go out with me this weekend.”
2811
2812Her words were strangely fitting because he called her a queen.
2813
2814“When I return, I’ll be busy and won’t have time to play around. And even though I’ve lived here for two years, I’ve never been to Kamakura, it’s strange, right? So I want to go at least once.”
2815
2816“Can you get work that easily?”
2817
2818He looked at her doubtfully and she naturally replied.
2819
2820“I am Sakurajima Mai.”
2821
2822It was amazing that she didn’t sound haughty when she said that, and all the more refreshing for it. Despite that, it felt realistic, and he felt that with Mai being who she was, her schedule really would fill up fast.”
2823
2824“Ah, but Sunday’s-”
2825
2826“Do you have something more important than my invitation?”
2827
2828“I have a shift in the morning until lunch on the weekend.”
2829
2830“Switch with someone… well, I won’t tell you that.” And just who was the one actually saying it so bluntly. “I sort of have the feeling that you’d prioritise the work over me and that’s irritating.”
2831
2832“It’s until two, so after that is fine.”
2833
2834“Well, that works.”
2835
2836It seemed as she stood on his foot that she didn’t agree in the slightest, but said that she did. He didn’t know whether to call her an adult or a child. Rather than that, she was a mix of the both, he thought.
2837
2838“Don’t smile so much.”
2839
2840“You asked me on a date, how could I not?”
2841
2842“Ah, it’s not a date.”
2843
2844She shot that down immediately.
2845
2846“Eh?”
2847
2848“Would a date be that good?”
2849
2850“Of course.”
2851
2852He nodded energetically.
2853
2854“We’ll do that then.”
2855
2856“Yes!”
2857
2858And of course, took a triumphant pose.
2859
2860“Are you that happy about it?”
2861
2862“Well yeah.”
2863
2864“Then I’ll be waiting at the ticket gate to Enoshima Fujisawa station at five past two.”
2865
2866“I did say that I finished at two, didn’t I?”
2867
2868“That’s why I said five past.”
2869
2870“Please give me a bit of leeway for if the restaurant is busy and I can’t leave right away.”
2871
2872“Two-thirty then, if you’re even a second late, I’ll leave.”
2873
2874“Got it.”
2875
2876And thus, Sakuta unexpectedly gained the process of his first ever date.
2877
2878
2879
2880That day, in the Azusagawa household’s bathroom, a happy roar could be heard.
2881
2882“Yahooo~!”
2883
2884
2885
2886
2887CHAPTER 03
28881
2889
2890
2891
2892The sky was clear and the weather on this eagerly-awaited Sunday was ideal for a date.
2893
2894He had been able to leave work at two o’clock on the dot and there was actually some time before their appointment, so Sakuta headed home for a while.
2895
2896It took around three minutes, flying through the streets on his bike.
2897
2898“Welcome home.”
2899
2900Kaede greeted him, and with a pat on her head he went straight to the bathroom. He washed his sweaty body from the exertions of the excessive pedalling and, just in case, changed into a new pair of underwear. Kaede was watching him with a puzzled gaze.
2901
2902“A man has to be prepared for anything,” he said, as if imparting great wisdom. “I’m off then, Kaede.”
2903
2904“Ah, right. I’ll see you later.”
2905
2906Kaede watched him leave with Nasuno held to her chest as he once more left the house at twenty-past two, this time heading to Fujisawa Station on foot.
2907
2908His body was somehow light, so that he felt somewhat like he was skipping despite walking normally. Like he had grown wings.
2909
2910The familiar streets of houses seemed different today, the flowers sprouting from the cracked asphalt caught his eye and the chirping of a sparrow on the power lines rang clearly through the air.
2911
2912As he enjoyed those things, his mood eased.
2913
2914Three or four minutes after he left home, a cheerful, happy Sakuta heard a small girl’s crying. Ahead of him there was a girl bawling her eyes out at the entrance to the park.
2915
2916“What’s up?”
2917
2918The girl stopped crying at being spoken to by someone nearby, and looked at Sakuta. But immediately after that:
2919
2920“Uwaahh, you’re not my Mama!”
2921
2922She said, and burst into tears.
2923
2924“Are you lost?”
2925
2926“Mama’s gooonnne.”
2927
2928“Yup, you’re lost.”
2929
2930“Mama’s lost.”
2931
2932“Well, that works too.” She had a way with words.
2933
2934“Come on, stop crying.” Sakuta crouched in front of the girl and put his hand on her head. “I’ll help you look for her.”
2935
2936“Really?”
2937
2938“Yeah.” He smiled and gave her a firm nod. The girl seemed to be about to smile, but then tilted her head in puzzlement. “Let’s go then.”
2939
2940Then, the instant that Sakuta grabbed the girl’s hand after collecting himself—
2941
2942There came an energetic yell from behind him.
2943
2944“Drop dead, you lolicon pervert!”
2945
2946He wondered what on Earth was happening and went to look around, but before he could see the person’s face a sharp pain assaulted his backside.
2947
2948It was as if he had been kicked in the tail-bone by a sharp pair of boots. Actually, that was exactly what had happened…
2949
2950“Uoooh!”
2951
2952He writhed on the asphalt as he cried out. He could see a girl that didn’t seem to be too far in age from him out of the corner of his eye. Probably a high school student.
2953
2954She had fluffy hair styled into a bob-cut, and a short skirt. Of course her legs were bare, and even her light makeup was the very picture of an everyday high school girl.
2955
2956“Quickly, run!” The student urged the girl seriously. The girl just made sounds of confusion at the sudden events. “Come on, hurry!” He didn’t know what she was saying ‘come on’ for, but the student grabbed the girl’s hand and went to take her away.
2957
2958“Before that lolicon gets up!”
2959
2960“Who’s a lolicon pervert?”
2961
2962Sakuta stood while holding his backside. The strength had vanished from his legs because of the overwhelming pain. His now pigeon-toed legs shook, and he looked like a new-born foal.
2963
2964“He was helping me look for Mama.”
2965
2966“Eh?” The student cried out wildly. “He’s not a lolicon?”
2967
2968“I like older women.”
2969
2970“But you are a pervert!?”
2971
2972Even as she said that, the student’s face was uneasy. Now that he looked, she was a cute high school student. Her face was still slightly rounded by youth, and her wide open eyes and the light makeup gave her a nice, soft impression. Sakuta always saw the girls at school overdoing their makeup, and thought that if they were going to use it, they should take her as an example.
2973
2974“I was helping her look for her lost mother together.”
2975
2976“Wait, wait, she’s the one that’s lost, right?”
2977
2978“Mama’s lost.”
2979
2980The girl agreed with Sakuta’s explanation, moving away from the student to Sakuta’s side and grabbing his sleeve tightly. A complete reversal.
2981
2982The student had a pained smile, acknowledging her mistake.
2983
2984“Ahh, my backside hurts.”
2985
2986“S-sorry, ahaha.”
2987
2988“It might have split in two.”
2989
2990“Eh? That’s awful! Wait, it’s already in two!”
2991
2992“Ahh, it hurts, it hurts.”
2993
2994“G-got it. I understaaand.”
2995
2996The student let out a careless yell… then immediately turned around and put her hands on a telephone pole.
2997
2998“Here!”
2999
3000She thrust her mini-skirt-clad backside at Sakuta with an energetic yell.
3001
3002
3003
3004
3005
3006“No, not ‘here’.”
3007
3008She probably meant for him to kick her, but he didn’t really have an interest in kicking a high-schooler’s backside as the world and his grandma passed by.
3009
3010“Just hurry up, I promised to meet my friends.”
3011
3012Sakuta had a promise too, an important one at that. As he was doing this, time was ticking away. He also had to help the lost girl, so he would definitely be late, so now wasn’t the time to spend doing pointless things. At this point, kicking her would be the quickest.
3013
3014“Here then.”
3015
3016He lightly kicked the student’s backside. She should be satisfied with this, he thought.
3017
3018“Harder!”
3019
3020The student urged over her shoulder.
3021
3022“Seriously?”
3023
3024He kicked her harder than before, making a thump.
3025
3026“Harder!”
3027
3028It still wasn’t enough.
3029
3030“Alright, I don’t know what’ll happen!”
3031
3032He made up his mind. It was a good man that granted a girl’s request. Sakuta pulled his leg back, pivoting for extra strength. He sighted in on the round backside of his target, steadied his aim, and then let loose with a serious mid-kick.
3033
3034It made a low pitched thump.
3035
3036A moment passed.
3037
3038“S-s’painful!” Then, she cried out with the Hakata dialect’s characteristic merging of adjective and verb. “Uuu~” She crouched down as she let out a groan, gently holding her backside with both hands. She opened and closed her mouth several times, like a goldfish, unable to speak because of the pain. “M-my backside split in two…”
3039
3040Finally, she managed to wring those words out.
3041
3042“It’s okay, it was in two from the start.”
3043
3044“Ahh, excuse me.” A voice called from behind. He and the student turned at the same time and a uniformed, middle-aged policeman was standing there, his expression perplexed. “A park in broad daylight during a holiday isn’t the place to be enjoying perverted activities like that.”
3045
3046“No, she’s the only pervert.”
3047
3048He pointed at the student, because it was the truth.
3049
3050“N-no! That’s not it! There’s a reason for this!”
3051
3052The girl was frantic at the odd misunderstanding.
3053
3054“Let’s hear that reason at the station.”
3055
3056He suddenly grabbed their arms and they couldn’t move. That’s a policeman for you, even if he was middle-aged he was well-trained and unyielding. The town’s peace was assured.
3057
3058“I’ve got something important to do, so let me go!”
3059
3060Yelled Sakuta. The station would be no joke. Mai might wait for five minutes, ten if there was a miracle, but she wouldn’t wait any longer. After all, she was Sakurajima Mai.
3061
3062“Right, right. Calm down and come quietly. You come along too, little miss. Your mother’s waiting at the station.”
3063
3064“Mama? Hurray!”
3065
3066Sakuta was relieved at the girl’s problem being sorted. But even that…
3067
3068“Is pain ‘in’ with the youth recently?”
3069
3070Was ruined by the man’s question.
3071
3072
3073
3074The man let them go an hour and a half after they arrived. The clock-hand had swung dreadfully close to the four o’clock mark. He really wanted to find someone that would give him a time machine.
3075
3076“Haahh, geez, this is the worst~”
3077
3078The girl spoke with a tired expression as she walked next to him.
3079
3080“That’s my line, moron.”
3081
3082“What are you calling me a moron for. It was because you were misleading.”
3083
3084“You’re worse for misunderstanding.”
3085
3086“Excuses are lame.”
3087
3088“It’s not an excuse, it’s the truth. Besides, it’s your fault that that took so long, Koga.”
3089
3090The girl shifted in surprise.
3091
3092“…Wait, how come you know my name?”
3093
3094“Koga Tomoe. It’s a cute name.”
3095
3096“My full name too!?”
3097
3098She must not remember giving her name at the station. He knew what school she went to too. It was actually the same school as him, Minegahara High School. She was in the year below him, his kouhai.
3099
3100“I know everything about you.”
3101
3102“Hah, are you an idiot?”
3103
3104“You come from Fukuoka.”
3105
3106“How’d y’know!?”
3107
3108“…”
3109
3110“Ah.”
3111
3112The panicking schoolgirl, Koga Tomoe, put her hands to her mouth.
3113
3114“You shouted ‘s’painful’ earlier too.”
3115
3116“I-I don’t know anything about that.”
3117
3118She looked away. He didn’t really get it, but she didn’t seem to want people to know. It was too late to hide it now though.
3119
3120“Well, getting back to it, you’re in the wrong.”
3121
3122“Tell me your name. It’s not fair that only you know mine.”
3123
3124“I’m Satou Ichirou.”
3125
3126He didn’t have the courtesy to tell her, so gave an obvious lie. He’d thought it was a name that anyone would realise was fake, but—
3127
3128“Then, Satou, how am I in the wrong!?”
3129
3130Tomoe readily accepted it. Apparently she didn’t know how to doubt people and was a good, honest girl. It would just cause a bother to admit it was fake now, so Sakuta decided to keep quiet about it.
3131
3132“I’ll tell you if you don’t understand. Even though the officer understood the mistake in the first thirty minutes, you were just on your smartphone, playing with it, not listening.”
3133
3134In truth, the remaining hour was a sermon on not just focusing on your ‘phone’ when people were talking to you. Sakuta didn’t have a phone or a smartphone, so it was utterly pointless. But…
3135
3136“That’s true… don’t be so logical about it.”
3137
3138She said, pouting.
3139
3140“Have you reflected on that?”
3141
3142“But, I got messages so I couldn’t help it.”
3143
3144“Couldn’t help what?”
3145
3146“Replying, if I didn’t do it quickly I’d lose my friends.”
3147
3148Tomoe hunched her head forward in shame.
3149
3150“Ah, so you were frantically typing replies?”
3151
3152“If I didn’t they’d get angry.”
3153
3154Tomoe puffed up her cheeks and glared up at him.
3155
3156“Hehhh~”
3157
3158“What’s with that reaction? It’s creepy.”
3159
3160“Nothiiiing~”
3161
3162“You’re probably just thinking: ‘if they stopped being friends with you because of that, they aren’t real friends’.”
3163
3164She had probably been told that before and her tone changed slightly as she recited it.
3165
3166“Don’t you think so too?”
3167
3168“S-shut up.”
3169
3170Sakuta put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair.
3171
3172“Wah! Idiot! My hair was all done up.”
3173
3174She shook off his hand and hurriedly put her hair back in order.
3175
3176“Well, do your best, high schooler.”
3177
3178“What? Are you making fun of me?”
3179
3180“You’re franticly living by those stupid rules, aren’t you? Then I won’t make fun of you. I will think you’re an idiot though.”
3181
3182‘You must email’, ‘you must message’, he didn’t know who had wanted and made the rules, or really who they were for. They were rules that were there first to make people ‘feel good’, but if they paid attention to them they also became restrictions that hurt them.
3183
3184Once people decided to make them rules, that was it. If you didn’t follow the rules, you would be excluded, isolated. Simply losing your friends. And when you were excluded once, you couldn’t come back into the fold. Sakuta knew this well, Kaede had suffered greatly through it.
3185
3186It was a waste, but even so those rules bound people, connecting them, making them need to have a place to belong. email by email, message by message; you would get exchanges like “You okay?”, “I’m okay.” People that couldn’t affirm themselves were affirmed by others. And when that was shared between everyone, they sympathised and could relax with a place to belong.
3187
3188Middle school, high school… within society, school in general was a world itself. Of course everyone was frantic about it.
3189
3190Sakuta had come to feel like he understood that part of society after he had entered high school, when he had started work and come into contact with university students and adult staff. When watching the atmosphere called ‘school’ from an outside perspective he felt that he understood: what they wanted was a place to belong…
3191
3192“You’re making fun of me.”
3193
3194“You seem like a good person, Koga, so whatever.”
3195
3196“What’s that mean?”
3197
3198“The guts to try and save a little girl from a pervert should be respected. Though it’s dangerous, so you should call someone in future. You’d have been attacked if it was a real pervert; ‘cause you’re cute.”
3199
3200“D-don’t call me cute!”
3201
3202Tomoe shied away, her face red. Maybe she was surprisingly unused to being told that.
3203
3204“Well, don’t forget your sense of justice, and keep going.”
3205
3206“Ah, yeah, thanks.”
3207
3208Tomoe thanked him surprisingly honestly. He guessed she really was a good person at heart, dazzlingly pure.
3209
3210A smartphone rang. Sakuta didn’t have one so it was, of course, Tomoe’s.
3211
3212“Ah, crap! I had plans. See you!”
3213
3214She rushed off. Because she was wearing a short skirt her panties were visible for glimpses, but shouting and pointing that out would draw attention. So Sakuta stayed silent and watched her leave.
3215
3216“White, huh.”
3217
3218When Tomoe had completely vanished, he thought to return home and started walking.
3219
3220He stopped after about three steps.
3221
3222Was he forgetting something important?
3223
3224“…Ah.” Mai’s face went through his head. She wasn’t smiling kindly, and she wasn’t pouting cutely either. It was the memory of the one time he had seen her seriously angry.
3225
3226“Crap.”
3227
3228His legs tangled as he dashed off towards their appointed meeting place.
3229
3230
3231
32322
3233
3234
3235
3236Sakuta had run to the station he used to get to school every day, the Enoden Fujisawa Station, and was in front of the ticket barriers. This was where Mai had decided they would meet.
3237
3238As he caught his breath he looked to the right, then to the left. It didn’t take long to check the six or seven-metre wide area in front of the barriers.
3239
3240“…”
3241
3242Unfortunately, Mai wasn’t there.
3243
3244“Well, of course not.” Sakurajima Mai wouldn’t have waited for an hour and a half for him. “Uwahh, I’ve really done it…”
3245
3246Regret encroached upon him. But he couldn’t have just passed by and done nothing when he saw that lost girl, and he’d never have thought that the high school girl with a sense of justice would get involved, so he couldn’t help that.
3247
3248He resented himself not having a phone or smartphone. If he did, he could have called her. Well, once he’d explained she would have said ‘Hmm, so you have something more important than a date with me’ or something and the date wouldn’t have happened anyway.
3249
3250At this point, how would he get her to forgive him? She was probably extremely angry at Sakuta not coming and had returned home, or gone somewhere alone. He didn’t think that she would let go of her anger so easily.
3251
3252A set of footsteps approached from behind Sakuta’s crestfallen form. They sounded somehow familiar, but also sounded extremely angry judging by their rhythm.
3253
3254“You must think highly of yourself to keep me waiting for an hour and thirty-eight minutes.”
3255
3256“…”
3257
3258He turned in disbelief, and Mai was standing there, in her casual clothes.
3259
3260“What? You look like a deer in the headlights.”
3261
3262“It’s just that Mai-san isn’t the kind of woman who has the grace to wait for a latecomer for an hour and thirty-eight minutes! You must be a fake!”
3263
3264Mai’s eyes narrowed and the surrounding temperature seemed to drop by several degrees.
3265
3266“I know just how Sakuta looks at me.”
3267
3268He’d probably been found out for looking at her mainly in perversion.
3269
3270“You forgot the ‘kun’.”
3271
3272“Sakuta is plenty for you.”
3273
3274Mai probably meant it as a punishment, but frankly speaking, it didn’t sound like anything but a reward to Sakuta. If he told her that, she’d switch back to calling him ‘Sakuta-kun’, so he kept quiet.
3275
3276“What are you smirking about?”
3277
3278“Nothing at all.”
3279
3280Fighting against his expression softening, he looked at Mai again. It was the first time he had seen her in casual wear. She was wearing a knitted, hooded vest atop her long-sleeved blouse. Her skirt was knee-length, and had a slightly adult design, being flared at the hem. Added to that, she was wearing boots that came to just under her knees. Her outfit was refined and elegant, but struck a fine balance in not being too much. It suited Mai, with her adult features, very well.
3281
3282“…” But nothing was exposed, the most he could see was a slight area just above her knees. “Haahh…”
3283
3284He couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
3285
3286“What’s with that rude reaction.”
3287
3288“Mai-san, are you sane?”
3289
3290“W-what?”
3291
3292Mai leaned away, guardedly.
3293
3294“A date needs a miniskirt, and bare legs!”
3295
3296“I’ll hit you.”
3297
3298Mai tightened her fist.
3299
3300“Haahh…”
3301
3302“Are you that upset about it?”
3303
3304“I was looking forward to it so much.”
3305
3306“You’ve got some nerve after being so late.”
3307
3308“You’re always wearing tights with your uniform.”
3309
3310“W-what? I put a lot of thought into this…”
3311
3312She looked away and muttered.
3313
3314“Well, it’s really cute.”
3315
3316“…”
3317
3318With a sideways look, Mai demanded more.
3319
3320“You’re way too cute, Mai-san.”
3321
3322“It’s good that you’re honest.”
3323
3324“My heart’s racing, I want to pick you up, take you home and put you up as a decoration in my room.”
3325
3326“Any more than that is creepy, you don’t need to say it.”
3327
3328“Shall we go then?”
3329
3330He tried to indirectly move to them leaving.
3331
3332“Wait, the conversation isn’t over.”
3333
3334“Was there anything else?”
3335
3336It was something he wanted to avoid, so he feigned ignorance.
3337
3338“Enough with the awful acting.”
3339
3340“Acting in front of you would be terrifying.”
3341
3342“Make your excuse for being late, then sincerely beg for forgiveness.” Mai seemed to be enjoying herself somehow, and her expression was lively. “If it’s not good enough, I’ll go home.”
3343
3344Maybe she had waited for an hour and thirty-eight minutes to tease him. That’s what he felt.
3345
3346“While I was on my way, I found a lost child on the corner of the residential area.”
3347
3348“I’m going home.”
3349
3350“It sounds like a lie, but it’s the truth!”
3351
3352“If you came from work, why did you go through the residential area?”
3353
3354Mai looked sharply at him.
3355
3356“I went home first.”
3357
3358“Why?”
3359
3360“I had time, so I took a shower and changed my underwear for the critical moment.”
3361
3362“…Disgusting.” Mai pulled away from him. “Well that’s just the worthless effort of a younger boy, so I’ll have to accept it.”
3363
3364“Thank you very much.”
3365
3366“However, don’t get closer than thirty metres to me.:
3367
3368That couldn’t be called a date anymore, Sakuta would look like a stalker.
3369
3370“Come on, continue your tale.”
3371
3372“I really did go with her to a police station.”
3373
3374“The lost child was a girl?”
3375
3376“She was.”
3377
3378“You have some nerve to keep me waiting to meet another girl.”
3379
3380“Even though she was six!?”
3381
3382“Even so.”
3383
3384She denied him without hesitation. At this point, there was the risk of being too honest and telling her everything. The day that he told her he was with a cute high school girl called Koga Tomoe… she actually was a fairly cute high school student, who knew what jeers he would be assaulted with.
3385
3386“But there’s a station right over there?”
3387
3388Mai pointed a little way past the entrance to the station.
3389
3390“She asked me to stay until they found her parents, and was crying.”
3391
3392“Hmmm.” Mai’s gaze stabbed into him with doubt. “I hate lies.”
3393
3394“What a coincidence, so do I.”
3395
3396“If you’re lying, I’ll have you eat pocky with your nose.”
3397
3398“One stick?”
3399
3400“One box.”
3401
3402It was the type of torture that could be done in a hurry, and the situations he could imagine were things he’d rather avoid.
3403
3404“I don’t think you should waste food.”
3405
3406“You’ll be eating it, so it’s fine.”
3407
3408“…”
3409
3410“…”
3411
3412She moved her face close to his and stared carefully at him, pressuring him to confess. Her breath tickled his cheek and she smelled nice.
3413
3414“You’re stubborn.”
3415
3416“…”
3417
3418He definitely couldn’t tell the truth now. He didn’t want to eat pocky through his nose.
3419
3420“Well, okay. I won’t forgive you, but I’ll go on a date with you.”
3421
3422He could rejoice at that.
3423
3424“Thank you very much.”
3425
3426Then, the instant Sakuta relaxed:
3427
3428“Ah, that lolicon from earlier.”
3429
3430He heard a familiar voice.
3431
3432He looked to the corridor that connected the JR and Oda Express stations, and saw Koga Tomoe, who he had been with until earlier. The three girls he was with were probably the friends she had plans with. They were a group of four that had a showy atmosphere about them and seemed to get on. They seemed to be the central group of their class.
3433
3434“That Hakata woman from earlier.”
3435
3436Tomoe hurriedly approached Sakuta at his reaction and tried to cover his mouth.
3437
3438“D-don’t say that!”
3439
3440She quietly menaced him.
3441
3442“The Hakata woman?”
3443
3444“Ah, you know, that souvenir from Fukuoka? The one with yokan in Baumkuchen. The woman character isn’t read like ‘woman’ though, it’s like ‘person’.”
3445
3446“Ah, I’ve eaten that, it was tasty.”
3447
3448“Hey, Tomoe!”
3449
3450Another of her friends grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Sakuta.
3451
3452“W-what?”
3453
3454“That’s the guy from the hospital incident.”
3455
3456Even whispering, her voice was clearly audible. Tomoe then muttered.
3457
3458“Eh? That’s Satou Ichirou.” And the like.
3459
3460“Huh? What are you… anyway, look.”
3461
3462This time, the gathered girls peeked at Mai. Apparently, they could see her.
3463
3464“Come on, let’s go.”
3465
3466Pulled along by her friends, Tomoe hurried through the barrier. As he watched them, Sakuta realised his mistake. He’d reflexively replied to Tomoe, but he should have pretended not to know her, that would have been much better.
3467
3468He glanced at Mai. She had a perfectly blank expression.
3469
3470“Hey, Sakuta.”
3471
3472“It’s a mistake…’
3473
3474“What Tomoe-chan said.”
3475
3476“Sort of.”
3477
3478“Don’t worry, I won’t go home.” Mai put her arm around his. “First we need to buy the pocky.”
3479
3480“Can you get thin ones?”
3481
3482“No~”
3483
3484He couldn’t stop to enjoy her impish tone, nor to have his fill of the sensation enveloping his arm.
3485
3486“Please!”
3487
3488“No, you lolicon.”
3489
3490And thus… His first date with Mai started with heading to the convenience store in front of the station.
3491
3492
3493
34943
3495
3496
3497
3498The snap of a stick of pocky breaking sounded.
3499
3500Sakuta was sat next to Mai in a carriage on the Enoden train, in the seats facing the sea.
3501
3502Another snap sounded. Mai was eating the pocky she had bought at the convenience store, stick by stick. The small opening of her mouth bewitched him. Of course, Mai wasn’t doing that intentionally, but the short time she took before chewing to bite off just the sweet tip of the pocky held his attention.
3503
3504However, he couldn’t just enjoy the scene. He didn’t know when she would stab at his nose with a stick of pocky, so he was uncomfortable.
3505
3506And then, that time came surprisingly quickly. Mai held out a stick of pocky and said.
3507
3508“Take it.”
3509
3510“I am full,” he replied stiltedly.
3511
3512“I don’t want to get fat, so eat the rest.”
3513
3514“How.”
3515
3516“You can eat them normally.”
3517
3518Mai looked sidelong at him with a sigh.
3519
3520“Thank you for the food.”
3521
3522He took the whole box.
3523
3524“Did you really think I’d make you eat them with your nose?”
3525
3526“You looked completely serious.”
3527
3528“That’s acting.”
3529
3530“It was impressive.”
3531
3532“Well, I thought I might have you try at least one.”
3533
3534“Uwahh, you’re a real demon.”
3535
3536“It seems you haven’t repented properly, shall we?”
3537
3538“I’m sorry, that was a lie. Oh great and beautiful Mai-sama, please forgive me.”
3539
3540“Somehow, you don’t feel too sincere.”
3541
3542Mai turned her gaze tiredly to the window. Although, they were only three stations from Fujisawa Station, so the sea wasn’t visible. Before long, the train reached the section of track passing between the houses on either side.
3543
3544As it was getting towards the evening, the carriage wasn’t too full, and there were still empty seats. He indirectly checked the nearby passengers’ reactions, but they didn’t seem to have noticed her… they probably couldn’t see her, he thought.
3545
3546“Hey.”
3547
3548“Are you going to tell me to apologise on my hands and knees?”
3549
3550“No. Sakuta, why do you care about me? Your punishment is to confess why.”
3551
3552“What brought this up?”
3553
3554“Normally, you wouldn’t want to get involved with a troublesome woman like me.”
3555
3556“So you realise it yourself.”
3557
3558“Anyone would if they saw everyone’s reactions.”
3559
3560Mai was isolated from her class, and the school as a whole. Everyone treated her like the atmosphere not something to relate with.
3561
3562“It’s because you’re uncooperative like that that you don’t have any friends, Mai-san.”
3563
3564“You’re just as uncooperative.” He pretended not to hear Mai’s cynicism. He knew that even if she hadn’t told him so, Yuuma and Rio would always say it. “And you’re strangely bold on top of that.”
3565
3566“I am?”
3567
3568“You’re about the only one that would talk to me without fear.”
3569
3570“That’s true, you do seem rather overwhelming, Mai-san. I think that’s why you can’t make friends.”
3571
3572It would be hard to talk to her if she was just beautiful, but she was also known throughout the nation as an actress.
3573
3574“Shut up.”
3575
3576“Mai-san, do you enjoy school?”
3577
3578“If you’re asking that as in ‘despite having no friends’, then that’s been the case since elementary school, so I don’t really think anything of it. I don’t think school is enjoyable though, no.”
3579
3580That was no bluff, no deceit, it was without a doubt her true feelings. She didn’t feel anything about not being used to school, she didn’t feel any unease from the difference between her and the people around her. She had resigned herself to this long ago, and Sakuta felt that those feelings had vanished.
3581
3582“And don’t change the subject.” She glared sharply at him from his side. “I asked you a question, and you still haven’t answered.”
3583
3584“What was that?”
3585
3586“Why are you interfering with me so much, even going so far as to give that announcer information that puts you in a bad position? You must have a reason to do that.”
3587
3588She was speaking much more harshly than earlier.
3589
3590“I just have that kind of personality; I can’t leave someone alone that needs help.”
3591
3592“I was asking you seriously.”
3593
3594“Mean.” Sakuta retorted.
3595
3596“You’re softhearted, but not by nature.”
3597
3598“Am I not?”
3599
3600“Not everyone is kind. There were some pretty awful things said with that couple in Shichirigahama Station that tried to take a picture of me.”
3601
3602“I think they’d have said that even if it wasn’t me.”
3603
3604“I’m saying that you didn’t put it kindly, you could have given them a mild warning, couldn’t you?”
3605
3606“Even though I was angry?”
3607
3608“You could have done it if you wanted to, couldn’t you? If you weren’t calm enough, you wouldn’t have been able to corner them verbally like that.”
3609
3610“The more I hear, the worse my personality sounds…”
3611
3612“Did you think it was a good one?”
3613
3614Mai looked at him in faux-surprise.
3615
3616“There’s someone with a worse personality here.”
3617
3618“That’s enough of that, hurry up and tell me.”
3619
3620Mai wouldn’t let him avoid the topic, as usual.
3621
3622“I’ll answer seriously, then ask you something seriously.”
3623
3624“Go ahead.”
3625
3626“It was a chance to get close to my beautiful senpai, so I got excited.”
3627
3628“Who said to be so frank about it?”
3629
3630“You were the one to tell me to be serious, Mai-san, weren’t you?”
3631
3632“Tell me your real reason.”
3633
3634Ordinarily, she wouldn’t want to hear his true intentions. Perhaps. He still didn’t understand her sense of values.
3635
3636“Because it’s annoying to not have anyone to rely on when you’re in trouble.”
3637
3638“…”
3639
3640This time she didn’t say anything, he’d probably passed.
3641
3642“When Kaede got Adolescence Syndrome, no one believed what was happening right in front of their eyes…” He picked out a stick of pocky and brought it to his mouth. Mai would be angry with his manners if he kept talking as he ate, so he swallowed it first and then continued. “No one listened to me, and everyone pushed me away. And even though I was telling the truth, everyone called me a liar.”
3643
3644Even so, he didn’t think they could help it. That’s right, they couldn’t. Even Sakuta would have closed his eyes and ears to it, not seen it and not heard it. It was easier to live like that. Everyone knew so.
3645
3646“Can I ask something?” Mai let out, somewhat hesitantly. Sakuta nodded at her, already mostly sure of what she would ask. “What about your parents?”
3647
3648She asked carefully. She had a bad relationship with her own mother, so was wary of causing any unnecessary conflict. Sakuta admired her putting herself in his shoes like that. She may act like a queen, but she understood her citizen’s feelings.
3649
3650“We live separately now.”
3651
3652“I know that, I thought so when I went into your home.” Seeing their rooms did remove the need for an explanation, there wasn’t a sign of an adult there and there were no shoes in the entranceway other than Sakuta’s.When they went into his room, the atmosphere was the same where normally there would be a sense of territory separate from the family’s. “What I want to ask is…”
3653
3654“I know.” Of course, he knew the aim of Mai’s question, she was asking about their reaction to the problems with Kaede. He picked up three sticks of pocky, emptying the box before crushing it and putting it in his pocket. “Mom, well, she tried to accept it, but it was too much, something happened… she’s still in the hospital. She was worrying enough with just the fact that Kaede was being bullied, but it’s only reasonable with something incomprehensible like Adolescence Syndrome. Dad’s looking after her.”
3655
3656Sakuta still didn’t know how to feel about that. Before he could do anything things had changed, and he had only noticed once this was the case.
3657
3658All that remained were the results.
3659
3660He hadn’t been able to do anything, and there was nothing he could have done do.
3661
3662“With the shock of being rejected by mom, and thinking that it was because of her as well… She wouldn’t embrace anyone but me, her older brother.”
3663
3664“How old was she again?”
3665
3666“Two years younger than me, her third year of middle school. Since then she loves the house and hasn’t been going to school.”
3667
3668Strictly speaking, she couldn’t leave… If she put her shoes on and stood in the entranceway, she wouldn’t move take even a step out of the door, and start crying like a child and saying “No, no!”
3669
3670“Do you… resent your mother?”
3671
3672“Well yeah, of course I do,” Sakuta answered truthfully and bluntly. “I thought it was obvious our parents would help us, that they’d believe me and Kaede.”
3673
3674But there were also things he had learnt from living apart. For example, every day, his mother would cook for them, wash for them, clean the bath and toilet and take on all kinds of responsibilities single handedly. When they had lived together, Sakuta had thought that it was only natural.
3675
3676There were things he noticed now that he had to do something if he wanted it done, things that had changed. It might be a tiny thing, but when he sat on the toilet for example.
3677
3678He thought that his mother had had to endure things, that she had wanted her family to notice, but she had never said a word about it in front of Sakuta. Never shown it on her face. She had never asked for a single word of thanks.
3679
3680When he thought of not being able to thank her for those days, he had a feeling his resentment might be misplaced. That’s how he had come to feel over this past year. He felt the same towards his father, who met with them monthly to find out how they were doing. While he nursed their mother, he put aside money for their living expenses. Even if Sakuta worked as hard as he could, he knew that in reality, he wouldn’t be able to even pay the rent for the flat they lived in and had to admit that. To admit he couldn’t live alone…
3681
3682“What happened with Kaede made me understand. I’m still a kid, and even adults can’t solve everything… of course they can’t.”
3683
3684“Hmm, that’s amazing.”
3685
3686“Uwahh, I’m being called amazingly idiotic.”
3687
3688“That’s not what I’m doing. There are lots of your classmates that don’t realise that, right?”
3689
3690“They just haven’t had the chance to realise it, if they had to face the problem, everyone would.”
3691
3692“So, where’s this conversation going.”
3693
3694Mai was paying attention to the window, and it was just getting to the point where the sea was visible.
3695
3696He could remember the question perfectly.
3697
3698“Sakuta, why do you care about me?”
3699
3700This was the start of this conversation.
3701
3702“I was alone. There was someone that would listen seriously to what happened to Kaede with Adolescence Syndrome…”
3703
3704If he hadn’t been able to meet them, Sakuta didn’t think he would have been able to overcome the incident with Kaede. That was when he realised something.
3705
3706That there were things worse than being alone in this world.
3707
3708Having no one was the worst.
3709
3710He was sure that everyone realised that subconsciously. So they were terrified of it, and would not forgive late replies to emails, or leaving messages as ‘read’, not knowing that doing so also tightened the noose… Not knowing that that itself became a reason that you would have no one…
3711
3712“There was someone that believed me,” he finished.
3713
3714It was somewhat painful to remember her, and thinking of her name made him chew his bottom lip.
3715
3716“That was a woman.”
3717
3718“Eh?”
3719
3720Sakuta was startled at her blunt statement. Her cold, even voice had some force behind it.
3721
3722“You were making that kind of face.”
3723
3724She didn’t seem interested.
3725
3726The train was a station before where they normally alighted, Shichirigahama Station… the stop in front of Kamakura High School. The instant the doors opened, Mai suddenly stood.
3727
3728“We’re getting off.”
3729
3730Their plans should have been at the last station, and they would have needed to ride the train for another fifteen minutes.
3731
3732“Eh, Kamakura?” By the time he asked for confirmation, Mai had already left the train. “Ah, wait.”
3733
3734He hurriedly followed.
3735
3736A few seconds later, the train doors closed, and it sluggishly left the platform. Mai watched it until it trundled out of site, and then looked towards the sea.
3737
3738The station was built facing the sea and atop a hill at that, so there was nothing to obstruct their site. Just standing on the platform waiting for a train gave you a monopoly on the sight of the sea. It was a location that seemed liable to appear in movies and dramas. It seemed like it was actually used for recording, as Sakuta had seen groups of people with TV Cameras before.
3739
3740“It’s already evening because you were an hour and thirty-eight minutes late.”
3741
3742The sun had started to dye the sky red as it set towards Enoshima.
3743
3744“It’s a little walk.”
3745
3746Mai pointed towards the sea and then left the station without waiting for a reply. Even as he gave a pained smile at her continued odd behaviour, Sakuta happily walked alongside her.
3747
3748
3749
3750Sakuta and Mai crossed National Route 134, which had traffic lights that rarely went green, then descended a staircase that was about twenty steps and then onto the beach of Shichirigahama.
3751
3752They faced away from Shichirigahama and headed in the direction of Kamakura.
3753
3754The sand on their feet made their steps heavy.
3755
3756“Did you know? Even though Shichirigahama is written with ‘seven ri’, it’s not that long?”
3757
3758“One ri is about four kilometres, and the beach isn’t even three.”
3759
3760In other words, it wasn’t even reading the measurements wrong.
3761
3762“That’s boring.”
3763
3764Apparently, it was important information to Mai.
3765
3766“Chiba’s Kujukurihama isn’t ninety-nine ri long either apparently.”
3767
3768“You know some boring things.”
3769
3770Mai said over her shoulder, as if she really was bored.
3771
3772“Even though you brought the topic up?”
3773
3774“So, what kind of person were they?”
3775
3776“Hm?”
3777
3778Taking a risk, he made as if he didn’t understand.
3779
3780“The fairytale girl that believed your gossip.”
3781
3782“You curious?”
3783
3784“What was her name?”
3785
3786“You’re curious.”
3787
3788“Just tell me her name.”
3789
3790“Her name was Makinohara Shouko. She’s a hundred and sixty centimetres tall, and all-together smaller than you. I don’t know how much she weighs.”
3791
3792Sakuta recited as he listened to the waves.
3793
3794“If you did know, I’d have to ask why.”
3795
3796“How should I put it, she listened to people, but… didn’t let them change her, and was strangely unsympathetic.”
3797
3798“Hmmm.”
3799
3800Mai reacted coldly, even though she was the one that asked.
3801
3802“If I had to think of a particular trait of hers, it’d be that she wore a Minegahara High School uniform.”
3803
3804“…” At that point, Mai finally looked at him. “Did you try to enter Minegahara High School to chase after her?”
3805
3806“Things were tough back home after what happened with Kaede, so I decided to move away. There was talk of moving even further, but I didn’t think distance mattered much with gossipping on the internet… And then, well, the reason I came here is just like you said.”
3807
3808He confessed honestly, now that he had said that much, there was no point in hiding it.
3809
3810“But she rejected you.”
3811
3812Mai seemed to be enjoying some schadenfreude.
3813
3814“It ended up the same way, but I didn’t confess.”
3815
3816“Even though you went out of your way to go to the same school?”
3817
3818“I couldn’t meet her.”
3819
3820He picked a stone up from the beach and threw it into the sea. Now that he thought of it, this might be the beach he threw away his phone on.”
3821
3822“So she graduated.”
3823
3824“We met when I was in third year in middle school, and she said she was in her second year of high school.”
3825
3826“Then did she transfer?”
3827
3828“That would still be okay.”
3829
3830“You say that like something else happened.”
3831
3832“I went through all of the third year classrooms and spoke to all of the students.”
3833
3834“And they said?”
3835
3836Sakuta slowly shook his head.
3837
3838“That they didn’t know a student called Makinohara Shouko.”
3839
3840“…”
3841
3842Mai seemed lost at how to take that.
3843
3844“I looked at the student registers, I even thought she might have had to repeat the year… and I looked through all the graduation albums of the last three years or so.”
3845
3846But, of course, he couldn’t find her.
3847
3848There were no records of a student called Makinohara Shouko.
3849
3850“I don’t really understand it, but I definitely met someone called Makinohara Shouko, and they definitely saved me.”
3851
3852“Right.”
3853
3854“It seems like I won’t be able to repay the favour to her, so I thought I’d try and do it with you.” It was something that couldn’t be solved alone, you needed someone at your side to feel saved. That was Sakuta’s experience two years ago. “And, there’s something I want to know.”
3855
3856“Something you want to know?”
3857
3858“Why Adolescence Syndrome occurs, if I knew that…”
3859
3860Sakuta’s hand approached his chest.
3861
3862“Are you worried about your scar?”
3863
3864“In a way.” Swimming lessons were rather depressing as summer approached, if he could get rid of the scar, he would by all means. “And if I can solve it, it might help Kaede too.”
3865
3866“I see.”
3867
3868He thought it would be a shame if she could never leave the house. Wasting every day away by reading and playing with Nasuno the cat was definitely a shame. He wanted to bring her to this beach. So he wanted to know a lot about Adolescence Syndrome, and find a way to solve Kaede’s case of it. That was the reason that Sakuta had first been interested in Mai…
3869
3870Even without expressly saying it, Mai’s profile had a smile that said she had seen through him. Sakuta picked up another stone and threw it towards the sea, where it traced out an arc, and fell in with a splash.
3871
3872“Hey.”
3873
3874“…”
3875
3876He waited wordlessly for what she would say next.
3877
3878“Do you still like her?”
3879
3880“…”
3881
3882Whether he did, or whether he didn’t, he could answer immediately, and not even Sakuta would divert this with a smile.
3883
3884“Do you still like Makinohara Shouko-san?”
3885
3886He mentally repeated her questions once more.
3887
3888“Do you still like her?”
3889
3890It might be a problem he had avoided until today.
3891
3892“Do you still like Makinohara Shouko-san?”
3893
3894Before today, whenever he thought of her, his chest would prickle, and if he thought of her too much, it would grow painful and he wouldn’t be able to sleep. But now that a year had passed since then it was different. It had changed.
3895
3896He thought he had come to a conclusion long ago, but unconsciously avoided putting it into words. He thought he might be able to say that here though.
3897
3898“I seriously liked her.”
3899
3900He spoke his feelings as he looked to the sea. Simply by doing that, it was like a load had been taken off his chest.
3901
3902Even without the opportunity, feelings changed into memories as time passed. Even a wound of unrequited love would grow a scab, and that scab would fall off without notice. And thus, people moved on.
3903
3904“You might as well say it louder.”
3905
3906“If I gave you that kind of material, I’d be teased for the rest of my life.”
3907
3908“I’ll record it for you.” Mai took out her phone. “Come on, say it.”
3909
3910Somehow seemed to have sharpened, but that was probably his imagination.
3911
3912“You seem really angry?”
3913
3914“Hah? Me? Why?”
3915
3916She was clearly indignant and angry. Her sharp gaze and emotions felt like they were jabbing at Sakuta.
3917
3918“I was the one asking…”
3919
3920“Is there anyone that would be happy about their date confessing that they liked someone else?”
3921
3922“I said ‘liked, that’s important!”
3923
3924“Hmm.”
3925
3926She didn’t seem to agree at all. It would take some time to curry favour with her again. Just as Sakuta thought that:
3927
3928“It’s the seeeaaa.”
3929
3930He heard a carefree voice. Looking he saw a man and woman walking down the stairs to the beach.
3931
3932The man had a head of tousled hair and a large pair of headphones around his neck.
3933
3934The woman was slight and wore glasses. She was glaring at her boyfriend as he ran around on the beach. Her heels were sinking into the sand and making it hard to walk.
3935
3936They both felt a little older than Sakuta and Mai, probably university students.
3937
3938Her boyfriend retraced his steps to where she was struggling with the sand, and then suddenly.
3939
3940“D-don’t mess with me.” He hoisted his resisting girlfriend up into a bridal carry and took her to the water’s edge. “Geez, I can’t believe you.”
3941
3942Her cheeks were red when he let her down. Sakuta was the closest, and he indirectly watched them.
3943
3944“You’ve got some nerve.” But the boyfriend left her and was shouting in the waves, not listening at all. They were a strange couple. “It’s cold, I’m leaving.”
3945
3946He immediately hugged her from behind when she said that, and Sakuta couldn’t help but let out a shout. But, fortunately, the flirting couple didn’t seem to have heard.
3947
3948“You’re really warm.” Spoke the male.
3949
3950“…”
3951
3952The woman seemed to mumble some complaint, but burrowed into his arms cutely.
3953
3954Sakuta looked sidelong at Mai.
3955
3956“I’m not cold.”
3957
3958His strategy failed at her preventative warning.
3959
3960“Maaan, it sure is cold.”
3961
3962He looked at the sea and muttered, receiving a disgusted look from Mai.
3963
3964The couple left along the waterfront, hand-in-hand. It was like a scene in a movie.
3965
3966“Man, that’d be nice.”
3967
3968“It would.”
3969
3970“Hm?”
3971
3972“N-nothing.”
3973
3974Mai had apparently let out her true feelings, and hurriedly turned away.
3975
3976“Shall we hold hands?”
3977
3978“Why are you so overbearing?”
3979
3980Even as she said that, Mai obediently put her hand over Sakuta’s outstretched palm. However, that wasn’t to hold hands. When her hand moved away, her phone remained in his hand, a smartphone in a red rabbit case.
3981
3982“Are you giving it me?”
3983
3984“I’m not.”
3985
3986“Then…”
3987
3988As he was about to continue his question, Sakuta’s gaze fell to the screen.
3989
3990There was a message written on it. He asked silently if he could read it, and Mai nodded with a somewhat uneasy expression.
3991
3992On the May 25th (Sunday), come to Shichirigahama beach at 5 PM.
3993
3994That was today, and it would become five o’clock in another five minutes.
3995
3996He didn’t know why Mai was showing him the message.
3997
3998He understood when he looked at the ‘To’ field. The word ‘Manager’ was written there.
3999
4000In other words, it was an email sent to Mai’s mother, and what’s more, the screen told him it had already been sent. It was sent on the day they agreed to go on this date. The day that Mai had told him she would be returning to show business, after they had separated.
4001
4002It would soon be time for the appointment,
4003
4004“Are you meeting?”
4005
4006He asked, as he returned the phone.
4007
4008“I don’t want to.”
4009
4010“Then don’t.” Mai had become estranged from her mother in her third year of middle school with the argument over her photo-book. She had already decided to switch agencies, so now there wouldn’t be any need to talk to her mother directly. “Ah, are the still things to deal with in the contract?”
4011
4012“I left the contract with her agency at the same time as I went on hiatus, so that’s okay.”
4013
4014And so it had to be a problem of the heart. If he had to distinguish the type…
4015
4016Mai had a sad face as she watched the waves. Though she may have decided to meet, she still seemed to not want to.
4017
4018“My logic is ‘don’t do things you don’t want to’.”
4019
4020He spoke to no one.
4021
4022“And is there more to that?
4023
4024“Well, ‘you can only do what you have to’ goes together with it.”
4025
4026He looked to the sea and spoke resolutely.
4027
4028There were things you could avoid.
4029
4030And there were things you could not.
4031
4032There were these two types of things in this world. There was no need to do things you could avoid, but turning away from the things that could not be avoided would halt your progress.
4033
4034And, in this case, Mai felt that meeting her mother was the latter of these two types.
4035
4036“Are you okay?”
4037
4038Sakuta asked straightforwardly.
4039
4040“It’s something I decided myself, so… Besides, it seems she’s already here.”
4041
4042Mai had noticed a small silhouette coming from the direction of Enoshima.
4043
4044“She’s a punctual person.”
4045
4046She was still far away, so Sakuta couldn’t distinguish her. But Mai’s surety was of course because they were mother and daughter.
4047
4048“Let’s go over.” Mai flicked her wrist at him like one would ward off a stray dog. “Maybe I should greet her seeing as I’m here.”
4049
4050“…” Mai glared seriously at him and he could do nothing but raise his hands in surrender. “We’ll continue our date when I’m done, so wait back a little bit.”
4051
4052“’Kay.”
4053
4054He walked off along the water’s edge and sat down on a piece of driftwood. The distant figure gradually grew larger and Sakuta could see her clearly.
4055
4056She was a strong looking beauty that was similar to Mai. Strictly speaking, Mai would be similar to her mother, but…
4057
4058She was slender, tall and still seemed young. At the very least, she didn’t seem old enough to have a daughter in her third year of high school. Seeing her in person, Sakuta remembered the rumours that she gave birth to Mai when she was twenty.
4059
4060If that was true, she’d be in her thirties. She didn’t look any different from an older woman, but she didn’t have the aura of a ‘mother’, and her bright suit reinforced that impression all the more.
4061
4062Mai’s mother approached her step by step, and was about a dozen steps from her.
4063
4064He saw Mai say something, probably something like ‘it’s been a while’, the sound of the waves overwhelmed the words and he couldn’t hear them. Her mother just slowed slightly, and didn’t stop, and showed no sign of replying.
4065
4066Mai said something else, leaning forward and speaking desperately.
4067
4068“…”
4069
4070As he thought that things were weird, he noticed, her mother’s gaze hadn’t stopped, it was swinging left and right, looking to Sakuta almost like she was searching for the one that had summoned her.
4071
4072And even as she was right in front of Mai, she showed no sign of stopping.
4073
4074“…No way.”
4075
4076He had a horrible foreboding. As Sakuta yelled mentally for her to stop… her mother passed right by Mai.
4077
4078Almost as if she couldn’t see her…
4079
4080As if she couldn’t hear the girl calling for her mother…
4081
4082She passed her by all too easily.
4083
4084He could instantly see that something was happening between the two estranged women. His heart tightened. He felt shock, and the fear flowing through his body.
4085
4086Mai rushed around to in front of her mother, gesturing and pleading.
4087
4088“Can’t you see me?”
4089
4090Her voice carried to Sakuta.
4091
4092But her mother once more passed her by, and Mai’s arms dropped loosely down. At that moment, Sakuta moved, walking straight towards Mai, growing closer to her mother.
4093
4094When he was within about ten metres, her mother noticed his approach, and when he reached five, she spoke irritatedly at him, looking for confirmation.
4095
4096“Was it you?” She was similar to Mai in that way, and Sakuta was taken aback. “Why did you call me here? Who are you? I’ve seen you before but we’re not acquainted, are we?”
4097
4098She asked successively.
4099
4100“I’m Azusagawa Sakuta. A high schooler. From over there.”
4101
4102He gestured towards Minegahara High School, further up National Route 134.
4103
4104“I see. So, what do you want with me, Azusagawa Sakuta-san? I’m busy.”
4105
4106“Ah, it’s not me that wants something with you.”
4107
4108He could feel Mai’s gaze from behind her mother.
4109
4110She seemed to worry and take a few attempts, but she eventually nodded slowly. Mai had probably thought that this might happen, and brought Sakuta here as a preparation for the worst case. Using the date as bait…
4111
4112“Who does then?”
4113
4114He thought it was a strange question.
4115
4116“It’s Mai-san, you know right?”
4117
4118It was because of her email that her mother had come here. Even though she couldn’t see Mai at the moment, that shouldn’t change that reality.
4119
4120“…”
4121
4122Mai’s mother appraised him steadily.
4123
4124“Would you tell me once more, who called me here?”
4125
4126“Mai-san did.”
4127
4128“Did she?”
4129
4130“Yes.”
4131
4132Her mother held her hair down as it fluttered in the wind, and then spoke.
4133
4134“Who’s that.”
4135
4136“!?”
4137
4138Mai’s eyes opened wide in shock. He could see her eyes trembling fiercely. That was only natural, her mother had just asked who she was.
4139
4140“Your daughter!”
4141
4142Sakuta answered emotionally. They might have separated, but her mother’s reaction was too cruel.
4143
4144“I don’t have a daughter called Mai, stop kidding around.”
4145
4146“Which of us is kidding around!?”
4147
4148In contrast to Sakuta’s fiery emotions, her mother’s were just cooling.
4149
4150“What is this? Is it because you want to become part of my agency?”
4151
4152“Why would I? What are…” The instant he looked at her eyes again, Sakuta fell silent. He noticed her eyes looking pityingly at him… Her earlier question was genuine, she didn’t know who ‘Sakurajima Mai; was… That was why she had said those words…
4153
4154Her mother’s eyes didn’t hold a hint of deceit.
4155
4156“That’s right, the message! Mai-san sent a message saying she would meet you here today, right?”
4157
4158“If I show you that, will you stop this incomprehensible farce?”
4159
4160Mai’s mother took out her smartphone from her handbag, and turned the screen to Sakuta.
4161
4162“…What?”
4163
4164That came from Mai, who looked at the screen from next to him. Of course, her mother couldn’t see Mai, or hear her.
4165
4166The message body was the same as Mai had shown him earlier.
4167
4168On the May 25th (Sunday), come to Shichirigahama beach at 5 PM.
4169
4170‘Mai’ was written in the ‘from’ field, there was nothing strange about it, and yet for some reason.
4171
4172“The sender is unknown, but I went out of my way to put it in my diary, and even freed some time for this… what is it?”
4173
4174Sakuta was the one that wanted to ask that. ‘Mai’ was clearly written there, and yet her mother couldn’t see those characters.
4175
4176What he could tell from this discussion was that at least when the message was sent three days ago, she knew that the sender was her daughter, Mai. That was why she had freed the time to make the opportunity to come here.
4177
4178But at some point, as the day approached, Mai’s mother had forgotten her. It wasn’t just that she couldn’t see her, couldn’t hear her… she had completely forgotten her. He couldn’t believe it, but her mother’s behaviour left no other explanation.
4179
4180“Would something so ridiculous happen?” He had unconsciously put it into words. And even hearing it made him shudder, and his voice grow dry. “Could such a ridiculous thing happen?”
4181
4182He said twice to her mother.
4183
4184“That’s an interesting sales-pitch, but it’s too absurd. Study society a little more and try again.”
4185
4186Mai’s mother turned on her heal and walked back the way she had come.
4187
4188“You’re her mother!”
4189
4190“…”
4191
4192She didn’t turn around, and didn’t even stop.
4193
4194“How can you forget your daughter!?”
4195
4196“…That’s enough.”
4197
4198That was Mai’s quiet voice.
4199
4200“Why!?”
4201
4202“That’s enough…”
4203
4204“We’re not done talking!”
4205
4206Sakuta was putting all of his emotions into his yells at her back.
4207
4208“…Please, stop.”
4209
4210Her near-crying voice froze his entire body. He noticed that he was hurting Mai more, and kept silent.
4211
4212“I’m sorry.”
4213
4214“…”
4215
4216“I really am sorry.”
4217
4218“…Mhmm, it’s fine.”
4219
4220“…”
4221
4222Just what on Earth had happened to Mai?
4223
4224Sakuta had thought that she became invisible and inaudible in the moment. Mai herself had thought so too. Coming here had made them face the reality that they might have made a huge misunderstanding.
4225
4226Sakuta and Mai might not know anything. She couldn’t be seen, couldn’t be heard… and even her existence itself had completely vanished from her mother’s memories.
4227
4228“…”
4229
4230The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
4231
4232“Sakuta.”
4233
4234Mai’s eyes swam anxiously. Seeing that, Sakuta realised that Mai had the same doubt.
4235
4236It won’t just be her mother, she might even vanish from the memories of other people.
4237
4238He didn’t know when it would happen, but that might happen when she was invisible. Or it might not.
4239
4240But if she actually did vanish from people’s memories…
4241
4242It didn’t take much time for that doubt to become conviction.
4243
4244
4245
42464
4247
4248
4249
4250Sakuta and Mai had walked the path they used to commute to Shichirigahama Station and quickly got onto the train home. They hadn’t really discussed it, but they naturally headed along the road home.
4251
4252On the way, Sakuta had spoken to tourists, and to locals. Of course, that was to ask them about ‘Sakurajima Mai’. He asked ten or so people, and they all said the same thing.
4253
4254“I don’t know of her.”
4255
4256There wasn’t a single person that said they knew her. And none of them could see her either.
4257
4258Even so, Sakuta hoped deep down, hoped that he had happened to just speak to people that didn’t know her. But this meagre hope was soon extinguished.
4259
4260
4261
4262Once they arrived at Fujisawa Station, Sakuta used a pay-phone to call the announcer, Nanjou Fumika. He’d been right to keep her business card in his wallet.
4263
4264“Hello.”
4265
4266A somewhat formal voice answered the phone.
4267
4268“It’s Azusagawa Sakuta.”
4269
4270“Oh my,” Her voice suddenly brightened, and her tone had certainly risen. “To think I’d get a loving call from you, this must be a special day.”
4271
4272“There’s not an ounce of love here.”
4273
4274“Don’t you fancy a torrid relationship with an older woman? I’m happy to play with fire.”
4275
4276“That’s an older woman’s mistake.”
4277
4278“So, what is it.”
4279
4280Apparently, Fumika made a habit of not listening to things that inconvenienced her, as she changed the subject.
4281
4282“It’s about Sakurajima Mai.”
4283
4284“What’s this all of a sudden?” Oh, thought Sakuta, that was a response. However, his expectations were destroyed by her continuation. “Who’s that?”
4285
4286“…”
4287
4288“Hello?”
4289
4290“You don’t know someone called Sakurajima Mai?”
4291
4292He asked again.
4293
4294“I don’t, who are they?”
4295
4296“Then… about that picture?”
4297
4298The picture of the scars across his chest. She should at least still have that, and had promised Mai not to publish it. In exchange for an exclusive on Mai’s return to show business…
4299
4300“I promised I wouldn’t publish that, right? I remember, I won’t.”
4301
4302“Who did you promise?”
4303
4304“You obviously, Sakuta-kun. What’s wrong? …Are you okay?”
4305
4306She seemed to be half interested, and half worried at Sakuta’s condition. Sakuta thought he should stop the conversation there, before he brought trouble on himself.
4307
4308“I’m okay. Sorry, I was worried about the picture and just said something a bit weird.”
4309
4310“So distrustful~”
4311
4312“I’m sorry for disturbing you when you’re busy. Excuse me.”
4313
4314While he could stay calm, Sakuta hung up.
4315
4316He put the receiver back, his hands oddly heavy.
4317
4318He slowly turned around to where Mai was waiting, and shook his head. She probably hadn’t expected much to begin with, not showing anything on her face and simply saying.
4319
4320“I see.” She then continued dully on with “Thank you for today, bye,” before turning around. There was no hesitance, no unsurety, Mai walked straight along the path home.
4321
4322Walking away with her usual aloof gait.
4323
4324Sakuta’s chest ached as he watched her go. He was driven by an unease, that if he let her go, he would never see her again. And then, his body moved without his input.
4325
4326“Mai-san, wait.” He rushed after her and grabbed her wrist. Even though she stopped, Mai didn’t turn around, just looking ahead. “Let’s go.”
4327
4328“…” Mai raised her face a little. “Go where?”
4329
4330“There might still be someone somewhere that remembers you.”
4331
4332“It’s already pretty clear everyone but you has forgotten me.”
4333
4334Mai laughed dryly.
4335
4336“…” He didn’t deny it. He couldn’t. He couldn’t think of anything else in this situation. And Mai herself thought the same way, that was why she said that. But still, he wanted to believe. To believe that if they went to some distant town, someone would know of Mai, be able to see her and point at her saying ‘Isn’t that Sakurajima Mai?’ He still wanted to believe that. “Let’s go check.”
4337
4338“What will checking do? What will knowing that no one else can see me, that no one else can remember me do!?”
4339
4340“At least, I’ll be able to be with you while we do.”
4341
4342“!?”
4343
4344Of course she would be uneasy. She couldn’t not be, she would be weighed down by it. She wouldn’t know what was happening, she didn’t know why it was happening, or what would become of her tomorrow. Of course she would be scared if she returned like that to her deserted house.
4345
4346And as proof of that, her shoulders were shaking slightly as she cast her eyes down.
4347
4348“Or at least, I want to be with you, Mai-san.”
4349
4350“…You’re cheeky.”
4351
4352“We’re on a date after all.”
4353
4354“You’re so cheeky, even though you’re younger.”
4355
4356“I’m sorry.”
4357
4358“My hand hurts, let go.”
4359
4360He noticed he was gripping her hand tightly, and quickly opened it.
4361
4362“I’m sorry.”
4363
4364“I won’t forgive you with just an apology.”
4365
4366“I’m sorry.”
4367
4368Their short exchange of words was broken there.
4369
4370And then, after a minute of silence.
4371
4372“…Okay.”
4373
4374Mai whispered.
4375
4376“Hmm?”
4377
4378“If you’re saying you don’t want to send me home yet, I’ll continue our date.”
4379
4380Mai looked up and teasingly poked Sakuta’s nose. At some point, her shaking had stopped.
4381
4382
4383
4384
4385CHAPTER 04
43861
4387
4388
4389
4390They had spent nearly an hour on the outbound train from Fujisawa Station on the Tokaido line, travelling around fifty kilometres west. The silver carriages with orange and green lines along the sides had flown through the Kanagawa prefecture and arrived at Atami, in the Shizuoka prefecture, famous for its hot-springs.
4391
4392The time was seven in the evening.
4393
4394Regardless of the hour, there was something they needed to know. What was happening with Mai…
4395
4396And whether anyone that saw her could remember her.
4397
4398They needed to know on just what scale the instance of Adolescence Syndrome that was affecting Mai was going to make her suffer.
4399
4400They had at least alighted at Chigasaki Station and Odawara Station, but no one had been able to see her. When Sakuta had asked people, he had only received reactions like ‘Huh?’, ‘I don’t know them.’, and ‘I don’t get kids these days.’. Once they had arrived at Atami Station he had immediately asked people, but there had been no change for the better… Everyone really had forgotten Sakurajima Mai, or at least acted like they had never known her.
4401
4402Mai watched all of this expressionlessly. She swallowed down any surprise, sadness or fear, with no disturbance on her face. Like a still lake.
4403
4404
4405
4406Sakuta looked up from where he stood on the platform at the electric signs with the train departure times on. For their next train, even if they continued on the Tokaido line, they would need to transfer because the train they had ridden here terminated at this station.
4407
4408He found a train that would arrive at eleven minutes past seven towards Shimada. He didn’t know what prefecture or whereabouts the station was, but… checking the route map revealed that it was even further west than Shizuoka, and that was enough.
4409
4410It would depart in six minutes so, whilst he didn’t have much, he had some time.
4411
4412“I’ll phone my sister.” With those words to Mai, he rushed over to a payphone next to a shop. He used some spare change and lifted the receiver before dialling the number, setting it ringing. After a short time, it switched to their answering machine. “Kaede, it’s me.”
4413
4414Kaede would never answer a phone call from anyone else, so a call would always start with the answering machine like this.
4415
4416“Hello, this is Kaede.”
4417
4418“Great, you’re up.”
4419
4420“It’s only seven.” Even without seeing her face, he could imagine her pouting. “What’s wrong?”
4421
4422“Sorry, I’m not coming home today.”
4423
4424“Eh?”
4425
4426“I’ve got something I have to go away for.”
4427
4428“W-what’s that ‘something’?”
4429
4430“It’s…” for a moment he was lost for words, but Sakuta soon realised that he should ask Kaede too and spoke down the phone. “Kaede, do you remember the girl that came to our house, Sakurajima Mai?”
4431
4432“I don’t know anyone called that.”
4433
4434She replied, all too easily.
4435
4436“…”
4437
4438He couldn’t reply immediately and lightly chewed at his lip, waiting to calm down.
4439
4440“Who are they?”
4441
4442Kaede grumbled jealously. Sakuta heard it distantly. It really was tough to have the reality thrust before him by someone he knew well like this. It was the same as when he spoke with Nanjou Fumika, much tougher than being told so by someone he didn’t know and had never seen.
4443
4444“It’s fine if you don’t know. Bear with cup noodles from the cupboard for tonight, you can have whichever you like. Make sure you feed Nasuno too. Brush your teeth before you go to sleep. I’ll call again. Night.”
4445
4446“Ah, eh? Onii-chan!”
4447
4448In the middle of Kaede’s yell, the phone cut off with the clatter of a ten yen coin.
4449
4450He went for the train.
4451
4452“Let’s go, Mai-san.”
4453
4454“Let’s.”
4455
4456Sakuta and Mai boarded the Shimada-bound train from platform two.
4457
4458
4459
44602
4461
4462
4463
4464The train left Atami along the Pacific coast, heading further west. They transferred trains along the way at Shimada Station and Toyohashi Station. They left the Shizuoka prefecture for the Aichi prefecture and headed from the Aichi prefecture for the Gifu prefecture, travelling hundreds of kilometres.
4465
4466While they did Sakuta asked the people from places he didn’t know about Mai, but of course there was not a single one that knew of her, not a single one that could see her.
4467
4468The two of them were now rocking with the train on the way to Ogaki. That was probably as far as they would go to confirm the circumstances around Mai. Around the time they arrived, the date changed over. With each station they passed, the number of passengers decreased.
4469
4470As the number of people around decreased, the creaking of the wheels and rails and the jolts caused by joins in the rails gradually started to sound like a lullaby.
4471
4472When a set of opposing booth seats opened up, Sakuta and Mai sat there side-by-side.
4473
4474“In the Gifu prefecture, it’s got the most people after Gifu city.”
4475
4476Mai suddenly spoke while looking at her smartphone.
4477
4478“What are you talking about?”
4479
4480There were nearly no people in the same carriage. There were a few people sat in seats far away, so there wasn’t much difference in the mood compared to them being alone.
4481
4482“About Ogaki.”
4483
4484“Ah.”
4485
4486Thanks to that, their quiet voices were clearly audible to each other.
4487
4488“Also, it says that it has a lot of underground water.”
4489
4490“I’d give a warm welcome to somewhere with clean water.”
4491
4492“…”
4493
4494“…”
4495
4496The two of them fell silent and the noise of the train filled the space. Of course the surroundings outside of the train were pitch-black, so there was no enjoyment in gazing out of the window. Even so, Mai rested an elbow on the table under the window and looked out at the unfamiliar lands.
4497
4498He thought about ten minutes passed without them saying anything.
4499
4500“Hey, Sakuta.”
4501
4502“What is it?”
4503
4504“Can you see me?”
4505
4506The reflection of Mai’s eyes in the glass held the profile of Sakuta’s face in their sight.
4507
4508“I can see you.”
4509
4510“Can, can you hear me?”
4511
4512“Loud and clear.”
4513
4514“Do you remember me?”
4515
4516“Sakurajima Mai, a third-year student at Minegahara High School in the Kanagawa prefecture. You debuted in the world of show-biz at a young age and, well, you’ve had quite a few roles.”
4517
4518“What’s that ‘quite a few’ for?”
4519
4520“It’s probably because you spent so much time in the world of show-biz since you were a child, your personality’s warped and you’re not honest.”
4521
4522“How?”
4523
4524“By hiding it, even though you’re nervous.”
4525
4526Sakuta said and boldly held on to Mai’s hand. Her eyebrows rose in surprise and her gaze dropped to him holding her hand.
4527
4528“I didn’t say you could hold my hand.”
4529
4530“I want to.”
4531
4532“…”
4533
4534“I think you can give me a bit of a reward, right?”
4535
4536“…I guess there’s no choice.” Mai returned her gaze to the window, and her fingers slipped in between Sakuta’s. A lover’s clasp, it tickled him and made him shiver. “This is a special occasion.”
4537
4538Mai’s profile seemed a little embarrassed as she said that and, at the same time, she seemed to be enjoying watching Sakuta’s confusion.
4539
4540Finally the announcement came that the next stop was the terminus of Ogaki. Sakuta and Mai didn’t let go until they arrived.
4541
4542
4543
4544When they alighted on the platform the date had long since switched over and it was twenty to one in the morning. Sakuta asked the attendant about Mai and after his answer of ‘No, I don’t know her,’ they left through the ticket gates.
4545
4546They ended up leaving through the southern entrance and then walked nearly to the bus terminal before they stopped. If it had been a station with nothing around it they would have worried over what to do, but with this station in the city centre alongside all the businesses they should at least be able to find somewhere to stay for the night.
4547
4548The problem was where to stay. If Sakuta had been alone he could have used a manga cafe, but he couldn’t bring himself to take Mai to one and she had told him earlier that she wanted a bath, as if it was a warning to him. Sakuta agreed with that, the sea breeze on the beach of Shichirigahama had completely covered them in salt and he wanted to wash that off in the shower. He was a little sticky and thought that his clothes might smell of salt.
4549
4550Taking the various considerations into account, Sakuta decided to rely on the business hotel in front of the station as a safe place. When he asked if there was a free room the receptionist looked at him suspiciously, a natural reaction to a nearly empty-handed high school student saying he wanted to stay. Regardless, they passed through check-in with no issues. To prevent more awkward questions, he paid for a night’s stay first.
4551
4552Because Mai was invisible there was no reason to check-in. Sakuta had turned to ask her if she was okay with sharing a room, but there was no need as Mai had headed straight for the lift. They rode the lift up to the sixth floor.
4553
4554Their room was at the end of the corridor, room 601.
4555
4556Sakuta cocked his head to the side in complete confusion at how to use the card-key, so Mai reached out her hand and opened the door.
4557
4558“You can pull it out once you’ve put it in.”
4559
4560Sakuta tried it for practice, but the lack of response sort of didn’t work, there was no sign of the door opening. But as Mai said, the door opened fine. The room was a single with one bed, an apologetically small dresser-cum-table, and a seat for it. It also had a nineteen-inch TV and a small fridge and kettle.
4561
4562Frankly speaking it was cramped, and the bed took up around seventy percent of the room.
4563
4564“So small.”
4565
4566“That’s to be expected.”
4567
4568Mai thumped down onto the bed, turned the TV on using the remote and took off her boots. She went through all the channels before immediately turning it off. She flopped back onto the bed from her seated position. Of course, she was probably tired as well. They had done nothing but travel, but that travel had exhausted Sakuta too and the sluggish feeling of fatigue pervaded his entire body.
4569
4570“I’m taking a bath.”
4571
4572Mai rose abruptly.
4573
4574“Go ahead, go ahead.”
4575
4576“Don’t peek.”
4577
4578“It’s okay, the sound alone is enough to feed me for a day.”
4579
4580“…”
4581
4582Mai wordlessly pointed at the door, telling him to get out.
4583
4584“I would have thought that tormenting a younger boy with the sound of the shower here would have been to the taste of a composed adult woman.”
4585
4586“I-I know that, of course.” Mai sniffed as if that was always her plan. “In exchange, don’t do anything weird on your own, okay?”
4587
4588“Anything weird?”
4589
4590He pretended to not get what she meant.
4591
4592“W-weird things are weird things. Idiot, I don’t care!”
4593
4594Mai turned her head away and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her and loudly locking it.
4595
4596“That was really cute…”
4597
4598Finally, the sound of the shower filled the room. While listening to it, Sakuta checked the landline in the room. It looked like it could make external calls too.
4599
4600He picked up the handset and dialled the only number he had memorised of his best friends.
4601
4602The third ring cut off mid-way through, and he heard a familiar voice answer.
4603
4604“What time do you think this is?”
4605
4606Were the first sleepy words from Yuuma.
4607
4608“Sixteen minutes past one.”
4609
4610Sakuta immediately replied with the time on the bedside clock.
4611
4612“I know that.”
4613
4614“Were you asleep?”
4615
4616“I was sound asleep, tired from club activities and work.”
4617
4618“It’s an emergency, help me.”
4619
4620“What d’you need?”
4621
4622“First, I need to ask a question, do you remember Sakurajima-senpai?”
4623
4624He felt like it was pointless though. Today he had asked dozens… maybe even hundreds of people about Mai, and not once had he heard the answer he wanted.
4625
4626“Huh? Of course I do.”
4627
4628“Right, you don’t.”
4629
4630He replied reflexively.
4631
4632“No, I do.”
4633
4634Yuuma’s voice was still half asleep and he shook his head.
4635
4636What had Yuuma just said?
4637
4638“Kunimi!”
4639
4640“Woah, don’t be so loud.”
4641
4642“You know Sakurajima-senpai? Sakurajima Mai-senpai.”
4643
4644“Obviously I do.” He didn’t understand why, not in the slightest, but surprisingly, Sakuta had found at least a single person. That joy, surprise, and confusion made his heart pound so hard that it hurt. “Was that it? I’m going to sleep.”
4645
4646“Wait. Tell me Futaba’s number.”
4647
4648“Eh, sure.” It seemed he had woken up a fair bit, and Yuuma grumbled out the number through complaints while Sakuta wrote it out on memo paper on the table. “Are you going to call her now?”
4649
4650“That’s why I asked.”
4651
4652“She’ll be angry and tell you you’ve got no common sense.”
4653
4654“Rest assured, I thought that too.”
4655
4656“Sure, I’m assured. Treat me to lunch at least, Futaba too.”
4657
4658“Got it, night.”
4659
4660“Yeah, night…”
4661
4662He hung up the call and then phoned Rio, it soon connected and he named himself with “It’s Azusagawa.”
4663
4664“What kind of time do you call this?”
4665
4666Rio’s voice was displeased, and surprisingly clear. Perhaps she had still been awake.
4667
4668“One nineteen.”
4669
4670“That clock’s twenty-one minutes slow.”
4671
4672“Ah, is it?” It was a business hotel, so he wished that they would set it right. “Is now a good time? Well, whether or not, I’d like to talk to you.”
4673
4674“I see you’ve jumped feet first into another bothersome thing.”
4675
4676“I wouldn’t really say it was ‘bothersome’.”
4677
4678“The shower I can hear behind you is Sakurajima-senpai, right?”
4679
4680“…You got it.”
4681
4682Even while he was surprised at her far too sharp insight, Sakuta felt intensely uneasy.
4683
4684“Your cute little sister wouldn’t be having a shower at this time of night. Besides, I can tell you’re not calling from your house just from the caller display.”
4685
4686While he listened to Rio’s logic Sakuta realised the reasoning behind his unease.
4687
4688“Futaba, you remember Sakurajima-senpai too, right? You know her?”
4689
4690Words seeking confirmation gushed forth.
4691
4692“Of course I know someone so famous. Are you an idiot, Sakuta?”
4693
4694“It’s because that’s happening that I phoned you at this idiotic time of night.”
4695
4696Rio let out a hum.
4697
4698“Okay. I’ll listen to your idiot tale for you, Azusagawa you idiot.”
4699
4700
4701
4702Sakuta took about twenty minutes to explain what was happening with Mai to Rio. He left out his guesses, telling her only what he had seen. Rio occasionally interjected for confirmation, but listened attentively for the entire conversation.
4703
4704“…And that’s the size of it.”
4705
4706Rio remained silent for a while after he had finished, before finally saying:
4707
4708“I see,” and then, after letting out a sigh of consideration continued with “I’m surprised your relationship has progressed so far.”
4709
4710“Oi, did you listen to anything I said?”
4711
4712“I didn’t want to hear about your romance.”
4713
4714“I don’t remember calling you to talk about that.”
4715
4716“You just sounded lovey-dovey, especially calling so late.”
4717
4718“I’m not lovey-dovey.”
4719
4720“Boasting then?”
4721
4722“That’s ridiculous.”
4723
4724“You say that, but it really is far too astounding.”
4725
4726Rio spoke in a tone of voice showing just how troublesome she found it.
4727
4728“Well I suppose so… if you preface it with the fact that Sakurajima Mai and I are together, there’s nothing strange about people not being able to see her, or even her vanishing from their memories.” He said
4729
4730“Ah, that’s true.”
4731
4732“…damn you.”
4733
4734He’d said it as a joke, but Rio had immediately agreed.
4735
4736“We did talk about this before though, and I denied the existence of Adolescence Syndrome.”
4737
4738“I know, you said it was illogical, right?”
4739
4740“Right.”
4741
4742Even so, the reason she didn’t brand him a braggart was that he had shown her the wounds on Kaede, and the scars across his chest. At that she had said ‘It’s illogical, but believing what you’re saying is consistent overall.’
4743
4744Of course, Sakuta hadn’t spoken a single lie. Him leaving his hometown and coming to the scene of Minegahara High School was intertwined with Kaede’s Adolescence Syndrome. If it wasn’t, he would have probably gone to school near his home, not met Makinohara Shouko, and never had the opportunity to know of Minegahara High School.
4745
4746“So, what are you expecting from me?” She asked.
4747
4748“I want you to think about why this could be happening, and to find something to fix it.”
4749
4750“You’re being unreasonable, Azusagawa.”
4751
4752“I’m panicking, so I’m getting unreasonable.”
4753
4754“…” There was silence from Rio’s end.
4755
4756“Huh? Futaba? You there?”
4757
4758“Kunimi said something before.”
4759
4760“Huh?”
4761
4762Why was she bringing up Yuuma here?
4763
4764“That being able to say ‘thank you’, ‘sorry’, and ‘help me’ was one of your good points.”
4765
4766“Nobody but you two would say that.”
4767
4768Sakuta snorted at that to hide his embarrassment.
4769
4770“Got it, I’ll think at least, don’t expect anything.”
4771
4772“No, I will,” he said
4773
4774“You know…”
4775
4776“Thank you, it really helps.”
4777
4778Honestly, Sakuta was uneasy too. The future was completely uncertain. Ever since Kaede’s case of Adolescence Syndrome he hadn’t known how to even fight that fear and he still didn’t. It scared him.
4779
4780In the future, he might end up unable to see Mai, unable to hear her voice, forgetting her entirely. That scared him above all else.
4781
4782“What about school tomorrow?”
4783
4784“We’re over in Ogaki at the moment, so we won’t make it for the morning. Why though?”
4785
4786He didn’t think Rio would ask about his plans for tomorrow meaninglessly.
4787
4788“From a brief consideration, the only thing you, Kunimi and I have in common is the school.”
4789
4790“I see.”
4791
4792“And so, I thought that the cause might be at school.”
4793
4794“…That could be it.”
4795
4796Suddenly, Sakuta remembered that today… well by the date it would be yesterday, what happened with the high school girl he had met together with the lost girl when they met again where his date with Mai was supposed to start… Koga Tomoe. When they had met again at the station, Tomoe had been able to see Mai, and so had her friends.
4797
4798“So it was a waste of time coming out this far…?”
4799
4800While thinking on that, he told Rio about Tomoe and her friends.
4801
4802“It ended up as information that helped clarify what’s going on, so it wasn’t a waste. Thanks to that we were able to think that the cause might be at Minegahara High School.”
4803
4804“Right… that’s good then. I’ll be in school tomorrow, though it might be around lunch by that time. Sorry about the time.”
4805
4806“You should be.”
4807
4808Rio hung up while stifling a yawn and Sakuta put the phone down as well. He noticed that he had unconsciously risen to his feet, and slumped down onto the bed. At some point, the sound of the shower had stopped, and he hadn’t noticed it because he was concentrating on the call with Rio.
4809
4810“Uwah, that’s a waste.”
4811
4812As he voiced his regret, the bathroom door opened slightly and from that opening, Mai poked out her face with a towel wrapped around her hair. Her shoulders, fleetingly visible were glowing pink from the hot water, and steam was coming off her.
4813
4814“What do I do about underwear?”
4815
4816“Huh?”
4817
4818“Wearing the same clothes is fine, but I don’t want the same socks or underwear.”
4819
4820“Shall I wash them?”
4821
4822“I’d rather die.”
4823
4824“They’re yours, so I don’t care if they’re dirty.”
4825
4826“T-they’re not dirty!”
4827
4828“If anything, that’d raise their value.”
4829
4830“Stop your perverted thoughts.”
4831
4832She took the towel around her hair and flung it at him. It hit his face head-on, Sakuta having forgotten to dodge because he was allured by the sight of Mai’s slightly damp hair. However, that was the correct decision, as a pleasant scent rose from the towel, though it was probably that of the shampoo.
4833
4834“Are you not wearing them now, Mai-san?”
4835
4836“I’ve got a bath towel on.”
4837
4838“Ohhh.”
4839
4840“Don’t get aroused from weird imaginings.”
4841
4842“It’s a delusion, so it’s fine.”
4843
4844“Why are you so perverted?”
4845
4846“It’s unreasonable to tell me not to get excited when I’m in a hotel with my beautiful senpai.”
4847
4848“Are you trying to say it’s my fault?”
4849
4850“I think a moderate estimate would definitely say it was half your fault.” Sakuta stood as he spoke and checked his wallet. “If you’re okay with underwear from a convenience store, I’ll buy some. I want to change mine too?”
4851
4852“Are you sure?”
4853
4854“I’ve got the money.”
4855
4856He showed the pittance in his wallet to Mai. He had deposited his wages before they left Fujisawa, so it was nothing compared to the fifty thousand yen from earlier, but he had enough for a pair of five hundred-ish yen underwear.
4857
4858“That’s not what I mean… isn’t it embarrassing for a boy to buy that kind of thing?”
4859
4860“Hm? Ah, it might be, but I’m used to it.”
4861
4862“Used to it?”
4863
4864Mai looked at him in puzzlement, as if she didn’t understand what he meant.
4865
4866“Buying hygiene products for my little sister numbed that. Now I can enjoy the female staffs’ reactions.”
4867
4868Kaede refused to leave the house, so Sakuta bought her clothes and underwear too.
4869
4870“What a bothersome customer.”
4871
4872“I’m off then.”
4873
4874“Wait, I’ll come too.”
4875
4876Mai withdrew her head and closed the door, locking it. She was either being exceedingly cautious, or didn’t trust him in the slightest.
4877
4878“You can just leave it to me.”
4879
4880“I have a feeling you’d pick something excessive.”
4881
4882“I’m going to a convenience store though.”
4883
4884They’d only have simple ones.
4885
4886“Besides, wearing underwear that a boy picked out is disgusting.”
4887
4888Perhaps because she was dressing in such a small bathroom, her words were interspersed with ‘ngh’ sounds, it was very erotic. After a while, the sounds from the bathroom changed to that of a hair dryer.
4889
4890It took over ten minutes of waiting in the end before Mai finally came out.
4891
4892“Come on, let’s go.”
4893
4894“Riiight.”
4895
4896
4897
4898Sakuta and Mai avoided the front desk and left through the back entrance. A high school student going out on his own would draw attention and there was no better way to make the suspicious gazes that had been sent his way at check-in abate. It was actually helpful that Mai was invisible now. If they were a pair, that would have lead to more speculation and might have even involved the police. Well, if she was visible they wouldn’t have come this far anyway…
4899
4900The looked up and down the street and saw the glow of a green sign above a convenience store about fifty metres from the station. Naturally, the two of them walked in that direction. After they had walked along the deserted footpath for a while, Mai murmured.
4901
4902“It’s kind of strange.”
4903
4904Mai’s profile looked like she was enjoying herself as she looked at the sleepy street while walking with her hands clasped behind her back.
4905
4906“Hm?”
4907
4908“Being in a town I don’t know like this.”
4909
4910Mai was walking with deliberate clicks of her heels, like a soldier’s march.
4911
4912“Didn’t you go to a lot of places for filming?”
4913
4914“I didn’t go to places, I was taken to them.”
4915
4916“Ah, I know what you mean.”
4917
4918He had been much further on family trips. On a trip in middle school he had been further than this to Kyoto, and in elementary school he had gone to Nikko. He had been to many places on school trips, but he had never felt like he had gone there himself. Like Mai said, he had been taken there.
4919
4920So Sakuta might be enjoying it like Mai was, he might have had a sense of exhilaration that he had never felt before, from the moment he had boarded the train along the Tokaido line. He hadn’t chosen a destination, just picked a train that went far away to search for someone that could see Mai, someone that could remember her…
4921
4922He had come here himself, and of course couldn’t return himself. That tension was enjoyable.
4923
4924Sakuta and Mai were on a little adventure, even ignoring Adolescence Syndrome, it was unusual and it was the first time he had had this kind of enjoyment.
4925
4926“I was in the hotels outside of the actual shootings. Even though it was a town that I didn’t know, everyone knew me so I didn’t want to go out.”
4927
4928“Is that a boast?”
4929
4930“You know that's not true. Are you just looking for attention?”
4931
4932Mai’s eyes smiled at seeing through him.
4933
4934“Found out, huh.”
4935
4936Mai laughed through her nose and called him spoilt at his attempt to hide his embarrassment.
4937
4938“But the strangest thing is walking around a town I don’t know with a younger boy.”
4939
4940“I didn’t think I’d be walking around a distant town with Sakurajima Mai either.”
4941
4942“It’s an honour.”
4943
4944“I’ll never forget it.”
4945
4946Sakuta put it in to words with clear purpose. There was no way to avoid it, in reality Mai was vanishing from people’s memories.
4947
4948“…”
4949
4950Mai said nothing. So Sakuta emphasised it again.
4951
4952“I’ll definitely not forget.”
4953
4954“…What if you do?”
4955
4956“I’ll eat pocky through my nose.”
4957
4958“Don’t play with your food.”
4959
4960“You’re the one to suggest it.”
4961
4962Mai said no more on that, just smiling.
4963
4964“…Hey, Sakuta.”
4965
4966“Yeah?”
4967
4968“…You really won’t?”
4969
4970“…”
4971
4972“You really won’t forget?”
4973
4974She spoke to Sakuta with wavering eyes, as if testing him.
4975
4976“The image of you in a bunny suit is burned into my mind.”
4977
4978Mai let out a sigh.
4979
4980“You still have that outfight, right?”
4981
4982Her tone was completely scolding. It was the truth so he didn’t mind, but…
4983
4984“Of course.”
4985
4986“You’re probably using it for weird things.”
4987
4988“I haven’t used it yet.”
4989
4990“When we get back, get rid of it.”
4991
4992“Ehh.”
4993
4994“Don’t ‘ehh’ me.”
4995
4996“Will you wear it one more time?”
4997
4998“What are you asking me so seriously?”
4999
5000Mai looked at him utterly aghast. Even so, he didn’t give up and kept looking at her.
5001
5002“As thanks for today too… just one more time.” At that, with some embarrassment, she gave in. “Thank you.”
5003
5004“Dealing with a younger boy’s urges is nothing.”
5005
5006Betraying her words, Mai looked away. He couldn’t really tell in the dark, but she might be blushing.
5007
5008“Well, we need to pick out underwear first.”
5009
5010“I won’t let you choose them.”
5011
5012The discussion progressed like that and the two arrived at the convenience store.
5013
5014
5015
5016The greeter’s call of welcome followed them into the store. There were no other customers in the store and the other member of staff was ordering the sweet shelves. The necessities they were looking for were on shelves near the entrance. He picked up a basket and stood in front of them with Mai.
5017
5018There were socks, T-Shirts, towels, stockings, and of course, the underwear and camisoles they were looking for.
5019
5020He didn’t know because he had never really looked in depth, but they had a more complete range than he thought, each of them was folded up in a plastic case to make them easy to pick up. As far as female underwear went, there were panties and camisoles, and a choice in size between small and medium, in pink or black.
5021
5022With no hesitation, Mai picked up a pair of black panties and likewise, a black camisole and dropped them in the basket before adding a pair of socks.
5023
5024“Pink would have been nice.”
5025
5026“It’s not like I’m going to show you them, so it doesn’t matter.”
5027
5028“Uwah, I really wanna see.”
5029
5030“Saying stupid things will make you stupid.”
5031
5032Mai went towards the drink corner while stifling a yawn. Being stubborn wouldn’t change anything, so Sakuta put a pair of boxers along with a T-shirt and pair of socks in the basket for himself and then followed after Mai.
5033
5034“Well, black is fine too.”
5035
5036“Did you say something?”
5037
5038“Nope.”
5039
5040
5041
5042They returned to the hotel and, after changing, they filled their stomachs with the sandwiches they bought. They had eaten on the way but that was four hours ago, so they were hungry.
5043
5044Once they finished their short meal Sakuta took a shower. The first thing he said when done was:
5045
5046“We should go home first thing in the morning.”
5047
5048She showed a slight amount of surprise, but seemed to agree and said.
5049
5050“You must be worried about your sister.”
5051
5052“Well, I am, but I found someone. Someone that remembers you.”
5053
5054“…Really?”
5055
5056“My friends that go to Minegahara high School.”
5057
5058“When did you find that out?”
5059
5060“I phoned them while you were in the shower.”
5061
5062He pointed at the phone in the corner.
5063
5064“You’ve got no common sense phoning so late, you’ll lose your friends.”
5065
5066“I apologised, so it’s fine.”
5067
5068“Such self-confidence.”
5069
5070“I think I’d forgive them for the same.”
5071
5072“That would be good… but, I see. There are still other people that remember me.”
5073
5074“The cause might be at school.”
5075
5076He had no proof, but there were no other clues so he could only pin his hopes on that.
5077
5078“I get it. Let’s sleep then.”
5079
5080“Ummm, where should I sleep?”
5081
5082He asked Mai, who had taken up a position on the bed. He looked up at her wearing a dressing gown in place of pyjamas.
5083
5084“The floor, the bath? I think that will make the hotel staff angry, so bear with the floor.” Mai’s gaze fell on the single bed after staring steadily at Sakuta. After a moment of thought, she asked. “Can you promise not to do anything?”
5085
5086“I promise.”
5087
5088He answered instantly.
5089
5090“Liar.” She didn’t trust him in the slightest. “Well, I was the one that dragged you to a hotel.”
5091
5092“Don’t say it like you tricked me.”
5093
5094“I’ll let you sleep next to me.”
5095
5096“Really?”
5097
5098“Did you want to sleep in the corridor?”
5099
5100“I want to sleep with you.”
5101
5102In this situation, those words sounded like they had a different meaning.
5103
5104“…”
5105
5106An, in fact, Mai’s eyes sharped warily.
5107
5108“I want to sleep next to you.”
5109
5110Sakuta hurriedly corrected himself.
5111
5112“…Come on.”
5113
5114Mai moved to only take up half of the bed and Sakuta lay down in the space. It was warm from Mai sitting there a little while ago.
5115
5116“…”
5117
5118“…”
5119
5120They were quietly trying to sleep.
5121
5122“Hey, Sakuta.”
5123
5124And then Mai spoke.
5125
5126“What is it?”
5127
5128“It’s cramped.”
5129
5130Of course it was, having two people in a single bed would obviously be a tight fit and turning over would see them hit each other.
5131
5132“Are you telling me to get out?”
5133
5134He turned his head to the side and his eyes met Mai’s, who had turned in the same way. Mai’s face was right in front of his and he felt like he could count her long eyelashes in the dim light…
5135
5136“Talk to me.”
5137
5138“About what?”
5139
5140“About something fun.”
5141
5142“That’s a tough one. D’you enjoy botherin’ me?”
5143
5144He slurred slightly to evade it.
5145
5146“I wonder.”
5147
5148Mai spoke without a single change in her expression.
5149
5150“Ain’t actin’ like that if it ain’t fun awful?”
5151
5152“Don’t you enjoy me teasing you?”
5153
5154“You get that and you still play with me, you really do have a queen’s personality.”
5155
5156“I’m just giving a reward to you and your masochism.”
5157
5158“I don’t think there’s a man that wouldn’t enjoy being teased by such a beautiful senpai.”
5159
5160“Is that a compliment?”
5161
5162“It’s high praise.”
5163
5164“Hmmm.”
5165
5166Their conversation paused there. With the two of their voices being silent, the drone of the air conditioner and the ventilation fan in the bathroom reigned throughout the room. There was no traffic noise from outside, and not even a peep from the neighbouring rooms.
5167
5168It was just Sakuta and Mai.
5169
5170Sakuta could only feel his and Mai’s presence in the narrow single room. Mai didn’t look away from him either.
5171
5172“…”
5173
5174“…”
5175
5176A long time passed with them in silence. They blinked several times, and Mai’s long breaths weighed on his ears.
5177
5178With no forewarning, Mai’s lips slowly moved.
5179
5180“Hey, let’s kiss.”
5181
5182
5183
5184
5185
5186He was surprised, but didn’t shudder.
5187
5188“Mai-san, are you sexually frustrated?”
5189
5190“Moooron.” Mai wasn’t angry at Sakuta after teasing him. She wasn’t perplexed or embarrassed, she just smiled in amusement. “I’m sleeping now, night.”
5191
5192Mai turned her back to him. Her long hair flowed and revealed the nape her neck. Thinking that he might end up embracing her if he kept looking at that, Sakuta turned away and was now back-to-back with Mai.
5193
5194“Hey, Sakuta.”
5195
5196“Weren’t you sleeping?”
5197
5198“If I started shaking and crying and said ‘I don’t want to disappear’, what would you do?”
5199
5200“I’d hold you from behind and whisper ‘it’s going to be alright’.”
5201
5202“I definitely won’t do that then.”
5203
5204“Huh, not good enough?”
5205
5206“You’d take advantage and grope my chest.”
5207
5208“What about your backside.”
5209
5210“That’s obviously out.” She treated it lightly and tiredly. “…I can’t disappear, I decided to go back to show business.”
5211
5212Her continuation was delivered in a near whisper.
5213
5214“That’s right.”
5215
5216“I wanted to be in dramas, and in movies… I even wanted to be on stage. I wanted to do a good job with directors, co-actors and the other staff, and feel alive.”
5217
5218“And then go to Hollywood.”
5219
5220“Fu fu, that would be nice.”
5221
5222“Maybe I should get your autograph now.”
5223
5224“My autograph’s already pretty valuable.”
5225
5226“Ah, that’s true.”
5227
5228“Really… I can’t disappear.”
5229
5230“…”
5231
5232“I just got to know a cheeky younger boy, and started to enjoy going to school…”
5233
5234“I won’t forget you.”
5235
5236Sakuta spoke softly, still back-to-back with her.
5237
5238“…”
5239
5240She didn’t reply.
5241
5242“I absolutely won’t forget you.”
5243
5244“Do you have that certainty?”
5245
5246Sakuta ignored that question.
5247
5248“Because, you can kiss at any time, it doesn’t need to be now… you don’t need to rush it… it doesn’t need to be me. You’ll go to Hollywood easily I think, and be able to do everything else. That’s what I think.”
5249
5250“…” She was silent for a while, and then answered. “…Right. Unfortunately, that was your first and last chance to take my first kiss.”
5251
5252“If you’d said that before, I’d have done it.”
5253
5254“Too late.” Chuckles came from Mai, but they soon stopped. “…Thank you. Thank you for not giving up on me.”
5255
5256“…”
5257
5258Sakuta pretended to be asleep and didn’t answer. If they talked anymore, he might actually embrace her.
5259
5260Finally, he heard the soft breaths of Mai’s sleep. He tried to sleep while feeling that, but being next to Mai, there was no way he could do so.
5261
5262
5263
52643
5265
5266
5267
5268In the end, Sakuta didn’t get a wink of sleep, and spent the several hours until the sky turned bright listening to Mai’s quiet breathing. Of course, the mood took an odd turn, but even when he worked up the nerve to look at her, she showed no sign of waking, and on the contrary, it made him seem childish getting excited on his own. Concentrating and thinking that it was him alone made it die away.
5269
5270That should have made it easy to fall asleep, but in addition to Mai sleeping next to him, the fatigue from the long journey made his joints ache and they kept Sakuta up all night. As time slipped past him like that, the other side of the curtains brightened.
5271
5272As the time passed half six, Mai awoke and they greeted each other. Then they started preparing to check out. That said, they were almost empty handed, so Sakuta’s preparations were rather lacking.
5273
5274Mai wasn’t finished so easily and said she would take a bath first, spending more than thirty minutes. Just when he finally thought they were ready to leave, she said she had other things to do and had forced him from the room, how unfair.
5275
5276To kill the time appropriately, Sakuta went to the same store as yesterday to buy breakfast. He would have to walk slowly…
5277
5278When he returned, they each ate their cream bun and finally checked out as the clock revolved to eight o’clock.
5279
5280They headed to Ogaki Station and boarded the train and then travelled for several hundred kilometres. However, unlike the day before, they used a bullet train from Nagoya so Sakuta and Mai returned to Kanagawa and Fujisawa rather quickly.
5281
5282It was still during the morning when they arrived home. That was the dream super express for you, it was super fast. After returning temporarily to their own homes, they met up again in front of the buildings.
5283
5284“You look so slovenly.”
5285
5286Said Mai, who had changed and arrived first, while she watched Sakuta stifle a yawn.
5287
5288“And you’re as beautiful as always.”
5289
5290“Your tie’s crooked. Hold this.”
5291
5292Mai pushed her bag on to Sakuta and put her hands to his collar, fixing his tie.
5293
5294“I hadn’t thought you’d do newlywed play so quickly, Mai-san. Thank you.”
5295
5296“Leave the stupidity to your face.”
5297
5298She took her bag back and walked on ahead.
5299
5300“Ah, wait.”
5301
5302He rushed after her, pulling up alongside her. The streets should have been familiar, but evoked a faint sense of nostalgia, and a feeling as if he had left the house empty for a week dwelt in his chest.
5303
5304And yet they had only left the day before. Being late to the promised date was only yesterday as well, and that had already become memory.
5305
5306As he thought these things:
5307
5308“Phwaah.”
5309
5310He let out a yawn. The damage from the all-nighter was severe, and coming here had suddenly made him sleepy.
5311
5312“Whaaat, not enough sleep?”
5313
5314Mai looked at Sakuta’s eyes, they were probably bloodshot.
5315
5316“And whose fault do you think that is?”
5317
5318“Are you trying to say it’s my fault?”
5319
5320“It’s because you didn’t let me sleep last night.”
5321
5322“Wasn’t that just you getting yourself aroused?”
5323
5324“Either way, I was tense.”
5325
5326Sakuta spoke honestly as he yawned once more.
5327
5328“You’ve got a charm to you too, Sakuta.”
5329
5330“You really don’t have a care in the world, you slept so well.”
5331
5332“When I was a child I went everywhere for shootings, I even slept in the dressing room. Besides…” Mai paused and made a face like a child that had just thought of a prank. “Sleeping next to you is nothing.”
5333
5334“That was good to hear, I’ll make sure to pull a joke on you next time.”
5335
5336“You haven’t actually got the courage to do anything.”
5337
5338
5339
5340Sakuta and Mai arrived at school during the lunch break. It was the time almost all of the students were relaxing after finishing their meals. They could hear some of the students playing on the basketball courts from the courtyard. That everyday feeling of school felt a little unfamiliar. Like coming back to school after the spring or winter holidays. They switched to indoor shoes in the entrance hall and Mai said.
5341
5342“I’ll look around the school.”
5343
5344“I’ll go to Futaba. Ah, Futaba’s the friend that remembers you-”
5345
5346“‘Futaba’, so she’s a girl? That’s a surprise.”
5347
5348Mai stopped as she went to leave.
5349
5350“Futaba is their surname.”
5351
5352Though, she wasn’t wrong about Futaba being a girl…
5353
5354“I see. Later then.”
5355
5356Sakuta unconsciously watched her back as she left down the corridor. She passed by a female student holding a bundle of notes, the geography professor holding his slides from class, and a group of girls chattering about an older student in the basketball club.
5357
5358None of them paid attention to Mai, or even looked at her. Sakuta didn’t think it was strange, that was always the case. That was the position Mai had been put in within school.
5359
5360That was what ostracism looked like at its extreme, it went beyond simply pretending not to see her and was as if she had long since become part of the atmosphere. That establishment of ignoring her was similar to something.
5361
5362It was the reaction of people that hadn’t been able to see her even without thinking about it. That same attitude had been the case in Minegahara High School for a long time, since before Sakuta had arrived…
5363
5364Mai passed between the students. The scene was completely identical to that caused by the Adolescence Syndrome.
5365
5366“…”
5367
5368There was only a fragment of logic to it, but he had a feeling that there was a connection, a feeling that he was vaguely gazing at the cause.
5369
5370Sakuta felt the same way as Rio, who had said that the cause might be within the school.
5371
5372“Azusagawa.”
5373
5374He turned at his name and Rio was standing behind him, her hands in her lab coat pockets. She looked at Sakuta and yawned, setting him yawning as well.
5375
5376“I have bad news.” At those sudden words from Rio, Sakuta tensed. “Everyone other than me may have forgotten Sakurajima-senpai.”
5377
5378“…!?”
5379
5380He frowned, that certainly was bad news.
5381
5382“At the very least, Kunimi doesn’t remember her.”
5383
5384“Really?”
5385
5386Rio had no reason to lie, it wasn’t the kind of joke to make in this situation, and Sakuta was well aware that Rio didn’t have the kind of personality to make that kind of joke. But Sakuta reflexively sought confirmation, and wanted it to be a lie.
5387
5388“When I said her name, Kunimi asked who it was, I haven’t checked with the other students, but…”
5389
5390In that case, Sakuta thought they should ask the other students. He looked around, but the necessity soon vanished. Mai came running back to them, gasping and panicked… her expression pale in fright. After she regained her breath, she looked right at Sakuta and asked:
5391
5392“Can you still see me?”
5393
5394“Yes, I can see you perfectly.”
5395
5396He answered with a deep nod. The tension drained from Mai’s face.
5397
5398“Thank goodness…”
5399
5400She let out a sigh, hiding her relief. But what should he do. For some reason, she was only visible to Sakuta and Rio, the other students had probably forgotten her. Yesterday at least, Sakuta, Rio, Yuuma… and Koga Tomoe and her friends had been able to see Mai.
5401
5402“That’s it, Koga Tomoe!”
5403
5404Sakuta ran off alone, to the first years’ classrooms.
5405
5406
5407
5408He looked through each of the classrooms on the first floor and Tomoe was in the fourth he checked, class 1-4. She was at a window desk with the friends he had seen yesterday, eating their lunches.
5409
5410At the sound of the first of them seeing him, all four of them looked towards Sakuta.
5411
5412“That-”
5413
5414Tomoe looked at Sakuta and muttered. Seeing that, Sakuta stopped in front of the teacher’s desk and called to them.
5415
5416“Do you know Sakurajima Mai-senpai?”
5417
5418The four of them, including Tomoe looked at each other and started to speak amongst themselves.
5419
5420“What’s this about, Tomoe, you know?”
5421
5422“I-I don’t.”
5423
5424“Besides, Sakura… Mai?”
5425
5426“Who’s that?”
5427
5428Sakuta jumped in again.
5429
5430“You saw her yesterday by the Enoden ticket gates at Fujisawa Station.” The four of them looked to each other again and each shook their head. “How can you have forgotten her? It’s Sakurajima-senpai the actress, right?”
5431
5432Sakuta took a step forward.
5433
5434“Think about it properly, she’s in third year and a real beauty… that’s who she is!”
5435
5436He approached even closer and Tomoe’s expression tightened.
5437
5438“Remember!”
5439
5440He put his hands on her shoulders.
5441
5442“I-I don’t get it!”
5443
5444Frightened, tears welled in Tomoe’s eyes.”
5445
5446“Please!”
5447
5448“Ow.”
5449
5450He noticed the strength of his grip.
5451
5452“Sakuta, stop.”
5453
5454He heard a voice of restraint at his ear and Mai caught his wrists.
5455
5456Slowly, Sakuta removed his hands from Tomoe’s shoulders.
5457
5458“My bad, I’m sorry.”
5459
5460“R-right…”
5461
5462“I’m really sorry. Excuse me.”
5463
5464He apologised once more and left the classroom with heavy feet.
5465
5466“Azusagawa.”
5467
5468Rio waved a hand, beckoning him along the corridor from where she had arrived afterwards.
5469
5470“What?”
5471
5472Rio was stationary, so Sakuta had no choice but to leave Mai behind and approach.
5473
5474“I have a single idea.”
5475
5476She spoke, quietly so only Sakuta could hear her.
5477
5478However, she paused, as if she wasn’t sure how to continue.
5479
5480“Tell me.”
5481
5482“Say, Azusagawa… did you sleep last night?”
5483
5484That was the question she started with.
5485
5486
5487
5488After school that day, Sakuta went back with Mai as far as Fujisawa Station before they parted. Even at a time like this, Sakuta had a shift and couldn’t take it off. Mai had told him to take the shift as well.
5489
5490He worked until nine through sleepy eyes, and on the way home, dropped in to a convenience store. He walked around the store as he checked the displays. The energy drinks he was looking for were by the cashiers, with things like the jelly drinks.
5491
5492There were drinks that cost two hundred yen each, and those which cost enough for a large beef bowl. Actually, he even found some that cost more than two thousand yen. What on Earth was the difference between them, and which should he get?
5493
5494For now, he picked up three drinks and some mint gum and tablets to keep him awake.
5495
5496It all came to a little less than two thousand yen. Combined with the cost of the round trip to Ogaki yesterday and the stay in the business hotel, he wallet was just getting lighter and had essentially nothing left anymore.
5497
5498That said, this wasn’t the time to be stingy.
5499
5500Rio’s words went across his mind.
5501
5502“Say, Azusagawa… did you sleep last night?”
5503
5504Sakuta had answered that with “Not a wink.” Rio had then seemed to have known.
5505
5506“I didn’t either.”
5507
5508“…”
5509
5510Sakuta hadn’t understood the meaning and had waited for her to continue.
5511
5512“It’s nothing more than a simple conclusion, but I wasn’t with Sakurajima-senpai.”
5513
5514“…That’s right.”
5515
5516“Do you remember the talk about Observation theory?”
5517
5518“Schrödinger’s Cat, right.”
5519
5520“I honestly thought it was ridiculous…” Rio’s eyes had looked towards Mai at that point, who had been standing a little further away. Rio hadn’t seemed sure of what expression she should have, or what she should so, and had clearly been perplexed. “Experiencing it in person is chilling.”
5521
5522“Adolescence Syndrome?”
5523
5524“No, even before that happened, she was treated like the atmosphere within school.”
5525
5526“That’s right.”
5527
5528“I went with the flow as well, and accepted the situation as if it was normal. I had no doubts about it.”
5529
5530“If anything, it’s because there aren’t any doubts about it that it happened. If people realised what they were doing was wrong, they wouldn’t really be able to carry on, would they?”
5531
5532He didn’t think there were many that could know something was wrong, was uncool, pathetic, and lame… and even hold their heads high and proclaim ‘I’m ignoring my classmate.’ Something would be wrong with them.
5533
5534The girl who acted as the ringleader when Kaede was bullied was like that, she was completely lost and just said: ‘Did I do something wrong?’
5535
5536For the circumstances with Mai, she herself was probably also the cause. She had tried to act as the atmosphere on some occasions, and the people surrounding her had acted to accept that. She had wanted to disappear, had behaved as the atmosphere. Acting.
5537
5538“But that’s why it seems likely that the cause is the atmosphere here.” Rio had muttered to herself, reading between the lines in Sakuta’s statement. “For Sakurajima-senpai, the school is the box with the cat in.”
5539
5540“…”
5541
5542No one saw her, no one tried to see her. Because no one was observing her, Mai’s existence became indeterminate… so she was vanishing. It wasn’t that she was ceasing to be, it was that she would have never been. Being unrecognised by everyone was the same as not existing in the world…
5543
5544A chill had run through him, a visceral understanding of Rio’s words.
5545
5546In essence the cause was at the school, in the consciousness of every student. In their subconscious apathy towards Mai. She didn’t stay in their hearts, and Rio was suggesting that Adolescence Syndrome could have induced those feelings that couldn’t even be called feelings.
5547
5548How should they change their subconscious? They didn’t even realise there was a problem, didn’t even think the problem was a problem. There were around one thousand of those students in Minegahara High School.
5549
5550Was there a way to turn their apathy towards Mai into sympathy.
5551
5552“…”
5553
5554It felt like there was a gaping void of darkness before his eyes.
5555
5556It was the true cause of his chill, the truth behind the origin. Something that Sakuta would have to defeat, something that could be called his enemy. It wasn’t a visible thing, but it certainly existed, the ‘atmosphere’. That same ‘atmosphere’ that Sakuta had called ridiculous to fight.
5557
5558“If the atmosphere in the school is the cause, then why is Mai invisible even to people unrelated?”
5559
5560“She might have been removed from the atmosphere of the school.”
5561
5562Sakuta hadn’t thought he could deny that possibility back when he met her at Shonandai Library and when she had gone to the Aquarium in Enoshima. Mai had acted like the atmosphere, and Sakuta himself had thought she might be the cause.
5563
5564But now, that wasn’t the case.
5565
5566Mai didn’t want to vanish anymore, she had declared that definitively. She had decided to return to show business, and even though it had been a joke, she had asked Sakuta:
5567
5568“If I started shaking and crying and said ‘I don’t want to disappear’, what would you do?”
5569
5570And said to him:
5571
5572“I just got to know a cheeky younger boy, and started to enjoy going to school…”
5573
5574They were without a doubt Mai’s true feelings.
5575
5576“Even so, the atmosphere spreads easily.” Rio had said disinterestedly. “We live in an era where people just read that atmosphere as they like, and information can cross the globe in an instant, that’s how convenient things are nowadays.”
5577
5578He had gone to deny it, having many thoughts on how to do so. Even Rio had to have realised that the explanation was full of holes. Even so, he could agree that there were areas where the era was indeed like that. It was… a convenient era and, at the same time, an unpleasant one…
5579
5580“…”
5581
5582And so he had not been able to reply. In the first place, Sakuta had seen no meaning in arguing about the cause of the phenomena spreading, all that mattered to him was the reality before him.
5583
5584“Coming back to the point…” Rio had watched his silence and carefully added her final explanation. “If consciousness and observation are the key, I can somewhat accept the change occurring when people are unconscious and asleep.”
5585
5586When it happened, people could see, could think. But when they were asleep they couldn’t remain cognisant of something, you could even say their cognitive power dropped. As a result, they accepted Mai’s change to the atmosphere while their consciousness halted.
5587
5588“…”
5589
5590He remembered last night and his insides froze. Because if he had slept, he might not have remembered Mai now…
5591
5592
5593
5594He chewed the gum to keep himself awake as he returned home, and drank the first energy drink of his life. It had a strange sweetness, quite distinct from juice, and had a slight acidity to its taste.
5595
5596It was by no means unpleasant and was easy enough to drink, but he didn’t enjoy the flavour when the mood was taken into account.
5597
5598He hadn’t been expecting much of an effect, but his body was clearly energised, and he was wide awake with his mind clear.
5599
5600“Onii-chan, what did you drink?” Kaede tilted her head at him when she saw the bottle in the kitchen. It was nearly eleven o’clock, and Kaede would normally be sleeping so she was fairly sleepy. Her eyes were drooping, but she didn’t make a move towards her room, probably because she still had him leaving yesterday on her mind. She then added. “I won’t sleep until you make up for yesterday.”
5601
5602And so he spoke with Kaede for a while, mainly about the books she had read recently.
5603
5604In the beginning, she had indeed said she wouldn’t sleep until morning, but she was curled up on the sofa with Nasuno within an hour.
5605
5606He gathered her up into his arms and took her to her room. Countless books were gathered inside and there were piles of books near his feet that wouldn’t fit into the bookcases. Taking care where he put his feet, Sakuta approached her bed and lay her down inside.
5607
5608“Night.”
5609
5610He put a blanket over her and turned out the light before quietly shutting the door behind him.
5611
5612Sakuta threw several mint tablets into his mouth and then returned to his own room. They cooled his mouth and nose.
5613
5614While he was still thinking clearly, there was something he had to do. He sat in front of his desk and opened a notebook. He wasn’t going to study or anything. He had exams from tomorrow, so he should, but his grades were secondary. He had to prepare for the worst.
5615
5616He scratched his head with his pencil and began writing.
5617
5618Writing his memories of the last three weeks, the days since he had met Mai…
5619
5620He continued writing for the entire night.
5621
5622
5623
56246th May
5625
5626I met a wild bunny girl. Her identity was my senpai in her third year at Minegahara High School, the famous Sakurajima Mai.
5627
5628This was the start of it, our meeting. I can’t forget it.
5629
5630Even if you do forget, remember it, hold firm, future me.
5631
5632
5633
56344
5635
5636
5637
5638The first day of the three day period of exams was a wretched time for Sakuta.
5639
5640On top of not having studied at all the previous night, he hadn’t slept in two days and his concentration was near non-existent. Even when he tried to think, his thoughts stopped when he was reading the questions and his mind blanked. He just gazed at the exam paper, taking it in.
5641
5642After the test, he looked in the next classroom over in search of Rio. She was wearing her lab coat even in the classroom, so she was easily identifiable.
5643
5644She noticed him as well, and gathered up her things and came out into the corridor.
5645
5646“Do you remember?”
5647
5648Sakuta asked nervously.
5649
5650“Huh? What do you mean?”
5651
5652Rio looked quizzically at him.
5653
5654“Ah, doesn’t matter.”
5655
5656“Right, I’m going to the lab.”
5657
5658“Later.” He raised his hand as she left. Rio left while waving the sleeve of her lab coat. It was no good expecting her to suddenly turn around and say she was joking, she continued off and vanished up the stairs. “So your theory was correct.”
5659
5660Rio herself having forgotten Mai was proof of that. Now, Sakuta was the only one that was left. The only one that could remember Mai, hear her, or see her.
5661
5662“Wheew, this is getting me fired up.”
5663
5664Against this adversity, Sakuta could only force himself to feel his will to fight.
5665
5666
5667
5668The next day was the twenty-eighth of May, the second day of the exams, and went no better.
5669
5670He was sleepy, so sleepy. Each time he blinked, he could feel the call of slumber. He just wanted to close his eyes.
5671
5672He hadn’t slept since the date on Sunday. Today was Wednesday, the fourth day without sleep. He was already far past his limit.
5673
5674He felt nauseous, and had actually vomited twice already and was worried about what would come up next time.
5675
5676His condition was awful. His pulse was uneven and pounding in his ears. For all that, he was pallid, and Yuuma had called him zombie-like on the train that morning with a serious, worried face.
5677
5678His one saving grace was that he didn’t have shifts at work during the exams. Working in this condition would be too much.
5679
5680His eyelids were heavy and his eyes wouldn’t open. The sunlight was tiresome and pinching his thighs was starting to not wake him up the stimulus not reaching him unless it was something like jabbing himself with his pencil.
5681
5682“You look tired.”
5683
5684Mai said to him on the way back.
5685
5686Even though only Sakuta could see her, she had come to school every day. She had said that she had nothing else to do, but he didn’t think she was so calm. He was sure she would be uneasy staying alone in her home all day, and would be hoping that if she went to school that day, maybe everything would have gone back to normal.
5687
5688“I’m always like this during tests. I’m just cramming.”
5689
5690“This only happens to you because you don’t study.”
5691
5692“Don’t put it like a teacher.”
5693
5694“If you put it like that…”
5695
5696“Hm?”
5697
5698“I’ll help you study.”
5699
5700“If you’re in my room with me, I’ll only be able to think perverted things, so let’s not.”
5701
5702“…” Mai looked honestly surprised, like she hadn’t expected him to refuse. “R-right… that’s fine then.”
5703
5704“See you tomorrow then.”
5705
5706They separated in front of the flats.
5707
5708He entered the lift and breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn’t let her know that he wasn’t sleeping, if he did she would tell him that he couldn’t keep going without sleep. He didn’t want to make her worry and didn’t want her to feel responsible for something he had decided to do himself.
5709
5710
5711
5712Once he returned home, he opened a physics book in the living room. He had borrowed it from Rio on the day that he returned from Ogaki, hoping to find a hint for some solution.
5713
5714It was a primer designed to break up quantum theory. But even that was difficult and wouldn’t stay in his head. He had been ignoring studying for his mid-term exams and reading this instead, but his hands were heavy as he turned the pages.
5715
5716The physics book didn’t work with his drowsy eyelids, acting like a strong sleeping pill. He cried out to link his fading consciousness to his desire, and somehow followed the explanatory notes.
5717
5718He wanted to save Mai. That was all that was sustaining him.
5719
5720After about an hour, Kaede’s stomach growled as she sat in the living room with him, reading as well. Sakuta wordlessly rose and started to prepare food and then ate with Kaede.
5721
5722“Onii-chan, you look pale, are you okay?”
5723
5724Kaede said something from the other side of the table, and though he looked in that direction, Sakuta forgot to respond.
5725
5726“…”
5727
5728“Onii-chan?”
5729
5730“Ahh, hmm?”
5731
5732His thoughts had stopped from fatigue.
5733
5734“Are you okay?”
5735
5736“My tests are going on now.”
5737
5738He wasn’t confident it would work as an excuse.
5739
5740“Don’t push yourself too much.”
5741
5742“Yeah, I won’t.”
5743
5744Though that said, pushing himself or otherwise, Sakuta couldn’t sleep.
5745
5746If he slept, he would forget Mai.
5747
5748It wasn’t a certainty, but it was a high probability.
5749
5750Because of that, Sakuta couldn’t sleep.
5751
5752“Thank you for the food.”
5753
5754“Thank you for the meal.”
5755
5756After he and Kaede finished their meal, Sakuta went for a walk to the convenience store. Staying sat down after the meal was dangerous, and he felt sleepy even when he was standing. He was at the point of falling asleep while standing on the train to school, holding the straps. As he had collapsed, his knee had folded, and thanks to the collision with the suited man he had just managed to wake up, it was really dangerous.
5757
5758He bought energy drinks, the expensive ones that were the same price as a beef bowl. Probably because he was drinking them continuously, their effectiveness had started to wane. Even so, they had a huge effect, and after two or three hours, drowsiness assaulted him. Even so, it was much better than not drinking them.
5759
5760He exited the store while he put his wallet in his back pocket.
5761
5762The wind caressed his cheek and Sakuta halted there with a lurch.
5763
5764Someone was in front of him. He felt a shudder of his body betraying him, which gradually became on uneasy sweat.
5765
5766“What did you buy?”
5767
5768Mai was standing there in her casual clothes looking dauntingly at him.
5769
5770He frantically dug through his halted mind for an excuse but couldn’t think of anything, his sleepiness having robbed his faculties.
5771
5772“Ahh, umm.”
5773
5774Mai snatched the bag from him and checked inside.
5775
5776“I was right, you’re not sleeping.”
5777
5778She cut to the heart of things.
5779
5780“…”
5781
5782It seemed that Sakuta was wrong about it not getting found out. His current condition was visible at a glance, both Yuuma and Kaede had pointed it out. It would have been stranger for Mai not to have noticed.
5783
5784“Did you think you could hide it.”
5785
5786“I hoped I could.”
5787
5788“Idiot, you can’t just keep that up.”
5789
5790“I couldn’t think of anything else.”
5791
5792He said like a sulky child.
5793
5794He knew all too well that he wouldn’t be able to continue. Humans couldn’t live without sleep, and even if that weren’t the case, it wouldn’t solve anything. Even if he knew it was pointless, Sakuta had no choice but to continue with that pointlessness. He still hadn’t found anything to solve the incomprehensible phenomenon that was tormenting Mai. He didn’t even know if there was a solution. But even so, he had to search for one, and he couldn’t sleep until he had found it. Even if he couldn’t find one, he had no intention of just giving up and going to sleep.
5795
5796He wanted to keep remembering Mai, even if it was just for another day. He wanted to be with her, even if it was just another minute. He wanted to reduce the amount of time she was alone, even if it was just another second. That was all his frazzled brain could think.
5797
5798“You’re so pale, you really are an idiot.”
5799
5800“I think so too, this time.”
5801
5802“Come on, let’s go home.”
5803
5804She thrust the carrier bag back at him and walked off towards her home. Unthinking, Sakuta followed her.
5805
5806
5807
5808It was past eight in the evening when he returned home. Kaede was probably in the bath as he could hear cheerful singing from the other side of the door. She was singing an electronics store’s advert song. It was a short song, so she was looping through it over and over.
5809
5810He went to enter his room, but stopped in the doorway.
5811
5812Right in the middle of his room was Mai, sat on a cushion and setting up a folding table.
5813
5814“If you come into a boy’s room at this time of night, that’s the same as saying you’re okay with whatever happens, right?”
5815
5816“Eight o’clock is safe.”
5817
5818“Even so, why are you here, Mai-san.”
5819
5820“I’ll be with you.”
5821
5822“Hurray, a confession of love.”
5823
5824“It’s not. You should know, I won’t let you sleep tonight.”
5825
5826“Crap, I’m getting excited.”
5827
5828“If you look like you’ll fall asleep, I’ll slap you awake.”
5829
5830“Uwah, looks like this’ll be a hard night.”
5831
5832Mai seemed to be enjoying herself somehow. How many times was she intending on slapping him? He hoped she didn’t get a strange fetish, but…
5833
5834“Come on, sit.”
5835
5836Mai patted the carpet. For now, he moved there.
5837
5838“Your textbook and notebook?”
5839
5840“What about them?”
5841
5842“You’re going to be studying for your mid-term exams until tomorrow. I’ll observe you.”
5843
5844“Ehh, that’s okay.” Studying wouldn’t help him now, it would just make him more tired. “Besides, are you good at studying?”
5845
5846“I didn’t go to school for the start of first year because of work, but since second year, there’s not been a number lower than eight on my report card.”
5847
5848Minegahara High School had a ten point scoring system, one being the lowest and ten the highest, so never having gotten less than an eight made her an exceedingly good student.
5849
5850“You’re more of a nerd than I thought.”
5851
5852“I just studied in my free time.”
5853
5854“You’d normally play in that free time.”
5855
5856“That’s enough, do it. I’m not everything to you.”
5857
5858“You are at the moment.”
5859
5860If not, he wouldn’t be going through with this reckless strategy of sleep deprivation.
5861
5862“Even if things are solved, if you stay like this, you’ll just have a pitiful blank answer sheet in front of you.”
5863
5864“I’m sleepy, so stop being logical.”
5865
5866“That’s enough, study.”
5867
5868“I don’t have any motivation.”
5869
5870“Even though I’m acting as a teacher on a home visit?”
5871
5872“If you were in your bunny girl outfit, I might be motivated.”
5873
5874“Would anyone do for you, Sakuta?”
5875
5876“I’d only say that to you.”
5877
5878“That doesn’t make me happy at all.” Sakuta yawned and rubbed at his eyes hard enough to make them water. “Besides, if I was in that bunny girl suit, you’d only think perverted things and not get any studying done.”
5879
5880“That was a miss.”
5881
5882His head was barely working, and he was just saying what came into his head.
5883
5884“Well, I know… If you get full marks in the test, I’ll give you a reward.”
5885
5886His body pitched forward slightly at Mai’s alluring offer.
5887
5888“Can I get you to do anything?”
5889
5890“Sure sure, I will.”
5891
5892Mai agreed easily, thinking it was meaningless anyway.
5893
5894“Tomorrow is Maths Ⅱ and Japanese, huh.” He checked his timetable and woke up just a little. “I might be able to get full marks in maths.”
5895
5896“Eh? You’re good at it?”
5897
5898Mai spoke in dismay.
5899
5900“I normally do pretty well in the sciences.”
5901
5902That was why he would sacrifice Japanese and bet everything on Maths Ⅱ. Japanese had slight vague questions anyway, so it was hard to get full marks. On the contrary, maths had a definite answer and as long as he wrote the working down correctly he should be able to avoid losing minor marks.
5903
5904He immediately opened the Maths Ⅱ textbook. But it was stolen by Mai.
5905
5906“Why are you stopping me from studying even though you told me to?”
5907
5908“Even though I said I’d do anything, I didn’t mean anything.”
5909
5910She pouted, fidgeting.
5911
5912“I won’t go too far.”
5913
5914“Really?”
5915
5916“I’ll content myself with ‘take a bath with me’.”
5917
5918“That’s out.”
5919
5920“Ehh.”
5921
5922“O-of course it is!”
5923
5924“Even with swimwear?”
5925
5926“What kind of mania are you thinking about with swimwear in the bath?”
5927
5928She looked at him scornfully, poking him. That itself was a nice stimulation.
5929
5930“Then I’ll have you give me a lap-pillow in your bunny girl outfit.”
5931
5932“What are you suggesting as if that makes everything fine?”
5933
5934He had been fairly serious that time, but Mai wouldn’t have it.
5935
5936“What about having that date in Kamakura that we couldn’t before?”
5937
5938Perhaps because of the sudden mature suggestion, Mai was shocked for a moment.
5939
5940“That’s okay… but are you sure?”
5941
5942“I can request something more extreme?”
5943
5944“I didn’t say that.”
5945
5946Mai’s fingers looked like they’d stroke his cheek, but she pinched him hard instead.
5947
5948“Ahh, don’t wake me up~”
5949
5950“Honestly, you’re far too cheeky for your youth.”
5951
5952And thus, they spent nearly two hours studying together.
5953
5954However, studying Maths Ⅱ was rejected and they were working on Japanese…
5955
5956“Write down the correct derivations of guarant for the following sentences: ‘There is no one who will be blank for Sakuta’s future’ and ‘There is no blank for Sakuta to live to old age’.”
5957
5958“Sensei, I think the questions are mocking me.”
5959
5960“Just write them.”
5961
5962Mai tapped at his notebook.
5963
5964For now, he wrote down ‘guarantor’ and ‘guarantee’.
5965
5966“Which one would be used in ‘There is no one who will be blank for Sakuta’s future’?”
5967
5968“It’s…”
5969
5970He couldn’t distinguish them, so he moved his finger towards guarantee and took a look at her reaction. He was hoping to determine which was right from Mai’s expression.
5971
5972However, she had seen through that. Their eyes met and she smiled awfully kindly. It was a full smile, right to her eyes, so it was even scarier.
5973
5974“We can go with ‘I can’t blank Sakuta’s safety if he cheats’.”
5975
5976“I’m sorry, please give a hint.”
5977
5978“The one with ‘or’ has the nuance of taking responsibility, and the one with ‘ee’ has the nuance of protection.”
5979
5980“So it would be ‘I will be a guarantor for Mai-san’s happiness’ and ‘There’s a guarantee that our life together will be fulfilling’?”
5981
5982“Don’t change the question arbitrarily.”
5983
5984“They weren’t cute.”
5985
5986Apparently he was correct. If the same question came up, he’d be able to answer it, probably. He remembered it, along with Mai’s sulky expression. After that, Mai kept asking him similar questions, and Sakuta managed to study the derivations like it was a game.
5987
5988That said, his concentration had its limits and it was around when they completed the first stage of studying the derivations that Sakuta stood and said.
5989
5990“I’m going to make a drink. Are you alright with coffee? It’s instant though.”
5991
5992“Yeah.”
5993
5994Mai was flipping through a workbook, looking for the next question to ask him.
5995
5996Sakuta left his room and put the kettle on to boil. While he was waiting, he checked in on his sister, her light was already off so she was probably asleep.
5997
5998He took two mugs with instant coffee in and put one in front of Mai before asking her.
5999
6000“Milk or sugar?” Sakuta had completely forgotten he was going to have it black to keep himself awake. “I’ll go and get them.”
6001
6002He left the room again and got some sticks of sugar, milk, and a spoon.
6003
6004When he returned, Mai was still looking through the workbook.
6005
6006“Here you go, Mai-san.”
6007
6008“Thanks.”
6009
6010Mai put the milk and sugar in her mug and slowly stirred it with the spoon. Sakuta took a gulp of his coffee as he enjoyed her girlish actions. The black and bitter liquid settled in his stomach where its warmth relaxed him.
6011
6012“How’s your sister?”
6013
6014“She’s already asleep.”
6015
6016She had looked in on his room about an hour ago but upon seeing him studying left him with a ‘do your best’.
6017
6018“Are you an only child, Mai-san?”
6019
6020He was under that impression.
6021
6022“I have a younger sister.”
6023
6024Mai used both hands to bring her mug to her mouth.
6025
6026“Ah, you do?”
6027
6028“My mother divorced my father… and she’s from his second marriage.”
6029
6030“Is she cute?”
6031
6032“Not as cute as me.”
6033
6034Mai replied instantly, as if it was adult.
6035
6036“Uwah, how mature.”
6037
6038While they were speaking, his mind grew fuzzy. He felt dizzy, and his eyelids drooped.
6039
6040“Do you like the kind of girl that fawns over other’s cuteness even though they know they’re cute themselves?”
6041
6042“I hate that type.”
6043
6044“Right?”
6045
6046“But, your own sister is…”
6047
6048He hadn’t consciously stopped, but his words halted before he finished.
6049
6050Feeling gradually left his body. He couldn’t stop it, even though he panicked.
6051
6052He gripped the edge of the table to support himself.
6053
6054His eyes were already half closed.
6055
6056“I’m glad, they’re working.”
6057
6058He looked up and Mai’s conflicted expression entered his narrow field of vision. She was looking kindly at him, but there was definitely unease buried in her gaze and her eyes were welling with tears.
6059
6060“Mai-san… what did…”
6061
6062Mai’s dainty fingers gripped something.
6063
6064It was a small bottle, with ‘sleeping pills’ written on the label.
6065
6066“Why…?”
6067
6068He couldn’t raise his voice.
6069
6070“You tried so hard, Sakuta.”
6071
6072“I can still…”
6073
6074He lost the strength to stay upright.
6075
6076“You tried so hard for me.”
6077
6078“…No.”
6079
6080“So this is enough, it’s enough.”
6081
6082Mai reached out a hand and gently stroked his cheek. It was a warm, pleasant sensation. It tickled and made him shudder. But even that feeling left his body.
6083
6084“It’s… not…”
6085
6086He didn’t even realise he was talking.
6087
6088“I was always alone, so it’s okay. It doesn’t matter if you forget me.”
6089
6090Mai’s figure was fading. Even now, her hand was on his cheek, her index finger slowly stroking under his ear.
6091
6092“But thank you for everything.”
6093
6094He hadn’t done anything worthy of thanks.
6095
6096“And, I’m sorry.”
6097
6098She hadn’t done anything to apologise for.
6099
6100“Rest well…”
6101
6102Guided by the gentle voice, Sakuta finally closed his eyes, and fell into a comfortable sleep.
6103
6104“Good night, Sakuta.”
6105
6106He sank down, deeply, deeply…
6107
6108
6109
6110
6111
6112It’s okay.
6113
6114It might have been painful and saddening…
6115
6116But in the morning you’ll have forgotten all of that, and me.
6117
6118Don’t worry about anything, just rest.
6119
6120These three weeks were really fun.
6121
6122Farewell, Sakuta.
6123
6124
6125
6126
6127CHAPTER 05
61281
6129
6130
6131
6132His body was shaking.
6133
6134Someone was shaking him back and forth.
6135
6136“…chan.”
6137
6138He heard a distant voice.
6139
6140“…morning.”
6141
6142It gradually grew closer.
6143
6144“…Onii-chan.”
6145
6146It was a familiar voice.
6147
6148“Onii-chan, it’s morning.”
6149
6150A white light shone through the pitch black world.
6151
6152“…Ngh?”
6153
6154Sakuta slowly opened his eyes as his consciousness returned. His sleepy gaze met with Kaede’s face, she was bent over the bed. The light coming in through the crack in the partly open curtains hurt his eyes.
6155
6156“You have exams today, right? You’ll be late.”
6157
6158Kaede shook him again.
6159
6160“Ah, yeah, that’s right, I’ve got mid- phwaa.”
6161
6162Sakuta sat up while biting down on a yawn. His whole body was heavy, like he had caught a cold. He had a slight temperature but, rather than saying he was unwell, he was just really tired… he had a feeling that’s how he should put it.
6163
6164Crushing his urge to go back to sleep Sakuta fought against his fatigue and got out of bed. He couldn’t be late for attendance when he had mid-term exams. Taking the supplementary exams would be far too much trouble.
6165
6166The clock showed it was twenty to eight. To get to school, there was first a ten-minute or so walk to Fujisawa Station, then about fifteen minutes of being swayed by the train. It would take around five minutes from getting off the train at Shichirigahama Station to get to the classroom. Thirty minutes, all told.
6167
6168If he didn’t leave the house by eight he’d be in trouble. He didn’t have much time.
6169
6170“You’re a lifesaver Kaede, thanks for waking me.”
6171
6172“Waking you up is my reason to be.”
6173
6174She smiled cutely, but he couldn’t honestly praise that.
6175
6176“You should find some other ways of enjoying life.”
6177
6178“Like washing your back?”
6179
6180“Outside of me that is.”
6181
6182“No way.”
6183
6184She rejected it with a serious expression.
6185
6186“I’m worried for your future, as your older brother.”
6187
6188As he spoke, he opened his wardrobe to get changed. He took his school shirt off its hanger and at that moment, his hand slipped and the shirt fell atop a bag beneath it.
6189
6190“What was in there?”
6191
6192He looked into the bag as he picked up the shirt. Kaede watched from the side and both of their gazes caught a certain thing at the same time.
6193
6194“…”
6195
6196“…”
6197
6198A short silence filled the room.
6199
6200“Onii-chan, w-what is that?”
6201
6202Kaede pointed into the bag and spoke with a trembling voice.
6203
6204Sakuta wanted to ask that too. There was a black leotard with a white pom-pom at the rear. There were similarly black stocking and high heels, and even a bow tie. There were white cuffs and, to top it all off, a symbolic pair of bunny ears on a hairband came out of the bag.
6205
6206However they looked at it, it was a bunny girl outfit.
6207
6208“Maybe I was going to get you to wear it.”
6209
6210That was about the only possibility.
6211
6212“Eh?”
6213
6214For now he put the hairband on her head as she stiffened in surprise.
6215
6216“Yeah, not bad.”
6217
6218“I-I’m not wearing it! It’s still too soon for me to wear this kind of sexy outfit!”
6219
6220Kaede realised the danger and rushed from the room.
6221
6222He didn’t particularly want to chase his sister off and make her hate him first thing in the morning, so he returned the outfit to its bag and put it back in the wardrobe.
6223
6224“Am I over-stressed?”
6225
6226He put his arms through the shirt sleeves and buttoned it up. Then put on the uniform trousers and tied his tie. It was a little crooked.
6227
6228“…”
6229
6230He’d always ignore it and head off. Yet for some reason, it was bothering him today so he un-knotted it and re-tied it, this time straight.
6231
6232Before he put his blazer on, he tossed his books into his bag. A notebook on the desk caught his eye, and Sakuta picked it up.
6233
6234“What was this?”
6235
6236He flipped through the pages and saw a carefully written sentence.
6237
6238He’d thought it was his Japanese notebook, but looking carefully he could see that was wrong.
6239
6240There were instructions at the top and the rest was set out like some kind of diary.
6241
6242
6243
6244Honestly, I think what’s written here will be unbelievable, but it’s all the truth, read it right to the end. To the end!
6245
6246
6247
62486th May
6249
6250I met a wild bunny girl. Her identity was my senpai in her third year at Minegahara High School, the famous _______.
6251
6252This was the start of it, our meeting. I can’t forget it.
6253
6254Even if you do forget, remember it, hold firm, future me.
6255
6256
6257
6258He didn’t know how to react to it.
6259
6260“Is it something from my dark past?”
6261
6262An emotional adolescence would end up provoking various wild delusions. He didn’t remember why he had written this, but the handwriting was definitely his and there was no doubt that the characters were his own. So Sakuta most certainly wrote it.
6263
6264However the more he looked at it, the more painful it was.
6265
6266It continued on describing an ideal girlfriend, filling half of the book. It talked about them talking on the platform, on the train, and of the date they went on and going to Ogaki.
6267
6268He had indeed gone to Ogaki several days ago, but that was because he had had a sudden fancy to go somewhere else and boarded a train, unfortunately however it was a solitary journey.
6269
6270“…”
6271
6272However, the thing that worried him was the blank space. There was an empty gap where someone’s name should be in the sentence. It looked like a four or five character name.
6273
6274“Did I hide it to get a girlfriend?”
6275
6276It was all the more painful. Even if it was a mistake, he couldn’t let someone else see this. He’d have to dispose of it quickly. Speaking plainly, it was like a blot on his life.
6277
6278The phrases that were interspersed that seemed to be talking to himself were all the more painful, and embarrassment filled his body.
6279
6280As the clock chimed to let him know it was eight o’clock, Sakuta remembered his hurry. He threw the notebook into the bin, put on his blazer and with a ‘See you later’ to his sister, headed out to school.
6281
6282
6283
62842
6285
6286
6287
6288Sakuta hurried slightly along the ten minute route to the station. He passed through the residential area, crossed a bridge and came out onto the main street. While he was delayed at several sets of light, he walked into the business area around the station. As he looked at the pachinko parlours and electronics retailers around it, the station’s sign came into view.
6289
6290The station had the same atmosphere as always. It was flowing with commuting workers and students. People were heading out of the station to their offices and people headed to other platforms to switch trains. Sakuta was one of many hurrying through the passage to the Enoden station.
6291
6292When Sakuta passed through the barriers, the usual train he used was still at the platform and he boarded the first carriage as he regained his breath.
6293
6294He stood next to the door and someone nearby called out to him.
6295
6296“Yo.”
6297
6298It was Kunimi Yuuma, with a hand raised lightly in greeting.
6299
6300“Hey.”
6301
6302The train set off and Yuuma surveyed Sakuta’s face as he held on to the straps with both hands.
6303
6304“You look much better today.”
6305
6306“Hm?”
6307
6308“You looked like a zombie yesterday. Were you the type to cram the night before?”
6309
6310“Nah, I’m the type to give up and go right to sleep.”
6311
6312“Guessed so.”
6313
6314He must have gone to bed relatively early last night. He had no memories past about nine or ten that night. Even though it was the night before a test, that was much earlier than he would usually sleep. He looked disinterestedly into the carriage. There were many people in Minegahara uniforms, several of them with books opened to gain even a single extra point in their exams.
6315
6316Yuuma took his maths book from his back and started to review the formulae.
6317
6318The train passed through Koshigoe Station as Sakuta interfered with his studying, and the sea unfolded beyond the window. As it did, he felt like someone was watching him.
6319
6320“…”
6321
6322It niggled at him, and Sakuta turned around.
6323
6324“What is it?”
6325
6326Yuuma looked at him in puzzlement, finding Sakuta’s actions odd.
6327
6328“Just felt like I was being watched.”
6329
6330While he was speaking, his eyes met those of a girl standing one door over. She was wearing a uniform that still seemed to be mostly un-worn. She was Koga Tomoe.
6331
6332“Hmm, her? She’s a first year, right?”
6333
6334Tomoe looked away, and Yuuma seemed to know.
6335
6336“You know her, Kunimi?”
6337
6338“She often comes to watch practice with her friend next to her.” There certainly was a familiar looking girl next to her. “The club think they’re pretty cute.”
6339
6340“I see, so they’re looking at you.”
6341
6342He felt pathetic and embarrassed at his own misunderstanding.
6343
6344“I don’t think so.”
6345
6346Yuuma returned his focus to his textbook.
6347
6348“Why?”
6349
6350“It looks like they come to watch one of the third years in practice.”
6351
6352“Hmmm.”
6353
6354“Anyway, it’s kinda weird for you to know a first year when you can’t even remember your classmates’ names. Something happen?”
6355
6356“Kinda.”
6357
6358“Oh, how interesting. Tell me.”
6359
6360Yuuma stopped studying and nudged his shoulder with a grin.
6361
6362“We just kicked each other’s backsides and got to know each other, nothing special.”
6363
6364That was the previous Sunday. He had come across a lost girl and there had been a strange misunderstanding, and a strange development.
6365
6366“Just kicked each other’s backsides, that’s plenty weird…”
6367
6368“That kind of thing happens.”
6369
6370“Never in my life before… were you going somewhere?”
6371
6372“Somewhere other than here, I guess.”
6373
6374“The hell?”
6375
6376Sakuta looked back to the window as a sign the conversation was over.
6377
6378Something was tugging at his heart. It had something to do with his meeting with Koga Tomoe. But Sakuta couldn’t remember what had lead to that.
6379
6380
6381
6382The train reached Shichirigahama Station, and the students in the Minegahara uniform streamed out onto the platform.
6383
6384Sakuta was one of them and he walked down the short path to the school as he breathed in the sea breeze.
6385
6386He could hear chatter from his surroundings like ‘Crap, exams’, and ‘I didn’t study at all’ and ‘I just did that bit’.
6387
6388All of the students had the common issue of exams, but apart from that it was the usual scene. An everyday scene with similar exchanges every day.
6389
6390It wasn’t particularly enjoyable, but nor was it bothersome enough to dislike.
6391
6392Everyone was doing as they did.
6393
6394That ‘normalcy’ was in front of Sakuta. A duo of first years passed Sakuta and Yuuma at a trot. It was Koga Tomoe and her friend, chatting about going out for karaoke after their exams.
6395
6396“What about you, Sakuta? Got plans for after the exams?”
6397
6398“Work, you?”
6399
6400“Practice, the tournament’s soon.”
6401
6402“I see, that’s good.”
6403
6404“Hm? How?”
6405
6406“If you’d said you had a date, I’d have been angry.”
6407
6408“That’s waiting for me at the weekend.”
6409
6410“You’re a crappy guy, Kunimi.”
6411
6412“That goes for you, saying that.”
6413
6414“It’s better than just thinking it.”
6415
6416Sakuta and Yuuma reached the entrance hall as they bantered with each other.
6417
6418
6419
6420They changed into their indoor shoes at the shoe rack and headed upstairs to the second year classrooms. Sakuta was in a different class than Yuuma, so they separated in the corridor and Sakuta entered class 2-2’s classroom alone.
6421
6422He sat in the first seat by the window. He had a maths exam first-period followed by a Japanese exam in second.
6423
6424Some of his classmates were frantically leafing through books, and others were carefully going over notes. There were even some who had given up and were resting. Kamisato Saki, who sat in the seat diagonally behind him had been eating pocky that morning, storing up sugar for the exam.
6425
6426As his nose itched for some reason, Sakuta pulled out his textbook.
6427
6428“Maybe I caught a cold.”
6429
6430He blew his nose into a tissue and looked over the higher-order equation examples. He had a feeling that he had to get good marks.
6431
6432As he finished going over the examples, the area in front of him dimmed.
6433
6434Someone was standing in front of him.
6435
6436He could tell who it was without even looking up, her lab-coat went further towards the floor than her skirt, and was fleetingly visible even as he looked at the textbook.
6437
6438“It’s rare for you to come to me, Futaba.”
6439
6440“Here.”
6441
6442Futaba somewhat tiredly held out an envelope.
6443
6444“A love letter?”
6445
6446“No.”
6447
6448“Guessed not.”
6449
6450Sakuta knew who Rio held feelings for. He accepted the envelope and looked inside. As one would expect, there was a letter inside. He glanced at her, checking that he could read it.
6451
6452“…”
6453
6454After waiting for her nod, he opened the letter and glanced over it.
6455
6456
6457
6458This is an absurdly broad definition of Observation Theory, but everything in the world is made definite by observation. In that case, if _______’s vanishing is caused by the sub-conscious disregard of the students towards her then if Azusagawa can create a stronger reason for her to exist then he might be able to save _______. In short, if your love can overcome the probability waveform before _______ is given a definite form… In other words, the student’s sub-conscious forcing of _______’s form into something like the atmosphere before her existence is defined.
6459
6460
6461
6462It was a bizarre letter with strange blank spaces. He couldn’t understand the meaning of it at all. However, there was no mistake that it was something that Rio had addressed to him.
6463
6464“…”
6465
6466He asked for an explanation with his eyes.
6467
6468“I don’t understand it either. It was in my textbook for maths, I noticed it last night.”
6469
6470“What the hell.”
6471
6472The, Rio placed another letter on his desk.
6473
6474“This was with it.”
6475
6476Still not understanding, Sakuta passed his eyes over the second letter.
6477
6478There was a short sentence written on it.
6479
6480Don’t think anything, give the letter to Azusagawa.
6481
6482It seemed to be a letter from Rio to herself. Sakuta remembered a similar thing in his room that morning. That deluded writing in his notebook.
6483
6484Something pulled at his mind, but he couldn’t remember it, and a hazy feeling spread through his body.
6485
6486“Anyway, I’ve given it you.”
6487
6488Were the only words Rio said, and she went to leave the classroom.
6489
6490“Ah, oi!”
6491
6492His call and the bell overlapped, and he had no choice but to give up for now.
6493
6494His form teacher entered the room, and homeroom began.
6495
6496“This might be the last day of your exams, but don’t take that as an excuse to act out.”
6497
6498As he listened to the quick-tempered teacher’s warning, Sakuta scanned the letter Rio had given him again.
6499
6500
6501
6502This is an absurdly broad definition of Observation Theory, but everything in the world is made definite by observation. In that case, if _______’s vanishing is caused by the sub-conscious disregard of the students towards her then if Azusagawa can create a stronger reason for her to exist then he might be able to save _______. In short, if your love can overcome the probability waveform before _______ is given a definite form… In other words, the student’s sub-conscious forcing of _______’s form into something like the atmosphere before her existence is defined.
6503
6504
6505
6506“…Love, huh?”
6507
6508However, he had no idea of the meaning behind it.
6509
6510
6511
65123
6513
6514
6515
6516His first-period maths exam went fairly well.
6517
6518He completely filled the answer column and carefully put down his working, somehow feeling that he absolutely had to. Normally he wouldn’t have bothered because it was a hassle, but he had looked over his answers again and felt he could get a good mark.
6519
6520Second-period was his Japanese exam.
6521
6522With the bell as their signal, his classmates all flipped the question and answer pages and then the scratching of pencils filled the room.
6523
6524Sakuta filled in his name and seat number and then looked to the questions. The first was a long question, and after checking the heading, he continued scanning the main part.
6525
6526It took twenty minutes for him to take the first fortress in the paper.
6527
6528The next was also a long question, and one that hadn’t been in the book. It looked like it would take quite some time, so Sakuta skipped to the last completion questions.
6529
6530Confusing root words.
6531
65321. I will become his guarant__.
6533
65342. Guarant__ the country’s safety.
6535
6536He would have to complete the derived words.
6537
6538Without hesitation, Sakuta wrote down guarantor for the first answer, and guarantee for the second.
6539
6540“…”
6541
6542The second he finished writing, Sakuta felt his pencil hesitate and he stopped.
6543
6544A different question than the one in the exam came to mind.
6545
6546He’d known that question so easily because he had studied it the night before. But he didn’t remember the circumstances around it.
6547
6548A vague feeling of unease passed through his body and gradually became discomfort. He tried to remember but couldn’t. That ill feeling went to his throat, and then no further.
6549
6550The more he thought, the more his unease grew. He felt like something was pleading with him from within his mind.
6551
6552“…What is it?”
6553
6554Really, what was this feeling…
6555
6556There was a pleasant feeling in his chest. He found sadness. There was a mood of enjoyment too.
6557
6558And yet, an intense, heart-rending pain filled his chest.
6559
6560The countless feelings rampaged in Sakuta’s heart and then faded before returning again, like breaking waves, jolting him.
6561
6562Then, something dripped on his answer sheet.
6563
6564He thought it might be snot, but it wasn’t.
6565
6566It had fallen from his eyes.
6567
6568It was tears.
6569
6570He hurriedly raised his head. What on earth was wrong with him to suddenly start crying in an exam?
6571
6572As he sniffled and tried to hold back his tears, someone’s voice sounded in his mind.
6573
6574“Which one would be used in ‘There is no one who will be blank for Sakuta’s future’?”
6575
6576He knew that voice.
6577
6578“We can go with ‘I can’t blank Sakuta’s safety if he cheats’.”
6579
6580The fog in his mind gradually cleared.
6581
6582“The one with ‘or’ has the nuance of taking responsibility, and the one with ‘ee’ has the nuance of protection.”
6583
6584He had put them in the answer column, just as he had been taught.
6585
6586Sakuta’s pen rolled from his fingers. He didn’t think this was the time to be taking an exam. His body reacted to his emotions and he shot up. Completely uncaring of his surroundings.
6587
6588“Whoa.”
6589
6590The classmate behind up reared back in surprise and the girl next to him let out a cry.
6591
6592The entire class stopped their work and looked at Sakuta.
6593
6594Even the invigilating teacher was looking at him in confusion.
6595
6596“Oi, Azusagawa, what is it?”
6597
6598“It’s a big one.”
6599
6600Sakuta spoke, and the classroom was filled with laughter.
6601
6602“Oi, you lot, concentrate.”
6603
6604While the invigilator’s attention was distracted, Sakuta raced out of the classroom. He passed by the toilets and down the stairs. It was too much trouble to go to the entrance hall, so Sakuta climbed out of the window on the ground floor.
6605
6606He had remembered something important. Memories of someone precious had returned to him.
6607
6608He had something he had to do for her.
6609
6610“Ahh, it really is the worst…”
6611
6612He naturally let out his true feelings.
6613
6614Spread before him was Minegahara High School’s sports field. Sakuta was walking towards its centre as if he was checking each step before he took it.
6615
6616“…I really did only think of stupid things.”
6617
6618The cue was Rio’s letter, and the final sentence in it.
6619
6620“If your love can overcome the probability waveform.”
6621
6622He wouldn’t know whether what he was about to do was correct until he tried it.
6623
6624It was a losing battle. After all, Sakuta’s opponent was the ‘atmosphere’.
6625
6626The ‘atmosphere’ that pushing and pulling or hitting would have no effect on. The ‘atmosphere’ that had enveloped the school. Even now, he thought that fighting it wasn’t worth it.
6627
6628The people creating that ‘atmosphere’ had no cognisance of their connection to it. No matter how he pleaded with the students that felt no connection, it wouldn’t influence them in the slightest. They’d just laugh at his panic. They’d just cool his passion.
6629
6630They would just solve everything with those words that were so much of a template they couldn’t even be called their own: ‘read the atmosphere’.
6631
6632Sakuta realised himself that he was living in that world.
6633
6634Following the person next to you made things easy. Deciding what was good or bad just used up calories, and holding your own opinions would just lead to you getting hurt when they were denied. If you were with ‘everyone’ then, you could relax, and be safe. You didn’t have to see things you didn’t want to, didn’t have to think things you didn’t want to. You could treat everything as someone else’s problem.
6635
6636The world was that unfeeling.
6637
6638It made people isolate others without realising it, and made people turn their backs on those that were isolated. In order to protect that atmosphere, to protect themselves, people could remorselessly pretend not to see. They could do all this with a face unaware of those that they were hurting.
6639
6640The world was so unfeeling that using that tacit understanding, it could hurt others while feeling no pain at all.
6641
6642But that didn’t mean that logic of ‘everyone’s doing it’ made it okay to hurt people, ‘everyone doing it, so it’s right’ wasn’t the case either. Besides, who was ‘everyone’
6643
6644That day, if he hadn’t met her in Shonandai Library, Sakuta would have continued being part of that faceless ‘everyone’, and would have been part of the cause that was hurting her.
6645
6646And having noticed that, he had to make the distinction.
6647
6648Even if the school itself was his opponent.
6649
6650Even if every student was.
6651
6652Even if it was the ‘atmosphere’, the thing he didn’t want to fight the most, Sakuta couldn’t look the other way.
6653
6654That was because he had found something more important than maintaining the status quo.
6655
6656The time they had spent together was certainly fun.
6657
6658She was always treating Sakuta as much younger than her, but if she tried to make a suggestive joke herself, she was caught in it and went bright red, and then was obstinate to try and hide that failure.
6659
6660The girl who would sulk if Sakuta didn’t follow her expectations.
6661
6662She was selfish, acted like a queen, and moody. But despite all that, she was surprisingly innocent, and a year older than him. She’d stepped on his foot, pinched his cheek and slapped him.
6663
6664The days he had spent with her were the best. Sometimes he had counter-attacked and she had sulked and called him cheeky. He had been happy and enjoyed that, and couldn’t bear to be without it.
6665
6666She was the only one he felt like that towards.
6667
6668The solitary special existence in this world.
6669
6670Now that he knew that happiness, it wasn’t worth living without her. So whatever methods he had to use, he would take that fun time back.
6671
6672This was necessary for it.
6673
6674He wouldn’t let them part with no words again, like he had with Makinohara Shouko.
6675
6676He didn’t want those feelings.
6677
6678“I ain’t going to read the ‘atmosphere’ anymore, it’s ridiculous.”
6679
6680In the middle of the field, Sakuta turned to look at the school building.
6681
6682He was facing a three storey building from the front.
6683
6684There were around a thousand students.
6685
6686In both size and number, it was overwhelming. And if he was ignored, that would be the end of it.
6687
6688He had no strategy.
6689
6690However, he resolved himself.
6691
6692He stopped thinking about how troublesome it was.
6693
6694Hopefully it would go as he thought.
6695
6696Hopefully it would go as he felt.
6697
6698The countless excuses and reasons could go to hell.
6699
6700Sakuta braced himself. He took a deep breath and gathered strength in his stomach. And then, in the loudest voice he could muster.
6701
6702“All of you, listen up!”
6703
6704He fired his opening salvo.
6705
6706“I’m Azusagawa Sakuta!”
6707
6708Sakuta’s voice echoed throughout the silence of the school as the students took their exams.
6709
6710“From class 2-2!”
6711
6712His throat was already trembling and in pain, but he had no intention of stopping. The first reaction was from the staffroom window. A few teachers looked from the window and gestured telling him to come back.
6713
6714“Seat number one!”
6715
6716Noise gradually filled the school.
6717
6718“And I love the third year!”
6719
6720He had the feeling someone said ‘the sports field’ and the windows opened one after another and many students looked his way.
6721
6722“Sakurajima Mai-senpai!”
6723
6724Goosebumps covered his body when he said the name, all of the pores on his skin releasing his emotions. The scattered pieces all fell into place with a pleasant feeling, and he was certain of his feelings in that instant.
6725
6726He let out a long breath, emptying his lungs entirely and then filled them. He looked at the school, seeing the students gathered at the windows, focusing on Sakuta on the sports field.
6727
6728As the roughly one thousand gazes washed over him, Sakuta let his emotions burst forth.
6729
6730“I love Sakurajima Mai-senpai!”
6731
6732He hurled all of his feelings towards the school building.
6733
6734“I love Mai-saaaan!”
6735
6736He felt like his throat tore… Sakuta confessed his precious feelings, wanting everyone in the town to hear, and even people further away.
6737
6738So much so they could not be ignored.
6739
6740So people couldn’t pretend not to see them.
6741
6742He let out all that he had.
6743
6744He couldn’t breathe anymore, and bent over in a coughing fit.
6745
6746The first thing to occur was a long silence.
6747
6748The next was a noisy muttering of doubt.
6749
6750All the students were looking at Sakuta in the sports field. The individual gazes became a hammer, beating at Sakuta’s body. However, it wasn’t a strong strike, they were half-hearted strikes. Gradually becoming mocking.
6751
6752He wanted to run away, to go home. His confession had been in vain.
6753
6754“Ah, shit! So it ended like this, just in embarrassment. What the fuck!?”
6755
6756He kept cursing.
6757
6758“This is why I didn’t want to fight the atmosphere.”
6759
6760Sakuta tore at his hair as they continued looking at him.
6761
6762“This really is… the worst…”
6763
6764Going home crossed his mind, and he looked at the school gates.
6765
6766“…”
6767
6768However, he didn’t take a single step towards them.
6769
6770“I came this far, it’s not worth it without the reward from Mai-san.”
6771
6772Sakuta faced the school half in desperation, and cried out again.
6773
6774“I want to walk hand-in-hand on the beach!”
6775
6776He wasn’t thinking anymore.
6777
6778“I want to see her in her bunny girl outfit again!”
6779
6780He left it to his emotions, and just spoke his feelings.
6781
6782“I want to hug her close, I want to kiss her!”
6783
6784He didn’t even know what he was saying anymore.
6785
6786“Essentially! I really love Mai-saaaaaaaaaan!”
6787
6788His scream travelled into the sky, drawing every student and every member of staff’s attention. he had never felt worse, but in this instant those feelings became exhilaration for Sakuta.
6789
6790Finally, the surroundings returned to silence.
6791
6792A silence so still it seemed almost rehearsed. Sakuta felt like saying that as he swallowed his saliva.
6793
6794He didn’t understand the reason.
6795
6796From the building, a student he didn’t know was pointing at Sakuta. He didn’t understand why, and thought that they were mocking him at first.
6797
6798He doubted that when he saw they were pointing slightly behind him…
6799
6800He felt someone approach him as he heard the crunch of the gravel. Sakuta’s breath caught as their voice stimulated his ears.
6801
6802“I’d have heard you even if you weren’t so loud.”
6803
6804The voice somehow felt like a long-lost sound, a girl’s voice that he had always longed to hear.
6805
6806Sakuta turned around hurriedly.
6807
6808The sea breeze blew around her legs, making her skirt sway.
6809
6810He saw her usual black tights. Her legs were about a shoulder width apart, and one hand was on her hip, the other holding her hair from blowing in the wind. She had an adult looking face, but her slightly angry expression still held hints of childishness.
6811
6812A wave of emotion rushed up Sakuta from his feet. Mai was standing about ten metres from him.
6813
6814“You’ll annoy the neighbours.”
6815
6816“I thought I may as well let the whole world know.”
6817
6818“You’re speaking Japanese, they wouldn’t understand.”
6819
6820“Ah, that’s true.”
6821
6822“You really are an idiot…”
6823
6824Mai’s voice quavered as if she was trying to bear something.
6825
6826“I think that’s better than pretending to be clever.”
6827
6828“A real idiot…” Her slender shoulders shook. “You’ll start more weird rumours, standing out like this.”
6829
6830“If they’re rumours with you, then I’ll welcome them.”
6831
6832“That’s not… you idiot… you idiot…”
6833
6834“…”
6835
6836“You idiot, Sakuta!”
6837
6838Large tears spilt from Mai’s eyes as she shouted.
6839
6840In slow motion, she took the first step.
6841
6842Mai was running towards him.
6843
6844Thinking that she would embrace him, Sakuta opened his arms.
6845
6846Three steps left, two, one… Immediately after that, a slap resounded through the grounds, echoing off into the sky. Sakuta had taken it directly and was dumbfounded for an instant, then his cheek began to throb belatedly and he understood that even now, Mai had slapped him.
6847
6848“Eh? Why?”
6849
6850The plain question left his lips.
6851
6852“You liar!” Mai glared through tears at him, with an expression that seemed to be about to break down. “You said you’d never forget!”
6853
6854He finally understood her actions. She certainly had a reason to blame him. Like Mai said, he was a liar.
6855
6856“I’m sorry.”
6857
6858Sakuta gently put his arms around Mai as she shook.
6859
6860With a little hesitation he strengthened his grip, and Mai buried her face into his shoulder.
6861
6862
6863
6864
6865
6866“I won’t forgive you…”
6867
6868Came her muffled voice.
6869
6870“I’m sorry.”
6871
6872“I’ll never forgive you…”
6873
6874Mai rubbed her face into his shoulder as she sniffled.
6875
6876“I won’t let you go until you forgive me then.”
6877
6878“Then I won’t forgive you for the rest of my life.”
6879
6880Her tears were still mixed with her voice.
6881
6882“Ehh.”
6883
6884“What, have a problem with that?”
6885
6886Seeming to have cried herself out, she swallowed her feelings.
6887
6888“If they were told that by their beautiful senpai, there’s not a man that woul- ow! Mai-san, you’re stepping on my foot!”
6889
6890“You’ve got some nerve, saying that much to me and not running away.”
6891
6892“Um, my foot.”
6893
6894“Aren’t you happy I’m stepping on you?”
6895
6896“I’m sorry, I’m really sorry. I regret my actions so please forgive me.”
6897
6898Her grinding her heel into his foot really was painful.
6899
6900“If you were so scared you would cry, you shouldn’t have used sleeping pills.”
6901
6902“These tears are just an act to bother you.”
6903
6904“Then thank you for taking care of me when I was staying up all night.”
6905
6906“You’re welcome, but I didn’t want to hear your thanks.” Mai’s heel was once more on Sakuta’s foot. “Even though you know what I mean.”
6907
6908She gradually shifted her weight to that foot.
6909
6910Sakuta resigned himself and said the words she wanted to hear.
6911
6912“I love you.”
6913
6914“Really?”
6915
6916“That’s a lie, I really love you.”
6917
6918“…” After a short silence, Mai moved away. She had stopped crying and all that remained were the tracks. “Hey, Sakuta.”
6919
6920“What.”
6921
6922“Say that again in a month.”
6923
6924“Why?”
6925
6926“If I reply here, I’ll feel like I was overcome by the moment.”
6927
6928“I wanted a kiss at least in the excitement.”
6929
6930“My heart’s pounding right now, so it might end up like that kind of thing.”
6931
6932Mai turned away and spoke in embarrassment. Her reddened face was unbearably cute.
6933
6934“Mai-san, you’re surprisingly calm.”
6935
6936She wanted to avoid the suspension bridge effect.
6937
6938“I’m telling you to think properly too.”
6939
6940“About what?”
6941
6942He didn’t think thinking about his feelings towards Mai would do anything now.
6943
6944“I’m older than you.”
6945
6946“If anything, that’s a plus.”
6947
6948“I’m hesitant to date a younger boy.”
6949
6950“Because I’m not reliable?”
6951
6952“That’s… not what I mean.” She mumbled something. “If I date a younger boy, isn’t it like I’ve deceived them?”
6953
6954“You did, so I don’t think you can avoid that.”
6955
6956“I didn’t deceive you.”
6957
6958“You’re always tempting me though.”
6959
6960Now that she thought of it, they had had quite a lot of fun skinship. With her pinching his cheeks, stepping on his feet and the like.
6961
6962“A-anyway, do you get it?”
6963
6964“I don’t.”
6965
6966“Don’t be unreasonable.”
6967
6968“I can’t wait a month, so can I say it every day?”
6969
6970Even though she was a little surprised, her face loosened, and she wasn’t as displeased as she’d have him believe.
6971
6972“That’s okay, but keep it up for the whole month. If you don’t, I’ll consider it as your feelings changing.”
6973
6974She said and pressed her finger to Sakuta’s nose, smiling teasingly. It was Mai’s smile, which he wanted to keep to himself. He didn’t have a choice now, so he showed everyone.
6975
6976All of the students watched them in mute, blank amazement. They didn’t know how to react and were looking to the others to see their reactions, making an atmosphere of waiting for a judgement.
6977
6978“Everyone really likes reading the atmosphere, huh?” Mai laughed cynically as she looked at the school, and then let out a long sigh. “And that rumour about you sending your classmates to hospital! That’s ridiculous!”
6979
6980She suddenly shouted.
6981
6982There was an instant of silence. Mai seemed rather proud when she turned around.
6983
6984“You wanted to tell everyone, right?” Now that she said that, they had spoken about that on the Enoden. They were a little late, but the students closed in on the sports field looking at them in excitement. “…Their reaction is a little different than I expected.”
6985
6986That was true, they weren’t showing surprise at Mai proclaiming the truth.
6987
6988“It’s because you’re calling me by my first name with no honourific.” For this moment alone, they weren’t reading the atmosphere and were taking in the scandal before them. They were following their desires, this was certainly adolescence. “They’re paying so much attention to us because of you.”
6989
6990“What, you’re worried about a mere thousand people? You’re too sensitive.”
6991
6992It was obviously different for a nationally renowned actress.
6993
6994“Yeah, I suppose three or four digits isn’t enough for you, Mai-san.”
6995
6996Finally, Sakuta’s form teacher, the deputy head and a jersey-clad PE teacher came out onto the field to get the clamour under control.
6997
6998“Man, I’m gonna get a lecture in the staffroom…”
6999
7000“That’s good isn’t it?”
7001
7002“How?”
7003
7004“I’ll be being scolded with you.”
7005
7006“Well, that ain’t bad.”
7007
7008At the very least he was able to be with Mai.
7009
7010Keenly feeling Mai next to him, Sakuta headed to the school building.
7011
7012Alongside Mai…
7013
7014
7015
7016And thus, the world took Sakurajima Mai back.
7017
7018
7019
7020
7021EPILOGUE
7022
7023
7024Contrary to the days of May spent wrapped up in Adolescence Syndrome, it was now June, so Sakuta spent his days peacefully.
7025
7026He had a tranquil everyday life, confessing to Mai each day as he had promised.
7027
7028Of course, there was an influence from screaming his love in the middle of the sports field, but… Rather than the ‘hospital incident guy’, all of the students had affixed the labels of ‘cringey guy’ and ‘that’s the rumoured Sakuta’. Just walking down the corridor let him hear stifled laughter and school had grown more and more uncomfortable.
7029
7030However, he had been able to bring Mai back and so had had a complete change of attitude to ‘it doesn’t really matter’. Honestly, if he hadn’t thought so, he couldn’t have done it.
7031
7032Yuuma had said.
7033
7034“Your heart really is made of iron!”
7035
7036And then rolled around laughing. Rio had been with him and said with a serious expression.
7037
7038“If it had been me, I’d have died from embarrassment. That’s Azusagawa for you, a pubescent low-life.”
7039
7040“What’s that supposed to mean?”
7041
7042“Back when the rumours were going around about the ‘hospital incident’, you said ‘fighting the atmosphere is ridiculous’, or have you forgotten?”
7043
7044“Ahh, Sakuta did say that, I heard him too.”
7045
7046He certainly remembered saying so, and his opinion still hadn’t changed.
7047
7048“What else would you call someone that wouldn’t get serious for themselves but would endure any shame for their beautiful senpai?”
7049
7050He was at a loss for words at having that so clearly said to him.
7051
7052“…”
7053
7054Just as Rio had said, he hadn’t thought to change the atmosphere about himself, but when he thought it was for Mai he got fired up, and shouted his love at the heart of the sports field.
7055
7056“This is teasing material for the rest of your life.”
7057
7058“You’re going to keep calling me that even when I’m an old man?” In its own way, that wouldn’t be so bad… he decided to think. “Hey, Futaba.”
7059
7060“What?”
7061
7062“So was your hypothesis right in the end?”
7063
7064“Who knows. Instabilities in adolescent minds causing intense subjective misinterpretations… if you say that even that is Adolescence Syndrome, then it can’t be verified scientifically.”
7065
7066Rio had bluntly replied with that when Sakuta had visited her on another day in the physics lab.
7067
7068“Well, guess that’s true.”
7069
7070Mai had behaved like the atmosphere, and the students had treated her like the atmosphere. As it had been subconscious, there was no difference from the actual atmosphere. If there was no ‘like’ and that really was the case, there would have been no difference from reality.
7071
7072And, that being the case, Sakuta felt that it would probably be happening at other schools. Because when people gathered in large numbers, there would always be some kind of atmosphere created…
7073
7074In Mai’s case, the tacit understanding within the school had only spread out into the wider world as Adolescence Syndrome. That was all. Like Rio said, thinking on it any further wouldn’t help.
7075
7076“Well, our world is simple enough that a single confession can tear it apart. Just like you proved.”
7077
7078As he went to leave the lab, Rio was preparing for an experiment and remarked negligently. They had discussed a lot, but that was the truth that seemed the strangest.
7079
7080“Maybe.”
7081
7082At the very least, the everyday world that surrounded Sakuta had had its colour changed by a single confession.
7083
7084
7085
7086In her own way, Mai was moving forwards through the everyday life she had regained.
7087
7088She had started by announcing her return to show business. That press conference was a grand thing because it was for Sakurajima Mai, and she seemed to have talked to her mother about it, but she had dropped in to Sakuta’s workplace and vented her anger at everything so they hadn’t quite reconciled nicely.
7089
7090Even so, if they could see each other and argue, that was a healthy enough mother-daughter relationship as far as Sakuta was concerned and he was relieved that her mother could remember Mai properly.
7091
7092And thus, the days passed.
7093
7094
7095
7096It was about a month later, June the twenty-seventh, a Friday.
7097
7098Sakuta had been woken by his sister Kaede and was getting ready for school.
7099
7100“Well done, team Japan!” Apparently the national team had a wonderful victory the day before. “Good morning, today is Friday, June the twenty-seventh. I think we’ll start the day on football!”
7101
7102Sakuta didn’t know what country they had the match with, but the newscaster’s excited voice suggested it was a major accomplishment. The highlight on screen was the free kick right at the end of the first half that was neatly put into the opponent’s goal.
7103
7104Once he saw that, he gave Kaede his usual ‘I’m off then.’ And left the house just like he always did.
7105
7106He walked to Fujisawa Station, then spent about fifteen minutes being rocked by the Enoden before alighting at Shichirigahama Station and passing through the school gates.
7107
7108Nothing interesting happened, but nothing strange happened either. He wanted to be grateful for these normal days.
7109
7110
7111
7112For lunch that day Sakuta ate with Mai in an empty classroom on the third floor. There were no other students there, it was just Sakuta and Mai.
7113
7114Their lunches were spread across the window desk between them, and they could see the sea from their seats.
7115
7116Happily, their lunch was a handmade lunch box from Mai as a result of their little chat the day before.
7117
7118It went like:
7119
7120“Mai-san, can you cook?”
7121
7122“I can, I’ve lived alone for a long time after all.”
7123
7124“Ehh, really?”
7125
7126“I mean, you’re always just eating bread for lunch.”
7127
7128“Then I’ll make a lunch box for tomorrow.”
7129
7130There was a wealth of variety in the lunch. There was seasoned and fried chicken, fried eggs, potato salad garnished with cherry tomatoes and even seaweed and simmered beans.
7131
7132He tasted them all one by one, all too aware of Mai’s gaze. They were tasty, slightly under-seasoned but the gentle flavours really were tasty.
7133
7134“Now, apologise for your rudeness yesterday and beg for forgiveness.”
7135
7136Mai smiled triumphantly, sure of her victory from Sakuta’s reaction.
7137
7138“I apologise. I was wrong. I was cheeky. I’m sorry.”
7139
7140He obediently bowed his head. Honestly, this was nothing, he had been able to taste Mai’s home-made cooking and was completely victorious himself.
7141
7142“As long as you understand.”
7143
7144Mai was satisfied at showing her skill, truly a win-win.
7145
7146“Um, Mai-san.”
7147
7148He raised his head and looked steadily at her.
7149
7150“What?”
7151
7152“I love you, please go out with me.”
7153
7154“…”
7155
7156Mai looked away and put her own fried egg in her mouth with her chopsticks.
7157
7158“…”
7159
7160She chewed it.
7161
7162“…”
7163
7164Even when he waited for her to swallow, she gave no reply.
7165
7166“It’s kind of uninspiring.” Mai let out a bored-sounding sigh. “Having the same thing said for a whole month makes it lose its impact.”
7167
7168“That’s awful, even though you made me say it.”
7169
7170“I said ‘say that again in a month’, you were the one that said you wanted to say it every day.”
7171
7172“That’s true.”
7173
7174“Ah, that’s right. I have a role in a drama that will air in July.”
7175
7176“Uwah, would you even change the subject like that normally?”
7177
7178So she had treated confessions this roughly before…
7179
7180Mai unconcernedly took out a yellow-covered script from her bag and he saw the words ‘episode six’ on it.
7181
7182“It’s a late-night one, so I only have a role in a single episode in the middle.”
7183
7184That might not be enough for Mai, who was used to the lead role. However, he could tell she was honestly happy about having a role just by looking at her. He had the feeling this was the first time he’d seen her talking about something so happily.
7185
7186However, that had nothing to do with how he felt about his confession being ignored.
7187
7188“Ahhh, what is my life?”
7189
7190He looked vaguely towards the sea. The skies were in one of their short spells of clear weather during the rainy season, and he felt like walking on the beach.
7191
7192“What? Aren’t you happy at my return?”
7193
7194“I’m really happy.”
7195
7196“There’s a kiss scene.”
7197
7198“…What was that?”
7199
7200He had a feeling he had just heard something unthinkable.
7201
7202“There’s a kiss scene.”
7203
7204“Refuse it please.”
7205
7206“It’s fine, isn’t it? It wouldn’t be my first after all.”
7207
7208“…”
7209
7210It might be his imagination, but he thought Mai had just said something else unthinkable.
7211
7212“Wait a minute, Mai-san.”
7213
7214“What?”
7215
7216“You said you were a virgin before, right?”
7217
7218“Don’t worry about that.”
7219
7220“No no, kisses are out.”
7221
7222“I don’t know what basis you’re working on, but even if you’re the one I’m kissing?”
7223
7224“…” He didn’t know what to say for a minute. “Eh?”
7225
7226He let out a delayed noise of surprise.
7227
7228“You’re the worst, you don’t remember even though I gave you my first kiss.”
7229
7230“Eh? Wait… huh?”
7231
7232He tried to think about it, but really didn’t know. He didn’t know, but it didn’t seem like she was lying. His one idea was during that empty time he had forgotten Mai.
7233
7234“Ah, could it…”
7235
7236“It didn’t go like the fairy tales. I thought you might remember me if I kissed you.”
7237
7238Her disappointed expression was awfully hard to bear.
7239
7240“I’ll definitely remember it, so tell me the exact place and time.”
7241
7242“No way.”
7243
7244“Just a hint.”
7245
7246“Never.”
7247
7248“Something, please.”
7249
7250He put his hands together and bowed towards her.
7251
7252“Then shall we do it again?”
7253
7254Mai gave an unexpected suggestion. She looked alluringly at him through upturned eyes. She had thoroughly teased him, so he thought this might be a trap too, but they didn’t have the charm that he could withdraw.
7255
7256“With pleasure.”
7257
7258“Then close your eyes.”
7259
7260“Hm? Now?”
7261
7262He had thought they were going to replicate the situation with her first kiss, but apparently not.
7263
7264“You don’t want to?”
7265
7266“Not at all, I’ll take it.”
7267
7268He closed his eyes and waited. His heart was pounding in his ears.
7269
7270“Here I go.”
7271
7272Mai’s voice was slightly shy. He felt a breath on his cheek and Mai’s warmth right next to him, letting him know that Mai was leaning over the desk between them. About a second later, his lips were covered by a soft sensation. Mai’s lips were surprisingly cold, and they tasted of dashi. The same as the eggs he had eaten earlier… actually, this was an egg.
7273
7274He opened his eyes to see Mai desperately holding in a laugh as she pressed some egg on her chopsticks into his mouth.
7275
7276“You really thought I would.”
7277
7278She smiled teasingly.
7279
7280Without replying, Sakuta ate the egg, putting the chopsticks in his mouth as well.
7281
7282“I’m really happy to be able to have an indirect kiss with Mai-san.”
7283
7284He spoke in a forced monotone. It would be easy to make Mai aware of it…
7285
7286“…”
7287
7288Just as he thought, Mai’s gaze was fixed on the ends of her chopsticks. There was still nearly half of her lunch left on the desk, so she was worrying about how to deal with it.
7289
7290“Well, you’re an adult, so an indirect kiss with me, me being younger than you, must be nothing to you.”
7291
7292He cut off her escape route.
7293
7294“R-right.”
7295
7296With a slight hesitation, she steeled herself and used those chopsticks to eat her lunch. She continued in silence and emptied her lunch box. While she did, her cheeks were suffused with a faint red, and it was a real feast for Sakuta’s eyes.
7297
7298“Just letting you know, it’s not me.”
7299
7300Mai wrapped her lunch box in a napkin.
7301
7302“Hm?”
7303
7304“The kiss scene is the lead actor’s.”
7305
7306Sakuta looked at her in dissatisfaction as he was relieved.
7307
7308“Mai-san, your personality is awful.”
7309
7310“But don’t you love me and my personality?”
7311
7312“It certainly looks like that love will cool like this.”
7313
7314“W-why!?”
7315
7316Mai’s flustered voice was higher than usual.
7317
7318“Well, you don’t seem to feel that way at all… you said that it was uninspiring, that would make me despair.”
7319
7320“…I didn’t say no.”
7321
7322Mai pouted sulkily and opened the script.
7323
7324“Than you will?”
7325
7326“That’s, um…”
7327
7328Mai hid her red face behind the script.
7329
7330“You will?”
7331
7332He asked once again, and she peeked over the top of the script.
7333
7334“…” She glanced shyly at Sakuta, and then, in a faint voice. “…Yeah, I will.”
7335
7336She nodded to him.
7337
7338
7339
7340Sakuta didn’t remember much of the rest of the day. His mood had soared with the start of his relationship with Mai, and it felt like he was walking on air.
7341
7342His happiness showed no sign of abating the next morning either.
7343
7344While he got ready for school, he hummed and turned the TV on, nonchalantly looking towards the news when:
7345
7346“Well done, team Japan!”
7347
7348He heard an excited man’s voice.
7349
7350“…”
7351
7352He gazed steadily at the screen in puzzlement. He thought he’d heard that before.
7353
7354“Good morning, today is Friday, June the twenty-seventh. I think we’ll start the day on football!”
7355
7356What was that the newscaster had said?
7357
7358June the twenty-seventh.
7359
7360That was definitely what he said.
7361
7362Sakuta remembered the highlights of the game that were being shown too. Just before the end of the first half, the Japanese player had put a free kick into the goal.
7363
7364He hurriedly returned to his room and looked at his alarm clock. It showed the date too.
7365
7366“…What on Earth?”
7367
7368Even the alarm clock he always used displayed June twenty-seventh.
7369
7370
7371
7372That day, Azusagawa Sakuta woke up to yesterday’s morning.
7373
7374
7375
7376
7377
7378AFTERWORD
7379
7380Something strange occurs at the peak of happiness. Is this a new instance of Adolescence Syndrome. Or is Sakuta merely dreaming? Was he merely dreaming?
7381
7382Or perhaps…
7383
7384In the end, what is Sakuta’s fate?
7385
7386
7387
7388Next time is the second volume in the series, A Pubescent Low-Life Dreams Not of A ○×△□, I hope you look forward to it. The ○×△□ part isn’t decided yet, it might not even be changed and just have a ‘2’ added.
7389
7390I think I will be able to deliver it before summer is over, but in the end, who knows what the release date will be?
7391
7392
7393
7394And so, I am Kamoshida Hajime.
7395
7396To those of you I’m meeting for the first time, it’s good to meet you.
7397
7398To those of you I haven’t seen in a while, it’s been some time.
7399
7400To those of you I met last month, I hope we can continue to get along.
7401
7402
7403
7404Surprisingly, you don’t go to the sightseeing areas nearby.
7405
7406I chose the setting for this story following that feeling. I’ve spent most of my life in the Kanagawa prefecture so I’ve always thought I should go, but have never had the opportunity.
7407
7408That’s because they’re as far from my house as the Dengeki Bunko editing department.
7409
7410
7411
7412This story, set in a city that can see the ocean, starts here. If you continue along with me I shall be exceedingly happy.
7413
7414
7415
7416I hope I can get along with my illustrator Mizoguji Keeji-san, the head of editing Araki-san, in this work too even though we’re continuing from my last work The Pet Girl of Sakurasou.
7417
7418
7419
7420And so, I shall believe we will meet again in volume two.
7421
7422— Kamoshida Hajime.
7423
7424
7425
7426
7427
7428BONUS — How Fast Evolution?
7429
7430
7431The evening sun was sinking past Enoshima, which floated in Sagami Bay, and Sakuta looked out at the scorched red sky and sea from the windows of the Enoden train. Next to him was a senpai, holding onto the hanging straps like him… Sakurajima Mai, a beautiful woman that couldn’t help but draw eyes in the street and a popular actress that had started as a child.
7432
7433Sakuta, who was nothing more than a high school student was unexpectedly acquainted with her, and had grown closer from that opportunity.
7434
7435Her profile, lit by the evening sun, would make a picture and drew attention far more than the retro-feeling Enoden train and the somewhat nostalgic train windows.
7436
7437“What, are you being charmed?”
7438
7439Mai smiled mischievously and the triumphant curve to her lips was exceedingly fascinating.
7440
7441Just before Sakuta replied, a voice came from the seat in front of them.
7442
7443“Ah, it evolved.”
7444
7445Its occupant was an elementary school student and his two friends that were flanking him peered at the console in his hands.
7446
7447“Seriously, so coooool.”
7448
7449“No fair, I’ll do it too.”
7450
7451They were rather enjoying themselves.
7452
7453“Did you play back when you were a child?”
7454
7455Mai’s eyes were on the console.
7456
7457“I played them.”
7458
7459“Hmmm, I can’t quite imagine it.”
7460
7461Mai examined him carefully.
7462
7463“I think it’s pretty much a right of passage for boys.”
7464
7465Incidentally, Sakuta was part of the group that didn’t let them evolve right away and taught moves first.
7466
7467“It’s you in elementary school that I can’t imagine.”
7468
7469“I was pretty cute.”
7470
7471“Don’t say it yourself. I was definitely cuter.”
7472
7473She was a child actress known nationwide, so that was obvious, but there was no fun in backing down right away.
7474
7475“Then want to come see my graduation album?”
7476
7477“And what are you intending to do when you get me in your room.”
7478
7479“If things go well, ask if you want to do perverted things.”
7480
7481“I definitely won’t come.” She wholeheartedly rejected him. “Well, I am interested in how far you’ve deteriorated, so I’ll come along.”
7482
7483Mai looked at him somewhat shyly, with upturned eyes.
7484
7485“And you’ve grown deliciously, Mai-san.”
7486
7487Those words were a death sentence, and Mai did not go to Sakuta’s room that day.