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winglian

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*A while back, there was this anime called Mobius Ring, the Cycle of Reincarnation.* *The town I live in, Shiromitsugawa, helped sponsor it, as a way of promoting tourism to the area.* *The show had some convoluted plot based off of local folklore. It left a big impression on a small group of dedicated fans, but most people regarded it as one of those oddball shows that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.* *Though it went down in anime history as a complete failure, it's unclear whether the bigwigs behind the regional sponsorship deal are clueless to that fact or simply aren't willing to admit it.* *It's been two years since the anime aired.* *And here we are at the second annual Mobius Festival, a hamfisted attempt to get some mileage out of the anime despite the local residents' overwhelming opposition to going through the cringeworthy event a second time.* *Though as it turns out, the festivities end up being the furthest thing from anyone's mind.* Cosplayer: "Everyone, please don't panic. Follow the staff's instructions!" *A rather scantily-clad cosplayer shouts to the smattering of festival-goers.* *The majority do as they're told, while the more die-hard enthusiasts continue their quest for the ideal camera angle and snap away.* *Pretty impressive dedication, considering the rather substantial earthquake we went through a minute ago.* Sora: "Hey, Kakeru! I'm back with the goods." *I blink and turn around to find Sora, my younger sister.* Sora: "Here's the bandage." Kakeru: "Oh, thanks." *I take the bandage and wrap it around my bloody right index finger.* Sora: "You really sliced your finger up good, huh? Man, that looks like it smarts." Kakeru: "I really should've been more careful picking that thing up. Guess it's ruined, huh?" Sora: "Yeah, and the shrine workers looked pretty upset about it. Oh, hey, here comes the boss. If you're worried about it, best ask her." *I look over to where Sora is pointing to find a woman slowly walking towards us.* *She's one of the family that runs the shrine, and she works as a shrine maiden here, but she's just walking around in casual clothes rather than wearing the traditional shrine maiden outfit. It just ruins the whole festival atmosphere.* *Incidentally, she's also a teacher at our school, Hakusen Academy, and while I call her Ms. Naruse like any good student would, she's always saying she prefers Satsuki-chan.* *A shrine maiden and a teacher. I guess you could say both of those jobs are something of a higher calling.* Kakeru: "Afternoon. Rough day, huh?" Satsuki: "Sure is. All these weirdos showed up for the anime stuff, and now I have to work hard. Serves them all right that their little festival got put on hold, don't you think?" Kakeru: "..." *As you can see, she has a lovely personality.* Satsuki: "They even vandalized the place." Kakeru: "Yeah, I saw." Satsuki: "I brought some disinfectant for you, but it looks like you already bandaged it up?" Kakeru: "Oh, thanks, but I'm fine. I made sure to wash it off a little." Satsuki: "Well, considering how old that thing is, I sure hope you don't catch any bacteria from God-knows-where." Kakeru: "On second thought, disinfectant please?" Sora: "Wow, cracked like an egg." Kakeru: "Oh, shut up." *I accept the disinfectant and continue the conversation while pouring the liquid on my cut through the bandage.* Kakeru: "So, about this sacred relic thing. Do you think it can be fixed up?" Satsuki: "Not a chance. That's thing busted up good. Guess we can just make a replica out of papier-mache or something and stick it up there instead." Sora: "For real? Wasn't it important or something?" Satsuki: "Beats me." *This should be a disaster, but Ms. Naruse seems oddly optimistic about it. Or maybe apathetic is more the word.* *The sacred relic...* *According to local mythology, it was a treasure bequeathed by a god, and it also featured in that anime.* *And it was no prop. Legend says it's a relic from ancient times and has been safeguarded in this very shrine since the days of old.* *The sacred relic is an oval-shaped sphere no bigger than a fist. At first glance it looks like a rusted hunk of metal, but it certainly does exude the aura of something rich with history.* *The shrine was keeping it out on display for the festival, but during that earthquake a minute ago, it got smashed, much to our surprise.* *It rolled right off its pedestal and fell to the ground, where it shattered into pieces.* *Though it looked like metal, it was apparently as fragile as glass.* *The resulting mess having been deemed a safety hazard, I was ordered to clean it up, which is how I ended up stupidly cutting my finger.* *Had I known this was in store for me, I wouldn't have taken this side job to begin with.* Satsuki: "Now then, Niimi siblings." Kakeru: "Yes?" Sora: "What's up?" Satsuki: "You can both go home for today. Don't worry about the festival." Kakeru: "Huh? Are you sure?" Satsuki: "Sure I'm sure. Not like I care about it." Sora: "Boy, talk about irresponsible. Welp, I was just here to enjoy myself, not to work, so I guess it's okay. C'mon, broski, let's head back." Kakeru: "I'd like to go back too, but..." *I take a glance.* Cosplayer: "Um, I'm sorry. Please, if you would all just refrain from photography. There may be an aftershock, so we need to evacuate." *A few guys with cameras are still crowded around that cosplayer, putting her in quite the awkward predicament.* Satsuki: "Kujo-san is too diligent for her own good." *The cosplayer is Miyako Kujo.* *She's working the festival just like me, and not only does she go to the same school that I do, she's also in the same class. We've had a little interaction outside of that too.* *Well, sort of. Truth is, we've hardly ever talked.* *We're not what I'd call close, not by a long shot, but when I see her working so hard, it gives me second thoughts about taking Ms. Naruse's advice and bailing.* Sora: "Oh man, that cosplayer sure is cute! Did they rope in one of the voice actresses or something?" Satsuki: "Not a voice actress, no, but rather a sponsor." Sora: "Wait, what?" Satsuki: "She's the daughter of the president of the Corona Group." Sora: "What's the Corona Group?" Kakeru: "You've heard of Corona Beverages, right?" Sora: "Huh? THAT Corona? As in Corona Cola?" Satsuki: "You got it." Sora: "No way!" Kakeru: "Yep. I thought everyone knew the Corona heiress went to our school." Sora: "What's a company president's daughter doing stuff like that for?!" Satsuki: "She said she couldn't stand idly by after that flop of an anime made so much trouble for all the residents, so she offered to take on the hardest job at the festival." Sora: "Uh. Are you saying she personally sponsored this event?" Satsuki: "Oh, don't be silly. The corporation is funding the festival. No way would she be paying for this out of her own pocket." Sora: "So you're saying she feels responsible for her family's actions?" Kakeru: "I guess so." Sora: "She seems nice." Satsuki: "She really is, you know. Her grades are also top-notch." Sora: "What is she, Miss Congeniality? That kinda bugs me. I'mma snap some photos." Kakeru: "Why?" Sora: "I might want to blackmail her someday!" Kakeru: "You're the worst." Sora: "Shows you how much influence parents have. You can blame my personality on being raised by the kind of people who'd give their kids cheesy names like Sora and Kakeru. 'Soar through the skies,' blech." Kakeru: "Yeah, and people sometimes call you 'Ten' since the character for your name is a little unusual." Sora: "If they were gonna name me 'Sora', they could at least have stuck to the regular way of writing it, darn it. I'll change my name sooner or later, mark my words. Or I'll change the writing, at the very least." Satsuki: "I bet them thinking your name is 'Ten' makes you the butt of a lot of jokes. You know, like, they could quote that movie title. Ten, things I hate about you..." Sora: "Huh? Where the heck is that from?" Kakeru: "No clue." Satsuki: "Okay, you're making me feel old. Go on, leave." Sora: "Aww." Kakeru: "Well, I don't have anything else to do, so I guess I will head home." *I stand up and glance over at Kujo before getting ready to head back.* Miyako: "I-I'm sorry. I really shouldn't pose for you. I'm only here as a venue guide, you see." *She's having a hard time handling the few remaining guys who insist on taking pictures of her.* *She really looks like she's in a bind.*

*My super-duper fun Sunday has come and gone.* *Monday has arrived, and my No Desire To Go To School-itis and Don't Wanna Get Out Of Bed-osis are both acting up, but I muster up my willpower and get dressed.* *I pull out a pouch of jelly drink from the fridge and gulp it down, resupplying my energy reserves for the day ahead. Ahh, the little bits of gelatin really hit the spot.* *After a quick bedhead check, I exit my apartment.* *April...* *I heard the average temperature is lower this year, which explains the oddly cool breeze.* *The brisk snap of a gust of wind helps me shake off my drowsiness.* Sora: "Jeez, about time you got here!" *Someone shouts at me in a really aggravating tone.* *Going against the flow of students heading towards school, the owner of said aggravating voice shows herself.* *I keep my feet moving, walking along while reluctantly engaging in conversation.* Sora: "Boy, you're a slowpoke. Try getting here faster. What, did you stop at the convenience store?" Kakeru: "Well, I gotta buy my lunch." Sora: "You're breaking my heart. Here I am with Mom's homemade lunch, and my dear brother is stuck with a cheap sandwich off a store shelf." Kakeru: "You're sadly mistaken. Today I got onigiri." Sora: "Is that little thing going to be enough for you? Want me to start asking Mom to make lunch for you too?" Kakeru: "Wait, you'll seriously ask?" Sora: "Oh, on second thought, never mind. Lugging lunch for two would be heavy, so scratch that." Kakeru: "..." Sora: "Wow, talk about stink eye. A proper older brother only gazes at his little sister with utter love and adoration." Kakeru: "Hey, Sora?" Sora: "Hm? What?" Kakeru: "Do you not have any friends?" Sora: "Huh? What are you implying? Of course I've got friends. Tons of them." Kakeru: "Then how about you go to school with your friends and leave me alone." Sora: "This is the thanks I get for keeping my dear older brother company so he doesn't have to walk to school all by his lonesome every morning." Kakeru: "Mind your own business." Sora: "What the heck? Now see here, Mr. Rude. I think you could stand to treat me with a little more courtesy. How come you've always got such a stick up your butt?" Kakeru: "I'm talking with you now, aren't I? Seems plenty courteous to me." Sora: "Like hell it is. Check THAT out. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" *She points ahead of us.* *There's a gathering of male students there.* *No, wait, not exactly. It's actually a meek-looking girl surrounded by a bunch of boys.* ???: "U-Um, no, I... I apologize... Please, would you mind...?" *She's acting awfully timid, but it doesn't seem like they're bullying her or anything.* *They all seem to be trying to charm her by chatting her up or offering to carry her bag.* Sora: "Damn. A regular boy magnet. They're treating her like she's royalty." Kakeru: "True, but she doesn't seem all that happy about it." Sora: "That's the kind of treatment I expect from my brother dearest." Kakeru: "..." Sora: "Hey, hey. Could we not, with the drawn-out sighs?" Kakeru: "Dealing with you this early in the morning is exhausting." Sora: "Could we not with those remarks as well?!" *I pick up the pace, trying to get past this crowd that's undoubtedly having a negative influence on Sora.* ???: "R-Really, um, please...!" *As we pass them, I check the girl out from the corner of my eye.* *I don't think she's in my grade. A freshmen? A senior?* *She really looks like she's in a bind.* Sora: "Oh, wait, I recognize her. I've seen her on the train a couple times. She's always sitting alone, reading a book." Kakeru: "Maybe she's an idol on the side or something." Sora: "Seriously? What, you think she's straight out of a porn game?" Kakeru: "Don't tell me you got into those too." Sora: "Just by chance. There was this game that kinda tickled my fancy, which just so happened to be R-18." Kakeru: "Welp, time to tell Mom." Sora: "Don't you dare!" *I suffer Sora's antics all the way to school.* *Well, I shouldn't complain. Sora did just enroll here, and despite the way she acts around me, she's pretty shy. She's probably dealing with a bit of stress from the unfamiliar environment.* *That said...* *The way she tries to follow me all the way to class is just plain silly, so I ditch her and make a break for the second year room.* *I ignore everybody and head to my seat.* *The school year just started, so most of the people I knew got shuffled around to different classes from mine.* *Kujo is already here, but we haven't made eye contact yet.* *Well, that's the way it goes. I'm sure I'll get more familiar with my new classmates soon enough.* Yoichi: "Morning! And morning! And morning to you, too!" *As I'm trying not to make a scene, a youthful guy comes in with exactly the opposite plan in mind, greeting everyone around him.* *That would be Yoichi Fukazawa.* *The only friend of mine from last year who ended up in the same class as me.* *His androgynous looks and charming personality have won over a handful of girls, who I've heard call him a "prince".* Yoichi: "Good morning t'ya, Kakeru." *He heads my way and perches on the edge of the seat of a nearby vacant desk.* *My unenthusiastic response of "Sup" is, well, the norm.* Yoichi: "How'd things go yesterday?" Kakeru: "With the festival, you mean?" Yoichi: "Yeah, that. You did go, right?" Kakeru: "Technically, but I was really just helping out." Yoichi: "Did it go well?" Kakeru: "Not particularly. Remember that earthquake?" Yoichi: "Oh, yeah. That was a big one." Kakeru: "After that, they shut a bunch of stuff down, so there just wasn't anything to do. All in all, it kind of sucked, even worse than last year." Yoichi: "Man oh man. And after all that merch they made for it, too." Kakeru: "I'm not sure if they realize how long it's been since that anime aired. Though the character Kujo dressed up as was kind of a big deal." Yoichi: "Kujo did what as who now?" Kakeru: "Kujo was in cosplay." Yoichi: "Huh? You mean our Kujo-san?" Kakeru: "Yup." *Inevitably, we both turn to look at Kujo.* *She's sitting at her desk, her spine straight as a ruler, looking distressed as she stares at something in her hand.* *Looks like the hair clip from yesterday. It seems she hasn't found the owner yet.* Yoichi: "What character did she cosplay as?" Kakeru: "Uh, I dunno her name, but the heroine or whatever, I guess? There were other cosplayers there too, but I feel like she was the one showing the most skin." Yoichi: "Iris!" Kakeru: "Huh?" Yoichi: "If she was about to pop out of her outfit, then it has to be Iris the Evil Eye!" Kakeru: "Like I said, I didn't catch the name." Yoichi: "Shucks, I should have gone too. Can't believe I missed my chance to see Kujo-san in cosplay. I could've even gotten some photos." Kakeru: "Wait, you're into that stuff? Since when?" Yoichi: "Cosplaying itself is whatever, but I'm all about sexy costumes." Kakeru: "Ugh." Yoichi: "Kujo-san's got a killer body, so she definitely would have made for some 'usable' pics. Shit." *I find myself glaring through hooded eyes at my friend as he seriously bemoans not taking compromising photos of our classmate.* *He may look like a pure and charming prince on the outside...* *...but on the inside, he's a skeevy horndog.* *"With my baby face, I can probably pull off sneaking into the ladies' bath, don'tcha think?" Yes, he seriously said that to me once. He's actually that bad.* *The gulf between his appearance and reality is bound to make any poor, starry-eyed girl's head spin.* *Then again, if he was as innocent as he looks, I probably wouldn't be friends with him in the first place.* Yoichi: "You didn't take any pictures?" Kakeru: "No, but people were all over her with the cameras. Try searching the net." Yoichi: "Good call, I'm gonna get right on that! Time to dig up some dirty images of Kujo-san!" Kakeru: "Okay, you need to at least be a little quieter when you say stuff like that. She'll end up hearing you." Yoichi: "I'll take that risk!" Kakeru: "Not on my watch. Anyway, there's the bell, so scram." Yoichi: "Yes, sir. Right away, sir." *Yoichi returns to his desk, blatantly getting out his smartphone to start on his new quest.* Satsuki: "Okay, everyone to your seats. Homeroom is starting." *Ms. Naruse enters the classroom right as the bell goes silent, prompting my classmates to rush to their seats.* Satsuki: "Everyone's here, right? Well, I don't really have any announcements to make, but..." *I half-listen to her, and my eyes start to wander.* Miyako: "..." *Kujo is still staring at that hair clip.* *It's a little weird how preoccupied she is with some lost hair clip.* *...* *Thank goodness, she doesn't seem to have overheard our raunchy conversation.* *I breathe a little easier.* *I'm not sure if it's because I just moved up a grade, but class is a drag.* *I inevitably find myself mechanically writing notes, my mind drifting, as I try to stifle the occasional yawn.* *Fifty minutes taking notes, rinse, and repeat. Perform this cycle umpteen times, each one feeling longer than the last, as my boredom grows, and I finally reach the promised land: after school.* Yoichi: "I really wish they had janitors to do the cleanup duty instead." Kakeru: "I hear you, man." *Yoichi's complaints go in one ear and out the other as I sweep the hallway.* *Fortunately, cleaning the hallway is easy work. I want to get this done and go home.* Yoichi: "By the way, I totally found some." Kakeru: "Found what?" Yoichi: "Cosplay pictures of Kujo." Kakeru: "Oh yeah?" Yoichi: "It's such a minor anime that it took me longer than I expected. I just found them a second ago, though. Wanna see?" Kakeru: "I saw it in real life, so I'm good." Yoichi: "In real life, huh? You lucky dog. Man, Kujo-san sure is something, isn't she? No touch-ups and she's still super cute. Sexy as hell, to boot." Kakeru: "Touch-ups?" Yoichi: "Usually you, y'know, tinker with photos. Enlarge the eyes here, smooth the skin out there." Kakeru: "Huh. I had no idea. And you can tell if something's been touched up?" Yoichi: "Sure can. Their skin will look unnaturally smooth and shiny, kinda doll-like. But Kujo-san? Man oh man." *He moves a little towards the classroom door.* *And then he sticks out his phone so the camera lens is pointed into the classroom.* Kakeru: "Quit trying to sneak a photo." Yoichi: "I'm not. I'm comparing. Here, check it out." Kakeru: "Hmm?" *I peer at his phone.* *There on the screen is the picture of Kujo blushing her head off.* *And meanwhile, in the classroom, is the real Kujo.* *She's talking with Ms. Naruse, a serious look on her face.* Yoichi: "See? Just like the picture, right?" Kakeru: "No clue. I'm the wrong guy to ask." Yoichi: "Oh come on, seriously? Check out those slender legs, that tight waist. This photo wasn't shopped, that's for sure." Yoichi: "As you can see, they also didn't touch up her curves in this photo. You do know what that means, right, Kakeru?" Kakeru: "Nope." Yoichi: "If you've got a perfect model of her figure, then you can imagine exactly what she'd look like naked!" Kakeru: "Right, sure, whatever. Mind keeping it down a little?" Yoichi: "Can't you just picture Kujo-san's bangin' body?!" Kakeru: "Are you doing this shit on purpose?! Quit freaking yelling!" *Flustered, I glance at the classroom.* *...* *Crap, Ms. Naruse is looking our way, and Kujo is hanging her head.* *Figures. They overheard, right? Of course they did.* Satsuki: "Niimi-kun, care to step inside?" Kakeru: "'Ulp?" *My eyes pop. Why me?!* *Are you serious? Why JUST me?!* Yoichi: "Good luck, champ!" Kakeru: "You're coming with me." Yoichi: "Like hell. She didn't even ask for me. Like I wanna stand there and get yelled at." Kakeru: "Dammit." *This is how it always goes. Whenever Yoichi's in the picture, I'm the one who ends up holding the bag.* *I prop the broom against the wall and trudge into the classroom.* Kakeru: "Wh-What is it?" Satsuki: "Niimi-kun, have you noticed anything out of the ordinary?" Kakeru: "Pardon?" Miyako: "N-No, um...!" Kakeru: "...?" *I was absolutely certain she was going to yell at me for our dumbass conversation.* *Instead, I just get asked some random question, and for no apparent reason, Kujo is freaking out.* *What the heck is going on?* Satsuki: "You showed that thing to Niimi-kun, right?" Miyako: "W-Well, yes, I did." Kakeru: "What thing?" Satsuki: "Kujo-san asked me to exorcise it." Kakeru: "Wait, what?" Miyako: "..." *Kujo blushes and looks away.* *Oh, I see. It must be something private she doesn't want to talk about.* Kakeru: "Why are you telling me this?" Satsuki: "Well, she said if she's cursed, then you might be too." Kakeru: "Huh? Kujo, why do you think we're both cursed?" Miyako: "L-Let me explain. It's just that, ever since yesterday, some peculiar things have been happening." Kakeru: "Such as?" Miyako: "..." *She sticks out her hand and shows me what she's been hiding in it.* *The lost hair clip?* Kakeru: "What about it?" Miyako: "I blink and it's next to me." Kakeru: "Huh?" Miyako: "Y-Yeah, I figured you'd react that way. Even I thought maybe I was just fatigued, at first." Kakeru: "Hold on. I'm not following here." Satsuki: "She told me that even if she puts it in a drawer or something, before she knows it, it's always back in her pocket or somewhere within arm's reach." Kakeru: "Huh. You mean it's moving on its own?" Satsuki: "Yep." Miyako: "..." *Kujo nods.* *No way.* Kakeru: "Wow, that's freaky." Satsuki: "I know, right? Legit scary stuff. An actual paranormal phenomenon." Miyako: "Even I think it's ludicrous, but I'm terrified by it." Kakeru: "Which is where the whole exorcism thing comes in?" Miyako: "Yes. I heard that the shrine's sacred relic shattered yesterday. I thought maybe that was related." Kakeru: "Aha, now I get why you called me in." Satsuki: "If breaking the sacred relic put a curse on people, then you'd probably take the brunt of it, seeing as how you were the one who broke the relic, right?" Kakeru: "Yeah, good point... Wait, no, I didn't break it!" Satsuki: "Oh, that reminds me about your pay for yesterday." Kakeru: "Uh, okay?" Satsuki: "Dad and Granddad are both so mortified by what you did that they've decided not to pay you." Kakeru: "Gimme a break." Miyako: "E-Excuse me, Ms. Naruse?" Satsuki: "Oh, right, we were talking the exorcism. What do you say we wait a bit longer and see how things play out, before we try that?" Miyako: "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Satsuki: "Fantastic idea, if I do say so myself. I mean, even if I did exorcise it, it wouldn't do anything." Miyako: "Huh? R-Really?" Satsuki: "I mean, exorcism is all a sham anyway." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "Is it really okay for YOU of all people to say that?" Satsuki: "You know the same thing's true of paranormal phenomena, right? It's all in your head. The only thing exorcism does is put gullible people's minds at ease." Satsuki: "It's gotta be that, you know, uh, tip of my tongue... gazebo effect." Miyako: "Placebo effect?" Satsuki: "Oh, yeah, that." Kakeru: "Some teacher you are." Satsuki: "Oh, I was just testing you two. So, anyway, even if this turns out to be a real paranormal phenomenon, you don't know for sure that it's a bad thing yet, right?" Miyako: "I'm pretty sure." Satsuki: "Did something bad already happen? Like, is it giving you nightmares?" Miyako: "Well, not exactly." Satsuki: "If the answer is no, then what's the harm in just ignoring it?" Kakeru: "That's such irresponsible advice." Satsuki: "Mind over matter, especially with the paranormal. The best thing you can do is not worry about it." Satsuki: "I give you my word, as the revered and honorable maiden of the Shrine of the White Serpent's Relic, that you've got a relic on your hands. Probably." Kakeru: "Wait, you mean something similar to the sacred relic?" Satsuki: "Yup. Legend says the sacred relic you broke was an artifact spirit housed in a jewel bequeathed by the Great White Serpent, I'll have you know." Kakeru: "It's that important, and you have no problem suggesting replacing it with a papier-mache replica? Are you for real?" Satsuki: "Of course. It's not like I believe any of that bull." Kakeru: "..." *This woman is hopeless.* Satsuki: "Aaaanyhoo, that hair clip is probably also an artifact spirit housed in a relic. Given how the stories go, I doubt it's malicious." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "Very well, I see your point. Thank you very much, Ms. Naruse. I will wait a bit longer." Satsuki: "All righty! Thanks for the help, Niimi-kun." Kakeru: "Oh, can I get back to cleaning?" Satsuki: "I expect you to walk Kujo-san home." Kakeru: "Pardon?" Satsuki: "You'd have a sweet, worried girl walk home by herself? Heartless, simply heartless." Kakeru: "Huh? I mean, she's fine." Miyako: "Um, I-I will manage. I rode here on my bike, anyway." Satsuki: "I don't want to hear about your bike. Come on, you two are young. Nurture that budding romance in your hearts, and whatnot." Kakeru: "Budding romance? What?" Satsuki: "Come on, I need some fodder for office gossip. 'Looks like they're going steady! How scandalous!'" Kakeru: "You've got a screw loose somewhere. We're not your playthings, I'll have you know." Miyako: "Erm... Aha, ahaha..." Satsuki: "Look, you, just take her home. Kujo-san, grab your bike and wait at the gate." Miyako: "Oh, o-okay." Satsuki: "Niimi-kun, once you're finished cleaning, head straight to the gate." Kakeru: "Fine." Satsuki: "Then, ride double on the bike like you're on a date, take a spill, and enjoy the lovely hospital stay!" Kakeru: "Wait, what?! What are you trying to do to us, Ms. Naruse?!" Satsuki: "I wish I were still young." Kakeru: "Seriously?" Satsuki: "All right, I'm off. I have things to do myself. See ya tomorrow." *She raps a stack of printouts on the table to align them, picks up her attendance book, and exits the classroom.* *Admittedly this is par for the course, but I still marvel at how incomprehensible she can be.* Miyako: "Erm..." *Kujo is completely at a loss, unsure what to do after Ms. Naruse's injunction that we go home together.* Kakeru: "Sorry, she's always like that." Miyako: "Oh, don't worry. Niimi-kun, you and Ms. Naruse sure are close, aren't you?" Kakeru: "We go way back, yeah." Miyako: "Oh, that must be why you were there yesterday." Kakeru: "Yup, I was helping out her family." Miyako: "I see."

Yoichi: "Have you heard the rumor going around?" Kakeru: "Hm?" *Lunchtime.* *I take a bite of my mediocre sandwich from the cafeteria and engage in mediocre small talk with Yoichi.* Yoichi: "On a bench..." Kakeru: "Yeah?" Yoichi: "...in the park..." Kakeru: "Mm-hmm?" Yoichi: "...there's a stone statue." Kakeru: "Of what?" Yoichi: "A girl!" Kakeru: "That really is the only thing you talk about, isn't it?" Yoichi: "I mean, it's not like I was interested in the rumor just because it's about a girl." Kakeru: "Liar." Yoichi: "You got me." Kakeru: "See?" Yoichi: "It's supposed to be super lifelike! They say it looks like it'll move at any second." Kakeru: "Man, there goes the city again, wasting more money on dumb promotional crap." Yoichi: "Wait, why are you blaming the city?" Kakeru: "The city manages the park, don't they? Can't you just see them making a statue of a girl from the anime, trying to milk a little more out of the investment?" Yoichi: "It doesn't seem like they're behind it. You know the fancy-pants school next to the park?" Kakeru: "Oh, yeah. Kuho?" Yoichi: "That's the one, Kuho Girls Academy. I heard it's wearing their uniform." Kakeru: "Huh." Yoichi: "The statue wasn't there yesterday, but then this morning someone found it sitting there when they went to walk their dog in the park." Kakeru: "Are people actually talking about this?" Yoichi: "Hm?" Kakeru: "The only one who even cares about is you, isn't it?" Yoichi: "Pretty much. I heard some girl mention it to her friends, and I butted in asking for more details, basically." Kakeru: "And so? Why'd you bring up this statue that nobody cares about?" Yoichi: "Don't you wanna check the goods?" Kakeru: "Check what goods?" Yoichi: "Check whether they made it with panties like a real girl, duh." Kakeru: "..." Yoichi: "Kakeru, I think I've seen that look before. That's your look of utter disappointment." Kakeru: "I should hope you've seen it before, seeing as I give you this look several times a day." Yoichi: "There's something wrong with you, Kakeru! Don't you have a sex drive? Wait, are you gay?!" Kakeru: "What the... You dumbass! Don't just shout stuff like that!" Yoichi: "Well, if you're not gay, then how come you won't come check it out? It's supposed to be cool! Like a real-life human got turned into stone!" Yoichi: "Let's go appreciate some art! The glory of the human figure! C'mon!" Kakeru: "Why are you so hellbent on this? You can say all you want about art appreciation, I..." Miyako: "Excuse me. Um. Do you mind if I come along?" Kakeru: "Wha?" Yoichi: "Huh?" *We're both so shocked to see her cut into our conversation that our eyes go wide.* *Even all the girls who were eating with Kujo until a moment ago are looking on in shock.* Yoichi: "Kujo, are you interested in her panties too?" Miyako: "P-P...?!" Kakeru: "Knock it off." Yoichi: "Sorry, just a joke. You want to see the statue at the park, too?" Miyako: "Yes. It only appeared there yesterday, right?" Yoichi: "Yeah, seems like." Miyako: "In that case, they would have had to bring it over early in the morning or late at night, wouldn't they?" Yoichi: "Oh, yeah. Good point." Miyako: "I can't stop thinking about how strange that is. I would assume that, even if the city had commissioned a park monument, they would install it in the middle of the day. You know, some time more convenient." Kakeru: "Huh, interesting. Now that you mention it, it is kind of weird." Miyako: "Right? It's odd." Kakeru: "Yeah, no question about it." Yoichi: "So, are you more interested now, Kakeru?" Kakeru: "Pains me to admit it, but yeah, I am. Basically, someone else must have put it there for their own reasons." Yoichi: "I'm telling you man, it's art. Anti-establishment stuff. Like tagging an underpass." Kakeru: "Art, huh." Miyako: "There's just something about it that seems really mysterious to me. Do you mind if I come along?" Yoichi: "Cool with me. You don't mind, do you, Kakeru?" Kakeru: "That's a fine question considering I haven't agreed on going yet." Yoichi: "Be that way. Kujo-san and I will just have to go together." Kakeru: "Good point, you can't be trusted. I'll have to come along. It'll be the three of us." Yoichi: "What about you two?" *Yoichi invites Kujo's friends along as well.* *They glance his way and shake their heads, looking dubious.* Yoichi: "Ah man, shot down." Kakeru: "Well then, I guess it'll be the three of us going to inspect this so-called work of art." Miyako: "Thank you. I shall see you both after school." *With a quick bow, Kujo returns to her seat.* *...* *Hmm.* Yoichi: "Man, what a shock. That might be the first time I've actually talked with Kujo-san. I guess she's the type who can really jump into a conversation when she wants to." Kakeru: "Apparently we've been reading her all wrong; she might actually be surprisingly sociable." Yoichi: "I feel like she and I might get along well." Kakeru: "Don't do anything stupid. If you do anything to Kujo, you can kiss your life in this town goodbye." Yoichi: "Oh, you're exaggerating." Yoichi: "..." Yoichi: "Oh, wait. Her dad runs the Corona Group." Kakeru: "If she gets hurt, heads are gonna roll." Yoichi: "If things get bad, maybe I could lick her shoes or something?" Kakeru: "You're the only one who'd enjoy that." Yoichi: "Heck yeah. I want to lick them till they're nice and wet. God, I hope they taste nasty..." Kakeru: "Are you for real?" *I sigh and bite into my yakisoba sandwich.* *That was strange...* *...* *She was oddly serious.* *While I could always chalk it up to that overwhelming sense of responsibility of hers, something's bugging me.* *Well, it's probably no big deal.* Yoichi: "Say, Kakeru." Kakeru: "Yeah?" Yoichi: "If I screw things up, you'll lick Kujo-san's shoes with me, right?" Kakeru: "I ain't licking shit!" Miyako: "I'm sorry it took so long." *Kujo arrives leading her bike.* *Me, Yoichi and Kujo—what an odd combination.* Yoichi: "All right, let's get going!" Kakeru: "Yeah, whatever." Miyako: "It's the park over that way, right?" Yoichi: "Yup. It's not even ten minutes away." Miyako: "Oh, you can put your bag in my bike basket, if you'd like." Yoichi: "Really? Thanks." Miyako: "You too, Niimi-kun." Kakeru: "I'll be fine. Looks pretty full already." Miyako: "Then do you want to handle it?" Yoichi: "No, I don't think he can handle it." Kakeru: "Ha ha, very funny." Miyako: "Oh, I just meant to ask if he wanted to hang it off the handlebars. I-I'm sorry." Kakeru: "No need to apologize." Yoichi: "Boy, Kujo-san, I can't even handle how serious you are." Miyako: "R-Really? Me?" Kakeru: "Don't take him seriously. This dimwit talks out of his butt about ninety percent of the time." Yoichi: "Well that's rude! More like one hundred percent!" Kakeru: "Case in point." Miyako: "Oh." Yoichi: "We're losing Kujo-san since she can't keep up with all of our nonsense!" Kakeru: "Just you and your nonsense, actually." *Things are a little strange the whole way to the park.* *Yoichi natters on, and I respond halfheartedly.* *Kujo, in contrast, doesn't really speak.* *I don't think Yoichi is right about why she's gone quiet, though.* *She's not having trouble keeping up; rather, she's deep in thought.* *Something has her on edge.* *Could it be that paranormal phenomenon we talked about yesterday?* *Or maybe she has a clue about the statue?* *Well, either way, we'll know soon enough.* Yoichi: "Oh, is that it?" *Yoichi points as we reach the park.* Kakeru: "Yikes. Not what I expected." *A realistic statue is sitting on the bench.* *A statue of a female student.* *And it is indeed wearing a familiar school uniform.* *The statue makes her look like a rather charming girl.* Miyako: "She looks like she's in pain." Kakeru: "Yeah, definitely." *It's shockingly detailed, enough that even someone like me, who knows nothing about art, can tell. But in spite of that, there's no one else checking it out, presumably because of how damn spooky it is.* *The girl is seated on the bench with a smartphone in her hand.* *The pose makes it look like she's just here to take a quick a break, but her face is anguished.* *The sight of a sweet-looking girl in apparent agony has probably been scaring off anybody curious enough to come check it out.* *I can almost feel the incredible terror she's experiencing.* Yoichi: "If that famous statue is The Thinker... would you call this The Sufferer?" Kakeru: "Why would they put something like this in the park? Shouldn't they keep stuff like this in... Uh, what do sculptors call their workplace? An atelier?" Miyako: "Maybe they had some reason why they didn't want to keep it there." Yoichi: "You mean like, 'My master won't acknowledge my masterpiece, so I'll have to show it to the world!'" Kakeru: "Even if their goal was to make some waves, this is an outrageous amount of effort. Imagine how long this statue must've taken to make." Yoichi: "You said it. Heck, how did they even carry it here? Think it walked all the way here on its own?" Kakeru: "Well, it does look like it could start moving at any moment." Yoichi: "Man, I bet she smells nice. And her chest is probably soft too... and a few other places I'd like to inspect." Kakeru: "No touching." Yoichi: "Aww, but we came all this way! We can't leave without pushing a few sexual harassment boundaries, like...! Wait, what?" Kakeru: "What's wrong?" Yoichi: "Does this spot seem weird to you?" Kakeru: "Hey, I said no touching!" *Ignoring my warning, Yoichi fusses with the statue.* *I can't believe he's going to cop a feel from a statue. What is this dude's deal?* Yoichi: "Look here. See?" Miyako: "Oh. Her fingernails?" Yoichi: "Yeah. This part isn't stone." Miyako: "Could they be real?" Kakeru: "Hey, cut it out with the spooky stuff." Yoichi: "No, don't you think so too? It's like someone pasted on real fingernails." Kakeru: "Putting real fingernails on such a lifelike statue... That's just messed up." Yoichi: "They were obviously trying to send a message. Why else use real nails here, when they...? Uh-oh." Miyako: "Huh?" Kakeru: "Whoa." *Yoichi brushes the nail, and...* *...it falls right off.* *The statue's fingernail just fell off.* Yoichi: "..." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "..." Yoichi: "Oh shit." *Yoichi whispers after several seconds of silence.* *For crying out loud.* Kakeru: "That's why I told you, no touching!" Yoichi: "Oh shit, wha'do I do, wha'do I do, wha'do I do?! How screwed am I? Oh my God, I am SO screwed. Are they gonna yell at me? Arrest me? Lock me up and throw away the key?!" Kakeru: "How would I know, dude? Ah, man, you sure screwed up this time." Yoichi: "No way. No way! There's gotta be a way outta this, right?! Glue! All I gotta do is glue it back on, right?! It'll be like nothing ever happened, see?!" Miyako: "Hold it." Yoichi: "Huh? You don't think it'll work? But I'll just glue it back on there! You really don't think it'll work?!" Miyako: "Look at her finger." Yoichi: "Huh?" Miyako: "It's bleeding." Kakeru: "Huh?" *I look at the statue's finger.* *...* *Are you freaking kidding me?* Yoichi: "..." Yoichi: "Hey, that's for real! It's seriously bleeding! How is this possible?!" Miyako: "It's a statue that bleeds..." Kakeru: "Hey, hold on. Just calm down. Isn't it just ink?" Yoichi: "But it looks like blood! It totally looks like blood!" Kakeru: "Maybe they just made something that looks like blood? Seriously, everybody needs to chill out. There's just no way that statues can bleed." *I try to calm the others down while I pick up the fingernail that fell to the ground near the statue's feet.* *...* *The underside is awfully raw-looking.* *Almost like there's a portion of skin attached. The red drops on it look like dried blood, too.* *Is it the sculptor's fingernail?* *And the blood too... Maybe they drew some of their own and put it in the statue?* *But that'd be insane.* Miyako: "An Artifact." Kakeru: "...?" *My thoughts stop upon hearing Kujo's murmur.* Kakeru: "What was that?" Miyako: "O-Oh, it's nothing. I'm sorry." *All I get in response is an apology. She doesn't even try answering the question.* *I hope her imagination isn't running wild, connecting this with the paranormal phenomenon from before.* Yoichi: "Hey, what do we do now? Do we high-tail it?" Kakeru: "This is a vicious prank. We can't just leave something like this here in the park." Miyako: "We should contact the authorities." Kakeru: "Oh, yeah, maybe... Actually, yeah. Let's do that." Yoichi: "Huh? No way. No cops. They'll want to take me in, for sure!" Kakeru: "You're being paranoid. Kujo, do you have work today?" Miyako: "Huh? Um, yes, I do." Kakeru: "Yoichi, you know Nine Ball, right?" Yoichi: "Oh, yeah, sure." Kakeru: "Walk Kujo over there for me. I'll talk to the police." Yoichi: "Roger that!" Miyako: "Huh? But..." Kakeru: "You shouldn't let this nonsense make you late for work. It's fine; just leave it to me." Miyako: "..." Yoichi: "C'mon now, Kujo-san. Let's head out. Manly Man Kakeru here has got our backs on this one." Miyako: "Oh, um, okay. See you later." Kakeru: "Yeah, and when I'm done, I'll stop by the cafe and report." Yoichi: "Sounds like a plan! I'll be sipping on some tea, awaiting your return, good sir! Let's mosey, Kujo-san." Miyako: "O-Okay." *The two of them depart, Yoichi with a spring in his step and Kujo looking unconvinced.* Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "Haahh..." *I let out a sigh.* *A combination of simple annoyance at the situation and first-time jitters about making a police report has got me nervous all around.* *I backed myself into a corner here by trying to show off in front of Kujo.* *...* *A bloody fingernail.* *A statue that bleeds.* *Well, I can't just walk away from this whole thing.* *I set the fingernail on the statue and pull out my phone.* *My heart is pounding like mad as I slowly dial "110" on my phone and call the police.* *They let me off the hook sooner than I was dreading. Honestly, they looked totally put out, like they were just going through the motions and trying to get out of there. Eventually, I made my way to the cafe, arriving as the sun was setting.* *Slightly exhausted, I open the door and enter.* Miyako: "Welcome." *Kujo calls out instantly, a practiced reaction.* *Once she realizes it's me, however, a hint of concern touches her business-like expression.* Miyako: "Did everything work out?" Kakeru: "All they did was ask for my school and contact info. Where's Yoichi?" Miyako: "Over there, at the seat near the window." *I track Kujo's eyes to discover Yoichi waving me down.* *I resettle my bag on my shoulder and head over to the table.* Yoichi: "That sure was quick." Kakeru: "Yeah." *Once I set down my bag and take a seat, Kujo comes over with a glass of water.* Miyako: "Are you ready to order?" Kakeru: "Uh, sure, let me get a cola, please." Miyako: "Very good. Coming right up." *She gives a bow before going to the kitchen.* *We've talked a lot more now, but the distance between us hasn't really changed, I guess.* Yoichi: "Man, Kujo-san in her waitress outfit is a sight for sore eyes. She's super cute, but in a different way from her cosplay, know what I mean?" Kakeru: "Yeah. She's got a different vibe from when she's at school, that's for sure." Yoichi: "So, what happened? Am I going to the slammer?" Kakeru: "I told them that I was the one who ripped the fingernail off." Yoichi: "Kakeru, you're the best guy in the world! Marry me!" Kakeru: "Hell no. Anyway, explaining was a pain in the ass." Yoichi: "You didn't tell them that we were there with you?" Kakeru: "Yeah, I told them that part. Said that I was with my friends, but one had to go to work, so only I stuck around." Yoichi: "They didn't dig any further? You know, like, 'Jig's up! Who did it?!" Something like that?" Kakeru: "Nope. The cops came, but they looked like they didn't care. From their uniforms, I guess they were both neighborhood beat cops." Yoichi: "So was it all just a prank, or what?" Kakeru: "Dunno. I will say, once they saw the fingernail and the blood, they looked a lot more serious." Kakeru: "They asked for my name and a bunch of other stuff, and then they told me to scram. I spent longer waiting than talking to them." Yoichi: "Huh. Try and do the right thing by reporting it, and they treat you like dirt, huh?" Kakeru: "I mean, being all friendly wouldn't have helped me either. Though I will say that something about the way they treated me like it was all my fault didn't sit right with me." Yoichi: "Hey, you remember the statue's uniform? Isn't that girl over there wearing the same one?" Kakeru: "Over where?" Yoichi: "There." *He jerks his chin a little, urging me to look behind me.* ???: "..." *Sitting at a table near the entrance is a short-haired girl wearing a Kuho Girls Academy uniform, just like the statue.* *I watch as she calmly digs her spoon into her dessert and takes a bite.* Kakeru: "Oh, you mean the Parfait Queen." Yoichi: "'Scuse me?" Kakeru: "She's a regular, so I see her pretty often, and whenever I do, she's always having a parfait. Hence the nickname." Yoichi: "Wow. She sure is a cutie. Maybe I should go say hi." Kakeru: "Uh-huh. Knock 'er dead." Yoichi: "Yeah right, like I've got the guts for that." Kakeru: "Figured as much." Miyako: "Thank you for waiting." *She silently places the soda and a straw on the table.* *Normally this would be where Kujo would offer a bow and walk away, but instead she holds the tray to her chest and stands there for a moment.* Miyako: "Um, Niimi-kun?" Kakeru: "Yeah?" Miyako: "Do you use LING?" Kakeru: "Yeah, I have it on my phone." Miyako: "Here, I wanted to give you my ID." *She sets a scrap of paper next to my glass.* Miyako: "Can you and I chat a little after I'm off work? I'd like to know how your conversation with the authorities went." Kakeru: "Of course, though there isn't much to talk about." Miyako: "That's okay. Just for a bit, if you can; I'm curious." Kakeru: "When does your shift end?" Miyako: "Let's see. Today, I work until eight." Kakeru: "Okay then, I'll message you around nine." Miyako: "Thank you. I really appreciate it." *She gives me a deep bow by way of thanks and goes off to greet a customer who entered the cafe.* *...* *Oh shit. I just got a girl's number.* Yoichi: "Hey, lemme see that." Kakeru: "Not a chance." Yoichi: "Show me." Kakeru: "Nope." Yoichi: "Show me, dammit!" Kakeru: "Hell no, dude!" *I carefully tuck the note away in my pocket so that Yoichi doesn't steal it from me.* Yoichi: "Dammit, just let me see it! I wanna chat with Kujo-san on LING, too!" Kakeru: "Man, there's nothing like a tasty beverage after getting a girl's digits." Yoichi: "Dammit! Why, God, why?!" *Ignoring Yoichi's bitter tears, I wet my whistle with some sweet, sweet cola.* *A hair clip that follows you around.* *A statue that bleeds.* *All this occult stuff is kind of freaky, but it's also helping Kujo and me grow closer, so I've got mixed feelings about the whole thing.* *Honestly, it's enough to make me have the idiotic thought, "Gee, I sure do hope something else happens."* Yoichi: "All right, Kakeru." Kakeru: "Hmm?" Yoichi: "Just tell me the first and second digit." Kakeru: "..." Yoichi: "Okay, just the first!" Kakeru: "Man, this is one tasty beverage." Yoichi: "Dammiiiiiiiiiit!" ???: "..." Yoichi: "Oh." Kakeru: "Huh? What's up?" Yoichi: "The Queen glared at me." Kakeru: "No surprise, with the way you're shouting." Yoichi: "No surprise, with the way you won't tell me Kujo-san's ID." Kakeru: "You know, this beverage is so tasty, I should get another." Yoichi: "Gah!" *I kill some time with Yoichi, eat dinner while I'm at it, and, when I'm done, I head back home.* *I boot up my computer, waiting for the familiar startup sound.* Sora: "Took you long enough! How dare you take a detour on the way home, you dipshit!" *...but am instead greeted to by a delightful new recording. I immediately go into the settings and revert it.* *This virus I've picked up seems awfully persistent. Might be a good idea to change the locks on my place.* *I'm actually not joking. I begin looking up locksmiths online.* *One thing leads to another and I end up surfing the web for a while.* *It's five till nine.* *I step away from my computer and fidget with my phone.* *Sending a message at exactly nine would probably be coming on too strong, or at least be a little off-putting. Ugh, fretting about this is stressing me out.* *I end up sending the message at 9:03.* *Maybe Kujo has been waiting this whole time, since I get a reply right away.* *'Thank you very much for the message. It's me, Kujo.'* *It's a modest, reserved, and somewhat formal message.* *However, I'm antisocial and hardly have any friends who are girls.* *Nah, who am I trying to fool? I don't have a single one.* *At any rate, even a tepid conversation with a girl is a thing of joy to me.* Kakeru: "..." *I'm grinning like an idiot.* *...I must never let Sora or Yoichi see me like this.* *Trying to keep my enthusiasm in check, I do my level best to prepare a cool and composed reply.* *"What did you want to talk about?" I reply.* *Not even a minute later, Kujo zips back a reply.* *'How did the authorities react?'* *"The authorities"? Yikes, talk about stuffy. It's one thing to be a little uptight in person, but even on a chat app?* *I try not to pay it any mind, refocusing myself, and tell her the same thing I told Yoichi.* *'I detoured by the park on the way back home, but the statue was no longer there.'* Kakeru: "Did they collect it?" *I type what I muttered as-is and reply.* *'It would appear so. Perhaps the police investigation will shed some light?'* Kakeru: "I'm not so sure. I mean, don't get me wrong. This is the kind of mischief that would terrify little kids, so I'm hoping they find the culprit. But..." *'This is just a hypothesis, but it's possible that statue was actually once a human being.'* Kakeru: "...?" *She says it's just a hypothesis, but the message seems strangely confident.* *Slightly at a loss as to how I should answer her, my fingers hover over the screen.* *If that girl had once been an actual person...* *...* *How could a person be turned into a stone statue?* *Like, encasing them in cement?* *That'd make this some bizarro murder case.* *If that's what's going on, there'll be a huge uproar.* *It also means Shiromitsugawa's name will get dragged through the mud yet again. That'd be kind of a bummer, to say the least.* *But that's not the kind of tongue-in-cheek response Kujo is likely after.* *I guess she really is into all that occult stuff, huh? I've never really bought into it much myself.* *'I'm sorry. I was only joking.'* *Perhaps sensing the bewilderment behind my hesitance to respond, Kujo follows up with that.* *A little flustered by her apology, I try to give a noncommittal reply: "Y'know, a lot of strange things have been going down lately."* *I try turning the conversation to the hair clip.* *But maybe she's realized that talking about the occult isn't going to help the conversation along, since she gives me yet another curt reply: "I'm fine. Thank you."* *We exchange some idle chit-chat until Kujo wishes me goodnight, signaling an end to our talk.* *I put my phone on sleep mode, set it next to my computer, and sprawl out on my bed, when something catches my eye.* Kakeru: "..." *That mysterious plushie.* *That reminds me, I never did check with Sora whether this was hers.* *I reach out and grab it by its... uh, torso? Head? Anyway, I grab it and pull it over.* *It's oddly heavy. Unsettlingly warm, too.* *Maybe, like the stone statue, this thing's insides are also alive.* *I try fiddling with the zipper running down the length of its face, but it doesn't budge. Just for decoration, huh?* *...* Kakeru: "This is dumb." *I mutter to myself, setting down the plushie and getting to my feet.* *We've had a huge earthquake.* *A broken sacred relic.* *A cursed hair clip.* *And now a human petrification.* *I'm afraid to see what happens next.* Kakeru: "Time for a bath, I think." *Scratching the back of my head, I make my way to the bath.*

Kakeru: "..." *I wake up a few seconds before my alarm and stop it as soon as it rings.* *I kick off my comforter and get up.* *Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I stumble to the bathroom.* *After heeding nature's call, I brush my teeth and wash my face.* *I grab a jelly drink from the fridge and walk over to my PC.* *After it boots up, I begin checking the daily news sites while changing into my uniform.* Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "Huh?" *I grunt absentmindedly.* *"Missing Girl Discovered as Statue."* *This headline doesn't make any sense.* *I continue reading the article.* *She was last seen on the night of the 18th, at the cram school she attended.* *She never returned home, and late at night, as her parents grew increasingly concerned, they contacted the authorities.* *A citizen subsequently reported encountering an unusual statue in a local park, and police investigation uncovered that the object in question was not in fact a statue at all.* *The girl's belongings were found inside the petrified bag, and data was recovered from her petrified cellphone's memory.* *Several other pivotal factors further confirmed the identity of the statue as the girl herself. How her skin was turned to stone is still unknown.* *...* *I go through several news sites, checking the facts at each one, but they're all completely consistent.* Kakeru: "You can't be serious." *'This is just a hypothesis, but it's possible that statue was actually once a human being.'* *Kujo's message from the night before pops into my mind.* *It can't be... what she was afraid of turned out to be true?* *No, the truth is undeniable now. That was no statue; it was a person.* *The fingernail wasn't some prop set up by the sculptor for an elaborate prank. It was the girl's actual fingernail.* *The blood was real.* *And her skin was turned to stone...* *Which means... under the stone was once flesh and warm blood.* Kakeru: "..." *I check my timeline on Titter.* *...* *A strange disease is turning people to stone.* *You can smell a whiff of perverse delight running through the posts, among the fear and consternation.* *One theory claims it's a virus from outer space, and it's crazy how many people are actually standing up for that view.* *A handful of locals, or just people who know more about the town, are even drawing connections to that lousy anime.* *Apparently, there's a monster in it that turns people into stone.* *That faction is claiming that the earthquake awakened the monster, and that it's what's responsible for turning the girl to stone.* *Until someone deals with the monster, this mystery disease isn't going away, or so they say.* *This is nuts.* *But I can't say with complete confidence that they're wrong, and that's frustrating.* *Someone was turned to stone. That's crazy in and of itself, and yet I saw it with my own eyes.* *The virus from outer space? The mysterious monster? Bizarre as they sound, one of them might even be right.* Kakeru: "This is getting weird." *With a mutter, I dismiss the whole situation as someone else's problem and close my laptop.* *First, Kujo's paranormal phenomenon.* *Now, a disease turning people to stone.* *And from the way Kujo's been acting, I'm starting to think there's some link between the two.* *What was it Kujo said again? Something about a curse?* Kakeru: "She said that when the sacred relic broke, it brought down disaster upon Shiromitsugawa. There's no way, right?" ???: "In fact, yes, that is exactly what has transpired." Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "...?!" *I hear an unfamiliar girl's voice, prompting to me to turn around so fast you can practically hear the whoosh.* Kakeru: "..." *Nothing. No one is there.* *Of course no one's there. This is my apartment. I'm the only one who should be here.* Kakeru: "Was that you, Sora? Is this some kind of trick? Hey!" *...* *......* *.........* *No response.* *Am I imagining things? Hearing things?* *Or maybe I'm a victim of a paranormal phenomenon of my own?* *...* *......* *.........* Kakeru: "Dammit, this is dumb. How stupid am I?" *I try to shame myself into acting tougher, after getting spooked by the voice.* *I gulp down my jelly drink while roughly scratching my head.* *Unable to completely shake off the feeling of dread, I quickly finish getting ready for the day, while constantly checking over my shoulder.* *I then make my way to school, earlier than usual.* ???: "..." ???: "And here I thought it was about time." ???: "..." ???: "Seems I should see how things play out a little more." Kakeru: "..." *Nothing from class is sticking, even more so than usual.* *Yoichi started chattering away at me the moment I walked in the classroom.* *And Sora, not knowing that I left early, waited for me until she was almost late for school, so you can add guilt over that to my list of concerns.* *During lunch, the case of the petrified girl ends up being the talk of the school.* *Kujo looks more tense than usual, too.* *...* *Also, the more I remember it, the less confident I feel that the voice I heard was just my ears playing tricks on me.* *No way am I crazy enough to hear a voice so crystal clear like that.* *So then, what did I hear?* *And for that matter, what's the deal with that plushie that just appeared in my room one day?* *...* *Is it some cursed toy? Or maybe an artifact spirit that brings good luck?* Kakeru: "..." *I heave a brief sigh and collapse on my desk.* *Maybe I should try talking to Ms. Naruse about it.* *Or maybe I could bring it up with Kujo? Like, "You know, I'm having a run-in with the paranormal, too!" Or something?* *I bet it'd make a great conversation starter.* *That kind of wishful thinking is the only thing keeping me from being totally down in the dumps.* *God, I'm so pathetic.* *At the sound of the bell, we stand and bow.* *That's the last morning class.* *Maybe my mood will improve a little after I eat some lunch and fill my belly.* *...* *Oh, crap.* Yoichi: "Kakeru my man, let's get our grub on!" *Yoichi comes over to my desk with a convenience store bag in hand.* Yoichi: "What's the matter? Not hungry?" Kakeru: "I am indeed hungry. Problem is, I don't have a lunch." Yoichi: "Huh? You didn't buy anything?" Kakeru: "I forgot to pick something up this morning. I'll have to stop by the cafe." Yoichi: "No sweat, I'll tag along." Kakeru: "You can start eating without me, you know?" Yoichi: "I don't want to eat alone. Besides, I'm going to buy a drink, so coming along's no big..." Yoichi: "Whoa, what the heck? What's going on?!" *Out of nowhere, the fire alarm goes off, a shrill, blaring sound.* Yoichi: "Huh? What is this? A fire drill?" Kakeru: "Normally they'd have said announced it beforehand, if so." Yoichi: "Huh? Why are you so calm? Though I have to admit, it's so manly I'm about to swoon." Kakeru: "I'm totally freaking out, dude. You're the one acting like it's no big deal." Yoichi: "Anyway, what do we do? Should we evacuate? This happened last year too, when someone pulled the alarm as a prank." Kakeru: "Oh yeah... Anyway, we should probably just sit tight until Ms. Naruse or someone comes to..." Kakeru: "Huh?" *My phone vibrates, so I pull it out of my pocket and check it.* *Sora's calling me?* *She texts me constantly, but she hardly ever calls.* Yoichi: "'Sup?" Kakeru: "My sister's calling me." Yoichi: "Introduce me!" Kakeru: "Get bent." *I cut Yoichi down to size before answering the call.* Kakeru: "Yeah, hel..." Sora: "Onii-chan, it's terrible!" *Sora's shriek pierces my ear and cuts me off mid-hello.* *I blink, suddenly serious.* *Sora only calls me "Onii-chan" when she really needs my help.* Kakeru: "What's wrong?" Sora: "Someone in my class set the room on fire!" Kakeru: "They what?! They set it on fire, on purpose?!" *I find myself yelling that question.* *All eyes turn to me, and the classroom works itself up into a frenzy, but I can't be bothered to worry about that.* Kakeru: "H-How the hell did that happen?" Sora: "I really don't know! They just started shouting, and then...!" Kakeru: "Can you get out?!" Sora: "No! There's flames everywhere!" Kakeru: "What about the window?!" Sora: "No, they're everywhere!" Kakeru: "Dammit!" *Every exit is sealed off?* *It's not a drill, so the fire engines should be coming any moment now.* *...!* Kakeru: "Don't hang up! Stay on the line!" Sora: "O-Okay." Kakeru: "Which class is yours?!" Sora: "Um... C-Class D!" Kakeru: "Hang on, I'm coming!" *I slip my phone in my pocket, leaving the call live.* Yoichi: "S-Something tells me it's bad news." Kakeru: "It's a real fire! The first floor is on fire!" Yoichi: "No way! What do we do?!" *I can't afford to stand around and deal with Yoichi's panicking. I dash out into the hall.* *What am I going to do?! Even if I go to the first floor, what can I even do?!* *Gotta fill a bucket with water... No!* Miyako: "Niimi-kun!" *Kujo seems to have followed me for some reason.* *I really can't spare the time to talk to her.* Miyako: "I overheard there's a fire." Kakeru: "My sister told me her classmate started it!" Miyako: "They started a fire? But how?" Kakeru: "I have no clue! Sorry, we can talk later!" *I pull a fire extinguisher from its storage container and rush toward the stairs.* *Kujo follows.* Kakeru: "It's dangerous! Wait in the classroom!" Miyako: "Same to you, Niimi-kun!" Kakeru: "My sister couldn't get away in time!" Miyako: "I can probably help!" Kakeru: "...!" *It's useless arguing with her, so we rush down the stairs.* Kakeru: "What the hell?" Miyako: "What is this...?" *The first floor is a sea of flames.* *But there's something strange about them.* *The windows, walls, and floors are burning up, yet I don't feel any heat.* *There's no smoke coming from the flames, either.* *I can only tell they're hot by moving right up next to them.* *There's something peculiar about the way the fire is burning, too.* *I don't know how to describe it, but it's like they're not burning any material. They're just... there.* *In any case, it's a bizarre sight.* *A bunch of students are crowded together, watching it from a distance.* Kakeru: "This is no time to stand around gawking!" *I'm chastising myself as well as the others. I'm no better than them right now.* *I pull out the pin on the extinguisher, point the nozzle at the blaze, and squeeze down the lever.* *A white mist engulfs the area ten feet in front.* *The can runs dry in a mere ten or fifteen seconds, and I reel at how pathetically short it lasted.* *However, what makes my blood run colder than that is...* Kakeru: "No way... It didn't do anything?!" *The flames are still burning, unaffected.* *I finally understand why the students and teachers nearby are just standing there in confusion.* *The flames don't just look abnormal!* *Did someone spill some kind of chemical?* Kakeru: "...!" *I'm not going to resolve this by thinking about it.* *I'll try another extinguisher.* *If one full extinguisher isn't enough, then I'll use up as many as it takes!* Miyako: "Wait." *I walk toward the storage box, but Kujo grabs my arm.* Kakeru: "Now what?!" Miyako: "I don't think it's going to work. We need a different approach." Kakeru: "Like what?!" *I'm panicking so much that I snap at her.* *Kujo, on the other hand, is trying her best to be composed as she reasons with me.* Miyako: "Niimi-kun, are you a User?" Kakeru: "Huh? A what?" Miyako: "Very well then. I'll have to explain later. For now, just leave this to me." Kakeru: "Whoa, hold on. What do you mean, leave this to you? What do you plan on doing?!" Miyako: "I'm going to find the person who started the fire." Kakeru: "And then what?" Miyako: "If I can find him, I believe I can put the fire out." *I don't understand what she could possibly mean.* *But her firm gaze is reassuring.* *There's something in it that makes me want to believe her.* Kakeru: "Do you really mean it?" Miyako: "I can't promise you, but I'll give it a shot." Kakeru: "...! Sora!" *I take out my phone and shout her name.* Kakeru: "Is the arsonist still nearby?!" Sora: "Y-Yeah! They're groaning and shouting! I'm so scared, and I can't get out!" Kakeru: "Okay, just hold tight!" Kakeru: "Kujo, they're in Class D! They'll be the one groaning and shouting!" Miyako: "Class D, got it!" Kakeru: "I'll go first! Kujo, you're behind me!" Miyako: "Huh? But...!" Kakeru: "No time to argue!" *I take off my blazer and fan away the flames.* *Maybe I can't put them out, but they at least flicker to the side a moment.* *Still no smoke. And despite the sea of flames, there are a lot of safe areas.* *We can make it through.* Kakeru: "Let's go!" Miyako: "R-Right!" *Keeping an eye out for patches of hallway that aren't ablaze, I dash through, carving a path by brushing the flames aside with my blazer.* *Completely avoiding the flames proves difficult, and they occasionally lick at my arms and legs.* *I'm getting flashbacks to when I used to cook for myself. The pain is about as bad as when I accidentally touched a hot frying pan.* *However, neither my blazer nor any part of me that the flames touch actually catches fire.* *Admittedly, I've never seen a real fire on this scale, so I don't know exactly what it acts like, but this is definitely strange.* Crazed Male Student: "Nooooo! Stop!" *The onlookers go silent as an unsettling scream echoes through the hall.* *There, in the center of a cylindrical wall of flames.* *A boy is thrashing around, head and arms arms flailing unnaturally as he rages.* Miyako: "That must be him." Kakeru: "Yeah, definitely. What now?" Miyako: "I need to get within thirty feet of him." Kakeru: "Thirty feet? That's way too close!" Miyako: "I know, but I think that was my limit, last time I tried." Kakeru: "You're not making any sense. You better tell me why we're doing this all later!" *I brush more flames aside with my blazer as we close the distance.* Crazed Male Student: "Gaaaah! I can't control it!" *Another scream.* *A pillar of fire erupts from the ceiling.* *The flames wreathe around the student and grow as he cries out.* *I can't get any closer!* *Damn, the front of Class D's room looks like the gates of hell itself!* Crazed Male Student: "My powers are out of control! They're going berserk!" Kakeru: "Shit, it's too hot! Dammit, what the hell's up with this guy?!" Miyako: "I knew it. He's a User." Kakeru: "What the hell's a User?!" Miyako: "We'll talk later. Thank you! I'm finally in range!" Kakeru: "What, going to unleash your superpowers or something?" Miyako: "Precisely!" Kakeru: "Wait, what?" Miyako: "...!" *Kujo extends her left hand.* Miyako: "Cowardly Power of the Thief, defend the world and the people in it..." *She's muttering something under her breath.* *Don't tell me it's some sort of incantation?* *But maybe that's exactly what it is.* *A pattern... No, an emblem appears on the back of her hand. What the hell is that?* *I don't know.* *A mysterious glowing blue symbol appears on the back of Kujo's hand.* Kakeru: "Kujo, what IS that?" Miyako: "Not right now!" Miyako: "...!" Miyako: "Where is it? I need to find the thing that's driving him insane." *Kujo hesitates, her glowing left hand still outstretched toward the male student.* *I don't have the foggiest idea what she's doing.* *I'm fully occupied waving my blazer around, pushing the flames aside so they don't engulf Kujo.* *Of course, between me wildly waving around my jacket and Kujo's light show, we're bound to draw attention no matter how crazy this guy is, and he turns our way.* Crazed Male Student: "What?! Don't come near me! Go away!" Miyako: "...!" Kakeru: "Kujo!" *The flames rush at us like a tsunami, and I instinctively shield Kujo from it.* *The flames pass over us and scatter to the floor and walls.* Kakeru: "Agh...!" Miyako: "Niimi-kun, are you okay?!" Kakeru: "I'm fine! Are you okay, Kujo?" Miyako: "I-I'm sorry, thank you! I'm fine!" Kakeru: "When he waved his arm, the flames came at us! It's like he's controlling the flames himself!" Miyako: "Yes, I think that's exactly right." Kakeru: "You're saying he has superpowers too?!" Miyako: "That's the long and short of it!" Kakeru: "Boy, I was hoping you'd say I had the wrong idea." Miyako: "Oh, he moved. He's outside my range!" *I look over my shoulder to see the guy stepping back, still screaming.* *From the look in his eyes, he's totally lost it.* *And... there's a glowing symbol on his face.* *Just like the one on Kujo's hand.* Kakeru: "So. Superpowers." Kakeru: "...!" Kakeru: "You said thirty feet, right?" Miyako: "Uh, right!" Kakeru: "I'll hold him down. The rest is up to you!" Miyako: "Huh? Wait a... Niimi-kun!" *I ignore her and charge headlong at him.* *If this were a manga, I'd be shouting courageously while I do it, but instead, let's just say that if I weren't grinding my teeth together right now, I'd be crying like a little bitch from the pain.* *So I shout out my warcry in my head, "Yaaaaaaaaahhhh!"* *The unnatural flames burn me everywhere.* *Intense pain assaults me, the sensation of being seared alive.* *And yet my clothes don't catch fire.* *Therefore, these flames have to be fakes.* *Meaning the pain is an illusion too!* Crazed Male Student: "Stay baaack!" *A gout of flame flies at me.* *I plunge straight through it, grabbing on to the student.* Crazed Male Student: "Aagh!" *I pin him to the ground.* *My phone falls from my pocket and hits the floor, and I hear Sora's voice coming from it.* *She can probably see me from the classroom.* *Hang on, Sora! Leave it to me!* *Or rather, leave it to her!* Kakeru: "Kujo!" Miyako: "Niimi-kun, you're incredible!" *With a line that would make me blush under ordinary circumstances, Kujo extends her left hand once more.* *The symbol on her hand is the same as this guy's.* *Wait, actually, the design is different.* *Is it some sort of counter to his power to control flame?* *Speaking of which...!* Crazed Male Student: "Let go of meeeee!" Kakeru: "Yeowch! Hold still, you! Kujo, what's the holdup?!" Miyako: "I'm sorry! I need to find it first! It should be something he's wearing!" Kakeru: "What is it you need to find?! And then what?!" Miyako: "It'll be something he's wearing. Probably jewelry! Like a hair clip! I have to be able to see it!" Kakeru: "I still don't get what the hell's goin' on, but...!" Crazed Male Student: "Gaaah, stoooooop!" Kakeru: "Shit! Stop thrashing! Shaddup and hold still!" *Giving in to my anger, I slug the guy in the face.* *His head hits the floor and bounces off with a dull thud, and after a groan, he stops flailing around.* *Oh, shit, did I kill him? I panic for an instant, before the burning pain brings me back to what I need to do.* *Gotta find the jewelry!* *She said a hair clip? But a dude wouldn't be wearing that!* *Where could it be, dammit?!* ???: "It's the silver cross dangling from his neck." Kakeru: "...!" *That voice again!* *Now's not the time to worry about who it is!* Kakeru: "Gotta trust 'em!" *I flip the unconscious guy over onto his back.* *There it is! A silver cross!* *I grab it and yank at the thin chain with all my might, hoisting it up.* Kakeru: "Kujo! This is it!" Miyako: "Thank you! Please, this has to work!" *She closes her glowing left hand into a fist.* *I feel an odd discomfort for a split second.* *In the palm of my hand...* *It's like the thing that should be clenched in my fist disappeared.* Miyako: "I did it!" *The cross that was in my hand has appeared in Kujo's.* *Wh-What on Earth?* ???: "Get away from him, quickly!" Kakeru: "...!" *That voice again?* *I instinctively follow its advice, jumping back and putting some distance between myself and the boy.* *And then it happens.* Crazed Male Student: "AaaaaAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" *He should still be unconscious, but the student's eyes pop open, and he screams as he scratches at the symbol on his face.* *The flames near him... No, every flame throughout the hallway suddenly quivers and goes flying straight at him, a hail of arrows and spears of fire.* *A tempest of flame.*

*It's been about a week since then.* *The incidents have only become more frequent.* *Both the Evil Eye's User and new Artifact Users have been active.* *The opening of the gate plunged Shiromitsugawa into chaos, just like in the anime.* *...Or so you would think.* *In reality, it's been a total snoozefest.* *We had the human petrification case.* *And then the illusory fire.* *But since then, nothing to speak of has happened.* *This is just conjecture, but I suspect that after those two incidents caused such a huge stir, the various Users, including the culprit behind the petrification incident, are probably lying low.* *As for that guy who turned the school into a sea of flames, the only thing I know is that he's stopped coming to school.* *There's only so much that a normal student can investigate on their own.* *Still, I can say with confidence that there's been no sign of the chaos Sophie predicted, at the very least.* *As a result, both finding the culprit and finding allies have turned out to be difficult objectives.* *The ever-responsible Kujo has been fretting over it, saying, "We need to resolve this as soon as possible." But, though I feel a little guilty admitting it, I've been hoping that things stay peaceful.* *My reason should be readily apparent.* Miyako: "♪" *I can hear Kujo humming to herself in the kitchen.* *I don't know why, but Kujo has started to come over and make me dinner on days she doesn't have work.* *According to Kujo:* Miyako: "All those convenience store lunches and eating out all the time aren't providing a balanced diet." *Who am I to disagree?* *Apparently, she finds my unhealthy eating habits unacceptable.* *Also, she says cooking for me is her way of thanking me for always looking out for her.* *I don't have the foggiest memory of always looking out for her, which makes me feel a little guilty, but...* *Not only do I have a girl coming over to cook for me, but it's not just any girl. It's the most popular, smart and beautiful girl in class... no, in my grade... no, in the whole damn school!* *No way could I let an event straight out of my dreams slip through my fingers.* *When Kujo offered to cook for me, I played it cool and said she didn't need to bother, but in my mind, I was flexing like I'd won a title match.* Miyako: "Let's see, where's the olive oil?" *Though quick, Kujo never makes a false step in the kitchen.* *Today, she's making Salisbury steak. Its savory aroma wafts through the air.* *Aah, this must be what it feels like to live with your girlfriend. What bliss.* *Each day Kujo comes over is a real treat... or, it would be.* Sora: "Salisbury steak♪ Yay! Salisbury steak♪ Yay!" Kakeru: "..." *If only SHE were out of the picture.* *Whyyy can't my clever little sister take a freaking hint?* Sora: "So, hey, Bromeo." Kakeru: "What?" Sora: "It'd sure be nice if you'd quit glaring at me like I'm cockblocking you every time I visit." Kakeru: "Oh, you caught on?" Sora: "It doesn't take a genius when you're being so obvious about it. I'll have you know, I'm the one paying for dinner here." Kakeru: "You're not; Dad is." Sora: "I milked him for a little extra this week." Kakeru: "You're incorrigible." Miyako: "I'm sorry for having you pay for my portion as well." *Kujo sets out a serving platter.* *On the platter sits a beautifully plated, multicolored salad.* Miyako: "I'm sorry, here I went and made enough for myself without asking." Kakeru: "Nah, I told you, you don't need to worry about that. It's more fun if we all eat together, and it'd just be a pain to try to figure out how much you should pay us back." Sora: "Yeah, what he said. Just consider it your pay for preparing the meal!" Miyako: "Haha, thank you. Whenever I cook, I'll try to be as cost-effective as possible." Sora: "Nah, don't sweat it. Dear old Dad's paying all my food bills anyway." Miyako: "That attitude won't do at all. You should value your money!" *Kujo emphasizes her point, clenching her fist.* Miyako: "Grandfather always told me, 'If you're frivolous with money, you'll run out in no time, so you should make a habit of saving up.'" Miyako: "Niimi-kun, you're either racking up close to a thousand yen at the convenience store, or around five hundred if you come to our cafe." Miyako: "Plus, you usually buy a sandwich or onigiri at the convenience store for lunch, too, right? The amount you spend on food each day must be substantial." Miyako: "However, if you were just to cook your dinner, you'd slash your costs dramatically. Lettuce was cheap today, and ground beef was half off! If you made a habit of selecting inexpensive ingredients, you could cut your food expenses even further! Not to mention..." Kakeru: "R-Right." Sora: "Is this her housewife mode?" *Kujo waxes eloquent over the subject while I stand there listening, half in horror and half in awe.* *Miyako Kujo.* *The heiress of the Corona Group, a titanic corporation.* *Her hobbies: coupon clipping and bargain hunting.* *She's so prudent with how she spends money that she'd cringe to see a guy like me buy three sweet rolls at once without a thought and say, "What conspicuous consumption!"* *Kujo is the antithesis of what you'd expect from a wealthy person. If anything, she comes off as a model proletarian.* *This is a side of her I've only come to know in this past week.* *What's more, that stiff attitude towards me has started to soften up.* *I'm pretty excited about how fast we're growing closer.* Miyako: "So, for the celery, I like to... Oh! I put celery in this. Are you both okay with eating it?" Kakeru: "No problems here." Sora: "Same for me!" Miyako: "Haha, what a relief. Oh! Oh no, the Salisbury steaks are going to burn!" *She gasps and rushes off to the kitchen.* Miyako: "Oh, thank goodness, they still need a little more time. Go ahead and start on the salad!" Kakeru: "Can do." Sora: "Okie dokie!" *Or so we say, but neither of us makes a move for the salad.* *We're not about to start eating without Kujo, while she's slaving over a hot stove for us.* Sora: "I'm tellin' ya, she'd make a great wife." Kakeru: "Heh heh, oh, quit it, you." Sora: "Are you for real? Already playing the lovesick husband? God, you're disgusting." Kakeru: "Shut your mouth and take your ass home." Sora: "No, you." Kakeru: "This IS my home, brat." Sora: "It'll be mine soon enough." Kakeru: "Are you an idiot?" Sora: "Takes one to know one!" Miyako: "Either of you want cheese on top?" Kakeru: "Oh, for sure!" Sora: "Heck yeah!" *Kujo's charming voice brings our pointless scuffle to a close.* *With a practiced hand, she puts on the finishing touches.* *And five minutes later, a delicious-looking dinner adorns the table.* Miyako: "I hope you all enjoy it." Sora: "Looks awesome!" Kakeru: "Yeah, I bet it's gonna be great." *I put my hands together and offer a prayer, and then I pick up my chopsticks.* Sora: "Did you even make the sauce, Miya?" Miyako: "Yes. I just mixed some ketchup and Worcestershire sauce together, though." Kakeru: "It's fantastic." Miyako: "I'm so glad you like it, haha." Sora: "It's so tender! Our mom's Salisbury steak always comes out hard as a rock."

*I get out of bed.* *Wash my face and brush my teeth.* *Have a simple breakfast.* *Finally, I change into my uniform.* *Just as I'm slinging my bag over my shoulder, ready to head out, the space in front of me distorts.* Sophitia: "Oh my, already on your way?" *A hole in the fabric of space tears open, and Sophie emerges.* *Always with the needlessly flashy entrance.* Kakeru: "Yeah, just heading out." Sophitia: "Incidentally, I finished looking into the first girl you mentioned." Kakeru: "Whoa, that was quick." Sophitia: "Like I said, I'm not useless like you." Kakeru: "Mhmm." *I casually brush off her comment, causing Sophie to knit her brows in dissatisfaction.* *After letting out a sigh, she continues in a bored voice.* Sophitia: "It was quite a simple feat. I deduced everything I needed from your past actions and found an individual who matched the parameters you specified almost immediately." Kakeru: "Oh yeah? You really have been keeping me under observation." Sophitia: "But of course. A User unaware of their powers is absolutely hilariou... I mean, is no laughing matter." Kakeru: "I heard that." Sophitia: "Just shut up and listen, okay?" Kakeru: "Alright, alright." Sophitia: "I decided to investigate the long-haired girl first. Her name is Haruka Kosaka. I don't know how you'd write it, only how it's pronounced. She's a year older than you." Kakeru: "Ah, so she really is a third-year." Sophitia: "Judging by how she acts, your prediction was correct. She is quite suspicious." Kakeru: "Interesting." Sophitia: "..." Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "And?" Sophitia: "And what?" Kakeru: "You don't have anything else?" Sophitia: "Not a thing." Kakeru: "Are you serious?" Sophitia: "You're busy, aren't you? I gave you the abridged version." Kakeru: "Why, thank you so much for your kind consideration. I hope you can handle investigating the other girl." Sophitia: "That goes without saying." *Perhaps due to her not taking too kindly to how I phrased my remark, Sophie looks a bit miffed as she vanishes.* *Her appearance is rather disarming, so I tend to be pretty casual with her, but she sure is a moody one. What a pain in the ass.* Kakeru: "Now then." *At least we have a name to work wtih.* *I suppose it's my responsibility to check out her class, now.* Sora: "Finally. Took you long enough, slowpoke!" Miyako: "Morning, Niimi-kun!" *Sora is waiting by the station.* *Kujo, who lives in the opposite direction, is also here for some reason, which throws me for a loop.* Kakeru: "Why are you here, Kujo?" Sora: "She said she wants to get a look at the super popular girl." Miyako: "I just really wanted to see what she's like." Kakeru: "Sophie looked into her a bit. Says her name is Haruka Kosaka, and that she's a year ahead of us." Miyako: "Kosaka-senpai, huh?" Kakeru: "You know the name?" Miyako: "No, sorry." Sora: "Anyhow, we should get going. She and her gaggle of guys have a head-start on us!" Kakeru: "Oh shoot, sorry. Let's catch up to them." Miyako: "Oh! Feel free to put your bags in the basket." Sora: "Thank y'kindly!" Kakeru: "Did you see her when she passed by, Kujo?" Miyako: "You could say that, I suppose, but honestly, she was completely surrounded by boys, so I couldn't actually get a look at her." Sora: "She's kind of a big deal, huh? I think we'll be able to catch up to them quick since they only passed by a moment ago." *We jog for ten seconds or so.* *As Sora predicted, we catch up with the obvious commotion in no time.* Haruka: "Could I ask you to be a little more gentle with my things? You've let my lunch box sit at an angle." Haruka: "Now now, I'd rather you not come any closer than that. And under no circumstances are you to touch me. I am not some woman of loose morals." *A flock of boys surrounding a princess. Or, to be more accurate, I suppose it's a flock of boys and the Queen of Eden.* *One of her entourage is carrying her bag, while she struts about with an overacted air of refinement.* Kakeru: "The first time I saw her, she was acting so troubled about everything and timid, but now..." Sora: "She's not wrong, calling herself a queen. She's even got her uniform undone a good ways down, with her chest just, BAM, right out there." Miyako: "This might come across as rude, but I can't help feeling like..." Sora: "You can tell she's totally forcing it, right?" Miyako: "Oh, yes, exactly. The way she's speaking doesn't seem to come naturally to her." Kakeru: "Y'know, maybe she really did just become popular all of a sudden, and she's just trying to make the most out of it. No Artifacts or anything, just coincidences." Sora: "But then what explains her sudden popularity?" Miyako: "Maybe people finally noticed how attractive she is?" Kakeru: "Or like, maybe she won the lottery." Sora: "You're too sweet, Miya. And my big brother's too jaded." Kakeru: "How can you say that? I'm not ashamed to admit I'd lick her shoes for a million yen!" Miyako: "Huh?" Sora: "Damn, you're right. So would I." Miyako: "Huh?!" Kakeru: "Well, all joking aside... It doesn't feel like it's my place to say, but there definitely is something abnormal about her sudden surge in popularity." Miyako: "I admit, I never saw what she was like before, but if she's really changed that much, then I would suspect something in her environment has caused that change." Kakeru: "Something like an Artifact?" Sora: "Is it an Artifact that makes you a guy magnet? I can't decide if I'm super jealous or if I don't give a shit. Shall we check things out?" Miyako: "And how do you propose we do that?" Sora: "Just leave that to me. I've got something in mind that should do the trick, now that I know her name." Sora: "Brother dearest, may I borrow your back for a moment?" Kakeru: "...? Uh, okay." *Sora pulls out a pen and a notebook, carefully tears out a piece of paper, braces it against my back, and begins writing.* Sora: "Crap, writing like this is a pain in the ass. I should have ripped it out after I wrote it." Miyako: "You're using him as a writing surface?" Sora: "Oh, don't worry, he doesn't mind." Kakeru: "You're writing a letter?" Sora: "Yup. Hmmmm... Okay, that should do it. I'm gonna go hand this to her, okay?" Miyako: "Really? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Sora: "Have you forgotten about my power?" *Sora starts folding up the letter and jogs over to the group.* *Without so much as being noticed by any of them, she slips the letter into Kosaka-senpai's pocket and returns to us with a triumphant look on her face.* Sora: "Heh. Piece of cake." Miyako: "Oh, I see. You used your Perceptual Control on yourself." Sora: Yup. It may not work if they're already staring right at me, but to anybody who hasn't yet noticed me, I'm practically invisible. I'm a modern-day ninja! This sure is one handy power, heheh." Kakeru: "Here I was thinking it was pretty lame, but it's more useful than I gave it credit for." Sora: "I do believe you just said something insulting. If you apologize immediately, I'll be merciful and let you off the hook with a mere slap to the face." Kakeru: "What did you write in the letter?" Sora: "Wow, cold. I said, 'You're the Queen of Eden, correct? I'm on your side, so I'd appreciate if you'd get in contact with me.' And then the LING ID." Miyako: "Wow, that's pretty bold." Sora: "Oh. Bad idea?" Kakeru: "If we're wrong, she'll just ignore it, but even if we're right, it might just make her more cautious. Still, she might reply, and that would certainly be good for us." Kakeru: "You did good, kid." Sora: "Ehehe, yes, good, sing my praises to the sky. Hey, wait, stop patting my head! You're gonna ruin my beautiful hair!" *I try stroking her hair, but she shakes me off.* *How cruel.* Kakeru: "For now, all we can do is wait. If nothing happens by the time school ends, we'll rethink our strategy." Miyako: "You said you gave her your ID, Sora-chan?" Sora: "Hm? Oh, uh... of course." Kakeru: "Hold it right there. What was that?" Sora: "What was what?" Kakeru: "You hesitated. Whose ID did you REALLY write down?" Sora: "..." Kakeru: "Christ, don't even bother answering." Sora: "Please, forgive me!" Kakeru: "Nah, honestly, it's fine. If anything, it was a good idea. I'm just another guy, so it's not like it'll be a big deal even if she leaks my ID to her followers." Sora: "Wait, what the heck?! Get angry! You're ruining the joke!" Kakeru: "What's with you? God, you're a pain in the ass." Miyako: "Haha. Niimi-kun, you're so blunt with her, but you really dote on your little sister, don't you?" Kakeru: "Uh, no, you're way off-base." Sora: "C'mon, tell her the truth. You're just crazy about me!" Kakeru: "In your dreams." Miyako: "I find it hard to believe you'd jump into a sea of fire for her unless you loved her." Sora: "Preach it, sister! You adore me, don't you?" Kakeru: "God, put a cork in it." Sora: "We won't judge you for it!" Kakeru: "Drop dead." Sora: "You're terrible!" Miyako: "Haha. I wish I had someone I was so close to." Kakeru: "Wait, what do you mean?" Sora: "Yeah, for realsies, what part of that looked like we're close?" Miyako: "Well, the fact that he can even say something like 'drop dead' proves that he knows you won't take it the wrong way. Niimi-kun would never say that to me, for instance." Kakeru: "You know, I can't deny that." Miyako: "Haha. I'm a little envious of you two." Sora: "Huh. So you want someone to tell you to drop dead. Are you some kind of masochist?" Miyako: "No, that's not what I meant. I'm an only child, so I was just thinking how nice it'd be to have a dependable older brother like Niimi-kun." Kakeru: "..." Sora: "Yo, that's one hell of a shit-eating grin you're wearing." Kakeru: "Who asked for your opinion, stupid?!" Sora: "You're the stupid one, stupid!" Miyako: "Hahaha. What a happy famiwwy." Sora: "Uh, did you just lisp the heck out of that?" Miyako: "..." Sora: "You totally lisped." Miyako: "What a... happy family." Sora: "Happy famiwwy?" Miyako: "I'm sorry. Please just let it go." Sora: "Oh my god, look at that blush! Senpai, you're so cute I'm taking you home with me!" Kakeru: "You're merciless." Sora: "If all you're going to do is sigh at my jokes, I'm left with no recourse but to tease Miya instead." Miyako: "Please, I'm begging you, don't. I'm sorry..." *Still blushing, she hangs her head.* *You may be wondering why I'm not telling off Sora for bullying Kujo. The reason should be obvious, however. Kujo is freaking adorable like this!* *I'm sorry, Kujo! I couldn't live up your lofty ideals for me as a caring older brother figure!* Miyako: "I-I sure hope she gets in contact with you!" Sora: "Try and change the subject all you want, Senpai, but the teasing will continue until morale improves." Miyako: "Ugh. I bet even you lisp things now and then, Sora-chan." Sora: "You know, can't say I do! I've got perfect pwonuncia..." Miyako: "Hey, you just lisped!" Sora: "No, no, you must be mistaken." Miyako: "Yes you did! You were about to say 'pwonunciation!'" Sora: "Nah, nothing like that happened. Senpai, you should get your ears checked." Miyako: "Sheesh, you're being a meanie, Sora-chan." *I'm keeping out of the conversation, enjoying the sight of the two of them bantering.* *It's only thanks to Sora that Kujo feels comfortable enough to show us this side of herself.* *As I mentally offer her my thanks, we make our way to school, the two girls still continuing their back-and-forth.* Yoichi: "Y'know, Kakeru, I kinda feel like our relationship has gotten a bit strained lately." *Lunchtime. Yoichi is staring at me with dissatisfaction while gnawing on his sandwich.* Kakeru: "That so?" Yoichi: "I'll say. I keep inviting you to hang out, but you just go straight home, dude." Kakeru: "You wanted me to go to karaoke with some girls or something dumb like that, right? I've told you before, that's not my scene." Yoichi: "I knew it. Kakeru, you really are..." Kakeru: "Huh?" Yoichi: "You really ARE gay." Kakeru: "Moron." Yoichi: "I'm sorry. I can't do this with you, Kakeru. It's just not me." Kakeru: "It ain't me either, dammit." *My yakisoba sandwich finished, I go to unwrap the tuna salad...* *...and my phone vibrates, displaying a new message notification for LING.* Yoichi: "Must be nice being you, Kakeru." Kakeru: "What're you even talking about?" Yoichi: "The way you and Kujo-san are hitting it off." Kakeru: "Uhh, fine, but why bring it up now?" Yoichi: "The message is from Kujo-san, right?" Kakeru: "Uh, no. She doesn't even have her phone out, genius." Yoichi: "Oh, you're right." *Yoichi turns to look at her, chewing all the while.* *Kujo's in a circle of her friends, all chatting while eating their meals.* *Probably either Sora or Mom, but it could be...* Kakeru: "..." *Holy shit, it actually worked.* *"Who are you? Are you a User like myself?"* *Looks like Sora's idea was right on the money.* *So she's got an Artifact, too.* *And she just came right out and told us.* *Apparently she's just as careless as us, blabbing our secrets in a busy cafe.* *While I could reply to her right away...* Yoichi: "Sup?" Kakeru: "Just a little surprised; never got a spam message before." Yoichi: "Aah, one of those 'C'mon, honey, buy a prepaid card from the store and tell me the number' scams?" Kakeru: "Yeah, one of those." Yoichi: "Those are still around, huh? Wonder if they'll ever go after me." Kakeru: "I was thinking about jerking around the spammer, but I just can't bring myself to do it." *With a pang of guilt for lying to Yoichi, I put away my phone and peek at Kujo.* *I should talk this over with her before I do anything. I'll shoot her a message when she's finished eating.* Yoichi: "Hey, Kakeru?" Kakeru: "What?" Yoichi: "Can I come over to your place?" Kakeru: "Hm? Sure, but when?" Yoichi: "Today." Kakeru: "Today? Well, my sister is coming over after I get back home." Yoichi: "Okay, tomorrow!" Kakeru: "Sorry, I really treasure my time relaxing on the weekend." Yoichi: "Then when CAN I come over? I wanna hang out!" Kakeru: "Someday soon, I'm sure." Yoichi: "Ughh. You're so cruel to me nowadays, even though we used to hang out every day when we were first-years." Kakeru: "That was because you always came over to my house uninvited." Yoichi: "I remember the time you snapped at me for overstaying my welcome." Kakeru: "Yeah, you mean that time you infected my PC with a virus?" Yoichi: "I just couldn't keep my youthful impulses in check." Kakeru: "Man, do it in your OWN room." Yoichi: "No can do. My parents believe I'm still an innocent little angel." Kakeru: "If you acted like an angel at school too, you'd probably have a girlfriend or two by now." Yoichi: "That'd be way too much effort. Besides, I don't need a girlfriend." Kakeru: "Huh? Isn't that exactly what you've been complaining about lately?" Yoichi: "No. What I want is a companion who will cater to my every need." Kakeru: "Hot takes like that are what keep anyone from wanting to date you, dude." Yoichi: "To tell the truth, I'd settle for anyone with a pair of tits at this point. How about it. Hook me up with your sister?" Kakeru: "You are now absolutely forbidden from coming to my place whenever my sister is around." Yoichi: "Dammit! That's it, I'm going to go out of my way to cockblock you and Kujo-san." Kakeru: "Hah! Go ahead, make my day." Yoichi: "I'm gonna tell her that you've got loose bowels and you're always making skid marks in your drawers!" Kakeru: "You sonofa...! Shut up, dude, someone might actually believe that!" *Kosaka-senpai fades from my mind as I get into arguing over nothing with Yoichi.* *Guess she'll have to wait until after school.* *In the meantime, I'll have to come up with a plan.* Miyako: "I suppose, if Kosaka-senpai's ability is the power to charm and attract others, then she must not be the Evil Eye's User." Kakeru: "We can't be certain. It might be possible to possess multiple Artifacts." Miyako: "Oh, really?" Kakeru: "Sophie said she has several in her possession." Miyako: "Oh, I see. Not everything is the same as the anime." *After school, Kujo and I head to Nine Ball together.* *I messaged Kosaka-senpai for a little bit after lunch and set up a meeting.* *Admittedly, from the way she talked to me, it seems like she doesn't completely trust me.* Kakeru: "She didn't come across as being a bad person." Miyako: "But I think we need to be on our guard. We might be coming into contact with a murderer here." Kakeru: "Yeah, you're right." *It makes me feel pathetic, but that idea Kujo planted scares the shit out of me.* *I am seriously not ready for this.* *Still, I can't afford to look bad in front of Kujo.* Miyako: "I wonder if Senpai is already on her way." Kakeru: "We should get there early. I'll make the approach alone. You just keep working and pretend like you don't know me." Miyako: "I'm sorry for always making you do the dangerous work." Kakeru: "Naw, we're just using the right people for the right jobs. If she tries anything funny, use your power to do something about it, okay?" Miyako: "Yeah, will do." *Kujo nods reassuringly.* *If we had Sora along with us, I'd ask her to back us up as well, but instead I asked her to wait back at my apartment.* *She wasn't too keen on the idea, but it's only been a week since that fire. I didn't want to put her in danger, on the off-chance that something bad does happen.* Miyako: "Okay. I'll see you in there." Kakeru: "Right, see ya." Miyako: "Mm-hmm." *I part ways with Kujo in front of the cafe, entering the cafe before her.* *The place looks pretty unoccupied.* *...* *There, at the table near the wall, as far as possible from the entrance.* *It's Kosaka-senpai.* *The waitress comes up to me and offers to show me to a seat, but I decline and make my way to the far table.* *I pull out the chair across from Senpai and take my seat.* Haruka: "Huh? Oh...?" Kakeru: "Pleased to meet you, Kosaka-senpai." Haruka: "I-It was you?" Kakeru: "Yes. I'm the one who sent you those messages." Haruka: "..." *She's looking down, timid and fidgety.* *She murmurs to herself, just barely audible.* Haruka: "I... I thought you'd be a girl." *Oh. The letter was in Sora's handwriting, so it's no surprise she got confused.* *But that's neither here nor there.* Haruka: "..." *She keeps staring at the table, not so much as glancing at me.* *She's nothing like she was this morning. Perhaps this is what she's really like? I couldn't say.* *That first time I saw her, she acted all timid like this.* Miyako: "Welcome." *Kujo brings a glass of water for me.* *She must have changed in a hurry. She's usually immaculate in her waitress uniform, but this time it's obviously wrinkled.* Miyako: "Please let me know once you are ready to order." Kakeru: "Oh, can we order now?" Miyako: "Of course." Kakeru: "Are you going to order something, too, Senpai?" Haruka: "Huh? Um, I..." *She snaps her head up and reaches for the menu, but then she freezes and pulls away from it for some reason.* *She's so nervous that I feel sorry for her.* *I can't imagine she's our murderer, but even so, I mustn't let my guard down just yet.* Kakeru: "Uh, we'll take two iced teas. Is that okay with you, Senpai?" Haruka: "..." *She timidly nods in reply, shivering like a chihuahua.* *Man, I feel so guilty. She's acting like I'm here to threaten her.* Kakeru: "Two iced teas, then." Miyako: "Understood. I will be right back." *Kujo bows and briefly catches my eye.* *I nod ever so slightly, trying to avoid Senpai noticing.* *I wait for Kujo to leave before opening my mouth.* Kakeru: "I'm sorry for the impromptu meeting today. That letter must have surprised you." Haruka: "..." Kakeru: "Thing is, I'm on that Leaves of Agastya forum. You're familiar with it, I take it?" Haruka: "..." Kakeru: "I saw you on the way to school every morning, and I thought, maybe... So, I used my power to deliver that letter to you." Haruka: "Your power...?" Kakeru: "It ended up in your pocket without you noticing, right? I did that with my power." Haruka: "..." Kakeru: "..." *This is going nowhere.* *Damn, this is extra tough on me considering how terrible I am at keeping a conversation going.* *Guess I should have had Sora tag along after all.* Kakeru: "Oh, right, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Kakeru Niimi." Haruka: "..." Haruka: "......" Haruka: "M-My name is..." Haruka: "..." Haruka: "..." Haruka: "Ko..." Haruka: "..." Haruka: "K-K-Ko..." Haruka: "......" *Stammering like mad, she takes a deep sigh and hangs her head.* *Is she afraid of strangers?* *Maybe she gets all domineering once she's gotten used to you.* *Boy... this looks like it's gonna be a long, drawn-out struggle.* Haruka: "..." Kakeru: "...?" *Something's off here.* *I can't quite describe what happened, but I'm suddenly getting a completely different vibe off of Senpai.* *There's no way I'm imagining it.* Haruka: "..." *Senpai raises her head, and every trace of nervousness has vanished from her features.* Haruka: "You may call me Haruka Kosaka. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Kakeru: "Oh, r-right." *What's with the fancy talk?* *Hold on, no, the way she talks is the least of my concerns. What's the deal with this sudden transformation?* *It's like she's a different person altogether.* *A different person, or perhaps just a different personality. Is this a part of her power, too?* *Charm, and a split personality. Maybe she really does have multiple powers.* *I've been staying wary, but somewhere in my mind, I was certain she wouldn't have more than one.* *How careless of me.* Miyako: "Thank you for waiting." *She arranges a glass of iced tea, a straw, and two little containers, one with simple syrup and one with milk, in front of both Senpai and me.* Miyako: "Is there anything else I can get for you?" Haruka: "This will be all." Miyako: "...Please, enjoy." *Kujo hesitates a moment at Senpai's haughty tone, but regains her composure quickly, leaving the check on the table with a bow before walking away.* *She turns back halfway and casts a worried look at me, but since I'm unable to give her any kind of obvious reaction, I simply put my straw into the glass.* *With some ceremony, she picks up the syrup and pours a little into her drink, before daintily stirring it with her straw.* Haruka: "Now, I believe you were saying that you had seen my posts on that forum." Kakeru: "Oh, uh, right." Haruka: "In that case, you are already well informed regarding my troubles." Kakeru: "Yes. Your powers are getting the better of yo..." Haruka: "..." *With a delicate flourish, Senpai lifts her hand, palm facing me.* Haruka: "While I did indeed post something of that sort to that message board, I fear these matters are not a suitable topic for a place such as this." Kakeru: "Oh. Right, sorry about that." Haruka: "No, no need for apologies. Thank you ever so much for reaching out to me in the first place." Haruka: "You are most unlike those other men who only approach me in an effort to win my affection. You have been terribly kind." Kakeru: "R-Right..." *Great, now I'M the one stammering.* *She's just oozing confidence head to toe. She couldn't say a word earlier, but suddenly she's hot and she knows it.* *Her personality has taken a complete one-eighty. She really is a different person.* Haruka: "Will you allow me a question?" Kakeru: "Uh, sure." Haruka: "I am curious why you went through so much effort to get in contact with me." Kakeru: "Oh, yes, well..." *Do I just come right out and tell her that I'm looking for the Evil Eye's User?* *No, bad idea. There's still the possibility that she's the culprit.* *In that case...* Kakeru: "I've been searching for allies." Haruka: "Oh? Do tell." Kakeru: "Well, maybe this will sound silly, but like, I think we are The Leaves of Agastya. It's like we're all lost in the world of Mobius. You know what I mean?" Haruka: "Yes, I do. I have at times felt lost myself." Kakeru: "Right! So I figured, I should find companions in the same situation. And, as I was thinking that, I came across a certain genuine-looking post." Haruka: "By which you mean mine." Kakeru: "Yes, exactly." Haruka: "..." Haruka: "I can feel the hand of fate upon us." Kakeru: "Pardon?" Haruka: "..." Kakeru: "Uh. What?" *She unravels the ribbon on her uniform, pops open the buttons on her blouse, and spreads open the collar.* *What on earth is she thinking?!* Haruka: "I don't suppose you'd like to... retire somewhere else?" Kakeru: "Uh. Like where?" Haruka: "Preferably, somewhere we can be alone." Kakeru: "Wait, what?!" *I reach for my glass, and Senpai places her hand over mine.* *Am I going crazy here? Why is this happening?! Flustered, I start fretting that Kujo might see us like this.* *Seriously, what the hell?!* Haruka: "You shall be my white knight, the one to lead me to Eden." Kakeru: "Wh-What do you mean by that?" Haruka: "We shall become Adam and Eve, and birth a paradise on Earth." Kakeru: "No, see, I think I'm missing something here." Haruka: "Look into my eyes." Kakeru: "Huh? Oh, okay." *This is odd. I'm getting lightheaded.*

*Lazing around with my computer playing music on shuffle, I mull things over.* *There are two newly emerged Artifact Users.* *Haruka Kosaka and Noa Yuuki.* *I think I can consider Kosaka-senpai to be on our side, but I have to be careful with her. She said she'll explain her powers the next time we meet, but to be frank, I don't really want to see her again.* *Yuuki, on the other hand, clearly has no intention of getting along with us. If anything, she's straight-up hostile. However, at least our objectives are similar.* *Well, in that case...* *Why do Miyako, Sora, and I even need to be involved?* *If we get Yuuki and Sophie to join forces, we can put an end to our part in this.* *There will be no need for Kujo to put herself in harm's way.* *It makes perfect sense.* *Still...* Kakeru: "Convincing Kujo isn't going to be easy." *I grimace, scratching my stomach.* *Wanting to see justice done is certainly a factor in why Kujo is after the Evil Eye's User, but I have a feeling she's also seeking some sort of validation.* *Kujo is uncomfortable with the mere existence of this power to steal from others, and much more so with the fact that she was chosen to wield that power.* *And so now she's trying to prove that it's a positive thing, by using it to uphold justice.* *Or at least, that's the impression I get from watching her.*

*Today, I'm a bit late to my noon meal.* *I'm having ginger pork.* *I was holding out hope that Kujo might be around the cafe, but unfortunately, she's nowhere to be seen.* *If she did have a shift today, it'd probably be in the evening.* *...* *If I really did come here hoping to see Kujo, does that make me a stalker?* *Alas, gone are the days when I came to this cafe just looking forward to the grub.* *I hunch down in my seat and focus on eating.* Miyako: "Wow, what a rare sight. You're never here for lunch, Niimi-kun." Kakeru: "Huh? Oh!" *That was Kujo's voice!* *I look up to see her set down a plate across from me and take a seat.* Miyako: "Mind if I eat with you?" Kakeru: "O-Oh, of course not. You came here for lunch too, Kujo?" Miyako: "Nah, I just got off work. Grandfather told me to have lunch before I left and made me something." Kakeru: "Oh yeah? Hahah, how about that. You sure surprised me." Miyako: "I was surprised to see you too! Haha." *She puts her hands together in prayer before picking up her fork.* *Spaghetti Napoletana, huh?* Kakeru: "Looks great. I should try ordering that next time." Miyako: "Oh. You should know, when we're properly serving it, we actually bring it out on a small griddle." Kakeru: "A what?" Miyako: "You know! The sizzling-hot iron cookware you sometimes see restaurants serve steaks on. We crack an egg on the griddle, too, before we plate the pasta on it. It's great." Kakeru: "Cool. I'll give it a try next time I come." Miyako: "Haha, I'm looking forward to it. Were you out on an errand, Niimi-kun?" Kakeru: "Huh? Naw, I was just kicking around the apartment." Miyako: "Oh, I see. You're in for such a late lunch that I thought you maybe stopped by the cafe on your way back home from something." Kakeru: "I was waiting out the lunch rush, since I figured it'd be crowded." Miyako: "Well, you were right about that. We get a lot of families in here on the weekends around lunchtime, though it does calm down by nighttime." Kakeru: "You're a hard worker, coming in on the weekends too." Miyako: "Why thank you. But I'm doing it because I enjoy it. Haha. It's good real-world experience, too." Kakeru: "Yeah, I've been thinking about working a serious part-time job myself. Pretty hard to take that first step, though." Miyako: "Having a job is great. As tough as it may be, it really changes how you view the world. Not to mention, you get paid." Kakeru: "I bet you're the type to save all your pay?" Miyako: "Yep! Though... I do spoil myself once a month." Kakeru: "Oh yeah? Like how?" Miyako: "Like going to Nockoff Ichibanya for curry, or getting a burger from MockDonald's!" Kakeru: "Ah, I see. You're really splurging there." Miyako: "Right? It always ends up costing well over five hundred yen, and, sometimes it can be close to a thousand! That's why I only spoil myself once a month." Kakeru: "Y'know, Kujo, it's kind of surprising to hear you eat out." Miyako: "'Money must not only be saved, and when spent, must be spent without a moment's hesitation!'" Kakeru: "Another family motto?" Miyako: "Yes. If you simply horde all your money, then the economy will stagnate, which is why spending is just as important. According to Grandfather, at least." Kakeru: "That makes sense. So you're just doing your part to keep the economy buzzing with your extravagant thousand yen purchases, huh, Kujo?" Miyako: "Hey! It's not like I don't know I'm a cheapskate. You don't have to be rude about it." Kakeru: "Hahah, my bad. I'm still just sponging off of my parents, so I want you to know, I think it's pretty cool what you do." Miyako: "You could've said that sooner." Kakeru: "Aw, come on." Miyako: "Haha. Oh, feel free to have seconds." Kakeru: "Oh, nah, I'll be fine. Thanks though." *We chat through the rest of our meal.* *We've avoided talking about the Artifact stuff, but right when we're about done with our food, Kujo speaks to me in a muted tone.* Miyako: "Niimi-kun, do you have plans after this?" Kakeru: "No, not really." Miyako: "Um, then, would you mind accompanying me for a bit?" Kakeru: "This about the experiment? I know we couldn't do it yesterday." Miyako: "Well, there is that, but I wanted to try going to the park one more time today. There, and one more place." Kakeru: "Ah. Right." *So she wants to visit the scene of the second petrification incident.* Miyako: "I figure we might find out something about our culprit. Every little bit helps." Kakeru: "Looking for clues, huh?" Miyako: "Though I'm doubtful there are any still left to be found." Kakeru: "Well, it won't hurt to go take a look. There might be something there that nobody but us would recognize." Miyako: "Okay. Thank you." Kakeru: "Alright, let's finish eating and mosey." Miyako: "As always, thank you for your your help." Kakeru: "You're most welcome." *For some reason, we courteously bow our heads to one another, before quickly finishing off the rest of our meals.* *In a surprise twist, I find myself together with Kujo yet again today.* *A part of me is ecstatic, thinking about what a lucky break this is, but the rest of me is all too aware that we're heading to the scene of a murder.* *I've got to focus.* *We exit Nine Ball, first stopping by the convenience store near the station.* *Seems like we're in for a long day, so we're going to buy something to drink first.* Miyako: "Haha... There I go spoiling myself again. It's been so long since I've bought tea at a convenience store." Kakeru: "Hmm..." Miyako: "...? What's the matter?" Kakeru: "Okay, this has been bugging me." Miyako: "...?" Kakeru: "So this bottle of water cost me a hundred and eight yen. Fine, whatever." Miyako: "Okay?" Kakeru: "But you know the ones bigger than these? The two-liter ones? They're just a hundred yen." Miyako: "Oh yeah, you're right! The smaller ones are more expensive." Kakeru: "Right, exactly. That kinda rubs me the wrong way." Miyako: "I wonder if there's some reason for it. It's not just this one; even at other convenience stores, the two-liter bottle is cheaper." Kakeru: "Really feels like you're getting a bad deal, doesn't it? Oh well, forget about it. Let's hit the road." Miyako: "Sure. Oh, you can put your bottle in the basket." Kakeru: "Cool, thanks. Alright, let's get going. The second victim was found right next to the park, right?" Miyako: "Yes, that's right. Past the park and more toward the shopping district... Ah!" *Just as Kujo kicks up her bike stand and starts to walk with it, she lets out a little gasp.* Miyako: "Niimi-kun, Niimi-kun." *She tugs at my shirt sleeve.* *There, maybe thirty feet in front of us.* *Kosaka-senpai is walking timidly, her head hung.* Miyako: "Given how she looks, that's the normal Kosaka-senpai, I assume?" Kakeru: "Probably, yeah. We don't want her finding us, so let's... Well, crap." *I figure we should get while the getting's good, but unfortunately, she notices us.* *Her eyes bug out, and she starts fidgeting, shaking her head and putting her hand to her mouth like she's coming down with a case of nausea.* *But a moment later, she lifts her head again and, like a different person, smiles softly.* Kakeru: "Guess we get to find out what's behind door number two." Miyako: "Just what kind of power does she have?" Kakeru: "She said she'd tell me about it next time we met. Anyway, she's seen us already, so we might as well talk to her." *Kosaka-senpai holds the hem of her skirt and curtsies to us like a faux aristocrat. I give her a wave in return and walk up to her.* Haruka: "To think I should see you again in such an unusual place." Kakeru: "I had something to pick up at the convenience store over here. Were you at the bookstore, Senpai?" Haruka: "Oh yes, just picking up a few reference materials and what have you." *She puts her free hand to her cheek and smiles, lifting her shopping bag up to her chest by way of demonstration.* *Yeah, I can make out a couple of the covers. She totally just bought a bunch of manga.* *I really don't get this girl.* Haruka: "Ahh, and let's see. You're the girl from the cafe, if I recall correctly." Miyako: "My name is Miyako Kujo. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Haruka: "Indeed." Miyako: "..." *The unbelievably cold reception is enough to make even Kujo's expression tighten.* *Kosaka-senpai flashes a narrow-eyed, provocative smile at Kujo, who is still frowning, before quickly turning to face me once again.* *I don't know what's going through her head, but the next thing I know, she's grabbed my hand.* Haruka: "I'm certain now that you must be my knight, after destiny has seen fit to bring us together here." Kakeru: "Huh? Oh, uh, uh-huh." Haruka: "I don't suppose I could entice you to join me for a spot of tea? Just the two of us?" Kakeru: "Uh, no, see, I've got plans." Haruka: "Did you not want to be privy to the secrets of my abilities?" Kakeru: "Uh, I mean, when you put it that way, yeah, I do want to know, but..." Haruka: "I don't mind revealing myself to you. Come along now. Let us find somewhere more private where we can converse. I assure you, my bed is quite comfortable." *Senpai's eyes shimmer alluringly.* *Shit, this is bad. It's just like last time...* Miyako: "..." Haruka: "Oh my." *Kujo thankfully steps between us, breaking senpai's gaze as well as her grip on my hand, and I slip out of my trance.* *Yikes, close call. She used her power on me again, huh?* Miyako: "My apologies, but Niimi-kun and I have plans together." Haruka: "I'm certain they can wait." Miyako: "No, they can't." *Kujo gets a little snippy.* *And Kosaka-senpai looks like she's ready for a fight too.* *In a pathetic display, I'm too intimidated to do anything and simply watch the two of them duke it out.* Haruka: "Kakeru-sama wishes to be with me, not you."

Kakeru: "..." *I sit in class, listening with half an ear.* *After... After we split up in the park, I tried sending a message to Kujo.* *"I'm fine. And, I'm sorry."* *That was all she sent back.* *She wouldn't elaborate on why she was so shaken up.* *Am I seriously the culprit?* *That couldn't possibly be true. Although... there are strange cases like Kosaka-senpai.* *What if I've got a second personality, and I've been doing this without even knowing it?* *What if I've been completely ignorant about it this entire time, while I went out and killed people?* *It's only too believable.* *It would explain why Kujo is acting the way she is.* *We said hi today, but we haven't had anything like an actual conversation since then.* *I let out a little sigh and look up, peeking over at Kujo.* Miyako: "..." *Her expression is grim—even more so than that time she was fretting over her hair clip's paranormal activity.* *It looks like she's also not focusing on class.* *It also looks like she's trying to figure out a way to tell me the truth.* *Ah, man... And we were hitting it off so well, too. Actually, y'know, it's thoughts like that, where I get all mopey at totally inappropriate times, that make me kind of question myself.* Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "...?" *That was Kujo's Stigma, flashing for a split second on her left hand.* *Am I seeing things?* *No.* Miyako: "..." *There it is again. A momentary blue light.* *I pull out my phone and type a message under my desk so that Ms. Naruse doesn't notice.* *"Did you just use your power?"* Miyako: "..." *Kujo pulls out her phone and checks the screen.* *She then quickly puts it away without replying.* *I know that Kujo is a diligent person, so she'd be reluctant to have a text chat in the middle of class, but...* *It just isn't like her to go using her powers on a whim.* *I wonder if... No, I'm positive this has something to do with what happened yesterday.* Miyako: "..." *Kujo conceals her left hand in an unnatural manner.* *It seems that she's been using her power over and over during class.* Kakeru: "Kujo!" Miyako: "...?" *When Kujo leaves the room after class, I run after her and call out to her.* Miyako: "What's the matter?" Kakeru: "Don't give me that. You read my message, didn't you?" Miyako: "Oh, yeah." Kakeru: "Are you alright?" Miyako: "Why do you ask?" Kakeru: "You've been acting weird. I can't believe you used your power repeatedly in class." Miyako: "It was necessary." Kakeru: "Necessary? Why?" Miyako: "When targeting things without form, it becomes difficult to steal the target I'm after. Therefore, I need to practice." Kakeru: "Hold on, Kujo, you don't mean..." Kakeru: "You've been stealing everyone's memories?" Miyako: "..." *Kujo doesn't answer my question.* *But her silence is all the answer I need.* Kakeru: "Why are you doing this?" Miyako: "I hoped you would understand, Niimi-kun." Kakeru: "You plan on just randomly searching everyone?" Miyako: "Yes, precisely." *Kujo readily admits.* *Despite being so hesitant back when she used it on me? Despite the tremble in her hands when she did it?* *That was just yesterday! How has she changed this much in the span of a single day?* Miyako: "I'll be fine. Don't worry. I'll find the culprit, mark my words." Kakeru: "...Is there anything I can do?" Miyako: "..." Miyako: "This is something I have to do. And I want to do it alone." Miyako: "I feel it's my obligation." Kakeru: "What?" Miyako: "Thank you for everything you've done for me." Miyako: "I won't trouble you any more." Kakeru: "Huh? H-Hey!" Miyako: "..." *I reach out my hand, but it falls short.* *Kujo walks down the hallway and disappears into the bathroom.* *...* Yoichi: "What's up? You alright?" Kakeru: "Huh? O-Oh, yeah." Yoichi: "Did you have a fight with Kujo-san or something?" Kakeru: "No. Not exactly." Yoichi: "Oh yeah? You two have been acting strange since this morning." Kakeru: "..." Yoichi: "You're fighting, aren't you?" Kakeru: "I might have been keeping something from her. Something bad enough to spark a fight." Yoichi: "Whoa, really? Kinda shocking, since you guys always give me a more-than-friends-but-less-than-lovers kinda vibe." Kakeru: "Let's get back to the classroom." Yoichi: "Hm? Oh, sure." *We turn around and head back to the classroom.* *...* *She "won't trouble me anymore"?* *That single comment brings me back to the same feeling of unfamiliarity I had back when I'd only just started talking to Kujo, when I was just another regular customer at Nine Ball.* *That's the sense I got, at least.* *The frustration is overwhelming.* *I can't help but feel like...* *Kujo and I have begun to drift apart.*

*For the past few days, Kujo and I have hardly spoken.* *The only communication we've had has been me constantly sending her messages like some kind of stalker, and her replying curtly.* *She doesn't come over to cook me dinner, nor does she ask me for advice.* *For what it's worth, I did go back to my folks' place for Golden Week, and Kujo was busy with something or another.* *But even considering that, Kujo is clearly avoiding me. It's as though she no longer deems me necessary.* *Maybe it'd be an exaggeration to say I'm heartbroken, but I'm certainly pretty down.* *I felt awful for the whole break.* *Even when we got back, Kujo remained the same.* *She hasn't been using her powers in class, but now I'm not the only one she's avoiding talking to. Even her usual group of friends are getting the cold shoulder.* *Being pathetic, I actually feel relieved by that.* Satsuki: "Niimi-kun!" Kakeru: "...? Yes?" *At the end of class, as I'm getting ready to head home, Ms. Naruse calls me over.* *Wonder what she wants with me. I stuff my pencil case in my bag and head to the podium.* Kakeru: "Yes, ma'am?" Satsuki: "What happened?! You two were thick as thieves." Kakeru: "Pardon?" Satsuki: "Did you break up with Kujo-san?" Kakeru: "..." *Is this seriously what she wanted to talk about?* Kakeru: "No. We were never dating." Satsuki: "Wait, what? But everybody said you were!" Kakeru: "Like who?" Satsuki: "Everybody in the Kujo Fan Club." Kakeru: "Mhmm. Kujo's friends, I take it?" Satsuki: "If you didn't break up, then you're just having a little tiff?" Kakeru: "Not exactly." Satsuki: "Why don't you stop being stubborn and apologize?" Kakeru: "Look, we're not fighting. Even I don't know what's going on between us." Satsuki: "People keep coming to talk to me about it. I've had Murase-san, and then Miyano-san, and..." Kakeru: "Who are they?" Satsuki: "Would it kill you to learn your classmates' names?" Kakeru: "My bad." *So it's just her usual friends?* Satsuki: "It's honestly a pain in the ass talking to all these people, so I'd appreciate it if you would hurry and patch things up." Kakeru: "I mean, that's easier said than done..." *I randomly look over my shoulder.* *Kujo is already gone.* Satsuki: "Or maybe something happened at home? Like, maybe the Corona Group's business is going through a downturn?" Kakeru: "I don't think that's it." Satsuki: "Okay then, have you heard anything?" Kakeru: "Uh..." Satsuki: "You're holding out on me!" Kakeru: "..." *"You see, ma'am, she's been acting strange ever since she read my memories." Yeah... Can't exactly go saying that, can I?* Kakeru: "Nah, I don't know anything." Satsuki: "You sure you're not holding out on me?" Kakeru: "Definitely not." Satsuki: "Hmm, all right. I'm getting worried about her. She's even been coming by the shrine at night and spacing out, lately." Kakeru: "Really? What's she been doing there?" Satsuki: "Oh, well I only heard this secondhand from my dad, but apparently Kujo-san has been hanging around. I'm kinda curious what she's doing there myself." Kakeru: "..." Satsuki: "At any rate, I'd appreciate it if you patched things up quickly so we can all stop fetting over her." Kakeru: "This is my fault?" Satsuki: "Incidentally, we've all seen you two out together on the weekends, so when you say you're not dating, nobody's buying it." Kakeru: "I'm telling you, we really aren't." Satsuki: "And yet you two always look so happy together. Go get her, tiger!" *Ms. Naruse gives me a pat on the shoulder and leaves the classroom.* *Seeing how Kujo is actively avoiding me, I can't do much of anything.* *I breathe a sigh and return to my desk.* Yoichi: "Was that about Kujo-san?" Kakeru: "Yeah, pretty much." Yoichi: "You need to make up with her quick, dude. There's a rumor going around that you used Kujo-san for her money and tossed her away when you were done." Kakeru: "Huh? What kind of crap is that?" Yoichi: "The girls are having a ball talking about it. I think they're half-joking, but they're also half-serious." Kakeru: "Well, they can say what they want. Sticks and stones." *I sling my bag over my shoulder and walk away.* Yoichi: "Hey, wait up, Kakeru! Let's go home together!" Kakeru: "..." *There's nothing I can do...* *Still, I can't just let things stay like this.* *I wonder if the reason Sophie hasn't been showing up is because she's with Kujo.* *...* *Man, I give. Kujo rejecting me was such a shock that I haven't been able to make any rational decisions since.* *Man, I'm such a wimp.* Sora: "Yo, welcome home." *Upon returning to my apartment, I find Sora already there, lazing around and munching on chocolates.* Sora: "Want some?" Kakeru: "Yeah, sure. Hey, this thing is empty, you jerk!" Sora: "Mwahaha!" *She belts out an unnatural chortle, chucking the empty box into the garbage can.* Sora: "Is Miya coming today?" Kakeru: "Probably not." Sora: "Aww, man. I was looking forward to dinner." Kakeru: "She probably won't be coming anymore." Sora: "What?! What about our search for the culprit?" Kakeru: "She said she wants to go it alone." Sora: "Jeez, I could tell you were out of it lately, but now I know why. You two had a fight, didn't you, Bromeo?" Kakeru: "No! But... I dunno, maybe we kinda did?" Sora: "That's it, we're going to Nine Ball for dinner later." Kakeru: "Say what?" Sora: "I'll mediate for you two, so you can patch things up pronto." Kakeru: "That's all anyone says to me: patch things up." Sora: "Want me to butt out?" Kakeru: "No. Thank you, Sora. I'd appreciate the help." Sora: "Whoa, you even thanked me. You must be in a truly awful spot right now." Kakeru: "Guess I am." Sora: "Broken heart?" Kakeru: "Shut your hole." Sora: "Whoops, slip of the tongue. Anyway, mind if I play a game?" Kakeru: "Yeah, knock yourself out. Just don't overwrite my save." Sora: "Yeah, yeah, whatever." *She licks her fingers, presumably because she has some chocolate still stuck to them, before she turns on my portable game console and starts playing with it.* *I quickly get changed and lie down on the floor.* Sora: "What day was it again, when the second person got turned to stone? Saturday, right? Or maybe Sunday?" Kakeru: "It was in the news on Saturday, so I'd guess it was Friday night." Sora: "When was the first?" Kakeru: "I heard about it and reported it on Tuesday, so it was probably already there by Monday." Sora: "So the crime probably happened on Sunday." Kakeru: "Likely, yeah." Sora: "I wonder if the culprit will strike this weekend, too." Kakeru: "Who knows." *I find myself whispering.* *I'm... not the culprit, right?* *Sophie's been monitoring me. If it were me, she wouldn't be telling me to "find the Evil Eye's User."* *Besides, if I were the culprit, I'm sure Kujo would have taken some sort of action by now.* *Or maybe, she's worrying so much precisely because she can't bring herself to come after me?* *She can't come to grips with admitting I'm the real culprit, and it's stressing her out?* *Though I doubt she has all that much regard for me, that she'd struggle like that.* *She could be working with Sophie to form a plan to steal my still-unknown Artifact. That's a possibility still on the table.* *Earlier, Kujo was trying to enhance her ability to snatch the specific memories she was after.* *Maybe I have memories linked to the culprit, and she's trying to delve deeper into the facts?* *I have no clue.* *I don't know what to believe, now.* *I can't even believe in myself.* *...* *I don't want to be alone. I don't know what I might do.* Kakeru: "Hey, Sora?" Sora: "Hmm?" Kakeru: "Want to stay over?" Sora: "Oh, sure." Sora: "..." Sora: "Huh?!" Kakeru: "Either today or tomorrow." Sora: "A-Are you sure?" Kakeru: "Every now and then's no big deal." Sora: "The heck? This is freaky. You gonna prank me or something?" Kakeru: "Don't be stupid." Sora: "You're really cool with me staying the night?" Kakeru: "Yeah." Sora: "Yippie! Okay, tomorrow, then. I'll have to grab a change of clothes!" Kakeru: "Got it." Sora: "Alrighty, this is my gateway to moving in." Kakeru: "Like hell it is." Sora: "Aww..." Kakeru: "We'll go to Nine Ball around six o' clock, okay?" Sora: "Mmm, sure." *She replies with a big smile, still mashing on the buttons.* *I zone out, listening to the digital sound of the game.* *Catchy, upbeat music, and flashy sound effects...* Sora: "Bronii-chan, give me a bite of that. I'll trade you a carrot." Kakeru: "Quit being picky and eat your food." Sora: "I'm not really being picky, I just like meat more than veggies!" Kakeru: "Yeah, well, same here." *Sora and I are having dinner at Nine Ball.* *Thanks to a bunch of students having just finished up their after-school clubs, it's somewhat crowded.* *Kujo is nowhere to be found. Seems like she's not scheduled for today.* Sora: "Shame Miya's not here." Kakeru: "Oh well. I'll try talking to her again at the start of the week or something." Sora: "All you gotta do is invite her over to your apartment again. Just give her a line like, 'You always cook for me, so now it's my turn to cook for you as thanks.'" Kakeru: "Boil some pasta, mix in some packaged sauce, and call it a meal, huh?" Sora: "Shit, that'd be awesome. Me, I'd have just made her some instant ramen." Kakeru: "Touche. It was a hard-fought battle, but you win the lazy chef award." Sora: "Heck yeah." *We natter on over our dinner, and before too long, we're done eating.* Kakeru: "A great meal as always." Sora: "Can I order dessert?" Kakeru: "If you pay for it yourself, go ahead." Sora: "That's a nope." Kakeru: "Alright, then you can wait for me outside. I'm going to pay the bill." Sora: "Aye aye, sir. Thanks for the treat." *I get up and walk over to the register while taking out my wallet. Sora keeps walking, leaving the cafe.* *Usually, one of the waitresses would come over, but...* Miyako's Grandfather: "..." Kakeru: "Oh." *I gasp as Kujo's grandfather, who rarely leaves the kitchen, walks up to me.* Miyako's Grandfather: "That will be 1,100 yen." Kakeru: "Oh, r-right." Miyako's Grandfather: "Miyako has been coming home late recently." Kakeru: "Huh?" Miyako's Grandfather: "I've heard she's been going to your house to cook, Niimi-kun." Kakeru: "Oh, yes. Up until last week, sir. But not this past week." Miyako's Grandfather: "Ah, I see. I was worried that she might be imposing upon you by staying late at your home." Kakeru: "O-Oh, no, never! I am greatly indebted to you both, Kujo-san." Miyako's Grandfather: "Here is your change, 900 yen." Kakeru: "Th-Thank you." Miyako's Grandfather: "Please come again." Kakeru: "I will. Thank you for the excellent dinner." *I take my change, bow respectfully, and leave the cafe.* Sora: "Yo, thanks for dinner." Kakeru: "..." Sora: "...? What's wrong?" Kakeru: "I'm in shock." Sora: "Over?" Kakeru: "I talked to Kujo's grandfather for the first time." Sora: "You can have my granddaughter over my dead body!" Kakeru: "You know, that might have been where things were going for a bit. He thought she was hanging around my apartment late at night." Sora: "...? Miya hasn't been going home?" Kakeru: "Seems that way." Sora: "Something must be wrong with her, don't you think?" Kakeru: "Yeah, I think you're right." Sora: "Where could she be? You think she's so short with everyone now because she got herself a boyfriend or something?" Kakeru: "..." Sora: "Hey, I was kidding! C'mon, don't actually get all sad over it." Kakeru: "I ain't sad! Come on, we're leaving." Sora: "Yessir." Sora: "Alright, see you tomorrow!" Kakeru: "Yeah. Take care on the way home." Sora: "I'm bringing a change of clothes tomorrow. Don't you dare change your mind, okay?!" Kakeru: "Relax, I won't." Sora: "Good. Okay, see ya!" *I see Sora off and turn to head back home.* *But I'm not quite in the mood to do that yet, so I wait until Sora is out of sight and make my way to the convenience store.* *I flip through a few magazines to kill some time.* *Even after I exit the store, I wander around near the station.* *I watch some adults coming home from work and a few students milling around.* *But after a couple hours, that crowd too has thinned out.* *With the students gone, it's like the town has gone to sleep.* *The later it grows, the more I feel as though I'm the last person on the planet, so silent is it.* *I expect this is why the Evil Eye's User can run amok without fear of consequences.* *...* *Kujo is wandering the town at night.* *Most likely, searching for the Evil Eye's User.* *So that should mean I'm not the culprit, because if I were, she'd have no need to wander around.* *Okay, then why is she avoiding me to begin with?* Kakeru: "..." *I walk aimlessly, still thinking.* *Looking around, I realize that I'm near the shrine.* *That reminds me, Ms. Naruse mentioned that Kujo has been showing up here at night.* *I've been subconsciously looking for Kujo.* *I feel a little hope well up in me. There's a chance I can find her here.* *I hurry through the imposing gate.* Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "Not here." *I look around.* *With a sigh, I sit down in a random spot to rest my feet.* *...* *Would she really be randomly roaming the city at night to search for the culprit?* *It's an extremely inefficient process.* *Could it be that Kujo has gotten hold of some sort of clue?* *I mean, if she had just told me, I probably could have helped to her.* *Nah. I don't even know my own ability. How could I expect her to rely on me?* Sophitia: "Slacking on the job, I see." *The space in front of me distorts, cleaving a path for my very least favorite living plushie.* Kakeru: "You sure you should be appearing in public like this?" Sophitia: "You have a bad memory. You lower life forms are unable to see me." Kakeru: "Yeah, fine. I forgot." Sophitia: "What are you doing here anyway?" Kakeru: "Taking a break." Sophitia: "Who gave you permission to take a break? You've been slacking off lately." Kakeru: "You vanish for weeks, and then you show up just to pick a fight?" Sophitia: "What happened with your search for the Artifacts." Kakeru: "..." Sophitia: "It doesn't seem as though Miyako is working with you anymore either." Kakeru: "She said she could do it alone." Sophitia: "Oh noooo. Did she get fed up with you?" Kakeru: "Right after she read my memories, yeah." Sophitia: "I beg your pardon?" Kakeru: "Kujo also has the ability to steal others' memories." Sophitia: "Oh-ho. Her power is more useful than I realized." Kakeru: "She suddenly got really distant. I thought maybe she suspected me of being the Evil Eye's User." Sophitia: "Oh. You aren't." Kakeru: "Sure would've been nice to hear that a couple weeks ago." Sophitia: "I've told you that dozens of times. At any rate, the reason she's fed up with you is that she saw through to your real motivation, don't you think?" Kakeru: "My... what now?" Sophitia: "The pouty look on your face makes it painfully obvious." Kakeru: "..." *The plushie's got a point. I've considered that as well.* *My motive for helping out Kujo in the first place was selfish.* *After finding that out, she lost faith in me.* *After finding out something she shouldn't... my feelings for her.* *...* Kakeru: "...!" *It hits me.* *Finally, after so long in the dark, it all clicks.* *God, what a freaking idiot I've been!* *I've been so damn self-absorbed in how Kujo thought about me that I forgot the most important piece of this equation.* *I had a memory that I absolutely had to keep a secret from her!* Kakeru: "She found out..." Sophitia: "About what?" Kakeru: "She read my memories. She knows she indirectly killed that guy." Sophitia: "Oh, yeah. The one from the fire." Kakeru: "Dammit! That's what she meant, talking about her 'obligation'. That's why she's feeling guilty and won't stop using her powers!" Sophitia: "Wait, what was that? Is Miyako overusing her powers?" Kakeru: "Yes! She's been stealing the memories of all our classmates, in the middle of class." Sophitia: "Hmm. The power has overwhelmed her, then." Kakeru: "What does that mean?" Sophitia: "Just like that boy who made the school into a sea of flames." Kakeru: "Don't you group Kujo with that jerk!" Sophitia: "You didn't realize? Even in my world, where the Artifacts originated, particularly strong powers can change the people who possess them." Sophitia: "They want to use it, to flaunt it. A wondrous power that's theirs and theirs alone... How could they not?" Sophitia: "Hence why we of Sephirot exist. We monitor the Artifacts, so that people like you inferior beings don't get too big for your britches." Kakeru: "Are you saying Kujo is going to end up like that guy?" Sophitia: "Hard to tell. I doubt that she would cause quite as much of a scene. That said, if Miyako is not limiting her use of her powers, then she has probably already succumbed." Kakeru: "But Kujo is using her powers to bring justice! Even now, she's most likely running around this whole town searching for the Evil Eye's User!" Sophitia: "Is that truly her goal?" Kakeru: "What are you trying to say?" Sophitia: "She is capable of stealing even other people's memories. Other people's experiences become her own." Sophitia: "She might be out hunting for prey: anyone with particularly savory memories." Kakeru: "..." Sophitia: "If you have time to glare at me, wouldn't it be better spent looking for her?" Kakeru: "I don't need you to tell me!" *I whip out my phone and send Kujo a message.* *I tell her about how her grandfather is worried.* *Ask her where she is now.* *Tell her that I'm sorry for keeping what happened to that man a secret.* *That she doesn't need to shoulder the burden by herself.* *And last, I plead that she let me lend her a helping hand.* *I send her message after message.* *No reply.* *Not even a read notification.* Kakeru: "Dammit!" Sophitia: "The technology of this world is amazing! You're able to contact faraway friends without use of an Artifact." Sophitia: "Though I suppose if the other person never replies, it's utterly useless." Kakeru: "...! Do you have any idea where Kujo could be?" Sophitia: "Of course not. You should know that. Your desperation is pathetic." Kakeru: "You're damn right I'm desperate!" Sophitia: "Quit shouting, you savage. It's hard to believe Miyako is the one causing all this trouble. Oh well. I'll help you out this once." Kakeru: "Oh thank god!" Sophitia: "I'm not familiar with the area, so don't expect much." Kakeru: "Anything helps!" *I grip my phone and start running.* *Where would Kujo likely be?* *No. Wrong question.* *Where would the Evil Eye's User likely be?* *Kujo hasn't been overcome by her powers. I'm sure she's just trying to make sure justice is served!* *Where? Somewhere unpopulated...* *But also someplace where they could find a victim.* Kakeru: "How should I know?!" *I spit out, running.* *I have a bad feeling.* *Kujo is diligent and strait-laced.* *However, she can be easily swayed emotionally.* *That is exactly why you have to be careful of her.* *I can't leave Kujo alone, in the state she's in.* *That's what my hunch is telling me.* *It's not like Kujo to just go using her powers on her classmates without a moment's hesitation.* *I should have realized something was wrong when I saw that!* *Why haven't I tried to consider Kujo's feelings, even just a little?!* *It's all been about me, me, me!* Kakeru: "I'm sorry, Kujo!" *I start messaging her, not breaking my stride.* *Message after message.* *But no reply comes.* *Would it really be better to leave her alone?* *Even if Kujo does find the culprit, what can I do?* *But then, why do I feel this sense of foreboding?* *I'm practically betraying Kujo.* *I'm putting her in the same category as that student who went nuts!* Kakeru: "...!" *How many hours have I been wandering around with nothing to show for it?* *I'm short of breath, I'm physically drained, and I'm fast approaching my limits.* *My phone finally vibrates.* *It's a message from Kujo.* *"I have already found the Evil Eye's User. I will fulfill my obligation."* Kakeru: "What does she...?" Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "No!" *Damn your obligation!* *That man died because of an act of God.* *None of that was your fault, Kujo.* *You already found them?* *Does that mean you identified the culprit a long time ago?* *But then...* *Your obligation...?* *Does that mean...?!* Kakeru: "Kujo, you can't be planning to...!" *She's going to make contact with the culprit? No.* *She's already made contact?* Kakeru: "Dammit!" *I run, and run, and run.* *I don't have any powers, so maybe I can't help you.* *But that's irrelevant! You can't just confront the culprit on your own!* Kakeru: "Where, where, where?!" *I search, run, search.* *I send a message.* *There's no read notification.* *No reply either.* Kakeru: "Kujo, where are you?!" *I shout.* *I pray she hears it.* *But no response.* *I'm filled with a sense of dread.* Kakeru: "Haah... Haah... Haah..." *I have a wild hunch in the back my mind.* *The sudden idea brings me back to here.* *This place is far away from where anybody lives.* *As long as you don't cause a big scene, no one will ever notice you.* *People tend not to come here.* *It's out of the public eye.* Sophitia: "..." *Sophie is here already.* *She's looking down at something.* Sophitia: "Seems we were a minute too late." *I don't understand what she's trying to tell me.* *I... don't want to understand.* Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "What the hell... is this?" *It's a mass of stone.* *The legs extending from the skirt are gray.* *There is nothing there from the shoulders up, however.* Kakeru: "What the hell is this?!" *Several feet away, surrounded by a scattering of fine stone shards...* *...lies the head that should be attached to this body.* *Her expression...* Kakeru: "Kujo..." *...is frozen in anguish.* Kakeru: "Anything but this..." *And so it will stay, forever.* *Those lips will never call my name again.* Kakeru: "How...?" *What happened...?* *I don't know.* *All I know is what came of it.* Kakeru: "Why...?" *She confronted the culprit...* Kakeru: "Kujo...!" *...and the culprit murdered her.* *...* *......* *.........* Sophitia: "Would you look at that. They left behind her Artifact. I'll just be collecting this now." *I hear Sophie's voice.* *She detaches something from Kujo's corpse.* *Her... corpse?* *Where did that word come from?* *She's...* *She's still...* Sophitia: "What a shame. I had such high hopes for her." Kakeru: "..." Sophitia: "Well, so it goes. She was up against someone talented. Miyako messed up, trying to take them on alone." Kakeru: "..." Sophitia: "She would have at least stood a chance had she just worked with Sora." Kakeru: "......" Sophitia: "Bitter?" Kakeru: "........." Sophitia: "You want revenge?" Kakeru: "............" Sophitia: "Come now, give your emotions free rein. This is your awakening." Kakeru: "..............." Sophitia: "Now is the time to awaken those powers, unknown to even me. Do it, Kakeru." Kakeru: ".................." Sophitia: "..." Sophitia: "Worthless. I was wrong about you." Sophitia: "Farewell. I'm going to search for the next possibility." Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "Let's go back, Kujo..." Kakeru: "We should... go back." Kakeru: "Let's... go back."

*It's been a week since Kujo accidentally found out how I feel about her.* *Kujo responded in kind, and now we're dating.* *Yeah, right. If it'd really turned out like that, I'd be the happiest man on earth.* *In reality...* Miyako: "Oh!" *I step out of the bathroom and nearly run into Kujo.* *She quickly looks away and rushes into the girls' bathroom.* *...* *Yeah, you guessed it.* *Ever since that day, she's been avoiding me like the plague.* *We haven't so much as spoken.* *Needless to say, our search for the Evil Eye's User has been completely abandoned.* *It's like she doesn't know what to say to me.* *I guess I'm glad that she doesn't seem to think I'm a creep, but this kinda feels like she's already turned me down before I even asked her out, so there's definitely more downside than upside here.* *Yesterday was the end of our long-awaited Golden Week holiday.* *I went back to my folks' place, where basically nothing happened.* *Kujo and I didn't so much as message each other.* *I have a horrible feeling that, if things continue like this, we might just keep drifting apart.* *I'm really beating myself up for asking her to read my memories, but more than anything, I wish that, if she wanted to turn me down, she would just tell me straight up.* *To sum it up, ever since that moment, my days have been...* Kakeru: "Haahh..." *...filled with lovelorn sighs.* Satsuki: "Okay, everyone, that's the end of regular classes. Let's get homeroom out of the way." *The bell rings, signifying the start of afternoon homeroom.* *Some short announcements are made.* *Copies of our math homework are passed out.* Satsuki: "If any column has extras or not enough, make sure to get that situated in the back. Okay, that's a wrap for homeroom. Student on duty, take it away." *Same as every day, we're told to stand and bow.* *I throw my bag over my shoulder without sitting down again.* Yoichi: "Hey, hold up!" *As I begin preparing to go home, Yoichi calls out to me.* Kakeru: "Sup?" Yoichi: "Everybody's going to Round Two. Wanna come with?" Kakeru: "What, karaoke?" Yoichi: "Nah. Maybe shoot some pool or go bowling. You know, whatever." Kakeru: "I think I'll pass." Yoichi: "Sorry, dude, I really need you to come today. Kujo-san won't come unless you're around." Kakeru: "Kujo? More like she's less likely to come WITH me around." Yoichi: "I told her you were coming when I invited her, and she said, 'Well, if Niimi-kun will be there, I'll consider it.'" Kakeru: "Seriously, man, you can't just volunteer me for... Wait, for real?" Yoichi: "For real, what?" Kakeru: "She said she'll consider it, because I'm going?" Yoichi: "Yup." Kakeru: "Sure you're not lying?" Yoichi: "Not yet. Though, if you don't come, I'll have lied to Kujo." Kakeru: "..." Yoichi: "You in?" Kakeru: "Okay, fine." Yoichi: "Awright!" *Yoichi pumps his fist.* *He gives me a hearty slap on the back, despite me clearly not being enthusiastic about this.* *His lips curl into a suggestive and, might I add, somewhat evil grin.* Kakeru: "The hell's wrong with you?" Yoichi: "I'm going to set it up so you get some alone time with Kujo-san. Don't blow it." Kakeru: "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Yoichi: "Looking away when you guys make eye contact. The meaningful little pause in your step when you pass by each other. I've had it up to here with that shit!" Yoichi: "You still haven't gotten together, have you? You two need to hook up pronto, so I figure it's time for me to play cupid." Kakeru: "So that's why you invited her. You're sticking your nose where it doesn't belong." Yoichi: "You two are making everyone else uncomfortable. You need to settle things so everyone else can stop feeling like they're walking on eggshells around you two." Kakeru: "What do you mean, everyone?" Yoichi: "You serious? Literally everyone in class can tell you two are hung up on each other. And I'm not the only one who knows Kujo-san has been going over to your place." Kakeru: "..." Yoichi: "Holy shit, hahah! I've never seen that look on your face before, Kakeru. You're blushing super hard!" Kakeru: "Cram it." Yoichi: "Hahah, anyway, just seal the deal today. If you two slip out early together, nobody's gonna bat an eye." Kakeru: "Don't get your hopes up." Yoichi: "I'm not. In fact, I put some money down, betting that she says no." Kakeru: "Why you...! Are all of you are getting a kick out of this?!" Yoichi: "Doesn't everybody enjoy watching a relationship try to get itself sorted out? A lot of guys are aiming for Kujo-san, so you should be locking that down while everybody else is content to just watch, or you can kiss your chances with her goodbye." Kakeru: "..." Yoichi: "Now that's the determination I wanna see. Alright, wait right here. Some of the girls are on cleaning duty, so we'll hit the road once they're done." Kakeru: "Fine." Yoichi: "There's been a lot of dark stuff going on lately. Give us something fun to talk about, okay?" Kakeru: "You're hoping she shoots me down, aren't you?" Yoichi: "You know it, dude. That'd be hilarious." *He gives me another slap on the back before heading over to the circle of girls.* *I've been thinking of doing something about this situation for a while now, but it's tough to get going on my own.* *Still, this isn't what I was hoping for. Not only are they pushing us together, they're even wagering on the outcome?* *I hate that they're making a spectacle out of me, but I guess, now that I'm in this deep, I don't have any way to go but forward.* *...* *Fine mess I've ended up in.* Kakeru: "..." *With a drink in hand, I take a look around the establishment.* *Round Two's first floor is less an arcade, and more what we call an amusement corner.* *The whole floor is just rhythm games and crane games.* *The second floor has more classic arcade games, as well as the games that pay out tickets. Going even further up, there's bowling, darts, billiards, and karaoke.* *Everything a student could want is right here.* *Which is why the place is jam-packed with students.* *To tell the truth, I don't really care for this place. It's too loud for me.* *And knowing how frugal Kujo is, my guess is she doesn't come here often either.* *Both of us are a bit on the antisocial side, and yet here we are, joining in the "fun". Sure, the plan is to get us some alone time, but the only way I can see this going is that we both just get dragged here, there, and everywhere by our friends.* Kakeru: "..." *I take another look around.* *Nothing but students around us.* *However, I've lost track of Yoichi and the others.* *Don't tell me they ditched me when I went to buy a drink.* *If they seriously are trying to get the two of us alone, then Kujo has probably been stranded on her own, just like me.* *I could just go home, if I wanted...* *...* Kakeru: "Haahh..." *I sigh.* *I decide to go looking for her.* *To be frank, I just want to be able to tell myself later that I at least tried looking.* *Right now, the greater part of me wants to just go. No, that's not quite right. I just want to run away.* *So, I've concocted a simple rationalization that I can use:* *I tried looked for her, but I didn't find her, so I reluctantly went back home.* *But things never turn out the way you plan...* Miyako: "..." *Mere moments later, I catch sight of Kujo.* *She's all alone, standing by the wall.* *The look on her face says she's waiting to meet someone.* *Could it be... me?* *I quickly abandon that thought.* *Maybe I should pretend I never saw her and go home.* *But I still can't shake the idea that just maybe...* *It's just...* *...* *I've been waiting for Kujo to come talk to me this entire time.* *It's time to stop being such a wimp.* Miyako: "Oh." Kakeru: "..." *Wordlessly, I lean against the wall next to Kujo.* *Kujo sees me and looks down at the floor, but she doesn't walk away.* *Relief washes over me.* *...* *Unfortunately, that's not enough to make a dent in the awkward tension.* *I desperately try to start a conversation.* Kakeru: "Uh..." Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "Where's everyone else?" Miyako: "Well, they told me to wait here." Kakeru: "They probably aren't coming back." Miyako: "Huh?" Kakeru: "I heard they're trying to get the two of us alone." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "I heard that too." Kakeru: "..." *The words won't come out of my mouth.* *I'm too nervous.* *Does that mean Kujo knew we'd end up alone together if she waited here?* *I'm why she kept waiting?* *"Aww, crap," I think to myself.* *I really want to run away now.* *If Kujo is about to give an answer to my unasked question, right here and now...* *...I don't know if I can take it.* *She's probably going to say no. I'm not certain of it, but I'm sure as hell not certain she'll say yes, either.* *I mean, we've gotten closer recently, right? She's even come to my apartment, right?* *But that's probably an indication of just how little she sees me as a potential romantic interest.* *Around and around and around.* *These self-tormenting, nauseous thoughts flit through my head.* *But if I'm going to get shot down anyway...* *I should at least give it everything I have and go out in a blaze of glory.* Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "Hey, Kujo?" Miyako: "Yes?" Kakeru: "That time you read my memories?" Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "You figured out how I feel about you, didn't you?" Miyako: "..." *Kujo says nothing.* *I'm starting to crack, what with her not responding at all, but I manage to hold out and continue speaking.* Kakeru: "I've got nothing to hide anymore, so I'll come out and tell you." Kakeru: "I like you, Kujo." Miyako: "Oh..." Miyako: "..." *I'm not sure if she's about to say something, or if that was an unintentional gasp.* *Kujo keeps her eyes pointed at the floor. Her hair hides her face from me, making it hard to read her expression.* *What more should I even say?* *My thoughts are a mess, and I have no idea what to say next, but this silence is killing me.* *I just keep saying whatever comes to mind.* Kakeru: "I... guess you're kind of troubled, the way I'm forcing my feelings on you and all." Miyako: "No, that's not..." Kakeru: "No, you don't have to be nice. I get it." Kakeru: "Heck, I only recently realized that you were the waitress at Nine Ball." Kakeru: "I hardly ever spoke a word to you for so long... but then we kind of hit it off, so I got ahead of myself." Kakeru: "And, well... You probably know this already, but I just want to get it all off my chest." Miyako: "Okay." Kakeru: "The reason I've been helping you search for the culprit was that I wanted an excuse to spend time with you, Kujo." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "Sorry, you must be disgusted with me. I was afraid of that. That's why I've been hiding it this whole time." Kakeru: "You're cute. You're a great cook. I just wanted you to like me, and that's... why I helped you." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "And, well... That's how it is. It made me so happy when you said I was guiding you, but now you know, I... I'm not worthy of doing that." Kakeru: "I fell for you because you're so cute. Oh, and because you're a good cook... Oh, I said that a second ago, didn't I? Erm, uh, so..." Kakeru: "Right! You're kind, and gentle, and you always laugh at the stupid stuff I talk about." Kakeru: "So, yeah... that's why I fell for you. That's everything I can think of, honestly. Man, not even a month has passed since we started hanging out. Am I shallow or what?" Kakeru: "I'm sorry to just throw this all at you. I know it's unfair of me." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "I mean, now you know the real reason I'm with you, searching for the culprit. Unlike you, I don't have a powerful sense of duty." Kakeru: "I'm not the honorable guy you think I am." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "So, yeah... I guess... That's about it." Kakeru: "I'm sorry for making you feel awkward. Feel free to forget everything I just said." Miyako: "What?" Kakeru: "I'll see you." Miyako: "Um..." *I walk away, leaving behind poor, flustered Kujo.* *So in the end, I still ran away.* *Kujo had nothing to say to me.* *You didn't have to be a genius to see she was uncomfortable.* *It was all too obvious that she was just going to shoot me down.* *And so, not wanting to hear her actually say the words, I just ran away.* *God, I'm so pathetic.* *And that's that. It's over.* *We became such good friends, and then my stupid love-struck heart screwed it all up, just like I knew it would.* *I can't believe I didn't even have the guts to hear her out.* *Man, I need to chill out. Hating on myself isn't gonna do me any good.* Yoichi: "Hey, there you are, Kakeru! Did you see Kujo-san? She's right over there." Kakeru: "You won the bet." Yoichi: "Huh?" Kakeru: "Don't make me repeat myself." Yoichi: "What? You're kidding, right? We gave you the perfect setup!" Kakeru: "We're from two different worlds. It just wasn't meant to be." Yoichi: "Aw, c'mon. Did you just royally screw up when it came time to ask her out?" Kakeru: "Guess I did. Hey, walk with me a bit. I'm in the mood to shoot some guns." Yoichi: "Sure thing. Let's head upstairs." Kakeru: "Yeah." Yoichi: "Don't cry now, poor little Kakeru. There's always next time!" Kakeru: "Shut it. I'm not crying, dude." *Yoichi and I head for the escalator while he pokes fun at me.* *Still, my guess is that this searing pain in my heart won't go away no matter how many zombies I blast to pieces.* *My first love, lost. It stings. It hurts more than I expected.* Yoichi: "Thanks for coming, everyone! Take care on the way home!" *We play until we're beat, and once people start getting hungry, we head out.* *We say our goodbyes at the station, where it seems the only ones not getting on the train are Kujo and I.* *Not a soul asks about how it went with me and Kujo. Maybe Yoichi already filled them in.* *At any rate, it seems like they're acting considerate of us. As they walk by me, heading into the station, every last one gives me a meaningful look.* *And so here we are, just the two of us.* Kakeru: "..." Miyako: "..." *Talk about awkward.* *...* *Guess we'd better hurry home.* *I'm sure in a little while we'll both be over it and able to talk normally, like we used to, but man, I am so not ready for this yet.* *God, this is pathetic. I'm about to break down here.* Kakeru: "All right, Kujo. Take care of yourself." *I turn my back without waiting for her reply.* *But then...* Kakeru: "Huh?" Miyako: "..." *She yanks at my arm.* *Why does she not want me to go?* *I don't want to shake off her hand, lightly gripping my wrist, so I can't really turn around to look at her.* *What's going through her head? Is she frowning? Smiling?* *Kujo remains silent as I wait for her to speak, still suffering that pain in my heart.* Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "What is it, Kujo?" Miyako: "That was unfair." Kakeru: "What was?" Miyako: "You didn't give me a chance to speak." Kakeru: "Oh..." Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "You're right. I'm sorry. I ran away, because I was afraid to hear your answer." Miyako: "Niimi-kun, you practically ran off with the conversation. You never asked me. How was I supposed to answer, when you never asked?" Kakeru: "I see. You're right. I didn't ask you, did I?" Miyako: "I kept waiting for my moment, but you said your piece, and then you walked off. That was very unfair." Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "So, is it okay if I pick up where I left off?" Miyako: "Okay." Kakeru: "Will you go out with me?" Miyako: "..." *Kujo doesn't answer.* *Which is pretty cruel, actually, after making me say all that.* *There's a part of me that wants to burst into tears.* *But now that I've come this far, I'm past the point of desperation.* *I'm hanging on her every word. When she turns me down, it's gonna hit me so hard I'll go flying backwards and right into a trash can.* Kakeru: "What's your answer?" Miyako: "..." Miyako: "Niimi-kun..." Kakeru: "Yeah?" Miyako: "Earlier, you said you're not the honorable guy I think you are." Kakeru: "Sure did." Miyako: "Well I think you're amazing. Ever since that day you led me through the fire, I've felt nothing but respect for you." Kakeru: "..." *Respect?* *I can see where this is going. She's going to tell me that she respects me but isn't interested in me romantically.* *God, now I'm ready to run away again.* *But I hold back that urge and stay right where I am.* Miyako: "Niimi-kun, you have things that I lack. You're smart. You're creative. And, most importantly, you're courageous." Miyako: "And because of that, I wanted you by my side. That was why I wanted to look for the culprit together in the first place." Miyako: "If you had an ulterior motive for joining in the search, well... maybe I did too." Kakeru: "Huh?" *The topic takes an unexpected turn, leaving me speechless.* *It was the same for her?* *I'm about to whoop and jump for joy, when I pause. Something still doesn't add up.* *And so I have to ask.* Kakeru: "'Maybe'?" Miyako: "I didn't realize it myself. I only understood it very recently..." Miyako: "This has never happened to me before. I didn't know what these feelings I've been holding inside were..." Miyako: "When I found out what you felt for me, it all finally started to make sense." Miyako: "I even figured out why I hated watching you chat with Kosaka-senpai." Miyako: "Even if she was compelling you with her ability, I didn't want to..." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "...to give you up." Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "So, then..." *My voice cracks.* *Kujo takes a firmer grip on my arm.* *She's trembling.* *Or maybe that's me trembling.* *My body is numb, and my mind is blank.* *The silence drags on.* *My heart is pounding in my ears.* Miyako: "I'm not as honorable as you think I am, either." Miyako: "I pried up your feelings without your permission." Miyako: "And what I saw scared me, and I ran away. I was so ashamed for running away that I couldn't look you in the face." Miyako: "I thought that, after the horrible way I'd treated you, I wasn't worthy of you." Miyako: "B-But, even so! Despite all my flaws..." "..." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "You said all that to me..." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "I know it hasn't been long since we've gotten to know one another. Since we've become friends." Miyako: "But for some things, time doesn't matter." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "I like you." Miyako: "I'm in love with you, Niimi-kun." Miyako: "I have my answer for you." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "Yes." Miyako: "I would be honored to be with you." Kakeru: "..." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "......" Miyako: "......" Kakeru: "........." Miyako: "D-Did you hear me, Niimi-kun?" Kakeru: "Oh, y-yes." Miyako: "I-I gave you my answer." Kakeru: "Oh, r-right, sorry. I sort of blanked out. Or more like, I couldn't believe what I was hearing." Kakeru: "So. Uh. H-Hold on. You'll... actually go out with me?" Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "Wh-Why'd you go all quiet?!" Miyako: "I-I didn't! I was... nodding." Kakeru: "I-I couldn't see that!" Miyako: "Oh. I-I'm sorry." Kakeru: "I-Is it okay for me to turn around?" Miyako: "N-No, don't!" Kakeru: "Huh? Why not?!" Miyako: "I'm too embarrassed." Kakeru: "Let me look you in the eyes and say it." Kakeru: "I'm never running away again." Miyako: "..." *She loosens her grip on my arm.* *I can't feel anything; it's like my whole body is numb.* *I can't move my legs properly, so the mere act of turning around is taking an unexpected amount of effort.* *At last, I see Kujo's face.* Miyako: "..." *She's blushing so hard I can't help but smile, but she's also on the verge of tears, which leaves me distraught.* *Too embarrassed to meet my gaze, she looks off to the side.* *I'm not doing a whole lot better here.* *My voice trembles as I try to squeeze out a few more words.* Kakeru: "K-Kujo?" Miyako: "Y-Yes?" Kakeru: "I like you, Kujo." Miyako: "...I like you, too." Kakeru: "Will you go out with me?" Kakeru: "Will you be my girlfriend?" Miyako: "..." Miyako: "Yes." Miyako: "I'll be your..." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "g-g... g..." Kakeru: "H-Hey, settle down." Miyako: "I-I-I'm sorry. I'm shaking, and it's making it hard to speak." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "Phew." Miyako: "I'm sorry. Let's try it one more time..." Kakeru: "Will you be my girlfriend?" Miyako: "Yes." Miyako: "Yes!" Miyako: "Please, take me as your girlfriend." Miyako: "Will you be my boyfriend?" Kakeru: "Yes. I'd love to." Miyako: "Thank you. I'm so happy." Kakeru: "..." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "......" Miyako: "......" Kakeru: "S-So, what do we do now?" Miyako: "I-I have no idea." Kakeru: "........." Miyako: "........." Kakeru: "Pfft." Miyako: "Haha!" Kakeru: "Ahaha, hahaha!" Miyako: "Ahaha! Haha." *The overwhelming awkwardness pops the tension like a balloon, and the two of us burst out laughing together.* *Kujo is my girlfriend.* *And I'm her boyfriend.* *I can't believe it turned out this way.* *I never saw this coming.* *None of it feels real.* *An immense wave of relief washes over me, along with the thought, "Oh, thank God. I can finally stop being so cripplingly awkward around her."* Kakeru: "I was sure you were going to turn me down." Miyako: "I'm sorry it was so hard for me to tell you. Contrary to what you may think of me, I'm..." Kakeru: "I don't know what you're about to say about yourself, but whatever it is, you won't change what I think of you, Kujo." Miyako: "Okay." Kakeru: "Me, on the other hand? Contrary to how honorable you may think I am, I'm..." Miyako: "I don't know what you're about to say about yourself, but whatever it is, you won't change what I think of you, Niimi-kun." Kakeru: "You're sure I'm the one you want?" Miyako: "You're the only one for me, Niimi-kun." Miyako: "I want to be your girlfriend. Nobody else's." Kakeru: "Kujo..." Miyako: "Niimi-kun..." Kakeru: "..." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "W-We should probably go somewhere else." Miyako: "Oh, y-yes." *We're in everybody's way here, standing around wrapped up in our own little world.* *As we calm down, we notice all the people looking at us, so we hightail it out of there.* Kakeru: "..." Miyako: "..." *We walk in silence for a bit.* *Part of me wants to shout and jump and sing, I'm so happy. The rest of me still can't believe it's really true.* *The only sounds are our footsteps and the slow tread of Kujo's bike tires on the sidewalk.* *That's our whole world right now.* Miyako: "..." Miyako: "I'm this way..." Kakeru: "Oh, yeah, uh-huh." *Kujo's tone is relucant.* *This is where we part.* Miyako: "Thanks. It was great." Kakeru: "Oh, uh, the pleasure was all mine." Miyako: "...What did I just thank you for?" Kakeru: "I totally responded like I knew, too..." Miyako: "Maybe... for you asking me out?" Kakeru: "That'd be sorta... weird, right?" Miyako: "I-I know, right? I think I'm still too excited, and it's making my head spin." Kakeru: "Same here." *Another clumsy exchange puts an awkward smile on our faces.* *How are you even supposed to talk to your girlfriend? I have no idea.* *I guess it's just something I'll have to figure out as we move forward together.* Kakeru: "Hey, Kujo?" Miyako: "Yeah?" Kakeru: "Do you have work tomorrow?" Miyako: "Until 2 PM, I think." Kakeru: "Oh, I see. You're busy..." Miyako: "But I'm free after 2PM." Kakeru: "You won't be tired?" Miyako: "I'll be fine." Kakeru: "Want to do something together?" Miyako: "Sure." Kakeru: "I mean... I have no idea what, but, y'know." Miyako: "As long as it's with you, anyplace is fine." Kakeru: "How about Round Two again?" Miyako: "Oh. Actually, I saw something there in the crane game, but... I couldn't get it." Kakeru: "I'll get it for you tomorrow!" Miyako: "Thank you. I'm looking forward to it." Kakeru: "I'll come to pick you up. Um, around 2:30?" Miyako: "Okay. Oh, I'll have to change, so it might be good if you come around 2:40." Kakeru: "Got it. And lunch?" Miyako: "I'll make sure to skip staff lunch." Kakeru: "Great, we can eat together." Miyako: "Yeah." Kakeru: "I'll contact you later." Miyako: "Okay." Kakeru: "..." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "It's still kinda hard to believe." Miyako: "Same for me. I feel like once I get back, take a bath, and relax, it's all going to come crashing home and my head is going to explode." Kakeru: "Oh man, that's totally gonna be me, too..." Miyako: "Yeah, haha. I'll be waiting for your message." Kakeru: "Right! Oh, sorry for holding you up." Miyako: "No, it's fine. I'll be going." Kakeru: "See you tomorrow." Miyako: "Okay, see you." *Kujo waves and hops on her bike.* *After another cheerful wave, she pedals off.* *When she's a little ways away, she stops, turns around, and gives me one last big wave.* *I turn around as well.* *That little exchange alone is enough to make me beam with joy.* *Those same quivering emotions that were driving me mad when I was waiting for her reply...* *Well, now they feel so damn good I can hardly contain myself.*

Miyako: "Thank you very much!" *Kujo's voice echoes through the cafe as she sees out customers.* *It's a big party, all of them with separate checks, so it's slowing down the process a little.* *It's currently 2:50 PM.* *When I arrived precisely at 2:40, she told me that things might take a while and that I should just wait inside, so I've been hanging around since then.* *Just getting a glass of water would have been bad manners, so I ordered a soda and have been sipping on it, waiting for Kujo to get off her shift.* Miyako: "Would you like the receipt? Thank you very much! Please come again." *She closes out the last person's check with a sigh of relief.* *She shoots a glance my way, smiling sweetly. With a a nod to another part-timer, she disappears into the back.* *Finally done, I guess? She's probably off to go change.* *While vacantly staring at the kitchen area where she disappeared to, I put the straw to my lips.* *...* *Almost forgot my glass is empty.* *My throat is super dry for some reason.* *This is bad. I'm nervous as hell.* *My first date.* *We've walked around town together before, but once you actually call it a date, suddenly it becomes this huge event.* *I killed off my soda the instant it was brought over.* *Only ice remains in my glass.* *Unable to contain my thirst, I slurp up the little bit of water that's melted from the ice.* *That, of course, isn't enough, so I pop the ice in my mouth and start crunching down on it.* *As soon as I grind the last ice cube into pieces, Kujo returns to the cafe dressed in her casual clothes.* *She walks over to me and sits across from me.* Miyako: "I'm sorry that took so long." Kakeru: "Nah, no worries. Still doing okay? You were awfully busy." Miyako: "Things are usually slow on weekends, but today we had a bit of a rush. Still, everything is fine now that the crowd's gone." Miyako: "Oh, do you need more water?" Kakeru: "Uh, no, I'll be fine." Miyako: "Sorry for making you wait so long. You must be hungry. We, um... probably shouldn't eat here, should we? Haha." Kakeru: "Yeah, good point. Let's go wherever sounds good to you, Kujo." Miyako: "Oh, are you sure?" Kakeru: "Yeah. Come on, let's get going." Miyako: "Sure." *I take the check and stand up from my seat.* *Kujo starts to pull out her wallet for some reason, but I obviously stop her and pay alone.* *Kujo responds to her coworker's knowing smile with an awkward smile of her own as we leave the cafe.* Miyako: "I'm sorry. Not only did I make you wait forever, I made you foot the bill." Kakeru: "I ordered that drink on my own, so I couldn't ask you to help pay for it. Besides, I planned on buying us lunch, too." Miyako: "You did?" Kakeru: "That's right. I asked you out, so I'm paying." Miyako: "But you're always the one who pays for the groceries, too." Kakeru: "That's from the money for food I get from my folks, so that doesn't count. Though I guess I don't actually work, so it's all my folks' money anyway... Man, not making the best case for myself here." Kakeru: "Look, it's our first date, so at least let me pay for the meal." Miyako: "Oh..." Miyako: "..." Miyako: "Fine, then I get to pay for the next one." Kakeru: "Sure thing." *The next one.* *We've only just started our first date, and she's already looking forward to the next one. Man, my heart can't take this.* Kakeru: "What are you in the mood for?" Miyako: "We're really getting whatever I want?" Kakeru: "You bet." Miyako: "Alright, then. It's a bit pricey, but..." Kakeru: "Whatever you want." Miyako: "Could we go to MockDonald's for hamburgers?" Kakeru: "That's not pricey, it's cheap!" Miyako: "What? I-It is? But a combo meal costs almost eight-hundred yen. That's expensive!" Kakeru: "I was ready to spend over a thousand yen. Heck, get a dessert while we're there, if you want." Miyako: "Wow. How extravagant." Kakeru: "C'mon, let's go." Miyako: "Oh, s-sure." Kakeru: "Oh, what about your bike?" Miyako: "Don't worry. I'll just leave it here." Kakeru: "Okay." Miyako: "That way, I'll have my hands free." Kakeru: "Hm? Oh, sure." Miyako: "Oh, um... Ahaha, let's head off." *Kujo blushes as she starts walking, though I'm not sure why.* *I fall in next to her, tilting my head in confusion.* *...* *Oh!* *She said something about making sure her hands are free... Did she mean, like, she wants to hold hands?* *Nah, I'm reading too much into this. Right?* *Then again, if I'd been smooth enough to say, "Oh, fancy that. Guess we'll be able to hold hands," or something, we'd actually be holding hands by now.* *Did I miss my chance?* Kakeru: "Um..." Miyako: "Huh?" Kakeru: "Oh! No, it's nothing." Miyako: "...? Oh, how about the one by the train station?" Kakeru: "Y-Yeah, sounds good." *I scramble for a response, sweating bullets over how badly I already screwed things up.* *I just have to make sure I don't let my next chance get away.* Miyako: "This looks good." Kakeru: "Yeah!" *We both unwrap our burgers.* *Kujo has a veggie burger, and I got the the signature item, a Huge Mock.* *We both got the combo with onion rings and fries, with Kujo ordering an iced tea for her drink. I settled on oolong tea.* *To me, this is an extremely commonplace lunch, but...* Miyako: "I get to have my month-end splurge at the beginning of the month... This is the best! Haha!" *Kujo's cheeks are pushed up into the biggest smile I've ever seen on her.* *The big-shot president's daughter, elated over a fast food burger.* *Man, and here I thought this was the sort of thing you only read about in fiction.* Kakeru: "Okay, so, I have a question about the stuff you usually eat at home." Miyako: "Yeah?" Kakeru: "You don't think of your ordinary meals as 'splurging', do you?" Miyako: "Nah, they're perfectly normal." Kakeru: "I mean, I could understand your reaction if you were, like, eating steak and caviar every day." Miyako: "Ohh, haha. Like, if I was having French haute cuisine every night, instant ramen would seem like a treat. That kind of thing?" Kakeru: "Yeah, yeah, exactly." Miyako: "See, my mom worries about letting me eat stuff that isn't good for me. That's why we never have anything like hamburgers or instant ramen." Kakeru: "Ohhh, now I get it. My parents are the same, actually." Miyako: "No soft drinks, either." Kakeru: "God, yeah, exactly like my folks." Miyako: "Haha. We're just an ordinary family. Everybody kind of expects me to act like an upper-crust kind of girl, but I don't really like spending money." Kakeru: "If they could see you now, they'd change their opinions in a heartbeat." Miyako: "Why's that?" Kakeru: "Well, when we'd just started hanging out, you were so uptight, you know? Like how you talked and acted. Gave you this 'prim and proper princess' image, and left me a little on my guard." Miyako: "Well, I act that way because I can be rather shy around people. When I get nervous, I tend to fall back on formality." Kakeru: "I mean sure, maybe the nervousness explains why you do it, but the way you act is so... How do I put this? You gave me the impression that you're way more cultured than I could ever be." Miyako: "Oh, really? I've never considered that before." Kakeru: "I can just picture you going to some high-class restaurant and going through the full course dinner without feeling an ounce of discomfort." Miyako: "No way, of course it makes me uncomfortable. We do that a few times a year, like at New Years. Whenever we get the whole family together, it seems like we have to go somewhere fancy." Kakeru: "Whoa, crazy! That's the first time I've ever heard you mention anything like that. I've never eaten anywhere upscale." Miyako: "Ahaha. It's not really all that formal an occasion, though." Kakeru: "No hoity-toity French restaurant?" Miyako: "Hmm... Well, maybe a while ago, we used to go to places like that, but lately we're pretty much only going to buffets. It helps keep the little kids in the family happy." Kakeru: "A top-tier buffet... That's got to be worlds apart from the cheap all-you-can-eat places I've been to." Miyako: "Hmm. Well, I don't know the kind of place you mean, so I can't really say either way." Kakeru: "I'm suddenly intimately aware of the class divide." Miyako: "I-I think you're exaggerating a bit. It's not like the food there is amazingly delicious or anything." Kakeru: "Wait, really?" Miyako: "Yeah. Plus, I'm always so nervous that I just can't..." *She nibbles on her burger.* Miyako: "Mmm... It's so good! I think I'd rather have this." Kakeru: "Better than haute cuisine, huh?" Miyako: "If you ask me, nothing beats these onion rings." Kakeru: "Yeah, I feel you. They're pretty darn good, aren't they?" Miyako: "The craving's so strong, your subconscious orders them for you. Haha." *We're having a natural conversation.* *We walked the entire way here in silence, and then even at first while we were eating it was the same. I was freaking out, wondering what I was supposed to do. But it all turned out fine.* *Now, my only concern is... I can't stop staring at her smile.* *As soon as I realize what I'm doing, I blush and take a gulp of my tea.* Miyako: "So, how was your Golden Week?" Kakeru: "Eh, nothing special. I just went back to my folks'. Granted, it was a bit weird since I don't have a room there anymore." Miyako: "What happened to your old room?" Kakeru: "I used to share with Sora, but now it's just hers." Miyako: "Oh, haha. So the reason you moved out and started living alone was so that Sora-chan could have the room to herself?" Kakeru: "No, no. I was KICKED out. I had no choice but to start living on my own." Miyako: "Is that true?" Kakeru: "C'mon, I'm not that generous." Miyako: "I'm not so sure. I get the feeling you're actually quite the kind and generous older brother." Kakeru: "Certainly not the look I was aiming for... Oh, that reminds me, I've been wondering how Sora's faring with the investigation." Miyako: "Oh... You put it on hold because I ran away, right?" Kakeru: "I can't really lay all the blame on you for that. It was my fault too." Miyako: "Haha, I suppose. We're lucky—though that may not be the most appropriate word to use—that a third victim hasn't shown up yet." Kakeru: "Yeah. But it's bound to happen again sooner or later." Miyako: "Yes. We have to get to the bottom of this, and soon." Kakeru: "Kujo, your power is going to be a huge help in this, but..." Miyako: "But it's not like I can just use it on every person in town." Kakeru: "And even if we tried just searching the school, we're still talking about hundreds of people." Miyako: "We need a better plan." Kakeru: "Sure would be nice if the culprit was making some sort of public declaration before each murder. Or like, if they only struck on the night of a full moon, or something obvious like that." Miyako: "It's almost like they're not even planning each one." Kakeru: "Sure seems that way." Miyako: "So far, all the victims have been girls. And each has occurred late at night." Kakeru: "The dates seem to be random. Well, that, or there could be a pattern that we haven't picked up on yet." Miyako: "I wonder..." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "Sorry, let's drop the topic." Miyako: "Oh, y-yes, you're right. This is supposed to be our date, after all." Kakeru: "Man, this is the first time I've ever been on a date, so I'm super flustered. Oh... I shouldn't have said that out loud." Miyako: "Heh heh, I'm in the same boat. My first-ever relationship. My first-ever boyfriend. My first-ever date. It's all new to me." Kakeru: "Kinda redundant there." Miyako: "Huh?" Kakeru: "If this is your first relationship, then I'm obviously your first boyfriend." Miyako: "Huh? Oh..." Kakeru: "You have some surprisingly airheaded moments, Kujo." Miyako: "I can't deny that." *I don't know if she's embarrassed or if she's pouting. She munches on her french fry as she furrows her brow.* *I smile, sinking my teeth into my burger.* Miyako: "..." Miyako: "Hey, Niimi-kun?" Kakeru: "Hm?" *She's gone very quiet for some reason.* *Surprised at the sudden shift in tone, I brace myself for whatever she's going to say.* Kakeru: "What's wrong?" Miyako: "Sorry to ask this so suddenly, but..." Kakeru: "What is it?" Miyako: "Um, don't you think 'Niimi-kun' is a bit too formal?" Kakeru: "...?" Miyako: "Like, the names we use for each other." Kakeru: "O-Ohhh, I see. Um, yeah, I guess so." Miyako: "So, see, I was thinking, maybe... If you're okay with it..." Kakeru: "Can I call you Miyako?" Miyako: "Oh..." Miyako: "...!" *Kujo freezes for a second, then her head begins bobbing up and down enthusiastically.* *She then goes on, visibly excited.* Miyako: "And maybe I can call you Kakeru-kun?" Kakeru: "Yeah, definitely." Miyako: "Great! In that case, I'll be calling you Niimi-kun from now on." Kakeru: "Huh?" Miyako: "What?" Miyako: "...!" Miyako: "K-Kakeru-kun, I mean!" Kakeru: "You really can be an airhead, Kujo." Miyako: "Try it again!" Kakeru: "Oh no! Right, not Kujo, Miyako." Miyako: "Looks like you can be an airhead too, Nii... Kakeru-kun." Kakeru: "You almost called me Niimi." Miyako: "This is tough." Kakeru: "We'll get used to it over time, I guess." Miyako: "Okay, haha. Over time, yeah." *Miyako gives me another brilliant smile, and I instinctively grab my tea and hide my embarrassment behind it.* *Miyako...* *Calling her by her first name feels so intimate.* *Am I really going to get used to calling her that, or am I going to be embarrassed every time?* *It's almost scary how giddy we both are.* *Honestly, this burger could taste like cardboard and I'd never know. I'm that far gone.* Kakeru: "What was the thing you wanted?" Miyako: "Um, let's see, where was it..." *We finish our late lunch and head to Round Two, the very place we went yesterday with our classmates but couldn't enjoy at all.* *It seems like Miyako doesn't go to places like this often. Her eyes are darting everywhere, taking in all the sights and sounds, a big grin on her face.* Miyako: "Oh, here it is. See, the dome lamp." Kakeru: "Wow, didn't know they had dome lamps in the crane games... Huh? Oh, wait, I recognize this thing. Miyako, you play that game?" Miyako: "What game?" Kakeru: "Oh, guess not. This is a monster from that game Dragon Fantasy. Well, maybe it's more like a mascot? It's called a Tequilar." Miyako: "Oh, it's from a game. How cute." Kakeru: "Sora used to play that series, but I wonder if she still does." Miyako: "Then let's make it a present for Sora-chan." Kakeru: "Naw, she can get her own. The one we're getting is for you, Miyako." Miyako: "Haha, thank you. Okay, here we go..." Kakeru: "Whoa, hold it. Why are you getting your wallet out?" Miyako: "Huh? But..." Kakeru: "No, I insist." *I see how apologetic Miyako looks, but I throw my money in before she has a chance to protest.* Miyako: "Y-You just dropped in five-hundred yen like it was nothing!" Kakeru: "You get a bonus turn if you put in five-hundred. I'll make it count." Miyako: "Are you good at this game?" Kakeru: "Stand back and watch." *I grin triumphantly, push the button, and control the crane.* Kakeru: "Hmm... There." Miyako: "Huh? That's where you wanted it?" Kakeru: "Yeah. I'm going to push it with the arm." Miyako: "Oh, oh, I see! You're going to push it into the hole, huh?" Kakeru: "You got it." Miyako: "Oh, look, it's leaning...! Oh. You only nudged it a little." Kakeru: "Guess I didn't quite nail the positioning. Don't worry, I've got the hang of it now." *I begin my second attempt.* *This time, I definitely positioned the claw better, but...* Miyako: "Oh, oh, oh!" Miyako: "Oh..." Miyako: "Aww..." *Another failure.* *In fact, the prize isn't even budging when the arm hits it.* Kakeru: "Hmm, I see. So the arm isn't strong enough, eh?" *I offer a composed and level-headed analysis, while on the inside I freak out.* *Shit... I don't think I can get it.* Miyako: "It certainly is difficult." Kakeru: "I've still got four turns left. Leave it to me." *I am clearly on tilt.* *I don't have a chance in hell of getting this crane to do what I want. For that matter, I don't even have a strategy to get the damn thing, even if I could put the claw where I wanted it.* Kakeru: "..." Kakeru: "...?" Kakeru: "...!" Kakeru: "Mmm." *In the blink of an eye, I've effectively flushed five hundred yen down the toilet.* *...* *You can't be serious.* *What am I gonna say to her?!* Miyako: "It's just too difficult. Thank you for trying, Kakeru-kun. It was fun to watch." Kakeru: "..." Miyako: "So, what are we going to do next? I know, why don't we play a game togeth..." Kakeru: "No. Stop right there, Miyako." Miyako: "Hm?" Kakeru: "I have another five-hundred yen coin in my wallet!" Miyako: "Kakeru-kun, you can't!" *Miyako grabs my arm.* Miyako: "Y-You already used five-hundred! A th-thousand would be too much. I don't want it that badly!" Kakeru: "Don't worry. I've got the hang of it now. Besides, it's fully expected that you have to spend at least a thousand yen on games like this!" Miyako: "What do you mean 'at least?!'" Kakeru: "See, the way these crane games work is, there's a window of time where the arm's grip gets stronger. So if I gave up now, it'd be a total waste of the five-hundred yen I already spent." Miyako: "R-Really?" Kakeru: "Yeah! I got it this time for sure." Miyako: "..." *With a worried and dubious look, Miyako releases my arm.* *I extend my released arm to the cabinet, the five-hundred yen coin in my fingers, and drop it in the slot.* Miyako: "Hwaaah..." *The moment the machine swallows up my money, Miyako lets out an indescribable gasp.* *A thousand yen must be a lot of money to Miyako. Actually, it's a pretty big hit to my wallet, too...* *But I'll do it for my beloved girlfriend!* *I swear, that dome lamp will be mine!* Kakeru: "Here goes!" Miyako: "Y-Yeah!" *I psyche myself up, glaring at the dome lamp.* *And so begins a battle I can't afford to lose!* Kakeru: "..." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "......" Miyako: "Kakeru-kun." Kakeru: "Okay..." Miyako: "Kakeru-kun?" Kakeru: "One more time!" Miyako: "Kakeru-kun, no!" Kakeru: "Let go! Let me go!" Miyako: "No, no, you can't! You've already spent two-thousand yen! You can't sink any more money into this!" Kakeru: "D-Don't try and stop me! My pride is on the line here! You can't make me quit after I've come this far!" Miyako: "I-I'm sorry. This only happened because I said I wanted it. You don't have to do this! It's okay!" Kakeru: "One-hundred yen more! Just one final hundred yen and I'll stop!" Miyako: "You said you were going to stop after the last round, just before you went to the change machine!" Kakeru: "I can do it! I finally understand how it works! I can do it on my next try!" Miyako: "You said that last time, too! Enough already! You have to stop!" Kakeru: "I've got it, seriously! Just you wait and see!" Miyako: "Oh no, oh nooooo!" *I shake off Miyako's arm and jam in another hundred yen.* Miyako: "Ahh... Unbelievable..." Kakeru: "This is my last hurrah! The final, ultimate, last one, I swear!" *I try not to look at Miyako's disappointed expression, focusing on controlling the crane.* *I've shifted it a lot. Just one more push!* *Just a tiny bit more, another inch... No! If I can shift it just a fraction of an inch...!* Kakeru: "Gah, dammit, I screwed up! Too much to the right!" Miyako: "W-Wait, maybe..." Kakeru: "Y-Yeah, I think so!" Miyako: "Your voice is trembling." Kakeru: "No, I mean it! I can do it! This time for sure, I can do this!" *I push the button, half in desperation.* *The arm position in place, it slowly descends...* *My rage wants me to punch through the glass in the machine and tear this weak-ass claw in half, but as though unaware of my ire, the claw opens.* Kakeru: "Oh." Miyako: "Oh." *The box moves to the side just a smidge, tilts precariously, and falls in the hole, accompanied by a clunk from the dispenser slot.* Kakeru: "..." Miyako: "..." Kakeru: "I got it." Miyako: "You got it?" Kakeru: "I got it!" Miyako: "Hooray!" Kakeru: "Quick, quick, Miyako! Pull it out of the slot!" Miyako: "O-Okay!" *We're both bouncing off the walls with excitement.* *Miyako kneels down, sticking her hand into the dispenser slot.* *She pulls out the little dome lamp-like creature that I spent my life's savings on liberating.* Miyako: "Look, it's here! It's really here, Kakeru-kun!" Kakeru: "I did it! I got it!" Miyako: "This is amazing! Thank you!" Kakeru: "Like I said, just leave it to me! All in a day's work!" Miyako: "You looked like you were going to break down crying near the end!" Kakeru: "..." *Miyako's unexpectedly savage take-down shuts me up in a hurry.* *Well. She does have a point. If that last try hadn't done it, I would've bawled my eyes out.* Kakeru: "I fought the good fight out there. I hope you take care of it... That'd make me happy." Miyako: "Haha, I will. Thank you, I'm so happy to have this. I'll put it in my room." Kakeru: "Th-That's great." Miyako: "That said..." *Miyako's sweet smile turns stern.* Miyako: "I don't want you to engage in any reckless spending like this going forward, you understand? It gives me the willies." Kakeru: "I'm sorry. My enthusiasm got the better of me." Miyako: "Haha, I'm sorry I put you through that. Thank you, though. I was so glad to see you working so hard for my sake." Miyako: "This lamp is my treasure. I'll care for it for the rest of my life." *She smiles, hugging the Tequilar's box tight.* *I think about teasing her for exaggerating, but I can't bring myself to do it. She's too cute.* *And that thought makes me blush, at which I struggle to hide my embarrassment, as always. I turn away, looking off into space.* Miyako: "I wish I could repay the favor." Kakeru: "No, don't even think that." Miyako: "Huh?" Kakeru: "I'm your boyfriend. There's nothing to repay." Kakeru: "I like to see you happy, so I wanted to get you something. Seeing you smile is all I need." Miyako: "Haha. Okay, thank you." Kakeru: "Oh, hey, they have bags to hold these. It won't fit in your purse, right?" Miyako: "Oh, no. How much are the bags?" Kakeru: "Free." Miyako: "Really? Wow, what a deal!" Kakeru: "You can only get one, though." Miyako: "Hey, don't be rude. Just because I'm frugal doesn't mean I'd get greedy and take a bunch." Kakeru: "Yes, ma'am. My apologies." Miyako: "Haha. To tell the truth, I was inclined to take a few home." Kakeru: "Was there anything else you wanted?" Miyako: "No, no. If I had to watch you spend another two-thousand yen, I'd have a heart attack." Kakeru: "Good point." Miyako: "Plus, if we ARE going to spend that much, we should do something we can enjoy together." Kakeru: "Good point, let's go find something we can do together." Miyako: "Okay!" *We end up spending about two hours at Round Two.* *By the time we get out, the sun is setting, the sky above us turning from orange to red.* *While I'd like to spend more time here, I decided that was probably enough for today.* Miyako: "It's a bit early to get dinner, isn't it?" Kakeru: "Yeah, guess so." Miyako: "Want to go somewhere to kill some time?" Kakeru: "Naw, let's call it a day." Miyako: "Oh... Okay." *She looks a little sad.* *A little stab of pain and a little rush of joy hit me at the same time.* *But I have my reasons for wanting to end our date early.* Kakeru: "I'd be worried, if it got too late." Miyako: "Huh? About what?" Kakeru: "I should have said something earlier, but I'm just, well, not sure how I feel about letting you go home alone at night..." Miyako: "Ohhh." *Miyako gives me a knowing smile.* Miyako: "Thank you for worrying about me, haha, but I'm on a bike, so I'll be okay." Kakeru: "I mean, I know, but whenever it's possible for you to head home before dark, I'd rather you did that." Miyako: "Okay. Alright then, I'll see you." Kakeru: "Yeah, see ya... Oh, wait, we have to go pick up your bike." Miyako: "Oh, you're right!" Kakeru: "Oh yeah! Miyako, would you let me carry your lamp?" Miyako: "No, I've got it." Kakeru: "Don't be modest now." Miyako: "Oh." *Despite her trying to demur, I somewhat insistently snatch the bag away from her.* Miyako: "I really was fine, you know." Kakeru: "I know. But, see, you have to carry your own bag. This way, you'll have a hand free, right?" Miyako: "Oh..." Kakeru: "So..." *With that stellar explanation, I stick out my right hand.* *Miyako timidly takes it.* *I wrap my rough fingers around her smooth hand.* Kakeru: "I'll walk you back to Nine Ball." Miyako: "Yes, thank you." *Her voice is small and bashful now.* *It may be just the sunset, but Miyako sure looks like she's blushing.* *I can't help but worry about her.* *There's a murderer on the loose in our city.* *But today has undoubtedly been the happiest day in my life.* *And I have a feeling that I'll be able to say that again tomorrow, and then again the next day, and the next...* *A gentle warmth fills my heart at the thought of our future together.*