Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Volume 2
Mikage, Eiji
Illustrated by: 415 alias Tetsuo
Tetsuo
you
from
the
ordinary
people.
"Seen from me, your field of vision is terribly small. But still you have those abilities.
Aah, I see. You mightresemble me, I suppose."
Please stop.
I considered him to be disgusting.
When I said so to him, he laughed and changed his shapeable appearance to someone
familiar.
'0' who looked like no one else but me, Kazuki Hoshino in person, spoke.
"May I interpret this as dislike for the same kind?"
That's not it!
We don't resemble at all, do we?
April 29
April 29 (Wednesday) 00:02
The first day begins.
April 30
April 30 (Thursday) 00:00
The second day begins.
"Why are you stiffening up? Did you perhaps think I'm angry? I wouldn't get angry because
of such a bagatelle, would I?"
"Y-Yeah."
While I was bewildered, Asami-san toddled wordlessly around Otonashi-san to stand behind
her.
"...mh? What is it Asami?"
Asami-san didn't answer and just continued to stare at me. Haruaki opened his mouth instead.
"She's a bit strange today. Maybe she's worrying that Maria-chan was swept away by Hoshii
because of this decisive boxed lunch-event."
"......to call her 'Maria-chan' is much too over-familiar. You ought to append a -sama..."
Asami-san mumbled her words again with a half-opened mouth and down-cast eyes.
"Whatever. Let's go, Kazuki."
"Err, to the school cafeteria?"
Otonashi-san uttered a irritated sigh.
"Why can't you get it at the point of time I told you that I would make you a boxed lunch?
Isn't it clear that I did so because the situation is unfavorable at the school cafeteria?"
Unfavorable at the school cafeteria?
We met every day during the lunch break, in order to discuss the 'boxes' or '0'.
Well, but it's not like there's new information every day, and there's almost never anything
that mustn't be heard by strangers. Or, instead of 'almost never', 'never' since Otonashi-san
had entered school. Therefore, the school cafeteria has never been a problem.
But today the school cafeteria was unfavorable.
"So that's the reason for this boxed lunch. ...but isn't there bread at the store?"
When I murmured this, Otonashi-san suddenly drew close to my face and whispered into my
ear.
"...I got fed up with the bread from there during the 'Rejecting Classroom'. You understand,
don't you...?"
Ah, well... I can understand that you don't want them to hear the word 'Rejecting Classroom',
but if you draw this near in front of Asami-san, she might think we want to show off, you
know?
I sneaked a peek at her, and as expected, her glance seemed a lot sharper to me.
"Err, Maria-san. May I join you today...?"
"Sorry, Asami. I want to eat with just Kazuki today."
"Just you two..."
"Well, let's go Kazuki."
Otonashi-san grabbed my arm and started to walk away. Haruaki said something like
"Hyaa~~" without reading the mood.
...I wonder how Asami-san is feeling about this?
When I turned around due to uneasiness, she was murmuring something with cast-down eyes.
"......if only a female cockroach with a swollen abdomen would enter your mouth, lay her
eggs inside your stomach, breed, and eat you from inside...!"
She's saying scary things!
"...T-thanks."
"You're welcome."
I untied the cloth and removed the cover. It looked ordinary. Somehow this was a bit
unexpected.
The first dish I tried was the asparagus bacon. I put it in my mouth.
....mh, the taste's ordinary, too.
"Err... this asparagus bacon is really tasty."
"That's frozen food."
........err, I see, yeah, well then of course it's ordinary.
This time I took the hamburger. As expected, the appearance and the taste were both
ordinary.
"......err, this hamburger is really tas-"
"That's frozen food, too."
...as I thought!
I checked the contents of the boxed lunch. If it's like this, then the potatoes, meatballs,
dumplings and the mixed vegetables are all without a doubt frozen food, too.
"Don't make a strange fuss about it. There's no need to praise me frantically."
"...say, Otonashi-san. Did you never cook inside the 'Rejecting Classroom'?"
Otonashi-san told me that she tried numerous things, beginning with martial arts, inside those
recurrences.
"Oho? It looks like you badly want to criticize my cooking."
"I-It's not like..."
"It's like this. ...I don't really mind, though. I did cook, in fact. I'm good enough to cook some
quite refined dishes. But I couldn't get myself to like doing it. I was unable to find the same
pleasure in cooking as I felt by pursuing various martial arts."
"So that's why you skimped on the lunch..."
"Finally you said it clearly."
Whoops.
I got a glimpse of Otonashi-san's expression. ...well, she doesn't seem particularly angry.
"...err, but say, you aren't interested in cooking, so are you perhaps also not interested in food
itself?"
"Not exactly. I'm happy when I eat something delicious."
"By the way, what's your favorite dish?"
"Strawberry tarte. Basically all confectionery that uses strawberryhey, why did you
grow stiff with the meatball still in your mouth?"
"Ah, no"
Such a cute favorite dish? I could still understand if it was something like sweet-potato paste,
but I don't think strawberries suit her at allI was about to say this aloud, but could bear
it somehow. Whew, dangerous.
"Hohoo, you have some nerves to claim to others that their favorite dishes don't suit them."
"......I've never said so."
"Sweet-potato paste would suit whom, you said?"
...why did you see so easily through me, Otonashi-san?
"But so you like eating, but you don't like cooking."
I changed the subject by saying so.
"I still cannot really find any pleasure in savoring my own cooking myself. I can't help but to
perceive it as work."
I see. Naturally there wasn't anyone that would eat her cooking for her in this repeating world.
I've almost never cooked until now, but I know that seeing someone eat one's own cooking is
one of the pleasures of cooking.
Therefore it feels suddenly like work if there's no one else to eat it.
"...That doesn't matter. It's not like I called you to the back of the school building to chat
about such a thing."
"Y-Yeah."
"I'll move onto the main subject now."
Saying so, Otonashi-san searched her bag and took her mobile phone out.
"I received a mail late at night yesterday."
"A mail?"
When I had asked back, she held the display wordlessly out in front of my eyes.
I was able to grant my earnest desire. Now I can go out with you.
Those letters were displayed.
Err... what's this? The mail of a fresh couple... or so it looks like. Err? In other words,
Otonashi-san started to go out with someone? This Otonashi-san?
When I looked at her she was smiling wryly at my reaction.
"Well, I understood with your reaction when we met today, though. ...Kazuki, take a look at
the sender."
I looked as I was told. The name after 'From' was--- "Eh?"
Kazuki Hoshino.
So I was the one that sent this mail? ...no, no, no, that's impossible. I don't have the slightest
memory of this. But since it was indeed sent...?
"At first I thought it was a forgery. But that's unlikely since the mail filter is turned on. It's
safe to assume that this mail was sent by your mobile phone."
I was able to grant my earnest desire. Now I can go out with you.
The same text was in the already-sent mail.
"T-That's"
I turned pale.
"Rest assured, Kazuki. I gather from your look at least that this mail wasn't sent with your
deliberate will. But if it really was done by someone else, then he must have used your
mobile phone after 02:00 at morning to send me this mail."
The date of the mail is April 30. In other words, 02:23 this morning.
At this time, my mobile phone was beside my pillow. I woke up because of Otonashi-san's
phone call today, so that's beyond doubt. So that means, someone broke into my room late at
night? What's this? Why would someone go so far...?
"Kazuki."
Otonashi-san said this to me when I was confused.
"I slipped into the 'box' called 'Rejecting Classroom' some time ago. Do you know why I was
able to do so?"
"...?"
I can't grasp the intention in her words.
"It has something to do with this subject. I am a 'box', thus I could slip inI told you
this, but that doesn't explain directly the reason why I could slip in, does it?"
"...now that you say it, indeed not."
"I am able to perceive 'boxes' and can find them. And then I can slip into this 'box'."
"...yeah."
"A method to send a mail from your mobile phone to mine after 02:00 at morning.
Alternatively, a method to make us think so. There are probably numerous ways to do so, but
I considered following."
Then she said it.
"This is the deed of a 'box'."
a 'box'?
"Well... I wonder? I mean, why would someone specially use a 'box' just for something
like"
"Kazuki, didn't I mention it? I am able to perceive 'boxes'. ...Aah, as you say, this mail might
have nothing to do with it. But I can say one thing for sure."
Otonashi-san stared at me almost with a scowl and spoke.
What could this mean? Otonashi-san didn't really start going out with the 'owner' as far as I
can tell.
"Maybe it's some kind of metaphor. Or this future was set definitely using the 'box'... but just
this is beyond question:"
Otonashi-san breathed out lightly and continued.
"The 'owner' is trying to interfere with us directly, using his 'box'."
Right, it's like that. Or else there'd be no reason for him to send such a message from my
mobile phone to Otonashi-san.
"...what should I do?"
"It's beyond doubt that a 'box' was used. I need to find out how this 'box' is used and grasp its
nature. I want you to help me with this. You're sensitive to slight changes of your everyday
life, aren't you? Hence, you might notice some abnormalities in this everyday life that I don't
notice."
"Okay, got it. I'll try searching!"
"Please do. I'll contact you, too, when I come across something."
I was going to start eating again since I thought our talk was over. But then I noticed that
Otonashi-san still had her chopsticks stopped and stopped myself.
"Is there still something, Otonashi-san?"
"Mhh... aah, I guess so."
Otonashi-san continued strangely vaguely.
"It's trifling, really, but there's something that bothers me. And it's unpleasant. Therefore I'll
tell you."
"...OK, please do."
"Why did you change your method of addressing me?"
"Eh?"
Come to think of it, I haven't replied to this mail yet. When I noticed this, I began typing a
reply.
I looked at the clock at the corner of the screen.
22:59
May 1
May 1 (Friday) 08:14
Kokone ignored my nonchalant "Good morning".
Though she usually drops in arbitrarily into my conversations, today she was strangely distant
and talked to other classmates instead. But despite this, she sneaked peeks at me from time to
time, with a slightly scary face.
I don't know what her reason was. I have no idea why she suddenly started acting like this.
Since I wasn't in the mood to happily chat with my other friends with this state of things, I
tried to appear unapproachable by eating a cheese-flavored Umaibou.
"Did you do anything to Kiri?"
As expected from Daiya. He ignored my delicate signs completely and asked me point-blank.
"...Dunno."
"...What's wrong?"
The two of them turned around to me when I addressed them.
"Oh, Kazuki. Well, I was going to enter the classroom but then this guy stopped me."
"Isn't that natural? Why do you unconcernedly enter the classroom of your seniors? It's not
even lunch break!"
Which reminds me, Otonashi-san seldomly comes here when it's not lunch break. Maybe it's
because she at least paid lip service to the school rules, rather than ignoring them outright.
"I bet you're planning on carrying Hoshino off somewhere again, am I right?"
"Hey, I can't accept that. With this phrasing it sounds almost like Kazuki doesn't have his
own will."
Otonashi-san interjected him. Miyazawa grinned to her objection and answered.
"Yeah, sorry. Were you offended by your beloved being badmouthed? Ah, or, did it bother
you that I implied that he's ordered about by your selfishness?"
"You---"
Otonashi-san scowled coldly at him. Miyazawa chuckled.
"What? If you want to obje-"
"You seem like you're acting on purpose."
Upon hearing her, Miyazawa stopped his words.
"Just because you're committee chairman is too weak a reason for meddling in our affairs.
What is it, all of a sudden, since you didn't show any signs of being concerned up to now?
What are your intentions by approaching us forcibly? Did you plan to create a suitable pretext
to be able to deal with us from now on?"
"...I have no idea what you're talking about."
"In that case, very well. It just caught my eye because I'm in a situation where I have no other
choice but to be sensitive to my environment. One can't be too careful, and if it wasn't just my
wrong guess, then it should drive you away a little."
I watched their verbal sparring in mute amazement. What did Otonashi-san say all of a
sudden?
"Kazuki, let's go."
Otonashi-san said so and pulled me with her.
"Ah, yeah..."
Miyazawa-kun was looking wordlessly at my grabbed arm with a faintly stiffened face.
Certainly, it may be a little strange that he got involved with us, although he usually has
nothing to do with us.
When I was pulled out of the classroom, Haruaki, who was apparently in the restroom, and
Asami, who chased after Otonashi-san, were standing there.
"Oh, what's up Hoshii? On the run?"
"...on the run..."
Asami-san heard Haruaki's thoughtless words and looked with a sticky gaze at our joined
hands. After that, she raised her gaze slightly and looked with narrowed eyes at me. ...scary.
"Oh, what's wrong Rikochii? You're acting strange today."
She continued to stare at me without caring about this nickname she would usually get angry
about.
"A-Asami-san seems a bit odd since yesterday... right Haruaki?"
"Mh? Really?"
Haruaki, forgetting about yesterday is just too airheaded.
"...Maria-san."
"Sorry, but I'm in a hurry now."
She said so, glancing at Asami once, and turned around. Asami-san seemed struck by her
attitude and cast her eyes down.
Then she murmured something.
"......if only the underground board of this school would get spammed with slander of Kazuki
Hoshino and pictures that ruin his dignity from the stump..."
Otonashi-san's attitude isn't even my fault!
I swallowed, and nodded to her question while she leaned against the wall. I suppose she had
new information about the 'box' that's currently in use.
"There are several things I want to ask you."
"Okay."
"Why is it that we're often together like we are now?"
"Why? ...well, because being by my side is convenient for you, isn't it? Since you're likely to
meet '0' this way."
"...exactly."
I considered this to be a problem-free answer, but Otonashi-san frowned.
"Wait. So this means you're aware of your position and definitely haven't misunderstood
things, right?"
"...? What do you mean?"
"That is---you see! ...no, never mind. Right, there's no way you'd say something like this with
halfhearted feelings. I have to answer you earnestly. I just wanted to get away from this.
Kazuki, I---"
"Wait a sec!"
When I had interrupted her, Otonashi-san raised her voice.
"---Why did you interrupt me!"
"S-Sorry... but what on earth are you talking about? Wasn't it about the 'box'?"
"About the 'box'...? What are you saying? The 'box' is important, sure enough, but it should
be obvious that I asked you to come because of your call yesterday?"
"Call yesterday?"
"Yes, yesterdays---"
Her voice cut off, her eyes opening wide as she took a deep breath.
"...I see. The mail from the day before yesterday. No, but that shouldn't... having spent this
much time together with Kazuki, this should not happen even if it's via phone..."
"Otonashi-san...?"
"Kazuki, I'mg going to check something now."
She stopped murmuring and proclaimed so, distinctly.
"Yesterday, you---confessed to me over the phone, right?"
Confession?
Does she mean confession as in Will you go out with me?
"You announced to me over phone that you would confess again personally tomorrow---or in
other words, today."
"II didn't---"
"Yeah, you wouldn't do that. Right, thinking about it, that's true."
"Of course I wouldn't! W-Why did you suddenly claim that I did such a---"
"Then just confirm it with your cell phone."
Being told to do so in a calm tone, I nodded, took out my mobile phone and checked my
dialed calls.
The name at the top:
Maria Otonashi
The time of the call was May 01, 01:49AM.
That's impossible. I should have been asleep at that time. I don't remember calling
Otonashi-san.
"Yesterday... no, date-wise, today. You annoyingly called me at two o'clock deep in the night
and confessed to me. This is how I know the current state of affairs."
There's no way I'd do that. But on the other hand, Otonashi-san wouldn't lie and make this up
just to tease me.
However, by no means could I possibly have done anything I didn't do.
"Could it be somebody's prank? I don't know how they did it, though."
"A prank...huh? So in short, you're telling me that someone used your mobile phone to
confess to me as a prank or something?"
It may sound unreasonable, but that's the only thing I can think of. When I was about to nod,
Otonashi-san continued.
"With the exact same voice as you?"
"---Huh?"
Otonashi-san continued when I opened my mouth without thinking like an idiot.
"As long you don't have a twin brother from whom you were separated at birth, I shall assert
this. This was without doubt your voice, Kazuki."
"Y-You just heard wrongly! You just mistook the caller for me because the call came from
my phone number... probably..."
"Kazuki, I have spent a human lifetime together with you. It is not possible that I would
mistake your voice."
Her expression was filled with conviction. I don't think she mistook someone else for me
either.
But that means that I'm the one that confessed to her? No, that's not possible either.
Otonashi-san is convinced that it was my voice, and I am also convinced that I didn't confess
to her. But there was a call, in fact.
"It's contradicting..."
"Right, it's contradicting. Absolutely. Therefore---"
Right.
Such a contradiction shouldn't be possible. Therefore---
But this behavior of mine seemed to irritate her again, so she backed me up against the wall
of the corridor while grumbling "Nh~~~~".
"Err... I'm sorry."
"Why do you apologize?!"
"Huh? ...I-I'm sorry."
"No really, why do you apologize?!"
Kokone drew even closer to me, while I couldn't help but to become more bewildered.
"Or do you want to apologize?! Do you want to undo it by apologizing?! Isn't that cruel?!
W-Well... that would save me, though..."
"W-Wait... what are you talking about?"
We're talking past each other like I did just before.
...Eh? Wait a sec. So then, don't tell me--"Why don't you get it, I wonder?! That is---... T-That is... you see..."
Her face reddened even more, and now it was crimson up to her ears.
If it's what I think it is, then I don't want to hear it. Kokone, however, whispered into my ear
after she checked to see if anyone were nearby.
"I'm talking about---your confession via phone yesterday."
What...? I confessed to her?
I lost my words and became speechless. Kokone looked at me with upturned eyes.
"Well... I..."
I don't know exactly how she interpreted my behavior, but she cast her eyes down. She
chewed on her words for a while, but then began to talk.
"I'm sorry... I-I don't know how I should react... I mean... I considered you a friend, and
thought all the time you'd think so, too... And then... he hasn't anything to with it, but still...
there's Daiya..."
She clenched her fist as if to muster some courage and looked at me.
"...please wait. I don't know when I can give you my answer, but please wait until
then. ...Sorry."
She seemed really pained---which almost made my heart break. That confession wasn't mine!
I wanted to say so, but such an explanation would be completely meaningless. I absolutely
cannot tell her.
Kokone grasped this painful expression of mine in a different sense and formed an unhappy
expression that matched mine.
Then she turned around and trotted back into the classroom.
I waited until she completely disappeared into the classroom and murmured.
"I, too, consider you a friend!"
I clenched my fist.
Then a thought suddenly occurred to me. I took out my mobile phone and examined my
dialed calls. ...Why didn't I notice when I looked before? The timestamp is May 1, 01:29AM.
Below the name Maria Otonashi was the name Kokone Kirino.
Daiya's face was right in front of me, at point-blank range. I don't have the slightest idea
what's going on.
What's this?
Unambiguous hostility was dwelling in Daiya's gaze. Directed at whom? No question about it.
I was the one reflected in those eyes at point-blank range. In other words, he was looking at
me as an enemy.
Then I was struck with delayed pain. The region around my cheeks and mouth was aching.
Both my hands were aching as well.
Daiya had mounted me and had grabbed both my wrists.
I finally managed to grasp the situation.
We're in the music room. Although I am, in fact, supposed to be in the third lesson, which is
history, I am currently in the music room, which we should been in only during the fourth
lesson. Blood is stuck to my uniform. Who's blood? ...probably my own. After all I've been
tasting iron in my mouth just now. I have a cut in my mouth, apparently, because Daiya had
hit me.
What happened... what on earth happened?!
"Daiya... what's---"
"Don't open your mouth, Kazu. If you say more than you already did, I'll crush this mouth of
yours."
The hostility in his eyes is serious. Those plain words aren't exaggerating, so I bet he would
really use violence if I said anything unnecessary.
What's this nightmare?
But if it was a nightmare, this pain wouldn't be so real and strong.
So this is reality.
The crying had still not ceased. ---who's crying?
I looked in the corresponding direction.
"Ugh!"
---he stomped on my stomach with all his strength and turned his back on me.
I squirmed with pain. I saw the faces in my surroundings. Everyone---my classmates, the
music teacher and even Haruaki---was looking at me as if looking at something unidentifiable.
Kokone pressed her face against Daiya's chest and cried even louder.
I tried to rise. Because of the pain, I wasn't immediately successful. But nobody lent me a
hand.
I started thinking in a posture that resembled genuflecting.
Why do I have to endure this? Why is this considered acceptable to everyone else? I don't
know what happened. But I do know the origin.
---It's the 'box'.
Right, the 'box' is to blame. It's not my fault. I haven't done anything!
So why do I have to go through this regardless!
I stood up, on my own.
Though they were all looking at me, no one came to my side.
I'm aware of it. No one would know that this is the fault of the 'box'. Hence, no one tries to
come in contact with me. No one approaches me. No one addresses me. No one. Not Daiya,
Kokone or even Haruaki. No one. No one. No one no one no one---
Ignoring how no one approached me before, she stood in front of me, drew so near to my face
that I could see her individual eyelashes and gently touched my swollen cheek.
"First of all, let's get your wounds treated. Follow me to the infirmary."
"...Okay."
I followed her silently when she started to walk.
No one called out to us while we did so.
The crying grew louder as soon I had left the classroom. At least, to me, it seemed to do so.
What's that?
I paused the file reflexively. Why is the voice of some unfamiliar guy recorded on my cell
phone? Why is this guy talking to me?
"What's wrong Kazuki? Did you come upon anything?"
I wasn't able to answer her, and pressed the play button again, with trembling fingers.
Well, doesn't matter I guess. After all, you don't care about such a detail either. What you
care about who I am, isn't it? Ah, right, right. You know about the 'box', right? '0' explained it
to you, right? So there's no need for me to explain that to you?
He knows about 'boxes' as well as '0'? So is this guy the 'owner'?
You should have noticed already that your everyday life started to get destroyed. Yeah,
that's very good. After all, I'm doing that on purpose. Why, you ask? To eliminate you,
Kazuki Hoshino.
With gap between his casual sounding voice and the content, my heart beat quickened.
I will eliminate you. I will destroy everything you value. Having obtained the 'box', I will
steal everything from you. I can easily do so. After all I am---
The voice got interrupted. No, that's not quite exact. I merely dropped the mobile phone.
"Kazuki...! Are you alright? What on earth did you hear?"
"Ah---"
There was obviously hostility. The other party has obtained the most powerful weapon---the
'box'---and declared that destruction would be brought against my life.
Otonashi-san picked up the cell phone and opened the voice file.
"This is---!"
She raised her eyebrow and was absorbed in listening to the voice.
After a while she flipped the cell phone shut, returned it wordlessly to me, crossed her arms
and lost herself in thought.
"Kazuki."
She opened her mouth finally and unpleasantly spoke my name.
"Having been pondering all the time since the case this morning, I had some vague ideasfor
how we should proceed. But I still couldn't come to a conclusion. But after hearing this voice
recording, I made up my mind."
"---huh?"
I opened my mouth like an idiot since I didn't get the meaning of her words.
"You've also noticed by now, haven't you? This time's 'box' seems to use its power directly on
you. You've already fallen into the hands of the 'owner'. Thus I cannot trust you."
I repeated those words in my head.
She can't trust me---?
"W-Why? I would never betray you, would I!"
"Right, but only if you're Kazuki Hoshino."
"Eh?"
"But are you really Kazuki Hoshino? Or are you the 'owner'?"
"W-What do you mean by this incomprehensible talk, Otonashi-san? The 'owner' is the
person that recorded his voice on there, isn't he?"
"...did you not finish listening to the voice? No, even when you did not, you should have at
least recognized this voice."
"Otonashi-san, did you find out whose voice it is? So we do already know who's the 'owner'?
So you're acquainted with the 'owner'?"
"...well, I suppose it's not impossible that you don't recognize the voice right away. In fact,
you've never heard that voice in that manner, and the style of speech was too different as
well."
Otonashi-san didn't answer my question and murmured this instead. She then turned her back
to me and made to leave the infirmary.
"W-Wait! Please, at least tell me who the owner of this voice is!"
She stood still. But she did not turn around to me.
"Kazuki, try listening to this voice once more when you've regained your composure."
Saying so, she walked away.
Stunned by her absolute rejection, I wasn't able to call out to her.
Otonashi-san left me alone in the room.
I listened once again to this voice and, hearing this voice I'm constantly hearing though I've
never heard it, I understood.
"Hahaha..."
I let out a laugh unconsciously. Fair enough. It's only natural that she can't trust me like this.
"---sh..it"
So, so what should I do now...!
I can easily do so. After all I am---
I listened to the words I overheard last time.
---someone who shares the same body with Kazuki Hoshino.
This was the voice of no one else but Kazuki Hoshino.
I was sitting on my chair. Though it was supposed to be still time for lunch break, I was
suddenly there.
I confirmed the time. It's fourteen o'clock, so the fifth lesson is about to end.
I looked around hurriedly. Kokone and Daiya's seats were empty. Perhaps the two of them
left early. The others were more or less concentrating on the lesson. For now, I couldn't
discover any abnormalities. My textbook, notebook and my writing utensils were placed on
my desk. It seems I haven't written any notes.
There's no doubt left anymore.
Two humans exist in this body. Apart from me, there's another me whom I cannot
perceive.
And just now this other me had been controlling this body.
The chime rang.
The break's starting now, but because of what happened in the music room, nobody
approachesme. Everyone just looks at me from far away.
I suppose this is also a state that was intentionally caused by the other me. After all, the
other me declared an intent to eliminate me. This is his attack.
I fell flat on my desk.
What should I do about this other me? Now, that I was even abandoned by Otonashi-san.
"Hoshii."
I raised my face when somebody addressed me.
His expression was clearly different from the usual joking one. Haruaki asked me with a
serious face that didn't suit him.
"Say, why did you do that to Kokone?"
I shut my mouth. There's no way I'd be able to answer this. I don't even know what that is.
"You know? I don't think you said that without reason, Hoshii. Therefore I think that you had
a reason and that I'm just unable to understand it. But still, if it stays like this I won't get it! So
please tell me!"
Haruaki painfully said.
"If you don't, I honestly can't be your ally."
Hearing those words, I thought.
To me, Haruaki is the last fortress that protects my everyday life.
Would Haruaki believe me if I told him that I was controlled by another me? ...if it's
Haruaki, he might believe me. But--"---I can't tell you. I can't tell you right now."
I mean, my own understanding of the situation is still muddled. I wouldn't be able to provide
an explanation coherent and understandable enough to make him believe me.
"But I will tell you soon!"
To show him at least my sincerity, I said so while looking him in the eyes.
"Got it. I'll wait."
I'm sure he would really want to complain, but Haruaki suppressed this and stayed brief. And
then he went away silently.
I'll wait. Haruaki said so. Therefore I mustn't talk to him until the time comes. I will lose him
if I address him carelessly.
And I won't be able to retain the everyday life when I lost Haruaki, my last fortress.
...Yeah, I gathered what I have to do now. I have to learn more about this 'box' and the
[another me] as quickly as possible.
But how can I do so? I mean, I can't even communicate directly with him.
"......Ah"
Right. To begin with, how did I learn of his existence? That is because he addressed me.
I left the classroom to the corridor and took my cell phone out.
In order to send the other me a message using its My Voice function.
Of course it's not certain if the other me will answer. But it should be worth a try, whether
or not it'll actually work.
"Pleased to meet you; is that correct, other me?"
I started the recording.
"I now understand that you share the same body with me! But I'm still confused. I want you
to tell me more about this 'box'. And I want you to reveal who you are."
Will he answer my questions if I state them in this direct manner? After all, he's trying to
eliminate me.
Therefore I decided to provoke him.
"But I don't care whether your reply or not. Whatever your reply, it won't affect my behavior.
I don't care whether you feel pure hostility against me, or have a noble goal, or have a reason
that would make me pity you."
I was surprised myself by my unusual, but naturally emerging, hostile words. But I felt that it
had to be said.
"I will not permit your existence."
I had the feeling that this determination of mine had to be conveyed.
I cannot permit this, can I? There's no way I could. Letting myself be stolen by someone.
My legs had started to tremble and I had leaned against the wall without realizing. Probably
that's because my body couldn't keep up with the first distinct feeling of hostility I felt in my
entire life.
I closed my mobile phone and took a deep breath.
I will crush the other me.
No matter what his circumstances are, I will not permit his existence.
I'm Kazuki Hoshino, actually. But I don't think you accept this answer, do you? Because it
can't be helped, I thought of an alias to distinguish between us! You may call me---
He said with my voice.
---[Yuuhei Ishihara].
An unfamiliar name. I engraved it into my memory.
Well then, so let me tell you my impression. You will not permit my existence, you say?
Sorry, but I broke out in laughter! You cannot even meet me. At most you can blow your
voice into your cell phone, like you did now, right? So how do you plan to do as you
announced?
[Yuuhei Ishihara] laughed hideously with my voice.
Because I pity you, I'll teach you just one way to get rid of me. More than half of Kazuki
Hoshino is already mine. Therefore it's simple---
He spoke.
---just commit suicide.
Again he continued his unbearable laughter. I was eager to press the 'stop' button, but his
message still continued.
His voice settled down and the final words of [Yuuhei Ishihara] were replayed.
Oh, one other thing. There was a mail from one of your friends! Just in case, since you
might have not noticed yet.
A friend...?
I swallowed my saliva and opened my Inbox. The name Haruaki Usui was displayed at the
top.
Though I don't remember having opened it, the mail was marked as already-read.
What--What on earth did that guy do to Haruaki---!
I took a deep breath. But I couldn't calm down and chewed on my lips. It's vexing, but my
hands were trembling.
I opened the mail.
Please don't talk to me for a while.
Aah--Like this, the last fortress that protected my everyday life broke down.
May 2
May 02 (Saturday) 00:11
I woke up due to a rumbling sound on the desk.
I got up from the bed, took the mobile phone, which was the origin of that sound, in my hands
and looked at the LCD screen.
Maria Otonashi
Maria Otonashi? Why does she phone me? She calls me even in this state of affairs, so does
this mean that Kazuki Hoshino hasn't told her what is happening to him? ...no, I guess he
couldn't tell his lover this absurd story about the 'box'. But I think she should notice his
change, even when he hasn't told her... whatever.
I stopped racking my brains and accepted the call.
I mean, how should I resist the desire to talk with the girl I admire?
"Hello."
Kazuki. Come to my room.
Wow. Is she always like this to Kazuki Hoshino?
Well then, how should I answer?
I validated my situation.
Using this 'box', I'm able to take over Kazuki Hoshino completely within one week. To
accomplish taking him over, it would be best to refrain from doing anything. Naturally it
would be better to have no contact with Maria Otonashi.
But I must not misunderstand. This is not my aim.
The thing I want to do---that is, to torment Kazuki Hoshino so much to make him scratch his
own neck sore, to make him succumb so heavily that he submits his own body with the words
"Please do with me as you wish" while genuflecting, to steal his body perfectly by making him
an empty shell by May 5, that only exists to surrender his body to me. That is my desire.
Why do I have this desire? That is, because by doing so I'm able to feel that I am Kazuki
Hoshino.
If I don't feel that I'm Kazuki Hoshino, then it's like I'm just freeloading him. Then
everything's meaningless.
I guess that I have to share this body with [Kazuki Hoshino] for a while is also because I
wouldn't be able to gain the feeling of being Kazuki Hoshino else. Gosh, this 'box' is really
well-made.
Hey, why are you silent?
I see. So there's nothing to waver.
Maria Otonashi is without doubt an important existence for Kazuki Hoshino. If he loses her,
he's going to suffer tremendous damage.
Therefore, [Yuuhei Ishihara] will steal Maria Otonashi from [Kazuki Hoshino].
This is absolutely necessary in order to fulfill this absolute desire of mine.
"Ah, I'm sorry. I was absorbed in thought."
While recalling [Kazuki Hoshino]'s way of talking, I opened my mouth.
"Err, your room. Okay, if you come for me."
Based on Maria Otonashi's phrasing, I gather that Kazuki Hoshino visits her room on a daily
basis.
Are you trying to get pampered? It isn't a distance you couldn't overcome by bicycle, is it?
"My bicycle is in a bad condition right now, you know."
I tried to deceive her randomly. I don't know where she lives. Therefore I'll be in trouble if
she doesn't come for me.
Geez, while being the male of us you still want me to come for you? Isn't it the other way
around normally? ...well, whatever. I'll come by bike, okay?
"By bike you mean... a moped?"
I sat down behind here as she said. After some hesitation I clasped her waist. Maria Otonashi
didn't say anything. A slender waist. The waist of my adored Maria Otonashi.
After less than 10 minutes she stopped the bike in front of a 5-storey mansion. At first I was a
bit reluctant to let go of her, but nonetheless I alighted the bike uprightly and inspected this
building after taking off the helmet. It was made of bricks and seemed to be quite high class.
And there's even self-locking. The rent might be quite expensive.
It's unlikely that she would bring her lover, on top of that deep in the night, into the mansion
where her family lives. Probably she's living alone. And now she's leading her lover into this
room. In other words... it's *that*. It has to.
My heart beat with an intense roar. She, however, didn't seem to care and got on the elevator.
When the elevator had stopped, she opened the door of room 403 at last.
The instant I entered the room, I smelled a light touch of peppermint. It was a studio
apartment of the size of 10 Tatami mats. I guess it's because there is almost no furniture that
it feels extremely big.
"Why are you looking around so curiously? Nothing has changed since you were last here."
"...Yeah."
I tried to appear calm and sat down on a cushion. When Maria Otonashi had observed this
with a side glance, she opened the closet and searched for something.
"Well then Kazuki, hurry up and stretch out your hands."
Stretch out my hands...? Does she plan to kiss the back of my hand or something?
"What are you hesitating? Like this."
Maria Otonashi stretched out both her hands. I imitated her as told.
click*
What's this sound? - at the same time when I thought this, I felt a tightening sensation on my
right wrist. I looked at the corresponding wrist.
Handcuffs.
"...what kind of joke is this, Maria-san?"
"Joke? I give this question back to you: what kind of joke is this? We're doing that every time,
aren't we?"
Every time...? Handcuffing me?
"What? So you're in the mood today to do a resistance play? Geez... you really are beyond
help."
"O-Ouch!"
Maria Otonashi twisted my hands forcefully behind my back with skillful hand movements
and a bewitching smile, and applied the handcuffs also on my left wrist. She then applied foot
cuffs to my feet and made me lie on the ground. I tried moving lightly. I'd probably be able to
stand up, but except this I can't move freely.
"Shall we use that today, too?"
Maria Otonashi took out a black cloth, which was then wrapped round my eyes. My field of
vision was blocked.
What a situation. My body is almost completely in restraint, my field of vision is blocked and
I'm rolling on the floor like a hornworm. Almost as if I was captured by the enemy.
...Mh? Aah, I see.
"Seems like we're done with the preparations. Let's begin."
Maria Otonashi should have noticed that something is happening to Kazuki Hoshino.
There's no way she would still do things that are done between lovers.
So, assuming this --- as whom is Maria Otonashi currently treating me?
"Well---"
She continued her words.
"--- you aren't Kazuki Hoshino, so who are you?"
I see.
This means that everything up to now was just a play to constrain [me].
"Huhu..."
Brilliant. As expected from Maria Otonashi. That's the reason for my admiration for her. I'm
really glad that I didn't have to abandon this illusion.
"Why are you laughing? It seems you're not aware of the situation you're in."
I'll try a last vain struggle just in case.
"No, no... Otonashi-san. You're being absurd."
"Stop this futile acting."
Aah, so it was useless after all. But right because of this, my laughing doesn't stop.
"You're an inscrutable guy. Why are you so joyful, although I just deceived you completely
and constrained you?"
"May I ask? Why do you think that I am not Kazuki Hoshino?"
I stopped acting and asked her.
"I listened to your voice recording while knowing of the 'box'."
I understood with her frank statement. Not just the reason why she saw through me, but I also
understood why she is a special existence.
"But even when you know about the 'box' and even when you heard this message, isn't that
too little to figure out whether Kazuki Hoshino is [me] or [Kazuki Hoshino]? Since when did
you know it's me?"
"Since you said Hello on the phone."
"...you're joking, right?"
There's no way it would be possible to distinguish a person with the exactly same type of
voice just with this.
"Kazuki answers the phone with Yes?. He doesn't use Hello. Of course I wouldn't have
taken heed of that if it wasn't for this situation. But I do know that Kazuki is involved in this
'box'. It's natural to be skeptic. What remained was to confirm. It was enough to talk
purposefully until you made a fault. I'll tell you something good: Kazuki has never been in
this room."
"That is indeed something good."
Because it would be unforgivable for someone pathetic like Kazuki Hoshino to visit the room
of a noble lady like Maria Otonashi frequently.
"In other words, you deceived [me] and confirmed whether I really existed."
"There's no need to confirm such a trifle only now. I wanted to confirm whether you share the
memory with Kazuki or not. Huhu, and as it seems you don't have Kazuki's memories."
"......"
So she was already a step ahead in terms of confirmation.
I admit that this is an important point. If [Yuuhei Ishihara] and [Kazuki Hoshino] shared
their memories, then all information would leak when she tried to work out a plan with
[Kazuki Hoshino]. She wouldn't be able to cooperate with [Kazuki Hoshino].
"Well now, let me ask: who are you?"
"Can't you see? I am Kazuki Hoshino!"
"Don't mess around with me and answer."
Lying on the ground, I shrugged my shoulders.
"I'm not messing around with you. I am Kazuki Hoshino. A being that was determined to
become so, using the 'box'."
"...what do you mean?"
"I'm talking literally. My 'wish' was to become Kazuki Hoshino. The 'box' grants any wish,
doesn't it? Thus, I am Kazuki Hoshino. I can't call me any different."
On my words, Maria Otonashi kept silent.
"...to become Kazuki Hoshino, you say? What an oddball... Why Kazuki of all people? I
don't think Kazuki Hoshino's body is so desirable actually?"
"No, nothing. ...leaving that aside, you don't plan to tell me, do you?"
"Mh, let's see. To be honest, I don't mind either way, but I won't tell you."
"You don't mind either way?"
"Well, yeah. After all you're forced to do something about the 'box' or else [Kazuki Hoshino]
will disappear when it's May 6. Could you alleviate the condition in any way when I told you
such a triviality? I will absolutely not tell you how to take the 'box' out, you know? Or will
you try killing me? Kazuki Hoshino would die as well, though!"
I laughed with a put-on voice.
How's that, Maria Otonashi? This situation is more hopeless than you would have ever
imagined, isn't it?
"Huhuhu..."
But for some reason, she let out a silent laugh.
"...why are you laughing? Is the situation so hopeless that you can't help laughing?"
"Hopeless? This is? Huhu... This menace is just like a mosquito bustling about, compared to
the rejection we set once against. The only menace I'm faced with right now is that you won't
tell me how you switch with Kazuki, right? How is this hopeless?"
"The only solution is to kill Kazuki Hoshino - that's how I explained it to you, but did you
perhaps not understand?"
"That's the reason for my spontaneous laugh. After all --- that's a lie."
I lost my tongue.
"I understand that you want to exhaust me, but I'm afraid I can't be deceived by such a lousy
lie."
"...why do you think it's a lie?"
"You said it yourself. You said that you're Kazuki Hoshino. But Kazuki Hoshino doesn't have
the 'box'. In brief, he can't be the 'owner'."
"What's this word play? You can't escape from reality with this!"
"You still don't get it? Okay then, I'll pose you a question."
Maria Otonashi spoke with a firm voice.
"Do you really believe it's possible for a soul to dwell in the body of another human?"
"W-"
Well--"You can't reply immediately, huh?"
Aah... damn.
I don't know why. I don't know why, but it seemed to me like a bad mistake that I had become
speechless in this timing.
"The 'box' grants 'wishes' completely. A person that thinks more or less rational is unable to
fully believe that his 'wish' gets granted. And as I thought, you don't believe from the bottom
of your heart either, judging from your reaction to my question. The 'box' incorporates the
doubts when it grants a 'wish'. Hence, the 'owner' was not able to take over Kazuki Hoshino."
"......"
"Which means that the 'owner' exists as before without having taken over Kazuki Hoshino's
body. ---separately from you."
Without minding my silence, she asked me.
"So what are you, when you're not the 'owner'?"
I couldn't answer.
"If you don't know, I'll say it for you. You are an artificial being that came forth by the
distortion of the 'wish'. You're just the fake imitation of the 'owner'. Right, to name it --- a
fabrication"
She laughed silently and continued.
"And since you're just a fabrication, you are not the 'owner' I'm supposed to search for."
I see. So that's why --- I don't have the 'box'.
"Hahaha"
But so what?
To begin with, I put this 'wish' into the 'box' because I wanted to throw away such a bastard
as myself anyway. I'm not even the 'owner'? I'm a fabrication? I'm rather glad of that!
Exactly because I am nobody, I can without doubt become Kazuki Hoshino.
"...what does this laugh mean, [Yuuhei Ishihara]?"
"Huhu, does that really matter? However, there's something I want to ask. So I am a
fabrication. I'll admit that! But who are you who could see through that?"
"Who I am, you ask...?"
For some reason Maria Otonashi was at a loss of words.
"......you are a fabrication. And I am---"
"Why are you brooding like this? Actually, I'm just asking because I want to know why you're
so knowledgeable about the 'box'."
"...Aah. What, that's all?"
When she comprehended my intention, she regained the usual firm tone in her voice.
"I am a 'box' myself. And since I am a 'box' myself, I am naturally versed in the
characteristics of the 'box'."
"...you're a 'box'? Is this some kind of metaphor?"
"Interpret it as you please."
A 'box', huh? If she's telling the truth, then that would really match perfectly.
"By the way, there was something I had to tell you, wasn't there?"
"...what are you talking about?"
"Oh? Didn't I tell you properly? Yesterday night, that I'd say it to you tomorrow. Since the
day finally changed, I'll say it now!"
I then spoke with a smile that was so broad that I felt regretful for only being able to show
her half of it because of the blindfold.
"I love you, Maria Otonashi."
She classified herself as 'box'.
I think that matches perfectly. I really think that matches perfectly; for being an object to
obtain and for being my enemy.
So a naked girl is on the other side of this wall...? What's this situation... And anyway, what
on earth have I, no, has [Yuuhei Ishihara] done to this girl?!
The sound of the hair drier stopped and the door to the dressing room opened.
"U-Uwa!!"
Seeing the appearance of her only wearing a white shirt, I hurriedly averted my eyes.
"Ah, you woke up?"
My thought process stopped at a blow upon hearing this extremely familiar voice.
"Eh?"
The face of a familiar person awaited me when I looked up reflexively.
"Ah, Otonashi-san...?"
"Who else do I look like?"
Being said so, I viewed her full body. Yeah, it's unmistakably Maria Otonashi.
Then I suddenly noticed that I was actually staring at her in only underwear and a thin shirt
and averted my eyes hurriedly.
"S-Since you know that I'm here, be a bit more careful please!"
"What is there to panic? About this much is nothing to fret about, is it?"
...this is just wrong as a statement of a girl. That was something that Haruaki would likely say
when he sexually harasses Kokone.
- When I was about to tell her this, she preempted me with a outrageous words.
"To begin with, haven't you seen much more of me than just underwear, yesterday? Is there
still the need to get nervous just by this?"
"......Eh?"
"I never would have thought you would do *that* as soon you enter my room despite the
well-behaved face you made at first. Geez, you really got me there."
"For the time being, yeah. I think you know already, but I grasped the overall situation by
now. I have also already heard the voice file [Yuuhei Ishihara] recorded."
"Okay."
"I have also talked to [Yuuhei Ishihara]."
"...How was he? Did he tell you anything?"
"Mhh, I can't for sure."
Otonashi-san answered bluntly somehow.
"Ah, but wasn't he ferocious? After all you had to apply foot cuffs."
"Of course I considered this possibility and thus applied them. No, it's more correct to say
that I rather applied them for you, Kazuki."
"...huh?"
"How did you react when you realized that you're constrained? What actions did you take?"
"Well, I became confused... I even stumbled after all."
"I wanted to call forth this reaction."
"......you wanted to bully me?"
"No. I thought I could observe the second when [Yuuhei Ishihara] switches to [Kazuki
Hoshino] by waiting for this agitated reaction. In the end I missed the scene, though, because
I was taking a shower. It's a real pity that I couldn't see this funny reaction of yours."
So she wanted to bully me eventually!
"Okay then, that's it for now. Kazuki, we're leaving."
"...huh?"
Otonashi-san made an amazed expression for some reason.
"Of course to your home. What time do you think it is!"
"Eh?"
Expressionlessly.
"Eh...?"
Why this face?
She opened her mouth, still expressionless.
"I cannot tell you what happened."
"W-Wh---"
"Why? Didn't I tell you before?"
Then she spat out her next words expressionlessly.
"That I won't trust you anymore."
She did tell me. I indeed heard those words before. There's no way I'd forget. But--"But wasn't this revoked...?"
After all it's not like the time when we didn't know the state of affairs anymore. Otonashi-san
understood the reason for my inexplicable behavior.
"Don't revoke that on your own accord. You didn't get anything, did you? To begin with, we
don't know how much truth is in [Yuuhei Ishihara]'s words. Maybe he does in fact have the
memory of [Kazuki Hoshino] and uses both of those personalities for his benefit."
"T-That's unreasonable!"
"Indeed, I might be overthinking it. But there's still nothing that proves it."
"But---"
"Let's assume that the characteristics of the 'box' are true as [Yuuhei Ishihara] told us. Even
so---"
Otonashi-san clapped suddenly her hands.
I closed my eyes reflexively to this sound.
"Now assume that the shifting occurred in this instant. I have no means to ascertain this. So I
would be talking to you as [Kazuki Hoshino], not noticing that you switched to [Yuuhei
Ishihara] really. We don't know when you switch. A important plan might leak to [Yuuhei
Ishihara]. Therefore it's dangerous. It's basically the same as the case with the bike just now."
Indeed, that's right. ...But I am [Kazuki Hoshino].
"This is an example --- you consider yourself as [Kazuki Hoshino], right?"
"Of course I do!"
"But what if you were someone that's convinced of being [Kazuki Hoshino]?"
"That's im---"
'That's impossible' is what I was about to say, but then I kept silent.
So is there anything that proves that I am really [Kazuki Hoshino]? My appearance? My
personality? My memory? But then what makes [Yuuhei Ishihara] [Yuuhei Ishihara]? After
all he exists in the same body.
No, that's wrong.
I am [Kazuki Hoshino]. I won't mistake this. I will absolutely not doubt this.
"This was just an example. Don't think too deeply about it. But Kazuki, you understood why I
can't trust you, right? I have yet to comprehend this 'box' - the 'Sevennight in Mud'. Until then,
I can't trust the personalities that dwell in Kazuki Hoshino."
So when is it that this 'Sevennight in Mud' gets clarified and I'm trusted again? Won't this be
as long as [Yuuhei Ishihara] is within me?
I am not trusted.
Though Otonashi-san is supposedly my ally, I am not trusted by this ally.
The nearby station came in sight.
I halted.
"Why are you standing still? There's not much time left until the train arrives."
"...why do I go to school?"
I forgot because I was together with Otonashi-san. If this was the everyday life, I would
naturally go to school. No, even if it was not, I would still go just to offer resistance. But if I
go now, I'll destroy my place to be completely, although one could say I've lost this place
already.
"To collect information about [Yuuhei Ishihara]. There's no doubt that he is someone near to
us. In the first place, only the students of our school have contact with both you and me. The
importance of collecting data in school should be obvious."
"But there's no need for me to be there, is there...?"
"The conditions change greatly from when you're there and when you're not. Today is the last
day of school before the consecutive holidays. We mustn't let this chance escape."
She said.
She said that she doesn't care if my everyday life gets destroyed in order to obtain the 'box'.
I misunderstood her. I had considered her as an unconditional ally.
But that's not true. I mean, Otonashi-san isn't together with me to save me, but to meet '0' and
obtain a 'box'.
So what am I to her? Most likely-----just bait to catch '0'.
"...Kazuki, I understand that going to school must depress you. But you gather that this is the
best action to take, don't you? Not acting while being aware of this isn't like you."
Otonashi-san said to me reprovingly.
Surely to accomplish her own goal.
Otonashi-san doesn't trust me.
However, since I'm neither able to see [Yuuhei Ishihara], nor to oppose him directly, I'm
dependent on a supporter. And no one comes to mind except her.
To trust my supporter in this situation is just like entrusting him with my life. I have no other
choice but to blindly believe the words of my supporter. If Otonashi-san wanted to ruin me,
she could easily set a trap for me.
"...what should I do at school?"
But still, she's the only supporter I have.
"Let's see, for example---"
She proposed various things to which I agreed. She had easily thought of effective plans as
anticipated, but exactly because of that I'd be afraid if she... betrayed me.
"Do you also have a something?"
One thing came to mind:
"How about changing our naming?"
"...What do you mean?"
"Instead of Otonashi-san, I'm going to call you Aya from now on. [Yuuhei Ishihara]
doesn't know of that name, so he won't call you like this for sure. Therefore, calling you
Aya proves that I'm [me]. How is this?"
Otonashi-san kept quiet.
"Is this plan unusable?"
"......no, I think it's quite effective. Let's use it."
She agreed. But, for some reason she seemed slightly displeased.
But still... Aya Otonashi, huh?
Aya Otonashi was the name of an illusion that doesn't exist within our everyday life.
Furthermore---it was once the name of my enemy.
Those were thoughts that flashed through my mind at once.
"Why can you two still be together like this, after such a thing?"
What does he refer to with this?
I looked at my other classmates. Anger dwelled in their eyes. This anger has probably
emerged from some kind of righteous indignation against me.
In other words, those classmates cannot forgive me for being together with Otonashi-san?.
"What are your excuses, Hoshino?"
I was stuck for an answer since I didn't know why they couldn't forgive this. And I mustn't
ask for that thing that [Yuuhei Ishihara] had done.
Therefore, I had no other choice but to keep silent.
Miyazawa-kun reacted with a plastic sigh to my silence.
"Whatever. I won't broach that subject again! ---This is going to be personal now."
Miyazawa-kun continued loathingly.
"The de facto husband of my mother... ah, this might be out of context. Yuuhei Ishihara is the
de facto husband of my mother.."
A sudden acknowledgement.
"...Miyazawa. Will you tell us more about Yuuhei Ishihara?"
"No, no... just by hearing our relationship should give you an idea of how hard it is to speak
about it."
"We have our reasons. Isn't the fact that I said the name 'Yuuhei Ishihara' reason enough to
tell me more?"
Miyazawa-kun frowned, but agreed even so reluctantly with a "...okay, got it".
Because of the delicate subject, he urged us to change the place to the corridor.
"Well, it's not like I'm hiding anything---"
With these words, Miyazawa-kun introduced the talk.
His parents divorced when he was in the first year of middle school. Reason was the change
of the emotions of the spouses. Both of them found new lovers and chose to live together
with them. And in the case of the mother, the new partner was Yuuhei Ishihara.
Both Miyazawa-kun's true father and his true mother didn't want to take him along into their
new households since he was a symbol of their past family life. They didn't display it bluntly,
but since it was not something one can hide, Miyazawa-kun sensed it.
He didn't know why this happened to his parents. But for him, as their son, those
circumstances didn't matter. This was without doubt betrayal, and something that cannot
possibly be forgiven.
Eventually, after some argument, his father took custody of him. But it was unthinkable for
him to build a new household with his father and the new mother. When he had refused to
live together with them, he started living alone in an apartment in the second year of middle
school, receiving only living expenses from his father.
As it seems---during middle school he considered himself to be the unluckiest human on
earth, being in this unhappy family which appeared often in cheap dramas, but is only
seldomly found in reality with one's own eyes.
Thus, he naturally bore a grudge. Against his parents who were responsible for this
environment, against his new mother, and against Yuuhei Ishihara.
"So I think they should just die."
Miyazawa-kun cursed at them without any emotion in his voice.
"I understand your feelings, but you shouldn't say such things."
"Thank you very much for this nave word of advice."
Miyazawa replied, with a sardonic laugh.
"Is this enough already?"
"...Yes. I'm thankful that you spoke with us about this delicate subject."
"Oh? That's not like you."
"Surprisingly, you have your troubles, too, huh?"
I returned my gaze to my mobile phone. I read her simple mail once more.
Don't believe.
...Ah, maybe she means something different. Maybe she doesn't mean "don't believe what
Ryuu Miyazawa said".
Rather, I mustn't believe---anything.
I can only find out about what [Yuuhei Ishihara] has done while controlling my body, by
hearing about it from others. But I have no allies among those others. Even Miyazawa-kun,
Haruaki, Kokone, Daiya and Aya Otonashi aren't my allies.
I erased the mail. I'm instructed to delete any mail from Otonashi-san immediately.
I clenched my fist.
"---why"
Why have I no allies when even [Yuuhei Ishihara] has one?
But the reason that I specially chose this method is just a whim of my revenge. I mean, can
this be forgiven? To have a such intimate female friend while being blessed with a lover like
Maria Otonashi?
Thus I chose to destroy this relationship by using a confession.
And it had bore fruit immediately. On top of that, the repercussions were tremendous. The
confession to Kirino was a more vehement bomb than I had expected.
I got smacked by Oomine. To tell the truth, the statement from me that brought this situation
forth was not even made with the intention to offend her feelings.
I merely said:
Come on, let me hear your reply!
I said this simply to sound out the situation between us.
But Kirino got shocked for some reason and broke out in tears, to which Oomine reacted
oversensitively and smacked me.
Why did this happen? I didn't understand at the time, but thinking about it now, it's simple.
[Kazuki Hoshino] and [Yuuhei Ishihara] don't share their memories. For example let's
assume that Kirino has already given [Kazuki Hoshino] her reply to the confession. Now, I
asked her this question. How would she have perceived those words? I can't say for sure, but
I believe they would have hurt her feelings.
I still don't know why Oomine reacted oversensitively, though. I had heard rumors about him
having special feelings for Kirino. I hadn't been able to confirm anything about this by
observing his attitude, but those rumors might just be true.
I haven't seen myself what I'm going to tell now, but I have noticed this later on after
listening to Haruaki Usui.
As it seems, at the point in time when I was attacked by Oomine, most of the members of the
class 2-3 were assuming that this was a quarrel that started because Kazuki confessed
Kirino.
The problem is that Maria Otonashi appeared.
Kazuki followed her without hesitation. As if clinging to her. Completely ignoring the
emotions of the crying Kokone Kirino--the girl he had apparently confessed to.
And even after this, Kazuki Hoshino kept being together with Maria Otonashi as if nothing
had happened.
It's only natural that his classmates became mad with anger when he deserted the popular
Kokone Kirino like this. However, since Hoshino had no other choice but to rely on her, he
couldn't act independently.
Like this, Kazuki Hoshino's everyday life is gradually getting lost.
Not because of me, but because of [Kazuki Hoshino]'s own behavior.
Heck, this is just too great.
I informed the teacher that I'd go to the toilet and went to the corridor. When I had done so,
Maria Otonashi already awaited me. She opened her mouth with a frown.
"Why are you laughing?"
My mouth bent without me noticing, it seems.
"I guess because you were waiting for me, Otonashi-san."
"Hmpf, trying to act like [Kazuki Hoshino], [Yuuhei Ishihara]?"
She could make out that I'm [Yuuhei Ishihara] just from this?
No, that's not what should astound me. She rushed to the classroom 2-3 right after the shift.
Probably because she knew that [Kazuki Hoshino] switched to [me].
I assumed that they made some kind of agreement to distinguish the two of us.
"Follow me."
She instructed me.
"Where do you plan to lead me to?"
"Open the image. The third one from the top in the data folder."
This provoked an urge to resist, but since it won't do any good to pick a quarrel here, I
obeyed her honestly.
I opened the image. It was the picture of a lovely girl in pajamas, probably self-taken.
"So tell me, who is that?"
"...what meaning is there in this question?"
"I won't answer since it would worsen my conditions."
What a frank answer.
I looked at it again. An unknown girl. Telling her honestly that I don't know this girl would
probably be to my own disadvantage, I suppose.
I shifted my attention to the background. This is without doubt a hospital. Come to think of it,
I've heard of a big accident about two months ago in the vicinity. Is she maybe the victim of
then? The name of the victim was... I don't remember.
...I don't know anyway. So let's venture a guess.
"'Kasumi Mogi'."
I tried saying the name I had priorly heard from the underwear-girl, Ruka Hoshino.
"I'm afraid you're wrong."
Didn't work, huh? I smiled bitterly without thinking.
"Well, I didn't know her name--so what?"
"It's a lie."
"Hah?"
"It's a lie that you were wrong. It is indeed Kasumi Mogi. But you have never seen her as it
seems."
Maria Otonashi said so without changing her expression a bit.
Right, the intention of those questions was--to narrow down the suspect.
"Hmpf, to be honest, it appeared likely to me that Ryuu Miyazawa was the 'owner'. But since
you're not a student of the class 2-3, it seems I was wrong."
Ryuu Miyazawa?
Why does she mention this name?
Don't tell me that he acted on his own accord because I was unable to give him instructions
today, being captured by Otonashi-san?
"You... no, to be accurate the 'owner,' has to be someone who's not our classmate but knows
us well. I don't think that there are many people that know much about us. He is a person
Kazuki and I can think of easily, right?"
Of course, I didn't say anything in reply.
"Further, I have one more thought. It's about Yuuhei Ishihara. Ryuu Miyazawa called Yuuhei
Ishihara the de facto husband of his mother. When searching for the reason he told us about
this, following reason comes naturally to mind. Right ---"
Maria Otonashi declared.
"---Yuuhei Ishihara does not exist."
I held my breath.
"This name was random from the start. But either you or Ryuu Miyazawa thought about
using this to your advantage. You contemplated to conceal the identity of the 'owner' by
making us think that Yuuhei Ishihara really exists, right? And you chose this complicated
relationship of a de facto husband because it would be hard to investigate this matter like this,
no?"
He doesn't exist, hence we can conceal him--huh? I see. She's almost right.
But she's wrong. Yuuhei Ishihara is indeed the de facto husband of Ryuu Miyazawa's mother.
However, we can say that he doesn't exist anymore.
After all Yuuhei Ishihara is already dead.
"Was this all? If so, is it my turn now?"
I guess she became cautious because of my sudden question. Maria Otonashi scowled.
"...What do you want to discuss?"
"It should attract your interest, I think! Perhaps it's even something you searched for with all
your might."
A opened my mouth with a smile.
"I'll explain it to you. How the 'Sevennight in Mud' works."
Hearing those words of mine, Otonashi-san opened her eyes wide and stood completely still.
"Eh? What's wrong?"
"Ah, no---"
Seeing her obvious disturbance, I became perplexed all the more.
"So you remember almost nothing of what we did together in the 'box'?"
"W-Well, yeah."
"I...see..."
Otonashi-san kept silent for some reason. Waiting for her to continue, I gazed at her, but she
hurriedly averted her eyes.
"Now that you say it, it's plausible. There's no way you'd remember like I do. Because you
aren't a 'owner'. I see, it finally makes sense. So that's why---"
Then she continued murmuring with averted eyes.
"---that's why you call me Aya."
"Eh?"
"Nevermind."
Otonashi-san regained her gallant expression and scowled at me.
"Oi, Kazuki. You stopped playing the guitar."
I hurriedly started playing again. Since I forgot until where I played, I started the song again
from the start.
"Geez, because you babbled nonessential things, I couldn't enter the main subject, could I?"
"Sorry. So, the main subject?"
"...mh, let's see. Since I don't know yet whether I can believe in [Yuuhei Ishihara]'s words, I'll
leave that our for now. I want to talk to you about this time's 'box' while I'm still convinced
that you're [Kazuki Hoshino]."
I typed his phone number by heart. The call sound resounded for a while. Well, he should be
in the classroom, so he wouldn't be able to answer the phone right away.
I aborted the call and cleared the outgoing calls history. He immediately called me back.
"Hello? Ryuu Miyazawa?"
......hey, why do you call me by my full name?
Ryuu Miyazawa asked so, seeming a bit ill-tempered.
"I am no one. Someone in your memory might have not called you by your full name, but
for the current me, I thought this was the most natural way."
...Is that so. So, you have something you want, don't you? What is it?
"I think you have classes now, but you don't mind?"
...Nothing's more important than you.
"Is it okay to say that as class committee chairman, I wonder? But I'm happy you say so.
Okay, I'd like to discuss how we're going proceed..."
I don't think we should talk about that at school. Won't you come to my apartment?
"I don't mind... But you do realize that I can't say whether 12:00 is my time or not, right?"
That's why I proposed my apartment. We just have to restrain [Kazuki Hoshino] at my place
before it's 12:00. 13:00 is your time again, isn't it?
"I see. So let me teach you a nice way of restraining! It's actually how Maria Otonashi
tricked me, you know---"
I gave him an explanation about handcuffs and footcuffs.
Cuffs, huh? Sounds good. So can you buy some before we meet?
"Sure."
You know where I live, right?
"Yeah. Later then."
I disconnected the call and cleared the call history with fast movements.
Ryuu Miyazawa's apartment, huh?
Now that I think about it, this is the first time I'll be there. Up to now I restrained myself from
going there. What an irony that I'm first able to go now that I got into this body.
Come to think of it, I think she was about to tell me something that she had heard from
[Yuuhei Ishihara].
"I'll explain it to you instead! ...haha! It really is less cumbersome now that I've revealed my
enmity."
"...enmity? What?"
"Nothing. ...so, you know that this box will erase your existence within one week, right?"
"Yes ...But may I ask something first?"
"What is it?"
"I cannot trust your words. After all you're my enemy, aren't you? I can't just believe your
explanation since, in fact, you have been trying to deceive me already."
"Quite right."
Miyazawa-kun accepted my words readily and didn't show any unrest whatsoever.
"I myself have started wondering if I have a talent as a swindler. That's a new discovery for
me. But I'm only going to tell you the truth now. Feel free to make sure whether it is true or
not. If you don't want to listen, just block your ears. ...Well, you wouldn't be able to because
of the handcuffs, though."
Miyazawa-kun said without emotions, approached me and handed over a cut-off piece from a
notebook to me.
00-01
01-02
23-24
1st day
02-03
03-04
04-05
2nd day
11-12
13-14
15-16
3rd day
09-10
4th day
5th day
6th day
7th day End
18 on the second day. 15 on the third day. And on the seventh day, there will only be 3 left.
The moment the date changes to the eight day, none remains. In other words: Game Over."
I finally understood.
I also understood why he explained this to me. To teach me about the 'Sevennight in Mud'
becomes a disadvantage for [Yuuhei Ishihara]. The reason why he taught me anyway is --"Ah, seems like you noticed. You get it, right? Therefore, this can't be a lie. A lie yields hope
when you realize it's a lie. On the other hand, when you feel that a cruel fact is reality, you
fall into despair all the more. And you realize, if you think back a little, that this is reality of
what happened to you, right?"
Right. My body tells me that it's the truth, too.
"Shall I calculate for you? [Kazuki Hoshino] has 7 blocks left today, including the time now.
9 tomorrow, May 03. 6 at May 04. 3 at May 05. 24 altogether. Do you get it? You don't even
have one day's time left!"
Miyazawa-kun spoke in order to corner me.
"To corner you by telling you the truth. This is the reason why [Yuuhei Ishihara] reveals this
fact. Thus, this is nothing but the truth."
'I still have four days left'. I certainly had been thinking like this. But this was a big mistake.
The progress of the battle has already inclined clearly towards [Yuuhei Ishihara].
When just considering the time we spend in this body, [Kazuki Hoshino] has already become
the irregular existence of us.
Furthermore, he has Ryuu Miyazawa as his partner.
Oh. It really is hopeless already.
"I'm surprised you're so composed."
Now that he mentions it... Despite this hopeless situation, I was calm.
Which is... plausible.
After all, I've already fallen into despair, even without this.
lovey-dovey love-love on. I think a really important thing is something that becomes your
stem. Therefore if it gets lost, you break as if your spine was removed and turn into an empty
shell. Therefore, a really important thing is --- equal to oneself."
"Your That's right just now didn't mean that you yourself are [Yuuhei Ishihara], huh?"
"Of course not. If I was him, I would never allow such a detestable conduct."
But he is supporting [Yuuhei Ishihara] who does so. Because [Yuuhei Ishihara] is really
important to him.
"If he wishes for this, I'll do it. If it's to protect him I'll do anything. Even if it's not right to
do."
This attitude was neither proudly nor stubborn. He was bitterly biting on his lips and his eyes
showed resignation somewhere, but were without wavering.
"...I understand what you mean! But why is [Yuuhei Ishihara] such an important existence to
you?"
Miyazawa-kun muttered "...hm." and continued.
"Probably... no, not probably. I'm sure of it. The reason why he is so important to me,
that's---"
He spitted out his next words, seeming unpleased.
"--- because I'm his older brother."
"Older brother? Huh?" I couldn't comprehend those sudden words right away. "So the
relationship between you and Yuuhei Ishihara was a lie? ...huh? But...eeh..."
"Yuuhei Ishihara is the de facto husband of my mother. This is true."
"...umm, so, Yuuhei Ishihara and [Yuuhei Ishihara] are completely different individuals to
begin with?"
"Yeah. Using this bastard's name made it a bit complicated, but it's like you say."
"So not Yuuhei Ishihara but your younger brother's inside me..."
"Don't spell it out! I know. I know all of that. But it's already too late!"
"...Huh?"
"This murder was committed using the body of Kazuki Hoshino. You know what that means,
right? As long you're Kazuki Hoshino, you won't be able to get away from the sin of murder.
When you get caught by the police, Kazuki Hoshino will undergo punishment."
His voice resounded already from far away and didn't reach my head.
Miyazawa-kun looked at me at first, but then let go a faint sigh.
"......which was the scenario we planned to use to corner you, but let's scrap that. As I told
you before, despair that was born of a lie will become hope when the truth is revealed. Those
corpses are the cause. The cause that made him want your body."
"The cause...?"
What if murdering those two was the trigger that made him want to steal my body?
Based on Miyazawa-kun's statements, I suppose [he] considers himself to be in misfortune.
What would [he] 'wish' if he obtained the 'box' after causing such an incident? I don't think he
would want to regain his lifestyle.
He wouldn't want himself. Therefore he would want to steal another one's body.
"...I understood why the 'owner' came to have such a 'wish'! But.. I don't really get the reason
why you'd support him in realizing this 'Sevennight in Mud'. Wouldn't it be better to
recommend him to destroy the 'box' and deliver himself up...?"
"If he went to prison, I wouldn't be able to be by his side anymore, would I?"
Indeed. But still, going to prison or becoming another person. Isn't the former one still the
better choice...?
"You look like you can't comprehend me. ...ah, I see. Surely, you wouldn't know. Say, have
you never wondered about this? If he's inside you, where is his original body right now?"
Come to think of it, I never thought of this. I was assuming that he vanished since he's inside
my body.
"I'll give you the answer to this question! Take your phone out."
I understood with just this. I took out my mobile phone, opened the data folder and checked
the voice files. There was a new one.
"But I can't be at ease with just this. Because there's Maria Otonashi. So I've been thinking.
Making you surrender and stopping Maria Otonashi. I've been thinking about how to
accomplish both at the same time."
Miyazawa-kun's mouth distorted slightly, whereupon he continued.
"Capturing Otonashi. But by having you do it."
"...And this makes me surrender?"
"Yeah. Think about it: if we capture Otonashi and confine her until May 06, we're out of
danger from her - which is obvious, though. If Otonashi doesn't move, the 'Sevennight in
Mud' won't be averted."
So betraying Otonashi-san is equal to abandoning the last resort myself.
Hence, it would mean that I've surrendered.
"So let's move on to the execution. ---Hoshino, I'm going to confine you in my room now and
I will use you as a trap to capture Otonashi. I'll take you with me, no matter how much you
resist. I won't flinch from using violence. Well, no resistance will be of use as soon you
switch again, though."
"Then... why don't you just wait that I switch?"
"If I did so, you might try to justify yourself by thinking that you were confined involuntarily.
There's no meaning when you don't betray Maria Otonashi on your own accord. After all, we
have to make you surrender."
......I see.
"So what will you do? Wanna try some resistance?"
Miyazawa-kun took some knuckle dusters out of his pockets and put them on. His eyes told
me clearly that this wasn't a bluff.
Should I betray?
Her, Maria Otonashi --- no, Aya Otonashi.
What is there to betray? We don't trust each other to begin with. Also, Miyazawa-kun might
not have noticed yet, but I don't feel like resisting anymore, since I came to know that my
ordinary life won't return.
Should I fight against Miyazawa-kun? No way. Why should I choose the painful path to no
avail?
"------"
And still, I can't say it.
I can't say a simple sentence as 'I will betray Otonashi-san'.
Why not? I don't get it. Nothing will change if I don't say it. I have already given up and
when the time for the shift comes, I'm going to get confined. The outcome won't change. And
still, when I try to vocalize my betrayal, my chest gets attacked by a burning ache.
"M-Miyazawa-kun, say---"
Bam.
"---Ugh!"
Miyazawa-kun performed violence. I prostrated without being able to even raise a proper
voice.
Miyazawa-kun's expression was still blank when he looked down on me. He won't possibly
lend my words an ear. He will strike with no mercy when I show any sign of resistance.
I know. I can only decide for betrayal.
Isn't it alright? After all Aya Otonashi's an enemy.
He grabbed my shoulders and made me stand. He held his fist against my defenseless
stomach.
"Come on, let me hear your words of betrayal!"
"You may---"
Nothing would change, so there shouldn't be any reason to hesitate.
May 3
May 03 (Sunday) 07:12
I woke up. It wasn't the sensation of switching, but the normal sensation of awakening.
I was lying on the ground of Miyazawa's room with cuffs applied to both my hands and feet.
Miyazawa-kun was sitting on the bed. Dark circles were under his eyes. Maybe he hadn't
slept properly in the last few days.
When he had noticed that I had awoken, he took out a washcloth and wiped my face. The
menthol in the washcloth wiped away my sleepiness.
Do you think this is absurd? Do you think I cannot become Kazuki Hoshino because you
are?
Of course. Only [I] am Kazuki Hoshino, no one else could be.
So tell me, what makes Kazuki Hoshino? At the very least you can't notice the difference by
the personality. After all you would still recognize someone you haven't met in ages as the
same person, even if this person's atmosphere and personality have changed completely,
right?
Hearing [his] words, I recalled the words I had once heard from that person.
So tell me: when you see someone acting a bit unusually, would you think right away 'This
is someone else. Someone took him over.'?
"------ugh!"
Indeed, Daiya, Kokone and Haruaki have all recognized [him] as Kazuki Hoshino. Even
Otonashi-san, with whom I have spent more time together than with anyone else,--Even Maria Otonashi cannot distinguish [Kazuki Hoshino] from [Yuuhei Ishihara], does
she?
"...uh"
Well, but since she knows of the 'boxes', she might perceive [Kazuki Hoshino]'s vanishment
as vanishment of Kazuki Hoshino's existence as a whole. Therefore I'll teach her that Kazuki
Hoshino won't disappear when I become him. Doing so, Kazuki Hoshino will continue to
exist in her.
A chuckle resounded from the speakers.
And then I'll be able to obtain her.
As long the looks stay like Kazuki Hoshino, he will be recognized as Kazuki Hoshino, even
when the inside changed. This is certainly true. Therefore I don't think he's talking complete
nonsense.
...but it's an overstatement that he could become Kazuki Hoshino.
"Do you think it's extreme logic?"
"That's why [he] will obtain her eventually...? This is only your suitable guess. Why can you
be so convinced?"
"Because she's the same as me."
Miyazawa-kun said so annoyingly.
"Eh?"
"Because I'm depending on someone like Maria Otonashi does. That's why I easily know
what she's going to do."
I finally understood the reason why there's such a power in his words.
Miyazawa-kun knows it. He knows the sensation when an important person disappears and
turns into something different.
"Stop being so nitpicking. You just have to betray Maria Otonashi. If you do so, she will start
mixing up [Kazuki Hoshino] and [Yuuhei Ishihara]."
"...Why so?"
"Otonashi would never dream of [Kazuki Hoshino] betraying her. Even if you were the one
that handcuffed her, she would think it was [Yuuhei Ishihara]. But in fact it was [Kazuki
Hoshino] who did. Consequently, she will become unable to distinguish the two of you
confidently. The borderline between [Kazuki Hoshino] and [Yuuhei Ishihara] will disappear."
And then she's going to consider [me] and [him] as the same.
If she's like this by May 06, Otonashi-san will accept it with no resistance, even if [he] steals
everything from me. That's what Miyazawa-kun is saying.
"Did you get me? Okay, I'll instruct you, then."
"...Wait a sec."
I interrupted him.
"What?"
"What do you plan to do when [he]'s not convinced of having stolen Otonashi-san completely
from me?"
"This were sound files recorded with the 'My Voice'-feature. It's not real time. What if I
reversed the order of those files? Maybe the sound file you just heard happened before the
other one?"
"Y-You can't...!"
"Just joking!"
"Ugh..."
I feel miserable for being so easily deceived.
"Geez... what are you swinging from joy to sorrow and back all the time. It's not the problem
whether she was actually hurt or not, is it? The problem is that Ruka Hoshino's completely
guardless against [Yuuhei Ishihara]'s actions. "
Saying so, Miyazawa-kun turned the foot on my body around.
"[Yuuhei Ishihara] will become Kazuki Hoshino. Can you imagine just how much of a
hindrance the existence of a sister is then? Heck, you're living in the same room! Of course
she'd notice Kazuki Hoshino's change and it would be impossible to terminate this
relationship since you are siblings. She's the person that may become the greatest barrier.
That seems to be the reason why he's indecisive. How should he deal with her?"
Having said this, Miyazawa-kun made a double click and started another voice file.
You will betray Maria Otonashi for us, won't you [Kazuki Hoshino]?
This was a threat.
A simple threat which meant that he would kill Ruka Hoshino if I didn't obey.
"So what will you do, Hoshino?"
If I handcuff Otonashi-san, she might end up hurt. But If I don't, Ruu-chan might have to die.
There's no way I could decide on one! ---However, Otonashi-san won't be killed. Also, if it's
for her, she might be able to overcome the situation with her skills. No, of course she will.
---she will defeat us.
What is he saying...?
Your weak spot?
"Yeah. I didn't support him, he grasped my weak spot and used me. But I've had enough of it!
And fortunately I hit upon a simple and good solution strategy."
A solution strategy...?
"If it's for you, you should easily be able to think of it. It's really simple."
...Don't tell me---
"Exactly. I just have to kill Kazuki Hoshino."
Miyazawa-kun spoke indifferently without putting any weird emotion into his voice. I then
finally noticed that he was just making up this story. But his performance seems just too
natural. Even I, knowing the truth, thought for a second that he might be telling the truth
there.
Therefore I don't think Otonashi-san would be able to see through this made-up story.
...What are you saying? I don't know what kind of weak spot he grasped of you, but the risk
is just too high. I didn't know you were so silly as to make such a choice?
"You're easy to see through. Seems you are surprisingly bad at deceiving someone."
......
"Murder is indeed a risky gamble. It wouldn't be worth it. But this risk doesn't apply to
Kazuki Hoshino right now. You should know why, don't you?"
...I have no idea.
"Haha, don't play dumb! Okay, then I'll tell you. The answer to the riskless murder is 'just
take advantage of the moment of the shift'."
Otonashi-san had noticed it as well, I suppose. After all she told me this morning that it
would be dangerous if I switched during her driving. If one took advantage of this logic in a
more certain way, it would be dead easy to feign an accident or suicide.
This is what he means by riskless murder.
"If I'm able to put an end to his threat, I'll do as much as this."
...Why do you inform me about this?
"There is at least someone you'd like to shoot if you had a bullet that would never be found,
right? But using this bullet, I'll also erase someone I have no grudge against. Since he would
be just too pitiful, I thought I might allow him to speak to his lover a last time at the very
end."
Just how selfish are you...!?
"Oh? Hoshino has only a few hours left, you know? He's as good as dead! But rest assured;
I'll kill him when he's [Yuuhei Ishihara]. I'll quasi conduct euthanasia for him. Isn't it rather
fortunate that he can die before being taken over completely by this scumbag?"
Kazuki will regain his body!
"This only what you think, isn't it? No one would be able to look at things so positively in
such a situation!"
Gh...
"Well, that's it. Okay, I'll let you hear his last words."
Of course he didn't remove the tape from my mouth when he had said so.
He moved the mouse and made a double click. My voice resounded from the speakers.
Please save me---
I thought this was a cheap line. If only-----Aya!
---he didn't mention this name.
Why does he know this name...? They don't know the 'Rejecting Classroom', so they should
not be able to know this name.
No... they might know. I have used this name in the classroom of 2-3. Surely, Miyazawa-kun
noticed that this name had to be some kind of code and reported it to [Yuuhei Ishihara].
But she, who doesn't know that those words belong to [him], can't notice this fact.
Therefore--......I'll come to save you right away, Kazuki.
---she believes that this voice was mine.
You made a mistake.
Otonashi-san declared this.
You should have made this call just before he would switch to [Yuuhei Ishihara]. Now's
21:12. You can act at 22 o'clock at the earliest. There are 48 minutes until then. I'll defeat you
and take Kazuki back in this time.
A announcement that failed its purpose.
Not knowing that her words don't unsettle him, but rather calm him down.
Didn't you say yourself that you don't want to take the high risk of murdering? If you stab,
this isn't just a risk anymore. You're sure to get punished for inflicting bodily injury or more."
"Shut up."
"There's no need to cause hysteria just because it didn't go as you planned. Isn't the point that
you don't want to get threatened by [Yuuhei Ishihara] anymore? Hand Kazuki over to me and
I promise to stop those threats!"
"That's just your hollow promise, isn't it?"
He acted as if he was irritated and didn't listen to her.
Why does Miyazawa-kun take this attitude?
---that is, he is raising the drop height.
Miyazawa-kun is acting out the generic enemy role and tries to set up the stage to make my
betrayal more impactful.
Otonashi-san is going to defeat the enemy, Miyazawa-kun, and will save me. Of course she
will feel relieved and pleased.
And there she'll be betrayed by me.
Thus, for the sake of this 'drop height', Miyazawa-kun must not release me readily right now.
"Buzz off! Isn't it enough already for your last rendezvous?"
"Don't ridicule!"
But why does Otonashi-san not attack him right away?
Sure, his knife is currently pressed against my throat. But this is a meaningless threat.
Miyazawa-kun would never stab me since (in this setting) he wants to commit a riskless
murder to do something against being threatened.
"I have valued you as a firm person with logical thinking, you know?"
That she said those words means that she knows that he doesn't plan to stab me.
And still she doesn't step forward.
between Miyazawa-kun and me and drove him back by hitting his chin while he was holding
his nose. She then quickly picked up the knife and threw it away out of his reach.
"Step back, Kazuki."
I nodded and did as she told me.
Otonashi-san, too, stepped slightly back from him and started speaking.
"Give me the keys to the hand- and footcuffs, Miyazawa. I'll let you go with this much."
"......You're softer than I thought."
Miyazawa-kun said while suppressing his nose bleed with his hands.
"You could have as well just choked me. Doing so, I would have had to give you the keys."
"...There's no need to go this far."
Because of those words, I remembered. Right. Otonashi-san does not like to use violence.
She was able to just because she had to in order to save me. But she would never be able to
choke someone only to make him give her some keys.
Miyazawa-kun corrected his stance.
And then he jumped at her to seize her. But at the moment he touched her, Miyazawa-kun's
body flew through the air.
"Wha---!!"
This was no acting, but a genuine exclamation of surprise.
It happened so quick he couldn't even perceive his defeat. It was a magnificent shoulder
throw.
"If you approach me, I'll knock you down."
"...Damn, I didn't know you were a Black Belt in Judo!"
"It's no wonder. After all I'm just a White Belt. ...Well, I have defeated several Black Belts
already, though."
She will recognize right away that I lack the guts to stab. But that doesn't matter. It does not
change the fact that I betrayed her.
"Let go of Miyazawa-kun, obediently."
Otonashi-san noticed the point of the kitchen knife.
And--"Eh...?"
Not Otonashi-san, but I raised my voice without knowing.
She had opened her eyes wide and stopped breathing just because I pointed the knife at her. I
have never seen her looking this defenseless.
Using this chance, Miyazawa-kun freed himself from her lock. But she stayed petrified.
I approached her with the knife, crouched and handcuffed her. When she had let both her
hands get restrained with no resistance, she finally opened her mouth.
"What... does this mean, Kazuki?"
She said falteringly.
"What is this... I don't understand. Why do you point a knife at me...?"
"He betrayed you!"
Miyazawa-kun explained in my stead.
"Betrayed...? There's no necessity to do so. Kazuki cannot do anything against the
'Sevennight in Mud' without me. He would only betray me when he surrendered to you and
gave up. But this is just not possible. Therefore he would never betray---"
"So this means that Hoshino surrendered to us and gave up, doesn't it?"
"He gave... up?"
I reflexively averted my eyes when she drew a clinging gaze to me.
"Hu---"
"------Ah."
I remembered.
I remembered the name I called when I was mounted and hit by Daiya, all alone in the music
room.
Exactly, she's right! I could never call her Aya when seeking seriously for help. I mean,
this is the name of the person I have once fought against.
"...So tell me, why did you come save him?"
"If it was as you explained, saving [Yuuhei Ishihara] would be the same as saving Kazuki."
"...Wait a sec. Wouldn't this mean that you're perceiving Kazuki Hoshino as [Yuuhei
Ishihara] right now?"
"Yeah, I actually did. But I know that it's [Kazuki Hoshino] by taking a glance at him."
"......Oi, oi! You're totally lying now. In actual fact, you weren't able to distinguish them until
now!"
"This was only about the timing of the shift. I just need to observe the movements of his
facial muscles for about three seconds to see the difference. I can now recognize Kazuki as
Kazuki."
She can recognize that I'm me?
Although no one else could?
"...Such a thing is impossible! Don't shit me!"
"I guess so. If it wasn't Kazuki, I'd probably not be able to distinguish them. But only for
Kazuki, it is indeed possible."
"Why?!"
She then stated--"Because I have been together with Kazuki longer than anyone else in the world."
Those words I have grown familiar to, somewhere, some time.
"Ah---"
My voice involuntarily escaped. I put my hand on her shoulder. She turned around to face me,
astonished.
Seeing me like this, Miyazawa-kun frowned and said:
"What's the matter, Hoshino? You surely aren't going to remove her handcuffs just because of
this clichd nonsense, right? You know what happened to your sister if you do, right?"
For some reason, this threat didn't work on me anymore.
"Umm, Otonashi-san."
If I say it, I won't be able to turn back anymore. But I have already decided, even though I
wavered.
"Let me touch your 'box'."
The astonishment on her face changed.
"You don't even need to ask. I couldn't hinder you even if I wanted because of the handcuffs."
Despite having pounded against the wall without fearing the knife, she said so.
She continued her words slightly embarrassed with a smile.
"...you just have to touch it arbitrarily."
With those blunt words, she allowed me to do so.
I nodded lightly and pressed my open hand against her chest.
"------Ah."
I was thrown to the ground of the sea. The second time I see the ground of the sea. It's an
unchanging scene in which everyone looks happy. However, it's just a lie that everyone can
be in happiness her. Someone is crying in the midst of them. Someone who knows that this
bliss is just a lie and cannot join them. I have already heard this crying.
It's grueling.
There's no oxygen, so I cannot stay here forever.
That's why it's grueling?
Or is it because I know that I cannot cure her pain?
Because I know that I cannot do anything against this utter solitude of her?
I turned the keys round. The handcuffs opened and fell to the ground. I grasped her free
hands. She looked at me, I looked at her.
"Please, lend me a hand---"
I won't mistake it anymore.
I won't mistake the name to call anymore.
"---Maria."
When I did so, she---really, just for a split second--She smiled, innocently, like a normal girl her age.
"There are conditions."
She spoke again with her usual dignified expression.
"I may not need to say this specifically. I believe that you will fulfill this condition anyway.
However, I, too, feel anxiety and it quite hurt me. So please let me say it."
I nodded lightly, without knowing her intention.
"I won't lose sight of you. So, please. You, too,---"
Maria averted her eyes once. Then she looked again at me and said clearly:
"---don't lose sight of me anymore."
Aah... I see.
I did not notice at all until then.
I became alone pointlessly, but it wasn't just me that had to suffer because of this. At the
same time I let Maria all alone and made her suffer.
Since this 'Rejecting Classroom', Maria was always [Aya Otonashi]. She is trying to be the
'box' itself. Her real self, [Maria Otonashi], isn't anywhere.
"Stop it already!"
Upon hearing this voice, I let go of Maria's hand.
"Isn't this ridiculous? Collude or not, it doesn't change anything! Kazuki Hoshino will be
taken over and his sister, Ruka, will be killed. Or do you perhaps think you could just enter
your imaginary world?"
Miyazawa-kun sneered at us.
"You cannot win! After all, [Yuuhei Ishihara] has killed himself. You can't possibly find a
dead guy! Of course, you can't destroy the 'box' either. How will you solve this problem?
Come on, tell me!"
He is... right.
The 'owner', Miyazawa-kun's younger brother, isn't here anymore. We can't do anything
against this fact.
"......I know already who [Yuuhei Ishihara] really is."
Miyazawa-kun opened his eyes wide for a second after hearing Maria's words, but then he
saw her low spirited expression and curled his mouth up.
"So? Did you find him?"
"...No. I searched all day long, but didn't find him."
"Huhu, well, it's understandable. You can't possibly find a dead person after all!"
I said this line. He himself had once told this to me. I continued my talk when he had raised
his head.
"You were right."
He opened his eyes wide and opened his mouth. I looked silently at him, but he clenched his
fist, grinded his teeth and scowled at me.
"------Sh... it...!"
He was, however, not able to do anything and dropped his gaze.
He then started walking unsteadily and passed by in front of us. He stretched his hands out
towards the desk and picked the mobile phone up.
He operated the phone wordlessly, pressed it against his ear and listened to something.
"I didn't make it in time."
It was a murmur that sounded as if he was speaking to himself.
"I didn't make it in time. I was taking a bath at the time he called me. Thus, it was already too
late when I noticed this voicemail."
I guess he's listening to said voicemail.
"I should have been able to save him before it happened. If I had noticed his pain earlier, I
could have averted it. And yet, I was intoxicated with my own unhappiness and overheard his
scream for help, although he was supposed to be my important person. This is the outcome of
it."
Saying so, he opened the top drawer.
"I know it's already too late. I know I can't make it in time anymore. But you know? He's still
screaming! I don't want to... hear this scream anymore."
He inserted his hand into the drawer.
"I will stop his tears. For this sake I'll bear up any sin and any punishment. I have just this
much resolution! If you have complaints, just tell me!!"
"Of course we have."
Maria declared.
"You stopped your thinking. You have not chosen anything. You're just trying to cover your
ears because you don't want to hear this scream. You're just enjoying the pains of fighting
meaninglessly against us."
She dropped her gaze once, but then she spit out the next words.
"You cannot revoke the past by doing this."
".........So, what?"
He hung his head and whispered.
"Will you undo this outcome full of corpses, or what? You wouldn't be able to. I cannot
acquire a bright future, no matter how much I struggle. So I want to at least grant him what
he wishes for. That's all. So---"
He took his hands out of the drawer.
"---get confined obediently already!"
He took out a stun gun. Miyazawa-kun rushed towards Maria.
"Maria!!"
Maria grabbed his outstretched right hand quickly and twisted it. Miyazawa-kun cried out
faintly and dropped the stun gun.
"Ugh---"
I picked up this stun gun. Maria is able to restrain him, but she can't use more violence than
this. Therefore, it's my turn.
I accepted his scowl without averting my eyes. I won't back off. If he points enmity at me, I
have to follow suit.
"Sorry."
I pressed the engaged stun gun against his neck.
Miyazawa-kun moaned and collapsed right away.
May 4
May 04 (Monday) 07:49
I noticed that I had been restrained by hand- and footcuffs and was lying on a futon on the
ground. But I couldn't think properly yet, still dazed.
I was inside anguish I didn't know whether it's reality or dream.
The feeling was like that of sinking into a bottomless swamp.
I struggle and struggle to no avail, sink deeper and deeper, and in the end forget for what
sake I struggle. I even become unable to struggle. I just sink deeper into the mud. My body
gets filled with mud. I become mud myself. My inside and my outside, both become only mud.
Therefore, lose sight of my contours since they're painted out.
I cannot see myself anymore.
......I, huh.
[TL Note: Japanese has several ways to say 'I'. He's referring to 'Boku']
When I entered this body, I first called me like this purposely, but by now I use it completely
naturally. I guess this is not because I'm getting used to it, but because my mind is dragged
along by Kazuki Hoshino's body.
That's why I'm able to believe that I can become Kazuki Hoshino---being dragged along by
this body.
I finally awoke and straightened my upper body. I recognized this place because of the
pepper mind fragrance. It's not the apartment of Ryuu Miyazawa - where I should be---but
Maria Otonashi's room.
I heard a weak sleeper's breathing. I looked to the bed and saw Maria Otonashi sleeping
turned to me. Her expression wasn't stretched as always. Her face looked like the one of an
girl at my age when she's sleeping. ....No, she is in fact at the same age as me.
"Why are you staring at me?"
Her innocent expression disappeared instantly.
I searched my mobile phone in order to phone Ryuu Miyazawa. I saw Kazuki Hoshino's
mobile phone lying on the table. I reached my hands out for it--"----!"
The mobile phone rang with such a timing that it seemed as if it had waited for me and made
me cringe with fear.
According to the clock, it had just turned 08:00. 08:00 is my time since yesterday. Surely,
Ryuu Miyazawa waited for this time and made a call.
I took the phone in my hands and looked at the phone number.
"......Eh?"
It was not the number I had expected. This number surely was... ---no, this can't be! The
owner of this number would never call me!
But then, who is it?
My fingers were trembling faintly, but I acted as if I didn't notice and pressed the
Phone-button.
"......hello?"
......
The caller kept silent.
"Hello? ...Who is it?"
Riko Asami.
"Wha---"
I became speechless.
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Y-You---"
"Did you think I was dead? Did you think I was killed? Bad luck, huh. We're actually having
a conversation now."
It was indeed Riko Asami's voice.
"This is impossible! You can't be alive! Ryuu Miyazawa should have killed you!"
"...hu, huhu, I know this more than enough, but you can only see yourself. How foolish. Don't
you get it? This person would never be able to kill me."
Ryuu Miyazawa cannot kill Riko Asami? ...I can't believe it. Riko Asami should be an eyesore
for Ryuu Miyazawa as well.
"You're a fool to consider having killed someone without using your own hands. You're a
piece of trash one can't even look at. Why can't you get burned in a incinerator as trash is
supposed to?"
Riko Asami took advantage of my confusion and goofed on me.
I finally accepted the fact that she wasn't dead and noticed a certain thing.
"...why are you talking like this?"
The way I talk?
"You're talking almost like---"
Almost like myself in the past? Like I did before starting to pretend to be tough? Like myself
when I was dark and just able to endure? ...I'm surprised you can claim that...
Riko Asami laughed reservedly and continued to speak.
...When you haven't changed yourself.
I haven't changed, she says? I, who have worked this hard all the time? I, who admired
Maria Otonashi and formed a new self? I, who is going to become Kazuki Hoshino? ...I have
not changed?
Don't kid with me! In spite of just being Riko Asami!
"...Don't kid with me! Did you call me because you wanted to pester me or what?"
Upon hearing my enmity, she, who should have been timid in the past, spoke:
Yes!
"...Eh?"
You know? I can't forgive someone like you who's trying to overtake someone other's
body. ...Honestly, what's that? You ought to know your place. You ought to drop dead.
Therefore---
Riko Asami said without emotion.
---I think I'll crush this 'box'.
"What... are you saying...?"
You know I'm able to, right? After all, I, Riko Asami, am the 'owner'.
I lost even the words to counter her and fell into silence. My hands were trembling.
Riko Asami giggled silently and said to me.
[TL Note: Now 'Atashi' was used as 'I'. This is used by girls.]
[TL Note: You got it. The owner's Riko Asami. However, in the story she was always referred
to with 'he'. That is because it wasn't possible to address her neutrally in English.]
Come to think of it, Miyazawa-kun has only said siblings, but did never mention younger
brother. I arbitrarily considered her a boy because she spoke with my, a male, voice and
called herself Yuuhei Ishihara at that. Of course he didn't correct me on purpose, probably.
But I would have never dreamed of Asami-san being Miyazawa-kun's younger sister. After
all they don't have the same last name and I have never heard such rumors. Despite visiting
our classroom every day, she didn't show any signs of it. I suppose they were concealing their
sibling relationship purposely because of their complicated family affairs.
Perhaps she did not only come to our classroom to meet Maria, but also to see
Miyazawa-kun.
I asked Maria, who had come back to the room before I switched to [me], while she was
removing my handcuffs.
"Since when did you know [Yuuhei Ishihara] was a girl?"
"Mh, my suspicion that [Yuuhei Ishihara] might be a girl became strong the time when we
entered the girl's bathroom together."
"......so [Riko Asami] entered the girl's bathroom with my body, right?"
"Why do you need to ask such a matter of course?"
She said amazedly. ...Um, shouldn't I be the one to be amazed at you?
"I grasped her true identity during the research I did thereafter. Most of Miyazawa's prior
classmates during his middle school time knew of his blood relationship with Asami. I then
discovered the corpses at her home and became confident that Riko Asami is the 'owner'."
Maria saw those corpses, too...
She ended removing my handcuffs and let out a sigh.
"But only where is she...?"
Maria told me that she had been searching for Asami-san after discovering on her own that
Asami-san's the 'owner', but she found neither hide nor hair of her.
Maria crouched down, looked for something under the bed and tore something off.
"What are you doing?"
"I installed a IC-Recorder under the bed. I thought that Miyazawa or someone might call her
and leak something we don't know yet."
Maria pressed the play button of recorder. She searched for a place [Riko Asami] speaks by
pressing repeatedly on the 'fast forward' button.
......hello?
This voice resounded.
"...she made a phone call!"
"Yeah."
The voice of the other party was almost unbearable. But it was probably the voice of a girl.
At the very least, it wasn't Miyazawa-kun.
I tried checking up the history of my mobile phone on the table. She cleared the received and
dialed calls history as it seems, I didn't find any new entries.
It seems as if they were having a quarrel.
Maria connected the recorder to her notebook, downloaded the sound file and started
listening to it with headphones. I guess she does so to hear out all details.
Maria frowned so hard it was almost scary.
After a while, she held the headphones out to me. I nodded and put them on.
Hello? ...Who is it?
Riko Asami.
I doubted my ears.
I listened to it for a while, but started having doubts. This is Asami-san? But she doesn't
speak like the Asami-san I know. Asami-san doesn't usually speak so calmly and subduedly.
The personality of the Riko Asami I know is the same as the one of [Yuuhei Ishihara] --- no,
[Riko Asami].
But which reminds me, Asami-san acted strange since April 30th. Right, she seemed
somehow dismal. So her odd attitude wasn't necessarily because Maria made me a boxed
lunch. Come to think of it, the 'Sevennight in Mud' had already started at that time.
Asami-san acted her former self. ---Why?
Don't think about getting saved alone! Okay, [Riko Asami]-san?
I perked my ears up to the rest of their conversation.
Like Riko Asami had done in the past, she cursed with a small voice that was almost
unhearable.
You ought to die by hanging that would cause you intestinal voiding so everyone would need
to hold their nose because of you. You ought to die by jumping off a roof so you would bother
the passers-by with your brain that scatters about. You ought to die by jumping in front of a
train, annoying the passengers by splashing all your innards over the platform... that would
suit you. Tell me, what you think?
Riko Asami asked me.
Which manner of death would you like for Riko Asami?
She asked me for her own way to die.
I see. When the 'owner', Riko Asami, dies, I will inevitably vanish.
I am completely driven into a corner right now.
"......Stop it!"
I conveyed my great nervousness with those short words, which caused Riko Asami to rejoice.
What should I stop? To kill myself? Why? Didn't you try to kill me?
"T-That was because... I hadn't notice that I would vanish if you died."
Hihaha, don't be silly! Did you think you haven't vanished yet? Brilliant. This is just too
brilliant. ...did you perhaps seriously think you could become Kazuki Hoshino?
"I can! If you don't hinder me, I can become Kazuki Hoshino! And then I will steal his
happiness!"
Aha. Doesn't matter, though. After all I'll commit suicide anyway.
"Didn't I tell you to stop it!?"
Why should I listen to you? I'm your enemy, you know?
"Enemy?"
Yes, enemy. You should know that your self, especially your former self, is your enemy.
"Stop kidding me! Though I could become Kazuki Hoshino if it wasn't for you, why are you
like this?! Horrible! You really are horrible!"
Having heard those words, Riko Asami started to giggle joyfully at the other side of the
phone.
"What's so funny?!"
'Horrible', huh!
Riko Asami spoke while giggling.
Don't overdo the self-loathing, okay?
Why did it turn out like this...! The time progress was originally only to corner Kazuki
Hoshino!
"What should I do---"
......Wait a moment. I recalled my own murmur. What did I just say?
I?
[TL Note: She got, as mentioned above, used to calling herself "Boku". But now Riko just
called herself "Atashi" which is used mainly by women.]
Didn't I stop calling myself like this when I got into this body? Didn't I stop using it
naturally?
Don't tell me I started being self-aware?
Self-aware of being Riko Asami?
No, nononononono! I am not Riko Asami! I am no one, a fabrication, that will eventually
become Kazuki Hoshino-----
"To think you could escape from your own deed just by this; I find this childish side of you
terribly adorable."
What is this voice?
A terribly charming voice, I had already heard once, entered my body.
No. That's not true. I can --- escape from Riko Asami.
And still,
"Ah, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH"
A giant amount of memories came to mind at once. Memories that should have been forgotten
when I entered this body came to mind. Though I can't process such an amount all at once,
they came to mind unavoidably.
What I saw was the scene of the first time Yuuhei Ishihara used violence against Riko Asami.
The 13-aged Riko Asami was bawling, frightened of this brute who had a deep red face.
Aah, yes. It was like this at the beginning. His first act of violence was scolding Riko Asami's
temper. The 13-aged Riko Asami hated him because he wasn't his real father, considered him
an enemy and expressed her ill will. Yuuhei Ishihara couldn't bear this up in the end, and
thus made a move in violence.
This was the trigger to an everyday life of violence. Well, which may be plausible because
that undesired problem child became silent and obedient when using violence. So violence
against Riko Asami became an effective and pleasant method for that brute.
It was equally pleasant for the mother who was greatly embarrassed by Riko Asami's temper.
Riko Asami had been trying to destroy this family, and thus had been riotous. This was a
problem that had bothered this old bat all the time.
Morals change depending on the environment. Riko Asami's opposition against the violence
and the family started to disappear slowly. Everyone, including Riko Asami herself, stopped
questioning this violence.
They stopped questioning the violence, but this didn't change the fact that Riko Asami's heart
continued being torn up.
Riko Asami heard the sound of her heart being torn up countless times. This was not a
powerful sound, but a modest one as if someone threw a little stone into a pond. At first she
only thought "Aah, it torn up again" when she had heard this sound, but after a while she
noticed that she lacked something important.
This man's violence, that was inferior to a real brute's one, would certainly not be of interest
for outsiders, being common. It would be expressed with "ill-treatment" or some other simple
word. This single word would probably give one the feeling of comprehension.
Therefore, Riko Asami did not name this violence.
The gaps of Riko Asami's lacking heart were closed by violence. Which meant that Riko
Asami would accept this violence when she started to like herself.
Hence, Riko Asami doesn't admit her own existence.
The next thing I saw was the scene of the entrance ceremony of the high school.
Everything had ended. Riko Asami's all had been trampled down there, and had been
destroyed once and for all.
I was crying.
The illusion disappeared finally, washed away by my tears.
"......something, something like this..."
I must not admit this. I must absolutely not admit being Riko Asami!
--- therefore, I will become Kazuki Hoshino.
I won't forgive [Kazuki Hoshino]. I won't forgive him, who blathers about everyday life being
happiness, and all the ones that don't even know that they can only laugh because they're
stealing someone other's happiness.
I'll have the last laugh. I'll show it to this [Kazuki Hoshino] who doesn't even try to
comprehend my misfortune.
I'll use you. Maria Otonashi doesn't mix me and [Kazuki Hoshino] up anymore. So I cannot
deceive her anymore. So I just need to use the original one. I'll threaten [Kazuki Hoshino],
make him obey me and deceive her.
He shall call forth his own ruin and fall into despair. He shall become unable to call the
everyday life happiness.
I took Kazuki Hoshino's phone and recorded my voice.
"[Kazuki Hoshino], I'll kill your entire family. I'll massacre them brutally. I'll cut them up
and kill them so brutally that you won't be able to recognize the corpses anymore. So better
do what I say. If you do, I spare them depending on my mood. Absolutely don't let Maria
Otonashi hear this message. Okay then, these are my instructions---"
"We absolutely must prevent her suicide. That's another reason to find Asami. But where on
earth is she? ...Damn it, but there's only one day left!"
Maria was obviously nervous.
It's Maria who puts everyone else first. Asami-san dies and the 'Sevennight in Mud'
ends---she cannot allow such an outcome.
"......Maria, how about using this threat?"
Hearing my words, Maria frowned and looked at me.
"What do you mean?"
"...ah well, it just came to mind. I was thinking that things might move when we responded to
the threat purposely and let [Riko Asami] act..."
"Sure enough, things might stand still like this."
Maria crossed her arms and pondered.
"Let's assume we responded to the threat and let [Riko Asami] free. Then... right, I suppose
she would visit Ryuu Miyazawa."
"Yeah, I think so, too."
"--Wait. Maybe Miyazawa knows Asami's whereabouts anyway?"
"...I don't think so. If he knew, he would never support completing the 'Sevennight in Mud'."
"You have a point... but then again, he told us that we will never find Asami. So this
statement would lose its basis. ...Does Miyazawa misunderstand anything...?"
Maria frowned and pondered for a while.
"...It doesn't help to think about it. For now, let's just assume that Miyazawa doesn't know
Asami's present condition."
I nodded.
"But is there any meaning in letting [Riko Asami] act on her own? We don't need [Riko
Asami] but the Asami who's the 'owner', you know?"
"...err, I think there is meaning. Guessing from what we heard through the IC recorder, I think
[Riko Asami] knows how to come into contact with Asami-san."
"Cooperate with [Riko Asami] and let her come into contact, huh? That's impossible. It's
hardly thinkable that a girl who makes such a threat would live up to your expectations."
...That's certainly true.
"Or do you plan to break her heart, make her surrender and make her obey you forcefully?"
Maria laughed faintly and said so jokingly
I answered to this joke.
"Good idea."
Her expression stiffened up.
But I was equally surprised by my own cold words.
But apart from my surprise I had hit upon a method. Being in a similar situation as [Riko
Asami], I hit upon a method to break her heart and make her obey us.
If we let [Riko Asami] go, she will contact Miyazawa-kun. To her, Miyazawa-kun is like
Maria to me.
Therefore--"We just need to make Ryuu Miyazawa betray [Riko Asami]."
While saying so, I thought: Can I really do it?
Involving Miyazawa-kun, making [Riko Asami] fall into despair and destroying the
'Sevennight in Mud'. Which means that Asami-san is going to return to herself who caused an
outcome that cannot be averted anymore. I don't think there is happiness in the future that
would await her there. What I'm about to do means sacrificing Asami-san.
...Let's stop pretending to be a good person by acting as if I was indecisive.
In fact I have already decided long ago. I decided at the time when I announced I don't
permit your existence. to her, when I started perceiving her as enemy.
"......Yeah, I know."
Maria murmured so and raised her head.
But even so, we cannot change Asami-san's future.
"...of course I do! I'm aware of it all even without you! But rejecting her... that's just
impossible, isn't it...?"
He may say so, but he is still not able to decide.
This is troublesome. Miyazawa-kun must reject [Riko Asami]. He must make her fall into
despair. Therefore, I went on to the last step.
"I was always wondering. Why do you, Miyazawa-kun, believe in the existence of the
'Sevennight in Mud'? I mean, isn't it quite unbelievable for someone who has never obtained
a 'box' that [Riko Asami] is inside me?"
He raised his head and peeked at my face.
"Teach me! How could you believe such a unrealistic matter?"
"......what do you want to imply?"
"Can you not come up with the reason? Okay, I'll tell you! I can only think of one reason to
believe the existence of the 'box'. Tell my, Miyazawa-kun, you have---"
I asked him a certain question I kept quiet about to Maria.
"---met '0', haven't you?"
I walked towards the stairs. I immediately heard someone rushing to me from the next room.
But I did not turn around.
"Kazuki... why didn't you tell me that '0' had been interfering!"
It's not like I didn't tell her. It occurred to me right before we arrived here. There was no time
to tell her.
"Why do you not answe--- Kazuki???"
But this anger of her was pleasant to me. I laid my head on Maria's shoulder.
I am the enemy of [Riko Asami]. Thus I have to make [Riko Asami] surrender, even if this
means to use Miyazawa-kun.
I have no other choice. I must do so. But still--"Distressing someone is quite... distressing."
I whispered such a thing, unable to raise my head.
But I chose to regain my everyday life.
I was about to sacrifice someone for my own sake. That's why I longed for someone to blame
me. To scold me with "You're repulsive!".
However, Maria kept silent for some reason.
Even worse, she stroked my hair gently.
"......"
I wonder why?
Why was this so pleasant, despite being the exact opposite of what I was wishing her to do?
"Haha!"
I succeeded! My threat succeeded!
This feeling of being cornered vanished into thin air. Everything's all right. I can still fight
now. First I have to meet Ryuu Miyazawa.
I left the shop and made sure of my whereabouts. I know this main street. Ryuu Miyazawa's
apartment should be nearby.
I went to his apartment and rang the chime.
Ryuu Miyazawa opened instantly.
His face was pale. The rings under his glasses turned even darker. And he did not speak
anything. He was just looking silently at me.
"...hey, what happened?"
"......Nothing."
His denial showed me, however, that something had definitely happened.
"Did Maria Otonashi do anything to you?"
"No... she didn't do anything."
His answer had no intonation whatsoever and hence sounded almost mechanical. Something
was obviously wrong. Well, he seemed strange already before, but this strangeness went a
step further.
"Won't you enter for now?"
He urged me plainly. I did as he said while being a bit suspicious of him.
"...What's that?"
I noticed right after entering that his windows was broken.
"Aah, Otonashi broke it."
Nii-san answered dispiritedly. Maria Otonashi must have done something to him. It can't be
explained in any other way.
"...did our strategy fail yesterday?"
"Yeah."
Again a half-hearted reply. ...Honestly, what's wrong?
"Why did you not answer Atashimy phone?"
"...Atashi, huh."
"Hah?"
"Didn't you use to call yourself Boku?"
[TL Note: Again the matter of Boku/Atashi. See above for details.]
...Right, I have to fix that again.
"...Just a little mistake. BokuI am no one after all."
"......It's after 13:00, huh."
He said so while looking into the distance.
"Well yeah, but why so out of the blue...?"
"You stole this time frame at the third day. Therefore it's you with no doubt. That's why I can
be sure. But if it was 14:00... I would probably assume that Hoshino is trying again to
deceive me and wouldn't notice that it's you. Unlike Maria Otonashi, I cannot distinguish you
guys by your usage of your facial muscles, you know."
"......You've lost me there."
"Tell me, how do you call me?"
"Hah? Ryuu Miyazawa of course, haven't I been calling you like this all the time?"
"Yeah, I guess so. Right."
"Stop that weird talk and better tell me what happened yesterday!"
"Okay."
After he nodded, Ryuu Miyazawa sat down on his seat and stared into the black monitor.
"I executed our strategy. As you can see, it proved to be a failure."
I expected him to continue, so I waited for him while he was just staring into the monitor
without movement. However, he did not talk.
"Eh? That's all...?"
"I don't know any more! Our strategy failed and Kazuki Hoshino was taken back by Maria
Otonashi. I don't know anything about what happened thereafter. I have no idea what
happened between them!"
"......What? That doesn't help me a bit."
"Well, I guess it doesn't."
Ryuu Miyazawa said so coldly, still without looking at me.
"......Are you planning to abandon me?"
He did, however, still not look at me.
I see. That's what he's up to. He will again just cover his ears and ignore everything.
"You regret it, don't you?"
Finally he looked up to me when he heard those words.
"You regret that you noticed Riko Asami's misfortune when you rushed to her because of her
beg for help --- and that she involved you in this matter, right? Exactly! If you remained
untold, you would have been able to live carelessly, just lamenting your own misfortune. If
you didn't answer Riko Asami's phone that time---"
"I don't regret that!"
He intercepted me.
"I only regret that I didn't notice earlier. If I did, I would have been able to avert all this.
Therefore, this incident is from the origin to the outcome all my fault. I don't want to make
such a mistake anymore!"
He finally turned his head to me.
"That's why I decided to continue helping Riko out. No matter what, this decision won't
change."
"......Nii-san"
My chest warmed up.
Nii-san is saying this in all honesty.
"Thank you, Nii-san... Continue to help me out!"
"'Nii-san', huh."
Nii-san nodded slightly.
"Hey... let me confirm your goal."
"Why so late? ---Well, I don't mind! My goal is to obtain Kazuki Hoshino. To make [Kazuki
Hoshino] surrender for this sake. To torment Kazuki Hoshino so much to make him scratch
his own neck sore, to make him succumb so heavily that he submits his own body with the
words 'Please be my master' while genuflecting."
"...I see, so that's it without doubt?"
"Of course. Haven't I told you several times?"
Nii-san murmured a few times "You did, you did," lowered his gaze and stopped talking. This
seemed weird to me, so I peeked into his face.
"------Eh?"
He was crying. Nii-san was crying.
"N-Ni-san, why are you crying?"
As it seems he didn't notice until I told him; Nii-san confirmed that he was crying by touching
his cheeks surprisedly and wiped his tears roughly away with his arm.
How long has it been since I've last seen Nii-san's tears? Last time was probably when we
noticed the deception of our parents. Nii-san stopped crying entirely after that. To be able to
continue fighting against an invisible something inside him, he stopped showing any
weakness to others.
This person was crying.
"......I will save her."
He murmured.
"I made this decision. I decided to help my sister out. My weak Riko. I decided to help her out
at least this time, because I had failed to support her when I was busy with my own issues. I
decided. To save her. To save her, save her, save her, save her, save her, save her. I did
decide this, but ---"
He raised his head and looked at me.
My breath stopped.
"Riko is the one I decided to save. But --- who are you? Tell me, who on earth are you!?"
"...W-What are you saying, Nii-san? I am---"
"No one. You said so yourself a few minutes ago, didn't you?"
...I did. I said so indeed.
"Exactly. You can't be Riko. If you were Riko, why would you look like Kazuki Hoshino? But
you aren't Kazuki Hoshino either. So who are you? Tell me... why should I help out a
completely unknown guy? I don't give a fuck about you!!"
This is wrong.
I knew that these could not be Nii-san's true feelings.
"For me you're just a fake of my sister, who I cannot distinguish from [Kazuki Hoshino]!"
Those words were only for the sake of hurting me.
And for the sake of hurting himself.
"N-Nii-san---"
"Stop that!"
Nii-san said in order to suppress his heart.
"Don't call me 'Nii-san', you damn stranger!!"
Like that he crushed his heart and--"Aah---"
--- Atashimine, too.
Nii-san won't save me. Because I'm not Nii-san's sister. Yeah, that's right. I am not Riko
Asami. So who am I? Kazuki Hoshino? No. Not yet. Wait a sec... in the first place, did I really
wish to become Kazuki Hoshino anyway?
"Aah---"
What is it that I really wanted?
Actually, I might have known that since I obtained the 'box'.
I recalled the time before my parents divorced.
I thought we were a quite happy family. At holidays, we often went to the shopping street,
watched movies or went to shabu-shabu all-you-can-eat restaurants. We were this kind of
family. My father visited my room always at first when he came home from work, whereupon
I used to urge him unsuccessfully to knock before entering. My mother made always refined
and cute boxed lunches for me. I quarreled all the time with Nii-san, but even so, we played
always together.
I thought that were all on good terms on the whole. I did never doubt that we could always be
together like other families.
"Save me!"
May 5
May 05 (Tuesday) 02:10
I'm dreaming.
I'm dreaming the same dream again.
I toyed with the rabbit plush, missing an ear, in front of the corpses. I plunged my index
finger into the torn seam and widened the hole.
I put my fingers into the head and moved them around. The shape of the rabbit's head
changed. The touch of cotton feels good. Back and forth, up and down. The eyeball came
unstuck. Cotton fell out of its torn face.
I looked at my hands. Except for the fact that they're stained with blood, that began to dry,
they shouldn't have changed. But those hands looked to me as if they had rotten and became
pitch black.
My body is full with something like mud, consisting only of hatred. I want to cut up my body
and scrape this mud out.
"I see. This is rather interesting."
"Hyy!"
This sudden voice startled me so much my heart had leapt into my throat.
"This is an outstanding distortion for an incident that happened nearby to this boy. I'm
interested indeed. The way you're involved in this incident is splendid and your feelings for
this boy seem amusing, too."
I turned around and looked at the owner of this voice.
He looks... Aah, right, that's because it's a dream, huh. He looked obscure as if he was veiled
in haze. I couldn't even recognize his gender.
"W-Who are you? S-Since when are you here?"
Instead of answering, he (she?) just smiled.
I looked at Nii-san without thinking. He did not notice this person yet as it seems and was
still crying soundlessly in dismay.
Where am I anyway? This was supposed to be my home, but something's wrong. It didn't feel
real, almost as if I slipped into a photo.
"You are a very interesting being as well, though not as much as this boy. I knew already that
humans get empty inside when they hate themselves, but observing this with my very own eyes
is truly amusing. I see no reason to not give you a 'box'."
Ignoring my questions completely, he said weird things.
But there was something I understood.
He is charming. Incredibly.
And then my dream continued with me being thrown into the mud.
Swallowing mud, unable to breathe or speak.
After a while of exchanging glances, she was finally the one who ran out of patience and
averted her eyes. She stood up and left to somewhere.
She came back after a few moments and pressed a cup of coffee upon me. I just viewed the
steam in front of my eyes. I didn't accept the cup for a long time, which made her run out of
patience again; she started drinking the coffee herself and said something like "Bitter...".
"......Mhh, right, since I'm idle anyway, I'll talk a bit to myself."
She said so while looking with a frown at the cup.
"I am a 'box'. I can, in fact, grant 'wishes' exactly as the 'box' does."
She said so as if it was just incidentally to drinking coffee.
"But I'm a failure as 'box'. The happiness I can bring is only fabricated and fake."
She seemed to be talking indifferently, but I could clearly see bitterness in her expression.
"I wonder what happiness is. Is it something you can obtain depending on your sentiments? If
so, can someone who unwillingly erased his entire family obtain happiness just by changing
his heart?"
I thought she was talking about me. But this might not be true.
"...I think it's impossible. I am here because I think so."
She has to be talking about herself.
"I don't know your circumstances exactly. But I don't think you can attain happiness just by
changing one sentiment in your situation. Aren't you thinking so, too?"
Exactly. Hell awaits me wherever I go.
"You wanted me to save you, right?"
She said so after emptying her coffee.
"If you don't mind it being flawed, I shall grant you a 'wish'."
Normally one would think this is a blatant lie. But she was deadly serious.
Therefore, this was more than enough, leaving aside whether to believe it or not.
"......really?"
It was more enough to make me open my mouth.
"Yeah. If every path leads you to hell, I shall present you with another one. It may be just an
illusion, but in your case you have no other choice, right?"
If she wanted to raise my hopes just to make me move, she wouldn't speak like this.
"But are you alright with using such an unrealistic power, Maria-san...? Don't you have to
pay some kind of compensation for using your power, like in a Manga?"
Maria Otonashi kept silent.
"So there is a catch, right?"
"...Nothing you should care about."
"If you phrase it like this, I care about it all the more!"
She let out a sigh to my words and said:
"I lose a part of my memory."
"Eh...?"
"By using the 'Flawed Bliss', I forget about the target of the wish and the people that had to
do with him up to a certain point. In fact, I have almost no memories. Neither do I have
memories of my family, nor of my friends. I only have the memory that I wished to do so on
my own accord."
"What the...?"
This is just too cruel.
"...But doesn't this mean that you would forget about Kazuki Hoshino when using the 'box' on
me...?"
She didn't reply to this question.
00-01
01-02
23-24
1st day
02-03
03-04
04-05
2nd day
11-12
13-14
15-16
3rd day
09-10
16-17
20-21
4th day
06-07
08-09
19-20
5th day
05-06
07-08
17-18
6th day
12-13
14-15
18-19
The three remaining cells 10-11, 21-22 and 22-23 indicate the time that belongs to
[Kazuki Hoshino] today. If I don't stop the 'Sevennight in Mud' today, [Kazuki Hoshino]'s
time blocks will shrink to 0.
It's 21:43. In other words, [Kazuki Hoshino] has one hour and 17 minutes left until it's 23:00.
Until then we have to do anything we can.
The preparations for this have already ended.
[Riko Asami] got in touch with Asami-san. Asami-san accepted our wish to meet her
and stated time and place.
And now we were facing Riko Asami.
The place that was suggested by Asami-san was our school. The school does have a
security system, but it doesn't alarm just by climbing over the school gate.
The school was empty because of the Golden Week.
Only she was standing in the midst of the desolate schoolyard.
There should be other feelings I ought to have. Nervousness, fear, sympathy - those feelings
would be much more natural. And yet, why am I feeling irritation?
I thought and thought---and noticed.
------Oh no, this can't...
"Asami-san."
I had probably noticed this unknowingly. It's only reasonable to get irritated then! This idle
talk is completely meaningless, isn't it?
"You have met Miyazawa-kun during the 'Sevennight in Mud', right?"
Asami-san nodded slowly to my sudden question.
"To make us believe that there's no escape from the 'Sevennight in Mud', Miyazawa-kun lied
to us that the 'owner' was dead. He tried to make me give up to complete this 'box'."
"...So?"
Asami-san urged me to continue, whereupon I nodded.
"I'm sure Miyazawa-kun was convinced that we wouldn't be able to find you. But you're alive.
So where did this conviction come from?"
Asami-san hesitated only for a moment and said:
"...That's because I promised to hide when I met him. Hence, Nii-san---"
"Why?"
I broke in on her and asked so.
"Why would you, while being ready to commit suicide in order to stop the 'Sevennight in
Mud', need to cooperate with Miyazawa-kun, who is the ally of [Riko Asami] who wishes its
completion?"
She kept quiet.
"Isn't this a little mismatched?"
"Do you want to tell me that this calm attitude of yours is just a bluff and that you're cornered
because we found you?"
"Your answer misses the mark entirely. Why do I need to be cornered? ...I see, it seems there
is a misunderstanding. My goal is not to be your hindrance, but to observe Kazuki Hoshino,
you know? I was able to enjoy observing him more than enough in this 'box'. I have already
achieved my goal. Therefore I have no reason to not give you this no longer used 'box'."
Now that he mentions it, it's evident. '0's goal was not to complete the 'Sevennight in Mud'.
No, if it were completed, this would rather--"Ah...!"
"Oh, seems like you noticed even though I made no mention of it. How pitiful."
Surely he's happy to have seen my pale face. '0' said so with a smiling expression.
"Exactly, the 'box' you call 'Sevennight in Mud' was not supposed to be completed from the
beginning. Riko Asami is a quite amusing human, really. But I would never sacrifice my dear
object of observation just because of such a minor existence. Letting [Riko Asami] take over
Kazuki Hoshino? I can't allow this."
'0' chuckled.
"Therefore, no matter whether you found me or not, I would have given you the 'box'
eventually. Giving you the 'box' readily is not strange at all."
I looked at [Riko Asami] as hostile in order to get myself back.
For this sake, I hurt [Riko Asami] and made her suffer. I even involved Miyazawa-kun in this.
I even betrayed Maria once.
And yet,
Although I went through all this,
"It was all futile."
After all I just danced to '0's pipe?
If so, what was the point in this week...
"Hey, I have already spent a life's time chasing after the 'box'. Why would you doubt my
words?"
"No, that's not what I mean! I don't care about your foolishness. I'm asking whether this proof
that you can come across me when being together with Kazuki-kun has any meaning."
Maria's opened her eyes wide to these words. And then she turned slowly pale.
"You hadn't noticed... or rather, you hadn't thought about it deeply?"
'0' said with a smile.
"This proof is meaningless. You plan to leave Kazuki-kun anyway, don't you?"
Wh...at...?
"D-Don't talk nonsense!"
"Huhu, isn't this pale face of her the best proof for the truth of my words? You know,
Kazuki-kun? She's planning to let [Riko Asami] use her 'box'!"
"Using the 'Flawed Bliss'...?"
Having touched that 'box', I know. Having seen this ground of the sea, I know.
Letting someone use her own 'box'. This is an absolute taboo. Even I know that using her
'box' is a fatal mistake.
"If she does so, she will forget about you. Having lost those memories, she will certainly go
away from you guys."
"W-Why do you know such a thing!"
"Because it was always like this when she let someone use her 'box'."
I looked at Maria without knowing. Seeing her biting her lips, I realized that he's telling the
truth.
"Why would you want to use the 'Flawed Bliss'...?"
"...Didn't I tell you? I cannot accept the inevitable misfortune that awaits Asami."
For this sake you don't mind ignoring your own desires...?
Aah, I see. She was always like this. She is a person who can even throw her own life away
to save another person.
"I am a 'box'. I am no human. I have to exist for the sake of saving others. Right, because of
this---"
Maria regained her imposing expression and declared distinctly:
"I shall stay [Aya Otonashi]"
But where are [Maria Otonashi]'s feelings in those words?
---don't lose sight of me anymore
Weren't those the true feelings of Maria? Weren't those the true feelings of the girl that could
no longer bear up against solitude?
This is just wrong. Ignoring one's own feelings cannot be right.
But I can't tell her that it's wrong carelessly. Not knowing what made her gain so much
resolution, I can't deny her.
"Maria."
Therefore I can only speak out this name, that only I had been able to call, and confront her
with my own feelings.
"I don't want that."
Maria's face stiffened up slightly.
"I definitely don't want you to forget about me and disappear!"
"......Kazuki."
"That's cruel! While telling me to not lose sight of you, you plan to lose sight of me! That's
just cruel!"
Maria looked at the ground after hearing my cry and bit on her lips.
"There is a person that values Asami-san just this much. Can't this become her hope?"
I noticed that faint hesitation started to appear within her expression.
"...Surely this would apply if nothing had happened. But Asami is going to go to prison for a
long time without doubt because of that incident."
"But even so, if the two of them combine their power, they will be all right. If they realize
how dear they are to each other, they will be all right! Don't you think so?"
"......"
"Maybe I'm just conceiting myself to understand Asami-san. There is still one hour left to
[Riko Asami]. You can still confirm her feelings before coming to a decision! ...No, don't just
confirm, please help her find hope. I'm sure there is."
I pressed her hand a little more tighter.
"You might as well bring her real happiness instead of an illusion!"
Having said so, I let go of her hand. Maria gazed fixedly at her own hand.
"......U-Umm, now's Golden Week, right?"
Upon hearing my sudden words, Maria raised an eyebrow and raised her head.
"Because of all this we had no time to enjoy our holidays, right? But, you know, tomorrow
still a holiday, so umm..."
I closed my eyes, pulled myself up and spoke.
"So, umm... let's go somewhere tomorrow. Err... right, let's go eat strawberry tarte. You
mentioned you like that, right?"
Maria opened her eyes wide. She had been stiffened up all the time, but her cheeks softened
now as if this was a lie.
"Huhu... what are you saying?"
"Y-You don't want to?"
"...This will mean that you spent each day of the Golden Week with me, you know?"
"Your repulsion against yourself can't be helped. You were---", I felt nauseous when I heard
this word. "---by the person you hated the most. Thus, this mud inside you will stay there to
all eternity."
'0' laid his hand on my shoulder. I raised my head and saw the face of Riko Asami I don't
even want to see.
"There can't possibly be hope for you, who cannot get rid of the own mud."
I know this much.
There's no way I'd find hope in my everyday life. There was none until now. So why should
there be any for me, now that I committed a crime on top of being stained?
Riko Asami is no more.
"That's not true."
I turned around to this voice behind me, still on my knees.
Maria Otonashi was standing there with wild breath. Besides her was Nii-san. Nii-san, who
does not consider me his sister anymore.
"You were faster than expected."
"What the hell was this violence against [Riko Asami], '0'!"
Maria Otonashi roared angry at '0'.
"Huhu... I'd prefer if you and Kazuki Hoshino-kun got separated, you know. I just adjusted
her a bit to my convenience. ...Well, did you find something that could give her hope?"
"I did."
Maria Otonashi affirmed right away.
'0' did not changed his expression to this reaction, however.
"Riko."
Nii-san called my name. A terribly strange feeling.
I see, because it's the first time. The first time Nii-san addressed me by this name since I've
got into this body.
"...what is it at this late hour? You don't consider me your younger sister, do you?"
"You're finally aware of being Riko Asami, right? If so, things change. I can call you Riko
Asami."
I kept quiet, so Nii-san continued.
"Tell me, what do you plan to do now? The 'Sevennight in Mud' is going to get destroyed. You
will return to being Riko Asami. You and me will get separated. What will you do then?"
"I will use Maria-san's 'box'!"
"Asami. Sorry, but I take that back."
"Eh...?"
I looked without thinking at Maria Otonashi.
"After listening to Miyazawa, I changed my mind. I can't let you use this 'box'."
She said boldly without showing any shame for revoking her promise.
No, it's obvious! I'm sure she realized how foolish it would be to lose her memory just for my
sake.
"Then I'll die!"
A completely natural answer. This is of course the best solution in this case.
Nii-san frowned to my words and spat out those words:
"Do you think [Riko Asami] belongs only to you?"
"...Huh?"
I am Riko Asami. Therefore, I belong to me. Isn't this natural?
"Why are you looking so surprised? You belong to yourself? No way!"
Nii-san said, amazed at me.
"You belong also to me! And not only that. You also belong to Maria Otonashi, and you
belong to Kazuki Hoshino. So, you know,"
He scowled at me.
"I won't permit you to die on your own accord!"
I don't get it.
I don't get why Nii-san says so to me with a gentle face.
"So how is my sin forgiven...? I'm not even allowed to die?! Two people are dead because of
me. I have to---"
"Riko."
He stopped me from continuing.
"This is the main reason why I decided to not let you use my 'box'. I misunderstood. Well,
Miyazawa may have kept quiet about it purposely, but I misunderstood the truth."
Maria Otonashi continued.
"Ryuu Miyazawa was the one who killed those two, right?"
...No. Surely, it was Nii-san who conducted it. But I knew that this would happen when I
sought for help from him. Nii-san merely realized my wish at the time and executed it.
Hence, this is my sin.
"Don't misunderstand, Riko! I didn't kill them in place of you. I hated them. I detested them. I
was just unable to control these intense feelings of mine."
That's a lie.
Sure, he might have hated them. But just with those feelings, he would not have been able to
execute it. He crossed the last line because he wanted to free me. I was the one who made
him pull the trigger.
"I thought about escaping with you. But this isn't realistic. We are still minors and wouldn't
be able to live the life on the run. Even if we could, I don't think we'd find happiness in a life
of being chased."
"......Nii-san"
Maybe I didn't even need to wish to the 'box' to begin with. Maybe I just hadn't noticed.
Because I'm sure-----my 'wish' was already granted a long time ago.
"I'm sorry, Nii-san. It was all my fault, I'm sorry."
Because I hadn't noticed this, Nii-san had to substitute for me. If I had valued myself, the
outcome would have differed.
"This time it's my turn to save you, Nii-san."
I wiped my tears away and stood up. Nii-san was looking at me slightly surprisedly.
"I will save you from suffering... I'll wait for you. Until we can be together again, I will wait
for you."
My voice was still trembling and my smile was kind of forced, but even so, I said distinctly:
"I will wait for you as Riko Asami."
Wide-eyed, Nii-san was frozen for a while, but then his expression relaxed slowly.
Unlike yesterday, vitality was dwelling in his eyes.
"You know what?"
Nii-san opened his mouth while smiling.
"'I didn't make it in time'. I always thought like this. But perhaps---perhaps I made it barely
in time."
I can definitely not say that I'm fully satisfied with this outcome. Nii-san and I will, without
doubt, hate our past until death.
However, we managed to get hold of something to persevere somehow.
Without doubt, we grasped it.
Maria Otonashi gazed at the 'Sevennight in Mud' in her hands. She bit on her lips as if she
hated this 'box'.
"The answer was decided a long time ago."
"I suppose so."
'0' replied half-heartedly, seeming uninterested.
"I am a 'box'."
She stopped biting on her lips and spoke.
"I can't return to me back when I was not a 'box' yet."
Her strong gaze.
It was the expression of the creation I had adored all this time.
"Therefore it's the best to maintain my current individuality. You may take this as Choosing
to stay [Aya Otonashi]."
"Then why do you keep company with Kazuki Hoshino?"
"------"
She kept silent.
"Isn't this rather inconvenient for you? Didn't you offer Riko Asami to use your 'box' because
you thought so, too?"
"...I have no idea what you mean."
"Huhu, you might still be captivated by the curse of this world of recurrences. This Kasumi
Mogi might be a powerful enemy of yours, right?"
".........hmpf."
She looked again at the 'box' and rolled it between her hands.
"......I had decided. Long ago. And yet this Kazuki said I don't want that...!"
She murmured with a tiny voice and revealed, only for a moment, a bitter face.
But, she erased this expression right away. She regained the expression of the perfect
creation, which I found beautiful.
But I'm sure the creator of this creation went through great pains and sorrow while creating
it.
I wonder how she, who granted the 'wish' of the 'Sevennight in Mud' already with her sole
will, had looked over me and the 'box'.
At last, she bit on her lips, looked at the bullet-like 'box' and---
Because I couldn't help it, I let her continue hug me as she pleased. I couldn't see her
expression.
"......Say it one more time."
"Eh?"
"I'm telling you to say Maria one more time."
"......err, M-Maria."
".........say it once more."
"Maria."
"......"
She kept quiet.
"It's your fault."
Maria said suddenly so.
"Don't get carried away. In the first place, I'm only together with you because I can meet '0'
like this. There is no deeper meaning in it. And yet you're always being carried away and do
only unnecessary things. All my suffering this time was your fault."
"......I don't really get it, but isn't that a bit cruel?"
"It's the truth, you fool."
When she finished speaking, she thrust me away.
This time's violence?!
And yet, she's smiling happily after all.
"Well, shall we go then?"
"Eh? Where to?"
"What are you saying? Didn't you promise me yesterday, that we'd go eat strawberry tarte
tomorrow?"
"...Well, sure I said that. But it's still the fifth of ---"
"Look at the time."
I took my mobile phone out as told.
00:00
The date had changed actually.
"I know a family restaurant that is opened at night and serves strawberry tarte. Let's go there."
"E, eeh? T-That's not the problem... doesn't 'tomorrow' usually stand for having slept and
stood u---"
"Stop nitpicking. Let's go quickly."
Maria then pulled my hand.
Duh... maybe I should not have made such a promise? I have a hunch that I'm also going to
be dragged around all day tomorrow.
...Well, I don't mind I guess?
Since it's not disagreeable at all.
While being dragged along by Maria, I looked at the two who remained at the center of the
schoolyard.
Two intimate siblings were smiling while taking each other's hands there.
May 18
While crumpling up a package of beef tongue flavored Umaibous, I looked around in the
classroom. My classmates weren't minding me anymore in particular. They only seem a little
nervous because of the midterm tests that start tomorrow.
"Ya, Kazu-kun!"
"Ouch"
Kokone chopped on my head while greeting me.
"......Morning."
"You know, I was actually only strolling. In Shibuya."
"Hah?"
Kokone started suddenly to talk triumphantly.
"I just planned to go to Marui or to listen to some music at HMV. But I guess the world just
can't overlook my charm! And this E-Cup of mine!"
Now it's even one size bigger...
She laid a fashion magazine on my desk and pointed her finger on it. There was a photo of
Kokone standing in town with a smile in there.
"Ah, wow."
These were my honest impressions. Kokone became even more elated.
"Hohoho, by the way, in those merely two hours I was addressed five times, including flirts. I
rejected them but then I was even scouted as model... Sigh... society just doesn't seem to let
go of me. So, how do you like this photo? How is it?"
"......Well, good I guess?"
"You think so, too? And just look at my comment! I just mistook the cords of my parka for
my earphones and put them into my ear!, what a tasteful comment of a cute clumsy girl.
That's Moe."
"Moe, right."
Because it would probably get long if I said unnecessary things, I answered randomly.
Kokone said then with a bad-tempered voice to Haruaki, who had watched with half-opened
eyes:
"...What, Haru?"
"No, nothing. I was just thinking that singing one's own praises is gross."
"...guys that have only jerseys at home are gross."
"What!? Don't make fun of my Adidas jerseys!"
"I'm not particularly making fun of Adidas. I'm making fun of you."
Seeing this exchange, I smiled without thinking.
Lucky me. This means that my everyday life has returned so much that such exchanges can
take place.
In fact, I was on the verge of becoming unable to see this anymore. The 'Sevennight in Mud'
may have been destroyed, but the happenings during it have not disappeared. The fact that I
confessed to Kokone doesn't disappear.
It's all thanks to Maria's wittedness that we could return to such a relationship.
I recalled this risky exchange that happened at Mogi-san's hospital room.
Of course I had taken notice of those gazes, so I stared at the mattress of the bed in order to
avoid making eye contact. At the corner of my vision I could see Maria's legs.
...Is this what you call 'battlefield'?
"I would appreciate an explanation, Hoshino-kun."
I stiffened up to Mogi-san's voice, which was razor sharp and calm at the same time.
"So you confessed to Koko-chan even though you had Otonashi-san as girlfriend? What does
this mean? I didn't know you were such a careless boy...?"
Kokone had consulted her good friend Mogi-san about the confession.
As a result, we were called by her, and now we're here.
"Koko-chan had already told me that you seem to be on good terms with Otonashi-san... but
judging from what I heard, I can only conclude that you're already going out, right?"
"Err..."
"......Why didn't you just tell if you're going out?... I look stupid for thinking that we got on
better terms recently..."
The sharpness disappeared slowly from Mogi-san's voice. Her expression clouded clearly.
"Explain it to us, Kazu-kun!"
Kokone said in anger.
"W-Well, umm... W-We're not going out, to begin with."
[TL Note: his stuttering made "Tsukiau" (go out) to "Tsuttsukiau", which may be translated
as "feel each other"]
"You haven't groped each other?! T-That's not what I asked! How erotic..."
"Why such a clichd misunderstanding! That's wrong!"
"I can't believe you anymore! I'm amazed that you can say such a thing in front of
Otonashi-san! Even though you call each other by the first name!"
Because we were being noisy in the hospital room, the glances focused on us. Not even the
nurses didn't dare to approach us and just watched us from far away. ...Couldn't you come
and rebuke us please?
Kokone took a big breath and looked with a serious face at Maria.
"...Do you have no issue with him? Why are you so composed, though Kazu-kun confessed to
me?"
"Mh. ...Well."
Maria crossed her arms to Kokone's words. She looked at me at a glance and curled her
mouth slightly up. ...I have a bad feeling.
"Disturbance because of his confession to Kirino. Of course there is none."
"...Why?"
"Because I made him do it."
Everyone was shocked. Of course, I'm included.
Umm, what did Maria just blurt out?
"...........What does this mean? Otonashi-san has tempted Kazu-kun to confess to me?"
"Exactly."
"...K-Kazu-kun, what on earth?!" "Hoshino-kun, what's the meaning of this?!"
No, I want to know that myself.
"Since Kazuki can't explain it properly anyway, I'll do the explanation."
Maria's mouth was still curled-up while she said so.
She's definitely enjoying this situation...
"First, as a fact I have to mention right away, I got dumped by Kazuki."
Kokone and Mogi-san looked at me with wide eyes. N-No, really, I don't understand, too!
"Thinking back now, he said something like I think nothing of a minor being like you."
"What the... that's too conceited, isn't it? Kazu-kun should go die."
"E-Even I found this repulsive just now, I think."
"No, err......"
I wanted to make excuses, but since I don't know what Maria's up to, I couldn't say anything.
"I couldn't accept this harsh rejection readily. But well, if he had another person he likes, I
would surely not give up, but I would accept the rejection. So I asked. If there is someone he
likes."
"A-And there he answered with his L-O-V-E for me!"
"Well yeah, after quite a long time of hesitating, he mentioned your name."
Kokone reddened slowly while babbling "Ee, err", upon hearing Maria's words. Mogi-san
turned contrastively blue, next to her. ...this looks kinda like a traffic light.
"But listen, having heard Kirino's name, I could still not fully believe him. Because they
looked to me like mere friends. That's why I urged him to confess to her in front of my eyes
and that I would accept it if he had done so."
"And so Hoshino-kun confessed to Koko-chan..."
Mogi-san murmured so, seeming close to tears. Kokone was still blushed and looked
worriedly at Mogi-san with side-glance.
...hey, Maria, what are you scheming...?
"Well, but Kazuki has just now revoked his statement that he loves Kirino."
"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHH"
Kokone shouted out.
"K-Kokone, this is a hospital!"
"Shut up you damn capricious bastard."
"......"
"In short. In the end, that he loved Kirino was just a random lie he told me in order to turn me
aside. Being threatened by me to confess, he was already unable to retreat."
"Mmh... I got the situation. But... But, but! I still think this is a bit cruel to me!"
"Doesn't this indicate just how much he trusts you? Didn't he believe that you, as a dear
friend, would forgive him if he apologized?"
"Mmmmmmh..."
"Maybe he didn't mind even if you misunderstood him by any chance?"
"Eh?!"
Kokone turned red again.
...No, really, why did you add an unnecessary line there, Maria?
"But this does not change the fact that we involved you, Kirino. Kazuki and I regret what we
have done. Please forgive us."
"I-I'm really sorry..."
I felt the chance to apologize here. Kokone's cheeks were still faintly red when she narrowed
her eyes and looked at me.
".....Have you reflected on your behavior?"
"Y-Yes. I'm sorry."
Seeing me say words of reconsideration, Kokone pursed her lips and spoke.
"Got it! I'll forgive you. But don't do that a second time! No matter how much I'm used to
confessions, even I got startled, you know! I worried so much about what I should do that I
couldn't sleep that night, you know!"
"So you're used to confessions."
"Hah! Within the single year since the school entrance I have easily reached double
figures! ...AH, that doesn't matter now! Have you reflected properly?!"
"Why did you do this false confession to Koko-chan and not to me?!"
Uuuh... does the problem lie there?
Lunch break.
Maria and I were facing each other at a table in the school cafeteria. Maria was slurping some
Ramen, that tastes like gum, expressionlessly.
Though she looked so happy back then when she ate strawberry tarte. Well, but when I was
about to take a photo unconsciously, she hit me seriously and continued eating with a
grimace.
"Kazuki, will you come to my place today as well?"
The male student next to her spouted out his fried rice.
"I'm considering to go to the library room today. What do you think?"
"I don't mind."
I visited Maria's room in the last two days. It wasn't really for fun, she just taught me because
of the upcoming tests, since she's by far the top student of our school.
But still, a second year student that's taught by a first year...
"Mh, but she won't come, huh. Can't be helped, I'll eat up the remaining stew, though it's a bit
much."
"...it was tasty, honestly."
"I haven't asked for your impressions."
She said coldly, although I took her into consideration.
"But still---"
Going to Maria's room; if she heard our conversion I bet she'd get moody.
Thinking about this, I recalled how she always ate next to Maria until two weeks ago.
It's almost as before. Mogi-san started pouting in hospital and Daiya does still cease to speak
with me, but I think I have regained a comfortable life.
However, Riko Asami and Ryuu Miyazawa do not exist in this everyday life anymore.
Our Golden Week had been prolonged for four days, so school didn't start until May 11th.
This is because the suspect of a murder incident went to this school. While we were resting,
the principal of our school appeared on TV and said something about Miyazawa-kun being an
excellent and serious student.
The first day after holidays was a big fuss. It was such a pandemonium that some girls
seriously cried and the media overran us with their cameras. It didn't look anything like the
usual classroom scene anymore.
But after one week, the classroom was as before.
Our class mates declared mentioning only the name Ryuu Miyazawa to a silent taboo. His
name is compulsorily associated with that murder incident, which leads to the unusual. For
the sake of preserving the everyday life, not even his name may exist.
Of course I'm going to remember Miyazawa-kun. I won't be able to forget him. And still,
Miyazawa-kun will not even appear in the conversations of the members of this class.
Miyazawa-kun cannot return to this everyday life anymore.
And it's not any different for his sister, Riko Asami.
At the moment this incident was announced, her place disappeared from here. Although not
even their classmates knew that Riko Asami was the sister of Ryuu Miyazawa, it's now
known all over the country. Her photo and address were uploaded to a giant bulletin board
and she was entirely overran by the media and curious people, though being a family member
of the victims actually.
Asami-san retired from school before we knew.
"Kazuki, what's the matter? You're making far eyes."
Maria asked me after completing her Ramen.
times. But you know? He will be alright! After all, Nii-san said I made it in time while
knowing of all this.
Her voice was bright and didn't give me the impression of a bluff at all.
Those were Asami-san's true feelings, without doubt.
I am alright, too. I finally realized it. I won't lose sight anymore.
She knew that she will have to go through great troubles. She knew already that she won't be
returning to this school a second time.
And even so, she said:
I am Riko Asami.
The message ended here.
I don't know what kind of pains she will have to endure. But she will never call herself 'no
one' again.
Therefore, she's going to be alright.
For sure.
Asami-san didn't tell anyone where she'd go - not even Maria. Thus, there's no real basis, but
there is this rumor that I have heard a few times.
According to it, Riko Asami is living and working in a farm in Hokkaido.
I hope this is true. I hope she's building a place for Miyazawa-kun to return to there.
That I'm convinced that she's able to do it might be because I'm optimistic. But even so, I can
believe.
I can believe that they will regain a life in which they can laugh happily together again.
Author's Notes
Good day, I'm Eiji Mikage.
I'm very sorry for the long wait since the first book. I actually wanted to get the continuation
out as soon as possible since it wasn't clear whether the story would continue from the
contents of the first one... Honestly, I don't even know the reason for this long delay myself.
Well then, Eiji Mikage is naturally a penname. I'm asked about the origin of this penname
from time to time, but since there's no real reason to it, I have always troubles answering this
question.
But even if there's no reason to it, it has become my penname.
I'm known by this name in the editorial department and among the other authors. Almost
none of them know my real name. I even call myself "I'm the author Eiji Mikage" when I
phone the editorial department! That's ticklish somehow, now that I think about it...
Then I think that all my dear readers know only the name Eiji Mikage of me.
It might be the faulty expression, but for the readers, Eiji Mikage is no human but a
book-writing machine. I'm only demanded to write amusing books.
I am still unable to nod firmly when I'm asked whether I give my everything for this sake. In
order to become the ideal author for my readers, I still have to pull myself together more.
That's what I often think.
Okay, this time's thank-you note.
Thanks to the illustrator 415 aka Tetsuo-san for those fantastic drawings. When we were
talking about the second volume and I said "Kazuki gets handcuffed by Maria in underwear
and a single white shirt!", you told me your impressions right away, "You're a pervert". I will
definitely not forget that.
My editor in charge, Kawamoto-san, thank you for sticking to me while I wrote this tangled
story. It really helped me. The third volume may get even more complicated, so that will be
troublesome for you, huh! *saying so as if I wasn't concerned*
Finally, thanks to all my dear readers that accompanied me up to this second book. I hope we
can meet again in the third book.
- Eiji Mikage
This text has been copied from Baka-Tsuki.org. This release is by myself, Saidin1015 and
is unrelated to those at Baka-Tsuki.org. This release is not for sale, rent or ebay.