May 1 (Friday) May 1 (Friday), 8:14 AM Kokone gave me the cold shoulder when I said good morning to her today. Normally, she’s the one approaching me, but for some reason, she’s keeping her distance, almost on purpose, and talking to our other classmates. Her eyes dart over my way every so often, though, almost as if she’s frightened of me. I have absolutely no clue what’s going on here. What in the world could be causing her to act like this? At this rate, I probably won’t get to enjoy a nice chat before class with my friends, so I munch on a cheese Umaibo so I have an excuse not to talk to anyone. “Did you do something to Kiri?” That’s Daiya for you—firing off the question point-blank without a care in the world for the inner workings of my heart. “…Not that I know of.” “Huh… Okay then, let me fill you in on a little secret.” “A secret?” Does Daiya know what’s gotten into Kokone this morning? “It’s the first time she’s had to take exams during her first year of middle school. She got too into studying the night before and ended up going into the tests with barely any sleep. Well, since she wore herself out, Kiri ended up nodding off during her third-period exam. Nobody would’ve noticed if she’d simply breathed like other people do when they drift off, but nope, that idiot had to start sleep-talking in the middle of a silent classroom. She was like: ‘I can’t fit into the plugsuit; it’s too tight…’” “…Uh, Daiya? Why are you telling me this?” “Why do you think? I’m giving you some heavy ammo to use on Kiri. It takes a lot to make her dislike someone. Now’s your chance to really get her to hate you and break away from her for good. You’re almost there now. All you need to do is mention what I’ve just told you, and you’re home free.” “Um, that’s not exactly what I’m hoping for, to be honest… Besides, that story sounds more cute than embarrassing to me.” “Well, that’s where the cuteness stops. It gets even more hilarious. You still have yet to hear about her epic drooling.” I suspect I’m not going to like what comes next, so I shut my mouth and try to plug my ears. Unfortunately for me, Daiya is too quick and yanks my hands away from my head. “No, I don’t want to hear any more!!” “That’s not it; forget about that crap. Take a look over there.” I turn in the direction Daiya is pointing and find Otonashi talking with a male student outside the classroom door. She looks like she’s in a foul mood, to say the least. Facing off with her is a boy with intelligent almond-shaped eyes behind a pair of black-framed glasses: Ryu Miyazaki, our class president. Unlike Daiya, who was chosen as the first-year president because of his test scores, Miyazaki actually takes his role seriously. He’s a model student but not a stick-in-the-mud, and he’s pretty much universally popular with everyone in class as a leader we can count on. I sidle up to the two of them with more than a little reluctance. Truth be told, I find it somewhat difficult to deal with Miyazaki’s overwhelming confidence sometimes. “…What’s going on?” I ask, and the two turn to face me. “Oh, it’s you, Kazuki. I’m trying to enter the classroom, but he won’t let me through.” “Of course I won’t. What makes you think you can just waltz right into the homeroom of your upperclassmen? It would be another story at lunchtime, though.” Now that he mentions it, Otonashi almost never comes here aside from lunch break. She was probably trying to show at least the bare minimum of decorum. “All you want to do is drag Hoshino off somewhere, right?” “What I do with Kazuki doesn’t matter.” “Oh, it does. Don’t forget that I’m the class president. Part of my duties is to watch over my classmates. Besides, first period is about to begin. If he goes off with you, he’ll be late for class.” “As if I care. He and I have something more important to attend to.” For a moment, I have no idea what Otonashi’s talking about, but I soon realize that only one thing could be so important. It must have to do with the Box. That takes priority over everything else for me, too. “Um…hey, Miyazaki? I, uh, actually do need to go,” I say. Miyazaki knits his brows and begins staring intently at me, like he’s sizing me up. I can’t help but recoil under such an unforgiving inspection. “Do you do whatever Otonashi says?” “N-no, but…” “You’re pathetic. How about you try thinking for yourself instead of letting some girl drag you around like a dog on a leash?” “Hey, who the hell do you think you are? You talk as if Kazuki has no will of his own.” Otonashi jumps into the fray. The corners of Miyazaki’s mouth twitch upward in a smirk at her rebuttal. “Oh, I’m sorry. Are you mad at me for insulting your lover boy here? Oh, or maybe you didn’t like the implication that you’re selfishly leading him along by the nose?” “You…” Otonashi’s glare is ice-cold; Miyazaki’s smile is thin. “If you’ve got something to say about it, then—” “You’re doing this on purpose.” Miyazaki stops short at Otonashi’s words. “Your position as class president is a rather poor excuse for giving us so much trouble, don’t you think? Nothing we did ever bothered you before, so why now all of a sudden? You’re practically on the verge of stopping us by force. Are you trying to come up with some shoddy premise to keep bothering us from now on?” “…I have no idea what you’re talking about.” “That’s all well and good, if you actually don’t. I can’t help but get a bit edgy in these situations, so it jumped out at me. If I’m mistaken, we can let it go at that, and if not, I can keep you in check.” In stunned silence, I watch the two of them go at it. Where did that come from? “Let’s go, Kazuki.” And with that, Otonashi leads me away. “Uh, okay…” Miyazaki quietly gazes at Otonashi’s grip on my hand with a slightly wooden expression. Normally, I barely have anything to do with him, so it does seem odd that he would come after us like that. Otonashi leads me out of the classroom and straight into Haruaki, who seems to be returning from a trip to the bathroom, along with Asami, who must’ve come here hot on Otonashi’s heels. “Yo, what’s up, Hosshi? You guys eloping or something?” “……Eloping……” Thanks to Haruaki’s incurably clueless remark, Asami’s gaze latches on to our linked hands. It slides up a little, until her narrowed eyes are considering me… It’s really freaking me out. “Hey, what’s the matter, Rikocchi? You’re acting weird today,” Haruaki comments. That nickname would usually bother Asami, but today, she only has eyes for me. “A-Asami has been kinda off since yesterday, Haruaki,” I reply. “Huh, is that so?” Haruaki really is an airhead if he can forget yesterday just like that. “…Miss Maria.” “Sorry, but we don’t have time today.” Otonashi brusquely dismisses Asami with barely a glance before turning away, leaving the other girl hanging her head in dejection. Without moving a muscle, Asami begins muttering to herself. “……I hope the people on those hidden message boards drag your name through the mud… I hope they bury you under a pile of photoshopped pictures that strip away every last shred of dignity you have…” Hey, come on now, it’s not my fault Otonashi is in such a bad mood! May 1 (Friday), 8:31 AM We’re back behind the school, just like we were yesterday. “I’m sure you already know what I want to talk to you about,” Otonashi says, leaning against the wall. I swallow and nod. She must have discovered something new about the Box someone’s been using recently. “I have a few questions for you.” “Okay.” “Why are we here together now?” “Why…? I thought it was because being near me is best for you, right? Since it means you’re more likely to encounter O again.” “…Correct.” I don’t think anything was wrong with my answer, but for some reason, Otonashi only frowns. “Wait. So you fully understand your position in all this, and you haven’t gotten the wrong idea about what we’re doing?” “…Huh? What do you mean?” “Oh, come on! …No, it’s okay. You’re not the type to say something like that unless you mean it. I have to answer sincerely, too. I just wanted to escape from that. Kazuki, I—” “Hold on a sec.” Otonashi’s voice grows rough after I cut her off. “Why did you stop me?!” “I-I’m sorry… But what are we talking about here? I thought this was all about the Box.” “The Box…? What’re you saying? Of course it’s important, but you must know I brought you back here to talk about our phone call yesterday.” “What phone call yesterday?” “Ah, yesterday, you—” Otonashi stops short, wide-eyed, for a moment, then swallows. “…I see. It’s like that message two days ago. No, but… I’ve spent too much time with you for that. There’s no way it could work over the phone…” “Otonashi…?” “Kazuki, I need to ask you something else.” Otonashi stops whispering and asks me loud and clear, “Did you…make a confession to me on the phone yesterday?” A confession? As in, “I love you—will you go out with me?” “Yesterday, you told me over the phone that you were going to profess your love to me again in person tomorrow, and by that I mean today.” “I-I’d never say that…” “I know you wouldn’t. I realize that now upon reflection.” “O-of course I wouldn’t! How could you even think I’d do something like that…?!” “If you’re so certain, check your call history.” I agree to Otonashi’s calm request and pull out my phone to look over my outgoing calls. The name at the very top is Maria Otonashi. The time stamp is May 1, 1:49 AM. That’s impossible. I should’ve been asleep then. I don’t remember calling her. “Yesterday, you… No, I guess technically it would’ve been today. At any rate, you called me right before two in the morning and told me you were in love with me. I know that for a fact.” There is no way I would ever pull something like that. At the same time, Otonashi wouldn’t stage a show like this just to mess with my head. Either way, I know I didn’t do it. I’m absolutely sure of that. “I don’t know how they’re doing it, but it has to be someone’s idea of a prank, don’t you think?” “A prank, huh…? So you’re proposing that someone co-opted your cell phone and professed his love to me as you just for a laugh?” It does sound a little far-fetched, but I can’t think of anything else. I’m about to say so when Otonashi continues. “The voice was exactly the same as yours.” “What?” Otonashi presses onward while I stand there gaping like an idiot. “Unless you have some long-lost twin brother out there, I can say that with absolute confidence. It was unquestionably you.” “Y-you must have heard wrong. Maybe you just assumed you were hearing me since the call came from my number… That’s got to be it…” “Kazuki, I’ve spent almost an entire lifetime with you. It’s ridiculous to think I wouldn’t recognize your voice when I hear it.” Given the utter certainty on Otonashi’s face, I know there’s no way she could’ve been mistaken. But if that’s the case, the only possible conclusion is that I really did say those things to her, isn’t it? No, there’s no way. Otonashi is positive it was my voice on the phone, but I’m just as positive that I would never call and pour out my heart to her like that. That doesn’t change the fact that the call happened, though. “None of this fits together…” “You’re right. The contradictions are simply too great for any normal explanation. The only possible answer is…” Yes. The incongruities are impossible. That’s why… “This has to be the work of a Box.” The word sits like a heavy weight on my chest. The fear welling up inside is almost unbearable, even though we still don’t have the slightest idea of what we’re facing. “We have to devise a plan right away. The owner is clearly targeting us and seems to be hostile as well.” “What should I do…?” “Good question… I need some time to assess the situation. For now, hang tight until I come up with something. I’ll work out a game plan for how we should proceed.” I nod quietly. “That’s all for now. I’m going back to class,” she says. Otonashi turns away and leaves without even a glance back in my direction. May 1 (Friday), 9:32 AM I time my return to the classroom to coincide with our first-period break, only to find Kokone standing watch beside the doorway like some sort of guardian deity. Our eyes meet, and for some reason, she’s glaring at me. Her face is slightly flushed and red—maybe she’s angry. “…I waited for you…” “Huh?” “I was waiting for you to come talk to me!” Clearly upset, Kokone starts shouting. “But you were out there skipping first period with that other girl! What the hell?! I don’t get you at all! You don’t make any sense, Kazu!” From my perspective, there is no discernible reason why she should be so worked up, but for the time being, I decide to keep my mouth shut. That only makes things worse, though, as Kokone groans, “Nnngh!” and pushes me up against the wall of the hallway. “Uh…I’m sorry.” “Why are you apologizing?!” “Huh? …S-sorry.” “I said, why are you apologizing?!” Kokone gets even more up in my face as I stand there bewildered. “Or maybe you have something you want to apologize for! Are you trying to erase what you did with an apology? Don’t you know how awful that is?! W-well…actually, that would make things easier for me, but…” “J-just hold on… What’s all this about?” We’re really talking past each other here, exactly like the conversation I had with Otonashi. …Wait. Hold on a second. Does that mean…? “Why are you being so dumb?! You have to know! C’mon… You…” Kokone’s face flushes an even-deeper red, until the tips of her ears are practically glowing. If this is going where I think it is, I don’t want to hear any more. But nope, Kokone checks to makes sure no one else is around, leans in, and whispers, “I’m talking about how you called me yesterday…and said you liked me.” What the…? I said I liked Kokone? At a complete loss for words, I fall into silence. Kokone looks up at me through her lashes. “And it’s just that…I…” Her gaze lowers uncomfortably. Maybe she read something into my reaction. Her mouth works silently as if she’s having trouble finding the right words, before she eventually continues. “I’m sorry… I-it’s just that I don’t know what to think… I mean…I’ve always considered you a friend, and I thought you felt the same way about me. And…not that it really matters, but…there’s Daiya to think about, too.” Mustering her courage, Kokone clenches her fists and focuses on me. “…Wait for me. I’m not sure when I’ll have an answer for you, but wait a bit… I’m sorry.” There is genuine pain on her face, and it threatens to break my heart. I want to cry out to her that it wasn’t me who said those things, but I know it would be pointless to explain. In fact, it would only make things worse. Kokone misinterprets my agonized expression, and her mouth forms a grim line identical to mine. She spins on her heel and hurries back to the classroom. Once she’s completely out of sight, I mutter under my breath, “I think of you as a friend, too.” My hands ball into fists. Suddenly, something occurs to me, and I pull out my phone and check my outgoing call history… Why didn’t I think of this before? There it is, at 1:29 in the morning on May 1. Right under Maria Otonashi is the name Kokone Kirino. May 1 (Friday), 11:00 AMNow then, let’s see how things are turning out. May 1 (Friday), 12:00 PM The first thing I hear is a girl crying. Daiya’s face is right in front of mine. We’re almost touching. I have no idea what’s going on. What is this? The emotion in Daiya’s eyes is pure and hostile. But against who? The answer is obvious. It has to be me, since we’re so close that I can see my own reflection in his corneas. It’s me. I’m the object of his hatred. Pain suddenly washes over my body as if I’ve suddenly remembered I have a sense of touch. My cheek and mouth hurt. Same with my wrists. Daiya is sitting on top of me with a tight hold on my arms. I’m finally beginning to grasp the situation. We’re in the music room. I should be in the classroom for third-period classic literature, but for some reason, I’m here, where we normally have fourth period. There’s blood on my uniform. Whose is it? …Probably mine, if that metallic taste is any indication. My mouth is all cut up. Most likely because Daiya hit me. What happened…? What the hell is going on?! “Daiya… Wha—?” “Keep your mouth shut, Kazu. If you say anything else, I’ll shut it for you.” The anger in Daiya’s eyes is genuine. I know he meant every word he said. If I make even the slightest peep, he’ll make good on that promise to lay into me. This has to be some sort of bad dream. But if this were only a nightmare, the pain wouldn’t be so sharp and raw. This is reality, no two ways about it. That girl is still crying… Who is it? I turn my head to look and find Kokone Kirino sobbing. The first feeling I embrace is acceptance. Oh. That’s why she didn’t stop Daiya, even after the situation escalated this far. The next feeling to enter my mind is puzzlement. Why is Kokone crying? Last is trepidation. …It can’t be. I assess the situation as it stands now. Kokone is in tears, and Daiya is livid. Who made her cry? Who made him angry? I’m in the music room, so it’s probably fourth period. I remember nothing between third period and now, but I’m here all the same. I’m in a different place from where I last remember. In other words… …I’m doing things unconsciously? Like sending an e-mail to Otonashi without knowing it and confessing my love to her. Or maybe like unwittingly telling Kokone I had feelings for her and trying to destroy my friendship with her. Or like hurting Kokone without any awareness of it and sending Daiya into a rage? “I think he’s had enough, Daiyan.” Haruaki puts his hand on the other boy’s shoulder as he speaks. He’s had enough? Does that mean Daiya hit me once or twice while he was on top of me? Daiya slams my arms into the floor and lets go, then stands up slowly without taking his baleful glare away from me for a second. Then, as if to hammer the point home— “Ungh!” —he stomps down on my stomach as hard as he can before turning away. My body curls into a ball of pain. I can see the expressions of everyone around me. My classmates, the music teacher, even Haruaki—all of them are staring at me as if they don’t know who I am. Kokone is sobbing even louder with her head against Daiya’s chest. I try to stand up, but the pain is too much, and I can’t make it to my feet. No one steps in to lend a hand. A thought enters my head as I lie there hunched over like I’m kowtowing in apology. Why does it have to be me? What did I do to deserve this? I don’t have any idea what happened, but I do know what caused it. …The Box. That’s right—this is the Box’s fault, not mine. I didn’t do anything! Why does this have to happen to me?! I get to my feet on my own. Everyone is standing around watching, but not a single person steps forward to help. It makes sense. There’s no reason to expect any of them to deduce that a Box caused this whole mess. That’s why no one wants to touch me. Or approach me. Or speak to me. No one. Not Daiya, not Kokone, and not even Haruaki. No one. No one. No one no one no one… “Are you all right, Kazuki?” Except for her. I smile. Everyone freezes at her sudden appearance, perhaps because we’re still in the middle of class. I don’t find it strange at all, though. “…Maria,” I call almost reflexively. As Otonashi stands in front of the music room door, her eyes go wide at hearing her name. However, her composure quickly returns, and she rushes over. Otonashi doesn’t care that no one else wanted to help. She comes up so close that I can see the shadows of her eyelashes as she reaches out to gently touch my swollen check. “We need to get these wounds cleaned up. Let’s go to the nurse’s office.” “…Okay.” She walks off, and I follow silently. Not a soul says a word to me as I leave. As I turn my back on the classroom, Kokone’s crying gets louder. Or at least that’s how it feels. May 1 (Friday), 12:17 PM There’s no one in the nurse’s office, not even the nurse. Once she’s sure of that, Otonashi examines my injuries with light touches here and there. Opening up the cabinet and grabbing the first aid kit, she begins treating them with an apparently practiced hand. “I came to talk to you because I had an idea about the Box, but I never expected to find you in such a miserable state… What exactly happened?” Otonashi asks as she disinfects my scrapes and cuts. “I wish I knew myself.” “You’re saying you don’t remember?” I nod. Otonashi lets out a sigh of exasperation. “You know, that’s all that’s come out of you ever since the Rejecting Classroom. Even I’m starting to get sick of it.” “…It’s not like I can help it.” “I was joking.” Otonashi reaches out and puts a bandage on my face as she says this. “All I saw was Oomine stomping on you. You have no recollection of what happened before that?” “…Daiya was already on top of me when I came to.” “And you haven’t the faintest clue as to why he hit you?” “Yeah. I don’t know anything.” Otonashi folds her arms in thought at my reply. “Do you have your phone on you, Kazuki?” “My phone? It should be in my pocket…” “It could have some record of what happened. See if you can find anything at all.” I quickly press the button. Incoming and outgoing calls, e-mail in-box and out-box—there’s no change from before, as far I can tell. I open up my data folder. “Voice memos.” Was that always there? I open this folder, too. Inside is one file, named with a twelve-digit number. It must be the time and date the file was made. Unless the file name was altered, it appears this was recorded around two AM on May 1—in other words, in the middle of last night. I open the file and put the phone to my ear. The recording plays. “Good morning, Kazuki Hoshino. No, good afternoon, or maybe it’s good evening?” What the hell is this? I pause the playback for a moment. Why is there a voice memo from some rando on my phone? Why is he talking to me? “What’s wrong, Kazuki? Did you find something?” I ignore Otonashi’s query and press play again with a trembling finger. “Ah well, it doesn’t matter. I’m sure you don’t care, either. No, what’s foremost on your mind right now is the question of who I am, correct? Oh yeah, you know about Boxes, don’t you? At least that’s what O told me. I can skip explaining all the details there, right?” He knows about Boxes and O. Does that mean he’s an owner? “I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that your life is collapsing around your ears. Yeah, it’s wonderful. I’m doing it on purpose, after all. Why, you ask? So I can destroy you.” The disparity between the voice’s cheerful, pleasant tone and what it’s saying makes my heart race. “I’m going to leave you in ruins. I’m going to violate everything you hold dear. Now that I have a Box, all that you once had will be stripped away from you. After all, I…” The recording cuts off. Wait, no. I just dropped my phone. “Kazuki…! Are you okay? What were you listening to?” “Ah…” The malice in that recording is as clear as the light of day. There’s no denying it now. Someone with a Box, that most powerful and terrible of weapons, has it in for me and is trying to ruin my life. Otonashi picks up my phone and opens the recording. “This is…!” A scowl appears on her face as she listens. After a moment, she closes the phone and wordlessly returns it to me before crossing her arms in contemplation. “Kazuki.” She breaks her silence after a moment and says my name in a distressingly stark tone. “I’ve been deliberating about what happened this morning, and I came up with a rough plan for how we should proceed. I wasn’t able to reach any concrete conclusions, unfortunately. Upon hearing this, I am now certain of one thing, though.” Otonashi gives me a sharp look as she delivers her verdict. “I don’t trust anything you say or do.” “…Huh?” I fail to grasp her meaning, and my mouth hangs open foolishly. “Even you must understand by now. The power of this new Box is affecting you directly. It’s quite likely that you’ve already fallen into the owner’s clutches. There’s no way I can trust you while you’re under their influence.” I mull over her words. She can’t trust me…? “Wh-why? It’s not like I’ve done anything to betray you!” “That’s true, as long as you’re actually Kazuki Hoshino.” “What?” “Are you really Kazuki Hoshino, or are you the owner?” “Wh-what the hell are you talking about, Otonashi? The owner is the one who made that recording!” “…Didn’t you listen to the entire thing? Even if you didn’t, surely you recognize the voice…” “Otonashi, do you know who recorded that message? Did you already figure out who the owner is? Is it someone you know?” “…I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised it’s taking him a while to understand. It’s possible he’s never heard that voice in the flesh, not to mention that the tone is considerably different than usual.” Otonashi isn’t answering my question, just speaking quietly to herself. She turns away to leave the nurse’s office. “W-wait! At least tell me whose voice it is!” She stops but doesn’t turn around. “Kazuki, pull yourself together and try listening to that recording again.” And with that, she walks off. I have nothing to say in the face of such a blatant dismissal. I open the voice memo again, and understanding suddenly dawns on me as I recognize the voice that is always in my ears, yet I have never actually “heard” before. “Ha-ha-ha…” All I can do is laugh. What else? I wouldn’t trust me, either, after I heard this. “…Dammit.” Well, what the hell am I supposed to do now…? “It’s the easiest thing in the world. After all—” I finally heard the rest of the recording that I missed when I dropped my phone. “—I share the same body with you, Kazuki Hoshino.” The voice in the recording is mine. May 1 (Friday), 1:00 PMThink I’ll lie low for now. May 1 (Friday), 2:00 PM I lose consciousness. Then it comes back. I’m sitting down. It should still be lunchtime, but for some reason I’m already here. I check the time. It’s two on the dot, so it’s about time for fifth period to end. I quickly survey my surroundings. Kokone’s and Daiya’s desks are empty. My guess is they probably went home early. Everyone else is focused on class for the most part. Nothing seems out of the ordinary at this point. On the desk are my textbook, notebook, and writing supplies. It doesn’t look like I’ve actually taken any notes, though. There’s no doubting it now. Someone else is inside my body with me. There’s “me” and an imperceptible “other me.” And the other me was in control of my body until only a few minutes ago. The bell rings. Even though it’s break time, everyone’s keeping their distance from me because of the scene in the music room. I’m sure the other me intentionally brought this about. He did say he was going to destroy me, after all. This has to be one of his attacks. I slump over my desk. How am I supposed to fight this other me, especially now that even Otonashi has abandoned me? “Hosshi.” I lift my head at the sound of my name. Haruaki’s expression has none of its usual playfulness. The serious tone of voice doesn’t suit him at all. “Hey, why the hell would you do something like that to Kokone?” I stay quiet. I have no answer for him, mostly because I don’t even know what I did. “This is just me, but I don’t think you would do something like that for no reason. I can’t for the life of me figure out what it would be, but I’m sure you must have one. Come on—fill me in here. Don’t leave me in the dark.” Haruaki sounds like he’s in pain. “If you can’t help me understand, then I don’t know if I can have your back in this.” Something dawns on me as he confesses. Haruaki is the last bastion of normalcy in my life. Would he believe me if I told him someone else is taking control of my body? …This is Haruaki we’re talking about, so he just might. Still… “…I can’t tell you. At least not right now.” My understanding of this situation is a scrambled mess, so I don’t have any confidence in my ability to explain things in a believable way. “But don’t worry, I’ll tell you soon.” I make sure I look Haruaki in the eye to show I’m sincere, at least. “Got it. I’ll wait until you’re ready.” That’s all he says, biting back all the other things I’m sure he wants to ask. He walks away quietly. He’ll be waiting, he said. Now I’m obligated to explain to him once the time arrives. If I’m not careful about it, I could lose him. And without Haruaki, the one thing that hasn’t changed, I probably have no hope of maintaining my life as I know it. …That settles it. I know what I have to do now. I have to unravel the mystery of the Box and this other me. Question is, how do I go about it? I have no way of interacting with this imposter in my body. “……Oh.” Right. How did I find out about him in the first place? He contacted me. I step out into the hallway and pull out my phone. I’m going to record a message for my counterpart. There’s no guarantee he’ll reply, of course, but it’s worth trying regardless. “Nice to meet you, I guess? I’m talking to you, other me.” I start the recording. “I understand that you share my body with me. But there are a few things I still don’t get. I want you to tell me more about this Box of yours. I also want to know who, or what, you are.” I wonder if he’ll respond to such straightforward questions. He is trying to completely ruin my life, after all. That’s why I decide to issue him a challenge. “You don’t have to say if you don’t want to. No matter how you answer, it won’t change my actions. I don’t care if you have some lofty purpose or if there’s a reason I should sympathize with you or even if you just hate me.” I’m surprised at how naturally the anger wells up within me. This isn’t like me at all. Still, I feel like it has to be said. “I cannot allow you to exist.” He has to know I’m determined. Who would sit back and let this happen? It’s unthinkable. He’s trying to take away everything I am. My legs are shaking so hard that I have to steady myself against the wall. My body isn’t ready for the fact that, for perhaps the first time in my life, someone out there is trying to do me serious harm. I close my phone and let out a long breath. I will crush this “other me.” No matter what happens, I cannot allow him to exist. May 1 (Friday), 3:34 PMI notice Kazuki Hoshino has recorded a voice memo. May 1 (Friday), 4:00 PM In front of me is the face of an unfamiliar high school girl. I’m so startled that I let go of the strap in my hand and fall over. Ignoring the snickers from those around me, I stand up and try to get my bearings. The strap means I’m on a train. I don’t even need to think about it at this point. The other me was in control of my body again. I pull out my phone to check, and sure enough, there’s a new voice memo waiting for me. I press the play button. “I see… So this is a good way for us to keep in touch. I was starting to worry I’d get bored as the only one reaching out, so to return the favor, I’ll answer your questions.” It’s my own voice coming from the speaker. “I received a Box, and my wish was granted. That’s how I became you, Kazuki Hoshino.” I swallow nervously. “I’ve taken possession of your body now, but I only have control here and there, which makes me think ‘possession’ is perhaps too strong of a word. So relax. This is just a temporary thing. These little body-jackings will end within one week of when I used the Box. The instant it becomes the sixth, the final day of Golden Week, your soul will be erased from this body. Only I will remain.” Which means I have only four days and change to find and destroy the Box. “I hope that clarifies things for you. Now then, you also asked who I am. Heh-heh-heh, that’s a difficult one. Who am I, really? To tell you the truth, I don’t really know, myself. I mean, at the moment, I’m Kazuki Hoshino, aren’t I? I don’t think that’s the answer you’re looking for, though, is it? So I decided to make things a little easier for you to parse and came up with a temporary name for myself. You can call me…” Using my voice, he says his name. “…‘Yuhei Ishihara.’” I’ve never heard it before. I commit the unfamiliar name to memory, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. “Now, let me give you my take on things. You won’t allow me to exist, will you? Don’t take this the wrong way, but I got a good laugh from that one. Don’t you see? There’s no way you and I will ever meet face-to-face. All we can do is record messages for each other on the phone like this. How do you think you’re going to get rid of me?” “Yuhei Ishihara” giggles creepily in my voice. “But I do feel some pity for you, so I’ll go ahead and tell you the one and only way you can be rid of me. I already control more than half of Kazuki Hoshino, so it’s really quite simple…” He continues. “…Just kill yourself.” His unbearable laughter rings out again. The memo plays on, though it’s all I can do to refrain from pressing the stop button. Having had his fill of laughter, “Yuhei Ishihara” brings his message to a close. “Oh yeah. I got a text from one of your friends. You may not have noticed yet, so I thought I’d let you know.” A friend…? Swallowing hard, I open my in-box. At the very top is the name Haruaki Usui. The message has already been read, though I have no recollection of opening it. What did he… What did this bastard do to Haruaki…?! I take a deep breath and let it out, but I still can’t seem to calm myself and end up chewing my lip nervously. I hate to admit it, but my hands are shaking. I open the message. “Don’t talk to me for a while.” Oh no… And that’s how I lost my last refuge, the one thing keeping my life sane. May 1 (Friday), 11:22 PM I’m dreaming. I’ve had this dream many times before.
Chapter 12
32 min read