Chapter 34

Koudai Kamiuchi’s funeral takes place on a day with high humidity after the rain the day before and an excessive heat index. Those in attendance are scowling, unable to maintain their best behavior because of the heat. It’s exactly as if they have forgotten they are mourning the deceased. Even so, quite a few people are crying. From the snippets of conversation I overhear, I can tell he was well-liked. That doesn’t seem right to me, since I knew his dark side, but maybe it’s only natural considering how friendly he was. Then a young, pretty woman, who I’m guessing is his mother, breaks down sobbing, as if every last drop of moisture is being wrung from her slender frame. The truth squeezes my chest tight. A part of my mind wants to just be done with him and not worry about it. It wants to think this was bound to happen because he was such a horrible person. But even he has people who love him. That’s to be expected, though. It’s why the result of Daiya’s actions really is detestable. It’s also partially my fault. Of course it is. Just like Daiya, I killed Koudai Kamiuchi, too. Kamiuchi’s mother keeps muttering “It’s my fault,” even though she’s obviously not the one who strangled him. Her desperation sounds like a curse she’s placing upon herself, willingly plunging herself into sorrow. When I look at Kamiuchi in his portrait, I see his eyes are squinted a little, with just his mouth turned the slightest bit upward. I’m sure it’s supposed to be a smile, but it doesn’t look that way at all to me. Next to me, Maria has probably noticed something amiss in my expression, because she asks, “…Did you know him?” I shake my head as if it’s the most natural thing in the world and reply, “Not at all.” Though she most likely never really spoke to Kamiuchi, Maria is truly saddened by his death. She says little, and later, when we visit a coffee shop, she even leaves a bit of her strawberry tart uneaten. In that sense, I think it’s a good thing Maria doesn’t remember the Game of Indolence. If she did, I’m positive she would feel responsible for not being able to save him and blame herself. The Game of Indolence, huh? It truly seemed as if Kamiuchi had gotten the most out of his Box. He didn’t, though. Mogi and Asami held reservations about the feasibility of their wishes, which thus weren’t granted properly; in the same way, Kamiuchi couldn’t utilize his Box to the fullest, either. In fact, you might be able to say he was the least successful of them all. I mean, the wish of the Game of Indolence itself was born from such reservations. If so, then what was his real wish? I give it some thought…but in the end, I don’t know. I didn’t have the opportunity to come to know him that deeply. So I don’t have a clue. Even so, when I look at his portrait, I can tell this much: I think Kamiuchi…was lonely. It’s the last day before summer vacation arrives, and Daiya is still missing. The entire school hasn’t stopped its uproar over yet another murder, but that will probably die down by the time summer vacation ends. Of course, an unpleasant feeling continues to come and go in my chest. I’m fine with that, though. My decision to be fine with it is what brought us here, after all. Nevertheless, summer break starts tomorrow. “……Okay.” I dismiss my downcast mood. Ignoring the way my shirt sticks to my skin with sweat, I put on a smile and enter the classroom. “……Huh?” Kokone is crouched down in the corner of the room for some reason. She’s sitting hunched over with her knees pulled to her chest, squirming restlessly. …What in the world is she doing? “Yo, Hosshi!” “Good morning, Haruaki… Hey, what’s up with Kokone?” “Oh. It’s just her usual cry for attention, so don’t pay her any mind. Just like those little black things you see skittering around in the corners of rooms but are still super-annoying. We should start calling her ‘Koko-roach’ Kirino from now on!” “Who’re you calling a cockroach?!” Ah, she definitely heard that. As she looks back at us balefully, I see that she’s done up her hair with a barrette today, showing the nape of her neck. And— “Oh, glasses.” —she’s wearing light-blue frames. Kokone seems to wince and curl up a bit more at the word. “I usually wear disposable contacts, but, wellll…I forget to buy new ones. Ohhh… I’m super-bummed. I look awful in glasses.” “…That’s why you’re in the corner of the classroom?” “Yeah. I don’t want anyone to see my face. I’m moping.” As far as I can tell, you were actually drawing more attention, though. Judging by her expression, however, it would seem she’s pretty serious about her aversion to being seen in glasses. I don’t see anything wrong with it every so often, but maybe that’s how a girl’s mind works. “Don’t worry. They look good on you.” “No, they don’t! Are you blind?! If you can’t see, maybe you should get some glasses, stat! Or maybe you’re just blinded by your love for me?! You really are a complete womanizer!” “…Uh, that’s not it at all, but…” “Don’t say that! Hurry up and start liking me instead of girls’ clothes!” This is horrible; she’s getting it all mixed up… “C’mon, Kazu, say it. Just now, you were thinking I’m not the only one who wouldn’t like you; nobody in the world would!” Haruaki makes it worse yet again. “Grr. What did you just say, Haruaki?!” “I said neither Hosshi nor anyone else has any interest in you.” “What, is that some kinda roundabout confession?” “……What part of what I just said would make you think that?” “I just want to think it. A hot-cold confession, like ‘The oh-so-popular Lady Kokone will probably captivate people all over the world… I’m the only one who should be interested in her.’ Looks like I don’t have any choice. As a reward for your love, I’ll give you one of my used facial wipes later. Keep it as a family heirloom.” “Oh, I’ll burn it with a lighter as soon as I get it; I’m sure it’ll go up in a flash! Man… What a narcissist. I bet the sound of a sliding door sounds like a profession of love to you, huh?” “Well, I can’t say that’s entirely wrong. The whole world loves me, so it’s a stretch to say that all its sounds are displays of affection toward me! ……Oh, but the world won’t love me with my glasses on… Just Japan at most…” That’s plenty. “Ugh… And here I’m supposed to meet Kasumi today… She’s gonna have to see me in glasses.” “Huh?” I think she just said something I can’t ignore… “Kasumi…? Do you mean that Mogi is coming to school?” When I ask, Kokone clamps her mouth shut with an expression that plainly says Now I’ve done it. She looks off in another direction and gives a weak smile. “…Ah-ha-ha, I’d never spoil a surprise Kasumi told me to keep secret! Uh… When I said Kasumi, I meant, y-yeah! The ‘kasumi sleeve’—like the hermit, see!” I’ve never heard that term before in my life… “You’ve got quite the vocabulary, Kokone… By the way, what hermit are you talking about?” “U-uh… One who put a quail egg in the palm of his hand and broke it with nunchaku.” Oddly enough, I feel like you could find a hermit like that in reality. ……At any rate, it seems I need to get ready to act very surprised. But…I am happy that I’ll be able to see Mogi at school. There’s no sign of her arrival even after the closing ceremony. Maybe she’s going to come after school and hang out with us then? As I glance at my classmates making a fuss over the grades on their report cards and their plans from tomorrow, someone calls my name. “Kazuki.” I look in the direction of the voice to see Yuri peeking in from the hallway. When our eyes meet, her face lights up with pleasure. Her cheeks are just the slightest bit flushed, likely because she hurried over here after homeroom was over. …What for? I wonder as I stand up, and I feel a hand come to rest on my shoulder. “…Huh? What’s up, Haruaki? Um, Yuri’s calling for me, so I’d better go…” Haruaki nods okay with a big grin. “Aha, I see. You call her Yuri, do you?” “…Huh?” “See… Well, I know you talk to her sometimes, but, like, I guess I might call it a tipping point, you know?” “Yeah… And, uh, Yuri is—” “Lemme just say this represents the opinion of the guys in our class.” Haruaki’s grip on my shoulder becomes stronger. “I hope these come off.” He seizes my crotch in a viselike grip with his free left hand. “Aaaaagh!!” H-he’s gonna crush them! I didn’t even do anything! But I can see the frosty looks my classmates have been giving me begin to thaw afterward. …It’s a bit complicated, but this could actually be a good thing. That said, thanks to my confession of love to Kokone before, this whole topic is a minefield for me. Maria is fine, since everyone has come to realize she’s on a whole other level, but Yuri…is definitely trouble. Could Haruaki have done what he did because he knows that? …No way, this is Haruaki we’re talking about here. He didn’t go easy on me, either. It really hurt. What a jerk. My hands on my groin, I totter out into the hallway. “A-are you okay?” Yuri glances between my face and my groin with concern. “P-probably… Most likely… I’m sure…I’m fine… Anyway, that’s enough worrying about my crotch. Did you need something?” Yuri turns bright red. “W-worry about your crotch…? Don’t say things like that!” I didn’t say anything bad! “U-um, I need to talk to you about something, so can you come with me for a moment?” “Hmm… Okay, but we can’t talk here?” “No.” Looks like it’s going to be a proper talk… “Sure. Let’s go.” “Thank you. Okay then, follow me.” She walks off as soon as she says this, so I wobble after her, still in terrible pain. Yuri notices my strange limp right away and stops. “A-are you really okay?” As she says this, Yuri stoops over slightly and looks down. Uh… I don’t think looking is going to do anything… Just then, I notice something. “Eep!” Maria is there. Most likely, she was also headed to classroom 2-3 once homeroom ended. She observes Yuri, who is peering at my crotch. Very intently. She then gives me a look dripping with disgust. …Huh? Is there something wrong with this…? “I-it’s not what you think, Maria. Yuri’s just worried about me, is all…” “What’s with the excuse? I know all about you. I bet Usui saw her come to your classroom, then got jealous and attacked you or something, right?” She’s so spot-on it’s almost like she saw everything, so I nod enthusiastically. “I know, so I’ll just say one thing.” Maria tells me: “I hope they come off.” Why?! Fleeing Maria’s chilly gaze, we arrive at the landing between the third floor and the roof. After checking to make sure no one is around, Yuri bows her head. “Really, thank you.” “Uh…?” What could she be grateful for? Apparently sensing my confusion right away, Yuri quickly fills me in. “For trying to do something to fix my friendship with Iroha.” Oh…so that’s it. Well, I guess I can understand that. Kingdom Royale ended suddenly, like an elephant stepping on a paper balloon to smash it flat. As soon as the sensation hit me, I found myself in my bed in my pajamas. I checked the date immediately. Though I spent all that time in the game, only a few hours had passed. Soon after, a wave of emotion surged over me, and I called Maria. I absolutely had to see as soon as possible if she had any memories of the Game of Indolence. “What do you want?” she said in a somewhat lower voice than usual, and from that alone, I knew instantly that she didn’t remember anything. I was speechless with relief. Maria yelled at me for calling her out of the blue so early in the morning and then not saying a word. It was so true to form that I laughed happily, which made her yell at me again: “You think it’s funny to piss me off?” Once I was sure she recalled nothing about the Game of Indolence, my mind turned next to Yuri and Iroha. I went to school without any sleep and looked for them. But I didn’t have any luck. Both of them were absent. …It was possible they would never return. With that fear, I asked for their addresses from their teacher, who seemed dubious of my intentions, and then visited them at home. Both were in terrible shape. Yuri would burst into tears at the slightest thing without any rhyme or reason. Iroha had punched holes in the wall and would occasionally give an unsettling cry. Regardless, I was at least able to confirm what kind of state the two of them had been left in. They had forgotten about the existence of the Box itself, but they had clear recollections of what they had done. Since they hadn’t seen the Replay, the final game when I was the player was also missing from their memories. Apparently, they had been left in this state. Without any recollection of their reconciliation, all they had were their memories of Yuri deceiving everyone in the second game and Iroha’s massacre in the third. Seeing me seemed to make them even more unstable. That’s probably to be expected, since the sight of me would have reminded them of the game. It even entered my head that perhaps it would be better to stay away and wait for them both to recover naturally. But that wasn’t going to work in the end. After all, I was the only one they could talk with about what happened. They would certainly get better over time. But they would lose their ability to recuperate in the fullest sense. I had to get the two of them to see that what had happened wasn’t their fault. True, they both exposed their worst sides in that game. I could see how that would make it difficult for them to forgive themselves. Still, at the very least, I forgave them. I didn’t hold any lingering grudge against them. So over the next week, I visited both of their homes regularly. A few times, Iroha’s family almost threw me out, but Iroha herself was able to stop them. Yuri’s mother didn’t know the full story, but she was still very welcoming. I spoke to them a lot, though it was mostly one-sided. In particular, I told them over and over about the final game when I was the player. I could vaguely sense something. When their relationship mended, it would be like destroying the Game of Indolence to them; the Box would not have defeated them. That was why I absolutely wanted the two of them to reclaim the friendship they had shown me so clearly during the final game. I still couldn’t tell if they were doing better after a week or so of regular visits. But they did start coming to school. Iroha would only exchange greetings with me at school and nothing more, but I often spoke with Yuri during break periods. Both have yet to believe they made peace during the last round. That’s not unreasonable. Unlike back then, their relationship is completely shattered. It’ll be difficult to come back from that. I still have faith, though. The two of them can come to a place of mutual trust again. After all, I know how much they care for each other. “…Have you talked to Iroha?” Yuri shakes her head and briefly replies, “Not yet.” “…Yeah, I guess you wouldn’t have. It’s not that easy, I guess.” Yuri just smiles. “I envy Otonashi.” “…Because she can’t remember the game, huh?” “That’s not the only reason.” Yuri’s still smiling as she continues, “I envy her because she’s the most important thing to you.” And then, out of nowhere, tears are pouring down her face. It’s so sudden even Yuri is startled, as if she didn’t even notice herself. Ever since the game ended, Yuri sometimes cries for no reason, almost like a broken faucet. Her expert control over her tears is gone. I’m completely used to this automatic weeping by now, so it doesn’t faze me. Yuri speaks to me with a smile still on her face. “Eh-heh-heh, I’m crying again…” But there’s nothing dark about her expression. “I’m really jealous. Since she is so important to you, she doesn’t have any memories of the game. You did everything in your power to protect her, so she never had to be the player. She didn’t get hurt.” “……Maybe so.” I guess all my hard work did pay off. “Lucky her,” she says quietly. Her grin broadens as she wipes away her tears with a handkerchief. The expression really puts me at ease, so I smile, too. “Oh, you’re smiling.” “Huh? …Yeah.” “’Cause you saw my tears? Um, you can lick them up if you want, you know?” …What the—? This is getting weird here, okay? “You have a tear fetish, right?” “……Did I tell you about that?” “You did. Something about how licking up tears turns you on.” I know I didn’t say that much! And hey, why’re you talking about turn-ons?! Did you decide to stop acting innocent?! “A tear fetish is pretty kinky. ” “Wh-why are you teasing me now, too?!” “Huh? Well, you’re into girls who toy with you, right? Like Otonashi?” “That is a huge misunderstanding! It really bugs me!” “You can’t get aroused unless you’re acting like you don’t want it… It’s genuine…” “Wh-what’re you saying?! This isn’t you, Yuri!” “Hmph. I know that! I have to work harder and get better at teasing you!” Where are these comebacks coming from?! “It’s just…making you squirm is so fun…” Man, this is going downhill fast! “Ah-ha-ha. Oh, I’ll go ahead and tell you why I asked you to come here.” “Huh? It wasn’t because you wanted to say thanks?” The way Yuri shakes her head is cute. “I want to ask you for a favor.” “A favor?” “Yes. I’m still unstable, and I haven’t recovered at all. I’m going to be in trouble if you don’t keep coming to visit me in my room for a while. I’ll be a mess if you stop now that we’re on summer break, so I wanted to ask you ahead of time…” “Uh… Sure. I will.” “We’re going to talk about the game, of course, so come by yourself. You won’t bring Otonashi, will you?” “……Uh, okay?” Something doesn’t seem right here. “Oh yeah. Yesterday, my mom asked me about you. She wanted to know if the boy who stopped by all the time was my boyfriend.” “……And how did you answer?” “I acted shy and giggled at her. Tee-hee.” “She is definitely going to get the wrong idea!” “I mean, I know that.” “Whaaaaaa—?! Why are you acting like I’m Captain Obvious here?!” She’s acting way out of character… Or maybe she’s just being more open, since I know how she was in the game… “……You’re pretty brazen, aren’t you, Yuri?” “Eh-heh-heh, you’re only noticing that now? Just so you know, I’m not going to give up so quickly, okay? Even if your feelings are for Otonashi.” “…Uh, you know, you did trick me quite a bit in the past. I’m not going to let you fool me so easily anymore.” “Ah-ha-ha, I guess I deserve that. But you see, if you know how calculating I am, I can work that to my advantage. Basically, everything I do is part of a concerted effort to seduce you, right?” Yuri softly brushes my hand. My heart leaps at the girl’s touch. “You got excited, even though you know my intentions, see?” I hate to admit it, but it’s true. “I’ll keep manipulating you like this.” She then brings her mouth close to my ear and whispers: “I’ll make you think my desperation is so cute.” My face turns red, just as Yuri intended. Ngh… I really am easy. But with a rueful grin, I think, If she’s acting like this, Yuri will probably be fine. Yuri steps away from me and, blushing, goes down the stairs by herself. “By the way, Iroha seems to be getting on well with that guy recently. That one she always had feelings for,” she says as she descends. “…Huh? How? She’s not in great shape.” “That’s exactly why. Look, she’s at a weak point now, so she’s leaving herself open in ways she wasn’t before. It’s cute.” Now that I think about it, Kamiuchi also said girls who don’t need anything aren’t attractive. Yuri reaches the bottom of the stairs, then looks back at me. “Um, I know I joked around quite a bit, but please do come to my place. I’ll be waiting for you.” “Okay. You honestly had me scared there, but I’ll come by. I do really worry about you, you know.” “Eh-heh-heh… Ah, I’ll make time for you whenever if you get in touch with me, but I have an important errand, so today doesn’t work. Sorry.” “Hmm. What kind of errand?” Yuri turns away from me again, still smiling. “I told you a minute ago that I haven’t talked to Iroha yet, right?” “Yeah.” “That’s true, but actually, I did text her. Just a bit before I met up with you.” I’m surprised. That must mean— She turns back and says, “Today I promised to go out for a bit with someone important.” With a carefree smile, she tells me exactly what I’ve been hoping to hear. Yep… They definitely haven’t talked yet. When I return to the classroom, hiding my glee behind a hand, I see that a crowd has gathered. Their eyes are shiny and moist, but everyone is smiling. What’s all this about? I think for just a moment. —Oh, right. I know immediately who’s in the middle of that crowd. …If only Kokone hadn’t let it slip, the emotion could have hit me full force… Cursing her in my mind, I work my way into the crowd. I see an unfamiliar metal frame and tires. And then— “—” I take back what I said just now. I’m glad I found out beforehand. If I saw her without any warning, I might have cried. “Mogi…” She’s here in the classroom wearing her school uniform. Even though I see her all the time in the hospital, it’s enough to make my voice tremble. “Hoshino.” Mogi spots me and smiles. “Are you out now?” “Of course not. They just gave me permission to go out for a bit. I still can’t live normally on my own. I contacted the school and got permission to come by after school, and my mom brought me to the classroom. I can’t do anything by myself,” Mogi says, smiling so it won’t sound like she’s berating herself. “But I wanted to come see you at school, even if it meant inconveniencing everyone a bit.” When she hears this, Kokone smiles smugly and asks, “See who?” Flustered, Mogi yelps, “A-all of you!” It’s enough to make everyone laugh. “Come oooon! It’s been so long, and here you all are teasing me… Oh, Hoshino, come closer so we can talk.” “She says ‘Don’t tease me,’ but Kasumi sure isn’t trying to conceal who she’s got the hots for, is she?” “Sh-shut it, Koko!” At Mogi’s request, I approach her. Feeling like I should say something, I comment, “…Pretty cool.” “Huh?” “Your wheelchair.” “You’re telling me what you think of my wheelchair at a time like this?! Shouldn’t you be talking about how something else looks?!” Mogi snapped at me… Appearances, huh…? I take in the sight of her. Her cheeks flush a bit, perhaps because it makes her feel awkward being scrutinized like this. Now that I think about it, her physique is almost back to normal. “You’ve put on weight.” “……I know what you’re trying to say, but no girl likes to hear those words, Hoshino.” Everyone laughs again. “U-um, so what am I supposed to say…?” “You’re asking me now…? Fine… Um, here, how about commenting on the clothes I’m wearing?” “Oh yeah. I noticed.” “That’s not what I mean. I’m asking you how it is to see them after so long…” It looks like she got a brand-new uniform, in mint condition. I get the feeling the skirt is much longer than it was before. My guess is that since she’s sitting in a wheelchair, if it’s too short, then…well…you can probably see a lot. What should I say, though? I can’t just say, “Hey, it looks like you’re making sure no one can see your underwear.” Yeah, let’s go with something safe. “It’s cute.” “Huh?” Mogi’s eyes go round… Huh? That’s not quite the reaction I expected. Let’s try saying it one more time. “Your uniform looks cute on you.” Mogi blushes all the way to her ears. On top of that, she can’t even look at me directly. She lowers her face and starts jabbing me. Um…? Maria would probably just brush it off and go, So what? Kokone would puff out her (E cup) chest and go, Of course I do! and my older sister, Roo, would probably act like she didn’t hear me even though she’s the one who asked. So what’s up with Mogi’s reaction here? This is new. Haruaki’s hand lands on my shoulder with a thump. “I see—so this is how you do it.” “Huh?” “Did you hear that, everyone? Shamelessly saying such pretentious things is this man’s modus operandi! This natural-born womanizer used this method to corrupt Maria and the other women!” Why’s he talking like that? “Kazuki Hoshino’s lady-killing requires capital punishment! Now then, I sentence you to being gagged with socks that Kiri’s been wearing for three days straight! Capital punishment indeed!” “What’re you calling capital punishment?!” Kokone fires back. “That’s totally a reward!” “I’ve heard some have died from it. There’re also theories that Kokone’s three-day socks generate a toxic substance known as tri-kokone ethylene.” “Oh, that’s not possible. See, I’ve had requests for help from NPOs because they can make vaccines that save children in Africa from my socks.” I don’t even know what these two are talking about anymore. But I feel my lips soften into a smile. Though Mogi is in a wheelchair now, nothing has changed a bit from when she was in the classroom. As ever, she is well-liked, while Haruaki and Kokone are idiots. It’s as if we’ve gone back to how things used to be. “……” —Like we’ve gone back to how things used to be? I can’t stop myself from looking around the classroom. Back to how things used to be? Why should that even be possible? It shouldn’t be. No way, not when Daiya Oomine isn’t here with us. I look at Kokone. She’s smiling with enjoyment. That’s when I notice. I see it now. Also absent…is Maria. “…Hmm? What’s the matter, Hoshino?” What is this anxiety in my chest? Daiya is one thing, but Maria probably just isn’t here at the moment. She might have returned to her classroom or gone home before me because she would be uncomfortable here while we’re reminiscing. That’s all. It has to be. I know this, but the restlessness won’t go away. It’s actually getting worse. I feel a pressure mounting in my chest, like someone’s squeezing my heart. “……Mogi.” “Hmm?” “Sorry, but I have to step out for a bit.” “Huh?” Mogi’s eyes are round. “What’s up, Hosshi? Gotta take a dump?” “No. It’s just Maria—” —I feel I have to go see her. But I can’t explain. Because I saw Mogi. I saw the gladness of her expression change into something different. “…Mogi, I’m sorry.” “……Huh? Why are you apologizing? Um…you aren’t going anywhere, are you?” “Sorry.” “……Um… Well, I—I have to go back to the hospital soon, so I don’t have much time. Will you stay with me until then? Will you?” “…I will, if I can get back in time.” Mogi’s eyes begin to tear up at the words she doesn’t want to hear. “Why?” she pleads in a trembling voice. “Stay with me, okay? You can see Otonashi anytime, right? You won’t even see me off after I went through so much to come see you?” Of course, I feel awful. I can see in Mogi’s expression and hear in her tone that she’s on the verge of tears. Maria just isn’t here with us at the moment. I simply need to fight down my impulse to run to her. There’s no need to hurt Mogi so thoughtlessly. Shouldn’t I stay here with her? “—” I made a decision, though. I want to protect Maria, more than anything or anyone. That’s why— “Sorry!” —I rush out of the classroom. I don’t turn back at the voices calling for me to stop. I can’t reach Maria on her phone. Despite school rules, she commutes to school on a motorcycle, which she always parks nearby. But her bike is already gone from its usual spot. Even though she always waits here for me if she has nothing else going on. After confirming that her bike isn’t there, I run over to the station and get on the train. Impatient at the knowledge that I can’t hurry any quicker, I come to understand the true nature of my anxiety. I’m deceiving Maria. I’ve kept quiet about the Game of Indolence and lied by saying I didn’t know Koudai Kamiuchi. And I haven’t said a word about how O might have lost interest in me. So even though I may not always be aware of it, a certain thought is always lurking in my mind. Maybe Maria is going to disappear, possibly even at this very moment. Seeing Mogi in her school uniform probably made it impossible to contain this anxiety. When Mogi was in the classroom, Maria wasn’t. She wasn’t in my normal life. And that’s not all. Just as I transformed Koudai Kamiuchi’s Box into a catalyst for growth, Maria also changed Mogi’s Box into something similar. Maria and Mogi are inseparable. So even though I have no evidence, I think: When Mogi returns to the classroom, won’t that mean Maria is already gone? “……” Next, I think about Daiya and Kokone. Daiya is gone. Yet, Kokone doesn’t seem worried about him at all. Daiya certainly isn’t a minor presence in her life, but his disappearance seems to have merely annoyed her. She acts like she hardly cares. Why? Here’s my hypothesis. —What if Kokone suspected Daiya would vanish someday? I’m sure she probably didn’t think he would do it like this, of course. I doubt she knows anything about Boxes. But what if she knew he was going to leave her, at least? What if she knew Daiya’s mission all along? That would be why she’s given up on the idea of his swift return. She’s already prepared herself for Daiya’s eventual departure. I don’t know what occurred between the two of them. It’s a mistake to accuse Kokone of being cold for apparently accepting Daiya’s disappearance so easily. But I’m not the same as Kokone. Though I know Maria’s objective, though I know she’ll try to vanish someday, I will not give up. I will never, ever allow her to leave me. I arrive in front of Maria’s apartment building. As soon as I try to go in, I remember you can’t even go through the front door of a building like this without a tenant with you. I can’t even make it to the elevator. What should I do? I loiter for a bit in a panic. Drawing on what rational thought remains in my brain, I pull out my phone again. After dialing the number from memory, I make the call. The phone rings. I pray Please answer with each ring. And then— “What’s up?” —Maria’s voice. “—” Ahhh— Though I just heard her voice a little while ago, even though it’s as brusque as always, I can’t even make myself give a response. “Hey? What is this? A silent phone call? You didn’t even hide your number.” “N-no.” I can finally speak. “I’m out front at your place now, so can you let me in?” “What? Fine by me, but…why didn’t you call beforehand? Oh, you did. Sorry, I was on my bike, so I guess I didn’t notice.” “It’s okay. Anyway, I’m on my way up, so buzz me in.” “Okay.” I end the call, and the door opens. My legs carry me to the elevator of their own volition. My heart won’t stop racing—not while I wait for the elevator, and not while I’m on it. When I reach the fourth floor, I find myself running to room 403, even though it’s not very far. I ring the bell, then hear the click of the door unlocking. Maria’s face peers through the crack. That, at least, gives me a glimmer of hope. Before the door can open fully, I push my way into the room, almost leaping on Maria. “…What’s the matter, Kazuki?” Maria questions, her eyes round at my odd behavior. “Maria… Why did you leave before me without saying anything?” “…I left early because I’m not a fan of Mogi; you know that. Why is your face so pale? And why are you here so early, too? You don’t need to talk to Mogi anymore?” “No, it’s fine.” I tell her: “You’re the most important person to me.” Maria’s eyes open even wider— —but then quickly narrow. “I see.” She then strokes my head gently. “I swear… You’ve been different recently.” Maria’s caught on to the changes in me a little bit. “It’s all in your head.” So I play it off as nothing. As payback for Maria’s head pats, I run my fingers through her long hair. The shy smile rising on her face still contains a hint of melancholy to me, and yeah—it’s frustrating.