I tried to rationalize what I was seeing, but the explosions continued one after another. Every firework was the same: not round, not flat…but like some gross amoeba under a microscope.
“Nazuna…”
“Huh?”
“It’s not right… This world we’re in. It isn’t the right one…”
The first time I’d thrown the mysterious orb, I’d come with Yusuke to the lighthouse, and the fireworks we’d seen had been…
Fireworks in that world had been flat. I’d seen them and sensed that wasn’t the way things were supposed to be. So I’d thrown the orb again. The fireworks I was seeing now with Nazuna were supposed to be round… They had to be round.
We were supposed to be back in the normal world. The right world. The world where fireworks were round.
“Fireworks aren’t supposed to look like this…”
It was all I could manage to say as we continued to stare at the grotesque shapes spreading across the sky.
I’d been able to get Nazuna back, like I’d wished for in the previous world. But these weird fireworks seemed to be mocking me, telling me I hadn’t really accomplished my goal.
Did this mean that the actions I’d taken were wrong? Was this moment shared with Nazuna not meant to be?
I felt something brush against the fingers of my left hand. I looked down and saw both of Nazuna’s hands reaching for mine. My hand had been hanging limply at my side. Nazuna softly enclosed it.
“I don’t care…”
“Huh?”
“If they’re round, or flat, or weird like this.”
“…”
Nazuna had been looking down at my hand as she held it. She raised her eyes, and reflected in them was my frustrated expression.
She fixed her eyes firmly on mine and whispered, “If it means I can be together with you, then I don’t care how they look…”
There was no trace of hesitation in those eyes.
I felt like I should say something and searched for the right words, but I failed to come up with anything. It felt like Nazuna’s eyes would draw me in and sweep me away to another place.
The corners of Nazuna’s lips rose slightly.
I felt the muscles of my own face relax, too. We continued staring at each other, smiles on our faces.
Nazuna might not have felt like the world we were in was strange. Maybe I was the only one who was aware of its peculiarity. But her words told me it didn’t matter anymore.
As long as I can be with her, even this strange world is—
Just as the thought occurred to me, we heard a shout.
“They’re here!”
A voice I’d heard before ripped through the moment we shared.
I leaned out over the railing and peered below. A line of people was heading toward us. Junichi was at its head, with the rest of my friends, Nazuna’s mother, and the man trailing behind. They had reached the top of the slope and were now running across the hill toward the lighthouse.
Immediately behind Junichi was Yusuke, who was glaring in our direction.
“What are you two doing?!”
“Nazuna!!”
Kazuhiro’s shout and Nazuna’s mother’s shrill cry came in chorus.
“Nazuna! What on earth are you doing?! Get down from there!!” the woman continued.
I’d heard that voice over and over during the day, but it seemed to have reached a new, frantic peak.
“Hey! Norimichi!!”
“What are you doing up there?!!”
“Nazuna!!”
“Get down here! It’s not safe up there!!”
“How’d you guys even get up there?!!”
“Guys, look! The door over here’s open!”
A flurry of voices intertwined. I wasn’t sure who was saying what, but I knew the last voice had been Minoru’s. He was at the base of the lighthouse, pulling on the door we’d left half-ajar. He peered inside.
“Hey! There’s a staircase!”
Yusuke’s reaction to Minoru’s discovery was immediate.
He’d been watching Nazuna and me as he stood slightly apart from Junichi and the others. He turned toward the door and broke into a run. Nazuna’s mother wasn’t far behind. I saw the two disappear into the lighthouse.
“Yusuke, wait up!!”
Junichi, the rest of the boys, and the man all began running toward the door, too. The cacophony of angry shouts ended, but it was quickly replaced with the sounds of footsteps racing up the spiral staircase—and growing closer.
“What do we do…? Norimichi, what are we going to do…?” Nazuna’s unease spilled out.
“…”
Dammit. So even in this world, things end the same.
It didn’t matter whether the fireworks were round, flat, or just plain weird. In none of the worlds were Nazuna and I able to be together. It was obvious to me we’d never be able to run away or elope. At most, we could have this one day together… Eventually, I’d have to go home, and Nazuna would have to…
Can’t we at least be together until the end of the fireworks display…?!
If only my eyes hadn’t met Yusuke’s when the train rolled through the crossing… If only Nazuna’s mother hadn’t been chasing us in her car… If only, if only things hadn’t been like that…!!
“Nazuna… Let’s go to a world where we can be alone.”
As I spoke, I pulled the wishing orb from my pocket.
“Here I go.”
“Huh?”
My right hand clenched the orb hard. My left clasped Nazuna’s fingers.
This time, I’d take us to a world where it’d just be the two of us.
“If… If only…”
Another grotesque firework bloomed in the night sky. I aimed straight for it, pulling my right arm back behind my head.
“If only! If only Yusuke and Nazuna’s mo—”
Slam!
Just as the wishing orb flew from my hand, the door behind us swung wide open.
“Norimichi!!”
Yusuke jumped through and slammed into the two of us full force.
“!!!”
The shock of Yusuke’s body sent Nazuna and me flailing forward. I reached my right hand out, trying to grab on to the railing, but the momentum carried us too far forward. My hand closed around nothing but air.
“Oh no…”
The world spun around me. In the next moment, I was in a free fall.
Nazuna and I were still linked, clinging to each other’s hands. We were headed straight for the stretch of ocean just below the lighthouse…
Ahhhhh!! Are we gonna die?! Are we going to fall into the ocean and die?!
The jet-black ocean rushed closer at blinding speed.
I pulled my face upward, resisting the inevitable. My eyes caught sight of the orb—it was still flying straight toward the firework.
I remembered that I’d begun my wish, and I shouted out with every ounce of air in my lungs.