KOKORO’S MOTHER CAME FROM WORK to pick her up. The nurse had apparently contacted her just after Kokoro fainted.
Kokoro lay down slowly on the sofa, while her mother sat silently beside her.
Half an hour later, Ms Kitajima came by.
She had wheeled Kokoro’s bike back.
Then she explained that the reason Tojo-san was at the school entrance later than usual was because she had felt a cold coming on, and had stopped at the pharmacy on her way to school.
That’s all Ms Kitajima told her, nothing more.
Kokoro suddenly remembered.
Mr Ida had wanted Miori and Kokoro to speak to each other, and didn’t Ms Kitajima want Kokoro and Tojo-san to see each other, too?
Kokoro’s mother asked her to go upstairs while she and Ms Kitajima talked over things alone for a while.
Kokoro took a deep breath, and looked hesitantly up the stairs. After the events of the morning, she was now afraid of going into her room.
There’s no seventh-grader with that name.
The nurse hadn’t looked like she was lying.
Did it mean that everything that had happened in the castle was in Kokoro’s head? If the illusion was undone, then wouldn’t the mirror stop shining?
Kokoro climbed the stairs and boldly pushed open the door. She gasped.
The mirror was shining.
She remembered how they’d all promised each other what they’d do.
If the nurse’s office didn’t work, then they’d go to the library.
If the library was out, then the music room.
And if none of those worked, they’d make a run for it.
They promised to run away from school, and come back through the mirrors to the castle.
And her mirror was calling out that promise to Kokoro.
✦ ✦ ✦
DOWNSTAIRS, HER MOTHER AND MS Kitajima were still talking.
Kokoro didn’t know how long they would take. And they might suddenly ask her to join them.
It was entirely possible, if she didn’t answer, that they’d think it odd and come upstairs to look. But still, her desire to go through the mirror was even stronger.
She placed her hands on the mirror and, as ever, her palms fitted perfectly, as if being sucked through the surface of water. She splayed out her fingers and sank into the glow.
Everyone will be there, she told herself.
✦ ✦ ✦
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF the mirror, the castle was silent.
None of the other mirrors was shining.
Oh. No one is here yet, she thought.
She looked over at Masamune’s mirror, reflecting the grand staircases.
Please – come.
I’m begging you.
I went into school. I really did go to see Masamune. I didn’t betray him.
She set off for the Game Room.
The castle really does exist, she thought.
She stroked the walls and fingered the candlesticks, tested the soft red carpeting with her toes. This is no illusion.
But what is this place?
Kokoro looked around her again.
A fireplace no one could use. A kitchen and a bathroom, also unusable. All the facilities were here, but with no gas or water, it was more like a toy she’d played with as a child.
After wandering a while, she came to the dining room.
She reached out to touch the brick fireplace in the middle of the far wall. Cool to the touch, it felt real.
She suddenly thought of the Wishing Key.
She remembered finding an X marked inside the fireplace. Did it carry some special meaning?
She peered inside. The X, about the size of her palm, was still there.
‘Kokoro,’ a voice said behind her, and Kokoro’s shoulders leapt. She spun around.
‘Rion!’
‘You surprised me. I saw your mirror shining but you weren’t in the Game Room. So how did it go? Were you able to meet up with Masamune and the rest?’
Rion’s tone was cheerful. Kokoro gazed steadily at him.
He really exists, she thought.
He’s here, alive, moving, talking.
‘I … didn’t see them.’
In her own mind, she sounded like a ghost talking. Rion was clearly puzzled. And she had no idea how to explain it.
‘I don’t know why, but they weren’t there. But it wasn’t just that they didn’t turn up. I was told there weren’t any students called Masamune or Ureshino.’
‘What?’ Rion frowned. ‘What do you mean?’ It helped that his tone was light. ‘What’s the story? Were they making it all up? Claiming they were at the same junior high?’
‘No.’
The same thought had occurred to her. But there were a lot of things this fact wouldn’t explain. First of all, there was no reason for them to do that.
‘I don’t know,’ Kokoro said, breathing hard.
She needed to get back soon. There was no telling when her mother and Ms Kitajima might finish their conversation and come upstairs looking for her.
Rion might have picked up on her impatience. He was silent. Kokoro found it hard to wrench herself away, but she had to.
‘I have to go,’ she said. ‘My mum’s at home today and if I don’t go back, she’ll think something’s up.’ She looked intently at Rion. ‘I’m glad I’ve seen you. I was thinking perhaps everything is a delusion. I’m glad I can see you really exist, Rion.’
‘What are you talking about?’
He was clearly confused. Her hasty explanation wasn’t enough; it only served to bewilder him. She regretted it.
‘Where are we? This castle, the Wolf Queen. What is it all?’
She had to leave quickly, but what she really wanted to do was call the Wolf Queen. Get her to give them some answers.
Rion murmured, ‘I was thinking, too, the whole thing feels a bit fake.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘The way the Wolf Queen calls us all Little Red Riding Hoods.’ He paused. ‘I gotta go, too. I snuck out during a time-out from football practice. I thought today was going to be an important battle for you all, and I had to find out how it went.’
‘What time is it in Hawaii?’
‘About five-thirty in the afternoon.’ Rion had his own tight daily schedule, but was concerned enough about all of them to come over. Kokoro began to feel less tense.
A question suddenly occurred to her that she just had to ask. She and Rion seldom got a chance to talk on their own. So this was her one opportunity.
‘What would you do, Rion, if it was you?’
‘Do?’
‘If you found the Wishing Key.’
Rion’s eyes looked clear, as if gazing off into the distance.
‘My wish is—’
Kokoro didn’t want to hear what his wish was. Having a wish come true meant everyone here would lose their memory. So she was expecting him to say that he didn’t care about the key if it meant he would lose his memory.
But instead, he carried on.
‘Please bring my older sister back home.’
Their eyes met. Rion’s lips trembled, as if he had surprised himself by saying it aloud.
Kokoro had no clue what to say, and Rion gave a resigned smile.
‘The year I started elementary school, my sister died. She was sick.’
Kokoro was suddenly filled with pity. She looked patiently at Rion, willing him to continue.
‘Sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear this. I’m not expecting you to respond or anything.’
‘No, it’s OK.’
Did Rion want to talk about his dead sister? Or not? She couldn’t tell.
She didn’t think he’d picked up on her thoughts, but he gave a relieved smile, and went on.
‘If there really is a Wishing Key, and my sister can come back, then I might use it. If any wish can come true.’
‘Oh … I see what you mean.’
‘I haven’t talked about this for a long time. I’ve never told it to any of my friends at school over there.’
Seeing how uncomfortable he was, Kokoro stayed stock still.
She felt a lump in her throat, and thought: I am so terribly small.
In the face of Rion’s wish, her problems with Miori Sanada faded. What a pathetically small thing I’ve been wishing for, she thought. She felt her heart beating audibly within her.
If his wish can come true, I’m willing to give up my own.
‘Will you be here tomorrow?’ Rion asked.
‘I will.’
She realized she had to dash back in case her mother’s conversation with Ms Kitajima had finished.
But all she could think about now was that they really existed. And when she saw the others the next day, she could be completely sure of it.