It was Hahari’s turn next.
“Is this…a place with shared memories?”
Rentaro looked slightly bewildered when they arrived at their destination. A resplendent mansion that nevertheless appeared to be an ordinary residence stood before him.
“Indeed… The place where you and I met, where we became boyfriend and girlfriend, where you became a girl—it all happened here: the Hanazono residence!”
“You don’t just meet people for the first time at their house, do you?!”
“Also, what’s with that last bit?” Kurumi demanded.
‹Ignorant she was to the events of that day…›
“Knowing Hahari, you can probably imagine what went down,” Karane said.
“It was terribly degenerate!” Hakari sighed. “But my mother did a good job!”
“Rentaro was adorbs, aye!” Kusuri exclaimed with a coo of adoration.
“I would argue for a regular implementation of the event,” Nano said.
“That would certainly be possible,” Mei pointed out. “I have outfits prepared for Rentaro-sama at his convenience.”
The girls chatted cheerfully as they entered the Hanazono residence.
“Now then, why don’t we replicate our first meeting so that we can stimulate some memories, hmm?” said Hahari as she took a seat on a fancy armchair and crossed her legs.
She then closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if attempting to occupy a different state of mind. When she opened her eyes…
“Rentaro-chan, please go out with me!”
…nothing had particularly changed about her.
She must have realized that too, because right after she finished shouting, she blinked in surprise.
“My apologies, Rentaro-chan,” she said a little bashfully. “My love for you was so overwhelming that I messed up the performance.”
“You did get the location right, at least,” Karane pointed out flatly.
“Was that how it played out?” Hakari was rather embarrassed at watching her mother’s confession scene in person.
“Uh…” Rentaro stumbled over his words. “Well, um…”
“And now you’re replicating the scene too!” Karane blanched.
“So that’s how it went.” This time, Hakari smiled fondly at the flustered Rentaro.
Meanwhile, Hahari closed her eyes once more. “I shall try that again.”
She took another deep breath, flicking a mental switch. When she opened her eyes again…
“Rentaro-chan, please go out with me!”
…nothing had particularly changed about her this time either.
“It’s very hard for me to adopt the attitude I had back then, even as an act… Well, in that case…” Hahari threw a glance at Mei.
“Yes, at once, my lady.”
The maid immediately sprang into action. She switched on the monitor in the room, then rapidly clicked around on the computer attached to the device.
“This is the security footage from this room.”
A scene began to play on the monitor.
“Finally, we meet face-to-face, Aijo Rentaro-kun. And Inda Karane-san.”
It was the Hahari from that day.
“I am Hakari’s mother, Hanazono Hahari.”
The Hahari onscreen gazed down at Rentaro coldly.
“Who’s this?” Kurumi asked, after a beat. “Her twin sister?”
“This is Hanazono Hahari before she became a degenerate,” Nano said.
‹Was that not always the case?›
“Kusuri totally forgot Hahari was ever like this.”
“I was right there, and I still I have a hard time believing my memories,” Karane remarked.
Hakari said, “Once, I respected her…”
“Oh my, Hakari, have you awoken to your tsundere side?” Her mother tried to press their cheeks together only for Hakari to push her away.
“If only you didn’t do this…!”
Meanwhile, the footage continued to play.
“Why would I ever believe your empty promises?”
The Hahari from back then was utterly ruthless toward Rentaro.
Rentaro pointed at the screen, sweat dripping down his face. “Um… I’m just taking a wild guess here, but were you opposed to me at the start?”
“Indeed, I was.” Hahari nodded lightly. “I was trying to exterminate you so that you would never make Hakari sad.”
“That’s some pretty serious opposition!”
“I believed that a five-timing man would never be able to give Hakari a happy life.”
“I can’t fault that logic…”
“But I was wrong.” Hahari smiled gently at Rentaro. “You promised me, Rentaro-chan. You promised that you would take really good care of Hahari.”
For a moment, Rentaro did not say anything. “And you? Did I say the same about you?”
Hahari’s eyes widened in shock at hearing those words all over again.
“Yes, you did.” This time, she responded with a slight giggle. “And you’ve stayed true to that promise to this day, Rentaro-chan. You’ve made me, Hakari—and everyone else—happier than we’ve ever been. Yes?”
When Hahari looked over her shoulder, the other girls nodded enthusiastically.
“I did all that…?”
Rentaro gazed down at his hands, still in half disbelief. Nevertheless, he was becoming more convinced of his past self slowly but surely.
“I want to make all of you happy once again!”