Hmm…she did say she was going to boil Pip in a pot or throw her to wild goats… “It’s scary to have someone threaten me like that… But I guess you must really love her, too, huh? How wonderful.” “Ah-ha-ha…” Whenever I read another book, I had to secretly turn the pages behind Princess Yonaga’s back, and I always felt really guilty about it. She caused all sorts of problems. I felt my cheeks flush at Pip speaking of my relationship with the princess so passionately. “Let’s forget about my situation and get back to Hana. Can you tell me any more about her? What she looked like, how she passed the time in her room, any outings you went on with her? Anything would help.” She launched into a delightful monologue as soon as I asked the question. “When Hana was young, she would imitate Pippi by braiding her hair in two pigtails. She also begged her mother to buy her long socks that came up over the knee. She would put her tiny feet into her father’s shoes and smile and declare that she was ‘just like Pippi.’ And just like Pippi, one time she coated the floor in flour to roll her cookie dough, which made her mother angry and almost caused Hana to cry. ‘This book is teaching you nothing but bad behavior,’ her mother scolded. She tried to take me away, but Hana squeezed me tight to her chest. ‘I’ll be good, so don’t throw my book away!’ She started bawling while defending me. Then she decided to run away from home with me.” “Run away?” “Just as far as the neighborhood park.” I guess that’s usually about how it goes when kids run away. “The park had a slide that looked like a plesiosaur with a hollow inside, big enough to hold a child. She squatted there and held out until about eight o’clock at night. It was winter and very cold, so the tip of Hana’s nose was bright red and dripping snot. But even so, she held me close and told me we’d always be together. I told her, ‘I feel the same way—we’ll be together forever and ever.’ Eventually, her father came looking for her and took Hana back home.” “You’re not going to throw Pippi Longstocking away?” Hana had apparently asked. “No, I’ll ask your mom to leave the book alone.” “Really?” “I promise.” “Thank goodness.” Pip said Hana smiled all the way home. She must have been relieved to the very bottom of her heart. When her father asked, “Hana, you really love that book, don’t you?” she grinned even wider as she answered: “Yeah! I love her soooooo much!” What a great story… I’m glad everything worked out. But more importantly, that story holds a clue. “I imagine city parks with plesiosaur slides are pretty rare. I bet it would come up if I searched.” I quickly looked it up on my phone, and— “Aha!” —I got a hit, a photo of a slide designed to look like a green plesiosaur holding out its long neck with its head bent toward the ground. “How about it? Look familiar?” I asked, showing Pip the picture. “Yeah! That’s the slide! No doubt about it!” she answered with glee. “Great!” I pumped my fist in celebration. “It’s not that far from here, so we can get up early tomorrow and go look.” That night, I went over the results of my investigation into the sexual harassment allegations against Mr. Takekawa. I typed out everything I had heard in the reference room, sent Haruto an e-mail, and went to bed early. When I went to say good night to Princess Yonaga, whom I had left in the living room, she started muttering threats in her cherubic voice. “Unfaithful boy… I’ll curse you… You won’t know what hit you… I’ll summon a plague… Everyone except the two of us should just die…” A palpable chill seemed to radiate from the elegant indigo-blue cover. I couldn’t help but shiver. Ah…this is going to be bad. But…I can’t do anything about it except wait until the thing with Hana is resolved and then try to win back her favor. “Good night, Princess Yonaga. I love you,” I replied, then went back to my room. The next morning— I left my house two whole hours earlier than usual. “I might be able to see Hana soon!” Pip said cheerfully from inside my schoolbag. The park with the plesiosaur slide was five stops past the station where Pip had been left, including one train change. The slide towered imposingly over the rest of the playground, in the exact center of the park. I opened my bag and held Pip in my hands, and then her animated voice flowed. “Yes! Here! This is the park Hana ran away to! Wow, it brings back memories! Hana sat on that bench and read me one time! She got thirsty while she was reading, so she bought a fizzy lemon soda from the vending machine and drank it. Then she let out a cute little burp and looked around anxiously, worried someone might have heard it.” “Do you know the route to Hana’s house from here?” “I’ll try to remember!” “Okay, tell me.” “Um, first head left down that road… Turn the corner at the convenience store, then go straight for a while…” She showed me the route, recalling the days she had been brought to the park while clutched against Hana’s chest. Along the way— “Which way was it, now? Um…probably this way.” —there was some uncertainty— “Oh, this looks wrong. I’m sorry, Musubu, go back to where we were before.” —but eventually— “This is it! This road! There were pretty orange flowers hanging over the wall. The dog that lives at the house over there would stick his face out of the gate and whine until Hana petted him. And I remember that cherry tree! In the spring, it blooms full of pink flowers, and on sunny days, Hana loved to sit underneath it and gaze up at the blossoms. She would stop and stare at them forever. That house over there had hydrangea bushes, and Hana couldn’t stand slimy things, so whenever she saw a snail, she would leap with fright.” The closer we came to Hana’s house, the quicker words tumbled from her. My heart also sped up as I searched the sunny residential neighborhood for a doorplate that read HIGUCHI. Suddenly, Pip shouted, sounding the happiest I’d ever heard her. “Behind that apartment building! That’s where Hana lives!” All right! We found Hana’s house. I jogged around to the back side of the building and was greeted by a construction schedule plastered to a bulletin board that stood in front of an empty lot. Huh? Why…? I stared at the unexpected vacancy for a while, overcome with surprise. Pip must have been even more taken aback. The house where she had lived with her beloved Hana had completely disappeared. “Are you sure there’s no mistake? Could it maybe have been one house over?” I asked, holding on to the smallest glimmer of hope. “No…this is the right spot.” She was despondent, and my heart felt even heavier. What on earth could have happened to make Hana’s home disappear like that? Just then, an older woman came out of the house next door, accompanied by a dog. “Excuse me,” I said to her. “I was expecting to find Hana Higuchi’s residence here. Do you know anything about her?” I explained that I was a former classmate of Hana’s and that I had come to visit, only to find her house was no longer standing. The woman replied, “Oh, little Hana? My goodness, are you her boyfriend?” I put together a story on the spot about being Hana’s boyfriend—how we’d had a fight and broken up, how I just hadn’t been able to forget about her, and how I’d come to see her at home and was shocked to find her place missing. The woman looked at me with heightened interest, then said something even more surprising. “Hana’s parents got divorced, you know. If I remember correctly, I think her mother got custody of her.” Hana’s parents got divorced?! And I suppose they sold the house? Pip was still silent in my arms. “Would you happen to have contact information for the Higuchis?” “I’m sorry, young man. The move itself happened so suddenly that I never had the chance to ask. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help,” the woman apologized. “…Not at all.” I bowed stiffly. “Thank you very much.” Then Pip and I left the place where Hana’s house used to be. She remained quiet the whole way back to the station. “We still have other leads, you know. Like Hana’s middle school uniform. I bet if we narrow our focus to schools in this area, it’ll get a lot easier to pinpoint the right one. Plus, if we consult the real estate agent, they’ll probably know Hana’s new contact information. I’ll ask Haruto about both of those things. I’m sure with just those clues, he’ll be able to find Hana for us soon.” “You’re right, Musubu. Thanks for cheering me up,” she responded brightly, as if trying to encourage herself, but after that, she stayed silent. Somehow I made it to school on time after visiting the park. When first period was over, I immediately went over to the third-year classrooms. I had messaged Haruto and told him I was on my way, so he was waiting in the hall for me. The girls passing us by smiled radiantly at Haruto. They probably felt lucky just catching sight of him, since he was so tall and handsome, not to mention the chairwoman’s son. Real high school royalty! We moved to a spot without any foot traffic, and I reported the developments in the situation with Mr. Takekawa, as well as what I had learned about Hana’s case. As I had written in my e-mail, Mr. Takekawa was apparently pretty slimy. And as for Hana, it seemed her parents had divorced and moved away, leaving an empty lot behind. Hana had gone to live with her mother. “Got it. I’ll look into the next bit of information for Hana’s case. You’ve really helped me with Mr. Takekawa. I don’t want his victims to suffer any public scrutiny, so I’d like to deal with the situation as discreetly as possible.” Haruto’s still just a high schooler like the rest of us, but he has to keep up with everything on campus. Must be tough… Then again, I don’t think it’s in his nature to just watch silently when something bad happens… “It seems like all of Takekawa’s victims were quiet, serious girls,” I said, “so I’m sure they’ll appreciate that kindness. And thanks in advance for your help with Hana.” Haruto said to leave it to him. That was enough to reassure me. Now if only Pip would cheer up, too… Seeing an empty lot where her home once stood must have been horrible. Besides that, I had a feeling Pip was in quite a weakened state. Her voice didn’t really tell the story, but her cover and pages did. Some kind of crumbly dust had even fallen out of her spine once, and her pages were brittle and dry. It made me anxious. While walking down the hall, I was absentmindedly thinking about how I should repair her when I nearly collided with someone who came around the corner ahead of me. “Oof!” “Ah!” We stopped so close to each other that our faces almost touched. The girl, dressed in a school-issue T-shirt and shorts, glared at me. She was slender and beautiful but looked primed for a fight. Her T-shirt read First year, Class 6—Sanae Tsumashina. She’s in the same grade as me. But she was scowling at me, so I decided to keep my head down and apologize. “Sorry.” “Watch where you’re going.” Tsumashina didn’t have any words of apology. She stuck her pretty nose in the air with a snort and then quickly walked on. Whoa, what a jerk! I mean, I said I was sorry. And what did she do? She just snorted at me! She snorted! I absolutely can’t stand girls like her, no matter how pretty. That’s what I told myself anyway. But part of me didn’t really buy it—after all, my “girlfriend” was the type of “girl” who wouldn’t hesitate to commit murder and then laugh innocently as she looked down at the corpse. Anyway—I watched as a middle-aged man boldly strode up to Tsumashina and stood close to her. Isn’t that Mr. Takekawa? The man with the heart stained so dark it’s practically black, the one the books in the reference room called a perverted bastard and a groper? Mr. Takekawa is talking to Tsumashina. Dammit, I can’t hear them from here. Just as I stepped down the hall, intending to feign ignorance and pass them by, the two of them started walking side by side. This means Tsumashina is in danger, doesn’t it? She fits Mr. Takekawa’s predilection for serious girls with slim figures. But based on how she glared at me earlier, she seems like she would slap him silly if he touched her. Besides, they’re just walking together… But they’re headed for… “Gah!” I let out an unconscious gasp when I realized they had gone into the social studies reference room, the very place where I had struggled to sort out the books’ discussion just the day before. That room’s bad news! Really bad news! I rushed up to the door. Do I push it open and pretend I came to look for some old document? Or do I observe the situation from here? But if what the books talked about were to happen to Tsumashina… The books said that first he talks with them, playing the part of an enthusiastic instructor…then he casually pats them on the shoulder or touches their arm, then starts rubbing their backs and hugging them. His targets don’t know how to react, so they stare down at the ground, and he relishes watching their discomfort out of the corner of his eye. “That teacher is a pervert.” Here I am worried about getting another angry look? I’ve got to go in there! “Pardon me—” The moment I opened the door— “Dirty old teacher!” “Augh!” —I heard Tsumashina’s angry shout, together with Mr. Takekawa’s yelp of surprise. Tsumashina leaped into the air, driving a fist toward Mr. Takekawa’s face. Her slim body flexed, and her solid right cross connected with the direct center of Mr. Takekawa’s nose. He staggered backward dramatically and collided with a shelf stuffed with volumes of reference books, which sent them tumbling down on his head and shoulders. “It’s divine punishment!” “Hit the harasser with everything you’ve got!” “Let’s give the perverted bastard his due!” The falling tomes yelled courageously, and every time they landed on Mr. Takekawa, he yelped in anguish—it seemed especially painful whenever their corners hit him. As for me, I stood in the open door, watching it all go down in a state of shock. “What was with that shouting just now?” “Hey, what happened?” Other people were gathering behind me. The avalanche of books having finally ceased, Mr. Takekawa stood back up with a miserable look on his face. “Owww… Wh-what’s wrong with you, Tsumashina? Assaulting a teacher out of the blue?” Apparently, he had decided to play dumb. The students behind me looked at Mr. Takekawa, who was staggering to his feet with a big red mark in the center of his face, and Tsumashina, who was still glaring at him in a fighting stance. “He said that girl is responsible.” “An assault? At school? She may be a girl, but she’s scary.” Tsumashina raised her eyebrows in disbelief, somehow managing to look even angrier. “You had your hands all over me, didn’t you?! Perverted teacher!” she shouted. “That’s right, that’s right!” “He touched her arm!” “He patted her shoulder!” “He rubbed her back, too!” “Her waist— Well, he didn’t touch that yet.” The books voiced their agreement, but I was the only one who could actually hear them. Mr. Takekawa made an even more bewildered expression. “Our arms just bumped into each other a little,” he insisted. “A-and then you suddenly got all angry.” It seemed he was determined to play the victim, and the assembled students bought every word— “Oh, screw you! You touched my shoulder and my arm and my back, and you know it!” Tsumashina furiously stuck to her story, but— “Well, people do bump shoulders and arms sometimes, you know.” “And teachers are always patting us on the back.” “Isn’t she making a big deal out of nothing?” —her insistence had exactly the opposite of its intended effect. Tsumashina must have heard what they were saying. Her face stiffened into a look of frustration. At this rate, she would be accused of assaulting a teacher without provocation, so I spoke up. “It wasn’t an accident,” I said. “Mr. Takekawa clearly touched her on purpose. I saw it myself.” Mr. Takekawa shifted his focus to me, as did Tsumashina, who raised her eyebrows in surprise. Both of them were clearly wondering who I was. “First, Mr. Takekawa, you said she could tell you anything. Then you patted her on the shoulder. After that, you told her she could depend on you, and you touched her arm.” The truth is that I hadn’t actually observed any of this happening myself; I was just repeating what the books had said word for word. But Mr. Takekawa knew that I knew what he had done. “Wha…?! You— How long were you there?” he stammered. “Long enough to see everything,” I replied. Well, maybe I didn’t, but the books did. “The first two times you touched her could probably be explained away, but rubbing her back was crossing a line,” I continued. “And it was when you tried to put an arm around her hip afterward that Tsumashina busted out her right cross, wasn’t it?” Mr. Takekawa didn’t say anything. He simply trembled with fear. Tsumashina’s expression transformed from disbelief to surprise as she stared at me. And the tone of the students behind me also began to change. “Mr. Takekawa was sexually harassing her. There’s an eyewitness, so there’s no doubt about it.” “Oh, ew, how awful!” Ah shoot, Haruto said he wanted to deal with this quietly, but now word’s definitely going to get out… As expected, Mr. Takekawa’s sexual harassment became the talk of the school. People said there were apparently quite a few other victims, and his misdeeds had been discovered when a certain first-year boy happened to witness him in the act. But the real star of the story was Tsumashina, the girl who had knocked Mr. Takekawa off his feet. “They say she socked him right in the face with a single punch. So cool!” “She’s beautiful and has a great figure, too. And strong on top of that? I wish I was her!” While the girls praised her, the boys weren’t so quick to admire— “Yeah, she’s pretty, but isn’t she kind of scary, too?” “She sure wears a fierce expression… Why would Takekawa make a move on her? Anyone can see she’s a land mine.” “I heard she was the one who invited it. One of her friends was a victim, so she decided to lure Takekawa in and expose his evil deeds.” “I understand the sentiment, but she went past heroic and straight into terrifying. I wouldn’t want to have her as a girlfriend.” When I passed Tsumashina in the hallway, she didn’t seem to recognize me. Her lips were tightly pressed together on her stiffened face, and she walked along with her back held rigidly. It seemed as though the criticism and accusations were weighing on her, their toll evident on her body. Just looking at her was enough to stress me out. During lunch, I caught up with Haruto in the conference room of the music hall. He told me Mr. Takekawa had been officially dismissed. “Thanks to Tsumashina being so conspicuous, none of the other victims seem to have become a topic of conversation. I’m glad for that, but I feel sorry for her, what with everyone gossiping about her and all…” Haruto frowned. “Can’t you do anything about it?” “I feel really bad for her, but there’s little anyone can do except wait for this whole thing to blow over. Though it’d be a different story if something major enough to overshadow the Mr. Takekawa thing would happen. Of course, then we’d likely just have a new problem on our hands.” “We sure would.” There are so many things even an all-knowing prince is powerless to change, much less an ordinary nerd like me. There’s nothing I can do. And I doubt Tsumashina even remembers what I look like anyway… “Anyhow, the Mr. Takekawa incident is kind of a sensitive issue, so it’s probably best to keep out of it from here on. I’m having people look into Hana’s whereabouts as we speak, so I should be able to give you a new lead by tomorrow at the latest.” “That’d help me out,” I said. “You don’t look all that happy,” Haruto remarked. “You really are worried about Tsumashina, aren’t you?” “Well, there’s that, but…it’s Pip—er, Hana’s book. I’m worried about her. She’s in bad shape.” Even Pip wasn’t sure how many days she had spent at the station’s lending shelf. But it seemed as if it might have been much longer than I had originally thought. Maybe she sounded so desperate when I first heard her because there’s some reason why she has to see Hana soon. If that’s the case, then I’d better hurry, or she’ll… Haruto listened carefully to what I was saying, a look of concern on his face. “I’ll contact you as soon as I find anything, Musubu.” When I got home, I went up to my bedroom on the second floor and pulled Pip from my bag, then set her gently on the desk. “I’m sure you’re tired from today. You can rest here.” “…Thanks. You’re right… I am tired, probably from too much excitement. But only a little. I’m fine, really,” she mumbled. When we had set out in the morning, she had been so happy, thinking she would see Hana soon, but now she sounded defeated. “Haruto said there ought to be some progress by tomorrow.” “…Yeah.” It seemed as though just talking to me was wearing her down. She had grown more and more depressed since seeing the vacant lot where her home had once been. “All right, I’m going to take off for a bit.” “…Sure. And, Musubu, thank you for today.” I could tell by her voice when she thanked me that she was still feeling down. Just hearing her made my chest tighten. I want to get her to Hana. As quickly as possible— No matter how far away Hana’s moved, I swear I’ll bring Pip to her. Even if she’s in Hokkaido or Okinawa or somewhere even farther. “Ah, but…maybe not overseas. I don’t have a passport.” No, we don’t know whether Hana is overseas or not. We’ll figure that out when the time comes. Filled with grim determination, I balled my fists up tight as I made my way downstairs to the living room. “……” The night before, Princess Yonaga had suddenly gone completely silent. Now, sitting beside a porcelain doll on the shelf, the slim, indigo volume was surrounded by an almost-palpable aura of rage. I felt my spirits sink as soon as I laid eyes on her. Shoot, she’s mad. She’s really, really mad. “Uh, I’m home.” I greeted her, feeling as if I was going to break into a sweat. Of course, it didn’t go over well. “……” “Um, were you bored?” “……” “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would like being in my bag with Pip.” “……” “Besides, she not doing so well, so I didn’t want to make her more anxious. She’s already apologized for pulling me away from my girlfriend.” “…You told her I’m your girlfriend?” At last, she answered. Her tone was brusque; evidently, her mood had not improved much. “Sure, I mean, you are my girlfriend, right?” I stuck my face up close to the shelf and put on a cheerful smile. Princess Yonaga went quiet again for a moment, then whispered, “…Cheater.” Ah, so she’s still suspicious… “If you’re unfaithful to me…I won’t ever forgive you. I swear.” Her voice was as sweet as ever, even as she sulked. An image floated before me of Princess Yonaga, her jet-black hair spilling smoothly down over her shoulders, her slender body clad in a glamorous kimono. She turned her pale face toward me and stuck out one red lip dramatically. What can I say? My girlfriend is adorable! “I’m not cheating. I would never do that. I mean, come on, you’re my soul mate, Princess.” “……” “Listen, I love you.” I gently stroked the elegant indigo cover with my fingers, and Princess Yonaga seemed to shudder a little. “Today I’m going to take my time and read you slowly. Savoring every line.” I moved to embrace her— “No, don’t touch me.” —and was immediately rejected. “What’s wrong?” Didn’t I clear everything up? “Hmph!” Ah, just now, she said, “Hmph!” She’s so cute! But the words that followed were as cold as ice. “Until you completely part ways with her, you may not touch me, turn my pages, or read me at all.” “What, seriously?!” No matter how I begged her to take it back or how I explained that Pip already had her own soul mate in Hana, she wouldn’t budge. “Hmph!” Ah, so cute! Come on! I want to turn your pages! I want to turn them so bad! I want to read you all night long! But I didn’t have her consent. My shoulders drooped in defeat. During dinner, I set Princess Yonaga on my knee, prompting my exasperated mother to ask if I wouldn’t mind putting the book down during mealtimes at least. Ruthless, Princess Yonaga barked from my lap, “Be my chair, Musubu. But remember, right now you’re not my boyfriend, merely my servant, so you mustn’t turn a single page.” When I returned to my room after dinner, Pip seemed out of it. She didn’t even notice when I came in. This was different from Princess Yonaga’s deliberate silence. Rather, her presence itself was faint. It felt as if she might fade away and disappear at any moment. “Pip?” I asked anxiously. “Ah…Musubu. Welcome back,” she answered quietly. Ever since I had met her, she had given the impression of being a lively young girl of about elementary school age. But now she seemed like a sweet little grandma. “Musubu, you look sad. Did you have a fight with your girlfriend?” “…It’s fine. Princess Yonaga is always moody.” “But…you seem really down.” Ah crap, I thought I was smiling. Was I not? “I’m sorry, Musubu.” Hey now, why is she apologizing to me? This is my own fault. “It’s nothing you should concern yourself with, Pip. Princess Yonaga and I are really very close. Just like you and Hana.” I tried to force myself to smile. I was not sure if I actually succeeded. Faintly, she said, “That’s good.” And then she was silent again. The next day, I left Pip to rest at home and went to school with Princess Yonaga in my backpack. “You mustn’t read me out here, even with that girl at the house, you know.” Princess Yonaga’s prohibition was still in effect, but maybe because she had been lonely at home the day before, she was in a much better mood. I could tell she was in high spirits even if she didn’t spell it out. That made me happy, too, though I was still obviously quite worried about Pip. I hope Haruto has some good news for me today. As I gazed out the train window at the passing scenery, it crossed my mind that we would soon be at the station where I had first encountered Pip… Huh? I recognized a girl sitting on one of the benches at the station. She was slender and a little fierce looking—it was Tsumashina. I guess she boards from this station? But even when the train stopped and the doors opened, Tsumashina remained glued to the bench with a vacant expression on her face. She didn’t move at all. Maybe she’s not feeling well and is taking the day off? The bell rang to signal the train’s departure. Taking the next train would likely mean being late to school. When the doors closed and the train sped off, I was on the platform at a station that wasn’t mine, walking toward the bench. I mean, she looks really unhappy. I can’t just leave her like this. “Tsumashina?” When I called out to her, Tsumashina broke from her daze, eyes opening wide and eyebrows raised in disbelief. “You again? Why are you everywhere now? Are you stalking me or something?” What an awful accusation. I was starting to regret getting off the train. Inside my bag, Princess Yonaga fumed. “A girl’s voice? You’re cheating again.” “I just happened to see you sitting there and got off the train to check on you since you looked unwell. I guess you’re all right, though.” As we talked, the next train arrived, and the doors opened. “You’d better go,” Tsumashina urged. “Otherwise, you’ll be late.” “What about you?” I asked. “You’re not getting on?” “What do you care?” she replied. “I can’t just wander off and leave you alone,” I insisted. Tsumashina turned away in a huff. “What the heck…? So he’s not a stalker, just nosy?” she grumbled. The doors closed, and the train departed. Well, we’re definitely going to be late. “Could it be that you don’t want to go to school?” I asked. “Are people saying stuff to you about yesterday?” “…That’s all everyone’s talking about. You must know that.” “Yeah,” I mumbled. “I heard.” Even though Tsumashina had been the victim, people were saying all sorts of nasty things about her, like that her reaction was unladylike or that she wasn’t girlfriend material. That has to hurt, no matter how thick her skin… I couldn’t help but pity her. “…Meanwhile, everyone is just calling you the ‘first-year with glasses.’ No one really knows your name. Even though you had a lot to say to Takekawa at the time.” “My bad, sorry for being so plain, I guess. Not that I’m demanding your gratitude or anything, but you know, if I hadn’t spoken up back then, Takekawa would have played dumb, and you would probably be in trouble for assaulting a teacher.” I puffed my cheeks out a little. A bit of gratitude would be nice. “…You’re right,” she said. “Thank you.” Wow! She actually thanked me! I suddenly felt terribly embarrassed. “Um, I feel like I kind of forced that out of you,” I said. “I’m sorry.” “It’s fine. You really did help me.” “Nah—” “Though it was kinda creepy that you were watching for so long, not to mention that you could rattle off everything Takekawa said to me.” Creepy? I wanted to tell her that the books had been watching, not me, but that would have sounded crazy on top of creepy, so I couldn’t reveal the truth. “I was so shocked, I froze up… I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him earlier.” That excuse would have to do for now. “It’s fine… I handled that perv on my own.” “Yeah, that was some punch.” I let my true thoughts slip. She just glared at me again. “Anyhow, I’m sure you think I’m freakishly strong or that I’m awful and scary. That I’m definitely not the type of girl you’d ever want to date.” “Th-the thing is…” I admit it: I did think that. But it’s because of what happened before she punched Mr. Takekawa—when she stared daggers at me for almost running into her. Wait, I get it now. In that moment, she was wound up because she was getting ready to use herself as bait to expose Mr. Takekawa’s evil deeds! She was probably grouchy because she didn’t have any energy to spare. But now she just seemed sad and tired. “You know, your punch really was impressive. And smartly delivered. I’m sure the girls who couldn’t bring themselves to disclose that Mr. Takekawa had sexually harassed them are grateful to you, Tsumashina. They’ve got to be.” “……” For just a second, Tsumashina seemed on the verge of tears, but she pressed her lips together tightly and held them in. Still looking at the ground, she muttered, “I… I cried a lot, when I was a kid…so I wanted to get strong…” There was no doubt in my mind that the vicious rumors were getting to Tsumashina. “Well, I’d say you are very strong, and pretty cool, too,” I told her. “And you’re quiet and nerdy,” she replied. “Yeah, well, tell me something I don’t know…” “What’s your name…?” “Huh?” “I asked around for your name and which class you’re in, but no one could remember. The only impression you left was of a plain boy in glasses.” She wants to know my name? Maybe so she can thank me? “Musubu Enoki. I’m in your grade—first year, Class 1.” “…Oh, so you do have a name?” “Of course I do! What, did you think my name was ‘Plain Boy in Glasses’?” A station worker approached us. “You two on your way to school?” he asked. We must have been making a bit of a scene on the train platform. “Ah, she wasn’t feeling well and needed to rest, but she’s all right now, so we’ll get going to school.” As if on cue, a train arrived. “Come on, let’s go.” I grabbed Tsumashina by the hand and pulled her on board. “Sexual harassment…” Inside the train carriage, Tsumashina glared at me with reproachful eyes, and I quickly let go. “Ah, I didn’t mean to! Sorry!” I was freaking out about what would happen if I got nailed with one of her signature punches, but instead she let out a sigh of relief and grumbled, “…I guess it’s all right.” She looks cute with a touch of red on her cheeks. “Are you harassing someone? Musubu? I won’t stand for it; I won’t ever forgive, you know! I’ll dance on your grave!” I felt the chill of Princess Yonaga’s hatred. “Hang on, why did you suddenly go all pale?” Tsumashina asked. “Are you actually afraid of me?” “No, I just get trainsick easily.” As I dodged the question, the train arrived at the stop closest to our school. Of course, by the time we got there, the school gate had already closed. We had to get tardy slips from the security guard, then go to the staff room and hand them to our homeroom teachers. “Enoki, you go after me.” “Why?” “I don’t want them to think we were late together, do you? Then it would look like something was going on, wouldn’t it? ’Cause there’s absolutely not.” “Well, if there’s nothing going on, we should be fine…” “It definitely won’t be fine.” We were bickering right in front of the gate, when— “Ah! Hana!” —some girls dressed in PE uniforms jogged toward us. “Hana, I was worried! I sent you a text message, but you didn’t read it. Thank goodness you’re all right.” It seemed as though they were Tsumashina’s classmates, but— Wait…Hana?! Did she say Hana just now? Isn’t Tsumashina’s first name Sanae? Well, Pip did tell me that her Hana was a crybaby and that she worried because Hana got down easily. But Tsumashina, a crybaby? Though she did mention earlier that she cried a lot when she was little. And she was sitting in the very station where Pip was left behind… Hmm… “By the way, Hana, what are you doing with Glasses Boy?” “” “Hana’s taken quite an interest in Mr. Glasses, hasn’t she? She wanted to know his name and everything. Maybe—” “W-we just happened to catch the same train!” Tsumashina frantically dismissed her friends’ teasing. Then I tactlessly asked my own questions. “Tsumashina, when you were in elementary school, did you wear your hair in braids? And was your middle school uniform a blazer and pleated skirt with a red ribbon?” “Huh…?” This left Tsumashina and her friends flabbergasted. “And was there a park in your neighborhood with a plesiosaur slide, and did you run away there once with a copy of Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking?” “!” Her face was the picture of shock. Then, with her eyes wide-open, she contorted her lips to form words. “How…could you possibly know…something like that…?” she whispered hoarsely. My chest began to tremble, and it felt as though a sharp object had pierced straight through the center of my head. I was convinced. Pip’s owner, her Hana, is Tsumashina! “Tsumashina, you lost something at that station a while ago, didn’t you? Well, I found it! Your precious book!” I finally found little Hana! To think she was this close all along. Her last name is probably different because of her parents’ divorce, and I misread the characters in her first name—the characters that usually spell out “Sanae” can also be read as “Hana”! Hana, who had been in her first year of middle school when they parted ways, now stood before me in her first year of high school. With this revelation, I would be able to reunite Pip with Hana. Ah, if I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have left her at home. I’ve got to go home right away and bring her back with me. But as I turned to leave, Tsumashina’s expression changed suddenly from bewilderment to dread, and she addressed me coldly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “Huh?” “I never lost anything, and I don’t know about that book. I don’t want it.” Just as I thought I was going to be able to reunite Pip and Hana… It was lunchtime. I was slumped on the sofa in the music hall conference room while Haruto updated me on the results of his search for Hana. “Her name was Hana Higuchi. When she was in her first year of middle school, her parents got divorced, and her mother got custody, so her family name changed to Tsumashina. The station where she left Pip behind was apparently close to where her father went to live with his new family after the divorce.” Pip had told me that, on the day she was lost, Hana had been sad all morning, and Pip had been concerned. Hana had put her homemade cookies and the book she treasured like a friend into a paper bag, gotten off the train at an unfamiliar station, sat on a bench, and cried. She had definitely been planning to go see her father. But she must have had second thoughts after getting off the train. Wouldn’t she be burdening him by visiting his new family’s home? Wouldn’t she just be inconveniencing her father? That was why she couldn’t move from the bench. She couldn’t bring herself to go out of the station gates and had instead gone back the way she’d come. Leaving the cookies and Pip behind on the bench in the bag she had been carrying… “I think maybe she didn’t forget the paper bag but actually left it there on purpose. Her father was the one who bought the book for her, and I can easily imagine wanting to let go of anything that reminded her of him.” Haruto’s words made my heart sting. So Hana didn’t forget Pip—she abandoned her? Then what’s going to happen to her? She loves Hana so much. All she wants is to be reunited. I returned home from school still struggling to think of a way to break the news to Pip. After setting Princess Yonaga down in the living room, I went up the stairs to the second floor and into my room. Even Princess Yonaga, who would typically be accusing me of cheating right now, must have sensed the gravity of the situation. She didn’t say a word. “…I’m home, Pip.” “Welcome back, Musubu.” She seemed a little more worn out than before. Her voice was frail. “You weren’t bored here by yourself?” “Oh, no. I just sat here thinking back on my time with Hana… When she was in her last year of elementary school, she went to Kyoto on a field trip. She was a real scaredy-cat, so she believed all the stories about ghosts in the old Kyoto inns, and the night before she went, she held me tight, shaking with fear. And then she crammed me into her backpack… We never saw any ghosts. Getting to go on trips with Hana…that was so much fun… And even though she was scared at first, once the field trip got underway, she smiled the whole time…” She told her tale slowly…slowly, as if she were dreaming, then came to a stop. “…Musubu, what’s wrong? You’re rubbing your eyes.” “J-just got some dust in them, that’s all.” I promised her I would bring back some good news today. I was sure I would know where to find Hana. Pip didn’t ask me anything more. I’m sure she could guess that something was wrong just by looking at me, but she didn’t cast blame or start grieving, just waited quietly for me to speak. How can she be so kind? Even though she had spent three years on public display in a train station hallway, she could still sympathize with other people. I’m sure she didn’t feel as if she had been left there for that long. “I’m sorry… Pip, I’m sorry I couldn’t help you…” I put my head down on the desk with a thunk. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. “Don’t apologize… You’re the one who heard my voice, Musubu. You came up to me and spoke back… There hadn’t been anyone like you the whole time I was there…so I was really happy that you talked to me… Musubu, you’re a really good person; you’re so kind…” But I wasn’t able to grant Pip’s wish. I wasn’t able to get her to see Hana. Even though Hana was all she ever thought about. “Musubu…I’ve got a request. Would you read me? I don’t think your girlfriend will like it, but…just once? …Please?” It sounded as though she was making a final request. She won’t ever see Hana again. I knew that was what she was thinking. Everything before my eyes became blurry. No matter how many times I blinked or rubbed with my fingers, I couldn’t see clearly. “Sure, I understand.” I sat down in my swivel chair, opened the cover with the picture of the girl in braids wearing tall socks, and started reading aloud. “Way out at the end of a tiny little town was an old overgrown garden, and in the garden was an old house, and in the house lived Pippi Longstocking. “She was nine years old, and she lived there all alone.” The series of easy words spelled out on the dry pages, all faded and yellowed, sank deep into my frayed heart. This was Pip’s story. This was the Pip who had smiled so often at Hana the crybaby and scaredy-cat—the book that Hana had loved… “She had no mother and no father, and that was of course very nice… “…because there was no one to tell her to go to bed just when she was having the most fun.” With a suitcase full of gold coins and her monkey, Mr. Nilsson, in tow, the cheerful girl in tall socks moves into the Villa Villekulla. She is always looking for something fun to do. She is bold when she speaks, fearless, and the strongest girl in the world. She does things like spread out a mountain of dough and plenty of flour on the floor to make heart-shaped ginger cookies; climb to the top of an oak tree carrying a teapot and cups to have a tea party; leap onto the circus stage to join the show and perform a splendid tightrope routine; and ride a raging bull. “Hana cried at the drop of a hat, but whenever she read me, she would cheer up and start smiling just as quickly.” “Hana loved me, and I love-love-loved her back.” “I’m worried about her. On that day, she had been distracted all morning. She was so sad.” “I never want to see her like that again. I want to make her smile and laugh.” “I want to see Hana!” It was that same strong, eager voice I had heard as I passed through the station gates. The voice of a lively young girl. “Please take me to Hana.” “I’ve got to get back to Hana, no matter what.” On a lending shelf of a lonely train station, she had repeated her desperate, heart-wrenching plea. “I want to see Hana. Someone please help me.” It had been three years since she had been left behind on a platform bench, in a bag with some ginger cookies, and yet… “I wonder if Hana doesn’t cry much anymore. Is she okay?” “I bet I’ll be able to see her soon. Hooray!” The dry, yellow pages smelled sweet; there was a crumbly white dust falling out of the book where the spine and the pages were joined. I scanned the blurred words, rubbing my eyes all the while. “Thank you, Musubu… But it’s time for me to…” As she thanked me in a fading voice, my own words caught in my throat. “You can’t!” I pleaded hoarsely. I pulled the volume adorned with a picture of the girl in braids toward me, entreating her with blurry red eyes— “The person you want to read you isn’t me, it’s Hana, right? I swear I’ll bring you back to her! So please hang on just a little longer!” The next day, I put Pip in my bag and left early for school. After going to my classroom and leaving Pip in my desk, I headed for Tsumashina’s classroom and waited for her in the hallway. “Oh, Glasses Guy? You want to see Hana? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for her?” One of her friends whom I had seen the day before in front of the school teased me, but I responded with a look of intense determination. Perhaps because she saw how serious I was, she softened. “You know, Hana may be tough, but she cares about her friends and is a good person. She doesn’t usually get violent at all, and it really bothered her that she wasn’t able to thank you for helping her.” Before long, I glimpsed Tsumashina walking toward us with her school bag hanging off one shoulder. She seemed uneasy. I could feel the tension in my bones as I gave her a meaningful stare. As soon as she noticed me, her expression hardened. She tried to ignore me and walk right past, so I grabbed her arm to stop her. Surprised, she immediately spun around and glared in contempt. “What? I told you I don’t know anything about that book. Let go.” “I can’t do that.” I tightened my grip on Tsumashina’s arm. “Pip doesn’t have much time left. After you forgot her at the station, she was put on the station lending shelf. All sorts of people read her, and she got worn out. Her cover and her pages are faded, and the glue in her spine is peeling. Despite all this, she’s been worried about ‘little Hana’ the whole time. Hana was a crybaby, so she wants to make her smile again. She wants to see her friend again. All she wants is for her beloved Hana to read her one last time before she goes!” Pip didn’t know how much time had passed since she had parted from Hana. But she could feel her own body deteriorating day after day, and that was why she was calling out so desperately. She just wanted to see Hana one more time. “Are you delusional? Books can’t talk, dummy. What’s your deal?” I stared straight back at Tsumashina as she tried to shake her arm free, and I declared: “I am—a voice for books!” That’s right! I alone can hear their voices! I can’t ignore such fervent cries! I want to help them the best that I can! Tsumashina widened her eyes, taken aback by my sudden ardor. But soon she scowled again. “You’re a creep after all. Let me go. If you don’t—” “You’ll punch me in my face, too? Suit yourself. I don’t care if you think I’m creepy. I know that I heard what Pip had to say, and I wanted to reunite her with ‘little Hana,’ so I searched everywhere for her. Pip was so happy when she told me about how Hana took her along to her middle school exams and on field trips, and about how much Hana loved her!” Tsumashina’s slender shoulders shook. She was probably confused as to how I could have known such personal details. I understood—after all, most people wouldn’t believe someone who said he could hear the voices of books. But I wanted her to know how strongly Pip felt about her. I needed Tsumashina to know how badly Pip needed to see her. She wanted it so intensely that she was begging everyone who passed her by, though her pleas went unheard. On that day, I was the one who heard Pip’s voice. I was the one who heard her prayers. And as her voice, I will convey her feelings to Tsumashina. “Tsumashina, you claimed that you didn’t forget anything at the station, that you don’t know anything about a lost book, right? If that’s true, then why did you get off at that station yesterday? You were sitting on that bench with a miserable look plastered on your face!” “!” Tsumashina drew her lips together tightly, as though barely holding back some great swell of emotion. “At that station, three years ago—when you were in your first year of middle school—that’s where you left Pip behind, together with some ginger cookies! You must remember that! That’s why— That’s why you got off at that station, isn’t it? Pip told me that whenever you were feeling sad or having a tough time, you would read her to cheer up. Yesterday, weren’t you distraught over the things people were saying about the incident with Mr. Takekawa? You wanted to read her, didn’t you? So you returned to that place to remember those days with her, right? You regretted losing—” “You’re wrong!” Tsumashina threw off my hand. She looked at me with eyes like thunderclouds, darkened with all sorts of feelings—anger verging on tears, fear, disgust—and her lips shuddered as she spoke. “I didn’t forget that book there. I left it.” Her words pierced my chest and hollowed my soul. The pain made me involuntarily place a hand over my own heart. “Why did you do that? You loved Pip!” “Because I stopped loving her.” Tsumashina’s voice began to tremble and crack as she continued. “A little girl who lives a strange and wonderful life all by herself, who never has to go to school. She’s got a suitcase full of gold coins and is strong enough to fight off any thieves. She’s never heard of common sense or good manners. She’s got no worries, even if her room is dirty or she breaks a plate or an adult gets mad at her, and she lives a carefree life doing as she pleases—that might have been a life I wanted as a kid, but once I grew up, I realized no girl could ever live like that, so I grew to hate her… I got sick and tired of that girl’s adventures, didn’t want to turn even one more page. So I threw her away.” She hadn’t forgotten Pip—she had discarded her. Those heartbreaking words landed with a thud. There’s no way I can let Pip hear this! She loves Hana too much! She’ll fall to pieces from despair! “If you’ve got that book, Enoki, you can throw it away. But don’t speak to me about it ever again,” Tsumashina demanded bluntly. She was guarded and tense. With that, she went into her classroom. Before I knew it, a huge crowd of people had gathered in the hallway, and all eyes were on me. But I had been so wounded by the exchange that I didn’t even care. “Word is going around that the boy with glasses, who provided testimony regarding the sexual harassment that resulted in Tsumashina sending Mr. Takekawa flying, approached her passionately and touched her against her will. Looks like you’re famous now, Musubu. But no one knows your name; instead, they’ve been calling you ‘Glasses Boy’ or ‘that plain guy’ or ‘the first-year.’” It was lunchtime. I had skipped first period and taken refuge in the music hall’s conference room, where Haruto came to check in on me and deliver the news. Ah, so in the end I’m only “the plain boy with glasses.” Might as well just change my legal name at this point; that’d be just fine. Aaargh! “…I can’t face her.” I had begged her not to give up and sworn I would bring her to Hana. Now that I couldn’t do that, it was impossible to bring myself to admit it, much less tell her that Hana had grown to hate her and had thrown her away on purpose. I was certain that when I went back to the classroom and looked at Pip, the truth would be plain on my face. She was good at reading emotions, and I didn’t want to disappoint her any more than I already had. That’s why I had asked Haruto to let me escape to the music hall. I was nothing but a coward. “I’d like to scribble fool, incompetent, and idiot on myself in ink a hundred times each…” I sat on the sofa, groaning, with my head in my hands. I just wanted to writhe around on the floor. Though the floor of the conference room was covered in fluffy carpet, so it would probably end up feeling pretty good. Haruto turned to me. “Well…I get the feeling you were too straightforward, which caused the opposite of what you intended, stirring up Tsumashina’s emotions and making her angry.” “Uuugh.” “I don’t think it was your fault.” Haruto clapped a hand down gently on my shoulder. “I went and peeked into Tsumashina’s classroom, and she was surrounded by friends. It looked like she was forcing herself to play it cool.” “Uuugh.” “As far as I can see, there’s one last step.” One last step? What does that mean? In that moment, Haruto looked extremely dependable and grown-up as he said to me, “As thanks for your help with the Takekawa case, I can lend you my assistance one more step of the way.” It was after school. Tsumashina walked down the hall, staring at the floor. She probably had club activities to get to. She wore a T-shirt and track pants, and her bag hung from one shoulder. She had chosen a route with little foot traffic, for as confidently as she behaved, she still didn’t like people staring or whispering around her. In addition to the reputation she had gained as the ferocious girl who had dealt a mean right cross to a predatory teacher, she was now saddled with rumors about her getting an early-morning love confession from an unassuming first-year with glasses. No doubt she was fed up with it all. “Tsumashina?” When she heard someone call her name, she looked up defensively. But her expression changed quickly to one of confusion. The person speaking to Tsumashina was someone everyone in school knew, the son of the chair of the school board, the third-year student who conducted the orchestra club—Haruto Himekura. He was tall enough to be a model and was gorgeous yet somehow approachable. He had a certain grace about him, even just standing there. Tsumashina must have been shocked to have a VIP suddenly speak to her, and as you would expect, there was no way she could glare at the Campus Prince with open hostility. “Wh-what is it…?” Tsumashina’s shrill tone of voice betrayed her nervousness. Haruto spoke in a gentlemanly tone. “The first-year Musubu Enoki, you know him, right?” “!” Tsumashina’s cheek twitched. “Actually, I’ve been entrusted by Musubu with a book.” Tsumashina’s shoulders shook slightly. Upon hearing my name, and that he was carrying a book for me, she must have known exactly what title it was. Haruto extended the manila envelope he was holding. I won’t take it—before Tsumashina could say something like that, Haruto interrupted. “I wonder if you could return it to Musubu for me.” “Huh?” She was obviously struggling to decide how to answer such an unusual request from someone so unexpected. “I’m counting on you.” Haruto handed over the manila envelope and gracefully took his leave. Only someone like Haruto had the subtlety to make a request without actually asking anything. “…Why me?” Tsumashina mumbled. She looked down at the envelope, distraught. There was no way she could just toss aside a package entrusted to her by the Campus Prince. “…Enoki might still be in his classroom.” She was probably planning to hand it over quickly and be done with it. She started to turn back toward the first-year classrooms—and her feet came to a quick stop right in the middle of the hallway. “……” The weight of the object in her hand felt awfully familiar… Hesitating, she stared down at the paper envelope. “Hana?” Tsumashina could not hear the cheerful voice calling out to her through the thin paper of the manila envelope. “Hana, Hana!” She stood there motionless, staring at the envelope, almost as if she had somehow noticed the voice she couldn’t possibly have heard. The mouth of the brown envelope was folded over just slightly. It wasn’t sealed. She held her breath and rested her fingers on the fold. With a rustle of paper, she lifted up the flap. Her fingers stopped, as if startled by the sensation. She stared down at the envelope again and let out a sigh—then nervously grasped the opening once more. Her face distorted into a painful grimace, as though she were fighting against something inside herself, and she ground her teeth. As if she were doing something untoward, she glanced behind her. At a loss, she stood frozen to the ground. “Hana.” She frowned, opened the nearest door—which happened to lead to the biology room—and went inside. “Hana, Hana!” Packed with beakers and specimen jars, the biology room was darkened by blackout curtains hanging over the windows. She impatiently turned on a lamp, set her bag down on one of the black heat-resistant tables, and stood beside it as she opened the manila envelope and looked inside. It held a children’s book, one size larger than a standard paperback. Just by looking at the yellowed pages, she could tell it was the precious book she brought everywhere in childhood. The moment she put her hand in the envelope and touched the cover, both Pip and Tsumashina must have shuddered. Looking at the girl in braids with a monkey on her arm, who was wearing tall socks that came up above her knees and big shoes that were floppy in front, Tsumashina frowned again. Her eyes began to fill with tears. “Hana, I finally found you!” A voice called out to Tsumashina, bursting with excitement. “I found you again. I’m happy, Hana. So happy!” Tsumashina opened the thoroughly worn-out and faded cover. With trembling fingers, she began reading timidly. “Way out at the end of a tiny little town was an old overgrown garden, and in the garden was an old house, and in the house lived Pippi Longstocking.” There was no doubt about it—she still remembered the story. She had read that nostalgic opening paragraph over and over and over and over again since she was small. The words slipped warmly, gently into her turbulent mind, and she could no longer stop herself. Like a thirsty traveler searching for water who finally arrives at an oasis, scoops up cold water with both hands and pours it down their throat, sprinkles it over their face, then finally submerges their whole body in the water, she kept turning the pages as if in a trance. “Pippi was indeed a remarkable child. The most remarkable thing about her was that she was so strong. “She was so very strong that in the whole wide world there was not a single police officer as strong as she.” It’s the tale of a girl with braided pigtails wearing long socks up over her knees and big floppy shoes, who grabs her monkey—Mr. Nilsson—and a suitcase full of gold coins one day and moves into the weed-covered Villa Villekulla. Tommy and Annika, the siblings who live next door, soon become good friends with Pippi. Together, they become “Thing-Finders,” have tea parties at the top of a tree, go on kids-only excursions, and have fun playing together. “The whole world is full of things, and somebody has to look for them. And that’s just what a Thing-Finder does.” Tsumashina had said she came to hate Pippi after she grew up. “A little girl who lives a strange and wonderful life all by herself, who never has to go to school. She’s got a suitcase full of gold coins and is strong enough to fight off any thieves. She’s never heard of common sense or good manners. She’s got no worries, even if her room is dirty or she breaks a plate or an adult gets mad at her, and she lives a carefree life doing as she pleases—that might have been a life I wanted as a kid, but once I grew up, I realized no girl could ever live like that, so I grew to hate her… I got sick and tired of that girl’s adventures, didn’t want to turn even one more page. So I threw her away.” In Pippi’s house, there is no father or mother to call her own. But the book frames that as desirable. After all, there is no one to tell her it’s time for bed when she is in the middle of playing. When she was a child, Tsumashina had probably envied that about Pippi. But once her parents divorced and her father left, she could no longer see that as a “good thing.” Suddenly, it was painful to look at Pippi, the strong-willed girl who lives alone and is just fine even if she doesn’t go to school. “This book is full of lies!” “How can she be okay without a father or mother?” “Why does Pippi always have the energy to do as she pleases? Her life is nothing but fun! While I’m in terrible pain every day.” That’s what Tsumashina had probably thought— But she’s grown up a lot since then. She must realize Pippi’s story also includes loneliness and isolation; Pippi isn’t just a girl who is happy all the time. Now that she’s older, Tsumashina must be able to read between the lines to see what is hidden within the cheerful, happy-go-lucky tale. “‘Have I behaved badly?’ “‘Goodness, I didn’t know that.’ “…she added and looked very sad.” The first time Pippi ever attends school, she is disruptive and then is promptly abandoned by her teacher, who tells her she never needs to come to school again. She is overjoyed to be invited over to Tommy and Annika’s house and tries her best to dress up to go out. But the lady of the house frowns on her because she doesn’t follow social etiquette, and she tells her that someone with manners as poor as hers isn’t welcome. “Pippi looked at her in astonishment and her eyes slowly filled with tears. ‘That’s just what I was afraid of,’ she said. ‘That I couldn’t behave properly. It’s no use to try; I’ll never learn. I should have stayed on the ocean’… “…And Pippi ran up to her and whispered, ‘Forgive me because I couldn’t behave myself. Good-bye!’” On both occasions, Pippi immediately acts as if nothing had happened and seems to go right back to her usual cheerful, daring self. She never reconciles with the adults later on. She doesn’t go back to school, and her manners remain poor. She lives a strong life on her own. She is a truly special girl. And yet, Pippi has a kind of sadness about her. She has a certain loneliness. Tsumashina didn’t realize it when she was a child, but now that she has more perspective, she ought to appreciate Pippi even more, I think. “Don’t you worry about me. I’ll always come out on top.” And then, immersing herself in the adventures of a girl with freckles and braids who casts off her sadness and smiles a dazzling smile—the story of the strongest girl in the world—brings back that forgotten childhood thrill, and she can’t help but smile. “—When Hana read me, she stopped crying and even smiled and giggled.” Surely Tsumashina must realize it herself. Tears are streaming down her face, yet she’s still smiling happily. Seeing her upset, Pip continued to cheerfully encourage her. “I love you, Hana.” “I’m so happy to have you read me again.” “You’ve grown a lot, Hana.” “You’re still crying, but you’re smiling, too, so I’m sure you’re all right.” “Hana, I love you! Hana, Hana, I love you, I love you! I love you.” With every turn of the page, she kept repeating the words I’m happy, I love you, and I’m happy like bright bursts of light. “I’m happy.” “I’m so happy.” Clear drops of liquid ran down Tsumashina’s cheeks, dripping onto the yellowed pages. Pip’s voice quivered. “I love you,” she repeated again. As Tsumashina turned a page, it came loose from the book’s spine and fell gently onto her knee. “!” She gasped as page after page after page came loose and fell from her hands. “W-wait, why?!” Eyes full of tears, Tsumashina struggled to hold on to the pages, all while Pip continued to comfort her even as she fell to pieces. “I love you, Hana. I love you!” As a lending book, Pip had been read by a great number of people and was sometimes handled roughly. Her life span as a book had long since reached its limit, and she had held out only because of her fervent desire to see Hana once more. Now that Hana’s hands turned her pages, her wish had come true. Her body trembled with happiness, even as her life came to an end. “No! Why, oh no!” Tsumashina gathered up the fallen pages, crying the whole time. “Thank you for reading me again, Hana. I’ll always love you!” Pip’s final words rang full of gratitude. Then, nothing. Only Tsumashina’s tear-choked voice echoed through the silent biology room as she bent over the floor, grasping at the pages.
Chapter 2
57 min read