As he was walking through the corridors, he bumped into Kiriyama Yui by chance.
Yui didn’t look over — didn’t look at Uwa Chihiro, and left briskly.
Yui didn’t stop by the Cultural Research Club today either, and probably headed straight for the dojo after school.
The Yui now possessed no memories of the Cultural Research Club. Or more precisely, she possessed no memories of the Cultural Research Club, or Uwa Chihiro himself.
Since she was acquainted with them outside of of the club, Yui still recognized the other second years of the Cultural Research Club from the same grade level, but Chihiro’s entire existence had been wiped clean from her mind. Probably because he himself was the main culprit of the incident.
In the few days after Yui and Yaegashi Taichi lost their memories due to the irresolvable paradox brought about by “Fantasy Projection”, Chihiro had profoundly realized his own utter powerlessness.
Chihiro had started with nothing. Yet one day, after meeting <Fuusenkazura>, he’d received the power of “Fantasy Projection”, and basked in triumph, thinking himself overwhelmingly powerful. Undoubtedly, he’d previously vowed never to become complacent, yet somehow, he had already fallen victim to arrogance.
If only it were just that. Even after receiving the power, he became obsessed with the notion of procuring more and more. Desire entangled his own feeble willpower, and Chihiro sank deeper and deeper, unable to be freed.
Then he committed sins.
Kiriyama Yui, who had always been here, was gone from his world.
Yaegashi Taichi, who had always been here, was also gone from this world.
Chihiro destroyed everything those two had received from the Cultural Research Club.
The two who had once been here were now gone. How was this different from murdering them?
Him, great? What a joke. He didn’t have the right to discuss such things.
The world was divided into manipulators, and non-manipulators; Chihiro was sure that this was true.
Chihiro was certain that, at least he should not become a non-manipulator.
But in retrospect, he had already been used by <Fuusenkazura>, falling to the level of someone a non-manipulator. He had considered himself a genius, yet in truth, he was merely repugnant livestock that swallowed the feed in front of him without a second thought.
Everyone should stay away from people like me, he thought.
He had also driven Enjouji Shino away, who kept trying to inquire about the details.
It was then that Chihiro discovered that <Fuusenkazura> had already contacted other people other than himself. To think that he was the chosen one — it was merely delusional wishful thinking on his part. After realizing that, Chihiro felt even more ashamed.
“Oh, Chihiro.”
Hearing someone greet him, Chihiro looked up.
It was Aoki Yoshifumi. Chihiro found it inconceivable that he kept running into Cultural Research Club members today.
“… You look awful, is everything okay? Dunno whether to call your face pale or muddy…”
Chihiro was utterly losing to someone who took him for a fool.
“Hey, I know you’re also worried about Yui and Taichi… Sorry, but in short, you’ll have to endure it for a bit; we’ll definitely think of something!”
His enemy was sympathizing with him, too.
“Hey, I wanted to ask you again: have you noticed anything strange going on around you lately? Like, someone you know doing weird things, or saying weird stuff…”
Whether he was black or white had always been predetermined for him.
He was pitch black.
“—and stuff like that… Are you listening? Chihiro?”
“You sure talk a lot, senpai. You can leave me alone, I’m fine.”
“Eh?”
Leaving Aoki with a stupid look on his face, Chihiro returned to the classroom.
He didn’t even see the value in living in this world.
“Hey, Uwa.”
Shimono, who sat in front of him, turned around and tried to strike up a conversation, but Chihiro said nothing and averted his eyes.
“What’s up? Look at those dark circles around your eyes, you stayed up playing games all night, didn’t you? Have you started playing online games? Those are bad news once you get addicted. Even I’ve blocked them because they’re too dangerous.”
Shimono was speaking in unintelligible gibberish. Chihiro decided to ignore him.
“No, huh? Oh, I see. Girl problems. You and Enjouji haven’t been getting along well recently, are you? Or did you find out that she already secretly has a boyfriend, and you’re like, they’ve probably already done it a lot, fuck! I get you, that super empty feeling.”
“What kind of virgin talk are you guys having?”
Tada chimed in. As the third person to lose at jankenpon and had to volunteer as Cheering Competition Representative, there was an inexplicable association that always seemed to attract him closer to them.
“Shut up, don’t get so cocky just because you’ve done it!”
“Whoa, Shimono, there’s no way I’d be cocky, you know? Is this virgin paranoia? I’m so scared~!”
“D-Damn youuuu!”
What a peaceful, moronic conversation. Chihiro had always thought them boring, even holding them in contempt, but now, they seemed completely out of reach. So far away, too far away. This was terrible.
Why did he meet that thing?
Why was he bewitched by it?
Why did he accept the power?
Why did he accept the conditions?
Why was he chosen to suffer this unfortunate fate?
“Hey, Uwa, I need your input! Even if he has a girlfriend he needs to be kinder to the single ones, or introduce us to some girls while he’s at it! Come to think of it, have you already reached home base without us realizing?! Uwa-san!”
“Shimono aside, Uwa is pretty much the perfect guy. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to introduce someone to… Uwa?”
Unable to bear it any longer, Chihiro stood up. He could never partake in these normal conversations again.
If he could still laugh in this situation, that would sure be a joke. This was too stupid. Damn.
He left the classroom.
What were Shimono and Tada’s expressions like? How much longer was lunch break? Was it reasonable to leave now? Should he tell them that he was leaving?
He didn’t even know anymore.
Since he didn’t have club activities, Chihiro went straight home after school. He hadn’t been going to the dojo lately either.
Pushing open the door to his room, Chihiro tossed his bag onto the bed. Empty, it landed on the soft bed with a faint puff.
There was absolutely nothing to do today either, only idly wasting away his life.
Chihiro suddenly remembered something and pulled a photo album from his bookshelf. There were several pictures inside from the Cultural Research Club, which he had gotten someone to develop for him. He pulled all of them out and threw them into the trash can. Then he laid back down on the bed.
“Chihiro, I’m coming in.”
His mother’s voice came from outside. Annoyed, Chihiro ignored her, but the door opened of its own accord.
“You’re laying down without changing out of your uniform…”
His mother said, concerned. Come to think of it, his parents rarely came inside his room at all.
“Chihiro, you’ve been coming home very early these days, don’t you need to go to your club activities? The dojo, too.”
“… It’s fine.”
“Really? You’ve been looking down lately, does it have to do with whatever this is? I think you can manage on your own, so I’ve been letting you deal with it yourself, but if there’s something wrong…”
“I don’t, so don’t worry about me.”
So annoying. So troublesome. Normally you don’t give a shit, but now you come running and pretending to be a mother. If you don’t plan to do anything, then shut the hell up.
“Well, you say that, but you’ve not been eating properly either…”
So annoying. Get out of my face.
“If you have anything —”
“Leave me alone, just leave!”
“… If you have anything, just say it, okay? Got it? Don’t keep it bottled up.”
His mother admonished him, as if coaxing a child, and left the room.
She doesn’t know anything at all, yet she pretends that she does.
He was furious.
The next day, everything was exactly the same, and Chihiro stepped out the front door. He seemed to be a bit later than usual, but he seemed to have left around this time yesterday as well. Has this time become “usual”, then? Whatever.
Time slowly passed.
Maybe he wasn’t alive now, but already dead.
By the time he recovered, he was already walked out of school with his bag. School was somehow already over again.
Chihiro was probably the first from the entire school to leave; there was not a single Yamaboshi High School student on the school road.
He was alone.
The summer weather ought to be blistering hot, but Chihiro hugged himself from a chill in his body.
Ever since that day, he had been like a criminal on death row, doing nothing every day.
The surrounding world left him alone, and he lived in a mediocre fashion.
After you’ve joined my side, I hope you don’t think that you can return to the original world if you only show me boring things…
Clearly, he was already no longer able to back out completely. No need to doubt that.
What exactly would happen? What would <Fuusenkazura> do to him?
Would his own memories be wiped as well? Would he be forced to do something Would be he used like equipment? Or would his existence be extinguished entirely?
He was done for.
After making that fatal mistake, his life was done for. He couldn’t restart his life; he could only press the “reset” button.
I hope that I’ll be naturally lucky in my next life, and that I won’t encounter the disaster that is <Fuusenkazura> again. — Chihiro prayed.
Let me reset myself; delete my current body.
Erase Uwa Chihiro from this world, forever — No, no, I don’t want to disappear!
“Chihiro-kun.”
He heard a clear voice.
It was a goddess-like voice.
A voice he had longed for, entered Chihiro’s ear.
Was it miracle?
It was a miracle.
This was a miracle.
Suppressing the urge to scream, Chihiro turned his head around.
A petite girl, her chestnut hair gleaming, her radiant smile exuding a brilliant warmth.
Kiriyama Yui stood there.
“… Yui-senpai?”
“Are you leaving now?”
Yui asked with an expression as warm as springtime wind.
Yui stared into his eyes, confirming his — Uwa Chihiro’s existence.
As though time had turned back to before he had stupidly failed.
“N-… Um, Yui-senpai…? Have you regained your memories?”
“Y-Yeah… after a lot of twists and turns. You have got to properly explain to me what is going on. I have the right to know, don’t I?”
Chihiro ought to be very scared and reject the idea of explaining, but now it didn’t matter. He could escape from hell, not need to fear his own crimes again, and didn’t need to disappear — what more could he hope for? Chihiro desired nothing else.
“I got it…”
Chihiro replied, and Yui invited him to discuss the matter in the clubroom.
“We know that this is all the handiwork of <Fuusenkazura>. It’s all his fault. And by the way, we’ve already driven him away, so you don’t need to worry.”
They were in Room 401 of the club building, the clubroom of the Cultural Research Club. Although he had not been here in some time, the clubroom was still wide open for Chihiro.
“I didn’t think that the problem would be so easily solved, as if what had happened was merely a dream.” Chihiro mumbled, and Yui replied, “Yup, it really does seem like a dream. Chihiro-kun hasn’t done anything wrong, so that’s why you should tell me absolutely everything, from the beginning.”
Seemed like a dream — Hearing her say this, Chihiro suddenly realized something. That guy’s existence and the phenomena he incites were impossible after all, it was all just a dream… Thinking this, Chihiro’s shoulders relaxed.
Words and sentences tumbled from his mouth.
“The day I decided to join the Cultural Research Club, I met <Fuusenkazura> in Gotou’s body at the nature park. He told me, that he was only greeting me that time.”
“Some days later, he showed an unbelievable power to me, and asked me if I was interested.”
“He said, that he’d give me the ability to make the second years of the Cultural Research Club see illusions, and in return, I had to make those five people more interesting. If I did it well, he’d give me even more power. I was completely hooked.”
“I thought that my life, which isn’t that bad to begin with, could be dramatically changed with this mysterious power. I wanted to make this horribly dull world more interesting. I wanted power.”
“It went very well at first. But, things got more and more difficult later on.”
“Since it wasn’t going well, <Fuusenkazura> blamed me and threatened me. I couldn’t help it, so I used my power more often, causing situations, but as you all see, it all backfired on me.”
“So I panicked, my mind weakened, and as a result, I caused an irresolvable paradox by mistake… then Yui-senpai and Taichi-senpai lost their memories… I’m really very sorry.”
“I was truly helpless… I lost myself, and couldn’t control my power…”
Inexplicably, he couldn’t stop this momentum, and Chihiro even exposed his own heartfelt emotions.
Yui nodded, listening to him quietly.
“Can I ask you a question?”
Yui inquired when Chihiro’s monologue was about to end.
“It’s a bit late for this, Chihiro-kun, but why did you decide to join the Cultural Research Club?”
Chihiro was a bit surprised; why was she asking this now? But it couldn’t hurt to respond… Hm, why, indeed? He had never seriously considered the reason behind his decision. Perhaps he could say that he was pressured by the circumstances… But before he could organize his thoughts, Chihiro’s mouth moved on its own.
It was as if his true feelings were exposed.
“Because I felt that, there was something I’ve always wanted here, yet could never quite get ahold of…”
Really?
Those words were his “honest feelings”?
Chihiro was a little embarrassed. Damn it, he’s going to let everything slip out.
“Is it because — there’s someone you like?
Yui tossed this question forward, her expression unchanged.
His heart began to pound relentlessly. What? What does that mean?
Just as Chihiro froze, Yui shook her head: “Ah, forget I asked.” Who asked? Chihiro complained in his heart with regret, but he said nothing.
“I sort of understand now. Thank you for telling me about this.”
“Ah, it’s nothing…”
Had he said too much? Chihiro began to feel uneasy. His confession had included quite a bit of extreme detail, but Yui hadn’t gotten angry at all, so Chihiro had accidentally told her everything.
But Yui hadn’t looked even a little unhappy. It should be fine, right?
“Can you wait a moment for me, then?”
Yui said, as she stood up. Was she going to the restroom?
Watching Yui’s departing figure, Chihiro’s mind suddenly realized something strange.
According to Yui, Taichi should have recovered his memory as well.
Taichi and the others would likely be very keen to find out the details of this incident, so why was Yui asking him alone? It felt a bit off.
Yui pushed the door open, walked outside, and closed the clubroom door.
After a moment, the door suddenly opened again.
Enjouji Shino stood there.
Her expression was a mix of apology and pity.
“I’m sorry, Chihiro-kun.”
Enjouji Shino said in a small voice.
Chihiro didn’t know what she meant. What’s with the sudden appearance and apology?
Wait, where did Yui go?
She’d left for less than two seconds before the door immediately opened again. These two should have bumped into each other…
— I’m sorry, Chihiro-kun.
It can’t be… Chihiro shook his head.
But Enjouji was apologizing, the door had only closed for a moment before opening. No matter how he thought about it, it had been the same person who had closed and opened the door, but Enjouji was standing outside now.
And like Chihiro, Enjouji had also encountered <Fuusenkazura>.
All of this pointed towards a single answer; every theory came out to one conclusion.
In other words…
This meant…
“You probably already understand… That Yui-senpai just now, was me. I used the power that <Fuusenkazura> gave me.”
He was played.
He, was played, by Enjouji.
And he had revealed everything.
“Heh, heh heh heh… AHA, AHAHAHAHAHAHA, HAHAHAHA!!”
For some reason, Chihiro wanted to laugh, and began to laugh loudly. Something in his heart dropped, slowly falling.
His malice, his crimes, his pettiness, his spite; all had been revealed to the world.
In this world, of course Kiriyama Yui and Yaegashi Taichi’s memories hadn’t been restored.
The other person had used the criminal’s own power to trick him and get him to confess.
He’d joined the Cultural Research Club because of something he wanted here? What kind of idiotic bilge was that. He was an enemy who had attacked the Cultural Research Club, and since he was an enemy, how could he be forgiven?
It was time to quit dreaming and realize the truth. Having hope at a time like this was purely wishful thinking. He had nowhere to run.
He really could only disappear.
The instant this notion flashed by in his mind, Chihiro shoved Enjouji aside from the door and ran off.
Without any goal whatsoever, Chihiro sprinted down the street.
He gradually grew breathless, and could only slow down to a walk. Sweat flowed down his head like a waterfall, and his shirt stuck unpleasantly to his skin.
He walked onto a bustling street in front of the train station. Chihiro’s eyes were immediately drawn to the karaoke bar, the fast food restaurant, the pub, and others in a messy flood of signs.
In the evening after school, there were many students strolling around downtown, probably preparing to have some fun after school. Other than them, there were quite a lot of people of different kinds: A young man wearing a formal suit despite the stifling heat, a middle-aged housewife walking back from grocery shopping, a girl in trendy getup, and a foreign couple.
A place filled with people, people, people, people, people, people, people, people.
Fortunately, there weren’t any Yamaboshi High School students around, and Chihiro exhaled. He really did not want anyone he knew to see his haggard appearance now. There weren’t any students from his school around, but was this… was this real?
Enjouji could have used “Fantasy Projection” again. She could become anyone.
In other words, anyone around him could be Enjouji Shino.
She probably wouldn’t have chased him all the way here — but she could have.
The hundreds of people he saw all seemed normal, but one of them could be an imposter. Anyone here could be the fake. Real or fake, virtual or actual, there was no way he could tell.
This meant that everyone was an imposter.
Now, he was trapped within the cage of “Fantasy Projection”.
The instant he realized this, everyone around him seemed to be wearing masks.
A man smiled at Chihiro.
What do you want? Who are you?
Chihiro stood stock-still, and someone bumped into him from behind. A woman clicked her tongue, then walked around him.
The only ones capable of “Fantasy Projection” should be himself and Enjouji. But since even Enjouji could use it, it wouldn’t be strange for other people to get the power as well.
A female high school student in uniform was staring unceasingly at Chihiro, whispering to a girl beside her.
A group of young men walked towards him. They scattered in the street, as though to surround him.
How could this be? But, now —
He was being watched.
He was being attacked.
The entire world saw him as an enemy.
Chihiro found it only possible to think of this, so he ran away.
Running was the only thing he could do.
He couldn’t live in such a horrifying world.
Chihiro fled into the nature park.
He wanted a place with no people, but he went deep into the park by mistake. At a dilapidated bench, Chihiro immediately collapsed into it, uncaring for the state of his clothes.
He was tired. He didn’t want to move. He’d had enough.
But finally, a little peace and quiet.
He felt great by himself. Although he disliked being alone, he wanted solitude now.
There was no one around him, so he wasn’t afraid to use “Fantasy Projection”.
Chihiro now fervently believed that the five upperclassmen of the Cultural Research Club, who could live peacefully even under the attacks of the phenomena, were practically monsters.
It must have been quite some time since the last renovation; his surroundings were a mess of disrepair. The desolate atmosphere suited himself quite well, so Chihiro decided that this would be his final resting place.
This was where everything had started: the nature park where he had met <Fuusenkazura> several times. He would sometimes suddenly appear, but if he gave Chihiro time to think, he would tell him, “Come here when you’ve decided”. Even if Chihiro didn’t contact him beforehand, as long as he arrived, Fuusenkazura would be there, all the same. How exactly was he meeting him so perfectly every time? Was Gotou in cahoots with him after all?
And now, what was <Fuusenkazura> doing?
Since Chihiro was already here, then that guy would probably show up too.
<Fuusenkazura> would come.
… Ah, well, this wasn’t bad.
What kind of ending had <Fuusenkazura> prepared for him? He, who had abandoned his contract?
Would his life meet its end with <Fuusenkazura>?
If it was happening anyway, he didn’t really mind.
Very exhausted. Felt like taking a nap. Hadn’t been sleeping properly as of late.
That day, Chihiro did not return home.
===
When he woke up next morning, Chihiro felt waves of painful cramps all over his body. The bench was too rigid after all.
The space surrounded by trees felt a little chilly in the morning. A stray dog passed by, eyed him, then quickly turned around and scurried elsewhere.
Chihiro swiveled his neck, relaxing his muscles as his head gradually cleared. It was lucky that he could even spend the night in this kind of place.
What time was it? About six in the morning? He could find out just by flipping open his phone, but he really didn’t want to turn it on just to see the messages that had accumulated last night. Chihiro had told his occasionally concerned mother that he was sleeping over at a friend’s place, so there shouldn’t be anything serious going on.
It was Saturday, so he didn’t need to worry about school.
Just as he was spacing out, the sun slowly rose.
Now what? What was the situation now?
There was no doubt that Enjouji had told Nagase, Inaba, and Aoki what he had done. Besides, there was no way that Enjouji came up with that stunt yesterday on her own. Inaba probably told her to do it. Did this mean that they now saw him as nothing more than an enemy?
Up until yesterday, Chihiro still had not been exposed, but now, he was a wanted criminal.
Maybe a real criminal would have it better. Even if he committed a crime, as long as he were sentenced under law and obediently accepted his punishment, then at least he could be reborn. But he, having committed a crime outside of law, might not even be allowed redemption.
What if he simply denied it?
I don’t know. I don’t understand. What’s <Fuusenkazura>? If he could keep playing dumb like that, until it all blows over… Could he do it? Could he really live with the shame?
Then, there was only one option left.
Disappear.
After all, hadn’t he always thought this world to be horribly dull? Since he was so powerless, even if he knew his place and carried on, he’d only be suited for a muddling, perfunctory life.
No duties.
No accomplishments.
This world was horribly dull.
This world was done for.
Even if he lived on, there would be no light in this world.
So it didn’t matter.
He was already drifting along in this finished world like a sloth; why not end it sooner?
He’d been walking the path of the baddies, but in the end, he’d still go out with an explosion, like a massive firework.
“Heh heh… Heh… Heh heh heh heh…”
A great, big, ugly firework. Was that all that was left? His life would end, just like this.
End end end end end end end end end end end die…
“I’ve finally found you, Chihiro-kun.”
The voice coming from behind was unusually lively.
“I’ve f-finally found you! I don’t know how long I’ve been searching since yesterday… So you’re in the nature park after all… Good grief, do you know how many times I called and messaged you? At least reply!”
Enjouji barged into Chihiro’s sight. She looked as excited as though her mind was unusually clear from not sleeping all night. Chihiro thought it was kind of funny.
“Ah, you’re laughing at me! Why are you laughing? I couldn’t find Chihiro-kun anywhere, I even called your house!”
“… Why do you care?”
Chihiro couldn’t help but interrupt. He hadn’t spoken for a long while; his voice broke for a moment.
“W-Well, I couldn’t help it. Ah, your mom answered the phone, and she asked me, ‘Isn’t he staying over at his friend’s house? May I ask who you are?’ I could only tell her that I’m Chihiro-kun’s girlfriend, and that I was fighting with you because I was jealous… She seemed to buy it.”
“Make this all a little more troublesome, why don’t you?”
Where did she get this kind of drive and impulse from? It can’t be the normal Enjouji… An imposter!
“What do you think of Taichi-senpai’s voice?”
“Sexy and mature, but not without the sparkle of youth — my tentative review of Taichi-senpai’s dulcet tones! I’m accepting objections! Limited to compliments, however!”
Judging by her perverted voice-fetish, this was Enjouji all right. She was even more passionate than before.
But what was this? He’d fled here alone because he was afraid to be near anyone else, yet now he was talking normally to someone, and what’s more, it was Enjouji, who knew of his crimes.
When Enjouji had arrived, his thoughts of being done for, or wanting to disappear, had vaporized. He couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
“Whoo… Anyway, it’s good that you’re okay… I was like, you don’t know where you’re running… You’d die if you aren’t careful… That sentence doesn’t count! Forget it! That’s way too unlucky!”
“… Why in the world would you want to find someone like me? You can’t have searched for the entire night…”
“I went home when it got real late.”
In other words, she went searching for me into the late night?
“… What do you want from me, then?”
Even if he wanted to be alone, he needed to let Enjouji finish her business… Can’t be helped.
Enjouji looked down at Chihiro on the bench, and sucked in a deep breath.
“Chihiro-kun, come with me. Let’s go… apologize to our senpais.”
Ahh, so those guys sent her after all?
“Hell no.”
“Mhm, thanks. You may be a little hesitant, but since I called you desperately, ran all over the place, searched for you late into the night, and came to look for you first thing in the morning, you must be deeply moved… Eh? You don’t want to come with me?”
My god, shut up, just finish this subject.
“Everything’s already over and done with, what good will my apology do?”
“It’s, it’s not over! Wh-what’s over?”
“… It’s over, isn’t it? Yui-senpai and Taichi-senpai have lost their memories, and after you snitched on me, they all know that I was behind it…”
“No, I didn’t tell them… But you already told them, haven’t you?”
“H-Hell no!”
I can’t believe it, but she doesn’t look like she’s lying.
“Are you saying that after you deceived me by yourself, you’re coming to find me by yourself too?”
“Uh-huh, yeah.”
That petite, weak, stupid Enjouji, she, by herself —
“… I really did try very hard. I went to find <Fuusenkazura> and begged him to think of something, but he didn’t even explain anything to me, told me to figure it out on my own, and gave me the power to impersonate other people…”
Chihiro was further stunned. Enjouji had not possessed her power from the beginning after all. She saw the tragedy Chihiro had created, and to crack the stalemate, ran directly to negotiate with <Fuusenkazura>.
Chihiro asked Enjouji when she had discovered <Fuusenkazura>’s existence, and learned that she had found out about it at the same time as he had. Back then, he had agreed to the deal for power, but Enjouji had declined. From then on, the two of them had walked different paths.
“I… was lured by power…”
Although it was too late to say so, Chihiro felt nothing but regret for wallowing in desire at the time.
“I’m just… a coward, nothing more.”
Enjouji mumbled. For just an instant, she seemed to change back into her usual weak, useless self.
“But even if I am a coward, I also feel… that it’s wrong to do nothing. I clearly felt something happen back then, but I didn’t do anything. Taichi-senpai and Yui-senpai became like that because of me…”
“What do you mean, ‘because of you’?”
You feel guilty just at this level?
“I was a bystander, when I was really also part of the culprit.”
By that logic, what did that make him, the total, utter culprit?
Chihiro suddenly grew impatient. He wanted to hit someone. He didn’t want to talk cooperate with Enjouji anymore.
“… So, what then? What happens after we go and explain the long and short of it to them, then apologize?”
“Uhh… Um…”
“What can we do then? Can we solve anything? I don’t think so!”
Just by Chihiro probing her, Enjouji suddenly looked terrible; she was so easy to read.
“Y-You’re not w-wrong… But if we discuss this with the senpais, maybe we can find some clues. <Fuusenkazura>’s said before that they have already experienced many of these phenomena. If we just tell them everything, and work together…”
“Are you saying that if everyone discusses this all friendly-like, we can work something out?”
How idealistic. This world wasn’t that reasonable, that simple. Chihiro was already familiar with this to the point of repugnance.
“But…”
Enjouji looked to be on the verge of tears, and hung her head.
This development again?
She seemed to be somewhat determined, but the embers of her passion were much too weak, and would disappear in a wisp of smoke with just one breath. This filled Chihiro with rage. If you can’t do it in the beginning, then don’t bite off more than you can chew, don’t have so much hope — these words could apply to his past self as well.
If a nobody tried to dabble in unrealistic dreams, they were only heading toward a tragic ending.
So he had to stop her, to prevent this from becoming a disaster…
Enjouji looked up, her expression firm, full of determination.
“We have to do something. We have to take action. We have to change.”
Chihiro didn’t get a chance to interrupt.
Ahh, I see.
“I will change myself, and I will fight hard to the end; I can absolutely solve this situation.”
Has Enjouji already changed? Already stepped into that world?
Thinking about waking her up before something bad happens, now that was stupid.
He wasn’t that altruistic. He just didn’t want to be abandoned.
Chihiro noticed his own attempts to justify himself, and his own weak state that was becoming rude and impulsive.
Sucked into the Cultural Research Club as he was, Enjouji had a basically similar personality to him; the two of them were birds of a feather.
But right now, Chihiro was forced to realize the definite difference between them.
Enjouji Shino had stepped on the righteous path.
Uwa Chihiro had been led astray.
If she could head towards there, he really wished that she could have told him earlier; if it was going to end like this, he wished so much that she could have warned him. That way, maybe, he too, just maybe, could also —
“So, Chihiro-kun.”
Enjouji, on the righteous path, called the name of Chihiro, led astray.
“Let’s fight together.”
She hoped.
“… Fight together?”
Why did she need him? She shouldn’t need him at all.
“I’ll try hard too, but I need Chihiro-kun’s strength. So let’s work hard together!”
She needed him.
“You talk about working hard, and you didn’t really do anything bad. That doesn’t matter, but I’m the main culprit! How do you expect me to have the nerve to ‘work hard’?!”
Ahh, what the hell am I saying? It’s like I really want to give it a go.
No, that’s it, isn’t it? That’s probably really it.
It seemed like something similar had happened before. His mouth had betrayed his true feelings before his brain could react.
Hearing Chihiro’s shouts, Enjouji hesitated for a moment, as though perplexed over whether she should have said all of that.
Then, Chihiro noticed something.
He was anticipating Enjouji’s reply. He saw hope.
There was a savior. Someone willing to save him. Someone who could save him.
Even if this world was utterly boring, even if this world was completely meaningless, even if this world was done for, no matter how fucked up this world was — he didn’t want it all to end now, he didn’t want to disappear like this! Even if he was splitting hairs over the matter, that’s how it was!
That’s why Chihiro believed Enjouji and entrusted his hope to her, waiting for her rescue, and her well-wishes.
“T-The enemy changing his ways and becoming your partner… p-pretty passionate, isn’t it?”
How he wished he could have said that with a straight face. Since he was embarrassed himself, he made that hackneyed phrase sound even colder, and the scene suddenly cooled. If he wasn’t used to this, then he shouldn’t have tried to show off.
Come to think of it, ever since the beginning, things had been going stupidly. What the hell were they doing?
“Um, uhh… I’ve done bad things too. It’d be too arrogant of me to talk about working hard… What’s done is done and you can’t change the past, but if I still do nothing because of that, I’ll just become even worse. If I know that it’s not okay, then I need to change, starting now.”
Change, starting now… But with things the way they were now, how would he change his path?
“If only we can get back their memories, we won’t become even worse… Probably.”
Was there still the possibility that he wasn’t going to become even worse?
How much more did he want Enjouji to say? What did he want her to say?
He’d already decided what he wanted to do.
Chihiro wanted to fight.
He wanted to join the losers’ counterattack.
Even if his crimes wouldn’t disappear, Chihiro still wanted to redeem himself.
And, if possible, he wanted to return to the beginning.
He couldn’t lie to himself about not wanting to return.
“I went through a lot to meet <Fuusenkazura>, just for you, Chihiro-kun!”
She emphasized a strange point.
“So what? I don’t know how many times I’ve met him.”
“D-Don’t say that! You make my effort look really easy!”
Enjouji was genuinely upset. She really was amusing.
Chihiro pushed against the bench and stood up.
Watching him stand, Enjouji’s expression brightened up. He hadn’t said anything yet!
“Well, it seems like… I better apologize and explain.”
“H-Hooray! Thank you!”
Enjouji threw her arms up in delight. Her movements were very stiff; she was clearly not used to expressing happiness. Had she ever been this joyful in her entire life?
“I… can change Chihiro-kun, I… can change…”
Chihiro had no way of knowing Enjouji’s personal situation, but had he really changed? He didn’t know.
“… Do you want to change, Enjouji?”
“Yep, one day… I want to become like our senpais.”
Enjouji discussed her dream with a radiant smile. With the way she was now, Chihiro could no longer deny its plausibility, because she had slowly but surely, taken action.
Compared to her, he… Well, he needed to make amends first. For now, he’d forget about whether he would be forgiven, because if he didn’t resolve the problem right in front of him there was no way he could continue.
No matter the punishment, Chihiro was willing to take it. Even if it involved him getting beat up.
Once he became determined to accept punishment, a huge burden lifted from his shoulders, and he felt much better. Maybe what he was missing all along was the courage to face admit his wrongdoing. He had kept trying to dodge punishment, but was forced into a dead end instead.
Take it like a man, that was what he needed — the correct answer.
Even Enjouji had changed so much; maybe he could change as well.
Even for such a bastard who had been led astray because of <Fuusenkazura>, he could also take step after step towards the righteous path.
Then, Chihiro wanted to become someone he himself revered.
Although it was Saturday, the two of them still decided to ask Nagase, Inaba, and Aoki to come out. Since it was a bit much to have them come in uniform, they decided to meet in a park near school.
Chihiro and Enjouji stood at the meeting point, and twenty minutes passed in dead silence. At some point, neither of them dared to move; both stood utterly stock-still, their legs growing stiff.
“Ahem!“
Enjouji cleared her throat twice. Chihiro turned, only to see her face pale.
“Hey, are you all right?”
“I’m O-OK! Everything’s, fine… Uhguu…”
She slapped a hand over her mouth as though she were about to throw up.
“Uh, you don’t look fine. Why don’t you should go and rest somewhere?”
“That’s not much, coming from someone whose face is so white he looks near death.”
“That’s another matter…”
She was really pushing it. But was his face really that white?
“W-Will they go off on us? Um… I think they will.”
Enjouji’s words solidified the source of their unease, and made Chihiro realize this problem.
“Going off” was too soft of a description, she should have used something more intense.
“Wasn’t this your idea? And you had to call them out right now.”
How was he cheering her up now? Role reversal.
“But… Ah!”
The casually clothed trio walked before the duo.
Inaba, Nagase, and Aoki walked shoulder to shoulder. They couldn’t have bumped into each other by chance here; they probably met up somewhere else beforehand. What were they discussing amongst themselves?
Their expressions were not kind, but not overly stern.
What did he look like to those three now? Chihiro tried to imagine, but felt scared, so he quickly flung the image away from his mind.
Chihiro wanted to run far, far away, right now.
In this type of situation, those people would only express hatred and loathing. It was frightening; Chihiro wanted very much to run.
He wanted very much to run, did he?
Chihiro looked to his side, and saw Enjouji trembling, clenching her fists. Her lips were pressed tightly together, eyes brimming with tears, but she didn’t run, looking bravely ahead.
Enjouji was trying really hard.
So how could he leave her and flee?
Before she ran away, he would never. He couldn’t lose to her, absolutely not. So before that, endure, endure, endure it.
Enjouji occasionally cut in, but the explanation was mostly Chihiro’s doing,
“— So that’s how it is.”
As he explained, Chihiro felt himself becoming paler and paler.
Enjouji’s tensionless tone numbed him, and he somehow misread the severity of the situation. It was easy to say it, but they must actually do so — although they thought so at the beginning, in retrospect, it was absurd; this was no longer a matter of whether they were forgiven or not.
The trio’s expressions didn’t change: they occasionally closed their eyes and lowered their heads in contemplation, listening to Chihiro talk.
Their unchanging faces added to his unease. Enjouji looked to be feeling the same, her body shaking without end.
“I… I’m really very sorry!”
Chihiro’s knees sank to the ground of their own accord, and he prostrated himself in apology. Humans would naturally kneel down in situations like these, Chihiro thought in an inexplicably impartial manner.
Taking the punishment, edging closer to the righteous path, to go back to normal?
Boundaries existed for how carefree he could be. The more heinous the crime, the less likely he was to receive a second chance.
“I-I’m sorry… Um, I couldn’t… do anything either!”
Enjouji dropped down too, her voice becoming sobs.
No one spoke. The air was filled only with Enjouji’s nonstop sniffling.
It was the longest seconds in a lifetime.
“Hey, you two.”
Inaba spoke first.
He had destroyed her love with her boyfriend, and everything between them, creating an irreversible situation. So no matter what she did to him, it wouldn’t be out of the question.
“The hell are you pulling?! Stop kidding around, you idiots!”
Her voice was loud enough to rupture his eardrums. Every fiber of her being flew into a rage, but yeah, he couldn’t blame her.
He’d already prepared himself, but when he was really faced with her outrage, he recoiled, unable to move. Nagase and Aoki’s eyes overlooking him felt like he were sitting on a bed of pins and needles.
If only he had never started this whole twisted thing, if only he had never known Yui.
If only he had never been here —
Guilt gushed forth, assaulting Chihiro.
He felt as if guilt would completely consume him… He wanted nothing more than swift, severe judgment.
“Stand up, Shino.”
Inaba took Enjouji’s hand and helped her up.
“Look up, Chihiro.”
Chihiro gingerly lifted his head. Inaba’s face was right in front of his eyes. Chihiro shut them in fright.
“You bastaaaarrrd~~~~~! Take this!”
Thwack!
Something tiny and rigid struck his head.
“Ow!”
Chihiro opened his eyes and rubbed his forehead.
He’d been… flicked on the forehead?
“Get up and dust yourself off, Chihiro! You too, Shino!”
“… Eh? What… Eh?”
Inaba ignored the dumbfounded Chihiro and helped pat the sand from his clothing.
“Oh! That’s good, I thought for a second that Inaban was really gonna lose it! You okay, Shino-chan?”
Nagase sidled up to Enjouji and patted down her clothes.
Enjouji also looked confused:
“Eh? U-Um, seriously?”
Their upperclassmen’s reactions were completely unexpected. No matter how much they punished him, it wouldn’t have been out of the question. But he was only scolded and flicked on the forehead. That was it?
“Shino, you didn’t do anything wrong. Chihiro, I can’t help but reprimand you a little, but you’re not in trouble either.”
Inaba declared thusly.
Chihiro hadn’t revealed everything, but he had exposed the worst of his inner thoughts, and told them that none of it was out of his own control, but rather, Chihiro had lost to his selfish, feeble heart. That was obvious, so why was he guiltless?
Then Nagase spoke up:
“We are the ones… who must apologize. We clearly knew of <Fuusenkazura>, the worst existence in the world, but we kept you in the dark, and invited you to the club…”
“Ah! In any case, it’s killing me to stand around like this, so let’s go find somewhere to sit down.”
Aoki quipped. He led the way as all five of them shifted positions slightly and each took a seat in a playset or beside a flower bed.
Then, Inaba and the others explained the relationship between <Fuusenkazura> and the Cultural Research Club to Chihiro and Shino. It seemed that the relationship between them ran deeper than Chihiro had imagined.
“In any case, we clearly knew that we would be involving you, but we still invited you to join the club. Although you weren’t involved in the worst possible scenario we could imagine, you were still dragged into this weird situation. We apologize.”
As Inaba bowed her head in apology, Nagase and Aoki also said “Sorry”, “I’m sorry”, and apologized.
“No… You don’t need to apologize, senpais…”
Enjouji looked terrified, and Chihiro helped to smooth things over:
“That is… No matter how you look at it, the guilty ones are myself and <Fuusenkazura>…”
“That’s right, Chihhi, <Fuusenkazura> is the guilty one! So you don’t need to blame yourself too much!”
The instigator of everything was that guy moving in the shadows, so it was pointless for them to argue like this — this was the position of Inaba and the others.
“It’s just that, some things did indeed anger me.”
Inaba’s tone of voice changed.
Ahh, so he was going to be punished after all…
“I say, you guys… if it stressed you out that much, why didn’t you tell us? That’s got to be the most basic thing you can do!”
“She means that we really want you to depend on us, your senpais, more!”
“Inaba, Iori, you’re not wrong, but —”
The three second years chatted around like always.
What was going on?
This was too much; he was much lesser than they. They were actually able to take those kinds of actions, and forgive them as though he hadn’t done anything at all?
Even if the most basic culprit was <Fuusenkazura>, even if it was because of the Cultural Research Club second years that they came into contact with him, could those kinds of actions really be forgiven? At least, he couldn’t do that.
“B-But… Taichi-senpai and Yui-senpai…”
Hearing Enjouji say this, Nagase and Aoki’s expressions suddenly froze.
But after a moment, their frozen faces thawed.
Inaba spoke first:
“No worries. No matter when, us five got through those phenomena together. Although those two weren’t able to fight with us this time, similar situations have happened before. This time it’s no different…”
Then Aoki continued her sentence:
“That is, it’s not just us this time, but Shino and Chihiro as well! In other words, that’s us five! As long as it’s us five, we’re unstoppable!”
And Nagase finished:
“Well said, Aoki! Let’s work together, everyone, and become victorious once more!”
She grinned widely.
What was going on? What the hell was going on? What the hell was this?
Chihiro had already prepared himself for justice, but he’d just rushed at thin air. If it ended just like this, it was only forcing him to realize the crushing differences between them.
Chihiro thought he had understood, but with reality right in front of him, his heart remained perpetually frustrated.
A problem that stressed the hell out of them wasn’t even worth mentioning to these guys.
He wanted to become like them? Impossible.
Before these gods, no matter how much he, an imposter, tried to show off, it was all a joke. He was only being forced to realize that no matter how hard he tried, an imposter was still an imposter.
Chihiro noticed that he was always evasive, but when he had plucked up the courage to admit his wrongdoings and steeled himself to take it like a man, he discovered that he was facing an utterly towering precipice.
Chihiro knew that his upperclassmen had already reached a certain realm. He was clearly envious of them, but had never observed them closely, merely hazily imagining and thinking that he understood.
Right now, it was Chihiro’s first time facing this precipice.
He had absolutely no way of climbing it.
Just by looking at those three, Chihiro felt as though the world were discarding him, as though they were saying to him: You can stay over there for your entire life.
“… By the way, we’ve decided amongst ourselves that you guys’ll help. Is that okay?”
Nagase asked, restoring her serious expression.
Help?
Where did they need his help? What use would he fulfill? Chihiro thought, but said nothing.
The silence continued for a while. See, Enjouji is the same way —
“O-Of course! I-I’ll do all I can to help everyone!”
“Great, thank you, Shino-chan!”
Nagase grinned, as Inaba and Aoki smiled too. Enjouji beamed, and the atmosphere became peacefully warm.
Really? Enjouji is already on that side? She was once in Chihiro’s shoes, but Enjouji probably possessed that kind of aptitude from the very beginning. After all, she had an honest personality, and her soul seemed quite pure.
If these prerequisites didn’t exist, maybe it would be impossible to explain why only Enjouji had suddenly changed?
“Chi, Chihiro-kun… can we?”
Enjouji asked, glancing at him fearfully.
Chihiro was already no longer able to see her as a partner.
He was alone here.
“… It makes sense, I’ll… help too.”
Chihiro agreed; the current atmosphere didn’t permit a “no” anyway.
“Well then, we should think in detail about how to deal with this, but there isn’t anything we can write with. Let’s head home first, change into uniform and meet in the clubroom.”
Inaba suggested, and Aoki and Nagase immediately responded:
“Got it, Inaba!”
“All right, there’s no stopping now! Full steam ahead for today and Sunday tomorrow! When school starts on Monday, we’ll charge even faster!”
“I, I… do my best, too!”
Enjouji was also filled with enthusiasm.
Just as everyone was about to step away, Nagase added:
“Oh, right, we really need everyone’s strength to solve this problem now, and that’s why we asked for your help. But after all of this blows over, you can leave the Cultural Research Club if you want.”
They’ve already thought about what happens afterwards, and remembered to think of them, too; this completely surpassed Chihiro’s line of reasoning.
The five of them started home all at once.
Chihiro walked with the others for a bit, but since his route was different from everyone else, he said goodbye to them on the way.
Inaba, Nagase, Aoki, and Enjouji gradually drifted far away from him.
Now alone, Chihiro dropped shakily to his knees.
He no longer had the strength to stand and fight.
“I don’t think… I can carry on…”
Chihiro thought, at least if he could receive his punishment, it would be okay. That way, maybe he could have closure in his heart, bid his current self farewell, and be born again.
Even though Chihiro had taken it like a man, he’d only experienced despair, let alone find escape.
The world will not change.
He couldn’t do it today. He couldn’t bring himself to do anything.
No, Chihiro understood that he had things that he absolutely must do, had important matters that must be attended to, but he couldn’t do it now, yet he had to do it. So, yes — he’d begin working tomorrow.
Even when the meeting time came, Chihiro did not leave for the clubroom.
===
After Sunday came and went, Monday arrived, and the Athletics Festival was only a week away.
He felt dead the entire day yesterday, and still felt terrible upon waking up this morning.
Utterly terrible. He was supposed to meet in the clubroom on Saturday, but Chihiro had left them out to dry. On Sunday, too, the Cultural Research Club seemed to have some kind of activity, but Chihiro had failed to participate.
After missing the first opportunity, he was even more scared of going to the second. The difficulty of it had increased far too much, and it was already too late — his whole body was bound by such thoughts.
No, it wasn’t that. He hadn’t gone for a specific reason. Chihiro had been losing sleep, spent a night outside, and had ruined his health. His body ached and he couldn’t put on any weight… he didn’t have a fever, though.
If he properly explained that to them, they’d understand, right? They were definitely willing to forgive something even worse, so it’d be okay, right?
But could he bring himself to ask them to let him join at this time? Where would he get that kind of courage?
Why hadn’t he taken action that day? Why did he think it would be fine if he did nothing?
From the bottom of his heart, Chihiro despised what he did back then.
Although he was afraid even to go to school, his body still automatically prepared itself. Chihiro had always held in contempt those types of mindless drones who knew only how to go with the flow, but he was actually one of them.
When he left the house in the morning, his mother, specifically coming to the vestibule to see him off, had said:
“By the way you look, it seems that your problem still isn’t resolved, so you need to really talk about it with your girlfriend.”
Apparently, Enjouji had pulled an intensely bizarre excuse with his mother.
“Uh, that was…”
“Sometimes both sides can be too emotional, so there’s no harm in spending some time away from each other, is there?”
She was actually making suggestions spiritedly.
“Hey, listen to me…”
“When you guys make up, you can bring her home as a guest… Ah, if it gets out of hand, just cool down for a while, and find another girl; you’re high school students anyway, so even if you have as many relationships as you want —”
Since it was too troublesome, he decided to ignore her and leave the vestibule.
After arriving at the classroom, Chihiro immediately scanned the scene, discovered that Enjouji had not come yet, and exhaled.
“Uwa.”
Shimono, sitting in front of him, pointed at Chihiro’s bag with his mechanical pencil.
“… What’s up with my bag? Huh?… You want me to put my bag on the table and open it?”
Although he couldn’t understand him, Chihiro did as he was motioned anyway.
Uwa quickly pulled out something wrapped in a paper bag from his own bag, and stuffed it into Chihiro’s.
What was he doing? Astonished, Chihiro peered at the contents of the paper bag —
“Hey, stop! Don’t take it out here!”
— There was a cover almost completely plastered with the color of human flesh; a so-called “A-movie”.
“… The hell are you trying to do… Hey!”
Just as Chihiro was getting more and more suspicious, Tada, who had just arrived, came near Chihiro’s seat.
“Hm? Oh, Tada, listen, I just gave Uwa a wonderful present.”
“Really, well, then… I suppose I’ll need to give him a present too? Uwa, let’s hang out together some time. Although we haven’t decided on a date yet, there’ll be girls involved.”
“Wh-what the hell is that ‘present’?! That’s no longer just a present!”
Shimono reacted before Chihiro could.
“Anyway… Why are you guys giving me stuff? It’s not my birthday or some kind of holiday.”
“How do I put it? Because you’ve been looking really down lately. But it’s already good that you can talk normally like this.”
Hearing Tada say that, Shimono continued, grinning: “Indeed, you were pretty bad for a while.”
“Are you guys… comforting me?”
“Don’t say it aloud, it’s embarrassing.”
“Maybe we are.”
Why were they suddenly doing this for him? What good did it do? What was their goal?
“So Shimono’s giving me a movie… and Tada’s giving me a real girl…”
“You don’t need to criticize even that, do you?! I feel empty too!”
“Ha ha ha, not bad, Uwa.”
Tada chuckled at Chihiro’s quip.
Chihiro suddenly realized that he was also entering the circle of laughter, very naturally at that.
It was much too natural, much too simple.
He’d obviously been abandoned by the world, but what now?
A warm atmosphere surrounded Chihiro.
Were humans really such warm beings?
“Well, what do you think, Uwa?”
“… Huh? Ah… Well, let’s pick a day after the Athletics Festival ends.”
Chihiro could not bring himself to coldly reject Tada’s invitation, so he accepted it.
“Great, then that’s decided. But… Athletics Festival, huh?”
Tada smirked bitterly, and Shimono spoke in a low voice:
“How do I put it~? Since a lot of classes are unusually serious about it, I think we’re gonna lose badly.”
“In other words… With things the way they are now, we can’t save our asses anymore.”
Both chuckled, as though they had more to say.
During class, Chihiro ignored the teacher’s endless torrent of a lecture, and thought.
He was once under the despairing impression that it was over; he thought that he would be facing the worst world imaginable today.
But the world was unusually gentle.
Chihiro discovered that, even though he wanted to reject everything, there would still be someone concerned for him, and would help him.
Whether it was Enjouji, Inaba, Nagase, Aoki, his mother, Shimono, or Tada.
For everything wrong that Chihiro did, the world did not blame him. Instead, it tried to protect him, vile as he was.
This was different from how he knew it before. This world shouldn’t be like this. This world should be crueler, and only innately lucky people should be rewarded.
Was he wrong?
The question kept popping up in a corner of his mind.
Chihiro hadn’t been this enthusiastic for some time. He even went as far as to think that if he searched for it, he’d find the answer.
Chihiro tried to search.
He swiveled his head back and forth, surveying the classroom.
It was Classical Japanese class. Some were diligently taking notes, some were spacing out, and some were slumped on their desks, asleep… No, of course Chihiro didn’t think the answer was in the classroom.
Chihiro met eyes with a boy. He also seemed unfit to listen to the lecture, bored out of his mind.
The boy grinned at him, and Chihiro couldn’t help but grin back.
For some reason, Chihiro lowered his head, trying not to laugh. The awareness of being deliberate partners in crime created a momentarily bizarre, comical feeling.
It shocked him that he was able to smile. It was clearly meaningless, there was clearly nothing, he clearly felt such a strong sense of despair, yet he had still smiled.
Then, Chihiro thought of something.
Maybe… his perspective of the world was wrong after all.
Even though Chihiro had always believed that the world had abandoned him.
But actually…
It wasn’t like that. This world was actually loving him, wasn’t it?
As long as he changed his perspective, changed his thoughts.
He hadn’t been punished, so he couldn’t be reborn. But since he hadn’t been punished, this also meant that no one hated him.
The matter with Yui and Taichi was a sin, but Inaba and the others believed that they would be all right. In other words, this whole thing would be all right.
Maybe he was overthinking it?
In reality, the simpler this world was, the easier people could live. Compared to himself, when those people who seemingly thought of nothing led their lives so well, was it because they had already simply accepted this truth?
Was this what he needed — the correct answer?
When he thought of this, he knew that this was the correct answer, because Inaba, Enjouji, and the others, were living so happily. Since he had finally discovered this precious truth, maybe he could succeed along with them as well.
Chihiro felt his mood lift, as though his very soul were excited… No, no, he was very calm.
Before now, his luck was running low, but now that sort of misfortune had ceased. Enjouji had helped him find an escape, and now, objectively, his luck had been improving ever since.
If it were now, he could do it. He could only take action in this mood.
With this momentum, Chihiro concealed his embarrassed attitude, and stood in front of Enjouji at the front of the classroom.
Enjouji looked up from her seat at Chihiro.
He had to do it now. If he didn’t do it, he’d never be able to do it again — Chihiro urged himself on, convincing himself.
“Um…”
Chihiro forced himself to pluck up his courage, but it was still embarrassing.
Enjouji was clearly looking up at him, but it felt like she was looking down upon him.
“I’m really sorry… about Saturday.”
Chihiro was unable to look her in the eye as he spoke.
“Because my mind and body had hit their limit that day…”
“And?”
Enjouji’s reaction was unexpected. Chihiro had been expecting her to chirp, “Let’s work hard together!”, but that didn’t happen. She looked as though she were trying to see him clearly.
“So… I want to know if there’s anything I can help with now.”
“R-Really… Hm, I see.”
Enjouji nodded, slightly nervously.
“Well, about that thing, how much progress have you guys gone through?”
“A-Anyway, come with me first, since it’ll be bad if we’re overheard.”
Enjouji replied, and led Chihiro into the hallway.
After confirming that no one was nearby, she began:
“Um, we’ve been monitoring places where <Fuusenkazura> has appeared before, because that guy may be able to restore their memories. When <Fuusenkazura> meets me or Chihiro-kun, he always does it in the nature park, so he seems to like that place a lot now.”
This was the first matter — Enjouji said, then continued:
“A-And then, we’ve been slowly trying to talk about the past to Taichi-senpai and Yui-senpai. This is very taxing for both of them, so we can’t act boldly, and that’s why we decided to take it slow. Ah, also, we’re trying to befriend them, without connection to the past. We’ve also considered shock therapy, which is to use that power to create an irresolvable paradox, but that plan’s too dangerous, so we’re saving it for later. Other than that, Inaba-senpai and the others think that if they make themselves interesting, that guy should show up, so we’re also thinking of using this method…”
A great flood of information gushed into his mind. He never thought that they would be formulating so many plans, and had already taken action. Although she was stuttering a little, Enjouji still explained everything from end to end, which was also greatly surprising to Chihiro.
“R-Really? Then… What can I do?” Chihiro asked.
Then, Enjouji began to look observant again.
“I don’t know.”
He felt as if he had been lowered a rope that led somewhere other than his destination.
“Uh… Hey, you know…”
What did that mean? He was indeed slower, but he had clearly expressed his willingness to help, and yet didn’t get receive anything remotely close to gratitude. If he took action, maybe he would change. As Enjouji had said, “You have to take action, then change.” The most important thing was that his luck should be flourishing right now.
“Ah… Uh, um… You should ask Inaba-senpai and the others.”
I see, I see, so I should do that next?
“I’m really sorry… Um, I want to help do something too.”
After school, Chihiro headed towards the clubroom, and apologized to everyone with his head bowed.
Although his stomach had complained on the way to the clubroom, the time had been decided beforehand, so he couldn’t be late. Besides, Enjouji had told him to do it, so he wasn’t doing anything wrong.
“I’m late because my mind and body were acting up a bit, but…”
Chihiro lifted his head and stole a glance at Inaba, Nagase, and Aoki’s expressions. They didn’t look welcoming at all; everyone’s faces were stern. This had to be the same as when he had apologized last time, a sign that they would accept him afterwards like nothing had happened. Chihiro thought so, but —
“Hey, Chihiro… Have you prepared yourself?”
Inaba stared at him, asking stiffly.
Was she testing him? He couldn’t blame her.
“Wh… Yeah.”
Although he didn’t know what kind of preparation Inaba meant, he should already be prepared anyway.
“… What do you think, Iori?”
“Hmm… I think Chihhi’s strength in this is needed, but…”
But what?
They didn’t look welcoming.
It was as though the atmosphere were saying, we don’t need Chihiro. This was too weird.
“Anyway, let’s have him do something first.”
Aoki suggested, and Inaba nodded sternly.
“I say, do you not have an ounce of independence?”
“Huh? Ahh, I’m not used to bringing up my own ideas…”
“Why?”
“Uh… because…”
“Inaban.”
Nagase stopped Inaba, who was in a very bad mood.
Why was she forcing answers out of him like this? Chihiro didn’t know what this attitude of hers meant.
The first thing that came out of his mouth was an offer to help, and he had even apologized. Although Chihiro knew that this wasn’t really worthy of praise, but since they were able to forgive that kind of wrongdoing, what was there to be angry about now?
Did he do it wrong?
Or was his impression of all of it wrong? Was this world actually not pure, simple, and gentle?
Someone tell him, he may look like this, but he was really frantically searching for answers, and trying to take action.
Someone talk to him, tell him that everything will be okay if he does that.
But the reality was cruel; Inaba merely said: “You can go home today.”
===
Chihiro received a text from Inaba first thing in the morning, telling everyone to gather at the clubroom. Although he felt a little awkward, he immediately agreed. Because she had asked him to.
“Chihiro’s mission is to try and get in contact with <Fuusenkazura>, request that he explain everything, and if possible, try to negotiate with him… In short, just try and bump into <Fuusenkazura>.”
Inaba had told him this in the clubroom building before first period, and had added a few instructions. The other members were also gathered there.
After Chihiro explained in detail the circumstances under which he had met <Fuusenkazura>, Inaba said: “So the most probable location is the nature park after all”, but he would only appear when he felt like it, so it was unclear whether they could see him as according to plan.
No matter what, the fact that he had a mission made Chihiro breath a sigh of relief. He was needed, and he could take action to help solve the problem.
Then, everyone discussed simplistically, and Chihiro listened quietly.
Since they didn’t have much time, when everyone was about to end the conversation, Enjouji spoke up:
“Ah, um… I’m thinking, because <Fuusenkazura> will be entering Gotou-sensei’s body… W-We only need to monitor Gotou-sensei, don’t we?”
“Hmm? Ahh, that plan won’t work at all. Because when we monitor him from the side, that guy won’t possess him no matter what.”
Hearing Inaba’s reply, Chihiro became more and more unconvinced. At this rate, could they really encounter <Fuusenkazura> as they thought?
“Ah… I see, I’m sorry, I troubled you guys…”
“It’s nothing, Shino-chan! Suggest away!”
“Y-Yes! I-I will try my best, Iori-senpai.”
It seemed that Enjouji had completely blended into her upperclassmen’s circle.
After school, Chihiro left for the nature park alone.
Chihiro walked inside by himself. He’d never thought that this would become somewhere he frequented.
Come to think of it, ever since <Fuusenkazura> had threatened him, he’d never met him after that. It was Enjouji who had seen him recently, so he felt that she had a higher chance of encountering him.
Chihiro advanced, stepping on fallen branches.
Don’t think you can peacefully return to the original world — he had threatened him so, but no direct retribution had come.
Did this mean that he was still considering? Or was the loss of those two’s memories the very thing that <Fuusenkazura> had threatened?
His own crimes, were his greatest punishment — really?
If so, he couldn’t help but feel too despaired, and could only spend the rest of his life criticized by guilt.
What should he do?
Of course, the best thing would be to recover those two’s memories, so he should be working towards that.
Could memories really be recovered?… No, they must be. If he didn’t believe it, how could he continue to fight… Don’t think you can peacefully return to the original world — No.
Chihiro couldn’t see the ending of this story.
Chihiro only just realized that ever since this had all begun, he had never thought about a way to end it. He clearly wanted to step into an unusual world, yet he hadn’t been prepared at all.
He’d thought he was someone powerful.
He’d obviously only received that power by chance.
Chihiro became immeasurably self-satisfied upon receiving the power, and told himself that he wanted to climb upwards.
But where exactly did “upwards” mean?
Nothing belonged to Chihiro; he had not a single one of his thoughts was formulated from scratch.
Chihiro suddenly realized: where is this?
While walking aimlessly, he had arrived somewhere he had never been.
Chihiro was thinking of nothing. It was the same now, too; he was standing here because he had been ordered to do so. Chihiro was merely following orders, and was happy to.
Huh? Wait.
— After sighting <Fuusenkazura>, what was he supposed to do then?
“Is it going to end like this… Eh, Uwa-san?”
Such a voice came from within the woods.
A voice like a moan from the depths of hell.
“A certain object” entered Chihiro’s view.
It was the “certain object” who was not angry at all, in Gotou’s form.
This was after school, right? The teachers should be at school, was it okay for them to come outside like this? How did he get outside? How did he know what they were planning? He’s even controlling this — Chihiro’s mind was filled with questions that didn’t need to slip out.
<Fuusenkazura> was here.
<Fuusenkazura> was — was here.
Chihiro had tried to contact him, and succeeded. Now what should he do? Ask him for an explanation, negotiate with him, but this was horrible timing. Inaba had given him detailed instructions… but had she explained how to ask <Fuusenkazura> for an explanation, and how to negotiate with him?
“You haven’t been… using your power recently… has it already ended?” <Fuusenkazura> asked.
Chihiro’s body went rigid.
He heard the sound of large breaths being taken. Were they his own? It felt difficult to breathe, like he was lacking oxygen.
What was <Fuusenkazura> doing?
Did only he feel this way?
Was he alone in having this feeling?
“Oh, dear… You can’t just stay silent… Is it really going to end like this? Then, I’ll… end you?”
So there is another punishment?
A punishment crueler than that.
A punishment that will be directly applied onto him.
What is it…?
Memories?
Will he forget everything?
“Do you think everything would end just like that?”
He shouldn’t have said that aloud.
Perhaps he can see through his heart?
“P… Please stop… Spare me… I don’t want…”
Chihiro emitted a trembling voice; maybe even tears fell from his eyes, and he dropped to his knees right then and there.
“Oh dear… Well… Hmm…”
His flat voice terrified Chihiro even further.
Chihiro had thought that he wanted to be punished, and had once lamented his lack of punishment, yet ended up like this. He talked about becoming like this or that because he didn’t get punished, and it all turned out to be an excuse to escape, to justify his own actions.
<Fuusenkazura>’s eyes flashed. This is the end, Chihiro thought. This is the end, this is scary.
Who will come save me… It seems a little too late to say that, but who will come save me…
Please, just this once.
Save me.
“Ah… Fuusen… <Fuusenkazura>!”
A third voice.
Was it the voice of redemption?
Chihiro turned to look behind him.
Appearing before him was his savior — Enjouji Shino.
“You’re kidding me… It happened… Ah, wait!”
Enjouji sprinted forward, and Chihiro turned his eyes back, only to see <Fuusenkazura> disappear into the woods.
“W-Wait! Ow!”
Enjouji went sprawling onto the ground and crawled back up, moaning.
“Chi-Chihiro-kun, what’re you doing? We have to catch up to him! We need to capture that guy!”
“… Huh?”
Chihiro stood up, but he could no longer see <Fuusenkazura>’s silhouette, and couldn’t hear footsteps.
“… H-He got away?”
Originally wanting to chase after him but stopping her footsteps, Enjouji murmured, “Tell them first anyway”, and pulled out her phone. She seemed to be reporting what had just happened to Inaba.
“… Okay, then I’ll stay here, please watch the school gate, senpais.”
It appeared to be an official <Fuusenkazura> capture operation, but, all <Fuusenkazura> needed to do was pull himself away from Gotou’s consciousness, so it seemed pointless… wasn’t it?
Enjouji finished her call and put her phone away.
“… Chihiro-kun.”
Enjouji looked back at him, her expression very severe. Chihiro had never seen such an face on her. The emotion this expression conveyed was… rage?
“Chihiro-kun, why… why did you just let him go like that?! Why didn’t you chase after him? That was… That was a once in a blue moon opportunity! Tell me, why?!”
She called that an “opportunity”? No, no matter how he looked at it, it had to be danger, right? A dangerous situation from which he had narrowly escaped.
“Chihiro-kun should be aware that we need to capture <Fuusenkazura>, shouldn’t you?!”
Enjouji shouted, seizing Chihiro’s uniform. Driven by her emotions, she shook him with both hands. Chihiro let her shake him, bathing in the emotions exploding from her. Enjouji, always stuttering, now was unrecognizable as her usually tepid self, releasing her state of mind onto Chihiro.
“So that’s why… Ahh, yeah, the senpais knew all along!”
“… What do you mean?”
Chihiro asked in a low voice. The fact that he didn’t know what to do after <Fuusenkazura> had appeared, and could only cower like that without even being able to verbally tear into him, was much too embarrassing.
Enjouji let go of Chihiro’s uniform, and took a step back.
“… When this began, we originally wanted to ask Chihiro-kun to help out more. But Chihiro-kun didn’t come to the clubroom on Saturday, and when you showed up on Monday, the senpais said that you didn’t seem prepared enough.”
So he’d been tested, and was exposed?
“So, they asked you to find <Fuusenkazura>, but didn’t restrict you too much and gave you free rein. They also said that your chance of encountering <Fuusenkazura> was the highest, and had me monitor Chihiro-kun’s movements.”
“… Are you saying that you followed me?”
“I-I couldn’t follow you all the way… But pretty much, yes.”
So Enjouji would only show herself under those circumstances? Indeed, it would be too much of a coincidence.
Was he the bait?
Did he only amount to that kind of value?
Yeah, he only amounted to that kind of value.
“By the way… If I’d known that we need to capture him, I wouldn’t have slipped up like that. Besides, senpai only told me to contact him…”
“Do you plan to push the responsibility to someone else like you did back then?
These words struck Chihiro like a bullseye, piercing deep into where it hurt in his heart.
“Chihiro-kun always pushes the wrongdoing onto the people around him, and the senpais have already seen through this.”
They’d seen through when the wrongdoing is pushed to the surrounding people.
“You keep dodging, and never try to fight. You keep dodging because you’re afraid to get hurt, right?”
Chihiro couldn’t think of anything to refute with.
“When I found Chihiro-kun when you’d run away from home, I thought you had changed, but you’re still your old self.
Once was enough, but he was a repeat offender.
He had tried to change, but couldn’t immediately change at all.
“I thought you had finally taken action, but you still ended up pushing everything to someone else.”
She couldn’t help but but make it too hard to listen.
“Then tell me, what am I supposed to — do?!”
That was it.
That was why she said that he pushes everything to someone else.
“Although I’m not that remarkable… But I think I have the right to say this to Chihiro-kun. So I’ll say it directly —”
“— You keep dodging and escaping; how long do you plan to keep escaping?”
How long does he plan to keep escaping?
Where does he plan to escape to?
Chihiro had never once considered that.
Chihiro thought that he was looking forward, but he was really a shallow fellow, always prioritizing his own “happiness” and “desires”.
Pushing the wrongdoing to someone else, always escaping, never trying to help, giving everything to someone else.
His true self — placed right in front of him.
Chihiro was surprised at none of it, because deep down, he really knew.
After all, it was himself; he’d naturally be familiar.
But up until recently, he’d never known — no, he’d pretended not to know.
Including that, had he always been evading?
He had always been evading, and the more he evaded, the deeper he sank, unable to pull himself out.
“Hey, can this really continue like this? If Taichi-senpai and Yui-senpai never… if Yui-senpai never remembers you, would it mean nothing to you? If all of their memories up until now completely vanish, would it still mean nothing to you?”
Enjouji had stopped caring about her own appearance, and was yelling desperately. Caught in the midst of such intense emotions, Chihiro’s mind unexpectedly calmed a bit. He’d been intimidated by her imposition and could only stand there, petrified.
Come to think of it, they shouldn’t be the type of people to expose their emotions like this, should they?
Had Enjouji Shino really changed?
Had she already gone to that world?
“Chihiro-kun, you… Chihiro-kun likes Yui-senpai, don’t you!”
Chihiro had always been yearning.
He, a shadow, yearned to approach that sun.
But somehow, he had already forgotten pure emotions.
Then, he merely raised his head and looked up.
Chihiro didn’t think he was capable of approaching it, but he still revered that sun unconsciously.
It clearly couldn’t be unconscious, but Chihiro had intentionally ignored it, because he was always evading, afraid of getting hurt.
Chihiro remembered.
He remembered that day when he had made Yui and Taichi lose their memories.
He had used “Fantasy Projection” to escape.
Was that the biggest act of escapism in his life? But he still hasn’t learned his lesson, and was still escaping?
“Can it really end like this?”
And then Enjouji forced him into an impasse.
He was left helpless; this was his end.
This was the worst possible scenario. There was nothing worse than this.
Tears seemed ready to flow from his eyes.
Was it because he was becoming emotionally moved from expressing his feelings? Enjouji’s eyes were also brimming with tears and her face was screwed up. As though she couldn’t hold it in anymore, Enjouji hung her head, and her tears dropped to the ground. Then, she immediately looked straight up.
Watching her, Chihiro noticed something.
So it was: if one looked down when they wanted to cry, tears would fall out.
But if one looked upwards, tears wouldn’t fall out.
So Chihiro raised his head to look up.
The vast sky unfolded before his eyes.
It was blue enough to sting a bit.
For some reason, he didn’t think the sky was a board now.
The sky looked like an immeasurably deep, smooth, wide solid; it was beautiful.
Even if he were in the worst situation, the sky today was still beautiful.
The tears rolling in his eyes still had not disappeared, so Chihiro kept looking up at the sky.
The sky was so big, so wide — childlike thoughts floated into his mind.
He wanted to spend a bit more time, to think about something. But under this patch of sky, he just couldn’t bring himself to bother about trivial trifles. He tried to think about something more important, more closely related to him.
Yes, he might as well think about stuff related to this world.
Chihiro had always thought that this world was very miserly.
No matter how diligently he studied, if he ran out of luck on test day, it would become an irredeemable failure in his life.
When that girl who always put off practice came back, in the blink of an eye she’d surpass everyone who had always practiced seriously and become the strongest in the dojo.
No matter how he yearned for it day and night, when he noticed it, that other person had already become an existence out of his reach.
Even if he wanted to change and try hard to climb up, he was always bound to the bottom, as if that place were his rightful position.
Untameable. This world was utterly untameable.
This world was boring beyond belief, horribly dull, without future, without light.
But the blue sky was so beautiful today.
— Ahh, I’ve noticed it already.
This patch of sky will not change, no matter when.
No matter when, it will still be very beautiful.
No matter when, it will still draw surprise and admiration.
This world, no matter when, will keep its original form.
This excessively natural truth fell into Chihiro’s heart.
The world will not abandon him. It will not treat him severely.
But he would not treat himself kindly either, or let himself live an easy, simple life.
The world will always keep its original form, no matter when, no matter to whom, it is a fair existence.
The world will always protect everyone while maintaining the same form.
He had always held the world in contempt, and thought that it was incurable; but deep down, he had longed for a certain world. Back then, Chihiro already knew that this world had two faces, but he didn’t acknowledge this, and merely kept brainwashing himself, thinking this this world was boring and tedious.
Why was this?
The answer was very simple: he was unable to belong to that world he longed for. Because he never did anything well and never became his ideal, so he thought that the world was something boring. So this couldn’t be helped, he wasn’t in the wrong — Chihiro explained, justifying himself. But if it were the ending he was hoping for, then Chihiro would definitely think that this world was wonderful.
The reason clearly lied with himself, yet he pushed the guilt onto the world.
SInce he was willing to push the “wrongdoing” onto the world, of course he was willing to push other things to other people.
Not knowing how to think and solve it for himself, giving everything to someone else, always relying on his surroundings, and the only thing stronger than everyone else was his self-esteem, twice as much. He immersed in thought only to avoid himself getting hurt, only for his own self-esteem. Even so, he had never done anything useful.
Chihiro had always used this lifestyle to create his own world.
It was all created by his hand.
The world had always kept its original form, but perspectives towards this world probably varied from person to person. The differences lay with how the observer saw this world.
The one changing his perspective on the world and architecting his own world, was himself.
He had thought this world absolutely no good, because he was absolutely no good.
He had thought this world utterly filthy, because his own lenses were dirty.
The one who had decided this world’s worth, this world’s color, was no one other than himself.
For example, like now, although he had hit rock bottom and wanted to die, although he saw himself as such, to Enjouji, it was different.
Although he had hit rock bottom, meaning that his spring had been compressed to the very lowest point, it was building strength.
This was a danger with a narrow escape, so it was the first and the last chance.
His perspective on the world was his to decide.
Was this correct?
After being lost for so long, had he finally found the correct answer?
Chihiro didn’t know. But if he said, “I don’t know”, then abandoned this matter, no one would tell him the correct answer anyway.
He must confirm it himself.
No matter when, the correct answer will be there.
Whether he thought it was correct, no matter when, the power to decide rested with him.
To acknowledge this naturally existing world, everything was up to him.
With the answer in his heart, Chihiro turned his face back in front.
“Chi-Chihiro… kun?”
Enjouji looked slightly confused. After all, Chihiro kept looking up at the sky, right until his neck began to hurt; it’s no wonder she was concerned.
“Hey, Enjouji.”
Chihiro called Enjouji, and then, for safety, brushed the corner of his eye… it was dry.
If he didn’t look down, but up instead, the tears wouldn’t drop out.
“You’ve changed.”
“Huh… Huuhhh? I-I’ve changed? Is my change so obvious that even Chihiro-kun can notice it?”
“You’ve changed, all right.”
Hearing Chihiro say this, Enjouji cried ecstatically, “Wow! Yes, yes!”, but she was clearly not used to expressing joy.
“I-It’s embarrassing to have someone say it to your directly like that! Heh heh heh… I should say, Chihiro-kun, you seem to suddenly have a different vibe, have you changed?”
“Can you see it?”
Would my inner change be displayed on the surface so suddenly?
“Yep, I can tell by your voice.”
What kind of special power is that?
But even if only Enjouji could notice, it would be displayed on his attitude, expressing that a great change had taken place in his heart.
“Maybe it’s like I’ve found the correct answer… that’s what I think. If that’s the truth, it’s all thanks to you, thank you.”
How long has it been since he had frankly expressed his gratitude to someone like this?
“T-That’s embarrassing! Or rather, just from that one moment, something can happen… Ah~, it’s possible.”
Enjouji seemed to have had the same experience, like she could understand.
“This situation does exist, the moment when you find the ‘truth’ you’ve always been looking for.”
“Has Enjouji found it too?”
“Hmm… P-Pretty much.”
“By now, shouldn’t you be surer of yourself?”
So bold and powerful when she’s imposing.
“Right, there’s something else. When Enjouji said ‘truth’ just now… It’s just as you said, I don’t whether my own thoughts are the ‘truth’. How do you think I should judge?”
If it’s her, she should know, right? Chihiro thought and asked.
Enjouji was someone powerful. If he thought of that, he could gradually see Enjouji’s merits. If he could earn something from within, he’d like to as well. As a result, he seemed to be able to grow more than before.
“Yeah, if you don’t do anything, and let that thought stay in its original form, maybe it’ll become an imposter.”
Saying this, Enjouji looked a little pleased with herself.
Then, she seemed to want to say, “Let me tell you a very shocking secret”, and smiled:
“So you have to take action, and turn it into the ‘truth’ on your own.”
I see.
“By the way, you seemed to mention something about me liking Yui-senpai…”
“Huh?! Am I wrong? When I was using my power, the set condition was, ‘the person whom Chihiro-kun wants to see and talk to the most right now’, and I became Yui-senpai, so I thought that was it…”
“Don’t say it again!”
“Ah, okay! Hm? But you didn’t deny it… in other words, you do like Yui-senpai…”
“Don’t immediately repeat it, okay? Also… Sorry for all the trouble.”
“What trouble?”
“The trouble of making you run about, making you scream, making you watch me say nothing, and making you mad! Don’t make me say it, it’s humiliating!”
“It’s Chihiro-kun’s fault, so why are you scolding me?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
===
“About our plan to forcibly cause an irresolvable paradox, if we want to do this, I should do it. I should be able to use my “power”. Also, I will find <Fuusenkazura> again, because the chance of him coming to me should be pretty high.”
The five members of the Cultural Research Club who were able to gather were meeting in their clubroom; Chihiro apologized to everyone, and listened respectfully to their explanations of phenomena that happened in connection to <Fuusenkazura>, then suggested a plan he came up with.
“Oh, okay… It’s just that, the risks with a forcible activation are very high, and I think it’s still too early to move.”
Inaba replied, a little surprised.
Chihiro thought a mere apology wouldn’t be enough to convey his own determination, so he had tried to express his intentions with a completed plan, but was it not good enough?
“Chihhi.”
Nagase called Chihiro’s name, her arms crossed over her chest.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
After Chihiro responded, Nagase slowly opened her eyes, and the corners of her mouth lifted.
“You’ve been born again.”
Nagase pointed at Chihiro and declared in a mock tone.
“Thank you for the praise, senpai.”
Chihiro bowed and thanked her politely, but ended up being suspected: “Wait, Chihhi doesn’t have that kind of personality? Maybe he’s an imposter?”
“Did something happen? Chihiro?” Aoki asked.
“Long story…”
Chihiro was just about to speak, but then he hesitated. His own intentions were a little too idealistic and felt very artificial; he didn’t dare discuss these in front of “genuine” people like Nagase, Inaba, or Aoki.
“Chi-Chihiro-kun! Um…”
Enjouji looked as though she were about to say something; was she going to encourage him?
Wait a second, if she were to do that, then Enjouji would steal all his thunder.
“For the longest time, I kept pushing my wrongdoings to my surroundings… but I’ve finally noticed that. Everything depends on myself, or should I say that the world will always keep its original form… Wait, scratch that last bit!”
What the hell was he saying, Chihiro couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. Even if it were supposed to be funny, this was too humiliating.
“Ah ha ha ha ha!”
“Ha ha ha ha ha!”
“Pff~ Wa ha ha ha ha!”
Chihiro’s words sent Nagase, Inaba, and Aoki into fits of laughter.
They were laughing at him, but Chihiro didn’t hate it. Because he already knew that this was joyous laughter that wouldn’t annoy hm.
If only he observed closely, he would discover these things.
“Not bad, Chihhi! You’ve grown! Ahh, Chihhi’s a hardworking kid after all. It’s just that you like to get into fights, and can’t use your powers properly!”
“Did I really seem like I like getting into fights back then? No, but I… I don’t count as hardworking or not, I’m just normal.”
“Then normal people are hardworking kids as well!”
Did she really just explain it like that? What an interesting person.
“Well, as your senpai, I’ll give Chihhi a bit of advice.”
Nagase said, then continued in a very masculine, macho voice.
“You lack courage and self-esteem. You care too much about how others think of you, you don’t need to worry about that. Just you do you. Your own lifestyle is determined by how you value yourself.”
“It sounds really convincing when you say it, la la la~.”
Inaba chuckled, and stuck her tongue out at Nagase.
“Then I’ll say something too.”
It was Inaba’s turn to speak.
“Your perspective of the world is determined by you? That’s too naive; if you’re satisfied just by changing your perspective, that’s some second-rate stuff.”
Inaba propped her legs on top of each other haughtily.
“This world doesn’t belong to anyone else – it’s yours. If you have a problem with that, go change it yourself.”
When she put it this way it sounded like literal blasphemy.
“You’re so cool, Inaban!”
Nagase danced around cheerfully; even Enjouji was watching Inaba in awe.
It would be better to ask, why are they acting like this? Is everyone too into it? Too into youthfulness, and putting on too much of a performance? You’ll be so ashamed of yourself later that you won’t want to show your face, I can’t even keep watching you like this!
No, but wasn’t this the correct way? Was this the spirit of youth?
In any case, Chihiro tried to wait for Aoki to speak as well.
“Huh? What’re you all staring at me for… Ah, judging by the circumstances, are you waiting for my suggestion? Well, th-that’s rare! Me, who’s usually ignored at times like these… Ah, sorry! I’ll say it immediately, don’t give me that “forget it” look! I’ll think about it right now! Uh… Umm…”
Aoki racked his brains for a while, yet his words were very straightforward.
“Don’t think about it, just feel it!”
Well, that certainly sounded like Aoki.
In any case, with the goal of meeting <Fuusenkazura>, Chihiro headed for the park. Looks like that guy will only appear there.
If it was really going to end, he ought to say it clearly, and there shouldn’t be repercussions afterward.Because that’s how it always is — Nagase and the other’s words tied with them his last sliver of hope.
No matter what, when he sees that guy this time, he must capture him.
How is he supposed to fight an opponent like that? How could he possibly win against an existence able to instigate supernatural phenomena? Although Chihiro kept thinking about that, as long as he stood up seriously to him, it wasn’t impossible at all.
As long as he clearly recognized that guy and kept his battle plan in mind while working on attaining this absolute goal, he would indeed find a breaking point.
Being able to find a breaking point meant that he could fight.
He couldn’t fight before, because he didn’t face the truth, and kept escaping.
From past incidents that guy’s nature could be speculated, and that guy’s so-called “interestingness”. From that he’d extrapolate a thought that seemed like an answer, and turn that still fictitious “imposter” into “reality”, through actual action.
Very easy to understand. Chihiro rubbed his palms together, wanting to try it as soon as possible.
However, as it happened, after completing his perfect battle preparations, <Fuusenkazura> did not appear.
Chihiro hovered around the park, walking around it in circles, and circles, and circles, and circles.
Incidentally, Enjouji was beside Chihiro, desperately shuffling her feet in the same way.
Everyone had speculated that <Fuusenkazura> didn’t seem like planning to appear before the second years, so only two first years were there. Inaba and the others moved along another route, searching for a way to solve the problem.
Right up until the two of them had still been chatting as they walked, but now were in silence, moving quietly.
The sun began to sink, and a comfortable breeze blew. Was it because this breeze had begun when his mind was so exhausted it was becoming hazy? A hole suddenly seemed to open up in his heart.
“I keep feeling that… a lot of things are thanks to you, Enjouji. Thank you again.”
But after the words left his mouth, Chihiro could not help but feel embarrassed. And he seemed to have already thanked before too, so in other words, he’d said it for nothing.
“I-I say that, but the problem still isn’t resolved. Unless we let Yui… we let Taichi-senpai and Yui-senpai go back to the way they were, I don’t have the right to say anything.”
Yes, the matter still isn’t done, but they were just standing at the starting line a moment ago.
Enjouji heard this, then smiled very kindly and gently.
“That’s because Taichi-senpai gave me courage. Ah, but I had the courage to go see Taichi-senpai because I saw how Iori-senpai and the others were working hard before that… No, that’s not it, if I think about it, it should be because I joined this club, a-and the senpais were always like “that”, and because Chihiro-kun was there… I-If so, I should say that it’s because I was born…”
“How far back are you gonna go?”
If she were left like that, she might go back to the creation of the universe. How massive.
But, did the world really work like that?
Hmm, this was too sentimental.
“But, you’re not wrong, the problem… still isn’t solved, so our battle is only just beginning.”
“You actually remembered the topic that I thought you’d forgotten, Enjouji.”
Even though she’s changed, she still hasn’t.
Her stuttering still persisted, and judging by her words, while she was screaming at Chihiro, it seemed that she was in “Super Awakened Mode”. Can’t she do something about the way she named that?
In the end, they didn’t find <Fuusenkazura> as they had wished.
On the second day, Chihiro and Enjouji rushed all over the place, but didn’t find <Fuusenkazura>.
On the third day, Chihiro and Enjouji still rushed all over the place, but didn’t find <Fuusenkazura>.
So on the fourth day, Chihiro and Enjouji were still desperately rushing all over the place.
“It’s… no good… He’s… not showing up… at all.”
Enjouji panted with her hands resting on her knees.
“… What the hell… So it depends on that guy’s mood after all?”
Chihiro cursed.
If they couldn’t break this stalemate, they needed a new plan. It was just as well that everyone was discussing whether to use shock therapy on Yui and Taichi.
How much time had passed since Yui and Taichi had lost their memories? The most frightening thing now was if those memories had not, in fact, been carefully stored away somewhere.
<Fuusenkazura> possessed ludicrous power; he could do things completely out of this world.
But he was not omnipotent.
If something were under that guy’s control, it could be speculated that all was according to his plan, but <Fuusenkazura> had given the controller to someone else this time.
Could that guy be expecting an unexpected situation, and backing everything up first? Inaba once said that this made her uneasy.
Chihiro really wished she would not say terrifying things like that, but her willingness to express her concerns to Chihiro and Enjouji showed that she trusted them. If that was the case, then they could at least think forward.
He should think forward like that, and strengthen himself more. Chihiro was recently forced to realize how important this was.
Because of something that had happened when Chihiro went to dispose of the recorder he had placed in the clubroom.
As if suddenly possessed, he had replayed the full recorder. Then —
“Taichi… Uuhh… Taichi…”
The recorder played Inaba’s voice calling his name, and sobbing.
Inaba had always seemed easygoing to Chihiro. Even in this type of situation, her strong personality and past experience had led him to believe that she was really okay. Chihiro had always believed that Inaba was practically superhuman.
But he was wrong. They were just like him, suffering from pain.
They looked strong because they didn’t expose their weak side, but they were really hiding their tears.
Since they never showed their weak side, it made Chihiro and Enjouji feel their strength. Who knows how much courage their strong side had brought to these two?
Since they showed their strong side, they made others around them strong as well.
Although they looked to be successful in everything they did, that wasn’t actually the case. They were merely pretending to be successful, and they didn’t stop there; through effort, they’d make that which was still an imposter into reality.
In the end, they were standing on the same horizon as Chihiro.
Therefore, he could do it — Chihiro thought fervently.
“The place that guy likes the most seems to be somewhere with no people. Let’s go back and check again.”
Chihiro suggested, and Enjouji agreed.
Once he heard about how their upperclassmen had once been through hell and high water, when Chihiro had decided to fight along with them, frankly, he’d hoped for a moment that maybe everything could be resolved quite easily. Because one he got fired up, he felt like the world would go his way.
But of course nothing convenient like that would happen. The world merely maintained its original form; it wouldn’t conform to him so easily.
Despite that, Chihiro would not give up.
When things got tough, they wouldn’t just stop. They’d continue advancing through this cruel world.
They would take many strides, and take them step by step.
— What if <Fuusenkazura> never appeared again?
His heart beat with anxiety as he walked.
— Even if he appeared, what if that guy was also helpless?
His heart pounded with questions as he walked.
— Could that kind of opportunity really descend on someone like him, who had a criminal past?
His heart beat with nervousness as he still walked.
— If <Fuusenkazura>, according to what he threatened beforehand, carried out the punishment on him, who had broken the contract…
Something like that isn’t crucial at all… did that sound too much like he was showing off? It was only false bravado.
Yes, someone not “genuine” like him, was still paying the most attention to himself.
But in this moment Chihiro was not advocating that, as he continued to advance.
Even if he was an imposter, he wanted to pretend to be genuine.
There was only one goal he needed to achieve now.
Then there will eventually be a day when he becomes genuine.
No matter how many times, he will carry on.
No matter how many times, he will continue to carry on.
He, no matter how many times, will continue to carry on.
No matter how many times, he will take action to change the world, and that’s why —
<Fuusenkazura> will appear then.
Chihiro had clearly been anticipating his appearance, yet his body froze up in an instant.
His appearance was Gotou, but he could feel his inhuman breath radiating, wanting to engulf everything around him.
This was <Fuusenkazura>.
Chihiro’s knees turned to water, and he almost couldn’t keep upright.
“He’s… He’s here!”
Enjouji seized the hem of Chihiro’s uniform.
He should go first.
According to their agreed plan, he must be the one to strike first.
“Th… Think of something!”
“Huh?! M-Me?”
“No, not you, Enjouji, I’m meant <Fuusenkazura>…”
He didn’t feel tense at all, and things weren’t going as planned. Originally, he should have taken action in a more handsome fashion, but he could never do it as he had planned it out in his mind.
Calm down, everything’s fine. He had set up a battle plan; all he needed to do was to put the thoughts in his mind into practice.
<Fuusenkazura> said nothing, merely standing there, even making one wonder if he were alive.
Just as Chihiro was thinking about this, he suddenly spoke:
“Ahh… I’ve recently been under the impression that… you guys have been looking all over for me… Ahh, normally I wouldn’t come out by myself… but things haven’t been moving forward…”
“Haven’t been moving forward… so you’ve pulled back?” Chihiro asked.
“… No, since being laissez-faire is interesting in its own right after all…”
Up until now, he would only pull back once he was bored, and had always done so.
“U-Um… <Fuusenkazura>-san, a-are you able to restore Taichi-senpai and Yui-senpai’s memories?”
Enjouji’s tone was unusually polite.
“If not restoring them would also be ‘very interesting’… I don’t think that would be a problem…”
In other words, if he wanted to, he could restore their memories?
“Ahh… but first, thank you for addressing me as ‘san’. I think it’s the first time I’ve been called as such…”
“D-Don’t mention it.”
<Fuusenkazura> was placing emphasis on a very strange place; this conversation really felt lacking in tension.
“Hey, <Fuusenkazura>, you can restore their memories, right? Please help us restore them, then. If you have any c-conditions, I’m willing to a-accept them.”
His words caught in his throat; <Fuusenkazura> had narrowed his eyes and was staring fiercely at Chihiro.
The change in his weak expression completely altered the atmosphere.
“What a pity for Uwa-san to dare to say something like that…”
He was blaming him.
“… You’re giving up while halfway through ‘making things more interesting’ … and besides, Uwa-san… this is all your fault, is it not?”
Chihiro couldn’t deny that.
Normally, his stupidity would prevent him from negotiating with someone.
No matter how he thought about it, he was at an impasse.
He wanted to run away, so much.
But those were his own thoughts. As long as he tried to find a different path, he would definitely find one.
Besides, since this guy was a heretical existence who lacked common sense and perspective, he should have weak points.
“As long as I… make things more interesting, right?!”
Strike at this point.
<Fuusenkazura>’s eyes retracted their sharp gaze, restoring their blank, forward stare.
“I’ll make things interesting… I’ll make them very interesting, all right. So… So quickly restore Yui-senpai and Taichi-senpai’s lost memories. Let’s make a deal, you bastard!”
If he didn’t deride him a bit to lift his own spirits, he wouldn’t be able handle it anymore.
“Uh… a deal, you said? You shouldn’t be a position to say that, Uwa-san…”
“For example, I’ll tell everyone that I used my ‘power’!”
Chihiro screamed at the top of his lungs.
“I’ll tell everyone about my super dark and childish thoughts! Or I’ll show everyone my diary that I wrote at the public high school, which I’ve locked away now!”
What the hell was he saying — Chihiro ignored the questions flashing through his mind, moving with his own energy. If he stopped, it would probably be all over.
“Or I’ll pull out all the stops and tell everyone in the Cultural Research Club, frankly, how I think of each one of them! And… Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it! That can make things more interesting, right?! Oh yeah, I don’t need the ‘Fantasy Projection’ power anymore! Take it back!”
“Fantasy Projection?”
“… Fantasy Projection?”
“I-It’s a name I gave to my ‘power’! Nothing wrong with that, is there?!”
How embarrassing, he didn’t think it would be this awkward to reveal his own original name.
“I-I’m willing to do anything! I’ll do my best, sorry to trouble you!”
Enjouji shouted along. Rather than a deal, it looked more like she was pleading with him, which seemed to deviate slightly from Chihiro’s goal.
“Whoo… Really… You people will do interesting things, huh… The price is restoring Yaegashi-san and Kiriyama-san’s memories, and to never let you use your ‘power’ again… Is that so…”
He got through to him.
This method could actually work; a thin ray of hope wavered.
“But… if you want to make a deal, I feel like you people’s ‘interestingness’ isn’t enough, so it’s best if… For example… What you’ve always wanted to try, deep down, Uwa-san… or something like that.”
<Fuusenkazura> said.
Chihiro felt like his inner thoughts were being spied on. That guy had probably already seen through him.
His deepest, darkest thoughts were being stared at; he didn’t want to be seen, he wanted to hide, this was embarrassing — but this wasn’t the moment to fuss. There couldn’t be anything worse than this, could there?
“Then I’ll confess to Yui-senpai! I’ll even do it in front of everyone in the Cultural Research Club!”
That kind of declaration wasn’t worth much.
“Oh… compared to what you just brought up… that seems a little interesting…”
He seemed quite satisfied, would it work?
“But… what if I still refuse?”
‘What if’?
His own plans weren’t his absolute limit, but he was truly out of ideas, and couldn’t think of anything crazier.
“Then wipe my memories!”
A shout like that was suddenly heard.
He didn’t shout that.
If he didn’t, then it could only have been Enjouji Shino.
“Y-You can wipe my memories about the Cultural Research Club… in exchange for restoring their memories… How’s that? Y-You can do it, right? It’s equivalent exchange, too!”
This action was way too absurd, way too ridiculous.
But Enjouji — Enjouji, who had somehow already let go of Chihiro’s shirt hem, was prepared.
Prepared, with intense resolve.
Was he a step behind Enjouji again?
Was he not trying, or was Enjouji too strong?
What should he think now? The one who could choose his own perspective on things was himself. So… he’d take it as Enjouji being very strong.
But, he vowed that one day, he’d catch up to her, and pass her.
Although the determination he had now based on his momentum was merely an imposter, Chihiro would make it reality in the future of this world.
“Then wipe my memories too! Two for two! You satisfied now?!”
Even if he were to lose that dreamlike time and space, he must get something in return for it.
The five-person pentagon must be Inaba, Nagase, Yui, Taichi, and Aoki.
As an admirer of that pentagon, this was something he ought to do.
Steeling his willpower, he prepared himself.
This was the end and the beginning.
“How about it, <Fuusenkazura>?!”
Such a moment would render the world —
“… What if I still refuse?”
— Still the same.
“Wh… Why is it like this…”
Enjouji mumbled, half sobbing.
Chihiro had understood long ago.
Even if he did his utmost, faced the end of his tether, Lady Luck would not smile upon him.
In his life, he had already been forced to experience this principle several times.
This wasn’t anyone’s fault, and he shouldn’t hate anyone for it.
Whether it happened or not, he could only resign to fate.
But now… now was different.
Just in this current situation — he must rely upon himself to seize victory.
“… What will you do?”
<Fuusenkazura> asked again.
This was his last chance.
So think hard, think hard, think hard.
He wasn’t at his limit yet. Unless he thought so; then he would be at his limit.
Go change.
Have a plan.
“… Whoo… If you don’t have anything —”
Ahh, he was out of time.
“T-Then, I’ll… cry in front of you!”
Tweet tweet tweet — he could hear birdsong.
A blank space suddenly appeared in time; it was quiet enough to hear birdsong.
In this type of situation, this type of development, this kind of occasion, the fact that all he could utter was, then I’ll cry in front of you, filled Chihiro with despair.
“… Puha! Uu, uu… ha, hahahahah!”
Apparently desperately trying to hold it in, Enjouji burst out laughing.
“I’m s-sorry, Chihiro-ku… Pu, hu hu hu hu~~”
“Y-You’re laughing too much, Enjouji!”
In the instant that Chihiro was distracted by criticizing her —
“… Pff… What d’you mean… Huh?”
He heard <Fuusenkazura>’s voice.
Moreover, Chihiro instinctively noticed that there was something different than before.
Chihiro turned around, only to see a stunned expression on <Fuusenkazura>.
His expression was definitively different from what he had seen before.
Chihiro examined it more closely, then discovered something.
That was <Fuusenkazura>’s natural reaction.
That was a naturally expressed voice and appearance — Chihiro felt so.
“… Did I just… laugh?”
His voice was different from before; it was an unadulterated, candid voice.
What was going on?
What had changed in <Fuusenkazura>’s mind?
“It was already too much for me… so I tried to give it to someone else to do… what an unexpected gain… How… How interesting… How very interesting…”
Although Chihiro couldn’t understand what this meant, <Fuusenkazura> was very visibly excited.
Furthermore, he was genuinely interested.
This is it.
After Chihiro desperately thought and racked his brains, that sentence finally hooked him.
This was the very last chance to seize victory, and win back the future.
“Hey, hey! You think that’s interesting, right? You just said that! Don’t horse around now! The price is that ‘interestingness’ just now! If you take this chance to restore their memories… I’ll show you something even more ‘interesting’! So give their memories —”
“Sure.”
As the ending moment came so easily, it was simple enough to be anticlimactic.
<Fuusenkazura> had already lost interest in Chihiro and the others, becoming spiritedly engrossed in himself.
===
Kiriyama Yui and Yaegashi Taichi recovered their memories.
WIthout any repercussions, they returned to the Cultural Research CLub.
In the Cultural Research Club where all seven members gathered, Chihiro explained this incident to everyone.
From before they had met <Fuusenkazura>, right up until <Fuusenkazura> had said, “I’ve already restored them back to their original form, and stopped you from using your ‘powers’, so I’m going now…” As meticulously as possible, Chihiro recounted this unbelievably long story to everyone.
No matter what happened, Chihiro wanted them to know the entire sequence of events, and make their own judgment afterwards.
Starting from the middle, Enjouji also helped tell the story, but one day wasn’t enough to finish. They left the rest for the next day.
When he had talked until his mouth and throat were dry and his voice had begun to crack, he finally finished the entire story.
After finishing his explanation, and even though he had apologized profusely throughout, Chihiro apologized to everyone once again.
Chihiro didn’t wish for their forgiveness, or for them to let him off; he merely wanted to express his regret to everyone.
He thought that it would inevitable for him to be kicked off the club, and it wouldn’t even be strange if there were harsher consequences.
But should be be surprised after all? Even Yui and Taichi who had temporarily lost their memories did not blame Chihiro. Insead, the five upperclassmen apologized to the two, and it turned into a small apology contest between the second and first years.
“We knew that we might include you in <Fuusenkazura>’s phenomena when you joined the Cultural Research Club, but we kept it from you, and that’s why this happened.”
Taichi and the others were apologizing, but Chihiro actually had the chance to reject <Fuusenkazura>’s offer. He hadn’t been caught without an explanation, so he couldn’t be the least bit angry at this.
“Okay, let’s call it quits! Both sides have now expressed their indifference!”
Pat pat — Nagase clapped her hands together, ending the apology contest.
“Well then! Chihhi and Shino-chan, do you want to stay in the Cultural Research Club? Frankly, we don’t know how many times things like this will happen again.”
Nagase asked in a carefree manner, trying her best to avoid looking uneasy or hesitant.
“But it’ll be like this every time; we’ll definitely be able to pull through it all.”
Inaba looked to the side and said so.
“Things like this have hurt our exam scores, too! Yeah, I’m serious! I failed so many classes because of these phenomena!”
“Don’t believe that no matter what, you two.”
“I got it, Iori-senpai, that’s just Idio-ki-senpai being too much of an idiot… Ah, I mean Aoki-senpai!”
“That’s got to be the most hurtful thing you’ve ever said! By the way, Inaba, you’ve passed down your trash talking to Shino, haven’t you!”
“Shut up, Idio-ki. I’m just passing down the Cultural Research Club’s traditions to future generations.”
“I didn’t think you were doing it for real! You should say what you’re doing first!”
Putting aside Aoki’s shouting, Taichi switched to a serious tone and spoke:
“Honestly… it would also trouble the people around us, like our families.”
“You’re so thoughtful of your family, Taichi, such a gentleman. But… I’ll never forgive you for pampering your sister like that! Absolutely not!”
“Dereban-sensei, please hold your lovers’ quarrel for later.”
Nagase put a stop to Inaba’s rage.
Then, Yui also spoke:
“Uhh, um, i-it’s not like we’re never seeing each other again after this… even if you guys want to leave, it’s completely okay… It should be, yeah.”
Only one of them couldn’t hide their feelings at all; so easy to read.
Chihiro looked at Enjouji, and Enjouji looked at Chihiro.
Both of them said nothing, and nodded tacitly at each other. Somehow, the two of them had become good partners. Whether they would become good lovers… that was inconceivable now.
The two of them shifted their eyes to the five before them; that is, Taichi, Inaba, Iori, Yui, and Aoki.
Their answers were already decided.
“I’m staying.”
“Please allow me to stay.”
<Fuusenkazura>? Supernatural phenomena? Bring it on. He wouldn’t be pushed around by those things. Though he’d once been scared out of his wits, so it seemed that he was in no position to say that.
But <Fuusenkazura>, in the end, was only <Fuusenkazura>.
This world was only this world.
As long as his will was strong enough, there was no problem.
Chihiro felt slightly uneasy about his own strength.
But the five upperclassmen welcomed him and Enjouji, all smiles.
About at this time, the two of them finally became members of the Cultural Research Club.
“But… I feel really bad for not being punished at all.”
Hearing Chihiro murmur this, Inaba said:
“Oh? Chihiro wants to be punished, because you’d feel better that way?”
“Uh, um… yeah.”
Chihiro peeked at Inaba’s sadistic grin, and couldn’t help but take a step back, but he’d agreed to it himself and couldn’t escape now.
“You’re right. The important things are over, said and done with… However!”
Thump — Inaba bopped the table.
“Just like I said before, I forgive you for using ‘Fantasy Projection’ on us. It’s just that… for a certain incident that happened during that time, we’ll be settling that score very slowly from now on, understand, Chihiro?!”
“Yee… U-Understood!”
“Firstly… How dare you make me take my clothes off and take a bunch of pictures! How dare you trample on a girl’s pure feelings! I want a performance fee!”
“I-I’m sorry!”
Chihiro bowed to Inaba in apology.
“Hey, Chihiro! What did you do to my girlfriend?! Wait… performance fee? That’s like saying, as long as you get cash, it’s fine if he takes pictures?”
“I remember you hitting me!”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
With extreme guilt, Chihiro apologized to Taichi and Aoki.
“Chihhi-san, I remember my poor girl’s heart being hurt very badly by you too~.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
Chihiro apologized to Nagase, with his head bowed as far as it could go.
“O-On that rainy day, you overheard me saying a bunch of awkward stuff! I can’t marry now! You have to take responsibility!”
“I’m really, really sorry!”
Chihiro bumped his head on the table, bowing to Yui in apology.
“It’s all my fault, I’m sorry everyone! I’ll do anything, really!”
“… You’ll do anything? Then please do my punishment first.”
Inaba’s eyes flashed sharply.
She’s got blackmail on me? No, this is good — Chihiro convinced himself.
Okay, bring it.
“Your mission… do all you can to participate in the Athletics Festival, and bring the green team to victory! If we don’t win, prepare to shave your head!”
… He wasn’t in the sports club, so making him shave his head was taking it a little too far!
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