Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 12 - Chapter 3

The Magical Girls’ Morning

Saturday, April 24th

The next morning when the invader girls came to room 106 like usual, they discovered Yurika crying and prostrating herself.

“P-Please forgive me already, Satomi-san! I know my multiplication tables, so please don’t ask me any more questions! No more!”

“Shut it, Yurika. What’s seven times nine?”

“It’s sixty three! Please forgive me now! I feel like I’m going to go insane!”

“What’s eight times five?”

“I-It’s forty... urrrgh...”

Koutarou was sitting up straight and proper across the table from Yurika with a stern expression on his face as he asked her questions from the workbook. Yurika, completely exhausted, was begging him to stop. Coldly ignoring her pleas, he would only ask her more questions. They had been at it since last night.

The atmosphere in the room was bizarre. It was strange, sure, but that wasn’t what surprised the other invaders the most.

“Two times seven.”

“Fourteen... hnnngh...”

“Yurika has mastered multiplication?! How?!”

“Just what happened after we left?!”

Both Theia and Sanae were well aware of Yurika’s grades. She was so bad off that they had genuinely doubted she could even do extremely simple math. But now she was demonstrating fluent mastery of her basic multiplication tables. Sanae and Theia were floored and watched over this phenomenon in astonishment.

“How did he teach Yurika multiplication in a single night? No, more importantly, just how did it come to this after we left...?”

“It seems like some big misunderstanding happened...”

Shizuka and Ruth were also impressed with her progress, but they were predominantly curious why Koutarou and Yurika were studying in the first place. They had expected Koutarou and Yurika’s relationship to take a step forward so that things could return to normal between them.

“Please help me. Please... Satomi-san won’t... Satomi-san won’t stop with his math drills!”

Yurika clung to Kiriha and begged for help.

“Impossible. Satomi Koutarou is the kind of man that will see something through to the end once he’s set his mind to it.”

However, Kiriha merely shook her head with a thin smile. She could vaguely imagine what had transpired. She believed that because their relationship had progressed, there was now a need for Yurika to study. Going to a university or getting a job, whatever it was, this clearly had something to do with their future and carried a lot of weight with it. And in that case, Kiriha knew Koutarou wouldn’t listen no matter what she said.

“No waaay...”

Yurika cried and slumped her shoulders.

Yurika, you should just realize that this is how Onii-chan expresses his love. What a waste...

The Kii inside of Kiriha began expressing her dissatisfaction. She was frustrated that Yurika was oblivious to Koutarou’s obvious expression of love. She felt Yurika should consider herself lucky and relish the attention she was getting right now.

And so the girls’ impressions of this odd scenario ran the gamut, but neither Koutarou nor Yurika seemed to notice. They were too busy.

“Five times four.”

“Um—”

After an entire night of this, Yurika was exhausted and slightly distracted now that the other invader girls had arrived. Her answers were getting slower and slower.

“It’s twenty! You have to be able to answer one like that off the top of your head.”

Sanae, who had taken up her typical position on Koutarou’s back, answered before Yurika. She’d had plenty of sleep, so coming up with the right answer was a cinch for her.

“You lost to Sanae, Yurika.”

“But I didn’t get it wrong! I didn’t get it wrong!”

“Yurika, another twenty as penalty.”

“Kyaaaaaaaah, noooooooo!”

She had hoped this nightmare would be over soon, but the end was nowhere in sight. Koutarou was dangling a carrot in front of her that he would never let her have.

“Don’t cry. It’ll be over soon. It’s just twenty more.”

“That’s what you’ve been saying since last night! But no matter how hard I try, it never ends! I don’t wanna do this anymooore!”

Yurika had been shown hope several times, and been given despair just as many times. As a result, her multiplication tables had been ingrained in her like trauma she would never forget.

“S-Sorry, Yurika.”

“So that’s how he’s been teaching her...”

“A living hell method...”

“I told you Satomi Koutarou would stop at nothing once he’s set his mind to something.”

“At this rate, Yurika-sama might be able to multiply two digit numbers in her head by tomorrow...”

While the girls pitied Yurika, they were a little envious that Koutarou was this invested in it.

“Come on, Yurika. Quit spacing out. Here’s the next problem.”

“Please! Make it stop!”

“‘Tarou-kun has six boxes of tennis balls. In each of these boxes are four balls. How many balls are there in total?’”

“Th-There are twenty four... I can’t do this anymore! My head is about to explode!”

“Don’t worry, Yurika. You’re someone who can pull through when you need to.”

“That kind of faith in me feels like an attack right now!”

That was when the alarm clock next to Yurika went off. It was now 9 AM.

“Satomi-san! That’s it! It’s over!”

Yurika picked up the alarm and showed it to Koutarou.

“Time’s up, huh?”

After confirming the time, Koutarou turned off the alarm. Both he and Yurika actually had plans for the day. Koutarou had promised to go with some of his classmates to the amusement park, and Yurika had promised to meet up with Harumi. And they’d both be late if they didn’t leave soon.

“I guess it can’t be helped. Yurika, the study session ends here for now. We’ll continue later.”

“I-I’m saved...”

Hearing those words, the exhausted Yurika collapsed onto the tea table. She had to hurry and get ready, but she remained motionless.

“Oh, and I think you already know this, but make sure you come back before curfew. If you break it...”

There was a dangerous gleam in Koutarou’s eyes.

“Eep!”

With a squeal, Yurika dashed out of the room in the blink of an eye. For being so unathletic, she moved at an incredible speed.

“Say, Koutarou...”

“Hmm?”

“Yurika is a lot like you, you know?”

“What part?”

“The part where she doesn’t do anything for herself. I mean, it’s a bit different in presentation, but...”

“Hmm... That might be true...”

Watching Yurika as she escaped room 106, Koutarou started to think that the both of them might need drastic treatment.

Koutarou reached the station just after 9:45 AM. He was supposed to meet everyone at ten o’clock, so he was plenty early and decided to stroll through a nearby bookstore.

“Oh, there it is.”

Koutarou was looking for some more study materials for Yurika.

Yurika’s scholastic abilities were iffy from the start, seeing as how they’d had to go all the way back to elementary school material. She was especially bad at math, and having such a poor grasp of it had a bad influence on her performance in other subject areas. For example, she couldn’t make salt water at the requested density in science class. In social studies, she couldn’t properly convert yen to dollars. When told to calculate the average time on a 100 meter run in gym class, she was hopeless. And while she was concerned about her weight, she couldn’t even properly calculate how many calories she was eating.

The root of all those problems was her poor math skills. Once he’d determined that much, Koutarou decided to start Yurika’s remedial studying with math lessons. To that end, he was looking for some supplemental material in the bookstore.

“I guess it’s still too early for third grade math, but there’s her pride to think about... No, results are more important than her pride...”

“What are you doing, Satomi-kun?”

With an assortment of workbooks in his hands, Koutarou looked up and saw Maki coming around the corner. Instead of her school uniform, she was wearing casual clothes that gave off a soft impression. Maki was part of the group of classmates Koutarou was supposed to go to the amusement park with.

“Good morning, Aika-san. I was thinking of making Yurika study a little.”

Koutarou showed Maki the workbooks he’d picked out. Seeing their covers and titles, she put a hand in front of her mouth and giggled a little.

“Yurika-san is terrible with her schooling.”

“That’s why we’re starting from the basics.”

“Yurika-san’s reading ability is a little spotty too, you know.”

“Really? What am I going to do with her...?”

Koutarou and Maki flipped through the books together to investigate their contents. They were looking for something that was within Yurika’s reach. And after finding some interesting books, Koutarou made a note of them so he could pick them up on his way home from the amusement park.

Satomi-kun is taking good care of Yurika...

That was what Maki felt as she watched Koutarou. No one would go that far for just a classmate. It was proof that they were best friends, or maybe even something more. And since he was clearly thinking about Yurika rather than Maki, who was right next to him, that made Maki feel a little lonely.

Were these new clothes... for nothing...?

Maki looked down on the outfit she was wearing and let out a small sigh. She was in a brightly colored dress with a lot frills. She also had a large matching ribbon in her hair. Maki had done her best to make herself look as cute as possible. She wanted to show a different side of herself to Koutarou. She at least wanted him to say something. She didn’t mind if that wasn’t a compliment, she just wanted him to acknowledge that she looked different from normal. However, Koutarou was so preoccupied that he wasn’t looking at her. Maki was unhappy, but it wasn’t envy directed at Yurika. It was a special loneliness at feeling like she had no place in Koutarou’s heart.

“By the way, Aika-san.”

“...Yes?”

Maki had slumped her shoulders and was looking down on the floor, but she looked back up when he said her name. She saw that he had his back to her and his face stuck in yet another workbook. It made her feel even more lonely.

“You’ve got an awfully cute air about you today. Have you forsaken your underhanded ways with money?”

“Ah...”

Just those words from Koutarou were enough to blow Maki’s loneliness away. In its place, yearning for Koutarou filled her heart.

“...Why can’t you just say that I look cute, Satomi-kun?”

“Sorry. It seems that’s one of my flaws. I’ve been hearing a lot about it recently. They tell me to quit trying to distance myself from others.”

Keeping himself—his heart—removed from other people was the flaw in his personality that the invaders had pointed out to him. And even here on a weekend outing with his classmates, it reared its ugly head. But since he wanted to mend that flaw, Koutarou acknowledge it and honestly apologized.

“Um, so let me try again... You look cute today, Aika-san. That works, right?”

“Satomi-kun...”

An unexpected image appeared in Maki’s mind. She saw a young boy embracing a half-knit sweater. Maki hugged that boy in her mind and smiled at Koutarou.

“You would have gotten full marks if not for the question at the end.”

“You’re so strict, Aika-san.”

Koutarou turned towards Maki and smiled. As he did, a certain image floated into his mind for just a moment, but he was so distracted by Maki’s bright smile that the image vanished before it became clear.

“There has never been a time or place in history that women haven’t been strict.”

“Yeah. You women are always strict, except during the most important times...”

Koutarou and Maki had a good laugh together. Maki was happy just being with Koutarou like this, and Koutarou was smiling at her. There could be nothing better.

However...

“Navy-san, you’ve made a contract with a devil or something, haven’t you?”

Maki recalled what Dark Green had said to her the day before. And in that moment, anxiety began spreading through her.

That’s right. I have to confirm that...

Koutarou turned back around and started looking through books again. Maki pointed her palm towards that back and quietly mumbled something.

“Analyze Magic.”

It was a spell that analyzed the effects of magic. Maki wasn’t wearing her magical girl outfit or holding her staff, but she could still use simple spells even in this state. Maki was going to use magic to examine herself and Koutarou.

Green wasn’t wrong... There really is a magical contract between us.

Maki wasn’t specialized in informational and analysis spells like Green was, so she couldn’t detect the magic until she got closer to Koutarou. She’d never noticed it before, but there was indeed a contract between her and Koutarou.

This... really is from that time...

Maki had no recollection of forming a contract with anyone, which meant that the other party, Koutarou, must have done it. And Maki could only think of one time that could have happened.

It was a few months ago during the ski trip. Maki had been seriously injured in the mountains, and Koutarou had magically healed her. But since Koutarou wasn’t exactly a magician, he’d relied on the powerful magic of his sword to do it. With a pure white light, it had closed Maki’s wound. And as she was bathed in that brilliant light, Maki had had a vision of a young boy. A boy trembling in solitude. She felt a desire to comfort and protect that boy, and she’d told him that she would always be with him.

If that was a contract... everything would make sense...

Something similar happened to Koutarou, and as a result, a contract was formed between them. It was hard to imagine Koutarou forming a contract on purpose since he wasn’t very knowledgeable about magic. It was more likely that the sword had created the contract in order to save Maki.

“It’s an equal and persistent contract involving a mental connection between the parties... and there’s no limit to the mutual assistance. It’s almost like they’re one and the same. It’s quite a bold contract...”

But the contract that Green had mentioned worried Maki.

Do I really love Satomi-kun...?

Maki loved Koutarou. But right now, she couldn’t trust in her own feelings. She started doubting herself and wondering if her feelings were only because to the contract.

Up until now, Maki had always felt like Koutarou could read her mind. In everyday life and in battle. She’d thought it was because they had good compatibility. That was why she had begun developing feelings for Koutarou, thinking that they shared the same sensibilities and could save each other from their loneliness.

But if a contract existed between them, then that might not be the case. Their compatibility and her feelings for Koutarou might just be an illusion created by the contract.

Back on that snowy night, Maki had completely given up on her life and lost her will to live. Even if her wounds were healed, it wasn’t certain she would survive in that state. And with the scars Koutarou carried from his tragic past, he probably wouldn’t have been able to endure seeing someone die in front of him.

So in order to make sure both of them would live, the sword formed a contract and pushed them to treasure one another. Maki was given hope, the treatment was successful, and Koutarou’s heart was spared.

In other words, Maki might have been brainwashed in order to save herself and protect Koutarou.

I would get my answer if I annulled this contract, but...

There was a strong compulsion caused by the contract binding the two. They were tied together forever and urged to help one another. It was possible to annul it by going through the correct procedures. However, the safety and consent of both parties were the conditions for it.

If the contract was annulled, Maki would recover her sensibilities even if she was brainwashed. And by doing that, she would know if her current feelings were her own or if they’d been caused by the influence of the contract.

But if I am being brainwashed... should I really annul the contract? I might end up killing Satomi-kun...

However, Maki hesitated to annul the contract. She was scared that she might become someone else. Worried that she might become Koutarou’s enemy again. That’s why she didn’t move to annul the contract right away.

If I’m not being brainwashed, then I can annul the contract anytime... Then I’ll know how I really feel...

While Maki feared that she was being brainwashed, she wanted to trust in her feelings. She wanted to believe her love was real, rather than a figment of the contract. But with the contract in place, that question would remain. Her feelings would be a constant source of doubt, and that would leave her uneasy. The only solution to that was to annul the contract and confirm it for herself. She knew that’s what she needed to do to get her answer.

But...

Maki continued worrying. If she didn’t annul the contract, she would never know if her feelings were genuine or not. However, if she did that, she might become Koutarou’s enemy again. And once annulled, the contract couldn’t be renewed. It wasn’t an easy decision.

“Is something the matter, Aika-san?”

Koutarou called out to Maki as she fretted over the situation. He thought it was odd she’d suddenly fallen silent.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Maki hurriedly smiled and shook her head. As she did, the ribbon on the back of her head swayed back and forth.

“Satomi-kun, it’s almost 10 AM. Let’s go.”

“Hmm? Yeah.”

Maki grabbed the sleeve of Koutarou’s shirt and led the way, but she kept her head low to keep Koutarou from seeing her face.

I have to return to my usual self before we get out of this store... I have to protect Satomi-kun today...

In the end, though she continued worrying, Maki decided to keep things as they were.

Even if her feelings were a product of a contract, the thought of reverting to her old self was frightening. If she really was being brainwashed, the risk was too high. To Maki, keeping Koutarou out of harm’s way took priority above all else. That’s why, as long as the possibility of her being brainwashed remained, she couldn’t annul the contract.

I will definitely protect him. From any enemy... even myself...

It was because Maki had lived most of her life in darkness that she didn’t want to let go of the warmth she finally had within her reach, even if that was just an illusion.

Sakuraba Harumi had to go to the hospital in the morning for a checkup. Yurika was tagging along with her, and once Harumi was done, they were going to go eat and shop.

“And then Satomi-san hit me.”

“Heehee. If Satomi-kun hit you, then you must have really skipped studying for a long time.”

“Wuh?! Th-Th-That’s...”

“Not true?”

“...No comment.”

The two girls were currently talking in the waiting room at the hospital. Harumi’s checkup was over, and all that was left was to settle the bill. Because the hospital was busy and because there was a great deal to take into consideration on the bill itself, Harumi had to wait over ten minutes before the bill was ready for her to pay every time she had an appointment. The two girls were using that time to talk, but the topic naturally shifted to Koutarou, their mutual friend.

“Anyways, Satomi-san is the one who’s in the wrong. He’s fundamentally lacking in love towards me,” Yurika said with her cheeks puffed out.

“Nijino-san, the truth is that you don’t actually think that at all, right?”

However, with just a single look at Yurika, Harumi had decided that she wasn’t telling the truth. She gently smiled as she looked at Yurika’s pouting face.

“That’s not true. Satomi-san is always violent and mean,” she shook her head and insisted.

“That’s a lie. I won’t believe it.”

But even then, Harumi didn’t believe Yurika’s words. She was confident in her belief.

“Th-That’s not true! Why would you think that?”

“Heehee... Because lately you seem so happy whenever you talk about Satomi-san.”

“Whaaat?!”

The moment Harumi pointed that out, Yurika started blushing. Seeing her change in expression, Harumi felt like her suspicions were confirmed

“You haven’t noticed yourself? Even now, you sounded really happy when you said that Satomi-kun hit you... Even back when you mentioned your snacks being stolen, you sounded really excited.”

Harumi had noticed that Yurika sounded really happy as of late whenever she spoke about Koutarou. Whenever he came up, Yurika’s eyes lit up even if she seemed unhappy about something.

And during the past few weeks, the change was even more profound. When Yurika spoke of Koutarou now, she had a different air about her. She still seemed happy, but that happiness was tempered by something.

“I feel like I’m watching myself... That’s how I can tell.”

“Auuugh...”

“Do you love Satomi-kun too, Nijino-san?”

Yurika was in love. It didn’t take a lot of time for Harumi to reach that conclusion, particularly because she felt the same way. Yurika had the same look on her face that Harumi did whenever she would fix her hair in front of a mirror before going to her club activities.

“...”

The answer was only obvious, but Yurika couldn’t bring herself to say it right away. She was of course embarrassed, but that wasn’t the big reason holding her back.

I’ve... fallen in love with the boy Sakuraba-senpai loves...

When Yurika had learned about Harumi’s feelings for Koutarou, she had at first worked to try and get them together. She had consulted with Harumi and given her relationship advice. But as time passed and she learned more about Koutarou, Yurika fell in love with him too. Yurika felt like that was a mistake on her part, and she felt guilty about it now. That’s why she couldn’t bring herself to admit her feelings to Harumi.

“You don’t have to hide it, Nijino-san. I understand how you feel... And while they might not show it, I believe there are many other girls that love Satomi-kun too...”

Harumi had no intention of criticizing Yurika. She thought the idea of giving up on love because someone else cared for the same person was just too sad. She believed that everyone should have a fair chance, regardless of any perceived order. And because she was in love with Satomi Koutarou herself, she completely understood why other people, Yurika included, would fall in love with him.

“Yes...”

Yurika felt so guilty that she couldn’t look at Harumi’s face, but she finally answered in a quiet voice and nodded her head ever so slightly.

“I see... That’s great...”

“Huh? Great...?”

Harumi sounded genuinely happy. Yurika was confused by that and looked up to see what was going on. When she did, she was met with Harumi’s gentle smile.

“Nijino-san... Don’t you think we’re plain compared to many of the girls around Satomi-kun?”

However, what Harumi said wasn’t an answer to Yurika’s question directly. Instead, Harumi presented Yurika with a different question. Yurika was somewhat confused, but she answered honestly.

“Um... Yeah, I think so...”

Yurika felt the same way Harumi did.

Theia was a dazzling, strong, and beautiful princess.

Kiriha was far more wise and mature, and left the others in the dust when it came to femininity.

Sanae was honest and carefree. And when it came to cuteness, she wouldn’t lose to anyone.

Ruth was serious and single-minded. Though she didn’t stand out like the other girls, it was her reserved character that made her so trustworthy and dependable.

Then there was Shizuka. Not only was she an expert at martial arts, but she was a hardworking girl who managed Corona House all on her own. Her bright character and talkative personality made her a real ray of sunshine.

Just thinking on it for a moment, Yurika had a clear, vivid image of each of the five girls in her mind. Compared to them, Yurika only stood out for her bad sides. When it came to her good points, she was average at best.

Harumi had a similar problem. She was originally shy and weak to pressure. She had been working on that as of late, but she was still rather introverted. As a result, the deep love and kindness within her rarely ever showed.

As a result, Yurika and Harumi were extremely ordinary girls when it came to their appeal.

“And so... would you like to work together with me to make Satomi-kun turn our way?”

“Huh...?”

This all led up to an unexpected request. Harumi wanted to work together with Yurika to get Koutarou’s attention. It was a surprising proposition, but their teamwork might give them an advantage.

I see. That’s why she said it was great...

That was when Yurika finally understood what Harumi had meant. Harumi knew that she was someone who didn’t stand out on her own and that she needed to do something about that. But then she’d learned of Yurika’s feelings. That was why she felt relieved, and subsequently had asked for Yurika’s cooperation.

“And if the two of us work together, I think we can... How do I say this? Support the part of Satomi-kun that’s lonely inside.”

That might have been what was really important to Harumi. There was something she had always wondered about, and that was why a boy like Koutarou had joined the knitting society. Harumi had been thinking about it all year. And recently, she had reached a certain conclusion on the matter.

During their club activities, Koutarou was eager to pick up techniques for knitting sweaters. In fact, sweaters was the first thing he asked about when he joined the club. She didn’t know why, but it seemed like knitting a sweater was important to him.

Moreover, as they would sit and knit together after school, Harumi would sometimes see a far off, lonely expression on Koutarou’s face. He did his best to hide it, so Harumi hadn’t noticed until about half a year after he joined the society. But since then, whenever Harumi saw that face, she felt deep down like she needed to do something for him.

Harumi began thinking that Koutarou’s obsession with knitting sweaters had something to do with that loneliness. If they were related, then Harumi would need help. She believed she couldn’t heal his heart on her own.

“I think Satomi-kun has some sad memories involving a sweater somehow. That’s why he’s so earnestly learning knitting even though he’s a boy. I can teach him how to knit, but my body is frail and I’ll be graduating at the end of the school year. So I can’t heal his loneliness by myself. That’s why I want you to help me, Nijino-san.”

“Sakuraba-senpai... you...”

Yurika truly believed that Harumi was amazing. Yurika knew of Koutarou’s past thanks to Kiriha, including that the half-knit sweater he had was a memento of his late mother. But even knowing all that, she hadn’t realized what she could do to help Koutarou. But here was Harumi who had no clue about Koutarou’s past, but had found a way to help him. Kiriha and the others had said that Yurika was closest to Koutarou, but in fact, the closest one of all was Harumi.

Satomi-san joined the knitting society because he wanted to finish his mother’s half-knit sweater. He probably wants to do that to get his own feelings in order... That’s why Satomi-san won’t be able to fully trust in others before it’s complete... In that case, even if we continue to get closer to Satomi-san, we’ll eventually hit another wall! This must be the piece of the puzzle we were missing!

In that moment, Yurika was the first of the girls around Koutarou to fully realize a way to mend Koutarou’s wounded heart. They would each need to give Koutarou their warmth in their own way as he endeavored to complete his mother’s unfinished sweater with his own hands. As Harumi suggested, it would take both to save him. He would only fully heal once he had both.

I can save him... No, if we all combine our powers, we can save Satomi-san!

Up until now, Yurika had felt like Koutarou was the one who’d saved her. This was her chance to return the favor. And that conviction filled Yurika with a powerful sense of joy. Yurika was grateful. She might not have ever reached this conclusion if it weren’t for all the other girls around Koutarou.

“I understand, Sakuraba-senpai! Let’s start with the two of us!”

Yurika decided to start out with her and Harumi. She would eventually need to explain the situation to all the girls of room 106, but Yurika felt like Harumi, who had been the one to uncover the key to it all, deserved to get a head start. Harumi also had the handicap of not being involved with room 106.

“Thank you, Nijino-san!”

Nothing was as reassuring as having her best friend support her. On top of that, she would be helping the boy she loved. She was so happy that she was beaming like a small child.

“For the time being, I will join the knitting society too! With that, we can maintain the minimum amount of members and preserve the society for next year!”

According to school regulations, clubs required a minimum of four people, and societies a minimum of two. Since the knitting society hadn’t had any luck recruiting, it would be shut down if no one else joined before April of next year. And if Koutarou’s sweater wasn’t completed before then, things might get dicey. So in order to avoid that, Yurika decided to join the knitting society.

“Heehee... That’s quite crafty of you, Nijino-san, but it would be a big help.”

“But, but... won’t I get in the way?”

Yurika had been keeping her distance from the knitting society in order to not get in between Koutarou and Harumi. And from that viewpoint, she was worried joining the club would be a bad thing.

“Not at all. I think helping Satomi-kun is more important than my feelings. Besides, Nijino-san, we decided that we would work together, right?”

While Harumi was hesitant about other people joining the knitting society and interfering in her alone time with Koutarou, Yurika was different. If it was just Yurika, things would continue relatively unchanged. If anything, with Yurika there, Harumi might even be able to summon her courage and get a little bolder.

“All right!”

Relieved, Yurika’s eyes started sparkling. She was happy that she could be of help without getting in Harumi’s way. In fact, she welcomed the situation. Harumi was helping to make up for Yurika’s overwhelming faults.

“With you around, I think we can have club activities even when I’m at the hospital. I’m counting on you, Nijino-san.”

“Yours truly, Nijino Yurika, will do her best!”

Harumi and Yurika smiled and continued chatting away about friendship and love. In that moment, they were enjoying their lives together to the fullest.

“Oh, you two sound like you’re having fun.”

That was when someone called out to the two girls. Looking in the direction of the voice, they saw a woman wearing an elegant suit.

“Kanae-san!”

“It’s nice to see you, Higashihongan-san.”

“What a coincidence. May I join you?”

The woman who approached was Higashihongan Kanae, someone close to both Yurika and Harumi.