Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 2 - Chapter 1

Sakuta Azusagawa had woken up yesterday morning. 

Chapter 1 – The Rascal Has No Tomorrow

1 

“And a big win for the Japan team!” 

The morning news anchor sounded particularly enthusiastic. 

“Good morning. Today is Friday, June twenty-seventh. Our top story today is the results of yesterday’s big game.” 

The living room TV was showing a highlight reel from the World Cup, which was currently being held on the other side of the world. The second match of the group stage had been played in the middle of the night, Japan time. 

The Japan team had been a point behind as the first half drew to an end. A Japanese player (number ten) had been doing some fancy dribbling when the opponent’s aggressive defense sent him tumbling. Whistles echoed through the stadium. That had earned them a free kick from just outside the penalty box. 

Number four set the ball and took two steps back for the run-up. 

The tension was palpable. 

Sakuta Azusagawa watched in stunned horror. 

“I’ve seen this before…,” he muttered. 

And not on the midnight live broadcast. He’d seen this exact same highlight reel…yesterday morning. He knew Japan’s number four was about to kick the ball, the other team’s keeper would dive the wrong way, and the ball would soar right into the goal. 

Sakuta gulped, watching. Number four’s kick scored exactly the way he remembered, netting the team a goal. 

Their opponents’ faces fell as they bit their lips in anguish now that their lead had evaporated. Behind them, number four celebrating his successful free kick. The Japan team swarmed him, everyone cheering. 

Japan had used the momentum from that point to score another goal in the back half. They’d maintained the one-point lead and secured a victory. 

Sakuta grimly watched this identical result play out and went back to his room, trying to shake off the questions flooding his mind. He looked at the alarm clock by his bed. The digital screen showed the date. 

June 27. 

The same date announced by the newscaster. 

“But how…?” 

Sakuta was sure today should be June 28. The day before, both the TV and his clock clearly said June 27. This meant today was yesterday and yesterday was today. 

“…Ahhh, I see. Must be a dream.” 

Sakuta flung himself onto his bed, pulled the covers over him, and went back to sleep. 

If this was yesterday, he could just sleep till tomorrow. 

But no sooner had his eyes closed than the door opened. 

“I thought you were up!” Kaede said. His little sister. 

Her footsteps came closer. 

“You can’t go back to sleep! Get up!” 

She started shaking him. 

“I’m gonna sleep until it’s tomorrow.” 

“You don’t care about school?” 

“Nope.” 

“Then I’m gonna sleep with you!” 

She grabbed the covers and tried to burrow under. 

“Well, I’d better get up,” Sakuta said, sitting up. 

“Huh? Already?” 

He moved out as Kaede’s panda pajamas moved in. Escaping reality could only get him so far. He headed back to the living room. 

The morning news was still talking about soccer. 

Kaede came pattering after him. 

“Hey, Kaede…” 

“Yes?” 

“This is gonna sound weird.” 

“Um…like in a dirty way?” 

“No.” 

“Keep your mind out of the gutter!” Kaede said. She covered her face with both hands, wriggling about and refusing to listen. 

“We saw the same news yesterday, right?” 

“…The soccer news?” Kaede asked, peeking through her fingers. 

“Yeah.” 

“Um…I’m pretty sure I didn’t.” 

She didn’t seem to know what he meant. Her brow furrowed. 

“That’s what I was afraid of… In that case, don’t worry about it.” 

Sakuta had a nasty feeling in his gut. The kind you get when you know you’re in trouble. 

With that lingering sense that something was wrong, he ate breakfast with Kaede. When no explanation seemed forthcoming, Sakuta decided he’d better head to school. 

Maybe he’d learn more if left home. 

“See you soon!” Kaede called after him, grinning. 

He got off the elevator on the first floor, took a deep breath, and started the walk to the station. 

Sakuta paid a lot more attention to his surroundings today. He went through the residential area, which was full of apartment buildings and houses. He passed the park, crossed the bridge, and reached the main thoroughfare. As he neared the station, tall buildings began appearing: business hotels, home electronics stores, et cetera. 

Nothing struck him as particularly out of the ordinary. There were people headed to the station like he was and housewives taking out the trash. The man from the flower shop was sweeping the sidewalk out front. 

Ten minutes on foot took him to Fujisawa Station, at the heart of Kanagawa Prefecture’s very own Fujisawa City. Crowds of office workers and students on their daily commutes. Businessmen changing to the Tokaido Line. Students rushing through the Odakyu gates. A fair number of people, like Sakuta, crossing the connective passage to the Enoshima Electric Railway (Enoden) Station. 

Nobody looked at all lost or confused. Everyone just plodding along their usual routes. Nobody stepping out of line. Sakuta was the only one looking around, watching the crowds. 

“Is it just me…?” 

By the time he stepped through the Enoden Fujisawa Station gates, the possibility seemed alarmingly certain. 

The train rolled in a couple of minutes later. A short four-car train with a retro style. The bell rang, the door closed, and the train rolled out. 

After a bumpy fifteen-minute ride, he arrived at Shichirigahama Station, by the coast. It was only a few minutes’ walk from there to Sakuta’s school, Minegahara High. 

A pack of students in matching uniforms shuffled out of the station. The moment they emerged, they could smell the sea. Summer was almost here, and in ten more days, the beaches would be open to swimmers. The area would be swarming with beachgoers. 

Sakuta glanced at the water and saw a crowd of wind surfers taking advantage of a rare clear day in the middle of the rainy season. 

Everything was as it should be. Nothing felt out of place. 

The short walk from the station was filled with the sounds of chattering students. A couple of first-year boys goofing off. A third-year with her nose in a study guide. A group of girls excitedly discussing their karaoke session from the day before. 

Everything exactly as it always was. 

Nobody was saying anything like “Didn’t we do today already?” “I knew it! I said we were!” “Seriously? That’s so scary.” Why would they? 

Sakuta alone felt trapped in a dream, confused by his second June 27. 

He passed through the school gates. As he reached the entrance, one of his two friends came over. Yuuma Kunimi. 

“’Sup, Sakuta. Another amazing bed head.” 

Yuuma was on his way in from morning basketball practice, wearing knee-length gym shorts and a T-shirt. Plenty of students sat through classes dressed like that, not changing into their uniforms until after school. Yuuma was one of them. 

“This hairstyle’s all the rage these days.” 

“You’re on the cutting edge of fashion.” 

Yuuma laughed just like he always did—but Sakuta remembered this conversation. They’d had the exact same one in Sakuta’s memories of yesterday. 

“……” 

“Something wrong, Sakuta?” 

“……No.” 

“Seriously, what?” 

“That handsome face of yours is infuriating.” 

“Huh? This again?” 

Unable to admit he was repeating a day, Sakuta went for the easy jab and headed to class. 

Morning classes were math, physics, English, and Modern Japanese. All of them covered the exact same content Sakuta had learned the day before. The math teacher’s “This’ll be on the test, people,” the physics teacher’s groan-inducing pun, the English teacher’s “Mr. Azusagawa, listen to me!” and the lipstick stain on the Modern Japanese teacher’s collar were all exactly as they’d been in Sakuta’s yesterday. 

The more time passed, the more Sakuta’s suspicions changed to certainty. 

I’m sure this is yesterday…but only I remember it. 

That alone changed a totally normal school day into a nightmare. 

Had the world gone mad? Or just Sakuta? 

“Nah…definitely the world.” 

His senses were all working fine. Everything felt real. He could find no evidence to suggest this was a dream. 

And then lunchtime came. 

“If today is yesterday, then…” 

Sakuta had promised to meet someone. This was worth looking into. He rose to leave. 

Ten minutes later, Sakuta was in an empty classroom on the third floor. The windows offered a view of the sea. Across the desk from him was a third-year, Mai Sakurajima. 

Elegant, even features, as beautiful as any celebrity—to be fair, that’s exactly what Mai was. She had been working as an actress since she was a child. Famed across the nation. For the last two years, she’d been on hiatus and had only recently started taking offers again. 

But here she was, sitting across from him with a lunch she’d made herself spread out between them. The same menu Sakuta had eaten the day before. 

Fried chicken, egg rolls, a side of hijiki and soybeans, potato salad, and cherry tomatoes. 

He grabbed a bite of each with his chopsticks, sampling them. They weren’t strongly seasoned but had a lovely, delicate flavor. They looked and tasted exactly as Sakuta remembered. 

“……” 

What the hell was going on? He was clueless. 

“Is it not good?” 

“Mm?” 

He glanced up and found her looking upset. She wasn’t even trying to hide it. 

He’d been so lost in thought that he’d neglected to tell her what he thought of her lunch. Sakuta had the day before, so he’d forgotten this time. 

“It’s all really great!” 

“It sure didn’t look like it.” 

“I swear it is! I’d love to eat this every day.” 

“Turning this into a Showa-era marriage proposal won’t save you now. You were thinking about something else the whole time you ate my lunch.” 

Mai could be really perceptive like that. 

“I was thinking about how blessed I am to get to eat your home cooking, Mai.” 

He felt like he shouldn’t bring her in on this just yet. Sakuta himself was far too unsure as to what was going on. Explaining things to her while they were so unclear would just give her reason to worry. 

“Hmph.” 

Mai did not sound at all convinced and made certain he knew it. 

“Mai, can I ask something weird?” 

“Is it something dirty?” 

Kaede had reacted the same way. What had he done to deserve this reputation? 

“I’m not telling you what color my underwear is,” she added. 

“It’s more fun to imagine that, so I’m good.” 

“Wow. Creepy.” 

He’d been joking, but she seemed legitimately grossed out. 

“So what is this weird thing?” 

“What am I to you?” 

“Just a cheeky kohai,” she said. Without even a moment’s thought. She also made sure to emphasis the just part so he’d be sure to notice. 

“…Oh. Then what do you think you are to me?” 

“A one-sided crush. A great beauty, always ready with a kind word—the kind of senpai everyone admires.” 

“Got it in one,” he said, lifting a piece of egg roll to his mouth. He chewed for a while. 

It was a truly tragic state of affairs, but his relationship with Mai had definitely reverted back to the way it was. Even though she’d agreed to go out with him the day before. 

They should be a couple now! Being demoted to a cheeky kohai was just depressing. 

But if this baffling phenomenon was going to ruin his relationship, he just had to fight against it. Get Mai to agree to date him once again. 

He couldn’t let this get him down. Giving up was not an option. 

“So why the weird question?” she asked, frowning. 

“I wanted to be clear on our current status before I proceed.” 

This was an evasion, but he felt it was a convincing one. It wasn’t a lie. He genuinely had been after more information on his current predicament. 

“That sounds suspicious.” 

Mai’s eyes narrowed, and she gave him a searching look. 

“More importantly, Mai…” 

“Don’t change the subject.” 

Sakuta pressed on as if he hadn’t heard her. “I love you. Will you go out with me?” 

He looked her right in the eye. 

“I said, don’t change the subject.” 

“I really would prefer you not ignore something this important.” 

“I’ve heard it all before,” she droned, sounding utterly bored. 

“Oh…rejection? Then I’ll just have to search elsewhere for love.” 

“Wha…?” 

“Thank you for everything.” 

He bowed his head and gave a heartbroken sigh. 

“I—I didn’t say no! Why are you giving up?” Mai demanded, giving him a reproachful glare. 

“Then is it a yes?” 

“Urgh…you’ve got a lot of nerve.” 

“Is that a yes?” 

He stuck to his guns. One last push. 

“……Mm,” she intoned, nodding, her voice barely above a whisper. “It’s a yes.” 

As if trying to cover her embarrassment, Mai quickly started eating an egg roll. This was adorable. A thrill ran through him. 

“Mai!” 

“Wh-what?” 

“Can I hug you?” 

“Why?” 

She looked up at him guardedly. 

“You were so cute just now.” 

“Then no. Definitely no.” 

“Aww.” 

“I feel like it wouldn’t end with a hug. Nobody in their right mind would say yes to that!” 

Mai spent the rest of the meal grumbling. 

When the warning bell rang, their lunch date ended, and Sakuta and Mai headed to their respective classrooms. 

On the way, he saw a familiar figure on the staircase landing. She had a very modern, soft short bob. Light makeup on her cheeks, just a little color—enough to soften her entire expression. 

Tomoe Koga. 

She was a year below him—his kohai—and a month ago she’d mistaken him for a kidnapper. It was certainly a memorable first encounter, so he’d retained her name. Sakuta had been trying to help a lost little girl find her mother. An act of pure, unvarnished kindness. And Tomoe’d kicked him in the tailbone, yelling, “Die, pedo creep!” 

Yet that same Tomoe was now meekly hanging her head. When Sakuta looked closer, he saw she was with someone. A tall male student. He was well built—probably an athlete. Brown hair, heels crushing the backs of his slippers. Based on the wear and tear on his uniform, he was probably a third-year. Pretty good-looking. 

“Maesawa…wh-what’s this about?” Tomoe asked. She looked nervous. 

Maesawa must’ve been the guy’s name. 

“So, uh…would you like to go out with me?” 

“Huh?!” 

“Is that a no?” 

“W-well…er, um…can I think about it?” Tomoe sounded pretty desperate. 

“Sure thing. When you’re ready!” Maesawa said breezily. He went off up the stairs. 

Not wanting to look like he’d been eavesdropping, Sakuta kept walking down the hall. 

“I knew she was popular… She is awfully cute.” 

Normally, he’d have been cursing her name, but today he felt more like celebrating everyone’s good fortune. After all, he’d finally gotten Mai to say yes. 

“Now…I just need tomorrow to come.” 

This was Sakuta’s greatest concern. 

Unable to bear the idea of repeating the day again, Sakuta acted on a hunch… 

…and stayed up all night. 

Since he’d woken up to find it was yesterday, what would happen if he didn’t sleep? It was better to avoid sleep until tomorrow came. 

Shortly after two, Sakuta stifled a yawn and flipped on the TV to kill time. There was a soccer match on-screen. Dark-blue uniforms. Samurai blue. This was the Japan team playing. Group A. 

“Seriously? Two days in a row?” 

Even on a tight schedule, they usually got three days off between games. 

“Mm?” 

Something was bugging him. 

As the match played out, Sakuta caught on. 

“I’ve seen this before…” 

It was almost the end of the first half. Number ten was in the center of the field, got a pass from a teammate, and dribbled rapidly up into the opponent’s territory. He dodged past two defenders, and another hit him from behind. Whistles blew. Japan got a free kick from just outside the penalty area. 

The same things he’d seen in the highlight reel on the morning news. But this time, the top corner of the screen said LIVE. What he was seeing was a satellite broadcast. The match was happening right this moment on the other side of the world. 

“…Right, ha-ha, good joke.” 

He ran back to his room and checked the clock. 2:10 AM. And next to that…June 27. 

“……” 

Sakuta had assumed it was the next day by now…but it was yesterday again. 

Back in the living room, he watched the broadcast play out. The ref’s whistle blew, and player number four ran up to the ball. 

The ball hit the net…or, no, the powerful shot bounced off the crossbar. A tall defender from the opposing team cleared it away, and Japan failed to score a point. 

“Huh? What?” 

This was not the outcome he’d expected. He remembered a conversation he’d had with his friend Rio Futaba. 

“So, like, when the Japan team has a soccer match and all I see is the final score on the news, they win, but if I actually watch the match, they always lose?” 

“For the sake of the Japan team, you’d better not watch any more soccer. Seriously, never again.” 

He was pretty sure that had been part of a conversation about how observation can affect an outcome. 

“No way. This can’t be true…” 

Sakuta watching couldn’t have actually caused the Japan team to lose. 

Almost praying, Sakuta cheered the Japan team on until the game ended. But they never made up the one point scored against them in the first half, and the final result was a 1–0 loss. 

The sportscasters recapped a few moments when the tables could have turned but finally concluded by pointing out the all-too-familiar Japan team weakness—an inability to come through when it really mattered. 

If they were to make it out of the group stage, Japan absolutely had to win the next game. The commentator made it very clear how dire this was. 

“Tomorrow…,” Sakuta said. “No, today…or, I guess, yesterday? I’ve really got to talk to Futaba.” 

For now, he sat alone in the living room at night, clutching his head. 

2 

Now that he knew staying up was pointless, Sakuta went to bed, and the next morning, unable to completely give up, he switched on the TV. But the news was all about Japan’s tragic loss. 

“Is this really my fault?” 

As if trying to escape the guilt, Sakuta left the house thirty minutes early. 

The extra half hour alone made everything look different. The air seemed a bit fresher, the flow of people into Fujisawa Station slightly different. It felt like there were more business people. At his normal time, there were more students in uniform. 

This impression was even stronger on the Enoden—there were far fewer passengers in general. 

And the road from Shichirigahama Station to school was, naturally, almost empty. Only a handful of students besides Sakuta. Closer to the start of classes, this road would be absolutely packed with Minegahara students. 

It felt like he was somewhere else entirely. 

He changed into his slippers in the deserted entrance hall. With no one else here, the very air felt different. It was so quiet. Even tranquil. 

Acutely conscious of this difference, Sakuta walked right past the stairs and to the science lab. 

“Futaba, you here?” he called, opening the door. 

The person he was after was by the blackboard. A smaller female student wearing a white lab coat over her uniform. One of Sakuta’s two friends—Rio Futaba. 

Without so much as a glance in his direction, she let out an exasperated sigh. 

Ignoring this, he sat down at the desk opposite her. 

Between them was a slice of toast resting on a beaker and a cup of coffee with steam rising from it. The toast was nicely browned. This must’ve been breakfast. 

With Rio as its only member, the Science Club did whatever they wanted. 

She picked the toast up in both hands and took a bite. It smelled good. 

“So.” 

“Don’t.” 

“I haven’t said anything yet.” 

“If you’re here at this hour, it must be trouble.” 

Smart. No, probably anyone could have figured that much out. 

“I’m here to report a fascinating phenomenon.” 

“That’s what I meant by trouble.” 

Rio tried to brush him off. 

Not giving him the time of day. 

“Go away!” 

She grumpily took another bite of toast crust. 

Rio was usually pretty placid, but she definitely seemed on edge today. She must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. 

“What’s up with you, then?” Sakuta asked. 

“Why?” Rio finally met his gaze. Through the rims of her glasses, he could see her guard was up. 

“You’re in a bad mood.” 

“I’m not…,” she started, then gave up hiding it and just settled for a long sigh. Rio turned to the windows, admiring the view, and, as if talking to herself, said, “Well, rather than fret over it alone, I’m better of telling you and laughing it off.” 

“Yeah?” Sakuta said. He couldn’t tell if this was a positive development or not. 

“I was on the train with Kunimi this morning. He was headed to morning practice.” 

“Was he harassing you?” 

Sakuta’s eyes went right to Rio’s chest. 

“Kunimi would never do that.” 

“That look in your eyes says you think I would! I’m appalled.” 

“Then don’t stare.” 

Rio turned, as if hiding her chest. She clearly didn’t appreciate his attention, so Sakuta decided to do his best not to look again. 

“So? What happened with him?” 

“Nothing, really,” Rio said with a self-deprecating smile. “Just hated myself for being happy a boy spoke to me even though I know he has a girlfriend.” 

“What a very girlish concern.” 

“If you spoke to me on the train, I would visibly shudder.” 

“Was that really necessary?” 

He was sure it wasn’t. But if lashing out at him helped her mood improve, he could take it. 

“I feel like I’m in a downward spiral,” she said. She polished off the last of the toast, took a sip of coffee, and sighed again. 

“Maybe you should just tell him?” 

“Tell him what?” 

She knew full well what he meant. 

“That you love him?” 

“…Love who?” 

She definitely hesitated that time, afraid he’d say the name aloud if she kept denying it. 

“Obviously Kunimi.” 

“Look, Azusagawa…” 

“Just tell him how you feel.” 

Sakuta looked her in the eye, not letting her get away. 

“……” 

Rio met his gaze, pursing her lips. She sat down on her chair, knees up, facing sideways. 

“I don’t want good advice today,” she said sullenly. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“You’d better be.” 

“But are you just gonna stay like this? If you’re in a downward spiral, maybe it would be better to get it out there.” 

He knew the only reason she was doing Science Club stuff this early was because she might run into Yuuma on his way to morning practice. But when she did run into him, this happened. 

“Like I said, I don’t want good advice.” 

She sighed yet again. Like she was letting the air out of a balloon. Her profile was a portrait of gloom. 

“Saying anything would just worry Kunimi.” 

“Every charming guy deserves a worry or two.” 

“If only I was as tactless as you.” 

“Such praise! I’m blushing.” 

“You’ve proved my point.” 

“Men love being yanked around by women.” 

“That’s exclusive to rascals like you, Azusagawa.” 

“Kunimi’s girlfriend is pretty good at it herself.” 

His girlfriend had once told Sakuta that he didn’t fit into the class and she felt sorry for Yuuma every time she saw them together. Given the abuse she was heaping on him, Sakuta felt he was far more deserving of pity than Kunimi. This girlfriend’s name was Saki Kamisato. She was in the same class as Sakuta, 2-1. She wasn’t Sakuta’s type, but she was quite popular with the boys; everyone agreed she was cute. She was a central figure in the flashiest, most attention-grabbing group in class. 

The polar opposite of Rio, standing alone in a science lab, doing experiments. 

“Azusagawa.” 

“What?” 

“Bringing her up is tactless even for you.” 

“I figured this called for drastic measures. If you don’t like it, go get shot down!” 

“I hate it when you’re right.” 

Rio was fully aware that was the one way to get closure. She knew it but couldn’t bring herself to do it. Because that would be the end. 

“I’m the only person who dares tell you the brutal truth.” 

“And admitting that is proof you’re an awful person.” 

Rio laughed. She seemed to have cheered up a bit. 

“So what’s your problem?” she asked. 

“Tomorrow won’t come,” he said, going for the straight pitch. 

“What does it matter? You never had a bright future.” 

Her reply was just mean. 

“It’s a big deal! I have a rosy tomorrow waiting for me!” 

He started dating Mai at lunch today. Calling that a rosy future was not at all exaggerated. 

“Problem is, today is yesterday, and yesterday was today.” 

“Rephrase so a human can understand.” 

“I am human!” 

“I thought you were a rascal?” 

“Look… Argh, never mind. Fine. Um…” 

Deciding to pick his battles, Sakuta gave Rio a rundown on the strange things happening to him. 

Five minutes later, having heard him out, Rio just yawned sleepily. 

“So? What do you think, Futaba?” 

He looked at her grimly. 

“Azusagawa…you’re a delusional middle schooler.” 

“I’m seventeen.” 

“Then you’re a delusional high schooler.” 

“So you give up.” 

Rio certainly didn’t seem like she could be bothered. She’d made another cup of coffee and sat there drinking it. 

“Only other option is your beloved Adolescence Syndrome.” 

She seemed equally unconcerned about that. 

“I really don’t love it,” he grumbled. 

Adolescence Syndrome. 

A collective term for strange phenomena that were a hot topic online. “I can read people’s minds” or “I can read object’s memories,” et cetera. A bunch of eyebrow-raising stories about supernatural events. 

Nobody seriously believed them. 

But Sakuta had encountered several of these phenomena before. This was likely another. He certainly couldn’t think of any other explanation. 

“So please do something?” 

“You’ll have to solve this one yourself.” 

“Can I ask why?” 

“By the looks of it, neither I, the other students, nor the seven billion people on Earth seem to be aware that this is the third today.” 

Rio was watching the baseball team doing laps of the schoolyard. Nobody would commit so hard to working up a sweat if this was their third time through the day. They’d have much more urgent business to attend to than morning practice. 

“They’d be in a panic if they were,” Rio said. She was fiddling with her phone, and she showed Sakuta the search results. She’d searched for “June 27,” “Third time,” and “Repeat.” None of the results looked related. “Which leads me to the conclusion that you’re causing this Adolescence Syndrome,” Rio announced. 

A horrible thought. 

“I have neither the mental instability associated with Adolescence Syndrome nor am I under an unusual amount of stress.” 

Online speculation blamed those things for Adolescence Syndrome. The most popular theory held that these were delusions caused by the stress of reality not working out as planned. They were a means of escaping that reality. 

“Well, you may not be aware of it.” Rio seemed pretty sure Sakuta was to blame. “But whatever the cause, allow me to offer an interpretation of events different from your own.” 

“Different how?” 

“From what you said, Azusagawa, you believe you’re trapped in a time loop.” 

“It sure feels like it.” 

That sort of thing happened all the time in sci-fi novels. 

“I’d recommend not getting stuck on that idea.” 

“Why not?” 

“Returning to the past is really problematic.” 

She didn’t say impossible, so there had to be a theory on it somewhere. 

“The June twenty-seventh you’ve been experiencing may be a vision of the future seen from your previous moment in time.” 

That sounded pretty batshit in its own right. 

He found it hard to believe she was the same person who’d just pointed out how difficult traveling into the past could be. 

“You’re making it sound like foresight is simple.” 

“It’s closer to being possible than temporarily traveling into the past.” 

“Really?” 

“However, we’re speaking of classical physics, before the introduction of quantum mechanics.” 

“Hoo boy.” 

“Have you heard of Laplace’s demon?” 

“Never met any demons.” 

“So that’s a no, then. All matter in the universe is equally under the same scientific laws. Got that?” 

“Sure. Basic physics, right?” 

“Yes. And if we turn those laws into formulas and do the math, they’ll show us the conditions that lie in the future.” 

This sounded extremely simple. Sakuta crooked his head, unable to see where she was going with this. 

“What’s your point?” 

“Specifically, for every atom in the world, if we know the location and momentum—the product of the mass and velocity—then classical-physics equations will allow us to accurately calculate the future conditions. This is well within the range of the subject covered in high school.” 

It was a real tragedy, but despite being in high school himself, Sakuta had no clue what Rio was talking about. He had a lot of questions. 

“All atoms is a lot.” 

Basically infinite, right? 

“Yes.” 

“Is it actually possible to determine the location and momentum of all of them?” 

It was hard enough figuring out how many grains of rice were in a single onigiri. 

“At the least, physicists at the time—we’re talking nineteenth century—couldn’t do it. Even if they had somehow learned the positions and momentum of everything, calculating the equations for that quantity of data would have taken a considerable amount of time. If doing the math on the world one second in the future takes more than one second, you can never actually get ahead.” 

“I get that.” 

It was probably impossible even for modern computers. 

“So a physicist named Laplace thought up an imaginary being that could actually pull off this impossible feat.” 

“And that’s Laplace’s demon?” 

Rio nodded slowly. 

“This demon has the capacity to instantaneously know the positions and momentum of every atom in the world and can use those numbers to instantly calculate the future. In other words, Laplace’s demon knows everything that will happen.” 

“Hmm.” 

“You don’t seem convinced.” 

“Well, even if it can calculate the future, that doesn’t account for our free will, does it? Does that really count as knowing the future?” 

“Ah, that old chestnut.” 

“There’s no way it can predict emotions.” 

“It can,” Rio said firmly. 

“Huh?” Sakuta blinked vacantly at her. 

“Human bodies are made of atoms. If you can grasp the positions and momentum of those, you can calculate the choices the brain will make and the emotions it will produce.” 

“I see…but I wish I hadn’t heard that.” 

“You’ll think otherwise once I finish.” 

“Really? I mean, from what you just said, if emotional aspects are already part of it, then if you know the positions and momentum of all the atoms at any single given moment, you can calculate everything in the future forever.” 

“Exactly.” 

“So doesn’t that mean there’s only one set future?” 

If you had the data for the initial position and momentum, then you just had to change the variable for the passage of time, and the other numbers would always work out the same way. No matter where you were in time, destiny was set in stone, its course determined by math and physics. 

“You worked that out, Azusagawa? Aren’t you clever,” Rio cooed, like she was praising a small child. “You’re right…based on what we’ve discussed so far.” 

“Then, wait… Whether I study before a test or not doesn’t matter, since the results of the final exams next week are already set in stone?” 

“That’s not quite right. Your results are set in stone. But you assume the part where you choose whether to study or not isn’t. In actual fact, what choice you make is also already set in stone.” 

“Mm. Oh. Right.” 

That’s what it meant to have the entire future already determined. 

“After hearing what I said, you thought, ‘If the future’s already set, there’s no point in working hard.’ Right?” 

“So you mean Laplace’s demon already knew how I would respond to your lecture?” 

“Exactly.” 

This was complicated, but he thought he was following it. 

But that meant… 

“Our fates are already sealed.” 

Grim. 

“Did you forget what I said earlier?” 

“You were super happy when Kunimi spoke to you this morning?” 

“Drop dead.” 

“Uh…the part about this being before the introduction of quantum mechanics?” 

“If you remember, don’t be a dick.” 

Rio gave him a sulky glare. She was normally so dispassionate, it was weird seeing her pull such a childish face. 

“I explained Schrödinger’s cat to you before, right?” 

“Where we can’t tell if the cat’s alive or dead before the box is opened?” 

This had happened when he was talking to Rio a month ago about how to handle the Adolescence Syndrome symptoms Mai was experiencing. 

“I’m impressed you remember that much.” 

“Feel free to lavish praise upon me.” 

Rio ignored him. 

“In the world of quantum physics, the position of particles only exists in terms of probability. I explained that, if you remember?” 

“It sounds familiar. The only way to determine the exact positions is through observation, was it?” 

“Yes. Since that observation is key, you have to shine a light on them so they can be seen.” 

Rio pulled a flashlight out of a drawer and aimed it at a baseball she set on the desk. 

“Now we know where the particle is?” 

“Yes. But particles are extremely small, so if you turn a light of the same size on them, that will change the particles’ speed and direction.” 

Rio made the ball roll. It fell off the desk, bounced twice, hit a chair leg, and stopped. 

“In other words, determining the particles’ positions changes the speed. To accurately determine a particle’s momentum—which includes its velocity—its position turns into a probable range. There’s no way to know both values at the same time.” 

“Sounds frustrating.” 

“Fortunately, quantum mechanics has banished Laplace’s demon and proved that the future is not set in stone. Isn’t that a relief?” 

Honestly, not really. Sakuta still didn’t really get quantum stuff. And if he didn’t understand it, it was hard to find it comforting. 

“But quantum mechanics is all from the point of view of humans, right?” 

“Of course.” 

“Then…” 

Rio jumped ahead of him. 

“I know what you’re thinking, Azusagawa. If Laplace’s demon was always a being beyond human capacity, perhaps it could accurately measure both position and momentum at the same time.” 

She glanced at him to see if she was on the right track. 

“Yeah, that’s what I was about to say.” 

“Well, it’s up to you how powerful this demon is,” Rio advised, as if this had been her entire point. 

So Rio was saying that Sakuta himself was Laplace’s demon. 

“Sorry, but I’m not any kind of demon.” 

“Be careful no one dissects you.” 

“I’ll be fine as long as you don’t report me to any sinister laboratories.” 

“We may not see each other again.” Rio glanced down at her phone. “If you’re sure it isn’t you, then you’ll have to find the real Laplace’s demon.” 

“Where would I find it?” 

Classes hadn’t covered how to locate demons. 

“Like yourself, the demon will remember that they’re repeating June twenty-seventh. And if they have those memories, there’s a good chance they’re behaving differently than on the previous June twenty-seventh. I’d imagine.” 

“Ohhh…I see.” 

Rio had a point. Anyone who knew what was going on would try to do something about it. They were likely acting to change the outcome. Or at least were extremely rattled by the whole situation. 

But he currently had no leads. Where would he even begin? 

Before he could ask, the warning bell rang. Morning homeroom started in five minutes. It would be stupid to be tardy after getting to school this early. 

He slung his bag over his shoulder and stood up. He tried to help Rio clean up, but she just said, “Go on.” 

“Okay. Then…thanks!” 

As he was about to leave the science lab, an idea hit him. He stopped at the door. 

“Oh, right…Futaba.” 

“What?” 

“If I repeat today again, should I try to stop you from meeting Kunimi this morning?” 

If he did, maybe she wouldn’t start the day looking so depressed. 

“……” 

Rio thought for a second. Then… 

“Mind your own business,” she said with a smile. “For now, I want to handle this mess on my own.” 

“If it ever gets too much for you, just say the word.” 

“Yeah. You owe me a lot, so I’ll make you pay it back eventually.” 

“I’ll pay it back with interest.” 

With one last glance back at her sardonic grin, Sakuta left the lab. 

3 

Find the real Laplace’s demon. 

Rio had given him a goal, but where could he start? 

He had no idea who the demon could be, and there was no guarantee it was anyone close to him. Worst-case scenario, it might even be someone on the other side of the world. 

“And if that’s true, I’m doomed.” 

A high school student didn’t have the funds to travel that far. He didn’t even own a passport. His prospects were grim. No—he didn’t even have prospects. 

He was depressed already. 

But at lunch, he left his class and headed for the third floor. He’d promised to eat with Mai in the empty classroom. 

His relationship with Mai was the single thing Sakuta cared about most. But it was being wiped out with each reset. Once again, he was going to eat her homemade lunch and ask her out. The only saving grace was that he thoroughly enjoyed doing so. 

Looking forward to it, he opened the door to the empty classroom. 

Or…not so empty. There was a sound from the back. Turning toward it, he saw a skirt-covered butt sticking out from behind the podium. Whoever it was seemed to think she was totally hidden. 

“……” 

There was definitely something wrong here. 

Nothing like this had happened the first or second time through June 27. He’d come straight here when lunch started and waited for Mai to arrive, and then the two of them had passed the time happily. That was all. Nobody else interrupted, and Sakuta had encountered nobody in this room but Mai. 

Which meant this was a new development. One that had not occurred the first two times. A chance encounter with someone making different choices. 

Something Rio had said that morning ran through his mind. 

“Like yourself, the demon will remember that they’re repeating June twenty-seventh. And if they have those memories, there’s a good chance they’re behaving differently than on the previous June twenty-seventh, I’d imagine.” 

And what he was seeing sure seemed to match up. 

“I’ve got you now, Laplace’s demon!” Sakuta cried. 

The girl behind the podium slowly poked her head out, like a rodent emerging from its den. 

Sakuta recognized her. 

A very modern short bob. Big round eyes. Soft, cute makeup. A very schoolgirly schoolgirl look, everything just so, the spitting image of today’s “high school girl.” 

One hand held a cell phone with a cover the color of pollack roe. “Oh,” she said. 

It was the first-year student Tomoe Koga. 

She was shorter than most girls her age. Everything tiny. Hardly threatening enough to call a demon. Maybe a mini-demon. Or a petite devil. 

A gust of sea breeze came through the window, moving her hair and the hem of her skirt. She broke the silence first. 

“Ichirou Satou.” 

“That is but a false name to fool the eyes of the world.” 

He was surprised she still remembered the fake name he’d given her when they first met. Sakuta was pretty bad at remembering names, but Tomoe seemed to have acquired that skill somewhere. 

“Azusagawa, right?” she asked, seemingly less sure. 

“Sakuta Azusagawa. Second-year.” 

“Tomoe Koga. First-year…” 

She hesitated, then elected to introduce herself formally. This felt out of character. 

“No need to be so stiff,” Sakuta said. “We’ve kicked each other’s butts, after all.” 

“Forget that ever happened!” she yelped. That was more like his first impression of her. 

She was clutching her butt with both hands, as if remembering the pain. This made him feel like he was being a bit too mean. 

“Koga, no point beating around the bush.” 

“What?” 

“How many times have you been through today?” 

“?!” Her eyes went wide. Then, the shock gave way to anxiety, and they wavered. 

“This is my third,” he said. 

Tomoe nodded once, then said, “Mine, too.” She held up three fingers. 

But then her face crumpled as if she was about to cry. 

Before Sakuta had time to be surprised, she wailed, “I wasn’t the only one!” 

Tears rolling down her cheeks, she collapsed to the floor, overcome with relief. 

“What is this?!” she demanded. 

“No clue.” 

“Why are we repeating the same day?!” 

“I dunno.” 

“Why don’t you know?! 

“Can’t know what I don’t.” 

Her relief was already reverting to anxiety. 

“I thought I was saved! Give me back my tears!” 

“Drink some tap water, and you’ll restore those lost fluids.” 

“So what now?” 

That’s what Sakuta wanted to know. 

“So whuut naaaow?” Tomoe repeated, her natural accent coming out. 

It seemed like she had absolutely no idea she was causing this situation. 

“Why are you so calm?!” Tomoe yelled, grabbing his shirt and shaking him. 

“Will panicking help?” 

“No, but it’s natural!” 

“Ah-ha.” 

“Argh, I know you’re too crazy for that! You’re the nutbar who asked someone out with the whole school watching!” 

“I think calling someone a nutbar to his face is plenty crazy.” 

“Shut up.” 

“Might as well ask, but…you have an idea why this is happening?” 

“Not a whit.” 

“A what?” 

“N-not at all!” 

“You’re no help.” 

“Neither are you!” 

“Nothing bad happened to you? Nothing you’re upset about?” 

“Why should I have to tell you? Oh, a text.” 

Tomoe’s attention shifted to her screen. 

“I’m pretty sure this is Adolescence Syndrome,” Sakuta said. “If this phenomenon is caused by your adolescent mental instability, then we need to identify and eliminate the source of that instability.” 

“Adolescence Syndrome? Are you insane?” She jeered, not even looking up from her phone. She was busy typing a reply. “That’s just online gossip. Nobody believes that.” 

Sakuta only bought into it because these unbelievable things had happened to him before. 

His sister, Kaede, had been the first. He’d witnessed firsthand how seeing heartless messages and posts from classmates had given her bruises like she’d been punched and lacerations like she’d had a knife swung at her. 

Then, a month ago, people around Mai started losing the ability to perceive her and began forgetting she existed at all. 

And this situation was definitely in the same wheelhouse. 

“I know how you feel, but after repeating the same day three times, I’d think Adolescence Syndrome would start to sound pretty convincing.” 

“Urp…good point…” 

There was a limit to how successfully you could convince yourself it was all a dream. And finding someone else in the same predicament made it all that much more real. Rio had said they might just be seeing a vision of the future, but no matter how he looked at it, this felt like the real world. 

“Could you not do that while we talk?” he insisted, grabbing the phone out of her hand. 

“Hey! Give that back!” 

He held it up high. She was too short to reach. She jumped a few times trying to retrieve it but couldn’t quite manage it. 

“I won’t text while we talk.” 

A sign of remorse. He returned the phone. 

“Here.” 

She pounced on the device like a wild thing. And was instantly back to silently tapping the screen. 

“……” 

“……” 

“So you’ve abandoned the talking part.” 

“You’re distracting me. I need silence.” 

“Schoolgirls these days sure are something.” 

Sakuta was forced to wait for twenty full seconds. 

“So what were you saying?” Tomoe asked, finally looking up. 

“Anything bad happen? Anything worrying you? I’m looking for any hint on how to get out of June twenty-seventh.” 

“……Um…” Tomoe frowned, thinking really hard. 

For a good ten seconds. 

“I’ve put on a few pounds?” she suggested, flushing slightly. 

She sounded like she meant it. 

“……” 

Tomoe was as skinny as she was short. Everything about her was slender. 

“Wh-what’s with that look?” 

“Don’t worry, Koga. You’re totally thin. No problems there. And hey, a few extra pounds might actually improve your flat-chest problem.” 

“It all goes to my butt and belly.” She sighed. 

Now that she mentioned it, her hips and backside did seem…sturdy. 

“I’ve heard they get bigger if you squeeze them.” 

“I tried that already!” Tomoe snapped, giving them another squeeze despite Sakuta’s watchful gaze. 

“Then best to give up. Boys don’t fall for girls based on boob size anyway. But is there anything else worrying you? Something a little less ‘typical teenager.’” 

“Swim classes are about to start! It’s a pressing concern! If I’ve got no boobs and don’t tuck in at the waist, summers are hell on—” 

Tomoe suddenly broke off, her eyes going wide. 

“Ah!” 

She was looking at the hall behind him. 

“H-hide!” she hissed, grabbing his arm and dragging him behind the podium. 

“Why?” 

“Just do it!” 

Tomoe pushed Sakuta behind the narrow podium, then hid behind it herself. This required him to basically lie flat while she straddled him. 

Was this a popular pastime with the first-years? Sakuta didn’t get the youth of today. 

Confused, he turned his attention outside and saw a male student through the crack in the door. The third-year who’d asked Tomoe out on the previous June 27. Tomoe had called him Maesawa. 

“Keep your head down!” Tomoe grabbed Sakuta’s face, pulling it below the podium. 

“Isn’t he looking for you?” 

“I think so, but… I sent him a message saying I might be busy at lunch.” 

“Really? You don’t look busy.” 

“I said ‘might’!” 

In other words, she was lying to Maesawa. 

“You’re not making sense. Just go get asked out.” 

“How do you know about that?” 

“Saw it last time.” 

Her face was inches from his. Glossy pink lips. Her breath tickling his cheeks. He adjusted his position, careful not to bump anything he shouldn’t… 

“Eek!” 

But Tomoe jumped anyway. Sakuta was afraid he’d touched her somewhere sensitive, but that wasn’t the cause. The phone in her hand had vibrated. The light of the screen on her face, she started tapping out a reply. 

“Is this some new fetish?” 

“……” 

Tomoe was too focused on her phone to respond. 

While he waited for her to finish, he happened to look down and see her skirt riding up. There was a scrap of white cloth visible where her right leg met her body. 

“Uh, Koga.” 

“Later.” 

“I can see your panties.” 

“Don’t have time for that right now.” 

Sakuta’s admission was summarily dismissed. 

“I will never understand high school girls.” 

Apparently, sending someone a text was far more important than her own modesty. Sakuta had no choice. He fixed her skirt for her. Now all he could see was thigh. 

While he was busy with that, Tomoe sent her text. 

“So why hide?” he asked. 

And why was he hiding with her? 

“Well…Rena has a thing for Maesawa,” Tomoe whispered, as if that cleared everything up. 

“Huh?” Sakuta said. This was clear as mud. 

“Huh?” she echoed, somehow even more baffled than he was. “What don’t you get?” 

“You haven’t actually explained anything.” 

“Then, uh… So, I go with Rena to watch basketball practice a lot.” 

“Who is Rena?” 

Not exactly a nationally famous actress. 

“A friend from class. Rena Kashiba. She always talks about how cool Maesawa is…and I was just tagging along.” 

The rest seemed to stick in Tomoe’s mouth. 

“But this Maesawa got interested in you instead?” 

“…B-basically.” She nodded. 

“And you like him, too?” 

“Nah…I don’t really go for chick magnets.” 

“Then just say no when he asks you out.” 

Why bother hiding? Just calmly reject him. He seemed like the kinda hunk who starts a band right before the cultural festival—he deserved to be rejected on general principle. 

“If I did that, I’d be an instant outcast! He’s the guy Rena—my friend—likes!” 

“Huh? I don’t get it. If you’re not dating him…” 

“Being asked out at all is a problem!” 

“I’m so lost.” 

“I promised Rena I had her back! But if I get asked out…I’m not reading the air!” 

Tomoe’s voice grew grim. 

“What should I do…?” 

She was turning pale. This was clearly a huge crisis for her. At least, Tomoe genuinely believed it was. 

“You didn’t seduce him, right?” 

“Of course not!” 

“Shh, he’ll hear you.” 

Tomoe clapped both hands over her mouth. 

“A-anyway, that’s my problem. Got it?” 

He understood the words, at least. The value system behind them, not at all. 

“Not a whit.” 

“Argh, I need a translator!” 

Tomoe was so frustrated, she tried leaping to her feet, but they were under the podium, and overhead… 

“Ah! Wait!” Sakuta cried. Too late. 

Tomoe hit her head, hard. So hard the podium lifted up…and toppled over. 

She tried to grab it, but her hands caught only air. The podium hit the ground with a huge crash. 

And Tomoe herself tripped over Sakuta, losing her balance. 

“Eek!” 

With a shriek, she fell toward him. Reflexively, Sakuta threw his arms around her, catching her. She was really light. Definitely didn’t seem like she needed to worry about extra pounds. 

“Geez…” 

He’d been planning on trying to calm her down but didn’t get a chance. Midword, a figure appeared out of the corner of his eye. 

A male student was standing in the door, staring at him. The third-year in question—Maesawa, from the basketball team. 

Maesawa looked like he didn’t know what to think. This was definitely awkward. From his point of view, Sakuta and Tomoe were lying on the floor of the classroom, embracing. 

“So this is what you were busy with?” he asked. “You’ve got lousy taste in men.” 

Clearly, he’d jumped to all the wrong conclusions. And was very rude. 

“No, this isn’t…” Sakuta tried to set him right, but before he could, the other door slammed open. 

Sakuta’s heart leaped out of his chest. 

An involuntary wave of panic. All his instincts screaming danger. 

Sakuta knew who it was before he even saw her. He was painfully aware. 

He slowly turned his eyes toward the back door. 

Yep. It was Mai. 

She had a paper bag in one hand. The lunch she’d hand-made for him. He could recite the entire menu by heart. Fried chicken. Egg rolls. Hijiki seaweed and soybeans. Potato salad and cherry tomatoes. 

He knew all about it, but the moment their eyes met, Sakuta knew he wouldn’t be eating a single bite of it today. 

Mai stood motionless in the doorway, staring frostily down at him. Sakuta’s arms were still around Tomoe, a fact that seemed to distance Mai beyond measure. 

“This is all a misunderstanding,” Sakuta said, calmly relaying the facts. A crisis was the ultimate test of a human’s true nature. His only choice was to remain calm and explain his innocence in measured tones. 

“……” 

He looked Mai right in the eye, swearing he wasn’t guilty. 

“……” 

But Mai wordlessly turned around. 

“Augh! Wait, Maiiii!” 

He shoved Tomoe off and bounded to his feet. Tomoe rolled over, hit her head on a desk, and yelped, “Ow!” but Sakuta ignored this. 

“Allow me to explain!” 

“Don’t speak to me. The pedo might be catching.” 

And with that, Mai walked away. 

“Yiiikes…she’s really mad.” 

That was definitely not a “let’s eat lunch together” vibe. Even if he did ask her out, he didn’t think he was going to pry a yes out of her now. 

“Sigh…” 

Sighing was his only option. 

He looked at the other door, and Maesawa had vanished, too. 

Tomoe was still lying on the floor, so he helped her up. 

“Th-thanks…” 

Sakuta put his hand on her head and messed up her hair as hard as he could. 

“Augh! Stop!” 

Tomoe quickly pulled away. She fixed her hair with both hands, then glared at him balefully. 

“I have to wake up at six to get this right!” 

Fashionable schoolgirls had long mornings. 

Sakuta ignored her. 

He took a deep breath. 

Panic would get him nowhere. What had happened, happened. 

His only option was to accept the situation and search for a solution. 

“All right. Most likely tomorrow will be today again anyway.” 

Tomoe was clearly Laplace’s demon, but he still only had a tenuous grasp on the situation and not even a glimpse of a potential solution. As far as Mai was concerned, he just had to do a better job tomorrow—on his fourth June 27. All he had to do was avoid accidentally hugging Tomoe. 

This seemed like the ideal solution. 

But the following morning, Sakuta would bitterly regret that assumption…