Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 4 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Complex Congratulations

1 

“Wow…,” Sakuta murmured. 

The moment he’d set foot inside the concert venue, he was swept up in the passion of the fans. 

The seatless hall was packed to the brim, a full fifteen minutes before the start time. The venue only fit two hundred people, but the crowd clearly couldn’t wait for the show to begin. 

They were in Shibuya, popular haunt for the younger crowd. Not a place Sakuta had much to do with. He’d also never had anything to do with idol concerts before. 

Picking a safe place against the wall at the back, he turned to Nodoka. “So you are popular.” 

She still looked like Mai, and since they didn’t want to risk anyone spotting a famous actress in the crowd, she had a hat pulled down over her eyes and a mask over her face. 

“This is the biggest box we can fill,” Nodoka grumbled. It was like two classrooms side by side. Maybe the size of the school’s science lab. It did feel a bit cramped. But that meant the stage was close enough to reach out and touch. 

Even from the very back, everyone watching could clearly make out all the idols’ faces. 

“I wasn’t being sarcastic,” Sakuta said. He was talking about the expectation levels, not the raw numbers. Not that he thought those were anything to sniff at… A packed house seemed like a pretty big deal to him. 

“Your mom is here somewhere?” he asked, looking around. 

Nodoka had mentioned that she came every time. 

“Probably right up front.” 

“Seriously?” 

He didn’t have the courage to force his way up there. 

“My position is usually stage left, so…” 

That implied Mai’d be standing to the right. Sakuta looked that way, but there were too many people to find her easily. 

He saw a lot of other women. Or rather…girls. Some Sakuta’s age, some clearly still in junior high. 

“More girls than I thought.” 

The audience was definitely overwhelmingly male. But there was a solid 20 percent female presence. 

“Zukki brings ’em.” 

“Who?” 

“Uzuki Hirokawa. Our leader. She’s also a model. Female fans are mostly here for her.” 

“Huh.” 

“They all got blue T-shirts, right?” 

Like Nodoka said, more than half the female fans were wearing matching blue T-shirts. And had blue towels around their necks. 

“What are those?” 

“You wear the color of your fave.” 

Sakuta glanced downward. Not feeling depressed, just checking his own clothes. 

He was wearing a yellow T-shirt. One with the Sweet Bullet logo on it. He’d been given a towel of the same color. 

It was a pretty simplistic design and would look like a normal logo tee at a glance. But he would never normally wear a shirt this color, so he wasn’t a fan. 

“You’ll stand out more if you don’t have one,” Nodoka had insisted. He’d donned it reluctantly. 

But now that he looked around the room, he had to admit she was right. The colors might be different, but everyone was dressed the same. 

Nodoka herself was wearing the same yellow T-shirt under a light hoodie. 

“So yellow is your color?” 

“Got a problem with that? You’re here for my sister, right?” 

“Well, sure.” 

“Try it once. You might actually like it.” 

“Guess we’ll see.” 

Shrugging it off, he looked back across the room. If the colors showed who their favorites were, that made it easy to track, but it was also a brutal sort of popularity poll. At a glance, blue was winning. Red—no, pink was probably next, and yellow and green seemed to be neck and neck below that. So Nodoka was only the third or fourth most popular idol here. 

“My sister…” 

“Mm?” 

“How’s she doing?” 

“You gonna ask that minutes before she goes on?” 

They’d hit the five-minute warning. 

Nodoka didn’t say anything, but she was clearly displeased. 

“She’s got the songs and routines down,” Sakuta said, not looking at her. 

“Obviously. I wasn’t worried.” 

“Then don’t ask.” 

“Shut up.” 

“I’m a bit worried, though.” 

“Huh?” 

But before he could answer, there was a shrill howl of microphone feedback. At almost the same time, the house lights went out. The only illumination left was a few dim lights at their feet—everything else was shrouded in darkness. 

But a roar of anticipation went up from the crowd. 

And a moment later, a calm voice came on the loudspeaker. 

“We have a few favors to ask.” 

“Zukki!” the crowd cheered. 

Seemed like a Sweet Bullet member was handling the announcement herself. “Shh, listen! This is important!” she said and then listed a few rules. Your basic “no videos or photos,” “don’t get so worked up it bothers people around you,” “don’t throw things at the stage”—the same things they say at every concert but all delivered like she was having a conversation with the fans. 

She probably did this every show. The fans seemed all too ready for it. 

“Now our final request.” 

The crowd held their breath. 

There was a long moment of silence. Then… 

“Let’s have fun—together!” 

This time it was the whole group speaking as one. The stage lights flicked on, and huge fireworks went off like cannons. 

When Sakuta recovered from the sudden loud noise, all seven idols were standing on the stage. The grabby rhythm of the first number’s intro started playing. 

Lots of guitar and drums, definitely a real rocker. Most of Sweet Bullet songs leaned this way. Mai had watched their performance videos nearly every night, so Sakuta was pretty familiar with their discography at this point. 

With a live band backing them, they started singing, definitely a girl-power piece, all about following your dreams. The uplifting lyrics really sold it as an idol song. 

The second and third numbers were also mainstream up-tempo songs. 

After the third number, all members lined up onstage, breathing heavily. 

“Hello, everyone! We’re Sweet Bullet!” they chorused. 

The fans started yelling. “Zukki!” “Yanyan!” “Dokaaaa!” 

The idols waved back. 

“Should I do that, too?” 

“No need,” Nodoka said. She hadn’t moved a muscle this whole time, but she was glaring at him now. Must have thought he was making fun of her. He was just trying to get in the spirit of things. Here he was, armed with Nodoka Toyohama’s yellow T-shirt and everything. 

“Well, here we all are.” 

The girl in the middle holding the mic was the tallest of the group members, and she’d been the lead singer on all the songs. 

“That’s Zukki,” Nodoka whispered. Sweet Bullet’s leader, and a model. She definitely had the figure for it. “You think my sister’s cuter, right?” 

“Don’t read my mind.” 

Mai was even taller. And her figure was flawless. 

“Zukki, you’re really working up a sweat!” said the short-haired girl next to her. 

“Idols don’t sweat!” Uzuki said, clearly caught off guard. A dubious comeback. Perhaps she was embarrassed. She’d turned a bit red, and clearly not from the exertion. 

“Everyone can see it!” 

Uzuki Hirokawa was visibly dripping. Her bangs were plastered to her forehead. But this was true for everyone up there; none of them had stayed spotless. The show opener had been a real workout. A full-throttle performance. 

“Zukki, I always hear you complain about sweat-drenched panties after a show.” 

This blow came from a blond girl stage left—Nodoka Toyohama. Currently with Mai inside her. 

Zukki’s panicked response was even more alarming. 

“Idols don’t wear panties!” she yelled. 

She had a model’s build and a grown-up air about her, but she was surprisingly easy to rattle. 

“Well, I’m wearing them!” Mai said, nailing Nodoka’s tone. 

The other members all chimed in, betraying their leader. “So am I!” “Same here!” 

“R-right, next number!” Uzuki said, trying to escape. 

“No, no, we need to clear up this Zukki-goes-commando thing first,” the short-haired girl said as she stifled a laugh. 

“Okay, I’m wearing them! But idols don’t sweat!” 

“Then what’s that?” She pointed at the bangs fused to Uzuki’s forehead. 

“This is, uh, some sort of secretion,” Uzuki replied with a straight face. 

“We should probably stop picking on her before she says something that could end her idol career,” Mai said, stage-whispering into her mic. 

This got a big laugh. 

“Right, next song!” the short-haired girl said. Seemed like she was group’s second-in-command. 

The group laughed as they got into position. Ready for the next number. They all put their backs to the audience, standing perfectly still. 

The intro started playing. This was a pop number, very cutesy. Exactly what Sakuta usually associated with “idol song.” Very different from the rock-infused style of the first three numbers. 

“Go!” someone yelled. 

And all members spun around, smiling, and jumped. 

The song’s lyrics were pretty unusual. Nothing about dreams or friendship. Or bittersweet, one-sided love. 

It introduced each of the seven members in turn. “Who’s the elegant beauty who always puts her foot in her mouth?” The whole crowd yelled, “Zukki!” “Who wears flashy makeup but is super-serious?” “Dokaaa!” 

As the fans shouted their names, they changed their glow sticks to each girl’s color. 

Apparently, idol concerts weren’t simply for watching. They had interactive portions, too. 

While the song went on, the members left the stage, one at a time. And when the fans called their name again, they came back on in new costumes. The music was designed to match this staging. 

The idols and their fans were so in step it was kinda overwhelming. Sakuta was keenly aware this wasn’t an energy he’d ever encounter in regular life. 

The last introduction finished just before the bridge, leaving them all in their new costumes. For the big finish, the lyrics were about the idol group Sweet Bullet. 

“We’re shooting for the Kohaku! The Budokan!” 

Japan’s most-watched music broadcast and the biggest concert venue. Lofty goals indeed. 

The fans were singing, too. They were so carried away it was like the grand finale, but the concert was only just starting. 

“You have some interesting numbers.” 

“Basically, all idol groups have a theme song like this.” 

Nodoka gave him a look like she was surprised he didn’t even know that. But Sakuta didn’t know jack shit about standard idol stuff. 

Up onstage, the next number started. Each of the members had a baton. The choreography had them spinning these batons a lot, dancing in formation like a brass band’s color guard. 

A totally different feel from the song before it. Kept things interesting. 

As the second chorus began, the winds in the hall began to change. One by one, the fans eyes were drawn to the same girl. 

The blond on the left side of the stage. Mai, onstage as “Nodoka Toyohama.” 

The other girls were all watching their batons carefully, but Mai barely looked at hers. She kept her eyes locked on the crowd, smiling at them. 

Her movements were light, assured, practiced. Her steps knew when to change it up. She stopped right when she should and threw herself into it where the music demanded it. Her limbs moved with grace, but she kept a touch of that idol-like charm. 

This was a formation dance, all seven of them doing the same moves. Mai wasn’t doing anything to make herself stand out. Your eyes just naturally turned toward her. That was the kind of subtle appeal she gave off. 

She was different. 

It wasn’t just Sakuta who thought so. He was sure the fans noticed, too. They couldn’t take their eyes off her. 

Just before the bridge, something happened that set it in stone. 

The main vocalist, Uzuki Hirokawa, flubbed a baton toss. 

Flustered by this, Uzuki pulled the mic away from her lips. But she was in the middle of a solo, so this should have caused a momentary drop in the vocals. 

But Mai’s voice rose up, like she was scooping up a dropped ball, keeping the song going. 

The other girls looked surprised, but they were midsong and kept their smiles up as they sang the rest. A stir ran through the crowd, and they got even more excited. 

Uzuki recovered, and Mai shot her a glance, passing the vocals back to her. A nice recovery from what could have been much worse. The crowd was going wild. 

Next to Sakuta, Nodoka was staring up at the stage, enraptured. Her lips were moving under the mask. He couldn’t hear what she was saying with all the cheering. But he knew what she’d said. 

“She’s amazing…” 

Nodoka might not even have been aware she’d said it. But her eyes told him it sprang from unadulterated admiration. 

They performed dreamy ballads, big band numbers, technopop—all kinds of musical genres, the choreography perfectly matched. They kept the place hopping. 

Two hours passed in a flash, and it was time for the grand finale. 

Everyone onstage was soaked with sweat. They were all very out of breath. But they lined up, smiles as bright as ever, taking the hands of the members on either side. 

“Thank you, everyone!” 

They bowed to their fans. 

When they raised their heads again, they looked really happy. Thoroughly satisfied. The kind of smiles that cheered you up just looking at them. 

“Well?” Nodoka asked. 

“I can see why some people get so into idols.” 

He absolutely meant it. He’d had no idea a concert was this much work. It was like they’d thrown everything they had into it and pulled through. 

“Huh, that’s surprising.” 

“What is?” 

“I mean, ya know, you’re such a listless person.” 

He disagreed, but…not that strongly. 

“I just figured you thought hard work was dumb.” 

“If you laugh at the hard work of others, you’re a failure as a human being.” 

“Hearing you say that is even more surprising.” 

Nodoka seemed pretty happy, though. 

“But if you feel like that, why don’t you do anything?” 

“Like?” 

“Like join a team and aim for the nationals. Maybe you wouldn’t look so sleepy all the time, then.” 

“I ain’t arrogant enough to join any kind of team in the second term of my second year.” 

He’d rather die than force his way into an existing community. They wouldn’t welcome him, either. And Sakuta was fine with looking sleepy. 

“You don’t have the tact to care about that.” 

“I actually do, believe it or not. And besides, I’m busy enough as is.” 

“Liar.” 

“I’m making food, cleaning the apartment, bath, and toilet, taking out the garbage, and doing the laundry.” 

“That’s not the kind of work I mean!” Nodoka said, rolling her eyes at him. 

Sakuta ignored her. “What, just because I don’t have fans cheering for me, you’re gonna say my hard work doesn’t count?” 

“Also, that just makes it sound like you’re a mom.” 

“Yeah. And I’m saying the moms of the world are amazing.” 

“You are so not! Ugh, forget it.” 

Nodoka snorted angrily, turning back toward the stage. 

The idols were heading to the wings, waving as they left. 

Sakuta had failed to make eye contact with Mai. He was pretty sure she knew they were here. She’d sent them the tickets, and here at the back, there was just enough space around them that they probably stood out from onstage. 

But she didn’t look at him, because she was being Nodoka. She refused to let that act slip even now. Mai Sakurajima’s performance as Nodoka Toyohama was flawless perfection. 

Except for one thing. 

He’d been worried about this yesterday. Mai’s “Nodoka Toyohama” gave a better performance than the real thing. 

Once they were all offstage, the crowd started chanting “Encore!” Two hundred people yelling made a lot of noise. 

This went on for a minute, and then the idols came running back out, dressed down in ordinary T-shirts. 

They all had mics in their hands, but it didn’t look like they were gonna sing. 

“Sorry, we can’t do an encore today!” Uzuki said, standing right in the middle. Was that normal? The crowd went, “Aww,” but Uzuki just grinned. 

“There’s a good reason!” they all shouted together. 

“Ohhh!” the fans roared, getting really hyped up. 

“In grand Sweet Bullet tradition! We’re gonna announce the center on our next single!” 

Uzuki’s proclamation made the crowd’s voltage go through the roof. A thunder of cheers and applause. Fans calling out different girls’ names. 

A poker-faced woman came out of the wings. She was wearing the staff hoodie, so she must’ve been working the show. She handed Uzuki an envelope and quickly left the stage. 

“If I’m the one announcing it, that means it isn’t me!” Uzuki said, making a show of disappointment. 

“You never know—they might have you announcing yourself, Zukki,” the short-haired girl said sympathetically. She gave Uzuki a pat on the head. She seemed to be the one who looked after the group’s emotional well-being. 

Uzuki recovered. “Here goes!” she cried. She handed her mic to someone else and pulled a folded piece of paper out of the envelope. She opened it in her palm, glancing it over. 

“Mm?” she said. Her head tilted to one side as if she was suddenly intrigued. She looked at it again. “Whoa,” she said. Phony surprise. 

“Uh, what’s going on? You’re scaring me!” 

“Argh, Zukki! Hurry up!” 

“What does ‘Whoa’ mean?!” 

The other girls were looking nervous but excited. 

“All righty!” Uzuki said. 

Everyone straightened up. Their eyes closed, praying. Mai had her hands clasped together, raised all the way to her forehead. Just like Nodoka had in a video of an earlier concert. 

“The center for the next single is…” 

Uzuki paused dramatically. She took a big breath. Her voice echoed through the hushed crowd. 

“…Dokaaaa!” 

There was a moment of silence. 

The idols and fans both took a moment to react. This was a first, and nobody knew how to respond. 

But soon a chorus of “Ohhh!” swept through the crowd, then cheers, then a celebratory round of applause. Nodoka supporters all raised yellow glow sticks. The other fans all changed theirs to match. The whole room was suddenly yellow. 

Onstage, “Nodoka Toyohama” was getting huge hugs from everyone else, celebrating her first center. 

“I’m sure she convinced you all today! Doka was off the charts! You really saved me there! Thanks again!” 

“You’ve really been on a roll, Doka!” 

The whole group was nodding in agreement. 

After that round of congratulations, “Nodoka Toyohama,” the center of their next single, stepped forward, said something about how hard she’d work, and then it was time to go. 

“Thank you all so much for coming!” 

All seven members bowed low. The curtain fell, and the concert was over. 

But the electricity humming in the crowd wasn’t going anywhere. 

They were slowly filing out, obeying the staff’s directions. In the lobby, Sakuta saw a massive line of Sweet Bullet fans. 

“What’s this for?” he asked. 

“That.” Nodoka pointed at the passage to the exit. 

The members of Sweet Bullet were standing behind a narrow table, seeing their fans off. They gave high fives to everyone who came over. 

“Wanna join ’em?” 

“Mai would just pretend she doesn’t know me. No thanks.” 

Whatever the reasons were, it would still suck. Just imagining it hurt. 

Fans were all seizing their chance to talk directly to their favorites. “Good luck!” “I’m supporting you!” “I like you best!” 

Sakuta saw someone he recognized in that line. A woman far older than Sweet Bullet’s other fans. Nodoka’s mom. 

“This is good, this is good,” she said, taking her daughter’s hand, nodding. The corners of her eyes were glistening. “I’m so glad. You worked so hard.” 

She looked both happy and relieved. 

Someone on staff spoke to her, and she apologized to them and the fans around her and headed to the exit. She was soon out of sight. 

But Nodoka had stopped in her tracks. 

She stared in frozen silence at her mother. 

“She was smiling… My mom was actually smiling…,” her voice rasped, her lips trembling. 

“Well, she’s gotta smile sometimes.” 

“…Never.” 

Her voice was flat and low. All expression drained away. 

“She has never looked like that with me.” 

Her fists were balled up and shaking. 

But that soon subsided. Before Sakuta could think of anything to say, Nodoka’s body drooped, like she’d just…given up. 

“I should’ve known,” she croaked. The sound barely forcing its way out. “That’s who my mom is.” 

Like a thin film of ice cracking. 

“It’s all about her.” The cracking grew louder. “Mom only ever wanted her.” 

Nodoka’s words went crashing through the layer of ice that had formed on the surface of the water in her heart. The light went out of her eyes. Nodoka was consumed by darkness. 

Surrounded by the lingering passion of the concert, Nodoka sank into gloom. 

2 

On the way home, it was so quiet it felt like they’d dreamed the rush of the crowd. The heat of enthusiasm had died out completely, and he couldn’t find a trace of it anywhere. 

Nodoka was acting like nothing had happened, like her mind was completely empty. She was just standing by the train doors, clearly dead inside. Nothing registered in her eyes. She had achieved true expressionlessness. 

The crowded train made standing in silence easier, and since Nodoka didn’t even glance his way, he left her alone. 

Neither said a word during the forty-five-minute ride from Shibuya to Fujisawa. 

“Toyohama,” he said at the station as he pulled her out onto the platform. If he let her be, she’d probably ride that train as far as it would go. 

They followed the flow of the crowd to the gates. 

Habit took him toward the north exit. If he was headed home, that exit, by the electronics store, was fastest. 

But he stopped after a few steps, realizing Nodoka was no longer with him. 

He turned, frowning, and saw her headed toward the south exit. That led to the connecting passage that would bring her to the Odakyu Department Store and the Enoden Fujisawa Station. 

“Can’t make this easy, huh?” 

He caught up with her and took her arm. 

“We live this way,” he said, pointing behind them. 

Nodoka didn’t look up, didn’t glance at him. He wasn’t even sure she’d heard him. She was totally unresponsive. 

After a long silence, she whispered, “I don’t want to go home.” 

No life, no emotion, no energy. Like she was completely hollow inside. 

“…I want to see the ocean.” 

Sakuta looked up at the electronic display showing the time for the next train. The clock next to it showed just past nine. It wasn’t terribly late, but definitely not the usual time of day for hanging out at the beach. 

“……” 

But Nodoka was an empty shell right now, and he couldn’t leave her alone. Even if he dragged her home, she’d probably just wander out again, and that could lead to real trouble. 

“Okay. But not too long.” 

He let go of her hand, and they headed for the Enoden Fujisawa Station. 

To get to the ocean, they could have gotten off at Enoshima Station. Beach season was over, but anyone could go whenever they wanted. The view from Benten Bridge was always amazing. But Sakuta elected not to go there. 

You could also see the water from two stations farther down the line at Kamakura High School Station. The view from that station’s platform was the best. But Sakuta didn’t get off there, either. 

The train kept chugging along the coast. He thought of several other stations that could take them to the water’s edge, but in the end, Sakuta and Nodoka got off at the most familiar option: Shichirigahama Station. 

The same little station they used every day on the way to Minegahara High. 

It only takes two or three minutes to walk to the beach. Just leave the station, head south, and there you were. 

They went down the gentle slope, past the one lone convenience store, and then got stuck at a red light. The one on Route 134. It usually kept them waiting for ages, but today they got a walk light pretty fast. 

They crossed the road and went down the stairs to the beach. 

There were only two days left in September. The temperature dropped the moment night fell. By the ocean, the breeze was crisp enough to make long sleeves seem appealing. 

Sakuta moved closer to the water’s edge, keeping one eye on Nodoka. 

The night sea, deep and dark. 

Moonlight reflected off the surface, but that just made the depths all the more unfathomable. 

Sakuta stopped just out of reach of the waves. But Nodoka’s footsteps kept on going. She walked right past him, into the water, not caring that her shoes got soaked. 

“Yo,” he called. 

But Nodoka didn’t stop. She was going farther in. The water was up to her knees. 

“Dammit!” 

No mistaking the signs. 

She was headed right into those depths. 

Kicking up sand, Sakuta threw himself into the water. The waves lapped at his feet as he lunged after Nodoka. 

“Wait!” 

The churn of the surf swallowed up his voice. 

By the time he finally caught up, the water was at chest height. Each passing wave rocked their bodies, lifting them up. 

“Toyohama!” 

He grabbed her shoulders, stopping her. 

“Let go!” 

Nodoka struggled as she tried to throw him off. 

“What are you doing?!” He had to yell to be heard over the waves. 

“I’m done!” 

“Huh?” 

“Finished!” 

“You are not!” 

“Let go of me! I said let me go, dumbass!” 

“Who’s being a dumbass here?! Shit!” 

A shadow loomed over them. By the time he realized it was a wave, it was too late. There was nowhere to run. The wave broke over his head, and for a moment, he couldn’t see a thing. 

“Blegh!” 

When his head surfaced, Nodoka was gone. She’d lost her balance and sunk beneath the water. 

“Hey!” 

“Koff, hack…” 

Nodoka emerged, coughing. She’d swallowed a lot of water. 

“N-no! No!” 

Nodoka was thrashing violently. If she pushed straight down, she wouldn’t have much issue righting herself, but the undertow dragging her feet out from under her had made her panic. 

“I can’t… I can’t!” 

She was spraying water everywhere, trying to keep herself floating. When she started to sink again, Sakuta grabbed her from behind and pulled her out of the water. 

“You’re fine. Calm down.” 

“No! I can’t! I don’t wanna!” 

He shoved off the seafloor, pushing toward the beach. The lights of the cars on Route 134 guided him. The wave that crashed over their heads had made him lose all sense of direction. The sea was terrifying at night. 

“No! I quit! Let go!” 

“Can’t do that.” 

“Just leave me be!” 

“Like I said, I can’t do that!” 

“What do you care?!” 

“This is a real chickenshit way to test me!” 

They were both yelling now, trying to be heard over the roar of the surf. 

“You don’t need to do this to prove you matter!” 

“?!” 

“Don’t walk into the ocean when you know perfectly well I’m gonna save you! Dumbass!” 

He’d managed to get them back to knee height. He was panting heavily. 

“Shut up… Shut up!” Nodoka glared up at him, her face crumpling. “You only care because it’s her body!” 

“Damn straight,” Sakuta said, sure she wouldn’t believe a denial. It was true anyway. 

“Go to hell!” 

“And after all those meals I cooked you, don’t pretend I don’t care!” 

“Let go… Let go!” 

But Sakuta had both hands locked around Nodoka’s wrists. No matter how much she thrashed, he wasn’t letting go. 

“Just let go of me!” 

“No way. If anything happened to you, Mai would be really sad.” 

“?!” 

Nodoka gasped. She stopped struggling, or moving at all. 

“Why…?” she whispered, head down. “Why, why?” 

Tears started falling into the ocean, mingling with the surf. 

“It’s all about her. All anyone cares about is her! Nobody needs me!” 

Nodoka was just letting all her emotions pour out. 

“……” 

She looked up at him, and he felt she was locked in a desperate battle with her own misery. 

“Like I said, that ain’t true for Mai. If anything happened to you, it would destroy her. Don’t make me say it again.” 

The same thing was almost certainly true for Nodoka’s mother, but he didn’t think she’d listen if he said that now. 

“That’s not true!” 

“It is.” 

“She said she hated me!” 

“That was the real lie.” 

Strictly speaking, both emotions were likely true. It was a thorny mix. 

“Do you have proof?” Nodoka asked, like an angry child. She likely thought this would defeat him. Kid logic could be real effective sometimes. But this time Sakuta had an answer ready. 

“All right, I’ll prove it to you,” he said. 

“Huh?” This seemed to rattle her. 

“I’ve got evidence, and I’m happy to share it. Come with me.” 

“H-hey!” 

This approach had surprised her so much, all he had to do was give her arm a tug and she followed after him. 

They went up the beach and stopped to squeeze out their wet clothes. As much as they could anyway. They dried their hair and bodies—to an extent—with the Sweet Bullet logo towels. Then they walked up to the main road. 

Sakuta never once let go of Nodoka’s hand. Not letting her get away again. 

They crossed the road, heading for the station. On the way, Sakuta found a taxi pulling out of the convenience store parking lot. 

He waved an arm at it. The driver’s eyes met his. Even in the streetlights, their condition must have been obvious. Their hair and clothes were still wet. But the cab stopped for them anyway. 

The back doors didn’t open, though. Instead, the driver’s-side door opened, and the driver got out. 

“You can’t go swimming here!” he said. It was hard to tell if he was joking or not. 

He opened the trunk and took out a tarp. He spread it out on the back seats. 

“Okay, go ahead.” He waved them inside. 

What a great person. It seemed like this wasn’t his first time. Maybe he got a lot of wet passengers. 

“Thanks a lot,” Sakuta said and put Nodoka in first, sliding in after her. “We’re not going that far, I’m afraid…” 

He told them how to get to his place. 

The driver flicked the blinker on and pulled out. 

At the first light, Nodoka said, “Hands.” 

“Mm?” 

“We’re good now, right?” 

She was staring at the seat between them. Where their hands lay, still clasped together. 

“You’re gonna run again.” 

“We’re in a car.” 

“How can I trust someone who threw herself in the ocean?” 

“What are you even saying?” she grumbled, but she didn’t try to shake him off. He wasn’t holding her that tight, so she could dislodge herself if she really wanted to. 

She stared out the window for a while. 

“Didn’t think it would be that warm,” Nodoka murmured. 

“My hand?” 

“The ocean, dumbass.” 

With the fall of night, it was definitely verging on fall temperatures. Compared with that, the water still felt warm. Sakuta knew exactly why that was. He’d asked Rio about it before. 

“The specific heat of water is higher than air.” 

“Huh?” 

“Talking about the sea,” Sakuta said, staring out the window. 

“Specific heat is how much energy it takes to raise a gram one degree, right?” 

“I’m amazed you know that.” 

“You brought it up!” 

“True, but…” 

Basically, water is just much harder to heat up than air, and that means it also takes longer to cool off. While the air temperature can change dramatically on a daily basis, the ocean slowly warms up and cools off over a considerably longer period of time. Warmed by the sun all summer, the ocean here didn’t really hit autumnal temperatures until November. This was why surfing and other water sports were still quite popular, even in October. 

The taxi reached their destination without further conversation. 

Sakuta thanked the driver again and handed over some wet money. 

They got out, and Sakuta turned Nodoka toward Mai’s building. He opened the lock on the front door with the spare key. 

He’d always had Nodoka buzz him in before, so this was actually his first time using it. 

They took the elevator to the ninth floor. There he used the spare key a second time, on the door to her condo. 

Inside, he took off his wet socks before venturing farther in. Nodoka followed suit, peeling off her wet tights. 

Sakuta headed straight for the barely used tatami room. It faced the living room, separated by a set of sliding doors. 

He brought Nodoka to the long cupboard at the back of the tatami room and gestured for her to open it. 

“What?” 

“Go on.” 

“……” 

It was a very ordinary cupboard. 

Nodoka gingerly reached for the drawer. 

And found the cookie tin inside. 

“……” 

Nodoka looked at him again, baffled. 

“You’ll see if you open it.” 

“Ugh.” 

She reached for the dove cookie tin and placed it on the tatami. Then she pried the lid off. 

“Oh…,” she gasped. 

The tin was filled with envelopes. In all sorts of colors. Lots of them with really kiddie designs. 

“……” 

Wordlessly, Nodoka went through the pile, one letter after another. 

They were all addressed to Mai Sakurajima. The names at the top were written in kanji, with beautiful handwriting. The further she went, the more childish the scrawl became, and the ones at the bottom used clumsily written hiragana instead. 

“These are my letters…” 

The back of every letter had Nodoka Toyohama, in the same handwriting. 

There were a lot of them. At a glance, there were more than fifty. Maybe even over a hundred. 

“Why would she…?” Nodoka’s lips quivered. “I don’t get it.” 

Sakuta thought she got it just fine. There were tears welling up in her eyes. 

“I don’t get it,” she said again. 

There was a sound from the entrance. The door opening. Sakuta had locked the door behind him, so there was only one other person it could be. 

Nodoka didn’t seem to hear. 

“Why…why…?” 

She just kept repeating the word. Her mind reeling. 

“’Cause she was happy,” Sakuta said, picking up one of the letters. One of the hiragana ones. 

“Why?” Nodoka asked, looking up at him. 

“I was just a kid back then, too, so I don’t remember, but…Mai was crazy popular when she was a child actor, right?” 

She was still popular, but when she first broke out on the screen, she was truly a part of the zeitgeist. She was on practically every show. 

Not just TV series and movies—she appeared in a ton of commercials and as a guest on variety shows. Sakuta remembered her as this one little kid surrounded by grown-ups. 

“That must have been dizzying. She needed support from somewhere.” 

“……” 

“Aren’t you happy when you’re onstage and the fans are calling your name?” 

“Of course I am.” 

“Same thing. She was just happy to have someone who loved her.” 

The letter he’d opened was packed with little Nodoka’s feelings. Overflowing with admiration for her older sister. Nodoka had written her thoughts on the TV show Mai starred in, the commercials that played during it, the movie poster she’d seen in town, even the variety shows. 

You were so cool in all of them! I’m proud to have a sister like you. 

The writing was childish, but that just made the sincere emotion all the more palpable. 

“If you think this wouldn’t cheer up her, you must think Mai is really messed up.” 

“But I didn’t…!” 

Nodoka was desperately trying to deny it, but even she didn’t seem to know why. 

Her emotions were more honest. Tears filled her eyes. 

“I’m not really her sister!” 

She couldn’t hold them back any longer. 

“What are you even saying at this point?” 

“You don’t understand! When I wrote this, I didn’t understand anything yet. Not the fact that my father remarried, or that she had a different mom…” 

“Well, you were just a kid.” 

“So ever since I figured it out, I’ve been scared. Scared of what that might all mean to her. It became so bad I couldn’t write her anymore.” 

Nodoka’s face crumbled. She was shaking like a leaf. 

“I just couldn’t…” 

She bit her lip hard, trying to force the emotions back. 

The shaking stopped. 

He thought she said something, but her voice was so quiet he couldn’t make it out. 

“Mm?” 

“So frustrating…” 

This time he caught it. 

“You mean Mai?” 

“You.” 

Nodoka wiped her eyes and glared up at him. 

“Yeah?” 

“Why do you know her better than I do?” 

“’Cause I love her.” 

“Like you’re the only…” 

“……” 

“I mean…” 

She couldn’t finish the thought. 

“It’s a lot easier to say than ‘I hate you.’” 

“Sh-shut up!!” 

“You feel the same way, right, Mai?” Sakuta asked, turning toward the living room. 

“Huh?” Nodoka looked up. She hadn’t noticed Mai come in. 

“You are a man of no principles, Sakuta,” Mai said, swinging around from behind the doorframe. She clearly didn’t intend to keep hiding. She looked at Nodoka, then at the pile of letters. “Don’t casually dig up people’s treasure.” 

“…Why…?” Nodoka asked, sniffing. 

Mai quietly stepped over the threshold and entered the tatami room. 

“I remember these,” Mai said, looking at the letters. “Back then…I remember feeling dizzy all the time. Mom put me in a theater troupe, and that got me a role in a TV show, and before I had time to realize, everything went crazy. I couldn’t keep up.” 

She spoke softly. 

“I was dragged from studio to studio, only coming home to sleep. And sometimes not even home, but to some hotel. I didn’t even have time to watch the shows I was on.” 

Sakuta remembered how she had said she was so busy working she didn’t even go to elementary school that often. She’d graduated without making any friends. 

Mai took the stack of letters out of the tin and flipped through them. 

“I didn’t even know how much I was on TV. I had no idea, but suddenly everyone in the world knew who I was. It was creepy, sometimes. For a while there, life was like peering into a clouded mirror. Everyone talked about how great my work was, but I didn’t know who any of them were…and that was all I thought about.” 

Mai chuckled at the memories. 

“……” 

Nodoka just watched, looking ready to cry again. 

“But while all that was going on, you were the only one different. When I first found out I had a sister, it was upsetting. But every time I did something, I got another letter from you. ‘You’re so cool.’ ‘You’re amazing.’ And every time I read that, it gave me the strength to think I was cool. If it was making Nodoka happy, then the hard work was worth it.” 

“I… I just…” 

“That’s how I learned to love my job.” 

Mai turned to face Nodoka. 

“So, Nodoka?” 

“……” 

“Thank you.” 

“?!” 

“Thank you for becoming my sister.” 

“Sis…” Tears sprang up in Nodoka’s eyes again. “…That’s not even fair.” 

She didn’t even try to wipe them. She just let the emotions pour out. 

“It’s too late to say that now!” 

“……” 

“I wanted to work as hard as you! But you go and get a center number before me?! Why is my mom out there praising you?! I can’t believe this!” 

“Well, I practiced,” Mai said. “I put in the work, every day.” 

This made it worse. 

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about! Everything you have to do, that you can’t quit no matter how hard it is—you just do it! Like those who can’t make it happen are to blame. I hate that awesome part of you!” 

Before Nodoka could say another word, a crack echoed through the room. 

Mai had delivered a powerful slap. 

“Owww…” 

But it was Sakuta’s cheek she’d hit. He could feel a throbbing pain spreading. 

“Why me?” he asked. An obvious question. Nodoka was staring at Mai, too, half-surprised, half-scared. 

“Sorry,” Mai said calmly. “That was just such an immature thing to say, I totally lost my cool.” 

“Then hit her instead!” 

Mai was mad at Nodoka, right? 

“She’s got a fashion magazine shoot tomorrow. I can’t risk leaving a mark.” 

“If you can think that far ahead, you haven’t actually lost your cool.” 

“That’s why I said sorry.” Mai was acting like she was the wronged party. “You can handle a slap or two for my benefit.” 

“Only if you make up for it later,” he suggested, rubbing his cheek. 

“Fine, fine.” 

It still hurt. This deserved a significant reward. 

“This is what I’m talking about!” Nodoka said. “You’re soooo professional, you make it seem normal, and where does that leave me? Where?” 

She collapsed to her knees. 

“Uh, in Mai’s case, that’s the only way she knows how to do things.” 

Mai gave him a look like he should butt out, but Sakuta pretended not to notice. 

“I’m pretty sure this side of Mai is just…awkwardness.” 

“Sakuta…” 

That was a reproachful tone, but Sakuta ignored this, too. 

“She’s the kinda girl who can cheerily neglect a boy she just started dating, right?” he said. “We didn’t get to do anything over summer vacation.” 

“Wh-what’s your point, Sakuta?” Mai asked, suddenly shaken. 

“Mai’s nothing more than a workaholic.” 

“Is that what you think of me?” 

“I mean, here I have my first ever girlfriend, and I’m all excited, while you just forget about me! Nobody normal could ever do that.” 

Now he was complaining to her directly. 

“Well, Nodoka and I…” 

“No, no, I’m not just talking about that.” 

“…You said you supported me working,” she said, sulking. 

“There are limits.” 

“M-maybe, but…” 

She was actually backing down. Maybe there was a part of her that did feel self-conscious about it. 

“But we’re talking about Toyohama now,” he said. “We’d better save this for later.” 

Nodoka watched them, looking faintly surprised. 

But then she suddenly snorted, like this was funny. 

“Okay, maybe my sister isn’t perfect,” she said, her eyes moving from Sakuta to Mai and back again. “I mean, she’s clearly got lousy taste in men.” 

She laughed pretty hard at that. Sakuta was hoping Mai would argue this point, but Mai didn’t deign to say a word in his defense. 

She just waited a moment and then said “Nodoka” quietly. 

“……” 

Nodoka looked up at her, suddenly tense. Her lips pressed tight together. No trace of her laughter left. All business now. 

“It’s time you unhook yourself from your mother,” Mai scolded. 

“……Huh?” Nodoka blinked at her. 

Like she had no idea why Mai would say this. 

“After the show, you saw your mom in line for a high five, right?” 

“?! That’s why I—!” 

The emotions of that moment clearly came raging back up inside her. 

“Her hand was shaking,” Mai said, as calm as Nodoka wasn’t. “When I held your mother’s hand, it was trembling.” 

Mai reached out and took Nodoka’s hand, wrapping hers around it. 

“I think she’s been scared this whole time.” 

“Scared…?” 

Once again, Nodoka didn’t get what Mai was trying to say at all. 

“Scared because she put you in the business and made you audition to be an idol. Even before that, when she put you in the theater troupe.” 

“I don’t…” 

“She was never sure that doing that would make you happy.” 

“Make me…happy?” 

“You don’t get it?” 

Mai’s voice was incredibly gentle. 

“……” 

Nodoka just stared at the ground, shaking her head. But it seemed like she did get it, on some level. Like she couldn’t answer out loud because the idea had started to sink in. 

“After seeing you desperately trying to live up to her expectations for so long, it’s left her constantly afraid that you weren’t actually happy.” 

“?! But, I didn’t know—!” 

Nodoka was reflexively trying to deny it, as if she felt like everything she believed to be true was crumbling away. She knocked over the pile of envelopes, and they scattered across the tatami. She didn’t have it in her to pick them up. She just repeated “I didn’t know, I didn’t know,” arms wrapped around herself. “She never said anything like that!” 

“Well, you can’t say that to your kid, can you?” Sakuta started picking up the envelopes, one at a time, carefully. These were Mai’s treasures. “They can’t tell their kids how scary being a parent is.” 

When he’d met his dad the other day, he’d read between the lines. 

“I don’t really see the problem, personally. Trying to live up to someone else’s expectations is a perfectly fine way to live.” 

It wasn’t inherently wrong. If you chose that path yourself, that is. But you couldn’t blame your parents for it. 

“I-it isn’t—” 

Nodoka was still clinging to something. 

“I chose—!” 

“……” 

“I did…” 

Ultimately, it was her own words that made it all fall into place. Nodoka’s voice got very quiet. The wind fell out of her sails. 

“I mean… I… I… Mom was always angry. I just wanted her to be happy! All she ever talked about was you. I just wanted her to praise me! I just wanted to see her smile!” 

She forced out the words, and the torrent of tears that came with them. It felt like they were finally seeing her true feelings. 

“Then you just need to make her happy by doing what you choose to do.” 

“……” 

“Not what your mom tells you to do.” 

“Mm…mm…wahh…” 

Nodoka was sobbing like a little kid now. Mai pulled her in for a hug. Gently patting her back. 

“……Sorry. I’m sorry, Mom…” 

Nodoka cried her heart out in Mai’s arms. When the sobs finally died down, she raised her face. 

“Sis…,” she said. 

“Hmm?” 

“I don’t have to be like you, right?” 

That was what Nodoka’s mother had wanted her to be. 

“You can be like me if you want to be.” 

“I don’t!” 

She jumped on that point so hard Mai’s eyebrow twitched. Nodoka didn’t notice. Mai recovered quickly, smiling gently. She seemed a little sad that she was no longer her sister’s goal in life, but what came through the most was how proud she was that her sister had started finding her own way. 

Sakuta watched the sisters bonding, relieved—and then… 

He blinked. 

“Huh?” 

When his eyes opened again, everything was different. 

“W-wait…” 

“Uh, what?” 

Mai and Nodoka looked equally surprised. That was probably to be expected, since they were the ones who’d changed. 

They’d switched bodies. No, that wasn’t quite right. It was true, but not exactly. In the instant that Sakuta’s eyes were closed, Mai and Nodoka had switched places. Nodoka Toyohama had been embracing Mai Sakurajima, but now Mai had her arms around Nodoka. 

Problem was, their clothes hadn’t switched. Mai Sakurajima was wearing Nodoka’s clothes, and Nodoka Toyohama was wearing the outfit she’d picked to attend the concert. Only their bodies had switched places. 

“We’re back?” 

“I…guess?” 

Mai and Nodoka patted themselves to be sure. Then they both stood up and raced to the washroom to check the mirror. “We are.” “We’re switched back!” 

Sakuta came out into the living room, relieved. It seemed they were finally free of the body-swap Adolescence Syndrome. 

He’d have to ask Rio for an explanation the next time he was at school. Seeing the swap happen had not provided him the enlightenment he wanted. 

Honestly, he felt too tired to think about it now. 

He yawned. Then a nearby phone vibrated. From the pocket of Mai’s bag, the one Nodoka had been carrying around. In other words, this was Mai’s phone. 

He glanced at the screen and saw Ryouko on it. Mai’s manager. 

“Mai, your phone’s ringing.” 

Mai came rushing back, and he handed the phone to her. She answered immediately. 

“Hi, Ryouko. This about the schedule for tomorrow?” 

It had been a month since Mai had been “Mai.” It felt like ages. There was a clear difference between this Mai and the one Nodoka had pretended to be. This one was so self-assured. Overflowing with confidence. 

“Huh? Wai—Really? Uh, right. Yes, sorry…that’s on me. Right.” 

That confidence sure evaporated quick. Mai was frowning, looking grim. What was she accepting the blame for here? 

Nodoka came out of the washroom, seeming worried. Clearly afraid she’d messed up somehow. 

“Right, of course. Good-bye.” 

Mai hung up. She quickly started poking at the screen. She didn’t complain when he peered over her shoulder. 

She was doing a search for “Mai Sakurajima boyfriend.” 

While the image data loaded, Nodoka shuffled to her other side. 

And when the results came up… 

“Ugh.” 

“Ah!” 

“Huh?” 

All three of them let out strange noises. 

The screen showed a picture of Sakuta and Mai walking together. And not just one snapshot, either. Four of them, in multiple locations. On the station platform, walking home, on the beach together… 

He knew instantly these were all recent shots. From the last month. All of them while Nodoka was in Mai’s body. 

“The agency is already getting questions.” 

Mai sounded a lot more composed than she had on the phone. Almost like she was enjoying this. Maybe she was hoping this would finally get the “no dates” rule lifted. 

“S-sorry, Sis…” Nodoka seemed to be taking it pretty hard. “I don’t know what to do…” 

“You don’t have to do a thing, Nodoka.” 

“But…” 

“This isn’t a problem.” 

Mai reached out and put her hand on Nodoka’s head. 

“Leave this one to me.” 

“…O-okay.” 

“Sakuta…well, sorry.” She glanced his way, then dropped her eyes to the floor. “This is gonna be hell for a while.” 

“Well, I’m gonna squeeze a lot of favors out of you to make up for it, so I think I’ll be okay.” 

“Fine. Once this is over, I’ll give you that date you’ve been asking for,” she promised. 

Mai looked positively delighted. 

3 

“It seems like I’ve caused quite a commotion,” Mai began, looking a little embarrassed. 

Sakuta was watching her on TV. 

This was a press conference announcing Mai Sakurajima’s first lead role in a movie since her return from hiatus. 

Actors and producers were on stools around a very beardy director. Nearly a dozen of them, from veterans to fresh faces. 

But the cameras showed only Mai. 

It was lunch break at school. 

Sakuta was watching Mai’s press conference on the TV in the science lab. This time around, it was definitely his concern. Or rather, this was partly his fault. 

No matter which channel he turned to, the midday news programs were all showing the live broadcast of this press conference. 

Questions poured in from the reporters. Nothing about the movie. All about the photos on the Internet and the subsequent weekly magazine coverage of Mai Sakurajima’s love life. 

Nobody wanted to talk about anything else. 

This was the first juicy gossip Mai had let them have. Given her level of popularity and fame, the story had a lot of traction. For days now, celebrity-gossip shows had discussed little else. 

There was a persistent crowd of cameras outside her building, too. Sakuta was forced to sneak into his own apartment. Mai was left unable to attend school at all and had retreated to a hotel her agency booked for her. 

That made this press conference the first time Mai had appeared on camera since their relationship had been discovered. There were an astonishing number of cameras in the room. All trained on Mai’s face so as not to miss a single shift in her expression. 

The news program’s lead-in had said there were too many reporters to fit in the room. 

Mai was calmly responding to the questions. 

“Is it true you’re in a relationship?” 

“Yes, it is.” 

She still looked faintly abashed, but she openly admitted the truth. 

“Can you tell us about him?” 

“He’s completely tactless.” 

Mai smiled, clearly joking. She didn’t maintain this aplomb for long. 

“How long have you been dating?” 

“Um…for about three months.” 

“How did you meet?” 

“Well, he asked me out in front of the whole school…and I didn’t give him an answer right away, but he asked me every day for a whole month and eventually wore me down.” 

By the third question, she was hesitating slightly, and the fourth one had her picking her words carefully, clearly flustered. 

Even through the TV Sakuta could tell she was blushing. 

She didn’t seem sure where to look. 

“Mai, you’ve turned awfully red!” a female reporter pointed out. Clearly amused. 

“It’s my first boyfriend, and I’m talking about it in front of all these cameras! How can I not be a little embarrassed?” 

Mai pursed her lips, sulking like a kid. Then she started fanning herself like it was really hot in there. 

“You said first just now. Have you not dated any boys before?” 

Mai winced, like she’d slipped up. She recovered quickly. 

“The magazines have been writing about me for years, but this is the first time I can recall being able to offer you anything.” 

She gave the reporters a reproachful look. Clearly trying to hide her shame with sarcasm. Her blush didn’t seem like an act. 

And that had all the grown-ups smiling warmly. 

Mai Sakurajima was very good at looking poised and mature. She took her work seriously and had earned herself considerable trust from cast and crew alike. But Mai Sakurajima was still in high school. She was just as capable of falling in love as any other girl her age—and they’d all just been reminded of that. This was quickly changing the mood of the room. 

The more Mai blushed, the more the reporters sat up, on their best behavior. Their attitudes softened, their tones becoming more relaxed. 

The questions quickly grew silly—in a good way. 

“What do you like to call him, Mai?” 

“Just his actual name…” Mai’s voice was a little quiet, and she trailed off into silence. 

“No honorifics?” 

“No… Er, is that unusual?” 

She looked around her, gauging reactions. Suddenly worried this wasn’t what everyone did. The woman overseeing the press conference said, “Not at all,” and Mai looked relieved. 

After that, she got questions like “What was your first impression of him?” or “If he was an animal, what would he be?” or “What’s your best memory with him?” The storm of questions showed no signs of abating. If anything, they were getting more worked up. The woman managing the room was starting to look alarmed. As well she might. They were supposed to be talking about this new movie. 

“Can I cut in here?” Mai asked, interrupting her before she could take the next question. 

“Yes, Mai? Go ahead.” 

Mai held the mic as she stood up. She proceeded to apologize to the director and her costars for the uproar. 

“The producer sounded delighted when he said you saved us a lot of work advertising the project, so go ahead and say whatever you like,” the director said. Clearly making a big joke of the whole thing. 

“Y-you promised you wouldn’t tell Mai I said that!” yelped the suit next to him. 

The comedian next to him jumped on that. “In show biz, ‘Don’t say that!’ means ‘Absolutely say that first chance you get.’” 

“I guess I’ll be having a chat with my producer once this press conference is over,” Mai said, with a very intimidating smile. 

The reporters all laughed. The director and actors were laughing, too. Only the producer was sweating. 

When the laughter died down, Mai turned toward the cameras. 

“My boyfriend is the reason I started working again. I’m sure he would disagree, but I firmly believe that if it weren’t for him, I would never have stood in front of a camera again.” 

Her tone made it clear she was thinking back on events from a few months ago. But her face stayed red the whole time, still plainly embarrassed to be talking about Sakuta in front of all these cameras. 

“This news has brought a lot of chaos down on his head. So much that I’m a little worried he’ll break up with me.” 

The reporters seemed to not take this very seriously if their laughter was anything to go by. 

“I’m only half joking!” she said, feigning anger. 

This got another laugh. The room was definitely on her side no matter what now. 

“As you’ve all no doubt gathered, he’s a normal boy and has nothing to do with the business. My privacy is one thing, but I would appreciate if you could avoid putting pictures of him in your magazines or anywhere online.” 

The weeklies had all blurred the images. But people could still easily identify him and the locations if they knew what they were looking for. 

The real problem was the Internet. A lawless territory at the best of times. The photos online were likely taken not by any professional paparazzi, but by ordinary people, just uploaded for a laugh. It never even occurred to most posters to blur anything. His pictures were already online and spreading. 

Luckily, they were mostly long shots. He hadn’t seen any photos clear enough to make out his face yet. But there might be new pictures showing up any day now, which was definitely worrying. Those would make him instantly famous. 

“If he does end up breaking up with me over this, I won’t be able to get you any updates on the status of our relationship, so I’d appreciate your help here.” 

Just as the room had started getting serious, she made another joke and everyone relaxed. Good way to wrap things up. Ten years of handling the press had clearly taught her a lot. 

“Nobody in Japan would be shameless enough to take someone’s picture and upload it on the Internet,” the director scoffed. This implied that the people who’d done just that were total scum. 

At the bottom of the screen, there was a roll showing tweets from viewers, tagged with the program name. 

Nice one, Director! I’m gonna check this movie out! 

So true. I’d hate for that to happen to me. 

Super jealous of anyone who gets to date Mai Sakurajima, though. 

Does Japan have no morals left?! 

Um, excuse me! Mai Sakurajima is too cute today! 

They went on like this. The number of people using the hashtag was skyrocketing. 

And all of this made it harder for the reporters to ask any more questions. They’d pretty much asked everything anyway. 

When the moderator checked, only one hand went up. 

Sakuta knew her. He’d met her, talked to her several times. She worked for the station he was watching right now. Her name was Fumika Nanjou. 

“Do you have anything you’d like to tell your boyfriend right now?” she asked. 

Less a question, more a request. Mai responded with a mischievous grin. 

“I’d prefer to do that in person.” 

Mai laughed at this herself. She looked a little embarrassed but genuinely happy. 

After that, they finally got around to talking about the movie. Since it seemed like they were done with Mai’s “affair,” Sakuta turned off the TV. 

“Sakurajima handled that well,” Rio said. She’d been watching with him, in silence. 

“Yep. I love her even more.” 

“You should be telling her that.” 

“I often do.” 

“…And how does she respond?” 

“She tends to say ‘Yeah, yeah’ and brush it off.” 

“……” 

“Mai is easily embarrassed.” 

“And you have no shame.” 

She had been the one to ask the question, but Rio had already lost interest. No, she probably never had any. She lit an alcohol burner and started warming water in a beaker. Probably making coffee. 

“Oh yeah…what was all this about anyway?” 

“What was what?” 

“The two of them swapping bodies.” 

“Here.” Rio handed him a book. The title was Quantum Physics for Gorillas. 

He opened it to the front page. There was already a formula on it he didn’t understand. 

“These are some damn smart primates.” 

He’d rather read a book about how clever gorillas were. 

“And technically they didn’t swap bodies,” Rio said, blowing on her instant coffee. 

“Yeah…” 

When they’d gone back to normal, Mai had stopped looking like Nodoka Toyohama and returned to her true form. And Nodoka had stopped looking like Mai Sakurajima. Literally in the blink of an eye. 

“Only their appearances changed.” 

“Yep.” 

“So?” 

“The younger one wanted to be like her sister, had to be like her, and that perception caused her to physically transform into Mai Sakurajima.” 

“Sounds likely…but how?” 

“Fundamentally, it’s probably most appropriate to treat it as a form of quantum teleportation.” 

Rio took a sip, having cooled the coffee sufficiently. It smelled awfully good for the instant stuff. 

“Please tell me more.” 

“I explained quantum teleportation before?” 

“Yes.” 

She’d done that during summer vacation, when under the influence of Adolescence Syndrome herself. 

He vaguely recalled it using a particularly nutty aspect of quanta called quantum entanglement. Rio had explained that the quantum blueprints that gave shape to Rio were synchronized with quanta elsewhere, disseminating information, and via the act of observation of a Rio in that location, teleportation was made possible. 

It was way too sci-fi for him. 

“So Sakurajima’s sister made the blueprints of Sakurajima’s body her own, and by observing herself, she obtained Sakurajima’s body. I think.” 

“……” 

“I’m not asking you to believe, and honestly, I don’t really know myself.” 

Rio took a sip of coffee, apparently satisfied. Sakuta’s opinion was of no concern, clearly. 

“But isn’t there a huge gap in that theory?” 

“Sakurajima’s side of things?” 

Rio knew where he was going with this. 

“Yeah. Why would Mai turn into Toyohama?” 

“Because if she didn’t, the world wouldn’t be consistent.” 

“Huh?” 

“If only her sister changed, then there’d be two Mai Sakurajimas. When there should only be one.” 

“So?” 

“So to maintain consistency, Sakurajima turned into her sister.” 

“But there were two Futabas over summer vacation.” 

“But in my case, it was consistent.” 

“It was?” 

“You never saw both of us at once, did you?” 

“No…” 

The most he’d ever managed was to speak with one on the phone while he was with the other. Like Rio said, he’d never seen the two of them together. 

“Conservation laws are a fundamental concept in physics. If one thing increases, another decreases. If one thing decreases, another increases. If you assume the entire world follows that principle, then the moment her sister turned into Sakurajima, Sakurajima had to turn into her sister.” 

“……” 

“If that still doesn’t make sense, maybe you should assume that Sakurajima was also at least somewhat jealous of her sister.” 

“That makes more sense.” 

He wasn’t entirely convinced, but digging any deeper into quantum stuff definitely wouldn’t help. He decided it was best to feign comprehension. 

He pushed the gorilla book back toward Rio. As he did, the warning bell rang. Lunch was over in five. Time for afternoon classes. 

“Right, I’m off to class.” 

He stood up. 

“Azusagawa,” Rio called after him. 

“Mm?” 

“You have a date after school, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

He was meeting Mai at Kamakura Station after the press conference ended. What of it? 

“I’m sure you’d notice before then, but…maybe you should zip up your fly.” 

He looked down. His Window to Society was yawning open. 

“We should all be lucky to know girls who’ll point these things out.” 

Rio wouldn’t meet his eye. She was staring awkwardly out the window. Perhaps she had discussed his crotch enough for one day. 

“Just shut up and go already,” she said. 

He zipped up and left the science room. 

After school that day, Sakuta boarded the train going away from home. 

Not to Fujisawa, but to Kamakura. 

All the way to the end of the line, Kamakura Station. From Shichirigahama Station, he passed through Inamuragasaki, Gokurakuji, Hase, Yuigahama, and Wadazuka. The trip took around fifteen minutes total. 

On this day in particular, that fifteen minutes felt eternal. Was it because he was headed for a date? 

The train seemed to be going even slower than usual. He started wondering if they’d added extra stops. He knew they hadn’t, but… 

Just before Wadazuka, he started wondering if it would be faster to get off and run the rest of the way. 

But despite his impatience, the train pulled into Kamakura Station exactly on time. 

He was waiting by the doors and was the first person on the platform. He hustled past the souvenir stands, heading for the gates. 

They’d agreed to meet at the station’s west exit. Outside the gates, he turned right, to the square with the old station clock. It wasn’t much of a square, so if the person you were meeting was there, you wouldn’t have to look long. 

Mai was not there. 

He was twenty minutes early, so he had not expected her to be. The square’s main landmark, the clock, showed 3:39. He glared up at it, willing it to be four already. But the clock stubbornly kept accurate time. 

Five minutes passed. Slowly. 

“Sakuta,” said a voice behind him. 

He swung around. 

“You’re staring at the clock… Were you waiting that long?” 

Mai was dressed in street clothes, her heels clicking as she approached. A casual fall sweater and a knee-length skirt. Boots below that. 

Light makeup that made her seem even more beautiful. Her hair was lightly bound into a fashionable braid. And she had a pair of thick-rimmed fake glasses on. Presumably a disguise. 

“……” 

He couldn’t help but stare. 

“Go on—spit it out.” 

“I told you before that dates mandate miniskirts with bare legs, right?” 

“Try again.” 

“It’s scary how cute you are.” 

Anyone who saw Mai would know instantly she was on a date. 

“I’m thrilled you tried so hard for me.” 

“Well…” Mai was very conspicuously looking away from him all of a sudden. “I said I had a date, and my hair and makeup artist got all fired up… I wasn’t actually planning on going this far.” 

“Hmm.” 

“What?” 

“Nothing.” 

“Oh, more importantly, Sakuta…” 

It was like she’d remembered something critical. The mood shifted instantly. That faint hint of embarrassment completely vanished. 

“What?” 

He had a hunch but decided to play dumb. 

“Don’t you have something to say to me?” she asked. 

“You’re super-beautiful today!” 

“……” 

She reached out wordlessly and twisted his cheek. Quite hard. 

“Ow, ow!” 

When he kicked up a fuss, she let go. Then she took a magazine out of her bag and held it up in front of him, open to the lead article. 

“What is this?” 

Her lips were smiling, but her eyes sure weren’t. 

“I have no idea!” he insisted. This earned him a foot stomp. “Not the heel!” 

It was quite painful. 

“Then look!” 

“Okay.” 

He did as he was told, focusing on the magazine. He knew perfectly well what it said without looking. It had been out for a few days, and he’d already read it. 

The headline, in large letters, said, “Mai Sakurajima’s First Love?!” In other words, this was about Sakuta and Mai. 

It had photos of them leaving school together and waving to each other outside the buildings. 

The centerpiece was a long shot of the two of them by the ocean. This was actually a series of photos, which made it look like Mai had thrown herself on Sakuta, knocked him down, and kissed his cheek. 

“Toyohama tripped, and I caught her. That’s all.” 

Since he was there, he knew just how cleverly they’d manipulated this through omission. Taking just the choice shots to make it look like something else. The media were scary. 

That was right after the commercial reshoot, so a reporter who’d heard about that must have stuck around afterward. These photos were taken with a very good camera and were quite high quality. 

“And?” 

Mai’s eyes still weren’t smiling. 

“That’s it.” 

“Did you?” 

Unsurprisingly, Mai didn’t let it drop. He wasn’t getting out of this that easily. 

“……” 

“Did you kiss?” 

She made it very clear. No evasive euphemisms here. 

“Mild contact,” he admitted. 

“……” 

The silent pressure was formidable. 

“It was an accident!” 

“And you think that makes it okay?” 

Mai was clearly annoyed. A shiver ran down his spine. Certainly, calling it an accident was not going to fly. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, bowing his head. 

“You repent?” 

“I do.” 

“I don’t believe you.” 

“I swear!” He looked up, his desperation evident. 

“Then demonstrate your fealty.” 

“How?” 

“Figure that out yourself.” 

She looked away indignantly but kept stealing glances at him, clearly expectant. 

Sakuta bent down and said, “Go ahead.” 

“And do what?” 

“I just assumed you wanted to kiss my cheek.” 

“……” 

The cold glare suggested this was the wrong choice. 

“Uh…” 

“Say anything weird, and I’m going home.” 

What a horrible threat. 

“I love you.” 

“……” 

Clearly not enough. 

“I super love you.” 

“……” 

Still no sign of forgiveness. 

“Having you as my girlfriend is all I need to be happy. I am the happiest man in the world.” 

He kept his eyes on hers and caught a trace of a smile. 

“Naturally,” she said. She still sounded mad, but her expression said otherwise. 

“And you?” he asked. 

“Mm?” 

“I was wondering how you feel.” 

He didn’t think this tactic would work. He’d almost never managed to pry anything direct out of her. And the look in her eyes said, “You aren’t tricking me into that.” 

“You did promise to reward me,” Sakuta said, not backing down. 

Mai sighed dramatically, but she didn’t look all that annoyed. Then an idea struck her. 

“Look, Sakuta.” 

“What?” 

Their eyes met. There was a faint smile in hers. 

“I think I love you a lot more than you realize.” 

“……” 

It took him a moment to process that. His jaw dropped. This must have been a bigger reaction than she’d expected, because she said, “What a face!” and started laughing. 

“No, I’m confident I love you more!” he said. 

“Sure, let’s say you do. Come on!” 

She grabbed his hand and started walking. 

“And wipe that smirk off your face,” she said. 

“You’re grinning yourself, Mai.” 

“And you love it,” she said, her smile radiating confidence. This was the Mai he knew and loved. 

“I’m so happy I want another date tomorrow.” 

“Can’t. I’ve got a magazine shoot.” 

“Aww, more work?” 

“It’ll have to be the day after.” 

On that delightful note, they headed onto Komachi Street, a road lined with quaint little shops. Even on a weekday it was packed with tourists and couples. 

Everyone was happily searching for souvenirs or eating food they’d just bought. There was a smile on every face. 

Including Sakuta’s and Mai’s.