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winglian

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Fumiko: "..." Aine: "Oh, over there! Fumiko-san is there!" Tomoe: "Got it. Hurry and change the shard." Aine: "Oh, yes!" *Aine fashioned Douzaki's shard into an arrow. In that time, I took aim at Douzaki's back as she ventured off into the distance.* Aine: "I finished! Please and thank you!" Tomoe: "..." *I took the shard from her, now in the guise of an arrow.* *When I touched it, the arrow let out a cry, as if howling in pain.* Tomoe: "Sorry about that. I'll return you right away." *I nocked the arrow and drew my bow, Douzaki's distant back in my sights.* Tomoe: "..." *This was Douzaki's fractured heart. It was filled with her feelings for Shougo Kogakura. I would return those to her right now.* Tomoe: "Go home, to the heart where you belong..." *My imagined arrow pierced Douzaki's back. With that sight clearly in mind, I released the bowstring.* Fumiko: "Ah..." *Douzaki, who had been trudging along, stopped in place. But only for an instant...* Fumiko: "Hm...?" *She once again started walking with her head tilted in doubt.* Tomoe: "It's over." Aine: "Thank you so much." Tomoe: "What will you do now? We might be looking at a repeat of last time, you know?" Aine: "I will be back a little later!" *Aine ran off. It looked like she took off at random, but maybe she had an actual plan in place?* Tomoe: "She probably went to meet up with Douzaki." *I didn't think it was just Douzaki's problem, though.* Tomoe: "I guess it's none of my concern."

Fumiko: "..." Fumiko: "I wonder what that was earlier?" *I felt something in my back... or maybe my chest? I just sort of choked up all of a sudden...* Fumiko: "Oh, an email." *I checked my cell phone, and it was from Misato. The moment I saw her name, my chest pricked with pain.* Fumiko: "Hm? Why does my chest hurt so much?" *I thought I was over Kogakura-kun already. I was supposed to have given up.* *I mean, Kogakura-kun didn't want me.* *I saw him make that face...* Fumiko: "...I guess it's hopeless." *It looked like I loved Kogakura-kun after all.* *Maybe I couldn't give up, no matter how much I suffered or how much he hated me?* Fumiko: "Giving up would be way easier..." *My heart ached.* *I checked my email, and Misato asked if we should make boxed lunches again tomorrow. I bit my lip and resisted the twinge in my heart.* Aine: "Fumiko-san." Fumiko: "Ah... Aine-chan..." *For some reason, Aine-chan was standing there with a concerned look on her face.* *The instant I saw her, my emotions burst from the depths of my heart.* Fumiko: "Aine-chan, I..." *I couldn't help it... On came the waterworks.* Fumiko: "It looks like I love Kogakura-kun after all." *The second I said it aloud, I could no longer stand, and leapt into Aine-chan's chest.*

*I wrote him an email.* *"If it's all right with you, please come online tonight."* *We met on the net, so I thought we should talk there one more time...* *I started up the messenger, and Kogakura-kun was already online.* Good evening.: koga156 *　　　　　　* Good evening. Sorry to call out of the blue like that.: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Nah, don't worry about it. I wanted to talk, too. About the other day... I'm sorry.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Why are you apologizing?: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　* I thought I might've hurt you.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　* You were worried about me? It makes me happy to know you were thinking about me...: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* I'm the one who should be sorry.: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　* Huh? For what?: koga156 *　　　　　　　* Fumiko: "..." *When I tried to put my feelings into text, my hand stopped on me. I was scared to tell him.* *But...* Aine: "If you don't tell him how you feel, you will regret it." *I remembered what Aine-chan had said.* Fumiko: "I've gotta tell him." What's wrong? What are you sorry for?: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* You know...: UMIKOF *　　　　　　* I love you, Kogakura-kun.: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* I'm sorry that someone like me fell for you.: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Fumiko: "...I said it." *I was in love with Kogakura-kun.* *Those words spun through my mind over and over again. My feelings were all a jumble: like a weight had been lifted, but also regret that I couldn't take it back.* Fumiko: "..." *Kogakura-kun wasn't responding.* *The longer I waited, the stronger my feelings of regret became. Maybe I shouldn't have told him after all?* *No, I couldn't move forward like that. Just like Aine-chan said.* *Even if he rejected me again, at least now I could...* Fumiko: "Ah..." Thank you. I think I love you, too, Douzaki.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Fumiko: "Huh...?" *I reread the message that popped up numerous times, but its meaning didn't register with my mind.* *No, it wasn't that it wouldn't register; I couldn't believe it.* *No matter how much I reread it, it didn't seem like a message intended for me.* Douzaki?: koga156 *　　　　　　* S-Sorry... but, uh... really?: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* What do you mean, 'really?': koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　* Are you... really sure that you... like me?: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Yes, I'm sure. I've given this a lot of thought.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* I rarely use my head for anything but basketball, but I'm serious about this.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* You... do? I can't believe it.: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Why, um... Why me? I'm not cute, heck, I'm ugly. It won't be any fun if you're with me.: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Don't talk about yourself that way.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* I mean, you might not be the cute type.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* But that doesn't matter. I obviously like cute girls, but I realized there's something more important than that.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* What's that?: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　* Like how kind you are. You helped people who were in trouble, right?: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* That... isn't all that impressive...: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* All I did was give advice to people with bigger troubles and worries than I had, to try and convince myself I still had it better than they did.: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* There's nothing admirable about that at all.: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* I see.: koga156 *　　　　　　* What's wrong with that, though? Whatever reasons you may have, it doesn't make the people you gave the advice to feel any less happy.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* I wouldn't worry about it. It's not like you did it out of malice. At least, that's what I believe.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* ...Thank you.: UMIKOF *　　　　　　　　　　　　　* Anyway, I don't really care about appearances. I hope you won't worry about them, either.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* I obviously like cute girls more, so it would make me happy if you tried to clean yourself up a bit. Makeup, clothes, and stuff can really change a girl, right? (lol): koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* *Kogakura-kun's message had me so happy, my vision began to blur. The tears wouldn't stop.* Fumiko: "...Yeah, I will. I'll work hard at it." *I could do that much, whatever it took.* *I wanted to become pretty for him. At least enough that he didn't feel embarrassed to be with me.* *I would put in all the effort needed to make that happen.* I kinda want to hear your voice.: koga156 *　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　* *A message like that, from him? Naturally, I gave the okay and cheerfully began to prepare my headset.*

Aine: "Tomoe-san, have you heard?" Tomoe: "That Douzaki and Kogakura started dating?" *Just by seeing Aine's face, I could tell exactly what she was going to say.* Aine: "Oh, so you knew?" Tomoe: "Are you satisfied now?" Aine: "Yes! Since Fumiko-san and Kogakura-san are both happy now." Tomoe: "But isn't there someone in the background who's going to be unhappy?" Aine: "Huh?" Tomoe: "Wasn't there another girl who liked Kogakura?" Aine: "Well... Yes, there is... But..." Tomoe: "Won't Douzaki end up suffering because of it? She ended up betraying her friend to pursue this relationship." Tomoe: "She's going to have to face the music sometime." Aine: "Why do you always say such terrible things?" Tomoe: "That's the nature of happiness. One person's joy means another person's misfortune. It's impossible to make everyone happy." Aine: "Th-That is not true..." *Aine protested, yet sounded distressed. After all, my argument was sound.* Aine: "Even then..." *With grief, Aine lifted her head as if she were a cornered superhero facing an enormous enemy.* Aine: "I want to make as many people as possible happy." Tomoe: "...The same goes for me, too." *Assuming that were even possible.* *But there are both things you can and cannot do in this world.*

*Kogakura-kun and I were alone in the classroom after school.* Shougo: "Not going home with Nishimachi today?" Fumiko: "Yeah. Misato said she had something to do today, and went on without me." *I began spending less time with Misato ever since Kogakura-kun and I started dating.* *I couldn't breathe when I was with her. I still hadn't broken the news about Kogakura-kun and me to her.* *It was something I needed to tell her sooner or later, but also couldn't bring myself to say.* Shougo: "We've got to tell her about us soon." Fumiko: "Yeah..." *I felt depressed just thinking about it.* *I thought about it every single time I was with Misato, so I'd distanced myself from her bit by bit due to my guilt.* *She may have already realized that something strange was going on.* Shougo: "Don't make that face. I'll tell her with you when the time comes." Fumiko: "You will?" Shougo: "I'm involved, too. I don't want to make you go through something painful alone. I'll be with you." Fumiko: "...Thank you." *It made me feel like I was going to cry whenever he was nice to me like this.* Shougo: "I told you not to make that face. ...Hm?" *He came up close and stared straight at my face.* Fumiko: "Wh-What?" Shougo: "Have you been using make-up lately?" Fumiko: "J-Just a little..." *Of course, I had to get a little prettier for him!* *I wasn't great at it yet, and would stand out at school if I used too much, so I only applied a little make-up.* *Nobody paid any attention to me, so I went unnoticed... so it surprised me that he said something.* Shougo: "It looks good on you." Fumiko: "Y-You're kidding..." Shougo: "I mean it. I guess what they say about women getting prettier when they fall in love is true." Fumiko: "Oh no... I'm not pretty or anything..." Shougo: "And I'm saying you are." Fumiko: "Ah..." *He whispered that as he hugged me. My head felt like it was spinning as my lungs filled with his scent.* Fumiko: "Kogakura-kun, we can't... This is... the classroom..." Shougo: "Nobody's going to come this late. So, just for a minute..." Fumiko: "But... Ah..." Shougo: "Fumiko..." Fumiko: "Au..." *Shivers ran up my spine when he spoke my name. I never knew being called by my name by the person I loved could feel this good.* Fumiko: "Shougo... kun..." *I called him by his name as well.* *Shougo-kun's hand explored my body. The passionate way he stroked from my back, down to my butt, then to my thighs made it clear how badly he wanted me.* Fumiko: "Aan... Mm, you're making... me moan..." Shougo: "I'm just touching you, though? I wonder what you'd do if I put it in?" Fumiko: "'In'... W-We can't do that here..." Shougo: "But I can't stand it anymore. I know you can't, either..." *Shougo-kun's hand reached out toward my shyest of places.* Fumiko: "Ah, don't..." *Splutter...* *My hips bucked as he touched the center of my womanhood.* Shougo: "You're wet already. You want it too, don't you, Fumiko?" Fumiko: "I do, but..." Shougo: "It'll just be for a minute." *Shougo-kun unzipped the front of his pants and whipped out his engorged member. He then slid my underwear aside and pushed it into me.* *Slip... Sloosh, sloosh...* Fumiko: "Fuah, aah... Shougo-kun..." Shougo: "Fumiko... Guh... you're so, tight..." Fumiko: "No, aah..." *Shougo-kun slowly began to move. The dirty sounds and impure smells of a man and woman wafted through the sunset-dyed classroom.* *Up until Shougo-kun taught me, I never knew making love to a man could feel this good. The more we did it, the more it seemed like I was losing myself to him.* Fumiko: "Aah, ah... Shougo-kun..." Shougo: "Fumiko... Oh..." Misato: "What is this...?" Fumiko: "Huh...?" *Misato was standing in the doorway. She was staring at us dazed, standing still as death.* *She saw me.* *Doing this.* *With the one person she could never know about.* *Feeling doomed, I went pale.* Misato: "Why...?" Fumiko: "Misato, this is, uh..." *I tried to say something, but couldn't get the words out.* Misato: "...!" Fumiko: "Ah, Misato!!"

*That was three days ago, and I hadn't spoken to Misato since. She ignored me whenever we saw each other.* *That was only natural. I had betrayed her in such a horrible way.* Fumiko: "..." *Things couldn't stay this way. I had to talk to her.* *I visited her classroom during break time, and Misato was sitting alone at her seat.* Misato: "..." *She was ordinarily with someone, but today she was moping and emitting an aura telling everyone around her to stay away.* *I briefly wondered if I should turn back without speaking to her.* *...But that wouldn't be right.* Fumiko: "Misato." *I made up my mind and called to her. She lifted her head and stared at me.* *There was an instant flicker of contempt in her eyes. My determination nearly wasted away.* Fumiko: "Can we talk a little?" Misato: "What did you want to talk about?" *There was a sharpness in her voice. She wasn't even trying to hide how upset she was.* *Misato used to smile all the time... My chest hurt when I thought that I had made her this way.* Fumiko: "About what happened before... About Kogakura-kun." Misato: "...I don't care about that anymore." Fumiko: "Don't say that. Will you just listen to what I have to say?" Misato: "Nothing you could say would change anything. I caught you in the act. What more do you expect of me?" Fumiko: "...Sorry." Misato: "I never would have expected you to sleep with Kogakura-kun. I trusted you." Fumiko: "I'm sorry..." Misato: "Sorry? Sorry you say..." *Misato's voice shook in anger.* Misato: "After how badly you tricked me?! You had the nerve to pretend to give me advice while doing _that_ behind my back?!" Fumiko: "N-No... That's not what happened!" Misato: "Then what?! How did you wind up like that?" Fumiko: "W-Well..." Misato: "Well, whatever. It's over and done with." *Misato ended the conversation before I could explain myself.* Fumiko: "Hey, listen. I'll explain everything." Misato: "There's no point in explaining it to me. You were having sex with the person I loved, you know? In the classroom, at that." Misato: "After having it shoved in my face like that... we're through." Fumiko: "I wasn't trying to..." Misato: "It's the same either way. I..." Misato: "...don't think I'll be able to trust you again for the rest of my life." Fumiko: "Ah..." *When Misato's eyes met mine, I knew.* *She and I were no longer friends.* Misato: "Don't talk to me anymore." *With those few words, she left the rooftop.* *I didn't know what I could say, nor did I have the right to stop her.* *When I realized I couldn't be around her anymore, I couldn't hold back my tears.* *She was my one and only best friend. I destroyed that with my own two hands.* *My cell phone rang. I knew by the ringtone that it was from Kogakura-kun.* *At that moment I realized what I had done. I had betrayed my friend in the name of love.* Fumiko: "Kogakura-kun..." *Misato had been more important to me than anyone else.* *My one and only friend... The only person who ever supported me when I was a stranger to love.* *Now, I had found love, but lost her.* *I knew I couldn't possibly have it all.* *I believed I would never cross paths with love for as long as I lived, and now, it had fallen into my lap.* *Making that happen had to come with a heavy price.* *For that reason, I would treasure this irreplaceable, precious love I had found.* Fumiko: "Yes, this is Fumiko..." Fumiko: "No, it's nothing. I wasn't crying or anything." *I would be okay as long as he was there for me.* *That was the only thing I wished for...*

Misato: "Hey, hey?" Fumiko: "Yeah?" Misato: "Did something happen between you and Kogakura-kun recently?" *Misato mused aloud as we were walking home together. It was unusual for her to make such an anxious face.* Fumiko: "Uh-uh, why? Nothing worth mentioning." Misato: "Really? Then maybe we could all eat lunch together again?" Fumiko: "Yeah, of course. I'll talk to Kogakura-kun about it." Misato: "Yeah, please!" *Misato smiled all at once. She really did like Kogakura-kun, huh?* *My heart skipped a beat whenever Kogakura-kun came up, but it wasn't really that exciting.* *He rejected me, and with that, his feelings for UMIKOF should have vanished.* *Things were better this way. I got everything off my chest, and could now support Misato from the bottom of my heart.* *That was fine by me. I wanted to be friends with Misato forever.* Misato: "I wonder what I should make this time? What do you think Kogakura-kun likes?" Fumiko: "I'll ask him that indirectly next time, then." Misato: "Aww, thank you, Fumiko! A friend in need is a friend indeed~!" *Misato clung to me. She really was cute. So cute it made my heart pang.* *I loved Misato and Kogakura-kun both. Nothing would make me happier than to see the two people I loved getting along.* *Therefore, I had to be sure to support them.* *But, before that...* Fumiko: "Sorry to call you out here like this." Shougo: "Nah. I needed to talk to you, too." *This may have been our first real conversation since then. This couldn't keep up forever, right?* *If I was going to support them, I needed to make things clear.* Shougo: "About the other day, um..." Fumiko: "I'm not worried about that anymore." *I smiled at the apologetic-looking Kogakura-kun. I didn't want him to apologize.* Fumiko: "I don't mind at all, so it's all right! I was so surprised my classmate was my email buddy." Shougo: "Yeah, seriously. But... is that really all?" Fumiko: "Of course it is. So don't worry about it anymore." Shougo: "...Yeah, got it." *Kogakura-kun smiled with relief. Seeing him do so gave me peace of mind, too.* *From the very beginning, I never thought my feelings would get through to him.* *Things had just come to their natural conclusion, so it was totally all right.* Fumiko: "Changing the subject... Could I ask a favor?" Shougo: "A favor? What is it? I mean, anything's fine as long as I can do it." Fumiko: "It's something only you can do." Fumiko: "Misato said she wanted the three of us to eat lunch together, just like last time." Shougo: "Misato, you mean Nishimachi?" *His expression relaxed a little. He looked a little happy.* *I guess even Kogakura-kun would be happy if a cute girl like Misato liked him.* *Did this mean Misato's feelings would be reciprocated?* Fumiko: "Okay, it'll be the three of us next time." Shougo: "Yeah, of course." Fumiko: "Oh, by the way. What's your favorite food?" Shougo: "Mine? Let me think..." *It felt like we were talking much more comfortably now than before. That was because I gave up on him, right?* *This was how it should be.* *Yes, this was for the best.*

Misato: "Ta daaaa!" *Misato opened the lid to the boxed lunch. In that moment, Kogakura-kun's face sparkled.* Shougo: "Oh, it's wonderful this time too!" Misato: "Ehehe, I made it by hand again. Oh, but I did have help..." *Misato looked my way.* Fumiko: "I lent her a hand, but it was mostly Misato." *I actually helped her quite a bit, but I needed to make this her achievement.* *Misato put her hands together and prayed a small thank you at me. I snuck a smile back at her. It was secret communication between girls.* *I was just delighted Misato felt grateful. If that meant these two could get along, then I would be truly happy.* Misato: "Let's eat then. I hope it's tasty." Shougo: "It'll _definitely_ be tasty! I can tell by just looking." Misato: "Ehehe, that would be great!" Fumiko: "It'll be fine, just fine. It was tasty when I sampled it." Shougo: "I'm looking forward to it then. Thanks for the meal! Om, nomom..." Misato: "How is it...?" Shougo: "Yeah, this rolled omelet is delicious!" Misato: "Really? I'm glad~!" *Misato turned to me and gave a small, triumphant pose. I nodded a tiny bit in return.* Shougo: "Nishimachi, you really are good at cooking." Misato: "No way. Any girl could manage this." Fumiko: "Yes, you are. Doesn't Misato seem like she'll make a good wife? Hey, don't you think, Kogakura-kun?" Shougo: "A wife... Koff, koff, koff!" *He choked like he was in some manga. Funny.* Misato: "A-Are you all right?" Shougo: "I-I'm fine, I'm fine. Koff, koff...!" *It was cute watching Misato pat his back. Those two looked good together after all, didn't they?* Fumiko: "..." *Seeing the two of them having so much fun made my chest hurt a little.* *Why was that? I didn't even have any feelings for him anymore...* *But it made me happy to see my two precious friends getting along like this and having fun.* *It was enough to put me in a happy mood myself. Happy... and a little miserable.* *I guess that's life for you. Not all good, and not all bad.* Shougo: "Ah, I was surprised. Since Douzaki said something strange." Fumiko: "Huh? All I said was that Misato would be a good wife, though?" *I purposely played dumb.* Shougo: "Y-You did, but..." *I winked at Misato as she turned red, signaling, "I set that up perfectly, huh?"* *Misato was blushing, but smiling happily.* Misato: "Oh Kogakura-kun, you've got ketchup on your mouth." Shougo: "Huh, really? Where?" Misato: "What'll I do with you? Stay still a second." *Misato reached out and wiped his mouth with a paper napkin.* Shougo: "S-Sorry." *Kogakura-kun's face was beet red. Misato looked so happy. These two really were a good match.* *I was happy just looking at them. I knew this was for the best.* Shougo: "Thank you, Nishimachi." Misato: "Uh-uh, you're welcome." Fumiko: "...Excuse me, I'm gonna go wash my hands." *I quietly left my seat. They looked my way for a moment, but quickly went back to their conversation.* *I randomly killed time by wandering between the bathroom and classroom.* *I had no real intention of using the bathroom, after all.* *When I came back, they were having a fun conversation. Seeing them like that made me stop at the classroom door.* *They looked way too good together.* Misato: "Oh. Hey, hey, Kogakura-kun." Shougo: "Yeah?" Misato: "You don't have to call me Nishimachi; Misato is fine. I want you to call me Misato." Shougo: "Huh? By your first name? Are you sure?" Misato: "Yeah. Fumiko calls me that, too." Shougo: "I see. Okay then, um... Misato." Misato: "...Yeah! Whaaat is it, Shougo-kun?" Shougo: "Huh? Y-You're gonna make me blush." Misato: "Ahaha, you said it!" Fumiko: "..." *They were smiling joyously at one another. I was ecstatic seeing the two of them like that.* *So...* Misato: "Oh, try eating this next." Shougo: "This?" Misato: "Yeah, that, that!" Fumiko: "..." *Was I in their way? I was sure they'd have more fun without me around.* *Maybe I should just get lost...* Fumiko: "..." *...No good. I couldn't go in.* Misato: "...Hm? Fumiko, what are you doing~?" Fumiko: "Ah..." *She spotted me.* Shougo: "Douzaki, hurry over. The boxed lunch is gonna run out!" Misato: "Hurry up, hurry up!" *The two of them called me over with huge grins. Their genuine smiles instantly perked me up.* Fumiko: "Yeah, I'm coming!" *I ran to them.* Misato: "Fumiko, you're late." Fumiko: "Sorry. Now, let's eat, let's eat!" Shougo: "Ahahaha, we're _already_ eating!" Misato: "Oh dear. Come on, Fumiko!" Fumiko: "Ahaha!" *There was no telling whether these two would really start dating, or what else would happen in the future.* *But I now honestly thought it would be great if they did.* *These two would be my precious friends forever. That was one thing I was sure would never change.* *That was why seeing them happy made me happy, too.* *Being here with them was all I ever needed...*

Aine: "Ah, it looks like bad weather tomorrow." *Aine was looking at the laptop screen.* *It appeared she'd reached the point where she could check the weather online. The Internet had taken root in her daily life in the blink of an eye.* Tomoe: "Isn't it about time you returned that to Nakizaki?" Aine: "Huh?! What will I do once I return it?!" Tomoe: "You don't have much of a choice. It was borrowed to begin with." Aine: "But then we will no longer have a laptop at home, right?" Tomoe: "Laptops aren't necessary. I've managed without one for this long." Aine: "No way..." *Aine looked like she would cry.* Aine: "The Internet is the quickest way to get information in this era, you know? We will fall behind on the news." Tomoe: "Stop letting the news manipulate your life. If we're talking fads, minimalism is in." Tomoe: "Living a simple life with as little as possible is the current trend. That whole 'LOHAS' thing." *I only had passing knowledge on the subject, so I wasn't sure if that was correct, but I was dealing with Aine so it would probably be fine.* Aine: "That sounds like such a lonely lifestyle! The net, net, net, neeet~!" Tomoe: "Give it a rest." Aine: "Come on, please look. Leaks are coming out about this upcoming announcement!" *Aine turned the PC screen this way. Looked like some tabloid.* *A swimsuit-clad female personality was displayed there.* Tomoe: "Huh? Isn't that Wakamatsu?" *She wasn't wearing her glasses, and she was in a rather skimpy swimsuit, but that was definitely Wakamatsu.* Aine: "Huh? What are you saying? She is the current hot-topic pin-up girl, MINAMO-chan." Tomoe: "It isn't Wakamatsu?" Aine: "It is not~ Look, they are totally different." Tomoe: "Are they?" *She didn't look any different to me at all. As far as I was concerned, it _had_ to be her.* *Oh well, it didn't matter either way.* Tomoe: "Anyway, we're giving the laptop back to Nakizaki tomorrow." Aine: "You barbarian~!" *All this over losing a laptop. Some angel...*

Tomoe: "It's been a long time since you've prepared your own dinner." *When I went to return Nakizaki's PC, I remembered that today was her parents' anniversary. They were out eating as a family.* Aine: "If you take away my PC _and_ dinner, I will die." Tomoe: "Should I try it out?" Aine: "Y-You cannot do that! Murdering angels is a felony!" Tomoe: "Does that actually happen?" *I guess Aine did mention that angels could die. She _was_ nearly run over by a train, after all.* Aine: "I gave up the laptop, so I want to eat something delicious." Tomoe: "I don't think those two things have anything to do with each other." Aine: "As for what that delicious something might be... Ah!" *Aine suddenly stopped in her tracks and stared at an electronics store."* Aine: "Electronics stores sell computers, do they not?" Tomoe: "We don't have that kind of money." *I knew what she was trying to say and cut her off before she got too far ahead of herself.* Aine: "Do not say that! I will just look! Just look!" *Aine took the lead and dragged me by the hand, almost like an excited dog going for a walk.* Tomoe: "Seriously, we don't have the money." *We were living off my parents' inheritance, so there was no room in our budget for it.* Aine: "What a travesty..." *Aine's eyes went wide. The angel had learned the true cost of a PC.* Aine: "I cannot believe computers are so expensive..." Tomoe: "I told you so. There's no way." Aine: "Goodbye, my Internet..." *Aine looked up to Heaven. Yeah. She _should_ repent for her thoughtlessness.* Aine: "Let us at least have meat for dinner." Tomoe: "Huh?" Aine: "Meat! Meat!" Tomoe: "A carnivorous angel, huh? Well, I guess we could grill some up." Aine: "Yay! A5 grade, yes?!" Tomoe: "...Did you pick that up from the net as well?" *We were better off without a PC after all. They say eating the fruit of knowledge is what corrupted man, so wisdom would probably turn her into a fallen angel, too.* *...Maybe she already had.* Aine: "Oh, I know! The shops in town are having a sale on meat today. Naruko-san mentioned it." Tomoe: "But it's far away. That's a lot of work to get a tiny discount on meat." Aine: "What? Naruko-san said that she would go shop anywhere in search of even a one-yen discount." Tomoe: "She sure thinks like a housewife sometimes..." Aine: "If it is a cheap shop, we should be able to buy some good meat. Come now, let us go!" Tomoe: "You want to eat good meat that much, huh?" *Totally a fallen angel.*

Aine: "I am so happy. We were able to buy cheap meat." Tomoe: "For all that effort, we didn't save any money since we still went with the better meat." Aine: "We got better meat for the same price, so what is the harm? Tomoe: "Why are you acting like a gourmet when you'd be fine without eating, period?" Aine: "Delicious things make people happy. This is all part of my research into bringing people happiness." Tomoe: "That's the first I'm hearing of it." Aine: "Well, does it really matt―" Aine: "Huh?" *Aine came to a sudden stop. This angel sure paused in place a lot.* Tomoe: "What's wrong?" Aine: "Is that not Yuri-san?" Tomoe: "Hisaka-san?" Tomoe: "Oh, it is." *She was seated on the lawn with a girl using her lap as a pillow. Who could it be?* Aine: "Perhaps it is her little sister?" Tomoe: "You think so?" *Now that she mentioned it, their features did seem vaguely similar.* Aine: "Let us go introduce ourselves." Tomoe: "Oh, you should do it quietly..." Aine: "Yuri-san~! Hello!" *Aine greeted her with a shout before I could stop her. Hisaka-san took notice of us.* Yuri: "Ah..." *She greeted us with a nod. She probably didn't speak because of the girl sleeping on her lap.* *In order for us to hear her at this distance, she would have to yell. That would definitely wake the resting girl.* *On the other hand, she couldn't exactly stand up and come to us, either.* Yuri: "..." *Hisaka-san flashed an apologetic look our way. I guess there was no way around it. We had to go over to her.* Tomoe: "Hello." *I approached and greeted her in a whisper.* Yuri: "Hello. I'm sorry; she's asleep." *Hisaka-san gave an extremely gentle glance down at the girl on her lap.* Aine: "Is she your little sister?" Yuri: "Yes, she is." Sister: "Mm..." *Her sister started to stir. Looked like she'd woken up.* Sister: "Mm... Sleepy..." Yuri: "I'm sorry. Did we wake you?" Sister: "Yeah, I'm up. I'm awake already." *The little sister looked up at us as she rubbed her eyes.* Sister: "...Who're you?" Aine: "We are friends of your big sister. I am Aine, and this is Tomoe-san." Sister: "Aine and Tomoe?" Aine: "What is your name?" *Aine spoke to her in a gentle tone, likely assuming she was younger from her appearance.* Sister: "Momo." Aine: "Momo-chan?" Momo: "Yeah." *Evidently her name was Momo. Momo Hisaka-chan, then?* Momo: "..." *She was staring straight at me.* Yuri: "Do you have a problem with Kirinokojima-kun?" Momo: "Is this person your boyfriend, Onee-chan?" Yuri: "Huh...?" Yuri: "What are you saying? Of course not. Right, Kirinokojima-kun?" Tomoe: "Right. Sorry to say, but I'm not." Momo: "Really? That's too bad." *Her face was awfully cheerful for someone saying it was "too bad." She didn't look all that disappointed.* Momo: "Okay, let's go home, Onee-chan." Yuri: "Yeah, let's." *Momo-chan grabbed Hisaka-san's hand, and she squeezed back.* Yuri: "All right, Kirinokojima-kun, see you." Tomoe: "Yes, see you." Momo: "...Bye bye." *It may have been my imagination, but Momo-chan's voice sounded cold as she said that.* Tomoe: "Yeah." *By the time I nodded back, Momo-chan wasn't even looking my way anymore.* Aine: "They looked very close, did they not?" *Aine said that delightedly as we watched them walk away hand in hand.* Tomoe: "Yeah, they do." *However, something about the way Momo-chan acted earlier bothered me.* *The glare she shot at me earlier didn't exactly fit the image of an innocent sleeping beauty.* Aine: "Now, let us hurry home ourselves, and cook this meat!" Tomoe: "It's still too early for dinner." *Maybe it was just my imagination?*

*It happened one year ago.* Drunk: "Hey, come'n have a drink 'ith me!" ???: "P-Please stop..." Drunk: "What's'a matter? Just fer a little. Keep me comp'ny!" Drunk: "I've been so lonely since m'wife divorced me. Gimme some comfort." *One night when I was out at the station, I got cornered by a nasty drunk.* Drunk: "C'mon, let's go, let's go!" ???: "P-Please stop it...!" ???: "Ah!" *THUD!* *When I tried to shake him off, I used too much force and fell.* ???: "Ow ow..." Drunk: "Aww~ That's what happens when ya struggle. C'mon, just do what I tell ya..." Masahiko: "Hey, you drunk." *His voice was low, but carried well.* Drunk: "Hm?" *He was a good-looking man, but had a very scary face. Based on his uniform, he must have been a Miharugaoka Academy student. I was familiar with it since boys in my neighborhood went there.* *He was fairly tall―maybe a good ten centimeters taller than the drunk old man―and glaring down at him.* Masahiko: "You sure smell. Alcohol... and cigarettes? A decent amount of both, at that." Drunk: "What's da matter with you? I'mma adult! What's wrong with smokin' and drinkin'?!" Masahiko: "Your drinking may lead to cirrhosis, and smoking could lead to lung or stomach cancer, but none of that concerns me in the least." Drunk: "Seriously?! Me gettin' cirrhosis or lung cancer..." Drunk: "Hey, then I'd die!!" Masahiko: "Whether you die is irrelevant. If you like alcohol and cigarettes, then use them as much as you like." Masahiko: "In fact, do them constantly; every last yen in tax you pay will be welcomed. But be sure to drop dead after so you don't run up medical expenses." Drunk: "Wha...?!" *I knew he was saying that to save me, but it was a _little_ extreme. It was incredible how he could be so brazen toward a total stranger.* *With one misstep he could easily turn into the bad guy.* Masahiko: "Anyway, don't cause trouble for others. Cower down like the little man you are and go live on the fringes of society." Masahiko: "There's nothing I hate more than unproductive, good-for-nothing adults who get drunk, spew a bunch of undisciplined drivel, and stink of alcohol and tobacco." Drunk: "Wh-What was that?! Why don'cha shuttup and listen?! Don't get cocky!" Drunk: "You brat!" *The drunk raised his fist to the boy.* *But he didn't act like he was going to dodge it. His expression remained firm as he maintained an imposing stance.* *Suddenly, his eyes opened wide.* Masahiko: "Punishment!!" *The boy let out an explosive battle cry.* Drunk: "Aaaah?!" *The boy's shout seemed to send the old man flying backwards, and he fell on his backside in an exaggerated manner.* Drunk: "Wha..." *Still on his butt, he stared in wonder, seemingly unsure of what had happened himself.* Masahiko: "..." *The boy promptly took his eyes off the old man and shifted his attention to me.* *Those incredibly cold eyes made you feel like you couldn't move. Scary...* *Fwish...* ???: "...Huh?" *It came as a total surprise when he held out his hand.* Masahiko: "Here, take my hand. Or can you not do that either?" ???: "N-No!" *I grabbed on. His hand was big, and incredibly cold.* *For some reason, I remembered the saying that people with cold hands actually had warm hearts.* ???: "Th-Thank you very much. Um... Could I ask your name?" Masahiko: "Names are nothing more than symbols." ???: "Huh?" ???: "Ah..." ???: "He left." *It was like out of some manga or drama. I guess chivalry wasn't dead just yet.* ???: "Miharugaoka Academy... huh?" *That was all the motivation I needed to take Miharugaoka Academy's entrance exam.*

Masahiko: "..." *The Student Council president made it part of his daily routine to patrol the school during lunch break. It reminded me a lot of the "grand rounds" they performed on a medical drama I had seen recently.* *Of course, I was the only one walking with him.* Masahiko: "...Hm?" Masahiko: "Hey, you." *The boy he stopped was likely a first-year, the same as me. It was clear from the pitiful way his eyes were darting around that he was shaken by the encounter.* Boy: "Wh-What is it?" Masahiko: "What's with the way you're wearing your uniform? It's messy. Could you tuck your shirt into your pants?" Boy: "I-It's my own business how I wear it, isn't it?" *The boy had a bit of an attitude. It was amazing he could talk back even though he was clearly shaking. He may have been picky about dressing his own, unique way.* *However, the president wasn't the type to take heed of personal hang-ups. He respected the rules first and foremost, and held himself to that standard most of all.* Masahiko: "Enough. Shut up and tuck it in." Boy: "I-It's just the hem..." Masahiko: "Tuck it in." Masahiko: "..." Boy: "Ah...!" *He succumbed to the pressure of the president's gaze and tucked his shirt into his pants.* Masahiko: "..." *The president began to walk again while keeping a watchful eye around him.* *Why was he so strict?* Mizuki: "Um..." Masahiko: "What?" Mizuki: "Couldn't we just ignore the hem of his shirt? Everyone has their own preferences and sense of style..." *Honestly, the Student Council... no, the Student Council president had a bad image. I couldn't let everyone speak poorly of him.* *He _was_ strict, but he wasn't a bad person. He was just misunderstood.* *My wish was that he would adjust how he acted so everyone would like him just a little more.* Masahiko: "It is not okay. Tucking in your shirt is a school regulation." Mizuki: "Huh? It is?" Masahiko: "..." *Wah! He glared at me! Perhaps I said something wrong.* Masahiko: "You're a Student Council member, and yet you haven't read the regulations?" Mizuki: "I-I'm sorry... I will read them carefully another time." Masahiko: "Not 'another time.' Do it as soon as you return to the classroom." Mizuki: "U-Understood." *The president gave a meager nod before facing straight ahead again and walking off.* Mizuki: "Hoo..." *He didn't have to get so mad at me. The president was strict with students, but was even stricter to those in the Student Council.* *He was much, much stricter on himself, though.* *He was stoic, and stern on himself most of all, so nobody could counter anything he said. But...* Mizuki: "You know... Wouldn't it be good if you had a little fun, too? No one expects you to be perfect..." *Glare...* *Wah, he scowled at me again. His eyes were incredibly intense, weren't they?* Masahiko: "Rules are rules. If you want to diverge off and act as you please, put yourself in an environment where you can be free." Mizuki: "By that, I assume you mean if I want to act freely, then go somewhere other than our academy?" Masahiko: "..." *Silence. Exactly right, in other words.* *Silence was his way of showing approval. He didn't partake in idle chatter.* Mizuki: "Oh, Tatsumiya-sensei." Masahiko: "..." *The president's steely expression gave way for an instant.* *He looked disturbed, but immediately masked it with his usual brazenness.* Kojirou: "Yo, Student Council President." Masahiko: "...Good afternoon." *He bowed, his expression unchanged. I bowed to Sensei from beside him.* Kojirou: "How're things going?" Masahiko: "Fine, thank you." Kojirou: "Ahaha, the usual, huh? I can never really tell how things are when that's all you say." Masahiko: "...Please excuse me. I meant that everything is going favorably." Kojirou: "Are they? That's good." *Tatsumiya-sensei smiled and stared at the president's face. He winced a little.* Masahiko: "I-Is something the matter?" Kojirou: "The wrinkles on your forehead. You always wrinkle up, so I wondered if you were tired." Masahiko: "...Not particularly. I was just born that way." Kojirou: "You were born with a wrinkly forehead? That's interesting." Kojirou: "Show me a picture of what you were like as a kid sometime." Masahiko: "...If I get the chance." Mizuki: "Ah, I'd like to see that too!" *I raised my hand without thinking, and the president gave me a weird look.* Masahiko: "Why are you so eager to see something like that?" Mizuki: "W-Well..." Mizuki: "C-Come on! I'm just curious what you were like when you were a child. I think anyone would want to see." Masahiko: "You're a curious one." Mizuki: "Th-That's right. I _am_ curious." *Phew... Looked like he didn't think I was weird. Thank goodness.* Kojirou: "All right. Why don't we have a look together sometime, Nose?" Mizuki: "Huh? Is that okay?" Kojirou: "We can have a good laugh at his expense." Mizuki: "Huh? N-No, that wasn't what I meant..." Masahiko: "..." Mizuki: "I-It's true!" *Maybe having the president glare at me wasn't so bad. Although, it still gave me shivers...* Kojirou: "Be sure to bring that photo next time around, then." Masahiko: "Do you think I will bring it knowing you're going to use it to make fun of me?" Kojirou: "Hahaha. I'm looking forward to it." *The president watched Sensei as he walked off, waving at us, until he was out of sight. I silently saw Sensei off at his side.* *No, my attention was actually on the president. We had about a twenty-centimeter height difference, so from where I stood, his profile was quite imposing.* *As I stared up at him, my heart felt like it was being squeezed tight.* Masahiko: "...What are you looking at?" Mizuki: "Huh? H-How...?" *Could he sense I was watching him even though he wasn't looking at me?* Masahiko: "There is a force behind one's gaze. You can more or less tell when you are being watched, especially if the other person is doing so with enthusiasm." Mizuki: "Y-You don't say..." *Did that mean he had found out I was watching him like a hawk just now? What should I do...?* Masahiko: "Don't daydream; let's go." Mizuki: "Oh, yes." *...Maybe he _hadn't_ figured it out? Which was it?* *Did he know how I felt...? That I... liked him...?* *If he did, it would be big trouble. I was sure I would be driven out of the Student Council.* *That was the one thing I needed to avoid. Otherwise, what was the point of me going through so much trouble to join the Student Council in the first place?* *I would be happy as long as I could be by the president's side.* *That was all I needed...*

Masahiko: "Be sure to lock up, then." Mizuki: "Yes, please leave it to me. Good work today." Mizuki: "..." Mizuki: "...Phew." *I made sure the president was gone and let out a sigh. At last, another day was over.* *The time I spent by the president's side was precious. I was happy all the while, of course, but the strain that came with it was extremely exhausting.* Mizuki: "Ah..." *My chest didn't feel right. Not good...* Mizuki: "What should I do...? I'll head to that classroom for now..." *Everyone should have left for home by now.* *After making sure nobody was around, I rushed to the nearest classroom.* Mizuki: "That was close. It's coming completely apart." Mizuki: "Haah... It really is much more comfortable this way. Having them clamped down all day is painful." Mizuki: "I'll rest like this a little longer, then go ho―" Mizuki: "Huh?!"

Tomoe: "Oh, darn." *I realized I had forgotten something at school after making it down the hill.* Tomoe: "I forgot my chemistry notebook." Naruko: "We were given chemistry homework, you know?" Tomoe: "Yeah, this isn't good. I've gotta go back to get it." *I had to climb this hill again? Remembering after reaching the bottom was some bad luck.* *..."Bad luck"? Did I used to think of it that way?* *I got the feeling that just a short time ago... I would have considered being able to make another trip up the hill a good waste of time.* Aine: "What's wrong?" Tomoe: "...Oh, nothing." *Maybe it was because, thanks to this angel, tons of my time had been wasted lately.* Aine: "Could it be that you would be lonely going home alone? Shall I go with you?" Tomoe: "Go ahead and head home. You have the key, right?" Aine: "Are you sure you do not want me to go with you?" Tomoe: "No need. Don't gorge yourself on bananas just because I'm not there, okay?" Aine: "Oh, I see. Without you there, I can eat all the bananas I want..." Tomoe: "I told you, don't overeat." *This was a little... well, extremely unsettling. Better hurry and fetch what I forgot, then immediately head home.* *The school was already totally deserted. A little longer, and the whole building would probably be pitch black.* Tomoe: "I want to go home before it gets dark." *The sun was quick to set in this season. I naturally picked up the pace.* *I arrived at the classroom. When I reached for the door, I thought, "Oh?" to myself.* *Still, I'd built up some momentum, so I opened the door despite something feeling off.* Tomoe: "...Hm?" *An unexpected sight jumped to my eyes. Then, I agreed with myself that this must have been what felt so out of place only moments before.* Mizuki: "U-U-Um..." *An unfamiliar face. She wasn't a student from our class.* Tomoe: "...Oh?" *Wait, I _did_ know her. Could it be...?* Tomoe: "You're from the Student Council?" *It was the Student Council secretary who always tagged along with the president. Their faces definitely matched, at least.* *But...* Mizuki: "U-U-Um..." *No matter how you looked at it, this was the body of a woman. The Student Council secretary was supposed to be a man.* Tomoe: "..." Mizuki: "U-Um... Could you please get out?" Tomoe: "...Oh, yeah. Sorry." *I went outside for a moment. What was going on?* Tomoe: "...So, she was a girl?" *Judging from what I'd just accidentally witnessed, there was no mistaking it. She has been living a normal life while pretending to be a boy.* *I didn't know why she was going to all the trouble, but she probably had some reason for it.* Tomoe: "A reason... huh?" *I doubted there were many reasons a person would be driven to do something so stupid. In other words...* Tomoe: "Nothing good has happened since that angel came." *The secretary came out. Her (or his?) face was red, yet pale.* *Her expression was complex. Was it a mix of embarrassment from being seen naked and dread that her lie had been discovered?* Tomoe: "My bad. I didn't think anyone was here." Mizuki: "N-No... I am the one who is sorry..." Mizuki: "..." Tomoe: "Oh, my notes." *I came to pick up my forgotten chemistry book. It would be really pathetic if I forgot it a second time.* *It was in my desk, right where it was supposed to be. I put it into my bag.* Tomoe: "See you." Mizuki: "Huh? Um, hold on..." *For some reason, she stopped me when I tried to leave.* Tomoe: "Did you need something?" Mizuki: "Do _I_...? Don't _you_ have any questions for me?" Tomoe: "Huh? Not really." Mizuki: "Uh, but..." *She stared at me anxiously. What in the world was she worried about?* Tomoe: "...Oh. It's all right; I won't tell anyone about you." *I realized she was probably worried her secret would be exposed. I was thickheaded, if I did say so myself.* Tomoe: "It's a secret, right?" Mizuki: "Y-Yes it is... but why?" Tomoe: "Why? Why what?" *I didn't know what she was asking me.* Mizuki: "Why are you going to keep quiet about it?" Tomoe: "I mean... What good would that do? It wouldn't benefit me in any way." Tomoe: "Or _is_ there something good in it for me if I reveal your secret?" Mizuki: "Well, no, I don't think so..." Tomoe: "Right? There you have it, then." Mizuki: "Ah, please wait!" *She stopped me again for some reason.* Tomoe: "Was there something else?" Mizuki: "U-Um..." Mizuki: "Could I talk to you for a little while?" Tomoe: "Huh?" *When I looked out the window, it seemed the sun would set soon.* *I had hoped to get home quickly, but it looked like that modest wish would go ungranted.*

*The sky had gone dark. Looks like I was right in losing any hope of making it home while it was still light out.* Mizuki: "..." *Worse yet, this woman remained silent the entire time, even though she was the one who asked me to join her.* Tomoe: "So, what did you want to talk about?" *I broke the ice as a last resort. If things kept up like this, she'd likely hold her tongue until morning.* Mizuki: "Um, I wanted to talk about, uh..." Mizuki: "...Aren't you curious why I'm doing this?" Tomoe: "Why you're doing what?" Mizuki: "Why I dress like a man." Tomoe: "I don't particularly care, no." Mizuki: "Y-You don't?" Tomoe: "Would you prefer if I asked?" Mizuki: "N-No, it's all right." *I guess she didn't want to divulge that information, either.* Tomoe: "What _did_ you want to talk about, then?" Mizuki: "Well, um..." Mizuki: "...Do you think angels exist?" Tomoe: "Angels?" *That unexpected topic startled me a little. I could tell where this was going if that's what she wanted to discuss.* *I doubted anyone would mention angels to me just to make small talk.* *I braced myself and waited for her to continue.* Mizuki: "I, um... saw you with an angel." Tomoe: "Ah..." *Since I'd been prepared for it, I was able to stay calm. I wasn't sure when it happened, but she must have seen me with Aine in her angel form.* Tomoe: "Are you sure you weren't just seeing things?" *May as well try and play dumb.* Mizuki: "Th-That's not true! I know I saw it! You were with an angel, shooting a bow and arrow..." Tomoe: "I see..." *She saw all that? Guess there was no point hiding it. I couldn't change the past.* Tomoe: "I didn't think anyone had seen us." *I gave up and admitted it. After a moment of surprise, she apologetically hung her head.* Mizuki: "I'm sorry... It was by accident..." Tomoe: "Yeah, I'm sure it was." *It wasn't the sort of thing you'd go looking for on purpose.* *Nevertheless, now Hisaka-san, Wakamatsu, and a third person had gotten involved. We were really racking up a lot of witnesses.* Mizuki: "Um... Are you an angel too, Sempai?" Tomoe: "Huh? Me, an angel?" *I nearly burst out laughing. How could _I_ ever be an angel?* Tomoe: "Do I look like an angel?" *I held out my arms and checked myself over. Any way I looked at myself, I was an ordinary student.* Mizuki: "You... don't right now... but if you're not an angel, then how did you do that...?" Tomoe: "It's complicated." *I didn't feel like explaining everything right here and now, and got the feeling that the more information I shared, the less she would believe me. I just shot her a gaze, hoping she would sympathize.* Mizuki: "Is that so...? It's complicated..." Tomoe: "Yeah, that much is for sure. So, are you planning on telling someone about it?" Mizuki: "Oh, don't worry about that! I promise I won't tell anyone!" Tomoe: "It would be a big help if you didn't. Of course, that goes for both of us." Mizuki: "Oh, you're right about that..." *I knew her secret and she knew mine. We were even.* Tomoe: "So, was that all you wanted to talk about?" Mizuki: "Oh, n-no! Um, actually... I have a favor to ask." Tomoe: "A favor?" Mizuki: "There's someone I want you to help with your angelic powers." Tomoe: "'Someone'? Meaning, it's not you?" *If it was for her, she probably wouldn't have worded it like that.* Mizuki: "Correct. It's not for me..." Tomoe: "Then who is it?" Mizuki: "It's..." Mizuki: "...the president." Tomoe: "The president?" *The only person the Student Council secretary would refer to as "president" would have to be...* Tomoe: "You mean, the Student Council president?" *Fukue's scowl popped into my head. I didn't have any real opinion of him, but he seemed to hate me for some reason.* Tomoe: "I really don't think there's anything I can do for him." Mizuki: "No, there is something _only_ you can do. Actually, I want you to lend him your angelic powers!" Tomoe: "Lend him my angelic powers..." Mizuki: "I want you to somehow help his love come true!" Tomoe: "The president's love?" *For a moment, I didn't understand what she meant.* Tomoe: "..." Tomoe: "The president's _love_?!" *I ended up repeating myself. It wasn't surprising that I was shaken by it.* *Fukue and love were two things I could never picture going together.* Tomoe: "You're telling me Fukue is in love?" Mizuki: "...Yes." Tomoe: "...I see." *I couldn't believe an ironclad man like Fukue was in love. This made me realize how terrifying love could be all over again.* *To say nothing of myself, this seemed way out of that quack of an angel's league.* Mizuki: "Unexpected, isn't it?" Tomoe: "To be perfectly blunt, yes it is." Mizuki: "Yes..." Tomoe: "What sort of person does he like? Are they human?" Mizuki: "Obviously they're human." *What could they possibly be like? What sort of girl had stolen Fukue's heart?* Mizuki: "The person the president loves is..." *Nose was at a loss for words. I suppose it _would_ be difficult for her to share the president's secret.* Tomoe: "You don't have to force yourself to say it. It's better if I don't ask." Mizuki: "N-No! I can't keep this to myself after getting you to help me out." Tomoe: "Uh, I haven't agreed to help yet..." *But she didn't stop. She looked like she'd made up her own mind, and began to speak again.* Mizuki: "The one the president likes... is the nurse, Tatsumiya-sensei." *She said in a spontaneously low voice. However, I still didn't understand.* Tomoe: "Tatsumiya... Meaning, Kojirou-sensei?" *Why had she brought his name up? I could have sworn we were talking about the person Fukue was in love with.* Tomoe: "...What are you getting at?" Mizuki: "Like I said... He is the person the president loves." Tomoe: "Kojirou-sensei?" Mizuki: "Yes." Tomoe: "The person Fukue loves is _Kojirou-sensei_?" Mizuki: "...Yes." Tomoe: "Wow... Fukue's in love with Kojirou-sensei..." Tomoe: "...Huh?" *That was when it suddenly clicked.* *Did I just get involved in another terribly troublesome matter?*

*It was now quite late, so my feet felt heavy by the time I was finally on my way home.* Tomoe: "Fukue and Kojirou-sensei, huh?" Mizuki: "Yes." *She, Mizuki Nose, nodded with a stern face. This didn't seem to be a joke.* *If this _were_ some bad joke, Fukue would probably murder her for it.* Tomoe: "Does that mean Fukue is gay?" *I kept my voice low and inconspicuous. It would definitely be bad if anyone relevant heard me.* Mizuki: "I don't know if that's an appropriate description, but you could be right." Mizuki: "There is also the possibility that Kojirou-sensei is an exception, but he otherwise likes women..." Tomoe: "Yeah, I suppose." *From the way Nose was speaking, even if that possibility existed, the chances were low.* Tomoe: "I see. That's how Fukue is." Mizuki: "...You're surprisingly calm about this, aren't you?" Tomoe: "Am I?" *I _was_ a little surprised, but accepted it surprisingly easily. Besides, it wasn't like other people's sexual orientations had any effect on me.* Tomoe: "It doesn't really bother me even if Fukue _is_ gay." Mizuki: "I see... It would be nice if everyone were at least that accepting." Mizuki: "If they were, then the president wouldn't need to hide how he feels." Tomoe: "Has Fukue told Sensei? ...No, I guess there's no way he has." *I couldn't imagine that man telling Kojirou-sensei how he feels.* *Heck, it would be beyond the limits of imagination for Fukue to express his feelings, even if it were to a girl.* Mizuki: "Yes... The president gave up on being with Sensei from the beginning." Mizuki: "The idea of telling Sensei how he felt appears to have never crossed his mind..." Tomoe: "Sensei _does_ seem like an ordinary person through and through. I'm sure he'd be confused if Fukue confessed to him." *Admittedly, some part of me wanted to see that puzzled look on his face.* Mizuki: "That's true, isn't it...? The odds Tatsumiya-sensei is also gay are..." Tomoe: "Practically zero, aren't they?" *I could answer that immediately.* Tomoe: "He's got a bigger heart than you'd expect, so while I do feel like he'd be accepting of just about anything, I also think that deep down, he's straight." *I'd never heard any rumors of Sensei being gay. However, there _were_ rumors of him taking women into the infirmary with him.* Mizuki: "Yeah..." Tomoe: "Isn't Fukue aware of that?" Mizuki: "I believe he is, actually." *It wasn't like I didn't understand how Fukue felt. Not wanting to cause problems for the person you loved was a normal desire. He was likely well aware that he was out of the ordinary.* *Fukue _was_ a smart guy. All of this must mean he hadn't gone mad with love. That was a small relief.* *If a guy like him were to fall head over heels, then we were _all_ beyond saving.* Mizuki: "Please make sure you keep this a secret from everyone, okay?" *Nose begged me with a frantic expression. Today sure was a day of many secrets.* Tomoe: "I couldn't tell anyone even if I wanted to. I'd get murdered if I tried." *By Fukue, naturally. Still, if that were my fate, I would welcome death.* Mizuki: "Me neither. So, I'm sorry, and I'm counting on you." Tomoe: "I was planning to keep this to myself whether you asked or not. You can rest easy." *Hearsay or not, I didn't want to talk about love.* Mizuki: "I'm sorry. That's a big help." *Nose looked relieved from the bottom of her heart.* *She actually looked rather womanly when she made that face. It made it hard to believe I'd thought she was male until now.* Tomoe: "But how did you realize Fukue was gay?" *This was Fukue we were talking about. If he put his mind to hiding something, I was sure he'd pull it off perfectly. One and only one person, Nose, had seen through him.* Mizuki: "Well... It just became clear to me over time, since I'm always with him." Tomoe: "Is that the way it works?" Mizuki: "It is." *Nose sounded pretty sure of herself, but was that something you could tell just by watching someone?* *Fukue didn't seem careless enough for that to me.* Tomoe: "So, what was it you wanted me to do?" *Fukue being gay didn't really matter. To be blunt, it wasn't worth worrying about.* *The question was, what exactly was Nose expecting from me?* *Earlier, she said she wanted me to "help his love come true."* Mizuki: "He loves Tatsumiya-sensei, and it hurts me to watch him repress his feelings, unable to breathe a word about it. So, I'd like you to find some way to help him confess..." Mizuki: "Please help him for me!" Tomoe: "That's easier said than done..." Mizuki: "Sempai, you can use angelic powers, right?!" *Now I got it. This brought it all together.* Tomoe: "Wait a second, Nose." *I reined Nose in before she got too far ahead of herself.* Tomoe: "I'm not sure what you saw, but I can't use angelic powers myself. I'm just borrowing an angel's powers and acting as her proxy." *Wait, maybe it was more accurate to say an angel was borrowing my strength instead?* Mizuki: "But that may as well mean you _can_ use angelic powers, right? Can't you bring people in love together?" Mizuki: "If you can, then please do that for the president, too..." Tomoe: "No, it's not like that. You've got the wrong idea." Mizuki: "I have the wrong idea?" Tomoe: "What I, or rather, what angels can do is... How to put it... I guess you'd call it helping to heal people's wounded hearts." *There was nothing we could do for someone without a fractured heart, and I couldn't even imagine his fracturing.* *He was the shining example of the term "ironhearted."* Tomoe: "Anyway, there's likely nothing I can do about Fukue." Mizuki: "D-Don't say that! Please help!" *Nose was literally clinging to me.* Mizuki: "There's nothing I can do by myself. It's so frustrating... I want to do something for the president!" Tomoe: "...You're quite enthusiastic about it, huh?" Mizuki: "Huh? No..." *While he might be both the head of the Student Council and an upperclassman she adored, did anyone really become this desperate for someone else's sake?* Tomoe: "Nose, could it be that you..." Mizuki: "N-Never mind me." *She panicked and interrupted me. Looks like I was right. Nose loved Fukue, huh?* *That being the case, I could more or less understand her reasoning for dressing like a man.* *It may have been out of some admirable desire for Fukue to show even the slightest interest in her...* *However, Fukue had another person he loved. Nose claimed to be supporting him because he was trying to repress his love, and refused to tell anyone how he felt.* *And yet here she was, doing the exact same thing.* Mizuki: "Please! I can't do anything for the president on my own... Would you please lend me a hand?" Tomoe: "..." *Love really _did_ drive people mad. How could she disregard herself while going to such lengths for another person?* Tomoe: "Haa..." Mizuki: "Will that... not work?" Tomoe: "...Just to put it out there, there's nothing I can do, okay?" Mizuki: "Th-That's fine! Please!" Tomoe: "..." Tomoe: "Haa..." *All I could do was sigh.* *How did I keep getting dragged into these situations lately? I could only assume something had possessed me.*

Tomoe: "I'm home." Aine: "Ah, Tomoe-san, welcome back!" *Oh, I see. _This_ is what had possessed me.* Aine: "I started eating without you~ I am already on my third helping. Omnom, om..." *Nakizaki must have brought it over. Aine was eating to her heart's content.* *I admired how delicious she made the meal seem while eating. If she were to appear in a food commercial, I'm sure it would push sales.* *What a frightfully wholesome creature to be possessed by.* Aine: "It took you quite a while to pick up what you forgot. Did something happen?" Tomoe: "Yeah, about that..." Mizuki: "Please make sure you keep this a secret from everyone, okay?" *Aine was an angel, so it would probably be okay to tell her, but...* Tomoe: "..." Aine: "Tomoe-san?" *After a moment of hesitation, I decided not to tell her.* *It didn't seem as though Fukue's heart had fractured. I doubted any angels would need to step in this time around, so there was no reason to share this with Aine.* Tomoe: "Oh, it's nothing." Aine: "Is that so?" Aine: "Then you should hurry up and eat! If you do not, I will eat your share, too!" Tomoe: "Feel free, but you'll get fat." Aine: "Ack!!" Aine: "N-Now that you mention it, I do feel like I have gained weight since you first took me in... When I occasionally fly, it is very difficult..." Tomoe: "Huh? I just said that as a joke. Angels worry about their weight, too?" Aine: "I-I am not worried about it!" Tomoe: "You _are_ worried. What do you currently weigh?" *I wouldn't ask a woman such a rude question, but she was an angel, so it was fine.* Aine: "About three bananas' worth..." Tomoe: "You don't have to droop your shoulders and lie like that..." Aine: "I have lost my appetite because of you. Thanks for the meal." Tomoe: "You had three helpings; that's plenty." Aine: "Oh... I wish none of this ever happened." *That was what _I_ wanted.* *Things may not have turned out this way if I hadn't seen Nose changing today.* *Even better, I wish I had never run into this angel. If I hadn't met Aine, I could have avoided being dragged into all these messes.* *Tomorrow, I had to talk to Fukue. I'd made that promise with Nose.* Tomoe: "It really weighs on your mind, huh?" Aine: "It weighs on my body, too." *Lovesickness was such a dreadful affliction. I couldn't believe that even that unfriendly Student Council president had been caught in its evil clutches.* Aine: "Ah, I am so hungry!"

Tomoe: "Hm..." Naruko: "What's wrong?" Tomoe: "...Oh, nothing." *I couldn't tell Nakizaki, either. This was another factor that weighed heavily on my mind.* *Keeping a secret all on your own was a bigger burden than you'd expect.* Kiyohito: "What's up? If you've got a funny story to tell, let me in on it~" *A funny story, huh? I'm sure he'd enjoy it if I told him, but there was no doubt in my mind that the whole academy would know by tomorrow.* Tomoe: "It's really nothing." *That would honestly make me feel bad for him.* *If it got around that the solemn, honest, impartial, yet horribly strict Student Council President was gay, it would cause quite a commotion.* *In my personal opinion, when a person became ensnared by love, it was equally foolish regardless of the sex of their partner. It didn't make much of a difference either way.* Masahiko: "I thought I told you to stop assembling up here." Tomoe: "Ah..." *Speak of the devil... Fukue made his way over with a scowl eerie enough to scare off any hoodlums he might encounter.* *Nose was with him. Due to what happened yesterday, she was looking at me in an awkward fashion.* Masahiko: "This place is off-limits. Who in the world keeps leaving this door unlocked?" Naruko: "Um, who knows?" Kiyohito: "Maybe it's Kojirou-sensei? He's always up here smoking." Masahiko: "Tatsumiya-sensei?" *Some brief agitation crossed the president's face.* *It was such a minute change that anyone unaware of his circumstances would most likely miss it. Only Nose and I appeared to have noticed.* Masahiko: "Don't lie. He's in the process of quitting smoking." Kiyohito: "He said that he was only going to smoke while he was up here." Masahiko: "Hrm..." *Since it sounded very much like something Kojirou-sensei would say, Fukue couldn't refute it.* Masahiko: "I'll check with Tatsumiya-sensei, and if that is true, I will get him to cease such actions in the future." Aine: "Why is it so bad for us to be here?" Masahiko: "Because it's dangerous." Aine: "Why is it dangerous? It does not seem that way to me at all." Masahiko: "A student fell from here last year." Aine: "Huh? From here?! So this place is off-limits because of that person?" Masahiko: "That's right. If you want to resent someone, resent that idiotic student." Aine: "Jeez! That person is an idiot~!" Tomoe: "..." Aine: "Who in the world was it? Did they fall and die?" Masahiko: "No, he's alive and kicking even now." Aine: "He is? Which moron was it? I have a few words to say to him!" Kiyohito: "..." Naruko: "..." Aine: "Hey, hey, who is it?" Masahiko: "He's right beside you." Aine: "Right beside me? Who could you mean?" Tomoe: "..." Aine: "Right beside me... Is that some sort of riddle?" Masahiko: "No, I meant it literally." Aine: "'Literally'..." Masahiko: "The one who fell from here is a man by the name of 'Kirinokojima.'" Aine: "Kirinokojima? That is such a strange, long-winded name! And sounds quite foolish, too..." Aine: "...Huh? Kirinokojima, like the same 'Kirinokojima'?" *Aine stared at me blankly.* Aine: "He has the same name as you, huh?" Tomoe: "Since he _is_ talking about me." Aine: "Huh?" Tomoe: "_I'm_ the idiot who fell from the roof." Aine: "Huh, you are?" Aine: "What?! You are the moron, Tomoe-san?" Tomoe: "Well, _sorry_ for being a moron." Aine: "Huuuh? Who would call you something like that?!" Aine: "Everyone has fallen off a roof at least once! I will smack anyone who calls you a moron for that!!" Aine: "Like, kablaaaaam!" Tomoe: "Go ahead." Aine: "Kablaaaam!!" Aine: "Wah, it hurts~! Wait, it was meeee!!" Kiyohito: "You're pretty good at followin' through on a joke! Aine-chan, you didn't know Tomoe fell?" Aine: "I did not know~! Please tell me things like that beforehand~!" Naruko: "Sorry. We didn't think it was something we should bring up unprovoked." Masahiko: "Do you understand now? This rooftop became off-limits because of this moronic student." Masahiko: "And yet that same moron, the perpetrator himself, continues to trespass up here without a care." *He sure wasn't holding any punches. Even I felt like arguing the point a little after he said all that.* Tomoe: "It only became off-limits after the current Student Council was formed." *In other words, since Masahiko Fukue became Student Council president.* *Fukue, who hated me for some reason, dug back up this issue from a year ago and made this place off-limits at around the same time he became Student Council president.* *It didn't make much sense to me, but I assume it was out of some sort of grudge.* Naruko: "That's right. There haven't been any accidents before or since, and it isn't as if it was Kirinokojima's fault he fell, right?" Naruko: "If I had to say one way or the other, Kirinokojima was the victim. It's a waste to not be able to see the view from here for a reason like that." Masahiko: "Rules are rules. There is no substitute for safety." Naruko: "That's true, but..." Masahiko: "Anyway, hurry up and leave. I will give a warning to Tatsumiya-sensei myself." Mizuki: "I'm sorry, everyone. Please listen, just for today..." *Nose bowed her head to us. When Fukue acted superior, it made me want to resist, but I had a hard time talking back when Nose was so modest. I guess you could call that a Japanese trait?* *These two, like a good cop and bad cop, may have been a surprisingly good combo.* Kiyohito: "So it goes! Let's head back for today. We can come again tomorrow." Aine: "You are right~" Masahiko: "Don't come back!" Mizuki: "I'm sorry, everyone." Masahiko: "Don't bow your head to these troublemakers either, Nose." Mizuki: "I-I'm sorry..." Tomoe: "..." *As I watched those two have a seemingly well-coordinated back and forth, my eyes met Fukue's. The second they did, his eyes glared back at mine.* Masahiko: "What are you looking at? If you have any objections, submit a formal complaint to the academy. I think it will prove pointless, though." Tomoe: "No, it's not that..." *I just couldn't believe this man was in love. With Kojirou-sensei, no less.* Masahiko: "What, then?" Tomoe: "Nothing..." Mizuki: "..." *Nose was practically praying as she looked my way. I wasn't a god or angel, so I wished she wouldn't look at me with those eyes.* Tomoe: "Say... Can I talk to you later, for just a little bit?" Masahiko: "Talk to me? About what?" Tomoe: "Nothing major." Masahiko: "..." *Fukue looked guarded, likely due to this being the first time I'd ever asked to speak to him alone.* Masahiko: "I have nothing to discuss." Mizuki: "Ah, President..." Masahiko: "Nose, let's go." Mizuki: "Y-Yes..." *Nose wordlessly apologized and followed after Fukue.* Aine: "They left." Naruko: "What was that?! You were even saying you had something to talk about, Kirinokojima!" Tomoe: "Well, that was roughly what I expected." *He _did_ seem to hate me, after all.* Kiyohito: "But what was it you wanted to talk to Fukue about? If it's something funny, tell me!" Tomoe: "I'm telling you, it's nothing funny." *Just talking to Fukue looked like it was going to be really difficult.* *There was no way around it. My best bet would be to approach this from another angle.*

Mizuki: "I just had a great idea! Let's hold a birthday party for the president!" Mizuki: "We'll invite Tatsumiya-sensei, too, and get them closer together!" *Nose looked triumphant, like she'd just had a grand epiphany.* Tomoe: "A birthday party, huh? Has an elementary school feeling to it." Mizuki: "Oh, are birthday parties just for elementary schoolers?" Tomoe: "I don't think people our age have them very often. I do live alone, though, so I'm not sure if that holds true in normal households." Mizuki: "Oh, you live alone, Sempai? What about your parents?" Tomoe: "They're dead." Mizuki: "Ah..." Tomoe: "I never knew my father, and my mother passed away after a number of things happened when I was a kid." *I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible, but it was still a touchy subject.* Mizuki: "I'm sorry..." Tomoe: "You don't have to worry about it. It's long in the past." Tomoe: "More importantly, a birthday party? Is Fukue's birthday soon?" Mizuki: "No, it was actually about two weeks ago. On October 30th." Tomoe: "Two weeks ago? That complicates things..." Mizuki: "You really think so?" *Two weeks was nearly half a month. It wasn't long enough to be completely unreasonable, but was still questionably late.* Tomoe: "Why didn't you throw him a party closer to his birthday?" Mizuki: "Nobody ever suggested it. I had a hard time bringing it up myself..." *Yeah, no one would want to do something as tiresome as hanging around Fukue and having a birthday party.* Tomoe: "He'd probably say something like 'If you have time to celebrate a birthday, then get back to work.'" Mizuki: "Yes, you're exactly right." Tomoe: "What's the point, then? We can't force it on Fukue if he refuses." Mizuki: "Don't you think he'll join us if we tell him Tatsumiya-sensei is coming?" Tomoe: "Would he? It's Fukue we're talking about here." *I was convinced nothing we could do would make him give in.* Tomoe: "But yeah, why don't we try asking Sensei? We could even get him to extend the invitation if necessary." Mizuki: "Oh, that's a good idea!" *Even so, I couldn't imagine Fukue sitting back and celebrating a birthday party.*

*Kojirou-sensei was out in the schoolyard.* Tomoe: "Sensei, what are you doing?" Kojirou: "Oh, Tomoe?" Kojirou: "Take a look. Tasty, don't you think?" Tomoe: "Huh?" *I followed his gaze. There were several Volleyball Club members running around the sporting grounds.* Kojirou: "Which number do you like, Tomoe? I think number four is nice, personally." Tomoe: "Uh, I'm not really interested." Kojirou: "Really? How about number ten, then?" Tomoe: "Haa..." Kojirou: "In my professional opinion, she's a little scrawny but ought to be about right for someone like you, huh, Tomoe? Even if she's thin, she's got enough of a chest for 'em to have a good jiggle." Tomoe: "Sensei, you're a creep." *I felt like I had to point that out, but Sensei just smiled bashfully, like I'd praised him or something. He was seriously a lost cause.* *That was the reality of the situation. There was no room to doubt that Kojirou-sensei was into women.* *I guess there was the possibility he went both ways, though.* Tomoe: "You're into women, then?" Kojirou: "Where did that come from? Isn't that obvious?" Tomoe: "Indeed..." *Now then, what to do? I doubted beating around the bush would get me anywhere, so I might as well get it over with.* Tomoe: "This question might give you the wrong idea, but... what about men?" Kojirou: "Tomoe... You're like that? I didn't _think_ you looked very interested in women..." Tomoe: "I knew you'd get the wrong idea. I'm not like that. Simply put, I have no interest in love whatsoever." Kojirou: "You're young, too. What a pity. It would've been better if you liked men than nobody at all." Tomoe: "It would? Does that mean you think homosexual relationships are acceptable... for example?" *Knowing Sensei, it seemed possible he could swing both ways.* Kojirou: "What do you mean? Love can come in any form, as far as I'm concerned." Kojirou: "...As long as it doesn't impact me personally, of course." *Meaning he'd take a pass on any male love interests? Too bad, Fukue.* *No, Fukue may not have hoped for that in the first place.* Kojirou: "You're asking some pretty strange stuff today, aren't you? Did something happen?" Tomoe: "Nothing, really... Just thinking I should make small talk once in a while." Kojirou: "That's some unusual 'small talk.' Not to mention, it's not like you to gossip." *He clenched down on the cigarette in his mouth, sounding disinterested as he spoke.* Tomoe: "By the way, did Fukue ever come talk to you?" *I was referring to what had happened on the roof.* Kojirou: "Oh, he did. He got super angry at me for some reason. He's a scary guy." *He sounded pretty amused as he told me about how he got scolded. Looked like he didn't mind all that much.* Kojirou: "He told me to stop unlocking the roof." Tomoe: "You're not going to stop just because he told you, though." Kojirou: "Ahaha." *He didn't look too worried. I wondered what he thought of Fukue?* Tomoe: "So, you've known Fukue since he was a first-year?" Kojirou: "Hm? How did we meet again...?" Kojirou: "Oh, yes. I met Fukue for the first time on the day you fell." Tomoe: "The day I fell?" Kojirou: "You weren't breathing by the time I came running over. I got you to come around by performing CPR. I saved your life, so be grateful, okay?" Tomoe: "You're a nurse. Please don't make it sound like I owe you." Kojirou: "Show me at least _some_ gratitude. I had to kiss a man, after all." Tomoe: "What? A kiss?" Kojirou: "Hm? Didn't I mention? I _did_ say I performed CPR." Tomoe: "Oh, mouth-to-mouth?" *That's what happened?* Kojirou: "I kept it to myself since I thought you'd be shocked if you learned you lost your first kiss to a man. Oh well, I guess enough time has passed at this point." Tomoe: "..." *Obviously that would make me feel a little indebted to him.* *Even though it might be his fault I'd missed my chance to join "her" on the other side.* Kojirou: "What's wrong?" Tomoe: "Oh, nothing..." Tomoe: "More importantly, I've got something to talk about. We're planning to hold a birthday party for Fukue sometime soon." *I changed the subject. Actually, this was what I came here for in the first place.* Kojirou: "Oh, it's Fukue's birthday?" Tomoe: "...Yes." *Better keep quiet about the fact it happened two weeks ago already. It'd seem strange.* Kojirou: "Still, I doubt that guy would come to a birthday party." *Everyone always came to that conclusion, huh?* *At least we all had the same impression of Fukue. He was an unwavering man.* Tomoe: "How do you think we should go about it?" Kojirou: "That's simple. Just make it a surprise party." Tomoe: "A surprise party? I see." *That was a decent idea. Why hadn't we thought of that?* *But...* Tomoe: "Wouldn't it make Fukue mad?" Kojirou: "Oh, I'm sure he will be." Tomoe: "Of course." *Would a party that offended the birthday boy really work out?* Kojirou: "Sounds like it'll be a real hoot. All right, let's do it!" *Sensei was getting really carried away. However, if he was on board, then everything would work out somehow.* *Now came preparing for the party itself...* *I didn't have a single clue how to go about setting up a party like this. I guess I had no choice but to ask for Nakizaki's advice.*

Naruko: "A birthday party for the Student Council president?" Naruko: "Why do we have to do something like that?" *Nakizaki hated Fukue, and didn't even try to hide her resentment.* Tomoe: "Come on, don't say that. Nose said he wanted to do it, so let's help him out." Naruko: "The secretary? Hm..." *Nakizaki was too caring for her own good. Fukue was one thing, but I doubted she'd refuse if it was to help Nose.* Naruko: "Can we even get enough people together?" Tomoe: "Well, it doesn't need to be some huge get-together. We could get the Student Council, us two..." Naruko: "Would me, Kiyohito, Aine-chan, Yuri-san, and Minamo-chan work?" Tomoe: "Yeah, that should do it." *As long as Kojirou-sensei was there, that's all that mattered. ...I couldn't exactly say that, though.* Naruko: "In that case, I'll mention it to them and bring everyone together." Naruko: "All that leaves is the food and drinks, right? Oh right, there's no point if we don't have a cake!" Naruko: "Okay, I can put all of that together." *I knew Nakizaki would pull through at times like this. Or rather, I knew I couldn't do anything like this on my own.* Tomoe: "Sorry to always fall back on you." Naruko: "It's a little late for that! If we're gonna do this, let's go big!" Tomoe: "Yeah, you're right." Aine: "Did I just hear the word 'cake'?" Tomoe: "Those are some sharp ears you have." *All that was left was figuring out how to get Fukue there, then? I'd leave that up to Nose.*

Masahiko: "Is it true you spotted a suspicious person?" Mizuki: "It's true! This way, this way!" Masahiko: "Right." Mizuki: "This is the classroom!" Masahiko: "Hey, wait! Jumping in without a plan is danger―" Masahiko: "Ah...?!" Everyone: "Student Council President, happy birthday~!!" Masahiko: "..." *Fukue looked like he'd received the shock of his life.* Mizuki: "President, congratulations!" Masahiko: "What are you playing at?" Mizuki: "It's a little late, but it's your birthday party!" Masahiko: "What about the suspicious person?" Mizuki: "I'm sorry; that was a pretext to get you to come with me..." Masahiko: "Nose, describe it correctly. It's not a 'pretext'; it's a 'lie,' right?" Mizuki: "I-I'm sorry..." Masahiko: "Nose, did you think I would allow an officer on the Student Council to lie, much less lie about a suspicious person appearing on school grounds...?" Kojirou: "Now, now, now! Don't be so hard on him!" *Although it looked like it left a bitter taste in Fukue's mouth, Kojirou-sensei managed to merrily intervene in the nick of time.* Masahiko: "Why are you here, too, Sensei? Parties like this aren't allowed on school premises..." Kojirou: "Now, now!" *Kojirou-sensei put a firm grip on his shoulder.* Masahiko: "Oh..." *Fukue went silent. Wasn't he turning a little red?* Kojirou: "Everyone's here to celebrate your birthday. Show some gratitude and let them." Masahiko: "P-Please let go." Kojirou: "Not happening. I won't let go 'til you agree to settle down and have fun." *He kept right on teasing him. Fukue wasn't amused, but his face continued to get redder and redder.* Masahiko: "I-I understand. I will relent for today." Kojirou: "I see. All right!" *Fukue was finally set free. He looked relieved from the bottom of his heart. I guess even he had a surprisingly cute side.* Kojirou: "Okay then, anything goes today! Let's have fun, everyone!" *Sensei's shout spurred everybody on.* *We dropped all the formalities between us and sang a conventional happy birthday song to a grumpy Fukue as he blew out his candles.* Masahiko: "..." *This was supposed to be Fukue's big bash, but he was standing around looking moody.* *He was in the same room as Sensei, yet it seemed he had no intention of hiding how displeased he was.* *He was exuding this aura that screamed "stay away." Despite being the guest of honor, he was all alone.* Tomoe: "Hey, you've got a terrible look on your face." *See, he glared just because I spoke to him.* Masahiko: "You expect me to be all smiles after bringing me here under false pretenses?" Tomoe: "You're being awfully sour. Everyone's trying to celebrate your birthday, you know." Masahiko: "My birthday was half a month ago. Also, something private like that shouldn't be celebrated at the academy." Tomoe: "You've got no charm at all, huh?" *And here I thought he had a semi-cute side earlier. Looks like I was wrong.* *Then, I spotted Wakamatsu standing around looking dissatisfied.* Minamo: "Why did I have to come...?" Tomoe: "I'm sorry for getting you involved." Minamo: "Ah..." Minamo: "No, it's not a big deal..." *Wakamatsu blushed. She was probably embarrassed that I'd heard her muttering to herself.* Minamo: "So, what's with this farce?" Tomoe: "A farce, huh? Yeah, you're right about that." Minamo: "Is this actually because someone wanted to celebrate the president's birthday?" Tomoe: "No..." *She had seen through this charade of a birthday party? Pretty sharp.* Minamo: "Does somebody here like the president or something? Is this just some pretext to help them get closer?" Tomoe: "..." *_Too_ sharp. Of course, I doubted she realized Fukue liked Sensei.* Minamo: "Fine then, whatever. I'm just surprised you would help anyone with something like that, Sempai." Tomoe: "I never suggested you were right." Minamo: "I guess not..." Minamo: "Hey, Sempai..." Tomoe: "Yeah?" Minamo: "You're constantly helping an angel bring people together, but aren't you interested in finding love for yourself?" *She asked in a quiet voice.* Tomoe: "I don't have any interest in that stuff." Minamo: "You don't? Well, not that you look interested, either." Tomoe: "Right?" Minamo: "So, there's nothing between you and Nakizaki-sempai?" Tomoe: "Ah... I hear that one a lot." Minamo: "Are they wrong?" Tomoe: "Totally wrong. Neither of us is interested in relationships. At the very least, we don't look at each other that way." Minamo: "Heh, is that so? Hm..." Tomoe: "...Is it strange?" Minamo: "Huh? Not especially." Tomoe: "But you're smiling, aren't you?" Minamo: "Huh?" *Shocked, Wakamatsu checked by holding her face. She really hadn't realized it?* Minamo: "I-I'm not smiling or anything. I'm going to go get a drink." *Wakamatsu ran off in an attempt to hide her red face.* Tomoe: "What a strange girl." Mizuki: "Sensei, over here!" *Just then, Nose dragged Kojirou-sensei along.* Mizuki: "This is a special occasion, so say a few words, Sensei." Kojirou: "A few words? Let me see..." Kojirou: "Give me a pass on smoking on the roof." Mizuki: "Huh? That?" Masahiko: "If you're going to smoke, do it in the smoking area. Aren't you in the process of quitting anyway?" Kojirou: "This is just in case." Masahiko: "I heard a rumor you're smoking on the roof, though?" Kojirou: "Did you now? Well, what's the harm in that?" Masahiko: "You're the one who brought up smoking." Kojirou: "Ah... Yeah, then let's drop this topic." *And then the two of them went silent. I could tell Nose was fretting beside them.* Mizuki: "Um, isn't there something else you would like to say instead? Like words of appreciation for the president, who works hard for the academy every day, for example...?" Kojirou: "Hm? That's easier said than done..." Masahiko: "That's enough." *Fukue turned away in a huff.* Mizuki: "O-Okay then, what about you, President? Do you have anything you'd like to say to Tatsumiya-sensei?" Masahiko: "Like I said, I wish you would stop going up to the roof as you please." Mizuki: "N-Not that~!!" *Nose stamped her feet with frustration since nothing was going as she planned. Frankly, she was the odd man out here today.* Masahiko: "What's wrong, Nose? What in the world are you trying to accomplish?" Mizuki: "Th-That's..." Mizuki: "Uuuuuuuuuuhhh..." Masahiko: "Wh-What is it?" *It wasn't surprising that Fukue was baffled at the sight of Nose suddenly crying.* Mizuki: "Aaaaah, uhhhhhh...!" Masahiko: "What, are you imitating an animal? What's with you today? Are you all right?" Mizuki: "Oh, kuueh... A-Are you... okay, President? Auuuh..." Masahiko: "All right? With what?" Mizuki: "Th-That's just... so... so... ooooh... so sad... President...!" Masahiko: "I haven't the faintest idea of what you're saying. Hey, Kirinokojima, explain." Tomoe: "I'm not sure what you expect me to say." Mizuki: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!" Masahiko: "What is this about? Wasn't this supposed to be my birthday party?" Mizuki: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"

Masahiko: "Ugh, it's cold..." *Fukue huddled up a bit with his back to the northern wind.* *We took Nose to the infirmary and on the way back, for one reason or another, came up to the roof.* *It was just Fukue and me. We left Kojirou-sensei to watch over Nose.* Tomoe: "It's good that Nose seems to have calmed down." Masahiko: "Seriously, what in the world was that about? I've never seen Nose act that way before." Tomoe: "He probably had all sorts of things bottled up. Does anything come to mind?" Masahiko: "Not a clue." Tomoe: "I see. I guess even the perfect Student Council president doesn't notice everything going on around him." *I could tell Fukue was grumpy. It may have sounded like I was trying to provoke him, but that really wasn't my intention.* Masahiko: "And what do _you_ know?" Masahiko: "No... Tell me, what in the world did you come here to do today?" *It was only natural for him to be suspicious. We weren't close... In fact, you could even say we were hostile toward each other, yet I attended his birthday party.* Tomoe: "I'm basically a shill. Nose asked me to show up since it'd be lonely if it was only the Student Council." Masahiko: "By Nose? Damn him, that was unnecessary." Tomoe: "Don't say that. Nose was worried about you in his own way." Masahiko: "Hmph. I don't want someone like you telling me that. What do you know?" Tomoe: "I just know. Nose is worried about you." *Worried enough to go to pieces like that. That was no ordinary concern.* Masahiko: "Nose is worried about me? Hmph, he's ten years too early for that." Tomoe: "Is he? I actually think he's keeping a close eye on you." Masahiko: "What do you mean?" *Fukue scowled at me. Even in the darkness, I could clearly see those glaring eyes of his.* Masahiko: "Something _is_ weird about this half-month-late birthday party. What is he scheming?" Tomoe: "I wouldn't assume he's 'scheming' anything." Tomoe: "Just... keep in mind there are some oddballs out there who care about you, Fukue." Masahiko: "What does _that_ mean?" Tomoe: "It's fine if you don't understand." *This wasn't like me. Way too much meddling.* *But when I saw Nose earlier, I couldn't stay quiet anymore.* *Not like me at all...* Masahiko: "What in the world's going on? You even dragged Tatsumiya-sensei into it..." *Fukue broke off mid-sentence and his eyes opened wide, like he'd realized something.* Masahiko: "...Huh? It couldn't be." *He looked at me with surprise. Definitely the face of someone who'd come to a realization.* Masahiko: "Could it be... Nose... knows?" *Fukue looked at me, his eyes trembling, when they flickered with yet another spark of realization.* Masahiko: "Wait, you too? Could it be Nose told you...?" Tomoe: "Don't be mad at Nose, okay? He came to me asking for advice, saying he wanted to do something for you." Masahiko: "I knew it." *Fukue sighed. Judging by the look on his face, he had given up on something.* Masahiko: "It's no wonder I thought it was strange. I see. Nose figured it out, did he?" Masahiko: "That I'm gay." *Now he had taken the offensive, and proudly said that word aloud.* *He showed no shame, nor did he try to hide it. I would expect no less from the steel-hearted and dignified Student Council president.* Masahiko: "Do you have contempt for me?" Tomoe: "Do I look like I do?" Masahiko: "...No, you don't." *Fukue stared at me like I'd given him an unexpected response. Even now, his eyes stared at me straight on.* Tomoe: "I'm not going to go out of my way to despise you for being gay. It doesn't matter to me if you like the same or opposite sex. I pity every foolish person who falls in love equally." Masahiko: "'Pity'? Doesn't everyone experience love sooner or later?" Masahiko: "You pity everyone in Japan... no, everyone in the world?" Tomoe: "Yeah, that's right." *I was so certain in my answer that Fukue simply blinked, as if a bit awed.* Masahiko: "You're a strange guy. So, you've never been in love?" *His question made my chest grow tight.* *It felt like I had started remembering the past a lot lately. This was all because of that angel, and all the trouble she brought with her.* Tomoe: "I wish I hadn't... If I had never fallen in love, I wouldn't pity everyone so much. My experiences are _why_ I feel sorry for all of you." Masahiko: "I see. That makes sense." Masahiko: "I take it you've been through a lot as well, then?" *That appeared to be what he needed to hear to accept it, and didn't ask anything more. I was thankful, but annoyed.* *What did he think he was agreeing with? What the hell did _he_ know?* Masahiko: "Yes, at the very least, I will admit that I am a fool. Nobody wise falls in love with a member of the same gender." Masahiko: "No good can come of it." *A smile floated to his face, as if he were mocking himself. The way he was acting made it clear that he felt guilty about his own orientation.* Tomoe: "It sounds like you despise yourself more than I ever would." *I said what I was thinking the second it had crossed my mind. Fukue glared at me for a moment, but the glint in his eyes immediately faded.* Masahiko: "You really are an irritating guy. But, yes... it's just as you say." *He feebly dropped his gaze, almost like an animal that had been defanged.* Tomoe: "You're admitting it awfully easily, huh?" Masahiko: "How many years do you think I've been at odds with myself? I know myself best of all." Tomoe: "I see." *Fukue wasn't a high-handed man who would stop at nothing to avoid facing reality.* *He possessed the bravery necessary to admit when something was the truth.* Masahiko: "I first realized it when I was a third-year in elementary school." *Fukue started talking on his own.* Masahiko: "It was what you might call 'first love.' Third grade wouldn't exactly be too early for it." Masahiko: "Aside from the fact I fell for another boy, it was an ordinary first love like any other." Masahiko: "At the time, I hadn't yet realized that it was abnormal." Masahiko: "A still-innocent me spoke my feelings to that boy." Tomoe: "You told him you liked him?" Masahiko: "Yeah, that's right. That was... yes, back when I was playing at the usual park." Tomoe: "Wow..." *I couldn't imagine Fukue playing at a park, either. I guess he was a normal kid back then?* Masahiko: "I held no distrust and told him exactly how I felt. It was third grade, so I wouldn't call it that big of a deal." Masahiko: "But the next day, a rumor that I was a 'homo' started spreading through the school." Tomoe: "Of course." *It may have been cruel of me to agree, but that was the obvious outcome. Third grade would have been a delicate age to go through something like that, too.* Masahiko: "That incident made me painfully aware, and taught me firsthand just how abnormal I was. More than I ever wanted to realize." *Based on the way he said it, I imagined it must have been an incredibly traumatic experience.* Masahiko: "My deviant ways made me ashamed. It was then that I realized I couldn't survive in this world if I stayed this way." Masahiko: "That was why I decided to hide my atypical orientation completely." *I sensed a firm determination in Fukue's tone. He was so resolute it was saddening.* Masahiko: "I tempered my body through martial arts to become manly, and kept up on my studies, so as to never leave myself vulnerable to anyone. I shaped myself into a man nobody could ever fault." Masahiko: "A perfect human being nobody could criticize." Tomoe: "And that's how you are today?" Masahiko: "That's right." *I could easily imagine that he had put his blood, sweat, and tears into it. That had to be why Fukue was so unusually tough on himself.* Masahiko: "However, even if I'd put in the effort to deceive the world, I couldn't deceive myself. There was nothing I could do to change my orientation." Tomoe: "Nobody falls in love with another person on purpose, after all." *It happened without warning, and never by choice. That was love.* *Just like when speaking of the devil. Before you knew it, love would catch you in its evil clutches for good.* Masahiko: "When I met Tatsumiya-sensei, I fell in love at first sight. It's probably a lucky thing to be able to meet someone you can love like that, but unrequited love is just a pain." Masahiko: "I doubt he could ever bear the burden of being loved. That's why I kept my feelings bottled up inside." Masahiko: "I thought I had concealed it perfectly, so nobody would ever notice. I can't believe Nose figured it out." *He gently threw both hands up into the air as if he had given up. A smile of resignation rose to his mouth.* *Fukue probably hadn't figured out the reason Nose had noticed.* *And that wasn't something I could tell him.* Tomoe: "Are you really not planning to say anything to him?" Masahiko: "That's a stupid question. What good would that do?" Masahiko: "It would just cause problems for Sensei. And I'm sure I'd be hurt myself." Tomoe: "...Yeah, maybe." *Fukue was probably right. He'd been fighting with this issue far, far longer than I had. It was too serious a problem for me to pull an answer out of thin air.* *If anyone could help, it would probably be Nose, but she couldn't bring herself to speak up either.* Tomoe: "Nose seems to think you should tell him how you feel." *These were Nose's words, not mine.* Masahiko: "Nonsense. Nose doesn't understand a thing." Masahiko: "It's like I said earlier. Even if I did that, I would just hurt myself and cause Sensei trouble." Tomoe: "No, I'm pretty sure Nose knows that. He still believes you should confess regardless." *Fukue's expression turned suspicious.* Masahiko: "Why would Nose be that concerned?" *It probably _would_ be a mystery to him. Why would somebody take such a deep interest in his love?* Masahiko: "Don't tell me he's gay, too?" Tomoe: "No, not quite..." Tomoe: "Well, it might be similar? No, it's definitely different." Masahiko: "Which is it? You're such a vague guy." Tomoe: "Well, he has his reasons. Probably." Masahiko: "Nose does, huh? I see. Appearances can be deceiving." Tomoe: "You said it." *She was actually a woman, so her appearance literally _was_ deceiving.* Masahiko: "But that is an entirely separate matter. Nothing you can say, nor any amount of pity, will convince me to tell him how I feel." *He made that perfectly clear. Was it really something he could declare so easily?* *You could come to that conclusion after some deep thought combined with strong determination, but something about this felt very out of place.* Tomoe: "Oh, could it be...?" Masahiko: "What?" Tomoe: "Nothing..." *It was just a hunch, but I became convinced I had the right idea.* Masahiko: "That is how I feel. Take it straight from the horse's mouth, and tell Nose for me too, while you're at it." *Fukue left the rooftop. As I watched him walk away, I pondered my idea.* *Had Fukue's heart fractured...?*

*Plang!* *The arrow pierced the target and sunk into the spot I had aimed for.* *I grabbed and nocked another arrow. My body was practically moving robotically.* *Try as I might to focus, something else was running through my mind.* *Fukue's heart might already be fractured.* *I drew the bow. I imagined a cup filled to the brim, ready to spill over. Just as the water's surface tension threatened to give way...* *...I shot the arrow.* *Plang!* *It hit in about the same spot as the previous one. Not that it proved anything, but it felt like my hunch was right on target.* *If my intuition was correct, then...* Tomoe: "I guess this is as much as I can handle, huh?" *It was her turn to take the stage.* Aine: "Pii puu... puu... puu... pii... pii..." Tomoe: "Aine, wake up. We have to talk." Aine: "Puupii... puu... puu... puu... puu..." Tomoe: "Aine, this calls for an angel." Aine: "Pii... Huh?"

Masahiko: "Hey, you. Regulations state you must have your shirt buttoned all the way to the top." Boy: "I-I'm sorry." Masahiko: "Girl over there: perms are prohibited." *Fukue was patrolling the halls with gusto again today. As always, Nose was trailing behind him.* Aine: "..." *Aine was staring at Fukue from a distance as he went about his usual routine.* Tomoe: "What do you think?" Aine: "Hm... Honestly, it is hard for me to say." Tomoe: "You can't tell?" *What an unreliable angel. Aine looked apologetic, yet embarrassed.* Aine: "Even if it did fracture, it happened quite a while ago, yes?" Tomoe: "Well, yeah, probably. He mentioned his first love was in third grade, so it must have been around then." Aine: "It is often difficult to tell if a heart has fractured at a glance when that much time has passed." Aine: "Like any other injury, wounds of the heart close as time passes." Aine: "Given enough time, you can hardly spot the scar anymore. The heart would outwardly only look slightly irregular..." Aine: "Everyone's heart is different, and does not necessarily have a fixed shape, so it can be difficult to tell them apart..." Tomoe: "Your point being, you can't tell." Aine: "I am sorry..." *What a useless angel.* Aine: "Um, but listen. If we find a shard that looks right, I think I can check whether it is his or not." Tomoe: "So you can tell if you compare the two?" Aine: "Yes, something like that." *But to do that, we had to find the shard.* Tomoe: "I guess it works out the same either way. We have to find it first." *Did we have no other choice but to search?* *But there were only a limited number of places we could look, and only one spot I happened to know about personally.*

Mizuki: "The president's house?" Tomoe: "Yeah." Mizuki: "It's in the Yamanote residential district." Tomoe: "Hm, a well-to-do guy just like he looks, huh?" *Fukue had said he confessed to his first love in "the usual park."* *If Fukue's house was in Yamanote, there was only one park he could have meant.* Tomoe: "I think it's probably here somewhere." *This was the closest park from his house. Even an elementary schooler could make it here on foot in a few minutes.* *Did that mean this was the park where Fukue confessed and got turned down?* Mizuki: "The president lost his 'heart shard' here?" *I filled Nose in, and she joined us. When it came to Fukue, she couldn't stand around and do nothing.* Aine: "If we assume his heart fractured when he confessed, I believe there is a strong possibility it fell there." Tomoe: "With that said, it's not like I can see it." *Our only choice was to have Aine do her best for us.* Aine: "Let me see..." *Aine searched restlessly as she walked around the park.* Mizuki: "So this is where the president used to play?" *Nose eagerly looked around the area, almost like she could see Fukue playing there as a kid.* Mizuki: "What do you think the president was like when he was a child?" Tomoe: "He said he was born with a wrinkled forehead, so maybe he hasn't changed much?" Mizuki: "Ahaha, that sounds kind of nice. In that case..." *Nose headed up the stairs to the observation deck.* Mizuki: "The president sure loves high places, doesn't he? Do you think that's why he was here all the time?" Tomoe: "Hm? Fukue loves high places?" Mizuki: "That's right. That's why I think he actually likes the rooftop, too." Tomoe: "Does he? He didn't have to make it off-limits, then." Mizuki: "That's because he's not the type to entertain personal interests." *Nose smiled and looked down at me from her vantage point.* Mizuki: "He must have given his unexpected confession to the other boy while looking down from around here, huh?" Mizuki: "'I love you.'" Mizuki: "Just like that!" Tomoe: "Sounds pretty impressive." *But then he was called a homo and turned down. It seemed to have done a lot of damage―enough to fracture his heart.* Mizuki: "If that's how it went, then shouldn't his fractured heart have fallen around here?" Mizuki: "...Huh?" *Nose stared at a single spot and went stiff.* Tomoe: "What's wrong?" Mizuki: "Just now, I thought I saw a child right there..." Tomoe: "A child? Uh, we're the only ones here..." *The view was so good from here that you could immediately tell if someone had arrived.* *But nobody else was around right now.* Mizuki: "How strange. I was sure it was right around here..." Aine: "Ah! Over there!" *This time, Aine rushed over. She stared at the same spot Nose was looking at.* Tomoe: "Could it be?" Aine: "This is the shard!" *Aine picked up the shard we couldn't see.* *The moment she did, it materialized in her hands.* *It was a rigid and angular-looking bundle, yet transparent like a diamond.* Mizuki: "This is the president's heart shard?" *Aine's eyes were closed, almost as if she was listening to the shard's voice. Before long, her eyes opened.* Aine: "It seems so." *That was, without a doubt, Fukue's shard.* Aine: "Still, I am surprised you could tell." *Aine said to Nose. True, Nose had sort of found it first. How did she know where to look even though she couldn't see it?* Mizuki: "It kind of felt like it called to me." Tomoe: "Called to you?" Mizuki: "I felt like I heard a voice from behind me... It was a young boy's voice." *So that was why she asked if there was a kid here earlier. But there definitely wasn't. I could say that for sure.* *Which would mean...* Tomoe: "That means... the shard called out to you?" Aine: "Maybe it did." Aine: "I am sure this shard wanted to be found. It must have been lonely, being left behind in a place like this and completely forgotten." Tomoe: "Kind of sounds like a ghost story." *But even if we called it a shard, it was a part of a person's heart. Knowing that, I couldn't rule out the possibility.* Aine: "Let us return it to him, quickly!" Mizuki: "Kirinokojima-sempai, please do." Tomoe: "..." *Fukue's heart really had fractured. Would he remember how it felt to love if that shard was returned to him?* *If he did, what would happen next?* Tomoe: "...Are you _sure_ we should return it?" Aine: "Huh? What are you saying?" Mizuki: "Isn't that why we searched for this shard?" Tomoe: "A part of me still isn't fully convinced that Fukue's heart is really fractured." Aine: "As you can see, it definitely has. So, let us hurry and return it to him." Tomoe: "But... Didn't Fukue go through a lot of pain due to these feelings?" *I recalled Fukue's confession. He had gone through a very painful experience due to being born with a different sexual orientation than others.* *Fukue sounded indifferent at the time, but I was sure it must have been way too emotionally devastating for him to speak as candidly about it as he did.* *Fukue must have trained himself to recite something like that.* *He had to keep strong, or he couldn't go on living.* Tomoe: "If Fukue regains these feelings, will he really be able to become happy?" Tomoe: "If this shard is returned to him, he'll start to love again. To love other men. When that happens, will it bring him happiness?" Aine: "It will. Gender has no bearing on love." Tomoe: "Are you sure about that?" *Happiness meant something different to every person.* *But in reality, Fukue's heart had fractured because he had experienced pain.* *Would he go through that agony all over again if his shard was returned to him?* Mizuki: "You're correct. There might be times he will experience pain." Mizuki: "But even so, I want the president to regain the ability to love another person." Tomoe: "Even if there's a chance it could cause Fukue to suffer?" Mizuki: "...Yes." *After thinking for a moment, Nose nodded firmly.* Mizuki: "Knowing the president, he'll be fine. He's a strong person." Tomoe: "..." *Was that really true? That setback was the foundation of his strength.* *Wasn't that reason enough he should never repeat it?* Mizuki: "If he can't handle it, then I'll support him. It's my job to assist the president." *Nose said that decisively. Her eyes were brimming with unshakable determination. No matter how long I stared, the light in her eyes never wavered.* *My doubts seemed trivial when faced with such intense conviction.* Tomoe: "...Got it. Let's return the shard to Fukue." *A person who was merely uncertain had no right to preach to someone this determined.* Mizuki: "Ah..." Mizuki: "Thank you very much!!" *Agreeing to perform angelery for Fukue, someone who hated me, was a strange feeling indeed.*

Masahiko: "..." Aine: "The president looks like he is alone right now. This is your chance." Tomoe: "Yeah." *From the rooftop, we could see Fukue sitting alone inside one of the classrooms. I could aim at him from this position.* Tomoe: "Here we go." Aine: "Yes!" *I took Fukue's shard from Aine after she formed it into an arrow. I nocked the arrow to my bow and took aim. This was just like always, no problem.* Tomoe: "Shard..." Tomoe: "Return to where you belong." *I drew the bowstring to its limit, then quietly released it.* *The arrow flew straight toward Fukue, slipped through the window in front of him, then started to sink into his chest...* *Plink!!* Tomoe: "...Huh?!" *The arrow... neither pierced his chest nor got absorbed.* *His body repelled the arrow. Set free from its arrow-like form, it turned back into a bundle of light and began to float in midair. That was its original shard form.* *The flicker of light soon began to grow weaker until I could no longer see it.* Aine: "..." Tomoe: "What was that all about? What just happened?" Aine: "Th-That was..." *That moment, the darkness deepened.* *Suddenly, just outside my gaze, a shadow... no, two shadows darker than the night appeared.* ???: "A foolish move." Tomoe: "Wha...?" *A voice came from the shadow. Then, as I watched, those shadows began to take human form.* *One had a short stature, while the other floated in the background.* *Were they human? ...No, that wasn't possible. They looked the part, but were levitating in midair.* *Also, they had feathers spreading from their backs.* Tomoe: "Angels?" *But there was something different about them. Their feathers were dark as night.* *Bizarre angels whose wings were as jet-black as a raven's.* Aine: "Black... angels..." *Aine whispered, sounding surprised. The black angels' expressions remained unchanged.* Black Angel: "So that's the best an impromptu human angel's proxy can manage? I sincerely doubt you possess the strength necessary to return a shard to an unwilling recipient." Aine: "Unwilling...? The president refused to take back his shard?" Black Angel: "Correct." Black Angel Woman: "Not everyone wishes for their shards to be returned." Black Angel Woman: "Be they particularly resilient humans, or those who have been through extraordinary trauma... Hearts that have fractured through such special cases sometimes refuse the return of their own shard." *The female angel waiting in back complemented his comment. Such black feathers... What the heck was with these angels?* Tomoe: "Aine, who are they...?" Aine: "This is my first time meeting them as well, but I have heard rumors." Aine: "...About angels with black wings." Tomoe: "Black angels..." *The short angel glared at me as I whispered without thinking.* Helen: "We prefer not to be called by that name. He is Rios, and I am Helen." *Apparently the short male angel was Rios, and the female angel was called Helen.* Aine: "Then, um, please tell us, Rios-san!! What should we do to return the shard to the president?!" Rios: "..." *Rios didn't answer even when asked.* Helen: "Returning a shard by arrow is significantly more difficult than doing so by song." *Helen answered in his place.* Helen: "Songs confer tranquility to a person's heart, opening even those which have been locked away. As a result, they enter a state where it is much easier to accept the shard." Helen: "However, an arrow follows no such process. It is a surprise attack, as it were." Helen: "If handled incorrectly, it will cause the party pain, and when a heart is guarded by a firm will, such as that man's, returning a shard becomes even more difficult." Aine: "Is that so...?" *It appeared Aine was not aware of that. Aine was too bad at archery to have ever restored someone's heart that way. Maybe it was only natural she didn't know how difficult it was.* *Helen made a persuasive argument. I had never heard any angelic songs, but music did have a way of laying a person's heart bare.* *Different outcomes were to be expected when using a bow and arrow instead of songs.* Aine: "Then returning the shard to the president by arrow will be difficult?" Helen: "Surely so." Aine: "No way..." *Aine looked like she would cry.* Rios: "This is what happens when a human halfheartedly meddles in angelery." *He directed those words at me in a seemingly chiding tone.* *Our stares clashed. It naturally turned into glaring match.* Tomoe: "I'm not doing it because I want to." Rios: "See what I mean? You will never return _any_ shards with such apathy." Tomoe: "..." *I had nothing to say in return. He was right. I was doing this against my will.* Aine: "That is not true! Tomoe-san has been doing it in earnest!" Aine: "He has given it proper thought, asking what he should do for the people who lost their shards..." Rios: "Really? If he truly understands how the other party feels, then he should be able to return their shard even by arrow." Helen: "Becoming one with the owner of the shard's heart... That part is the same, whether performing angelery by song or by bow." Helen: "When you have truly heeded how your target feels, that is when their heart should open to you, even if it is being restored by arrow." Aine: "But that would mean..." *Aine looked at me helplessly.* *I knew how she felt. It was quite doubtful that I could accomplish such a feat when I was helping perform angelery against my will.* Rios: "Well, do show us if you have what it takes." *Rios shot me a sneering smile and disappeared. Helen faded away, seemingly chasing after him.* Aine: "Oh, hey...! ...They left." Aine: "This is horrible. You are trying as hard as you can, too, Tomoe-san." Tomoe: "No, everything they said was correct." *Returning people's hearts was a monumental task, and it was questionable whether I was taking the job seriously.* *But then, what was I supposed to do about it? I was human, not an angel.* Tomoe: "Becoming one with their heart... huh? Was that supposed to be a hint?" *Could it be they were legitimately giving me advice?* Aine: "Huh? Advice? ...Oh, you could be right." *Those black angels... Were they enemies, or allies?*

*The shard we once again recovered was floating on the table.* Aine: "What should we do with this...?" Tomoe: "Yeah..." *It was less a question of "what we should do" than whether I could actually return it at all. To fully consider how the person feels...* *They made it sound so simple, but the hearts of those in love were the most difficult for me to understand.* Aine: "Tomoe-san..." *Aine was looking to me for an answer. Would I try to return the shard one more time, or would I give up?* *I would...* *I would...*

Tomoe: "Let's return the shard." *Aine said nothing in return, but did flash me a delighted smile.* *Would I be able to return the shard this time? That part still worried me.* Tomoe: "Well, I'll just give it my best shot."

Tomoe: "There's no way I can do it. I can't return the shard to Fukue's heart." Aine: "Is that so...?" *Aine looked discouraged, but didn't argue. She likely understood that this was a difficult matter for a human.* Tomoe: "Besides, what would happen when it's returned?" *Fukue's sexual orientation had caused him to suffer.* *"That incident made me painfully aware how abnormal I was."* *That was how Fukue described it. Wasn't that why his heart fractured?* *What would happen once his shard was returned? Wouldn't he just worry about how "abnormal" he was again?* *If that was the alternative, his heart was better off fractured.* Tomoe: "Besides that, isn't there someone else who needs to do something?" Aine: "Huh? Someone else?" Tomoe: "Yeah." *I couldn't do what I couldn't do. Returning the shard was beyond my means this time.* *However, there was something else I _could_ do.*

Masahiko: "..." *The situation was the same as yesterday. Fukue was alone in the classroom, and it was so early in the morning that there was nobody anywhere near his vicinity, either.* Aine: "Tomoe-san." *Aine gave me an encouraging gaze.* Tomoe: "Phew..." *I took the arrow from her and concentrated on the feelings within. Become one with his heart, huh...?* *That advice was so abstract, I had no idea what to do.* *I closed my eyes and called Fukue to mind.* *Fukue had been born with a difficult orientation for me to understand: "homosexual love."* *Ever since he became sexually aware, he desperately continued to conceal his affections every time he fell in love.* *He had cultivated an understandably rigid, impregnable wall around his heart out of necessity, both to avoid hurting anyone and to survive.* *I had to overcome that wall and deliver the shard to him.* *Become one with Fukue's heart... His loving heart...* *A vision of a memory of a distant day suddenly appeared in my mind. It flashed before my eyes for what felt like an infinitesimal moment.* *But the memory was perfectly clear. I was definitely in love. That sweet... suffocatingly helpless feeling.* *And yet... I was certainly happy.* Tomoe: "Ugh..." *A prick of pain ran through my heart.* *In that moment, I saw a light. A light that was fine and slender, like the tip of a needle.* *It was delicate, like a spider's thread, yet resiliently stretched straight toward me.* *I felt as though I could see Fukue's heart in that instant.* Tomoe: "...!" *I zeroed in on that slender needlepoint of light and fired my arrow.* *The arrow headed in a straight line toward Fukue, drawn in by the thread of light.* *And then...* Aine: "Ah!!" Masahiko: "..." Masahiko: "...Mm?" Masahiko: "...What?" *Fukue held his chest and tilted his head with curiosity.* Tomoe: "...Did it return?" Aine: "Yes! You did it, Tomoe-san!!" Tomoe: "I see. I pulled it off." *It didn't feel real. It lasted for only the briefest of moments... but I felt a strong connection to Fukue. Of course, it may have just been my imagination.* Tomoe: "..." *A faint pain lingered in my chest. As mild of an ache as it was, like being pricked with a pin, it had burrowed into the furthest reaches of my heart.* Aine: "Tomoe-san?" Tomoe: "...Uh, I'm all right. That's all you needed, right?" Aine: "Yes!" *I pressed my hand to my chest as I responded to Aine's smile.* *It felt like the pain which had shot through my chest would remain there forever...*

Masahiko: "..." *Fukue was there. He had regained the heart shard he had lost.* *Despite all his grumbling about us being on the roof, he stood there like it was nothing, and gazed out at the cityscape.* Tomoe: "What's wrong? You look kind of down." *Fukue turned around when I called to him, and looked instantly annoyed when he spotted me.* Masahiko: "...Oh, it's you guys?" Mizuki: "Hello." Tomoe: "Disappointed we aren't Sensei?" *That may have been kind of a mean-spirited joke, but Fukue just turned away, looking uncomfortable.* Masahiko: "That's not much of a joke." *He had his back to us, but I could see his ears turning red.* Mizuki: "President..." *Fukue's behavior was so different from before that even Nose was confused. He had changed so much, he was practically a different person.* Masahiko: "You know? It aches, right around here." *Fukue held his chest with an expression we'd never seen before plastered on his face.* *He always looked deadpan before, but now, he looked like a young man with ordinary worries. Very unlike him.* *Could this be the original Fukue?* Masahiko: "I can't hold back these feelings I thought I had given up on long ago. I guess I'm just a selfish person." *Fukue's profession of love. Now that his shard had been returned, he couldn't stand to repress his sexual orientation, nor keep his emotions bottled up any longer.* *It was no use, even for someone with as steely a spirit as Fukue. Logic didn't stand a chance. Such was the demonic power of what we call love.* *That was what I had returned to Fukue.* Tomoe: "...You're not selfish. If anyone is to blame... it's love." *I considered blaming myself, but he wouldn't have understood.* Masahiko: "'Love is to blame,' huh...? I see. If I think of it that way, I feel a bit more at ease." *He smiled faintly.* Tomoe: "..." Masahiko: "What? You look like you've seen a ghost." Tomoe: "No... It just occurred to me that this is the first time I've seen you smile." Masahiko: "Was it? Well, a real man can't go around smiling at everyone he sees." *That sounded like the Fukue I knew. He cultivated his iron mask to hide his sexual orientation, but it had now become a true part of who he was.* *Although his heart had fractured, he had put in a great amount of effort to make himself the person he was today.* Mizuki: "But... I've seen it." *Nose's voice was like a whisper.* Masahiko: "Hm? Seen what?" Mizuki: "You smiling. I've seen it." Masahiko: "Really? Well, we have been together a while. There were bound to be a few times I smiled..." Masahiko: "When did I do it?" Mizuki: "When you were looking at Tatsumiya-sensei." Masahiko: "Ah..." *Fukue's face turned bitter. He probably felt regret and embarrassment for having smiled at his loved one without realizing it.* Masahiko: "I was careless." Mizuki: "That's not true. I..." Mizuki: "I thought it was a great look for you. It made it incredibly clear just how you felt..." Mizuki: "That was why I decided to support you." *Though Nose spoke softly, her words had an overwhelming impact on Fukue.* *No doubt because those words came straight from the depths of Nose's heart...* *...and because they contained Nose's feelings for Fukue.* Masahiko: "Is that so? Well... thanks." *Although confused, Fukue seemed grateful. I had a feeling this was the first time I'd seen Fukue say "thanks" to someone.* Mizuki: "That's why I want you to tell him how you feel. It might be hopeless... but you have to all the same..." Mizuki: "I think it would be a shame for you to keep your feelings inside..." Masahiko: "Keeping my feelings inside... would be a shame?" Mizuki: "Yes. A pity." Masahiko: "A pity, huh?" *Fukue looked positively stunned before gazing up at the sky.* Masahiko: "I've never thought of it like that. Nobody's ever suggested it, either." Mizuki: "Well... That is what I believe." Masahiko: "...Yeah." *Fukue looked up to the sky once more, then reached out, as if trying to take hold of Heaven. But of course, he grasped nothing but thin air.* *Regardless, Fukue looked satisfied.* Masahiko: "I may as well give it a try." *He turned to Nose and cast a smile.* Mizuki: "...Yes!"

*Sensei was on the roof with an unlit cigarette in his mouth. He looked conflicted and toyed with the real, nicotine-infused cigarette pack in his hand.* Masahiko: "..." *Fukue walked up to him, while Nose and I hid and watched from afar.* Masahiko: "Sensei." *Fukue called out to him.* Kojirou: "Ah..." *Sensei panicked and put away the cigarettes. He must have thought Fukue would get mad at him.* Kojirou: "Oh, I wasn't trying to smoke. Just taking in the view for a minute." Masahiko: "...Why don't you quit already?" Masahiko: "No, never mind that for today." Kojirou: "Hm? You sure it's okay?" Masahiko: "It isn't, but forget it. More importantly, I came here today to talk to you about something." Kojirou: "To talk to me? Sounds kinda scary." Masahiko: "Yeah, you could be right about that." *Fukue's voice grew quiet, sounding like he'd lost his nerve. It came as no surprise that Sensei looked concerned.* Kojirou: "What's wrong? Is it something serious?" Masahiko: "Yes, a little serious." Kojirou: "I see. It must be a big deal for you to say so." *Sensei went quiet. He must have been waiting for Fukue to continue.* *After a moment of silence, Fukue took one big, deep breath, then gazed at Sensei, looking prepared.* Masahiko: "Okay, I'll say it." Masahiko: "I... I..." *He said he would say it, but was having a hard time getting the words out. It was rare to see Fukue like this, given how ordinarily quick he was to make decisions and take action.* Masahiko: "I, um, Sensei..." Masahiko: "...I respect you." *"Respect." Fukue described it like so in a hushed voice.* *That might have been his limit.* *Then he hung his head, looking heartbroken by how powerless he felt.* Mizuki: "President..." *I could see Nose squeeze her hand tightly as she watched over him from our hiding spot.* Kojirou: "Fukue..." *Though he was still slumping, Sensei stared straight at him. And then...* *He put that big hand of his on Fukue's head.* Masahiko: "...Huh?" *Sensei's large hand ruffled Fukue's hung head. Fukue went so stiff, you'd swear he was paralyzed.* Kojirou: "That's enough. I know." Masahiko: "Huh...?" Kojirou: "I said I know." *Kojirou-sensei's smile said it all. That he knew exactly how Fukue felt even if it all went unsaid.* *Fukue must have understood as well. At a loss for words, he stood there while Sensei brushed his hair.* Kojirou: "Forgive me for not reciprocating. But, thank you." Masahiko: "Huh? 'Thank you'...?" Kojirou: "Yeah, thank you." *Fukue spaced out as Sensei gazed at him with an unabashed smile.* Kojirou: "For someone to care about me out of all the many, great people in this world... That's something of a miracle." Kojirou: "It makes me genuinely happy you feel that way." Masahiko: "I... No, that goes double for me... Thank you... very much..." Masahiko: "Hearing you say that... is more than enough." *Fukue raised his head. A smile overtook his face, and it was as clear as today's winter sky.* *However, a string of tears ran down his cheeks. Those, too, were perfectly clear.* Kojirou: "Fukue..." Masahiko: "Thank you very much!" *Fukue bowed his head deeply.* *Fukue's brave, unrequited love had come to an end in a way perfectly suited to him.*

Masahiko: "Ah. I got shot down." *Fukue stared up at the evening sky as he walked. Was it just my imagination, or did he sound refreshed?* Tomoe: "You went down commendably." Masahiko: "Hmph. This is a complete downer." Mizuki: "But, President, you look happy." Masahiko: "In what way do I look 'happy'? This is the face of a rejected man." Mizuki: "That's not true. It's incredibly, um... lovely." *Nose was blushing, but her complexion was camouflaged by the setting sun. Fukue didn't seem to have noticed.* Masahiko: "'Lovely'? You're a pretty weird guy yourself." Masahiko: "Don't tell me you swing that way, too?" Mizuki: "Huh? I-It is not like that..." *She was turning red again. So red she probably couldn't hide it with the sunset anymore.* *Nose was a woman, though, so I guess from her point of view, there was nothing strange about loving Fukue.* *On the other hand, Fukue had no idea, so it probably struck him as odd.* Mizuki: "Forget about that. Now you'll find your next love, right, President?" Masahiko: "Next love?" Mizuki: "When one love comes to an end, you can fall in love with someone else, right?" Masahiko: "Is that how it works?" Mizuki: "Yes. That is how it works." *Nose looked happy.* *Nose wasn't treating this like some opportunity. She was probably genuinely happy that Fukue could move on.* Tomoe: "You sure you don't want to consider this your big chance?" *I stealthily whispered to Nose.* Mizuki: "Th-That's... I'm fine..." Masahiko: "What are you getting flustered for?" Mizuki: "O-Oh, it's nothing! Please don't worry about it!" *After panicking and denying it, Nose glared at me a little.* Mizuki: "I'm surprised you said something like that, Kirinokojima-sempai." Tomoe: "Hm? Why?" Mizuki: "I never thought you would meddle in other people's relationships." Tomoe: "...Yeah, definitely." *Now _I_ was surprised. Wasn't what I just did practically encouraging Nose's love? I must be losing it.* *Helping out that angel and witnessing so many different romances may have been driving me insane.* *Love truly was a troublesome thing.* Tomoe: "...Still, are you really sure?" *I checked one more time. Nose gave me a tiny nod.* Mizuki: "I really am all right. As long as the president is able to move forward in his own way." Mizuki: "I just want to chase after him forever." *Nose watched Fukue walk away with a sparkle in her eyes.* *Wasn't wanting to 'chase after him forever' the same thing as wanting to 'be with him forever'? I wondered, but couldn't be sure.* *Could she possibly avoid confessing to him someday if she went down that path?* *But then, I suppose that was no concern of mine.*

Kojirou: "Oh, this is what you were like as a kid, Fukue?" *Sensei was holding an old photo. Fukue had brought a picture of himself from when he was young.* Mizuki: "Wow, you had wrinkles at this age." *A young Fukue was pictured in the photo, wrinkles sturdily chiseled upon his forehead.* *It was strange how adorable that provocative, wrinkly forehead looked on a child.* Masahiko: "That's enough, isn't it?" *Fukue looked discouraged as he stood by Sensei's side. His wrinkles were becoming much more pronounced than when he was a child. He must have been pretty mad.* *He had only brought the photo to fulfill the promise he once made to Kojirou-sensei. Kojirou-sensei, on the other hand, had apparently completely forgotten about it.* *At the moment, he was the butt of everyone's jokes. The integrity he showed to keep his promise, even though he must have expected it would turn out this way, was a very Fukue thing to do.* *This might have been his way of paying back his debt. Fukue may have intended to take responsibility for all this in his own way.* Kojirou: "Wow, those are fine wrinkles. They often say, 'As the boy, so the man.'" Masahiko: "Give it back already. I'll consider anything more an insult." Mizuki: "It's no insult. It's very, um..." Mizuki: "Cute." Masahiko: "What are you turning red for? You're an unpleasant guy. Nose, could it be that you're..." Mizuki: "Huh? Huh? Wh-What?" Masahiko: "...A cradle robber?" Mizuki: "N-No, I'm not!!" Kojirou: "Hahaha, what a lively Student Council." Tomoe: "Seriously." *It just showed how harmonious they were.* *They may not have become bound by the red thread of fate in the end, but wasn't this nice in its own way?* *Of course, there was no telling what would happen to these two in the future. That was yet another story.*

Masahiko: "Hey, button your shirt up all the way." Masahiko: "Your skirt is short." *A lot had happened over the past few days, but the Student Council president was acting the same as always. No less from the steel-hearted man.* *Nose was there by his side again today, too. She may have been worried about what had happened at the party, and looked a little down.* Tomoe: "Nose." Mizuki: "Yes? Oh..." Mizuki: "Kirinokojima-sempai. Good morning." Mizuki: "...Have you made any progress?" *Nose asked after noticing it was me. She must have been curious whether I had managed to return Fukue's shard or not.* Tomoe: "Yeah, before that, I need to talk to you for a minute." Mizuki: "Talk...?" *After school, I took Nose to the park. I thought we could have a more laid-back conversation outside of school.* Mizuki: "What did you want to talk about? Is it about the president?" Tomoe: "No, it's about you." Mizuki: "Me?" Tomoe: "Are you really okay with things the way they are?" Mizuki: "What do you mean by that?" Tomoe: "Bottling up your emotions." Mizuki: "Bottling up..." *She seemed to realize what I was trying to say and blushed.* Mizuki: "My emotions...?" *Nose always took a masculine tone of voice, but at some point, her voice had softened, and become more feminine.* *Nose's female persona was peeking through a crack in the mask she wore.* Tomoe: "You said Fukue should say how he feels, right? That regretting sharing his feelings was better than not confessing at all." Mizuki: "I think so... Am I wrong?" Tomoe: "Whether it's wrong or not depends on the person. It isn't wrong if that's what you believe." Mizuki: "Then..." Tomoe: "But if that is what _you_ believe, don't you have something to do before worrying about Fukue?" Mizuki: "Huh? Something I have to do?" Tomoe: "You're bottling up your feelings, too. Do you have any right to speak for Fukue?" *That was what I wanted to say. For Nose, it was a startling realization.* Mizuki: "Th-That's..." *The agitation in her attitude and on her face was vividly clear.* Mizuki: "N-Never mind me. All I want is for the president to be happy..." Tomoe: "So you aren't worth worrying about?" Mizuki: "Th-That is right. As long as I can be by his side, that's enough for me..." *She scowled at me.* Mizuki: "Is that strange? Is that wrong?" *There was anger in Nose's voice. Her usually candy-coated emotions were shining through, seeming unaltered.* Tomoe: "It's not wrong. I think watching over him from the sidelines is a fine way to love someone." Mizuki: "In that case..." Tomoe: "And Fukue probably feels the same way you do." Mizuki: "Huh?" Tomoe: "He thinks being able to be by Kojirou-sensei's side is enough. That watching him is enough." Tomoe: "And his circumstances are more unique than your own, aren't they, Nose?" Tomoe: "Not only is Sensei straight, he's kind of a womanizer. Fukue believes confessing to Sensei will cause him trouble. That only further convinces him to keep his feelings a secret." Mizuki: "Well... I am aware of all that..." *Nose's rage was quickly fading. Yes, she knew that very well.* *All she could do was beg and pray for the happiness of the person she loved.* *When people find themselves in situations beyond their power to fix, all they can turn to is prayer.* *And Fukue was no different.* Tomoe: "Love can be as simple as watching over another person. I can't say whether that's how it's meant to be, but it _is_ another form love can take... right?" Mizuki: "But..." Tomoe: "If you disagree... then why don't you tell him how you feel, too?" Mizuki: "Huh...? I-I..." Tomoe: "You like Fukue, right? Enough that you dressed as a man so you could be near him?" Tomoe: "It's far more likely Fukue will fall in love with you than for Kojirou-sensei to switch sides, you know?" Mizuki: "Th-That's not true... Sempai wouldn't..." Tomoe: "Even if that's true, wouldn't it be better to confess now than to regret not doing so later?" Mizuki: "Well..." Mizuki: "..." Tomoe: "If you summon the courage and show Fukue your brave side, wouldn't that give him the little push he needs?" Mizuki: "My courage would push the president forward..." *Nose's eyes trembled. Her pupils were a window to her heart, and it was shaking.* *Ah, what in the world was I doing? Love was an aphrodisiac which drove people mad. What was I doing taking a part in it?* *That thought stuck in a corner of my mind, but I was doing the polar opposite.* Tomoe: "...I don't believe in love. Nor do I believe that it makes people happy." Mizuki: "Huh? You're saying that now? Then, why...?" Tomoe: "However... If you have the chance, why not pour your heart out? After all, there are people out there who will never get the chance to tell the person they love how they feel." Mizuki: "People who will never get another chance? Do you mean..." Tomoe: "No... Just a common opinion." *I said a little too much. Why did I have to get passionate about someone else's love life?* *Now that I had come this far, I guess I may as well speak my mind fully.* Tomoe: "I truly believe what I said earlier. To me, you and Fukue look like one and the same." Mizuki: "Me... and the president...?" Tomoe: "Yeah. Both of you are timid and unable to take that crucial first step." Tomoe: "So, if you really do like Fukue... If you want him to be proactive..." Tomoe: "...then why don't you show him how it's done? When he sees you, it might help move his heart." Mizuki: "Me... tell the president..." Tomoe: "Knowing Fukue, wouldn't he tell you not to demand from others what you can't do yourself? But if you took a step forward and acted as a model for him..." Mizuki: "The president... might take it to heart..." Tomoe: "Right? Isn't there something you can do for Fukue without relying on the likes of an angel?" Mizuki: "Something I... can do for him..." *Nose's face looked like she'd discovered something.* Mizuki: "I see..." *Nose nodded, looking like she had come to some sort of realization.* *This was as much as I could do. Now it was Nose's turn to do her best.*

Masahiko: "Why did you bring me here?" Mizuki: "I'm sorry." *I was too nervous to come up with a clever excuse. It felt like my heart would leap out of my throat if I opened my mouth too much. Of course, it might explode before it got that far.* Masahiko: "Didn't you have something to discuss? Speak up." Mizuki: "I-I'm sorry." *Deep breaths, deep breaths... I had to tell him.* *I decided to tell him my feelings proper.* Masahiko: "You're a weird guy. If you don't have anything to talk about, I'm leaving." Mizuki: "Ah, p-please wait!!" *I panicked and called out to the president as he attempted to walk away.* Mizuki: "I-I'll talk. Please listen." Masahiko: "What?" Mizuki: "I, um..." *My heart thundered in my chest so hard that I briefly wondered if a drum was pounding in my ears. I wanted to just say nothing and run away.* *But there'd be no point if I did that. I had to tell him how I felt. First, I had to make a move!* Mizuki: "I, um..." Masahiko: "You...?" Mizuki: "I... love you, President!!" *My voice grew a little loud once I finally forced those words out.* Masahiko: "..." *It was like time stopped. The president froze in place, a shocked look on his face.* Mizuki: "U-Um... You heard me, right?" Masahiko: "Yeah, I heard. I heard you, but..." *The president was baffled. It was kind of cute.* *Wait, this was no time for leisurely thoughts!* Masahiko: "Are you sane? We're both men." Mizuki: "I am sane. Also, I'm a woman." Masahiko: "...Huh?" *A shock greater than when I told him I loved him crossed his face. This might have been my first time seeing him make such an expression.* Masahiko: "You're a woman, Nose...?" Mizuki: "That's right. I'm sorry for hiding it until now." *I finally told him. Though, I might not be able to stay by his side any longer.* *Still, I had to tell him. If I hadn't, I couldn't tell him to be honest with himself. When I thought of it that way, I knew I had to be honest, too.* Mizuki: "I'm a woman. I wanted to be near you... so I dressed like this." Masahiko: "Wanted to be near me? What does that and the way you dress have to do with..." Masahiko: "...Oh." *He figured it out―that I had discovered his sexual orientation.* Masahiko: "...I see. That's how it was." Masahiko: "That just makes things worse. Don't you think it was foolish to confess?" Masahiko: "Your feelings won't be reciprocated. If you knew my sexual preferences, shouldn't you have understood that from the start?" Mizuki: "Yes, I'm aware." *Of course I knew that. I knew it better than I ever wanted to. That was why I didn't want to tell him.* Mizuki: "But don't you ever feel something so strongly you can't keep it inside?! Are feelings like those a completely foreign concept to you, President?!" *My voice grew louder again, but I couldn't stop myself.* Mizuki: "As someone who stands above others, don't you have a duty to understand that?!" *By the end, I was yelling at him. I could tell my menacing attitude had surprised him.* Masahiko: "W-Well... That does make some sense." Mizuki: "Yes, I'm positive you understand! Since I'm sure you feel the exact same way!" *Yes, he was the same. The president must have felt the same way about Tatsumiya-sensei.* Mizuki: "Were my feelings... a bother? Did me admitting I love you annoy you?" Masahiko: "No, you didn't bother me." *He responded immediately. I felt a little vindicated.* Masahiko: "This may sound corny, but nobody in this world could hate being told they're loved." Mizuki: "If you know that, then why don't you confess as well?! No, you _should_ confess!" Masahiko: "Hrm..." *The president remained silent, most likely due to how true my words were.* Mizuki: "President! I did my best and confessed! So you should, too..." Masahiko: "...You're strong, Nose." *The president whispered quietly. For a moment I couldn't tell if he was talking about me.* Mizuki: "I'm... strong?" Mizuki: "I don't want to hear that from you. You're the strong one." Masahiko: "That's not true. I'm not that strong." *The president smirked, as if that had left a sour taste in his mouth.* Masahiko: "All I've done is pretend to be strong. I've tricked myself, and tricked those around me." Masahiko: "I act strong because, in reality, I'm weak. That's why I cloak myself in armor. That's all." *What an unexpected confession. This might be the first time he had ever shown such vulnerability.* Mizuki: "In that case, please get stronger. Since you _are_ this academy's president." *I may have been kicking him a little while he was down, but I also meant it in a hopeful way.* *It may have been a selfish wish, but I wanted the president to always be strong. That's how I pictured him in my heart.* Masahiko: "..." Masahiko: "Hmph, I see. You could be right." *He nodded. Thank goodness. It seemed he understood.* Mizuki: "President, does that mean...?" Masahiko: "In that case, I _definitely_ can't confess." Mizuki: "Huh?! Wh-Why?!" Masahiko: "Because I made up my mind not to tell Sensei how I feel. Being strong means carrying through on your decisions." Mizuki: "B-But... That's, um..." Masahiko: "Nose." *He startled me by staring into my eyes and calling my name.* Masahiko: "Thank you." *The president's big hand reached out and he ruffled my head.* Mizuki: "Ah..." *My heart stopped for a moment. I couldn't believe he was petting my head, not to mention smiling. He rarely ever looked this way.* *I had only seen this expression―one likely reserved for only those precious to him―once before. I never would have believed that same smile would be directed at me.* *My heart was pounding so hard I thought I might die. It may have knocked a good five years off my lifespan.* *Seeing his smile left me at a loss for words.* Masahiko: "Don't worry about me anymore. I've cheered up, thanks to you." Mizuki: "Huh? B-Because of me?" Masahiko: "Yeah. Because you honestly convinced me I'm not alone." Mizuki: "President..." *It was becoming more and more difficult to speak. It looked like I... truly loved this person. I was glad I loved him.* *Even if this feeling could never be reciprocated, I truly believed that from the bottom of my heart.* *And I was sure he felt the same way.* *Something told me I understood the president's feelings better than I had a short while ago. It felt like I'd gotten a little closer to his heart.* *That was plenty all on its own.* *I wanted to follow along behind the president, now and forever...*

Tomoe: "Hm, that sure sounds like Fukue." *He wouldn't confess because he'd made up his mind not to, huh? That was so like him. That was certainly one way to lead your life.* Mizuki: "Are you really sure this was for the best?" Tomoe: "It's fine." *I could say that with confidence. After all, it was something Fukue had decided for himself.* *His heart may have been fractured, but Fukue stood firm. I doubted anyone in this world could change his mind.* Tomoe: "So, are you sure you want him to keep treating you like a man from now on?" Mizuki: "Yes, I asked him to do so. It would be difficult to tell everyone in class and the Student Council I'm actually a woman at this point." Mizuki: "So I asked the president to continue thinking of me as a man going forward. He said he was fine with that." Tomoe: "I see." *Long story short, everything was the same as it was before.* *Then again, _everything_ staying completely the same would be impossible.* Masahiko: "Hey, are you up here again? I told you this place is off-limits." *Fukue turned up just like he always did. His expression and behavior was no different than it was yesterday.* Tomoe: "Let it go for today. Come on, the Student Council is with me." *When I emphasized Nose's presence, she got startled and broke away from me.* Mizuki: "Huh? N-No I'm not!" *She panicked, ran over to Fukue, and hid behind him.* Mizuki: "Because I'm a member of the Student Council! I'm the president's ally!!" *I _knew_ things had changed from before.* *All I needed to see to know that was Nose's lively expression.* *All things considered, this rooftop was looking harder to visit by the second.*

Masahiko: "...Hmph, not here today?" *I was satisfied when I saw that the rooftop was deserted. It _was_ off-limits, after all.* *What had happened the other day must have had an impact on me. My strong obsession was slowly fading away.* *However, rules were rules. As long as regulations stated that the roof was off-limits, it had to be strictly observed.* *At least until safety measures were put into place.* Masahiko: "Still, I'm surprised he made it through that." *I took another look down from the roof. It was decently high―about what you'd expect from a four-story building.* *I couldn't help but feel he had the devil's luck to fall from here and manage to escape with his life.* Masahiko: "...He should have just died." *I was surprised to hear myself think such a thing. It appeared I still held a grudge about what happened that day.* *About Tatsumiya-sensei kissing that idiot.* *During that accident in my first year, I was just about done doing my rounds through the school. Since it was last year, Nose hadn't enrolled yet and I was nothing more than a mere secretary.* *Just then...* Girl: "Look out!!" *I heard what sounded like a scream coming from overhead.* *I promptly looked up, and saw something falling from the school roof.* *By the time my brain could comprehend what was happening, a person had crashed into the ground.* Masahiko: "...Huh?" Masahiko: "..." Masahiko: "Ah... This is bad!" *After a moment of stunned silence, I rushed over to the man lying on the ground.* *I couldn't see any external injuries, but he wasn't moving.* *An ambulance? No, the infirmary was right there. Tatsumiya-sensei's face briefly popped into my mind. By that point, I already harbored feelings for him.* *Love found a way to wedge itself into people's hearts even during such a crisis.* Kojirou: "Hey! What happened?!" *At that moment, I could see Tatsumiya-sensei running over.* *He must have heard all the noise. When he spotted the boy lying on the ground, the color drained from his face.* Kojirou: "Tomoe?! Hey, Tomoe, hang in there!" *Tomoe?* *I quickly realized that he was calling the boy by his name. He was apparently someone he knew.* Kojirou: "Crap, he isn't breathing." Kojirou: "Fukue, was it?" Masahiko: "Uh, yes!" *Despite the emergency, I was happy he remembered my name. Only for a moment, though, of course.* Kojirou: "Call an ambulance." Masahiko: "Yes, I understand." *The closest phone was located in the staff room. Just as I was about to run toward the school...* Masahiko: "Ah..." *Tatsumiya-sensei had pressed his lips against Kirinokojima's.* Masahiko: "Hff!" *I wasn't a child, and knew he wasn't actually kissing him. It was simply artificial respiration. Resuscitation.* *I understood logically, but couldn't allow it emotionally.* Masahiko: "Jealousy, huh?" *There was nothing uglier than male jealousy. Especially since the other party was the same gender.* Masahiko: "If only I'd been the one to fall." *That childish thought crossed my mind. Then, I chuckled at myself.* Masahiko: "Humans are foolish creatures." *But that might just be what made us so special.* *It was because of that belief that I decided to forgive myself. To forgive myself for being so jealous.* *I had hated Kirinokojima ever since. Regardless of the form, the kiss Kirinokojima received from Tatsumiya-sensei was something I would never have.* *He was unconscious, so he likely had no strong feelings about it either way. At the very least, I doubted a normal guy like him would be happy it had happened.* *But none of that mattered. I simply couldn't forgive it. Logic had nothing to do with it.* *It was my own hang-up, but whatever. I would probably never forgive him, but it was unlikely that he cared. Things were fine this way.* Masahiko: "More importantly..." *There _was_ one thing on my mind. Kirinokojima testified that he had fallen off the roof by accident while trying to talk down a girl who was going to jump off.* *But the girl in question's testimony conflicted with his slightly.* *It was true that the girl had been considering jumping, and that Kirinokojima tried to stop her. He had lost his balance in their struggle and fell.* *...But their stories diverged from there.* *When he fell, he didn't even try to resist. According to the girl, it looked like once he lost his balance, he leaned into it and fell on purpose.* *She also said there was a faint smile on his face as he was falling, almost as if he was relieved.* Masahiko: "Does he want to die?" *Her testimony instilled a sense of crisis within me, and I immediately made the rooftop off-limits once I became Student Council president. I couldn't stand the idea of someone in my academy dying.* *He continued to come and go as he pleased regardless, but luckily didn't seem suicidal.* *It would be great if I had just been overthinking it, but...* *When I saw how dark his eyes occasionally became, it gave me the ominous feeling I might be right.* Masahiko: "I wonder why he gets that dark look in his eyes." *What in the world had those shadowy eyes seen?*

Masahiko: "...Hmph, not here today?" *I was satisfied when I saw that the rooftop was deserted. It _was_ off-limits, after all.* *What had happened the other day must have had an impact on me. My strong obsession was slowly fading away.* *However, rules were rules. As long as regulations stated that the roof was off-limits, it had to be strictly observed.* *At least until safety measures were put into place.* Masahiko: "Still, I'm surprised he made it through that." *I took another look down from the roof. It was decently high―about what you'd expect from a four-story building.* *I couldn't help but feel he had the devil's luck to fall from here and manage to escape with his life.* Masahiko: "...He should have just died." *I was surprised to hear myself think such a thing. It appeared I still held a grudge about what happened that day.* *About Tatsumiya-sensei kissing that idiot.* *During that accident in my first year, I was just about done doing my rounds through the school. Since it was last year, Nose hadn't enrolled yet and I was nothing more than a mere secretary.* *Just then...* Girl: "Look out!!" *I heard what sounded like a scream coming from overhead.* *I promptly looked up, and saw something falling from the school roof.* *By the time my brain could comprehend what was happening, a person had crashed into the ground.* Masahiko: "...Huh?" Masahiko: "..." Masahiko: "Ah... This is bad!" *After a moment of stunned silence, I rushed over to the man lying on the ground.* *I couldn't see any external injuries, but he wasn't moving.* *An ambulance? No, the infirmary was right there. Tatsumiya-sensei's face briefly popped into my mind. By that point, I already harbored feelings for him.* *Love found a way to wedge itself into people's hearts even during such a crisis.* Kojirou: "Hey! What happened?!" *At that moment, I could see Tatsumiya-sensei running over.* *He must have heard all the noise. When he spotted the boy lying on the ground, the color drained from his face.* Kojirou: "Tomoe?! Hey, Tomoe, hang in there!" *Tomoe?* *I quickly realized that he was calling the boy by his name. He was apparently someone he knew.* Kojirou: "Crap, he isn't breathing." Kojirou: "Fukue, was it?" Masahiko: "Uh, yes!" *Despite the emergency, I was happy he remembered my name. Only for a moment, though, of course.* Kojirou: "Call an ambulance." Masahiko: "Yes, I understand." *The closest phone was located in the staff room. Just as I was about to run toward the school...* Masahiko: "Ah..." *Tatsumiya-sensei had pressed his lips against Kirinokojima's.* Masahiko: "Hff!" *I wasn't a child, and knew he wasn't actually kissing him. It was simply artificial respiration. Resuscitation.* *I understood logically, but couldn't allow it emotionally.* Masahiko: "Jealousy, huh?" *There was nothing uglier than male jealousy. Especially since the other party was the same gender.* Masahiko: "If only I'd been the one to fall." *That childish thought crossed my mind. Then, I chuckled at myself.* Masahiko: "Humans are foolish creatures." *But that might just be what made us so special.* *It was because of that belief that I decided to forgive myself. To forgive myself for being so jealous.* *I had hated Kirinokojima ever since. Regardless of the form, the kiss Kirinokojima received from Tatsumiya-sensei was something I would never have.* *He was unconscious, so he likely had no strong feelings about it either way. At the very least, I doubted a normal guy like him would be happy it had happened.* *But none of that mattered. I simply couldn't forgive it. Logic had nothing to do with it.* *It was my own hang-up, but whatever. I would probably never forgive him, but it was unlikely that he cared. Things were fine this way.* Masahiko: "More importantly..." *There _was_ one thing on my mind. Kirinokojima testified that he had fallen off the roof by accident while trying to talk down a girl who was going to jump off.* *But the girl in question's testimony conflicted with his slightly.* *It was true that the girl had been considering jumping, and that Kirinokojima tried to stop her. He had lost his balance in their struggle and fell.* *...But their stories diverged from there.* *When he fell, he didn't even try to resist. According to the girl, it looked like once he lost his balance, he leaned into it and fell on purpose.* *She also said there was a faint smile on his face as he was falling, almost as if he was relieved.* Masahiko: "Does he want to die?" *Her testimony instilled a sense of crisis within me, and I immediately made the rooftop off-limits once I became Student Council president. I couldn't stand the idea of someone in my academy dying.* *He continued to come and go as he pleased regardless, but luckily didn't seem suicidal.* *It would be great if I had just been overthinking it, but...* *When I saw how dark his eyes occasionally became, it gave me the ominous feeling I might be right.* Masahiko: "I wonder why he gets that dark look in his eyes." *What in the world had those shadowy eyes seen?*

Erich: "You met black angels?" *Erich and the others were surprised when they heard the news.* Menes: "Is that so...?" Licha: "..." *It was a little bizarre how surprised they were, and the mood became heavy almost instantly.* Aine: "What is the matter?" Erich: "Everything went all right?" Aine: "Huh? How do you mean?" Menes: "I see... You wouldn't know, Aine." Aine: "Would not know what?" *Aine looked around at everyone, but they just kept exchanging dazed glances. Was it difficult to explain?* Tomoe: "Sounds like you're all familiar with those black angels. Have you ever met them?" *I asked the now-silent angels.* Menes: "Sort of. We've at least caught sight of them before." *That was all? Their reactions seemed a little over the top to me.* Erich: "We haven't seen them at all lately, either. I wonder what they came here for?" Aine: "Why do you hate them so much?" Erich: "Come on, those guys are always so crabby. You can never tell what they're thinking." Aine: "Yes, they did have a bit of a scary feeling to them... but they gave us advice." Tomoe: "Yeah, that is true." *That _was_ advice, beyond a doubt. They had foul mouths, but maybe they were actually good guys? Or did they have some ulterior motive?* Erich: "I'm telling you, you can't trust any advice they give you. For all we know, it's part of some scheme." Tomoe: "Scheming what, exactly? What sort of angels are they?" *Based on their reactions, it was unlikely that they were ordinary angels.* *What's more, this was their first appearance in a decent while.* *At the very least, it was enough to make Erich and the others suspicious.* Erich: "Those guys are..." Erich: "Angel Slayers." Tomoe: "Huh? 'Angel Slayers'?" *My body went stiff at the sound of those uneasy words.* Aine: "So you mean, they..." Tomoe: "They've killed angels?" *Erich nodded in silence, as if it was repulsive to even confirm it aloud.* Aine: "No way. They would never..." Tomoe: "Angels can kill other angels?" *Wait, I guess Aine _had_ mentioned that angels could die. She nearly got run over by a train herself.* Menes: "Well, it's just a rumor." Aine: "Oh, it is a rumor..." *Aine breathed a sigh of relief. She probably didn't want to believe angels could harm one another.* Erich: "But those guys are capable of it. I hear they won't even deny it." Aine: "No way..." Menes: "Still, they've been in hiding for a while. I wonder why they showed up again?" Erich: "Not to mention, revealed themselves to a human." Licha: "..." *The angels pondered in unison.* *From what I had gathered, everyone deemed those black-winged angels to be dangerous.* *White and black angels. It was hard to believe even angels had dissenters within their ranks.* Aine: "I have got it. If we do not know, then let us ask them directly!" *Aine made a sudden declaration.* Menes: "Huh? 'Ask them directly'..." Erich: "You're not going to their domain, are you? That's dangerous!" Aine: "But they have never done us any harm. I am sure it will be all right as long as everyone goes together." Menes: "'Everyone'? You mean, we're going, too?" Aine: "Of course!"

*The church stood there like a bastion against the darkness.* Tomoe: "This place is..." *I stopped in my tracks. This church was my Achilles' Heel, and I had avoided it for ages now. How long had it been?* *I'd heard the building had been renovated. Compared to how it was in the past, it _was_ completely different, and looked much cleaner, too.* *Back then, this place was practically in ruins.* Aine: "Tomoe-san, what is the matter?" Tomoe: "...Nothing. This is their den?" *Erich said this was where Rios and the other angel found refuge, and showed us the way.* Erich: "You could call it that, but it's not like angels live in dedicated homes. I just happened to see them here a few times in the past." Menes: "Yes, me too. It looked like they were investigating something." Tomoe: "Investigating?" *What in the world could they be investigating _here_?* *In this place that I once considered a paradise, that had become a paradise lost in the blink of an eye?* Erich: "Anyway, let's try going in." *Erich opened the door and walked inside without hesitation. Licha and Menes followed after her.* Aine: "Let us go as well." Tomoe: "...Yeah." *I hesitated for a moment, but I trod inside.* Erich: "Maybe they're not here?" Menes: "Looks like it..." *The angels examined the area. Just as I got dragged into looking around with them, a deep darkness appeared in a corner of the chapel.* Tomoe: "Ah..." *Just as I let out that noise, the darkness began to morph. It quickly transformed into the shape of a human... no, two.* *That was when Rios and Helen appeared.* Erich: "They're here!" Menes: "So they really did come out." *The two black angels approached us, all eyes on them.* Rios: "You're all so noisy." *His voice quietly echoed.* Erich: "Rios..." Menes: "And your name is 'Helen,' correct?" *They apparently knew both of their names.* Helen: "Why have you all gathered here?" Erich: "We heard you showed yourselves for the first time in forever, so we came to take a look." Menes: "It's been a while." Helen: "Yes, it has." *Menes and Helen smiled at one another, but the air was heavy with tension.* Erich: "What in the world are you doing here? You must be plotting something again, right?" Helen: "What do you mean by 'again'?" Erich: "Don't act all innocent. You two..." Menes: "...are Angel Slayers." *Those words had a dangerous ring to them no matter how often I heard them. However, the black angels' expressions never wavered.* Helen: "That is quite the nickname." *Rios remained silent. It seemed he was leaving everything to Helen.* *They probably thought nothing of us. Their faces seemed to say that Erich and the others' animosity-filled stares bounced off them like rubber.* Aine: "Is it true that the two of you have, um... killed angels?" *Aine's voice was shaking. She was probably reluctant to even put it into words. It was clear that she couldn't, no, _refused_ to believe it.* Erich: "How about it? Give us a real answer this time." *Erich pressed them further. Based on her wording, they probably had a similar conversation before. However, Rios and Helen offered no answer.* Helen: "Please interpret it in any fashion that you please." *As I suspected, Helen completely sidestepped Erich's question.* Erich: "You're okay with us assuming you're Angel Slayers, then?!" Helen: "Either way." Rios: "..." *Those two maintained a very uncaring attitude, seeming unaffected by what the other angels thought of them.* Aine: "Why... Why will you not deny it?" Erich: "They couldn't even if they wanted to. Since it's the truth." Aine: "I just cannot believe that." Menes: "But it _is_ true that an angel died." Aine: "Huh?" Erich: "A certain angel went to visit these guys and never came back. She died." Erich: "No, these guys killed her." Helen: "..." Rios: "..." *Nobody said anything.* Aine: "Why...?" *Only the sound of Aine's sad voice echoed through the room.* Erich: "What in the world are you scheming?" Helen: "What could you possibly mean?" Erich: "You're not going to tell us anything, no matter how much we ask, are you? Fine, but we won't let you do whatever you please." Erich: "We're watching you. If you try to do anything funny, we'll make sure you pay for it." *Erich's eyes were burning, a fierce determination shining through her pupils.* Rios: "It appears this conversation is over. ...Leave." *His voice was merciless and solemn.* *Ultimately, Rios never revealed anything, nor did his expression ever sway.*

Erich: "Leave." Erich: "Come on! What was that about?! He sounded so cocky!" Menes: "You _did_ end up leaving just like he told you to." Erich: "It's not like I ran away or anything. I just didn't want to see his face anymore." Tomoe: "You really hate him, huh?" Erich: "Isn't that obvious? After all, he's..." Tomoe: "An Angel Slayer?" Erich: "That's not all." *Erich's voice sank, not just from anger, but from even greater sadness.* Aine: "There is more to it?" Erich: "..." Menes: "The angel that died... was our friend." Aine: "Huh...?" Erich: "She was our band's vocalist before you came, Aine." Licha: "..." Tomoe: "Why did she go to them?" Menes: "She went to them for advice. There was something on her mind, but we aren't sure exactly what was troubling her." Menes: "It sounded like it was something she didn't want to tell us. It must have been very difficult for her..." Menes: "The black angels are extremely knowledgeable. Not to mention, their angelic abilities are impeccable." Tomoe: "So she relied on them..." *That's how it seemed to be.* Aine: "Advice... I wonder what in the world it was?" Erich: "No idea... She didn't have to rely on them; she could have come to us for help instead." *A mix of deep sorrow and regret hung in Erich's voice.* Tomoe: "But... if that story is true, why did they kill an angel?" Erich: "I don't know, but there are rumors that those guys are performing human experiments or something." Aine: "Human experiments...?" *Aine was speechless. Given her degree of common sense, her mind was probably filled with improbable scenarios.* Menes: "Yes, although it _is_ just hearsay. Of course, there is no end to the rumors about those two. It appears they have been investigating something all this time..." Tomoe: "Murdering angels, human experiments... What the heck are they investigating?" Menes: "We don't know." Erich: "Whatever it is, it can't be anything good." *Erich dismissed the subject with a brief comment. I guess she didn't like anything to do with the black angels.* Licha: "..." Tomoe: "Don't you know anything, Licha?" Licha: "Uh-uh..." *Licha shook her head in silence. The way she was acting seemed out of place, but I couldn't describe how in words.* Erich: "Anyway, Aine, try not to get too involved with those guys, okay?" *Erich warned Aine.* Aine: "...Yes." *Aine feebly answered and turned around to face the church.* Aine: "But I wonder... are they really that bad?" Erich: "They absolutely are." *Erich was dead-set on the idea. She firmly believed they killed her friend, so it wasn't entirely unreasonable.* *Angel Slayers...* *What a disgusting ring it had.* *Every time I visited this church, it felt like I was facing down death.* *This place really was my Achilles' Heel after all.* Tomoe: "..."

Tomoe: "..." Minamo: "Sempai, are you all right?" *Wakamatsu spoke to me all of a sudden.* Tomoe: "...What do you mean?" Minamo: "You're kind of making a scary face right now. What are you looking at?" *Wakamatsu looked down at the ground where I had been shifting my attention.* Minamo: "Nothing's wrong, right? It's like..." Minamo: "You were making this face, like you might jump off the roof any second..." *Wakamatsu looked at me with concern. How about that? I never realized I was making faces like that before.* Tomoe: "I would never do that." Minamo: "But..." Yuri: "Come to think of it... Is it true you were the student who fell from here, Kirinokojima-kun?" *Hisaka-san asked as if it had just occurred to her. She must have caught wind of it from somewhere. The subject just kept coming up lately.* *Since it happened last year, maybe it was only natural that she would know about it.* Minamo: "Is it?" Tomoe: "Yeah, it's true." *There was no reason to lie, so I answered honestly.* Yuri: "It really was you, Kirinokojima-kun? I'm surprised." Tomoe: "I'm sorry." Yuri: "No, you have nothing to apologize for... but why did you do it?" Aine: "Oh, she is right. Why did you fall?" Tomoe: "Well..." *I wasn't entirely sure how I should explain.* Naruko: "Kirinokojima was trying to save someone." *Nakizaki answered for me in an innocuous way.* Yuri: "To save someone?" Naruko: "There was apparently a student here trying to jump. He tried to stop her and lost his balance." Yuri: "Oh my..." *Hisaka-san grimaced as if someone dreadful had touched her. The blood drained from her face, and Wakamatsu turned pale beside her, too.* Minamo: "We're on the fourth floor, you know? Were you all right?" Tomoe: "I'm clearly fine now. My feet are still attached, aren't they?" Minamo: "Any injuries?" Tomoe: "Bone fractures in my legs and a bunch of other things, but I fully recovered in two and a half months." Yuri: "Oh my, ouch..." *Hisaka-san grimaced again. It made me feel guilty seeing her wince like that.* Minamo: "Wah..." Minamo: "But, I'm glad it didn't turn into anything serious. Normally you wouldn't get away with such minor injuries after a fall from this height." Naruko: "For real. It's odd that he didn't die. It was good you had the devil's luck, huh?" Tomoe: "...Yeah." *At that moment, I was prepared to die. No, I had accepted it. It wasn't that I tried to take my own life, nor had I given up on living.* *My only thought was that if I were to lose my life as a result of saving someone, wouldn't that mean I had carried out God's will?* *That belief made my heart feel lighter. It made me think that maybe this was for the best.* *And yet, for better or worse, that didn't come to pass. I guess it wasn't my time yet.* *No, maybe "again" would be more accurate. Death hadn't claimed me _again_.* Tomoe: "...Are you sure it was a good thing?' Minamo: "Huh?" Tomoe: "...Oh, nothing." *It had to be for the best.* *I had to keep suffering in this world. Death was no more than salvation. For it to play out otherwise would be toying with providence.* *The divine providence which had dictated for me to live, and for _her_ to die.* Minamo: "There's something kind of flighty about you, Sempai." Tomoe: "There is?" Kiyohito: "You know, Tomoe is always lookin' at the sky. He's got a window seat in class and all." Tomoe: "It was never really my intention to stare at the sky that much." Kiyohito: "You totally do. You space out since you're way at the back of the class." Kiyohito: "Once in a while, I get the feeling you're just going to jump off again." Minamo: "Huh? You're going to jump off again?" Tomoe: "Don't say 'again.' It's not like I fell off on purpose." Kiyohito: "That's not really how I meant it. It's sorta like... you'd just float away." Tomoe: "What do you mean?" *What was he trying to get at? It wasn't like I was a bird or a plane.* Minamo: "This conversation is getting more uneasy by the second." Minamo: "Ah, then I will give this to you, Sempai." *Wakamatsu acted like she'd just gotten an idea and held out what looked like a keychain to me.* Yuri: "Ah... Is that a Heartstone?" Minamo: "Yes. It's a gift, though. A charm." Tomoe: "A charm, huh?" *The Heartstone was a legendary stone out of a folktale passed down in this city, rumored to contain the power of angels.* *In reality, it was probably just a man-made item with an urban legend slapped onto it in order to upsell it to tourists.* *Then again, angels really _did_ exist, so perhaps the Heartstone was real, too?* Tomoe: "Do you know about these, Aine?" *Aine was an actual angel, so I tried showing her.* Aine: "It is such a pretty stone. Is it a charm?" *It looked like she didn't know about it.* Yuri: "Now that you mention it, I wonder where the Heartstone came from?" Yuri: "The angelic legends in this city talk about both the Originator and the Heartstone." Naruko: "Wasn't the Originator someone who wished for people's happiness and became an angel?" Aine: "Wow! A human became an angel?" Tomoe: "It's just an urban legend." Minamo: "How does the Heartstone play into all of this?" Yuri: "Who knows? All I have heard is that it's a stone imbued with the divine protection of angels." Naruko: "Maybe it's a charm the Originator created to protect people?" Tomoe: "Yeah. It seems that way." *Of course, that too was nothing more than a legend. Legends were simply tagged onto things after the fact.* Kiyohito: "But y'know, wasn't the Heartstone supposed to be a love charm?" Kiyohito: "Won't Tomoe fall in love with Minamo-chan if she gives him that?" Minamo: "Huh...? Th-That would be annoying." Tomoe: "Of course not. This is just something to get tourists to waste their money on." Minamo: "That's true, but..." Kiyohito: "Come to think of it, I heard about the Heartstone from somewhere recently..." Kiyohito: "Ah, I remembered. It was MINAMO." Minamo: "Huh...?" Naruko: "MINAMO, you mean 'that' MINAMO?" *They didn't mean Wakamatsu... right?* Kiyohito: "Yeah, yeah. The pin-up model. She's been really into gemstones lately, and started wearing pieces of Heartstone." Naruko: "Wow, really? Knowing that she's endorsing something from this city really makes me feel connected to her." Minamo: "..." Minamo: "Um, on that note, it's getting late. I'm leaving." *Wakamatsu suddenly turned around to head home.* Aine: "Oh? You are not going home with us?" Minamo: "I'm not going home. I have something to take care of first." Aine: "Ah... Off she goes." Naruko: "She sure left in a hurry." Tomoe: "Maybe she remembered something urgent she had to attend to?" Kiyohito: "...Huh?" *Kiyohito picked up something at his feet. It was a keychain with something resembling a house key attached to it.* Kiyohito: "Did Minamo-chan drop this when she left?" Naruko: "Oh, maybe. Think we could catch her if we left now?" Tomoe: "Yeah. It would probably be a good idea if someone brought it to her." Kiyohito: "Don't act like it's not your problem. You're taking it to her." Tomoe: "Huh? Why do I have to?" Kiyohito: "No real reason. Just because." Tomoe: "Wouldn't you be faster, Nakizaki?" Naruko: "It's not that I'm a slow runner, but I don't think I could keep up with you guys." Yuri: "I'll bring it to her, then." *An unexpected volunteer raised her hand.* Tomoe: "You will, Hisaka-san?" Yuri: "I was considering heading home anyway. I can bring it to her on the way." Tomoe: "If you're sure. Sorry, and thank you." Yuri: "Yes, please leave it to me." Yuri: "I'm sorry. I couldn't catch up. Haa, haa, haa..." *Ten minutes later, Hisaka-san returned out of breath.* Yuri: "I ran but never did find her. I gave up and came back." *Hisaka-san didn't look fast on her feet at all. I kind of felt bad making her go to all that trouble.* Kiyohito: "See, you should have gone, Tomoe. Take responsibility and go deliver it." Tomoe: "...Fine." Yuri: "Haa, haa, haa... I'm sorry..." *Even if I didn't like it, it was impossible to refuse with Hisaka-san panting in front of me like that.* *I guess I had no choice, huh?*

Tomoe: "Based on the address, I guess it's around here?" Aine: "Indeed." *I asked Aine to get Wakamatsu's address from Sensei.* *The address would suggest it was a private home on a block somewhere nearby, but...* Aine: "Ah! Is that it?" Tomoe: "Hm?" Tomoe: "This?" *What a huge house. There were a lot of prominent homes in this neighborhood, but it was considerably larger than the ones around it.* *Wakamatsu was nowhere in sight. I figured since she had dropped her key, she would be standing outside her house wondering what to do. Perhaps she made it inside after all?* Tomoe: "Is this... the buzzer?" *However, the door opened before I could ring the doorbell.* Minamo: "...Huh?" *Wakamatsu stepped outside. She looked like she was about to go shopping or something.* *She had changed out of her uniform and was dressed in a comfortable looking shirt. Unlike how she dressed in school, her hair was down, too.* *She acted like this mature, steadfast person at school, but this must have been another part of who she was.* *I had discovered an unexpected side to her which clashed with how she acted when she was in uniform.* Minamo: "Huh, why is Sempai... Huuuuh?!" *She screamed louder than I could have even imagined the normal Wakamatsu doing. She seemed considerably shaken.* Minamo: "Uh, uh, um... ah! P-Please wait a second!!" *Wakamatsu ran back inside still unable to articulate herself very well.* *I hadn't finished what I came here to do, so all I could do was wait.* Minamo: "Sorry to keep you waiting..." *After some time, Wakamatsu finally reappeared.* *She was still wearing the same clothes from before, but now her hair was braided. I didn't know why she'd bothered doing that.* Tomoe: "Sorry to show up unannounced." Minamo: "That's fine, but... this isn't what it looks like, okay? I don't always look like this when I'm home. It was just by chance." Minamo: "I sometimes run around in whatever's comfortable when I think nobody is watching. But not always!" Tomoe: "Do you? There's nothing wrong with that. Dress however you like; it's your home." Minamo: "..." Tomoe: "Why do you look so upset?" Minamo: "Isn't that kind of careless? I think it'd be fine if you were a little worried about it, myself." Tomoe: "Huh? What do you mean?" Minamo: "Oh, nothing." Minamo: "By the way, why are you here...?" Tomoe: "Just returning something. Didn't you notice you dropped your key?" Minamo: "Huh?" Tomoe: "Here." *I held out the keychain.* Minamo: "Ah..." Minamo: "Th-Thank you." Aine: "It looks like you were able to make it inside without it." Minamo: "Because someone was home already." Aine: "Your mom?" Minamo: "Yeah, but she's the only one here." Tomoe: "The only one?" Minamo: "My mom and I live alone." *Wakamatsu was short and to the point. Was it something she didn't really want to talk about?* Tomoe: "Okay, we'll be leaving now." Minamo: "Huh? Already?" *When we tried to leave, she called out to us in a seemingly reluctant voice.* Tomoe: "I mean, wouldn't it be bad if someone saw us like this? Aren't those sorts of things awkward for celebrities?" Minamo: "Huh...?" *Wakamatsu hung her head in shock.* Minamo: "So you _did_ figure it out... Probably didn't help that I had my hair down earlier..." Tomoe: "No, I realized it before that." Minamo: "Huh? How...?" Tomoe: "Oh, didn't I mention? I saw a photo of you online recently. That's how." Minamo: "'That's how'... You figured it out just from that?" Tomoe: "Like I said, it's because I saw a photo of you." Minamo: "And like I said, that's all? Don't I look totally different from how I am in my pin-ups right now?" Aine: "You are. I could not tell at all, but it seemed Tomoe-san figured it out instantly." Minamo: "You could?" Tomoe: "I just knew, I guess? You're both the same person." *Why was she so surprised? That struck me as stranger than anything else.* Minamo: "I see... It feels like... you really understand me, Sempai." Tomoe: "Huh? No, I wouldn't go that far." *In fact, it might be more accurate to say I didn't know the first thing about her.* Minamo: "No, that's not true. I'm glad it was you that figured it out, Sempai." Tomoe: "Huh?" Minamo: "Oh... Since you know, does that mean everyone else knows now, too...?" Tomoe: "No, probably not? You heard how they were talking about 'MINAMO' earlier." Minamo: "Th-That's right. Thank goodness..." Tomoe: "You don't want anyone to know that you're a celebrity, right?" Minamo: "That's right. Sempai, please don't tell anyone about this." Tomoe: "Fine by me, I guess." Aine: "But why do you want to keep it a secret so badly?" Minamo: "Well... Only bad things could come of people finding out." Aine: "Do you think so? But is it not amazing that you are a celebrity?" *Aine was a fangirl who did nothing but watch TV. That's exactly the opinion I'd expect from her.* Minamo: "Being a pin-up girl isn't as amazing as you're making it out to be." Minamo: "In fact, it's embarrassing." *She added on those final words with a sigh. It bothered me that she sounded so sad.* Tomoe: "'Embarrassing'..." Minamo: "I-It's nothing. I'm going back inside. Mom will get suspicious." Tomoe: "Suspicious?" *That was another odd way of phrasing it. Was that something you would say about your mother?* Minamo: "N-Never mind. Okay, please excuse me!" *She slammed the door shut in front of us.* Aine: "Did you think Minamo-chan was acting kind of strange, too?" Tomoe: "Yeah..." *Something did feel a little odd about the way she talked about her mother, and the way she called her work "embarrassing."* Aine: "It must be hard to be a celebrity." Tomoe: "Maybe so." *Part of me suspected there was more to it than that, but I decided to stop prying. It was none of my business.*

*People were gathering in the hallway when I arrived at school.* Aine: "What is that?" Naruko: "It looks like they posted the results of the mock exams from the other day." Aine: "What are 'mock exams'?" Tomoe: "You took them a while back, remember? They're tests." Aine: "Ah, I did, I did. The one where you fill in the circles, yes? I rolled the pencil like a pair of dice and somehow made it through." Tomoe: "That really works? Actually, I'm impressed you came up with that idea." Naruko: "It works out surprisingly well, doesn't it?" Aine: "Yes! It was a big help!" Tomoe: "Now I get it. You taught her how to do that, didn't you, Nakizaki?" *After all, Nakizaki had always had trouble with exams.* Naruko: "I'm good at home economics and PE. Why aren't either of those subjects on the nationwide mock exams?" Tomoe: "Because they have nothing to do with entrance exams for higher education?" *They had only posted the highest scores. Just the top fifty in each grade level, huh?* Aine: "Ah! There you are, Tomoe-san! Amazing!" *My name was listed at the very end of the second-year's scores.* Tomoe: "I didn't make it into the top ten or anything. It's not a big deal." Naruko: "That comes across as pretty snide considering I didn't even make it into the top one hundred." Tomoe: "If it bothers you that much, then you should study a little more, Nakizaki." *She was so self-conscious about her poor academic performance that she intentionally avoided applying herself. I was sure she could do a little better if she actually tried.* Tomoe: "Anyway, the really amazing one is Kiyohito. Look." *Kiyohito's name was listed in the rank eight slot.* Aine: "Wow, amazing! Kiyohito-san is more intelligent than he looks!" Tomoe: "I know you didn't mean it that way, but that was pretty backhanded." Naruko: "It's hard to even criticize Kiyohito when he pulls this off without even studying." Aine: "Is that so? Everyone is so amazing. ...Ah." *Aine immediately realized what she'd said and looked at Nakizaki.* Naruko: "Everyone except me, right?" Aine: "Th-That is not true... U-Um, for example..." *Aine looked back at the list, almost as if she was trying to escape Nakizaki's gaze.* Aine: "Ah! The president is number two!" Tomoe: "Hm?" *Fukue's name was in the rank two slot. That was unexpected.* Tomoe: "Fukue's not rank one?" Naruko: "You're right! After all that talk and arrogance, he only came in second?" *Nakizaki looked happy. She sure hated Fukue, didn't she?* Kiyohito: "Fukue always comes in second." *When I heard that voice, I turned around to find Kiyohito standing there. The way he was looking at the test scores suggested he wasn't surprised.* Naruko: "Heh, is that right?" Kiyohito: "Yeah, since someone else perpetually takes the top rank." Tomoe: "Perpetually?" *I checked the top name on the ranking table.* *The name "Marika Takashiro" was written there.* Aine: "Marika Takashiro-san... is it?" Kiyohito: "Yeah, Marika Takashiro. She's a second-year student whose test scores constantly reign at the top of the ranks: the queen of Miharugaoka Academy." Tomoe: "Really?" *I'd never paid any attention to the rankings, so I had no idea who she was. A girl that brilliant went to school here?* Kiyohito: "Be it regular or mock exams, she's always number one at our academy. She seems to be really talented, but socially awkward, so she doesn't talk to anyone." Naruko: "Hm, you sure do know a lot." Kiyohito: "She's a real hottie~ Well, I _guess_ she's a little plain, but she's really sexy in those glasses." *Kiyohito pictured her in his head, then nodded in satisfaction.* Naruko: "An intelligent beauty, huh? The saying 'God does not bless a person twice' is a total lie." Kiyohito: "No need to be jealous. You've got your high points too, Nakizaki. Probably." Naruko: "That's a crappy way to console someone. Spare me." *A beautiful woman, and one of our school's top talents, yet so plain that Nakizaki had no idea who she was.* *I guess that just showed how anti-social she really was.* Kiyohito: "Oh, speak of the devil." *Kiyohito urged us to follow his gaze.* *All of a sudden, a girl inconspicuously walking on the other side of the crowd leapt into view.* *She must have been the aforementioned Marika Takashiro.* Naruko: "Who? Which girl?" Tomoe: "Look, that one." Naruko: "Oh, huh? Hm... More ordinary than I pictured." Aine: "But yes, she certainly is cute~" *She _was_ attractive, yet plain. Still, she had this unique air to her.* Kiyohito: "Hey, Takashiro! Good job!" *Kiyohito waved his hand and called out to her excitedly.* Marika: "..." *She stopped in place for a moment but promptly walked away. The only acknowledgment she gave Kiyohito was a quick glance and a nod.* Naruko: "What was that about? She didn't say anything." Tomoe: "Are you two close at all?" Kiyohito: "To the extent that I one-sidedly greet her when we see each other, anyway." Naruko: "It sounds less like you're close, and more like you just see each other in passing." Kiyohito: "She may not look like it, but I think she's lightened up a lot. She used to be so unapproachable even _I_ hesitated to talk to her." Tomoe: "That's impressive." *Kiyohito could greet fearsome men and dodgy tourists while wandering town and immediately befriend them. It was hard to believe _he_ would ever hesitate to speak to anyone.* Kiyohito: "I wonder if she's in love or something?" *Kiyohito was smirking obscenely.* Aine: "Love?! How nice!" Kiyohito: "The only thing that ever changes women is love." Naruko: "That's sexist." Kiyohito: "Really? I don't think so." Kiyohito: "If you ask me, women who never fall in love always stay a little childish." Naruko: "Who're you talking about exactly?" Kiyohito: "Nobody at all~" *As Nakizaki glared at him, Kiyohito threw both of his hands into the air before running off.* Naruko: "Wait just a second!" Tomoe: "Aine, how about it?" *While the two of them were screwing around, I discreetly whispered to Aine. She had her head tilted.* Aine: "That person from before? Nothing about her seemed especially concerning. Did something about her bother you?" Tomoe: "No..." *It must have been my imagination. Still, she caught my attention for some reason.*

*All that could be heard in the room was the sound of my brush running over my canvas.* *Winter was perfect. Above all else, it was quiet.* *In the summer, the cicadas were noisy. Between the harsh sunlight and humid air which practically clung to your skin, it was very unpleasant.* *In autumn, nothing grated the ears more than the sound of insects chirping. Spring was equally boisterous, filled with the tidings of newborn animals all around.* *However, there was nothing of the sort during winter.* *Yes, winter was almost like being in a dream. It was soundless, the scenery subdued, and the passage of time slowed.* *All the better if snow were to fall. Snow coated the whole world in white. All manner of filth was masked.* *Pure white, like a canvas where naught had yet been sketched...* *The first snow of the year hadn't yet fallen, but would it be soon? I could only hope. I wanted the world to be locked away in snow.* *A part of me wished winter would last forever and ever, but alas...* Sousuke: "..." *The sound of that artificial doorbell jarred me from my bleak musings. My brushing hand froze in place.* *There it was again.* Sousuke: "..." *I regarded this noise with deep contempt. I held my breath like a fugitive and made myself scarce.* *The bell did not ring again after the second time.* Sousuke: "She's quick to give up today." *Did she think I was out? Had she realized it was annoying me?* Sousuke: "...No." *She was never that commendable a girl, was she? Once that occurred to me...* *Knock, knock...* *There was a rap at my studio's windowpane. It wasn't the wind, nor any other variety of natural phenomenon. It was the sound of someone deliberately knocking.* Sousuke: "...Hmph." *With a sigh, I accepted my fate and opened the sliding door which overlooked the garden.* Marika: "I knew you were just pretending you weren't home." *She glared at me as she walked into my own house. A guest with a big attitude, indeed.* Sousuke: "If I don't answer the door, it means I don't _want_ to answer. I wish you would get that through your head already." Marika: "But you _did_ answer, didn't you? Doesn't that mean you wanted to?" *The look in her eyes made her appear more sophisticated than her accumulated years. Brats these days were children on the inside, but looked and acted like adults.* Sousuke: "Didn't I tell you to keep away from now on?" Marika: "I told you I'd be back." *Always a comeback for everything.* *She probably thought she'd won this argument. As always, Takashiro set her bag down in a corner of the room and looked over my in-progress canvas.* Marika: "You're drawing another incomprehensible piece." Sousuke: "I've told you repeatedly that it's abstract." *My brush moved according to my emotions. In a manner of speaking, this was likely the view within my heart.* Marika: "Pieces like this don't sell well, do they?" Sousuke: "Surely you can tell by looking at me." *Abstract pieces didn't sell, especially when drawn by a no-name artist like me.* *That's why I was always strapped for cash. The only reason I was able to get by was thanks to the sizable inheritance my parents had left me.* *I was a well-aged man with no income, painting pieces I couldn't even sell. I was what you might call a "terrible burden on society."* *All that being true, I had no idea why I had to get involved with such a young woman.* Marika: "I've heard landscapes and such sell well, though?" Sousuke: "Yes, pieces like that are mostly used to decorate people's homes. They won't pay for what they can't comprehend." Marika: "Then you should just paint pieces that are easy to understand." Sousuke: "If it meant painting pieces I detest, I would sooner draw nothing at all." Marika: "Rich guys sure have different standards. My parents always told me, 'You can't pick and choose jobs if you want to eat.'" Sousuke: "..." *For a pipsqueak, she had an arsenal of painful wisecracks.* *While it was true I had enough money to live comfortably, it was all left to me by my parents. It wasn't anything I could be proud of.* *My old man was also an artist. Way better than I ever was. He'd made a small name for himself in the art world, and his pieces sold for a good chunk of change. He even had patrons, to boot.* *Thanks to him, I was never left wanting.* *After my parents passed away, I continued to live in the home they'd bequeathed me.* Sousuke: "...You're right. Throwing away my pride and painting landscapes might be more suited to me." Sousuke: "I'm guessing you wouldn't shadow me like this anymore either if I did." Marika: "...Talk about snarky." *Takashiro smirked. Despite her smile, my remark had probably taken a decent toll on her.* *Brats were so unbalanced these days. They were well versed in the art of concealing their true feelings like adults, yet were pure and easily hurt on the inside.* *No wonder I loathed myself. A man my age should know better than to treat a squirt like her this way.* *Still, if I had only painted landscapes, I never would have become acquainted with this woman.* *Had it really been nearly a year already...?* *We met last year, around the beginning of winter.* *I had fallen into a minor slump (more like an around-the-clock slump), and went out to paint in the park for a change of pace.* Marika: "What a strange painting." *I was innocently moving my paintbrush when I heard a voice behind me. With instant irritation, I turned around...* *...and there stood Marika Takashiro.* Marika: "Oh, sorry. Did I make you mad?" Sousuke: "Runts like you should hurry on home to bed." Marika: "Bed? But it's not even dark yet." *Although it was our first meeting, she smiled without reserve. It felt like she was laughing at my insufficient vocabulary, which left me embarrassed and annoyed.* *Having completely fallen out of the mood to paint, I went quiet and began to pack up.* Marika: "Oh, are you done already? Your piece isn't finished yet, is it?" Sousuke: "The sun is starting to set. Any longer and the colors will change." *That was just an excuse. The abstracts I painted weren't affected by lighting conditions nor anything else.* Marika: "But you'll come again since you're right in the middle, won't you?" Sousuke: "Who knows." *I couldn't stand being shadowed by an audacious brat like her. I kept my answer ambiguous and went home.* *That night I drank, slept, and completely forgot I had ever met that brat.* *And yet...* Marika: "Ah, there you are." Sousuke: "..." *Three days later, she reappeared at the same time.* Marika: "I was starting to think you wouldn't come back." Sousuke: "Don't tell me you came yesterday and the day before as well?" *She certainly made it sound that way.* Marika: "I didn't know when you'd show up..." *What a shock. Looks like she actually had.* Sousuke: "If you've got that much spare time, then go home and study or something." Marika: "I study all the time. Despite how I look, I'm always the top student at the academy." Sousuke: "Wow..." *Intelligent, decent looks, and a silver tongue. A disgusting brat in all respects.* Marika: "I can study anywhere. I would just prefer not to go home if I can help it." *A different expression peeked across her confident-looking face. It only lasted for a moment, but it screamed loneliness.* *Perhaps that was her true face.* *...I never should have taken such an interest in her.* Marika: "Hey, mind if I take a short nap?" Sousuke: "..." *And now, she was constantly at my heels.* Sousuke: "Do whatever you want." Marika: "I'll do just that." *She hadn't looked lonely again ever since. Nothing but the audacious face of a grown woman stretching herself too thin.* *From the bits and pieces of information she had shared, I could tell Takashiro hated her home life. She refused to go home whenever possible.* *Her family was far from affluent, which she assumed was due to their lack of a proper education.* *No, her parents had probably instilled that mindset into her. After all, education was just a form of brainwashing.* *As a result, from an early age, it became her dream to study, go to a good college, get a good job, and live a lavish lifestyle one day.* Sousuke: "That's one boring dream." *When I accidentally told her my honest impression...* Marika: "When I think about it now, absolutely." *...Takashiro said that and grimaced.* Marika: "But that's what my entire life has revolved around." *Her expression was worn-out, like she'd resigned herself to her fate. I felt like I should say something, but couldn't find the right words.* *If I were to speak, I would then have to listen to her story. If I heard her story, I would become involved.* *Letting her come and go as she pleased was already a considerable concession. Spare me any further involvement.* *She would get tired of it and stop coming eventually. I just had to be patient until then...* *It had been nearly a year since I first thought that.* Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." *I was brought back to reality by the sound of her soft breathing.* Sousuke: "She really fell asleep." *A sleeping face from which I could sense no wariness. It was an astonishing thing.* Sousuke: "Don't come crying to me if this gets you violated one day." *Putting that into words felt asinine. What was I thinking about doing to this girl?* Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." Sousuke: "Man, what are you sleeping so comfortably for?" *Unsure of why that thought had crossed my mind, I picked up a nearby sketchbook and pencil.* *I began transcribing this innocently snoozing maiden's face onto the white paper.* *Not an abstract, but her figure just as I saw it.* *I realized it had been a long time since I'd drawn the human figure after a short while had passed.*

Marika: "..." *After school, I went down the long, steep road alone.* *After a short while, there was a fork in the road. If I turned right, I could go home. If I turned left, I could follow the path to Tsuji-san's home.* *It had been quite some time since I'd stopped going right.* *As far as my parents knew, I was studying in the library every day.* *I doubted they would ever figure it out. They believed I was a good girl who couldn't do anything but study.* *By the time I arrived at Tsuji-san's house, it was already getting dim out.* Marika: "The days sure have gotten shorter." Marika: "...Hm?" *I sensed someone nearby and turned around.* Housewife: "Ah..." *Several housewives were slinking around and looking this way from a couple buildings over.* *But when their eyes met mine, they quickly withdrew to their respective homes.* Marika: "What was that about? Creepy." *Sneaking around and watching people. It made me feel really uncomfortable.*

Sousuke: "Were you seen by my neighbors?" *Tsuji-san muttered, "What a bother," to himself as he scrunched up his forehead, annoyed.* *He was pretty creepy, too. It was almost like he thought me visiting him was a bad thing or something.* Marika: "How is that a bother, exactly?" *I may have sounded a bit accusatory.* Sousuke: "Of _course_ it's a bother. Everyone in the neighborhood knows I'm a single man who lives alone." Sousuke: "If they were to learn a young lady like yourself was coming here after school to visit a middle-aged man who lives by himself, nothing good could possibly come of it." *Ah, this was really ticking me off. Part of me wanted to say something _very_ malicious.* Marika: "Hmph, why do you care so much about what other people think of you? You're supposed to be an artist." Sousuke: "Being an artist has nothing to do with it." *Tsuji-san scowled. Of all of his expressions, this troubled grimace was my second favorite.* *I felt just a little satisfied. Next, I casually picked up a sketchbook that was placed nearby.* Sousuke: "Oh, that's..." *Something about it flustered him, but I already had the sketchbook halfway open at that point.* Marika: "Ah, this is..." *My heart clenched in my chest. The throbbing hastened, and my ears blared a bright red.* *It was a drawing of me.* Marika: "This is... me, sleeping?" Sousuke: "Well..." Marika: "When did you draw it? Don't they call these 'peep shots'?" Sousuke: "It's your fault for falling asleep in someone else's home." *He must have been greatly embarrassed, and wouldn't look me in the eye. This was putting me in a better and better mood.* Marika: "Hm, I've never seen you draw people before. You can draw pretty well, huh?" Sousuke: "Sketches like this are fundamental. Anyone can draw that much." Marika: "But why draw me? Was I an attractive model?" Sousuke: "It isn't that." Marika: "Then why?" Sousuke: "Well..." *Yet another uncomfortable sneer. I felt so much better now!* Marika: "Then I'll model for you properly." Sousuke: "Huh? What do you mean...?" *I placed a seat in front of Tsuji-san's easel and sat down at a mild slant with a prim expression.* Marika: "Okay, go ahead." Sousuke: "..." *He looked so embarrassed.* *There was no doubt in my mind that before long, he would say something like, "Cut the crap and go home."* Sousuke: "...Fine. I'll draw you." Marika: "...Huh?" Sousuke: "In exchange, you're not allowed to move." *Tsuji-san brought out a new canvas and began to draw. I had never expected this kind of development from him.* Marika: "You're really going to draw me?" Sousuke: "Isn't that what you wanted? It's a little late to back out now." Marika: "I-It is, but..." *Tsuji-san ordinarily drew nothing but abstracts, but it appeared he was planning to draw me for real, not just as some joke.* Marika: "What's with the change of heart?" Sousuke: "The mood just hits me on occasion." *What sort of mood did he mean? I had mixed feelings; I wasn't sure if I really wanted to know.* *Oh well, I didn't need to know right now. It would be lame if I asked too many questions and he changed his mind.* *Since he finally agreed to draw me, I decided to sit still like I was told.* Sousuke: "Okay, don't move." Marika: "Yeah." *I wouldn't move a muscle until he said otherwise. Keeping still was a breeze. I could even slow my breathing for him.* *And I would stay that way until his drawing was complete.*

*We picked up where we left off again today. I acted as a model as Tsuji-san drew me in silence.* Marika: "I had a fine arts lesson today. I never took any interest in it before since it has nothing to do with exams, but lately it's been sort of fun. I wonder if it's your influence?" Sousuke: "Hmm..." *I was trying to make conversation, but he was unresponsive. He was moving his paintbrush restlessly upon his canvas as he repeatedly glared over at me.* Marika: "Are you listening?" Sousuke: "I told you not to move." Marika: "I'm _not_ moving. The only thing moving is my mouth." Sousuke: "Talking distracts me." Marika: "You third-rate artist." Sousuke: "..." *He went quiet. Was he seriously angry?* *Maybe I teased him a little too hard. But when I looked at him, I just wanted to torment him for some reason.* Marika: "Say, want me to strip for you?" *I said that without thinking too deeply about it, but unsurprisingly, Tsuji-san lifted his head.* Sousuke: "What did you say?" *He looked stunned. Was he still treating me like some kid? That kind of miffed me.* Marika: "Nudes are more artistic, right? It's not exactly lewd if it's art." Marika: "Or would seeing me naked turn you on?" *I said something to provoke him.* Sousuke: "...Don't be stupid. You're awfully brash for your age, aren't you?" *He spoke with confidence, but his tone rang a bit false.* Marika: "Tsuji-san, do naked young women turn you on? Are you into that sort of thing?" Sousuke: "...If you don't knock it off, I'm going to throw you out." *Ah, I guess that _did_ make him angry. That made me a little happy, though. It was proof that what I said had moved him in some way.* *I knew I had a warped way of thinking, but figured I could get away with this much. It was a meager happiness of mine.* Marika: "What's the harm if you're indifferent to it?" Sousuke: "Cut it out." Marika: "...I'm just kidding. What are you getting worked up for?" Sousuke: "...I'll seriously throw you out." *Maybe I teased him a little too much. Tsuji-san was embarrassed. When he's embarrassed he pretends to be angry, huh?* Marika: "Okay, let's do this: teach me how to draw." Sousuke: "What do you mean, 'Okay'? You aren't making any sense." Marika: "Isn't it a lot more wholesome than me being a nude model? 'Sousuke Tsuji's Painting Class.'" Sousuke: "I hate teaching people. It's not in my nature." Marika: "Just a little while will be fine, won't it? Just teach me a few tricks." Sousuke: "...If it's not one thing, it's another with you." *He acted reluctant, but sounded like he had taken an interest in teaching me. Maybe he thought this was preferable to me insisting he "draw me nude."* *He prepared a new easel and canvas and I sat in front of it. Tsuji-san went around behind me.* *That simple gesture kind of got my heart pounding.* *He was so close, and while I couldn't see his face, I _could_ feel his warmth. His stomach occasionally brushed against my back.* *This was sort of... Wah...* Sousuke: "First, the way you're holding the brush is wrong." *Yank!* Marika: "Ow!" Marika: "B-Be a little gentler." Sousuke: "If you don't like it, I'll stop." Marika: "Are you actually more spartan than you look? Do you have sadistic tendencies?" Sousuke: "If you're going to keep talking like that, then I'm seriously going to stop." Marika: "Got it. I hold the brush like this, right?" Sousuke: "Yes. Then, take a good look at your subject across from your canvas." Marika: "Y-Yeah." Sousuke: "Shift your eyes well, and draw as you compare the subject in real life to the one portrayed on the canvas." Marika: "Hm... Like this?" Sousuke: "...Amateur indeed." Marika: "Oh..." Sousuke: "Are you blind? They look nothing alike." Marika: "I-I can't help it. I'm telling you to teach me because I'm bad at it." Sousuke: "Even a prodigy at the top of her year is a poor artist, huh?" Marika: "Come on, all I've ever done is study. Fine arts have nothing to do with entrance exams." Sousuke: "Well, if you're this hopeless, then you should improve rather quickly with practice. Learning to draw is the funnest thing in the world." Sousuke: "Isn't that great?" Marika: "I've got a bad feeling about this." *He was talking down to me an awful lot, wasn't he?* Sousuke: "All right, I'll crack the whip on you." Marika: "Don't you think you're having a little too much fun?" Sousuke: "Not really. Look, you're holding the brush wrong!" *Thwack!* Marika: "Th-That hurts!" *Maybe Tsuji-san was a sadist after all?* *But... this side of Tsuji-san was nice, too.*

Sousuke: "It's gotten really late, hasn't it? Will you be okay alone?" Marika: "Would you walk me home if I said I wouldn't be?" *He had never once escorted me home. I always intruded on him without permission, then was often driven out.* Sousuke: "..." *Sure enough, Tsuji-san didn't answer. He was probably unsure of how to deal with me.* *It didn't really matter. I wasn't expecting anything like that. Something like lovers would do...* Marika: "I was just kidding..." Sousuke: "I'll walk you home." Marika: "...Huh?" *I thought I'd misheard him, but Tsuji-san was already walking away.* *I jogged after him happily, my heart aflutter. This was sort of like a dog chasing after its master.* Marika: "To what do I owe this pleasure?" Sousuke: "Only because it's late. That's all." Sousuke: "I'll go as far as the station, okay?" Marika: "That's fine." *After that, the two of us grew silent.* *We never really talked much. Our ages were so far apart, along with our hobbies and the environments we were raised in...* *Why, then, was I so drawn to him?* Sousuke: "How are your studies going?" *Tsuji-san broke the silence first, and asked about my studies, no less. He was worried about me.* Marika: "Hm, like I'm not making much progress, maybe? My mock exam grades haven't been improving." Sousuke: "Is that so?" Marika: "Were you curious?" Sousuke: "Don't get cocky. I just asked since there's nothing else to talk about." Marika: "Hm... Fine then, I guess." Sousuke: "If it's hurting your grades, why don't you stop hanging around my place and study at home instead?" *He was completely right, but it made me sad to hear him tell me something so obvious.* Marika: "It's fine. I can't concentrate if I'm at home." Marika: "Is it silent pressure from my parents? Their crazy expectations? I never talk about it, but you sensed it." Marika: "It's suffocating." Sousuke: "I see..." *Tsuji-san said that with a nod, then stopped speaking.* *He wasn't much of a talker. Once in a while, I would get anxious, unsure of what he was thinking.* Marika: "Hey, is it a bother having me visit you?" Sousuke: "It is." *Blunt and sarcastic as ever, and yet, his words were incredibly kind.* *Now I was in a better mood.* *I didn't need anything else. This moment could go on forever as far as I was concerned.* *Would God grant such a modest wish? Hopefully so...*

Tomoe: "Huh? You mean _that_ Takashiro?" *This was honestly a surprise. I didn't expect the name of that aforementioned genius, who was ranked number one in her grade, to come up.* Kiyohito: "Sounds like there are rumors going around that she's working as a call girl." *Kiyohito had caught wind of that disquieting rumor.* Naruko: "A call girl..." *Nakizaki was mindful of her surroundings and lowered her voice. Of course, we were the only ones here.* *Still, this was all really unexpected. She was a top-scoring genius, not to mention inconspicuous despite her beauty. Did people usually start rumors about girls like her?* *It felt like I couldn't write this off as a mere rumor _because_ it was such a surprising mismatch.* Tomoe: "..." *Then again, it was also none of my business.* Yuri: "That is just a rumor, right?" *Hisaka-san was such a kind person that she looked worried even about a total stranger.* Kiyohito: "A total rumor. I can't imagine Takashiro would turn to something like that." *Kiyohito replied immediately with a smile.* *It didn't sound like lip service, either. If Kiyohito was that confident about it, I was sure it was nothing.* Kiyohito: "Of course, something must've happened to start the rumor." Naruko: "'Where there's smoke, there's fire,' basically?" Minamo: "I've heard the rumors, too. They say she's been visiting some guy's house. A girl in her class lives in the neighborhood." Yuri: "A man's house..." *Hisaka-san looked worried in the same way a mother might. Maybe she felt protective since she had a little sister of her own?* Aine: "Um, I am sorry to put a damper on the conversation, but..." *Aine shyly interjected.* Aine: "What is a 'call girl'?" *By the sound of it, angels weren't familiar with the concept.* Kiyohito: "You don't know what that is, Aine-chan? You see, a 'call girl' is..." Tomoe: "Hey, you don't need to teach her that." Aine: "Aw, I want to know!" Tomoe: "I think you'd be better off ignorant, honestly." Aine: "I want to know! It is cruel to leave me out!" Aine: "I want to know, want to know, want to knoooow!" Tomoe: "What a kid..." Kiyohito: "As I was saying, a call girl is..." *Kiyohito whispered into Aine's ear. Her face quickly flushed a bright shade of red.* Aine: "F-F-Filthy! That is absolutely no good!" Tomoe: "I _told_ you that you didn't want to know." *An angel probably viewed it as a sacrilegious act.* Minamo: "Are scandals surrounding prodigies really all that unusual? Aren't there lots of cases where they're under stress or whatever?" Kiyohito: "Takashiro doesn't look like the type, though." *Kiyohito tilted his head in doubt. If he said so, then Takashiro probably _wasn't_ the call girl type. His eye for women was terribly accurate.* *Which would mean the rumors were just that: rumors.*

Erich: "Prodigies being call girls isn't that unusual, is it? There are girls who do it because of stress and whatnot." Erich: "Munch, munch, munch..." *That wasn't a very angelic thing for her to say, especially while she was eating.* Menes: "Being a call girl isn't good. As an angel, I can't accept loveless sex just for money." Tomoe: "I wish you wouldn't talk about things like 'sex' at the dinner table." Menes: "My, are you getting a craving? Shall I appease that lust of yours?" Tomoe: "No, thank you. I have no lust to speak of." Menes: "You don't have to be so modest." *Menes promptly extended her hand under the table and touched between my legs.* Tomoe: "Hey...!" *I pulled my hips away instantly, but that momentary squeeze I felt lingered vividly.* Menes: "Oh dear, you really aren't in the mood. Too bad." Tomoe: "Will you cut it out already?" Menes: "But isn't me making you hot and bothered all part of the fun?" Tomoe: "Nothing about this is fun. Yeesh, I can't let my guard down around you." *Couldn't a guy enjoy his meal in peace?* Aine: "Menes-chan, you must not tease him! Tomoe-san, I am sorry." Tomoe: "And another thing, why are you eating dinner here? Or rather, can't angels go without eating?" Erich: "Meals are the greatest invention humans ever conceived. I can't go on as an angel if I don't at least eat a meal once in a while." Erich: "Omnom, nomnom..." Tomoe: "..." *Oh well, they'll probably go home once they're done eating. Better keep my thoughts to myself until then.* Menes: "But, is she really a call girl?" Aine: "What do you mean?" Menes: "Come on, don't you think people just assumed she's a call girl because of their ages? There are plenty of couples with age differences." Erich: "Yeah, I guess so. She wouldn't be a call girl if there's no money exchanging hands." Aine: "Oh, is that right? In that case, I am sure it is pure love!" Tomoe: "'Pure love'? You sure jumped to that conclusion quickly." *There was a huge difference between being in love and being a call girl.* Menes: "Couples with an age gap tend to get a lot of flack from those around them. Stuff like, 'He's a cradle robber,' or 'That's a sex crime!'" Erich: "It all boils down to jealousy. Humans gang up on and knock around those who are in a position of weakness." Aine: "N-Not all of them are like that." Erich: "Yeah, a human-lover like you wouldn't understand." Aine: "Being called a 'human-lover' is weird! Angels exist to make humans happy. It is obvious I would love them!" Erich: "Is that obvious?" Menes: "I love them!" Tomoe: "Don't look at me when you say that." Menes: "Darn." Erich: "What about you, Licha?" Licha: "..." Erich: "Hm... Is that right?" *It looked like she got across how she felt without speaking. I wonder how she answered?* *Come to think of it, I hadn't heard her say a word since I met her.* Aine: "Anyway, we cannot leave this alone!" *Aine stood up while holding her chopsticks and teacup.* Tomoe: "That's easy to say, but what's your plan? Don't tell me you're going to stick your nose into her business?" Aine: "That is it exactly!" Tomoe: "Cut it out. You'll just make things worse." Aine: "But I cannot leave things as they are!" Tomoe: "You don't even know anything about her. What are you suggesting you'll do?" Aine: "Everything will be fine if I learn more about her! I will become friends with Marika-san!" Tomoe: "Huh?" *That's what my curiosity got me. Her declaration that she would befriend her left me too stunned to reply.* Erich: "As always, Aine is taking the soft-hearted approach. You've been returning the shards the same way, haven't you?" Tomoe: "What do you mean by that?" Menes: "You feel the pain of the humans who have lost their shards and share it with them... Is that how you've been told to do it?" Tomoe: "Well, yes..." Tomoe: "Are you telling me the way Aine does things isn't standard?" Licha: "Mh." *Licha nodded. A confirmation, in other words.* Erich: "That's way too long-winded for me. There are zillions of humans with fractured hearts out there." Tomoe: "Then what do you normally do?" Erich: "Let's see... I pick up the shard, use it in a musical performance, and sing." Erich: "That's all." Tomoe: "'That's all'...? Is that enough?" Erich: "More like, I'm not sure what else you even _would_ do." Tomoe: "Well, like getting to know the person, for example..." Menes: "That shouldn't be necessary to return a shard. It's 'bam bam bam,' like an assembly line." Tomoe: "Seriously?" Licha: "Mmh." Tomoe: "So that's how it is..." *What had I been thinking all this time?* Menes: "Then again, using a bow and arrow requires you to take aim at your target. There will be times you won't be able to return shards without knowing them well." Tomoe: "Aine, do you have something you want to say?" Aine: "B-But..." Aine: "You cannot return a shard without learning its story. The sentiments that the shard represents..." Aine: "How that person felt when they lost it... How that person will feel when their shard is returned..." Aine: "Will they be happy or sad...?" Aine: "I want to know those things. Do you not feel the same, Tomoe-san?" Tomoe: "Me?" Aine: "You have always considered whether returning someone's shard would be in their best interests, right, Tomoe-san?" Aine: "There are times your opinion differs from mine, but that aspect is the same." Tomoe: "Uh..." *I wanted to object, but didn't know what I should say.* *Aine and I were the same? There was no way that was true.* Tomoe: "You and I are fundamentally different. You believe in love for love's sake, and I'm the exact opposite." Menes: "They say there's a fine line between genius and insanity. If you two are that different, couldn't that be a fine line as well?" Aine: "That is right! That is right! That is _right_!" Tomoe: "Don't bring up strange examples. Anyway, Aine and I are different." Aine: "You do not need to be so narrow-minded about it..." Aine: "Either way, I am going to Marika-san's place." Tomoe: "Whatever." *Trying to reason with Aine was pointless once she got an idea in her head.* *Like always, she would drag me into it whether I liked it or not.*

Aine: "Ah, there she is!" *Aine signaled us from her hiding spot.* Aine: "She appears to be heading that way. Let us go!" Tomoe: "This makes us seem like stalkers..." Naruko: "Y-Yeah..." Aine: "By that logic, all angels are stalkers. We are always watching over humans." Tomoe: "Hm..." *I wasn't entirely satisfied with that response, but we'd get caught if I made too much of a fuss over it. Better not to think about it too much right now, keep quiet, and follow her.* Aine: "This must be the place." Tomoe: "Yeah." *It was a normal, isolated home with a western-styled motif.* Tomoe: "She looked pretty comfortable heading straight inside." Naruko: "Yeah, like she comes here all the time." *Visiting this place must have been part of her regular routine. This had to be where the rumors came from.* Naruko: "I wonder if they're alone?" Tomoe: "Who knows?" *We had no way of knowing what was going on inside the house.* Aine: "Let us go take a little peek." Tomoe: "Huh? Hey..." *The angel stealthily slipped through the front gate and tried to peek inside. Talk about a total cat burglar.* Housewife: "Hey, all of you!" Aine: "Ack!" Naruko: "W-We're sorry. I'm sure this looks suspicious, but I promise we're not doing anything shady." Housewife: "Were you looking into Tsuji-san, by chance?" *I checked the nameplate. "Tsuji" was written there.* Housewife: "Actually, looking at your uniforms, you must go to the same school as that girl who drops by all the time." Aine: "Oh, you know about her?" Housewife: "She's infamous around these parts." *The woman looked around restlessly before lowering her voice and leaning in close.* Housewife: "I hear she's Tsuji-san's mistress." Naruko: "Mistress...?"

*Thanks to the gossip-loving woman, we were able to procure quite a bit of information.* *There were a whole host of rumors, so it was difficult to determine what was the truth.* Naruko: "It kind of sounds like everyone in the neighborhood dislikes the guy in that house, and have been spreading some really nasty rumors." *Plenty of people _did_ seem to be talking about him behind his back, just as Nakizaki said. Everyone made it sound like nothing he did would come as a surprise.* Kiyohito: "He's a painter, right? I'm sure he's just an oddball who sucks at dealing with his neighbors. Lots of artists fit that bill." Kiyohito: "So, that artist guy lives alone?" Tomoe: "Looks like it." *That was the problem. Takashiro was visiting the home of a middle-aged man who lived alone.* Naruko: "Then it _was_ true that she's been going to a man's house all the time." Aine: "But the two of them might be lovers, yes?" *Aine may as well have been saying, "If they are, then there is no problem!"* Tomoe: "That doesn't change anything." Aine: "Why not? Why would it be a problem if they cared for each other?" Tomoe: "The human world isn't that simple. Society won't forgive a girl our age hanging around some middle-aged guy's house." Aine: "Why? That does not make sense to me." Naruko: "I guess it's because we're still too inexperienced to make big decisions? Like, wouldn't it be horrible if her partner turned out to be a bad guy or something? We can't make judgment calls like that just yet." Aine: "But he could be a good person. No, I believe the majority of people are good." Minamo: "I wouldn't be so sure. I doubt there are as many good people in the world as you think." *Wakamatsu voiced her cynical opinion. With an upset expression, Aine looked at her, then back at me.* Aine: "You all feel that way? That is so sad." Kiyohito: "It makes _me_ sad that you feel sad for us. I'm not as pessimistic as everyone else, though." Kiyohito: "I don't think we can put a black-and-white label of 'good' or 'bad' on this guy. Doesn't everyone have good and bad qualities?" Tomoe: "That doesn't answer anything. The point is whether that other person could pose a danger to yourself, and whether you'd be capable of judging that for yourself." Kiyohito: "Oh, that's awfully sharp of you, Tomoe. You've got a point." *Kiyohito smiled bitterly.* *In truth, Kiyohito knew it, too. Despite what angels may think, humans had darker sides to them.* *Angels─or rather Aine─were severely overestimating mankind.* Yuri: "Then again, doesn't the fact she's going to a specific person's home each time prove that the call girl rumors were false?" Naruko: "It does sound that way." *As a call girl, didn't you have fleeting relationships with multiple partners?* Aine: "I guess we have no choice but to ask her ourselves!" Minamo: "Ask Takashiro-sempai? What would you even say to her?" Aine: "That is obvious. We just have to ask whether the two of them are dating." *Aine was an angel who believed mankind was intrinsically good. Was she so righteous that she lacked shame? It might not be so hard to ask if we believed she was innocent from the start.* *Maybe we only thought it was difficult to ask because we were projecting the darkness in our hearts onto her.* Aine: "Then let us go to her!" Tomoe: "By 'go,' you mean..." Aine: "To where Marika Takashiro is!" *It would only bother her if a large group approached her out of the blue, so Aine and I wound up going alone.* Tomoe: "This is it." *Kiyohito told me which class Takashiro was in.* *There was a huge rush of people coming and going from the classroom during lunchtime. There was an isolated student sitting in the middle of the room: Takashiro.* Aine: "She is sitting by herself, right? She looks sort of lonely." Tomoe: "That's just the way you see it. Lots of people like being alone, you know." *Like me, for example. Although _for some reason_, I hadn't gotten a moment to myself lately.* Marika: "..." *Be that as it may, I sensed something odd about Takashiro. It was like there was this barrier separating her from her surroundings.* *Takashiro had fostered an unwelcoming atmosphere around her, as had everyone else toward her. This was most likely the effect of those rumors floating around.* *Several of her classmates were looking at and whispering about her from a distance, too.* Aine: "I have got a bad feeling about this..." Tomoe: "I told you so. Humans aren't that great." Aine: "Y-You cannot come to that conclusion based off so little." Aine: "Still, it does not feel like we can get anyone to call her over for us..." *We had hoped somebody here could get her for us, but the mood wasn't right.* *It might bother her if we drew too much attention to ourselves. Aine seemed to realize that, too.* Tomoe: "Guess we'll come back later?" Aine: "Yes." *Witnessing the ambience of this classroom _had_ taught us something firsthand.* *Between that man Tsuji-san's reputation in his neighborhood and how Takashiro was treated in class, there were plenty of opportunities for groundless rumors to take hold.*

Kiyohito: "Looks like there _are_ a lot of rumors floating around about Takashiro, huh?" *Kiyohito had so many connections, it took him no time to get to the bottom of things.* Kiyohito: "She's always been anti-social. Doesn't seem like anyone's come to her defense, either." Aine: "Oh no! Everyone believed those wild rumors?" Kiyohito: "The wilder the rumor, the better. People usually believe whatever they hear as long as it's entertaining." *What Kiyohito said was true. People would irresponsibly believe any juicy gossip as long as it didn't hurt them personally.* *There were some who outright hated happy people and fed on their misfortune. That was just how humans were.* *It didn't actually matter if the rumors were true. All was well as long as they were entertained.* Minamo: "One look at the tabloids should have told you that." Naruko: "You read stuff like that, Minamo-chan?" Minamo: "I-I guess..." Yuri: "Is Takashiro-san really that much of an outcast in her class, though?" Kiyohito: "She's always studying, and it looks like she has little to no social life to speak of. Like they say, you reap what you sow." *Her unsurprising lack of allies in class allowed rumors about her to spread like wildfire.* Aine: "In that case, we shall be her friends!" *Aine yelled aloud, as if she'd made some huge breakthrough.* Tomoe: "Knock it off. It's none of our business." Aine: "Why? I want to be Marika-san's friend." Tomoe: "Did you consider she may not want to be _your_ friend?" Aine: "Huh? Why would she not want to be friends? The more friends the merrier, right?" Tomoe: "...I'm telling you, not everyone feels that way." *I had said that multiple times, but this angel couldn't seem to get it through her head.* Kiyohito: "Yeah, he's right. Friends aren't something you can make just by going up to someone and saying, 'Hey, let's be friends!'" Aine: "You cannot? Then how should I approach someone if I do want to be their friend?" Naruko: "I'd say getting to know them over time is the best way." Yuri: "That's right. First you introduce yourself, then by talking with them bit by bit, you will learn if you two have similar interests. Once you two hit it off, then you can become friends..." Yuri: "Something like that, perhaps? I don't have many friends, so I'm only assuming..." *Now that she mentioned it, most of us here were fairly solitary. That went for me, Hisaka-san, and Wakamatsu.* *Nakizaki and Kiyohito were on the other side of the spectrum, each with a huge social circle.* Aine: "Minamo-chan, Yuri-san, you two have many friends right here, do you not?" Yuri: "Oh, you're right." Minamo: "I don't really think of you as friends." Aine: "Huh? You do not?" Aine: "In that case, let us go ahead and get to know each other better, one step at a time!" Minamo: "Uh..." *Wakamatsu had no comeback for such an overly positive angel.* Aine: "I will befriend Marika-san after all! Once I do, I can give her advice!" Tomoe: "Yeah, I guess you can do whatever you want." *Whatever she could manage alone, anyway.* Aine: "Do not act like this does not concern you. You are going to become friends with her, too!" *I _knew_ it was going to turn out like this...*

Aine: "Marika-san. Marika Takashiro-san!" *Aine called out to Takashiro-san as she walked out from the school gate.* *Takashiro stopped, looked at Aine and me, and instantly looked suspicious.* Marika: "...Who're you?" Aine: "Could we talk to you for a minute?" Marika: "So, what'd you want to talk about?" *Takashiro asked without laying a hand on the coffee she ordered. She gave Aine and me an icy glare.* Aine: "I wondered if there was something bothering you?" Marika: "Huh? Bothering me?" Marika: "Oh, those rumors?" *It seemed to click after a moment of thought. Next, she stared at us with astonishment.* Marika: "What's this about? Some religion or something?" Aine: "No, it is nothing of the sort." Marika: "Then why are you stalking someone who isn't even looking for help?" *Takashiro's objection effectively nullified all of Aine's good intentions. The proof was in the way Aine drooped her shoulders like she'd been scolded.* Aine: "Did we bother you?" Marika: "Definitely. Don't you think a high-pressure pitch, even a kind one, is going too far? What in the world are you trying to accomplish?" Aine: "I-I am sorry..." Marika: "I'm not looking for anyone's help. No matter what those irrelevant classmates of mine think, it doesn't bother me at all." Aine: "That cannot be right... It really does not bother you that your classmates are spreading rumors about you?" Marika: "I don't really care. It's not like it'll change anything." Aine: "But..." Marika: "Besides, people have no right to complain about me regardless of whom I associate with. I'm not even doing anything wrong." Aine: "I-I know! That is why you should explain yourself so that they understand..." Marika: "It's fine as long as I tune out their gossip. That's all." Aine: "B-But..." Tomoe: "Just drop it." *I stopped Aine, who was trying to argue the point.* *Takashiro was making lots of sense. This time, Aine's meddling had crossed the line.* Tomoe: "Sorry for being too forward. We apologize." Marika: "It's not something I really need an apology for; I'm going to go now." *Takashiro placed an assortment of change on the table and stood from her seat. Payment for her coffee, probably.* Tomoe: "Oh, we'll cover it. We're the ones who invited you." Marika: "I hate being indebted to people." Tomoe: "...Got it." *There was no use arguing over it. Better just accept it.* Tomoe: "Can I ask one last thing?" Marika: "...What?" Tomoe: "Are you sure you don't feel guilty about anything?" *When I asked just to be sure, Takashiro heaved a deep sigh.* Marika: "I'm not stupid enough to turn to that sort of thing, and neither is he. He treats me like a little kid, actually." *There was a bit of a lonesome ring to her voice.* Aine: "Marika-san, does that mean you care about him...?" Marika: "Yes, that's right. I love him." *Takashiro's answer was surprisingly confident and direct.* *The sight of her was so sublime, I couldn't help but feel fascinated.* Tomoe: "I see. Sorry to call you all the way out here." Marika: "It's fine..." *Takashiro took her leave. Aine saw her off, but looked visibly upset.* Tomoe: "Don't make that face. If Takashiro is happy, isn't that enough?" Aine: "Happy... Do you really think so?" Tomoe: "Probably." *No matter how much adversity people faced, weren't they happy as long as they had at least one thing in their lives they considered a blessing?*

Marika: "...I feel stupid." *Even I thought I was being foolish for blurting out how I felt to two people I didn't even know.* *Still, putting it into words had taken a huge weight off my shoulders.* *I looked at my watch.* Marika: "Is it too late to go now...?" *He'd obviously turn me away if I visited at this hour, but I couldn't help myself. I missed him. I wanted to see his face.* *Had I become more aware of my feelings now that I'd defined it with the word "love"?* *Just thinking about Tsuji-san made my face burn and heart race. I was like some lovey-dovey little girl.* Marika: "I feel stupid." *I really was being foolish.* Marika: "As long as I'm at it, I may as well be _full-blown_ stupid." *Should I go ahead and barge into his place?* *Acting like a fool was surprisingly difficult.*

Marika: "..." Girl: "...What was that?" *During lunch break, my classmates' hushed whispers caught my attention. I expected my name to come up in their conversations.* *Your own name was something anyone would notice even if they weren't actively paying attention.* Girl: "Those are total rumors. Come on... No way..." Marika: "..." *I could imagine what they were talking about. They went on and on about the same thing every day. It was impressive that they never got sick of it.* *Or maybe now the rumors had morphed into yet another variation?* *Oh well. It wasn't like it mattered.* Girl: "I heard that artist guy brings all sorts of girls to his place." Marika: "Huh...?" *And just as I thought it didn't matter, now I couldn't help but listen.* *Tsuji-san brought home all sorts of women?* *I hadn't heard or seen anything like that before. There were no traces of such activity at his home, either.* *No doubt it was another irresponsible, unfounded rumor, the same as when this happened to me.* Girl: "And so..." Marika: "Hey." *I should have just ignored it, but I couldn't anymore.* *Slinging mud at me was one thing, but I couldn't let them target Tsuji-san, too.* Marika: "Knock it off with all the BS stories." *I didn't raise my voice, but I _did_ glare.* Girl: "Wh-What's your deal...?" *My glare was effective, probably because I was normally quiet and submissive. From what I could see, she was shaking and couldn't get a word in edgewise.* *I looked like an idiot for striking back at her now.* Girl: "L-Let's go to the bathroom!" Girl: "Y-Yeah." *They quickly ran out of the room.* *All eyes were directly centered on me now that the two of them were gone.* Marika: "..." *I went silent and braved those stares. Why did I have to go through this? I was starting to get pissed off.* *All I ever did was love Tsuji-san!* Marika: "..." *I grabbed my bag and stood up. It would be dumb to stick around here any longer.* Class Officer: "Oh, Takashiro-san, wait..." *The class officer flagged me down. She was such a diligent girl, I was sure it was out of a sense of responsibility.* *I stopped and turned back to the class.* Marika: "If you're dying to know _that_ badly, I'll just tell you the truth." *I looked them all straight in the eye and said:* Marika: "I'm in love with someone. He's a much older guy." *The whole room burst into conversation.* Marika: "But we're not dating. I just like him; that's all. He treats me like a kid and never gives me the time of day." Marika: "You can tell whatever rumors you want, but that's the truth." Class Officer: "Ah, Takashiro-san!" *I said my piece and left the room.* *No, it wasn't like I wanted to tell them that. I just felt like I had to say it for some reason.* Marika: "I feel like an idiot." *Given all the rumors surrounding me, it may have been better to just say we were dating.* Marika: "I'm such an idiot."

Marika: "..." *I couldn't get in the mood to draw today, so I decided to be a model instead.* *I didn't even try to make any wisecracks at his expense, and just sat there perfectly still.* Sousuke: "..." *It was nice having him gaze at me so seriously.* *I loved the way he looked as he drew me.* *But it kind of ticked me off when he was quiet for too long; it made me feel ignored. I was so juvenile.* *Was I really this immature?* *He was obviously focused on his drawing. _All_ of his attention was on me.* *So why was I sulking?* Marika: "Hey, do you ever draw other women here?" *I suddenly remembered the wild rumor I'd heard and asked him.* Sousuke: "...Once or twice." Marika: "Wow..." *His answer disappointed me. I was jealous of some woman I didn't know the first thing about.* *Did the women that came here think they were the only ones?* *Tsuji-san always drew abstracts, so knowing him, the fact that his models were female was probably irrelevant.* Marika: "Nude?" Sousuke: "Huh? Why would you ask that?" Marika: "What's it matter? Just tell me." Sousuke: "...I've done nudes. Not _just_ nudes, though." Marika: "Hmm..." *Why couldn't I just love him?* *Why did the feeling of "love" have to come with such dark emotions attached to it?* *My chest felt fuzzy and tight. It was choking... Suffocating...* Marika: "Then..." *I relaxed my pose and pointed my body straight at Tsuji-san.* Sousuke: "I told you not to move." *He looked shocked. Was he treating me like a kid again?* *Seeing his face like that got me pretty worked up, too.* *Images of those unknown models who got naked in this room flickered through my mind.* Marika: "If you've drawn them a few times before, then why not again?" *I reached for my uniform while looking straight at his face.* *My hands were shaking as I unfastened each button. This was my first time undressing in front of any man who wasn't my doctor.* *I undid every button and dropped my skirt. I was now in my underwear.* Sousuke: "..." *Tsuji-san's expression seemed unfazed as he continued to stare at me. My body burned under his gaze, like it had caught fire.* *This was so embarrassing...* Sousuke: "If this is some sort of prank, leave it at that." *His comment was relaxed, like he'd predicted how timid I felt. That set a fire blazing in my heart in an entirely different sense.* Marika: "I'm serious." *I took off the last of my underwear.* Sousuke: "..." *I was bearing it all, nude from head to toe, but his expression remained unchanged. Was he that accustomed to seeing nude women?* *There was a murky feeling in the pit of my heart. I wondered... was this jealousy?* Marika: "...Say something." *I said that with great difficulty.* Sousuke: "...Haa." *Of all things, he answered me with a sigh.* Marika: "Wh-What was that for?! I can't believe you sighed..." *That was just too cruel. Couldn't he have acted a little shaken up, or fascinated, or _something_...?* Sousuke: "Got it. Don't move, okay?" Marika: "...Huh?" *His paintbrush was already in motion by the time I lifted my head. He was perfectly serious while looking at my naked body.* Marika: "U-Um..." Sousuke: "I'm painting you just as you wished. Isn't that enough?" Marika: "Uh... Y-Yeah." Sousuke: "Okay, stay like that and don't move." Marika: "G-Got it." Sousuke: "Given the season, don't blame me if you catch a cold." Marika: "I'll be fine." *I settled down and stood back up.* Sousuke: "..." *Looking at this calmly, it was an incredible situation.* *I was alone with a man, naked as the day I was born, as he stared at my nudity with a fastidious look on his face...* Marika: "This is strange." *I whispered aloud, realizing how funny the situation had become.* Marika: "Hehe." *I laughed, resulting in a glare from Tsuji-san.* Sousuke: "What are you laughing at? I told you not to move." Marika: "I know. ...Ahaha!" Sousuke: "Wh-What?" *It really _was_ funny. Being undressed like this should be unnerving...* *So why was it so calming to be here?* Marika: "Hey, have you ever gotten frisky in this room before?" *I asked out of the blue. I wouldn't credit this to getting naked, but it may have put me into a more open-minded mood.* Sousuke: "...Huh?" *Tsuji-san looked stupefied. It was kind of cute. I loved Tsuji-san when he acted sadistic, but loved this side of him, too.* Sousuke: "What are you talking about? Hurry up and take your pose." Marika: "You don't feel anything when you look at a young lady like me naked?" Sousuke: "...I sure don't." Marika: "Huh?!" Sousuke: "Are you trying to tease me? If so, I'm not drawing you anymore." *He put down his brush. He seriously looked like he was going to stop, so I lost my cool.* Marika: "Wh-Why?! Is it because I'm a kid to you?!" Marika: "You've done stuff like this with other women here before, haven't you?!" Sousuke: "...Haa, you are such a kid." Marika: "S-Sorry..." Sousuke: "It's not like I have to tell you any of this, but I've never done anything like that here. Not once." Marika: "Huh? Really?" Sousuke: "If you tell someone you're an artist, people will look at you differently because of it. Like you'll lay your hands on your models the second you get the chance." Marika: "They were telling rumors like that in class today, too." Sousuke: "In class? Are they spreading rumors about you being with me at school?" Marika: "Ah..." *Crap. Tsuji-san had already tried chasing me away out of concern for his reputation in the neighborhood.* *Now that he knew about the rumors spreading around school, he was going to start nagging me again.* Sousuke: "So that's why you were acting weird today... Did they badmouth you?" Marika: "...Huh?" *His reply was so unexpected, I doubted my ears a moment. Was he worried about me?* *That was when it finally clicked. Tsuji-san wasn't _really_ worried about his reputation.* *It was all a ruse to keep me away from here. So I wouldn't get caught up in any bad gossip.* *He had been worried about me, not himself.* *He was actually being considerate of me. Unbeknownst to me, the entire time I had been telling him not to treat me like a child, he had been protecting me.* *I was happy yet frustrated.* Marika: "Why...?" *That thought came flying out of my mouth, but nothing further followed. I had no idea what I should say.* *My heart was a jumbled whirlwind of emotions. Unruly feelings raged inside me seeking an outlet.* *But how could I vent my feelings?* Marika: "...!" *I didn't know. I didn't know, so I clung to him, naked and all.* Sousuke: "What are you doing?" *He was calm and collected. It annoyed me all over again.* Marika: "I-It's fine. Everyone thinks we're doing it anyway. Following through couldn't make it any worse." Sousuke: "So it's a matter of pros and cons? I thought you were an honor student, but you can be surprisingly stupid." Marika: "S-Sorry..." *It sank in deep how stupid I had been when he said it so calmly. My arms that had been wrapped around Tsuji-san went limp.* *Squeeze...!* *And yet, I couldn't help but be drawn to him. Before I knew it, he wrapped his arms around me.* Marika: "Huh...?" Sousuke: "You understand what will happen if we do this, right?" *His eyes narrowed as he spoke. This was different from his usual, sullen face. My heart clenched through and through.* Marika: "'What will happen'... What _will_ happen?" *My heart was throbbing so hard it felt like it would explode. His face was so close.* *His body parted from mine for just a moment, and then...* *Fwip...* *Something soft was draped over my shoulders: a blanket.* Marika: "...Huh?" Sousuke: "Cut it out. I can't guarantee anything beyond this point." Marika: "Guarantee what?" Sousuke: "I _am_ a man, you know." *He turned his back to me. I kind of felt like I was being toyed with.* *I flew into a rage and leapt onto his broad back.* Sousuke: "Whoa...?!" *He lost his balance, and our entangled bodies fell to the floor.* *Me on top, Tsuji-san on bottom. The blanket fell, leaving me buck naked on top of him.* *He looked up at me with an angry glare in his eyes.* Sousuke: "Cut it out already." Marika: "I won't." Sousuke: "Are you a kid?" Marika: "I'll _show_ you just how mature I am." *Although I did think my comeback was pretty immature as I said it.* *Tsuji-san sighed. Knock it off with all the sighing. You're starting to make me sad...* Sousuke: "What's so great about an old geezer like me? Aren't there men better suited for you at your school?" Marika: "The guys in my class are morons. I've never looked at them that way." Marika: "No, I've never thought of _anyone_ but you that way, Tsuji-san." Sousuke: "That just goes to show how inexperienced you are..." Marika: "Stop going on about that! You wouldn't have freaked out so much about my being naked if you thought I was so immature." Sousuke: "I'm completely calm." Marika: "Liar." *I rocked my hips. There was a semi-hard, bulky lump beneath my butt.* Marika: "You're turned on, aren't you?" Sousuke: "..." *He went silent. That made me happy.* *He finally saw me as a woman.* *I tried moving my hips again to get a better impression of the mound pressing into my butt.* Sousuke: "Uh... Hey...?" Marika: "There's no turning back for a guy once they get this way, right?" Sousuke: "...Where did you learn that?" Marika: "I'm not as immature as you seem to think." Sousuke: "You are such a brat." Marika: "I'm not. Now, just you watch: I'll prove it to you."

*I'd finally gone and done it. I loathed myself so much, I wanted to disappear.* *Takashiro was curled up in a blanket sleeping on the studio floor. It was starting to get late, and it would be bad if she didn't wake up and head home soon.* *But I'd found myself thinking the childish thought that I wanted to keep watching her sleeping face, even if it was for a moment longer. I couldn't bring myself to rouse her.* Sousuke: "I did that with _her_..." *Was I into _that_ sort of thing? I was an abomination, especially for saying I was serious.* Sousuke: "I can't deal with this." *I wonder when I'd begun to look at Takashiro as a woman.* *I was sure of it. At the beginning, I thought of her as nothing more than a simple-minded brat. When had that changed? When had I begun to see her as a woman?* Sousuke: "Am I running away again?" *Was it simple escapism that had engrossed me with Takashiro?* *I turned to the pure-white canvas and searched my heart.* Sousuke: "..." *...No, that wasn't it. It wasn't like before.* *But Takashiro was different. She probably _was_ running away.* Sousuke: "She's just like I used to be." *That was the thought that came to mind as I stared at the tiny being wrapped up in her blanket.* *Perhaps I was attracted to Takashiro out of a narcissistic longing for the person I could no longer be.* *If that were so, then I...*

Sousuke: "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?" *I offered since it was already pitch black outside, but Takashiro unexpectedly refused.* Marika: "It's embarrassing." Sousuke: "What's there to be shy about at this point?" Marika: "You don't get it. That's not how a woman's heart works." Sousuke: "If I did, I wouldn't be a bachelor at my age." Marika: "If that's true..." Marika: "Then maybe it is a good thing you don't." *Takashiro smiled. That smiling face made my heart skip a beat. I really was pathetic for feeling this way.* Sousuke: "..." Marika: "What's wrong?" Sousuke: "Nothing. Be careful going home." Marika: "Yeah." *Takashiro waved and walked off, but quickly returned.* Marika: "Sousuke-san." Sousuke: "Hm? That's kind of strange..." Sousuke: "Ah, you used my first name!" Marika: "I just wanted to try calling you that!" *Takashiro ran away and left a sweet ache in my heart.* Sousuke: "Sousuke... huh?" Sousuke: "Marika..." *I was surprised by the sheer weight of her name when I tried saying it aloud.* *A person's name was a wondrous thing. How could a mere proper noun be so incredibly special?* *And just like that, I regretted what I had done all over again.* *I had gotten so deeply involved with a single woman, but knew she was just using me as an escape.* *Not to mention the fact that she was young enough to be my daughter.* *There was no way a relationship like this could be long-lived. Absolutely not.* *However, Takashiro had not realized this yet.* Sousuke: "...Hm?" *I suddenly heard whispers off in the background.* Housewife: "At this hour..." *I looked over to find several women, most likely housewives, whispering to each other at the front of the neighborhood. It looked like they had seen Takashiro leaving.* *The housewives quickly scattered and disappeared into their homes at the slightest glare. I cursed myself and was met with regret once more.* Sousuke: "I hurt our reputations again." *It wouldn't matter much if it were only me. I'd never paid much mind to my neighbors' peeping eyes.* *But that was unacceptable now. My bad reputation would sully Takashiro's prestige.* *If rumors started to spread about her being with a geezer like me, it would cause major damage to a woman with an otherwise bright future ahead.* *The simple act of being with me was inflicting major damage on her future prospects.* *If only I could have been a better man, one as sturdy as a tree and capable of protecting its little runaway songbird until it was ready to leave the nest, then things might have been different.* *But that was impossible for a deplorable man like me. It was a given that in the end we'd both be hurt.* Sousuke: "You've burdened me with a hefty responsibility." *I realized it only now that we had crossed the line. How could I recognize such a thing after I'd stolen away her innocence? I truly was a selfish man.* *No, the fact I realized it this late in the game was exactly why I was so hopeless.* *Whatever the case, I mustn't take her future for naught. After all, young love was like a fever.* *I was sure it would soon subside and she would regret it.* *So...* *I decided not to see Takashiro anymore.*

Sousuke: "..." Marika: "Tsuji-san? Are you here?" Sousuke: "..." Marika: "Come on, Tsuji-san!" *Her voice, which she initially kept low out of concern for my neighbors, grew louder.* *I stayed seated with my back to the wall and didn't move.* *She would likely go around to the backyard and knock on the studio's glass window. Even so, she probably couldn't see me in the window's blind spot.* *I was sure even she wouldn't break the windowpane just to get in.* Marika: "Hey, Tsuji-san!" *She might turn up for a day or two before she learned her lesson... No, knowing her, it could be a whole week.* *But people's feelings weren't that long-lived. A week, ten days, half a month, a month...* *She'd come once every other day, once every few days, every week, then before long in spurts only when she felt so inclined...* *Sooner or later she would stop coming, and then she would probably forget me shortly thereafter.* Sousuke: "That's for the best." *Just think of me like a burn mark. It may leave a scar for a while, but someday it will disappear cleanly.*

*...* *Someone was there. A woman? Takashiro?* Sayoko: "Let's break up." *No, it wasn't Takashiro. This was... Sayoko-san?* Sousuke: "Break up? Where did that come from...?" Sayoko: "You wind up doing nothing but run away whenever we're together, don't you, Sousuke-kun? I just think it'll hurt you if things continue as they are." Sousuke: "Why are you saying that now...?" *I didn't understand back then, but I now knew that she had made the right choice.* *Sayoko-san had been my refuge back when I was completely helpless.* *I had an inferiority complex about not having a shred of talent compared to my artistic expert of a father, and felt frustration and anxiety at being unable to meet the expectations of those around me...* *Back then, I had no idea which artistic direction to pursue.* *It was Sayoko-san─my upperclassman in liberal arts─that comforted me.* *Sayoko-san was my sole comfort during that trying period in my life, and it was only with her that I felt like I belonged.* *I wallowed in that comfort and spent my time idle, lazy, and unproductive.* *However, she had managed to figure it out much faster than I had.* *Sayoko-san did no wrong. If she hadn't slipped away from me back then, I'm sure we both would have become broken.* Sousuke: "I'm begging you, think it over one more time!" Sayoko: "I'm sorry..." *When she left in tears... I resented her.*

Sousuke: "...Hm...?" *Before I knew it, it had gotten bright out.* Sousuke: "Just a dream...?" *A dream of that time in my life. A bitter memory.* *Sayoko-san left me, and I launched myself into art once again. Now that I was alone, art was all I had. It was a common story.* *I drew like mad. I drew, drew, and drew some more.* *What I slapped onto the canvas back then, the sordid, indescribable inner workings of my heart, was the origin of my current style.* *That was how I was able to break out of my long-standing slump. I was able to discover my own artistic style─a style different from my father's.* *I wouldn't be who I was now if I had kept running away to Sayoko-san like that.* *No, I wasn't a salesworthy artist even now. Not significant by any means. Still, the way things were going, I was sure Sayoko-san and I both would have ceased to function.* *I heard she had gotten happily married several years later. I was genuinely happy for her. Everything turned out for the best.* Sousuke: "And now it's my turn." *I realized now that Takashiro had taken refuge here since she felt pressured by her parents' impossibly high standards.* *Just as I once had.* *But if Takashiro just kept running, nothing would change.* *It didn't matter how useless I had become. But Takashiro... you're different. You mustn't stumble here and now.* *So I won't let you in here anymore.* *Absolutely not until you forget me...* Marika: "Tsuji-san..." Sousuke: "Huh...?" *I was certain I heard a feeble voice outside the window. Takashiro's voice.* Sousuke: "Don't tell me... She was out there all night...?" *Was she still outside, on the other side of the window?* Marika: "Tsuji... san..." *Her voice was hoarse, practically nonexistent. I nearly responded without thinking.* Sousuke: "...!" *I gritted my teeth and beared it. I held back for dear life both arms which might unintentionally open the window.* Marika: "Tsuji..." Sousuke: "...!" *My heart felt like it was being stabbed by jagged shards of glass every time I sensed her presence or heard her frail voice.* *I curled myself up into a ball and endured the agony.* Marika: "Open... up..." Sousuke: "Takashiro, forgive me..." *Forgive me...*

*I hadn't expected Takashiro to show up today, but here she was.* Naruko: "Takashiro-san." Aine: "You came for us?" Marika: "I never intended to, and didn't want to either, but..." *Her expression had become quite haggard over the last few days. I could make out distinct bags under her eyes.* Tomoe: "Did something happen?" Marika: "I don't know what I should do..." *Her voice was hoarse, and sounded like she had strained it greatly. Had she caught a cold or something?* Aine: "If it is all right with you, would you please share your story with us? What happened?" *Aine gently prodded her along. Takashiro started to speak with her head hung.* Marika: "I can't see... Tsuji-san anymore." *I remembered seeing the nameplate that read "Tsuji." It was the owner of that home─in short, Takashiro's lover.* Tomoe: "Tsuji-san is..." Tomoe: "Huh...?" Naruko: "Ah..." *We were caught off guard. Takashiro burst into tears on the spot.*

Marika: "Sorry for crying like that earlier." *Takashiro apologized as she walked. She didn't go so far as to bow, but was still behaving commendably.* Naruko: "Don't worry about it." Aine: "That is right. I am glad you came to visit us." Marika: "I have nowhere else to go." *Takashiro probably had no one else to rely on, and was stuck with this shady angel instead.* *We were heading toward that house now─Tsuji-san's home, to be exact.* Aine: "But I wonder why he suddenly would not let you in?" Marika: "...I think it's because he got bored of me." Naruko: "Bored with you?" Marika: "I'm sure he got sick of me after we did it that one time. He probably still thinks that I'm some immature brat." Aine: "'Did it'? Did what?" Naruko: "..." Aine: "Um, what in the world did you..." Tomoe: "Just drop it." *I reprimanded the utterly naive hack of an angel.* *The gist was that Takashiro and this Tsuji-san guy had recently become lovers.* *In other words, all of the rumors we had heard about her selling her body were false.* *That was just the nature of rumors. Even if nobody meant any real harm by it, they still hurt their targets deeply.* Aine: "Anyway, let us go see Tsuji-san and ask him what is going on." Marika: "But he won't see me..." Aine: "All of us will go with you." Tomoe: "'Us,' huh?" *Meaning we would be tagging along with her. Oh well; I was used to it by now.* Marika: "Tsuji-san." Marika: "Come on, Tsuji-san!" *Takashiro called to the man of the house as she rang the doorbell.* *But there was no reply. It was deathly silent inside the house.* Aine: "Is he not home?" Marika: "He's there. That man has nowhere else to go." Tomoe: "That's a pretty mean way to put it." Marika: "But it's true." Marika: "Tsuji-san! Come out already!" Aine: "Marika-san..." *It was no surprise that Aine called out to her. She couldn't stand by and do nothing. Regardless, Takashiro wouldn't stop ringing the doorbell.* Marika: "Hurry up and come out! I know you're there!" *Bam, bam!* *Takashiro kicked the door.* Naruko: "Oh, Takashiro-san. You shouldn't resort to violence..." *Nakizaki tried to stop her, but she wouldn't let up. Unsurprisingly, Tsuji-san's neighbors peeked out of their homes to see what was going on and were watching us from afar.* Naruko: "Takashiro-san... The neighbors..." Aine: "Tomoe-san, do you think she will be all right?" Tomoe: "...I'll be right back." Aine: "Huh? Tomoe-san?" *I headed over to the flock of nosy neighbors.* *The housewives eyed me cautiously as I approached, but I paid them no mind and lowered my head.* Housewife: "Huh?" Tomoe: "I'm sorry; everything is all right." Housewife: "I-Is it? It certainly doesn't look that way." Tomoe: "No, it's really all right. Please just leave her be for a little while longer." Housewife: "'Leave her be'... Are you sure everything is all right? We don't want any trouble." Tomoe: "Everything is fine." *I gave her a clear answer, but then...* Marika: "Are you fucking kidding me?! You seriously hit it and quit it?! You asshole!" *Takashiro's foul language came out remarkably loud and clear.* Marika: "Cradle robber! Pervert!" Housewife: "..." Tomoe: "...Everything is all right." Housewife: "P-Please get her to quiet down soon, okay?" *The housewives reluctantly slunk away while looking visibly disgusted by her crass behavior.* Marika: "You manwhore!" *Takashiro continued to rant and rave, spewing out insults that were difficult to listen to.* Aine: "M-Marika-san." Tomoe: "Aine, let her get it all out." *I stopped Aine from making any more timid attempts to reason with her.* Marika: "Damn it..." *She must have run through every name in the book and instantly collapsed in place.* Marika: "Open up..." *Takashiro clung to the door and broke down crying.* Marika: "Ooh, uuuh... open.... up... waaah..." *There was nothing left but the crying, and her complaints had ceased. Nobody could bring themselves to speak to her when faced with her intense emotions.* Aine: "Marika-san..." *Aine eventually managed to call out to her. She softly placed a hand on her shoulder and tried to get her stand, but Takashiro was sobbing and trembling too hard to do so.* *The door remained closed, as if it were rejecting her.* *You could never be rejected if you never wished for anything, but people always desired something.* *Love was an act in which you gave your flesh and blood to another person and practically invited them to hurt you.* Aine: "Marika-san..." Aine: "Ah!" *Aine's face was filled with absolute dread as she stared down at Takashiro's feet. This was...* Naruko: "What's wrong?" Tomoe: "Oh, don't tell me... it fractured?" Aine: "Yes..." *Takashiro's heart had fractured before our very eyes.*

Naruko: "Are you okay?" *Nakizaki was worried and asked Takashiro, who had been trudging along.* Marika: "Yes, I'm fine." *Takashiro appeared indifferent. Compared to her earlier emotional breakdown, she was now calm and collected. It was almost like she was an entirely different person.* Marika: "Sorry for losing my cool earlier. I'm ashamed of myself." Aine: "That is fine, but... um, what about Tsuji-san?" Marika: "He doesn't matter anymore. Nothing I do or say will change how he feels about me." *Her expression warped in pain, but what she was saying was clear-headed.* Tomoe: "So, you're giving up?" Marika: "I'm just causing trouble for him. If I continue to fling myself at Tsuji-san, he'll just hate me for it." Aine: "No way...!" Marika: "Anyway, there's no way Tsuji-san would want an immature kid like me to be his partner. I just forced him into it." Marika: "It doesn't matter anymore." *Her voice shook as she spoke. How could this not be painful for her? She couldn't possibly be satisfied with giving up.* *But that was the only path available to someone whose heart had fractured.* Aine: "Um, I believe it would be best if you talked to him one more time..." Marika: "Even if I wanted to talk to him, Tsuji-san doesn't want to see me anymore." Marika: "I don't want to be this immature little girl who just causes trouble for him. I don't want him to despise me any more than he already does." Aine: "Aw..." *After putting it that way, our angel couldn't argue the point any further.* Marika: "Thanks for today. Sorry for putting you out." Naruko: "Oh, don't worry about it. Let us know if something else happens anytime." Marika: "Thanks. See you." *Takashiro left on her own. Aine watched her walk away with regret.* Tomoe: "Don't make that face. Takashiro herself said things were fine now." Aine: "That is all she _can_ say. You must be aware of that by now, Tomoe-san." Tomoe: "What's wrong with only having a single choice? If that's the path she's chosen, she should make the most of it." Aine: "You are mean, Tomoe-san." Tomoe: "I don't care what you think of me." Naruko: "Now, now. Let's just keep an eye on how things go for a little while." Aine: "I will keep a super close eye on her!" Naruko: "That works for you, right, Kirinokojima?" Tomoe: "...Yeah." *That was the only answer I could give. I doubted anything I could say would ever make Aine go back on her principles.*

Marika: "..." *The next day, Takashiro attended class. It didn't look like anything had changed at first glance.* Tomoe: "She looks fine, doesn't she?" Aine: "Do you really think so? Even after seeing how she was yesterday?" Tomoe: "..." *I couldn't deny Aine's accusation. There was no way she was all right after what had happened.* *Humans weren't strong enough to handle adversity like that.* Aine: "Let us return the shard." *Naturally, Aine didn't hesitate. That _was_ an angel's job, so I guess that was only natural.* Tomoe: "We can't decide that so easily." *I turned my back to Aine and walked off.* Aine: "B-But...!" *Aine immediately followed after me.* Aine: "You are not actually considering leaving her like this, are you?!" Tomoe: "I'm telling you, I don't know." Aine: "Ah, please wait a second!"

Aine: "I am positive we should return it! Do you not agree, Naruko-san?" Naruko: "Huh? I... Yeah, since I saw what happened yesterday." Aine: "See!" *Aine's expression filled with triumph.* Tomoe: "Isn't that a better reason _not_ to give it back to her?" Aine: "Huh? How do you mean?" Tomoe: "How many times are you planning to make Takashiro make that face?" Aine: "Huh...? Ah..." *Aine had noticed it, too. Takashiro was doomed to go through this over and over again if we returned the shard without changing her situation.* Aine: "Well... But..." Tomoe: "Making her suffer over and over again is practically torture. If we give her some space, her wounds will eventually heal." Tomoe: "People are capable of getting used to grief." *Humans were malleable creatures. No matter how painful the experience, we could eventually adapt to anything that became part of our routine.* Naruko: "Will she really get used to it?" *Nakizaki looked over at me.* Tomoe: "She will. She won't be able to move on otherwise." Naruko: "You... think so...?" *Nakizaki hung her head sadly.* Aine: "I understand!" *Aine cried out with enthusiasm. I had a bad feeling about this.* Aine: "Let us go to see this Tsuji-san person!" *Yeah, there it was.* Naruko: "Tsuji-san... You mean the guy from yesterday? Takashiro-san's partner?" Aine: "Yes!" Tomoe: "Feel free to go there on your own. I'm staying out of it." Aine: "You have nothing else to do even if you go home, Tomoe-san! So it should be fine!" Aine: "You do not watch TV, or have any hobbies! You live a lonely life!" *Was she mad? Her tongue had gotten awfully sharp.* Tomoe: "If the alternative is getting involved in other people's problems, I'm better off alone." Aine: "Quit splitting hairs and please come with me!" Tomoe: "What part of that was splitting hairs? ...Hey, don't pull me." Aine: "Just come on!"

*In the end, she forced me to tag along.* Naruko: "You're sure he's home?" *Nakizaki asked anxiously. There was no sign that anyone was living here, and seemed unoccupied at a glance.* Tomoe: "What should we do?" Aine: "Let us go." *Aine ignored all the signs to the contrary, walked up to the front door, and rang the doorbell.* Aine: "Tsuji-san! May we come in?" *She yelled as she barraged the bell, but there was no answer.* Naruko: "Maybe nobody's here after all?" Aine: "..." *Without another word, Aine put her hand on the doorknob and slowly opened the door.* Naruko: "Oh, you can't just..." *Clack...* Naruko: "Huh?" Aine: "It is open." Tomoe: "That doesn't mean you're going to barge in, does it?" Aine: "Let us go in." *Looks like that _was_ her plan. What a terrible angel.* Naruko: "The circumstances aside, isn't this a bad idea? Going into a stranger's house..." Aine: "He will not come out for us, so we have no choice but to go to him. Besides, this is strange." Naruko: "Strange?" Aine: "You do not find it strange that he never seems to be home?" Naruko: "Yeah, I guess you're right. He might be away on a trip or something." Tomoe: "..." *Something _did_ feel peculiar. This house was practically giving off an aura that made me want to keep away.* Tomoe: "...Got it. Let's try going in." Naruko: "Huh? Are you sure?" Tomoe: "If it's nothing, then we'll just leave." Naruko: "Well, if you say so, Kirinokojima." Aine: "Okay, let us go!"

Naruko: "Ick, it stinks..." *Nakizaki grimaced the instant we went inside. The reason was clear. It reeked of alcohol.* *Upon closer inspection, empty liquor bottles were littered all over the floor.* *And the origin of that smell was rolling around with said bottles.* Sousuke: "Urg..." *An unshaven, grungy-looking middle-aged man.* Aine: "Alcohol, is it? A drunkard?" *It wasn't that he was ignoring us when we yelled. Rather, he had drunk himself to sleep.* Naruko: "Looks like this is that Tsuji-san guy." Tomoe: "I guess so." Aine: "This is no time to be sleeping, Tsuji-san!" *Aine shook him.* Sousuke: "Ooh... mm..." Aine: "Tsuji-san! Marika-san called out to you so many times!" *Tsuji-san twisted around when Takashiro's name came up.* Sousuke: "Oh... Takashirooo..." *It was almost painful to even look at him in such a sorry state.* *The moment I saw him, I knew he wasn't the type of person to ever hate Takashiro.* Naruko: "Isn't this a case of acute alcoholism?" Naruko: "Um, are you all right?" *She spoke to him with concern. Tsuji-san slowly looked up at her, then sprung up in surprise.* Sousuke: "Takashiro?!" Naruko: "Huh? N-No, I am not her." *Following her denial, Tsuji-san looked up at Nakizaki blankly, and appeared to have realized his mistake.* Sousuke: "Oh, sorry..." *He still looked reasonably buzzed, and hadn't questioned why we were there, either.* Naruko: "Are you okay? Was it the booze?" Sousuke: "Yeah... I think I drank a little too much." Aine: "Have you been drinking this whole time? The past few days?" Aine: "What about the time when Marika-san came here?" *Aine's voice had a tinge of blame in it.* *He looked up at Aine with curiosity. He seemed to be wondering why he was being criticized, and who she was...* Aine: "How do you think Marika-san felt when she kept calling out to you?" Sousuke: "Takashiro... called out to me..." Aine: "That is right. She called out to you in front of your house for ages. Marika-san even cried." Sousuke: "Takashiro did? ...I see." *Tsuji-san hung his head looking like he'd just been hit.* Naruko: "Um, I'm sorry if I'm wrong, but could it be you love Takashiro-san back?" *Nakizaki asked meekly. I thought it was bad manners to ask a question like that, especially when meeting someone for the first time, but I also understood why she felt compelled to do it.* Sousuke: "...How I feel doesn't matter." Aine: "It matters a lot!" Sousuke: "No, it doesn't." *He declared stubbornly. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself otherwise.* Sousuke: "She's just using this place as an escape. This place and me. Since she's got nowhere else to go." Sousuke: "If she put her mind to it, the sky would be her limit. She just hasn't realized it yet." Sousuke: "Let me ask another way: do you think Takashiro and a scruffy wannabe artist who's passed out drunk in the middle of the day like me are good for one another?" *He asked us with a masochistic smile on his face.* Sousuke: "Isn't there some man better suited for a radiant woman like her?" *Tsuji-san frowned as if he felt pained by every word he had spoken.* *This guy was saying things he really didn't want to, all for Takashiro's sake.* *Didn't that mean he really did love Takashiro after all?* *He compared his needs to his partner's and decided that she was more important.* *The capacity to find someone more precious than yourself... Was that not another trait of love?* *And if so, how could we possibly object to Tsuji-san's decision to put Takashiro ahead of himself?*

Naruko: "I wonder what we should do about those two." Tomoe: "Yeah..." *If we wanted to respect Tsuji-san's feelings, then we probably shouldn't return Takashiro's shard.* *But if we wanted to respect Takashiro's feelings instead, then we _should_ send it back.* Aine: "I really do believe that the shard should be returned to her, but..." *I could sense hesitation in Aine's response.* *What in the world should I do...?* *What in the world should I do...?*

Tomoe: "I understand. Let's return the shard to Takashiro." Aine: "Really?!" *A delighted smile came to Aine's face.* Naruko: "So that means Takashiro-san will regain her feelings for Tsuji-san, right? You don't think the same thing will happen again?" Tomoe: "I don't know. But..." *The image of Takashiro sobbing her eyes out popped into my mind. That, and the image of Tsuji-san talking about her.* *Those two cared about each other. There was no doubt about that.* *So maybe... maybe I could try to believe in their feelings for each other just one more time?* Tomoe: "I want to believe in them." Naruko: "...I see. Yeah, I feel the same way." Aine: "That is right! Let us return the shard to Marika-san!"

Tomoe: "I'll leave them be after all." Aine: "Huh? Why?!" Tomoe: "If we return Takashiro's shard, we'll just be tampering with their relationship again." Tomoe: "Wouldn't that mean we'd be ignoring Tsuji-san's decision to put Takashiro ahead of himself?" Aine: "Well, but..." Tomoe: "Tsuji-san stepped aside believing Takashiro will be happier without him. That's his wish." Tomoe: "I want to respect his feelings." Naruko: "That's fair. You may be right..." Naruko: "Besides, there are some things you can only gain through loss. I'm sure of it." Aine: "Things you gain through loss? I do not understand what you mean..." *Aine looked reluctant, but she didn't push the subject any further.* Tomoe: "Anyway, let's just see how things play out."

Aine: "There she is, over there." *Takashiro was sitting alone in the schoolyard looking zoned out. She must not have wanted to be in the classroom.* *Was it because she felt like she had lost the place she had truly belonged?* Aine: "Tomoe-san." *Aine handed over Takashiro's shard which had been formed into an arrow. I grabbed it, nocked my bow, and aimed at Takashiro's chest. If I didn't hurry, someone else might show up.* Tomoe: "This shard has no place to call its own either, huh?" *A shard that fractured from its heart and no longer had anywhere to go. I needed to send it back to where it belonged.* Tomoe: "Go back to your true home." *I fired the arrow and it disappeared, absorbed into Takashiro.* Marika: "Hm?" *She appeared to have a hunch that something struck her chest...* Marika: "...Must be my imagination."

*The school day was now over, and it was that depressing time where I had to go home again.* Marika: "..." *I looked forward to taking this path until just a while ago. It used to feel like I was walking on air! But now, it was just depressing.* *This intersection was the most depressing part of all. If I turned right, it would lead home. If I turned left, it would lead to Tsuji-san's home.* Marika: "There's no reason for me to go left anymore..." *At least there shouldn't be. Going wouldn't do me any good. He had completely rejected me already.* Marika: "..." *But still...* *For some reason, just for today, I turned left at the intersection.* Marika: "I'm here..." *Tsuji-san's house. I had only skipped coming here for one day, but it felt so nostalgic all the same.* Marika: "What should I do...?" *It was all fine and well that I had come, but I couldn't afford to stay here forever.* *But if I turned around and went home now, there'd be no point in having come here at all...* Marika: "Maybe there was no point from the beginning?" *Just because I came by for a visit didn't mean he'd actually let me come inside. He would just think I was annoying.* *However...* Marika: "And here I thought I had given up..." *I thought I was over him, so why did I miss Tsuji-san so much?* Marika: "I want to see Tsuji-san..." *The singular thought filled my mind. I was standing here with that wish alone.* Marika: "Tsuji-san..." *My feet spontaneously carried me toward Tsuji-san's house. I used to run inside without a second thought, but now I could barely walk up to it.* *If I were to take sure steps one after another all the same, I would reached where Tsuji-san was.* Marika: "..." *I made it all the way to the front of his house and stopped. I was at a loss as to what to do now.* *I couldn't ring the bell, and obviously I couldn't yell out to him. So, I sat beside the gate and hugged my knees.* *The wind blew against me and was ridiculously cold.* *I was sure if I squatted here, his neighbors would see me and spread more bad rumors about him.* Marika: "Oh well." *What did I care? It was his fault for not inviting me inside. I may as well make sure lots of people saw me and ruin his reputation.* Marika: "..." Marika: "..." *But of course, it was only when I felt this way that nobody passed by.* *I was huddled over and shaking in the cold without anyone acknowledging me.* Marika: "It's cold, Tsuji-san..." *Drip...* Marika: "Hm?" *I sensed something had fallen on me and looked up at the sky.* Marika: "Ah..." *It was rain. The once blue sky had become covered in ominous rain clouds and was soaking the city in cold droplets.* Marika: "Seriously...?" *I had to assume I was cursed. It was already cold enough. Was it trying to kill me?* Marika: "I wonder what Tsuji-san would do if I died here like this?" *Would he be the first to find me? Would he worry and hold me in his arms?* Marika: "If so, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to die here sooner than later..." *That crazy thought came to me so casually.* *My mind was in a daze, like the gears were turning very slowly. Could this be an omen of death?* Marika: "I feel sort of light-headed, too. This might be kind of comfortable in its own right." *Maybe it really was dangerous for me to feel this way? And actually, was Tsuji-san even home?* *If I went through all this for nothing, it just might be the worst thing ever.* Marika: "The lights..." *Weren't on. I guess it wasn't that dark yet. It would be hilarious if he wasn't here.* *But it had gotten troublesome to even move. The rain was getting steadily stronger.* Marika: "Ah, the phone." *It was probably the phone in his house. It rang for a long time, almost endlessly.* Marika: "Maybe he really _isn't_ here?" *It finally stopped after the tenth ring. It was tricky to say whether it had been answered or they hung up. Odds are it was the latter.* Marika: "I guess he isn't home... Then again, knowing him, it's highly likely he's pretending to be out, too. He's so socially awkward." *I could become his window to the world.* *I could answer the phone for him. I would even go to the neighborhood association events he would never attend, and pick up their newsletters for him, too.* *That might provide him a small social connection. For my part, starting over in a totally unknown environment might even put me more at ease.* *Something told me everything would go smoothly as long as we were together, so why...?* Marika: "Why am I no good...?" Sousuke: "What are you doing?!" *I heard someone yell and turned around.* *Tsuji-san was there, his face as angry as the voice I had just heard.* Sousuke: "I'm asking you, what do you think you're doing?" *I was so happy I finally got to see him, so it was less than satisfying that he suddenly got mad at me. I pouted in response.* Marika: "Can't you tell? I'm squatting." Sousuke: "Don't be so immature." *He was astonished. Served him right.* Marika: "Forget that, why did you come out? You wouldn't come out no matter how much I yelled to you, and now you show up when I _don't_ yell to you?" Sousuke: "I got a phone call." Marika: "Phone call?" Sousuke: "From the neighbors. Saying there was a girl squatting in front of my house, and asking if it was okay to leave you alone like that." *I thought nobody had seen me, but apparently they had. Lucky me!* Sousuke: "It's raining. Are you stupid?" Marika: "Who are you calling stupid? I'm at the top of my grade, you know?" Sousuke: "You're the stereotypical, idiot bookworm type. All you can do is study for school, but you know nothing about the real world." Marika: "Wh-What the heck! We haven't seen each other in days! You could be a _little_ nicer to me!" Sousuke: "You're the one who decided to come here and squat, so stop being selfish." Sousuke: "...Anyway, come in." Marika: "I get it already! I'll go home!" Marika: "...Huh? Did you just tell me to come in?" Sousuke: "There's no way around it. You're soaking wet. I'll at least give you something to dry off with." *On that note, Tsuji-san walked off inside his home. He appeared to be ushering me to follow after him.* Marika: "Yeah!" *I chased after him like a puppy.*

*It was warm inside. There was the nostalgic smell of oil.* Sousuke: "Here." *He covered my head with a towel. It was somewhat starchy and had an awful texture to it.* Marika: "At least use some fabric softener." Sousuke: "A man's skin has no need for anything that fancy." Marika: "You're practically admitting you have no women around the house." Sousuke: "Who said I did? I'm not hiding anything." *That didn't change the situation in any way, but it still made me kind of happy.* *Ah, the towel smelled like Tsuji-san... I could feel my depression turning into exhilaration.* *I was such a simple girl...* Sousuke: "After you dry off, go home." Marika: "...No." *Tsuji-san glared at me, and I glared back.* Sousuke: "Are you planning to stick around? And after I had the decency to help you out." Marika: "You're going to say that after we had sex? It was my first time, you know." Sousuke: "Irk... Don't say that." Marika: "I _will_ say it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience." Marika: "You were so nice to me back then. Why are you suddenly being so cold?" Sousuke: "Well..." Sousuke: "That's just how men are. We jump at the chance to do it, then throw you away when we get sick of you." Marika: "Lies. You're nothing like that." Sousuke: "...And just what do you think you know about me?" Marika: "I _do_ know you! Don't take me lightly just because you think I'm immature. You're not that complex of a person!" Sousuke: "...Hmph. I must have lost my touch if a brat like you is saying that about me." Marika: "You've never had your 'touch' for as long as I've known you." Sousuke: "...Haa, this is why I can't deal with women. Ever since I was a kid." Marika: "Why are you acting like you understand women? You don't get how women feel at all." Sousuke: "..." *Tsuji-san finally went silent. This was a flawless win for me. I would never lose to him in any argument.* Marika: "Hey, tell me something. Why did you suddenly turn on me like that?" Sousuke: "...You hung around a geezer like me, so what else could I do?" Marika: "What the heck does that mean?" Sousuke: "You're just running away because you've lost your place in the world. You found me here, a guy just as secluded as you, and felt some kinship in me." Sousuke: "You thought you would be accepted here, but this isn't any place for a woman with a bright future like you to hang around for too long." Sousuke: "There's definitely a place more worthy of you out there, somewhere in the sunlight. You'll miss it if you stay here." Marika: "...What the heck's with that?" *This was kind of irritating. That may have been true, but he was only half right.* *I may have believed I could be my laid-back self if I was here with this man because I looked down on Tsuji-san in some respects.* *He was a sullen, middle-aged man. I was a young woman, and thought for sure he'd treat me kindly.* *I believed that an unappealing man like him wouldn't reject me, and was likely starving for a woman's attention.* *But I was wrong. Tsuji-san wasn't that sort of person. He was just too awkward to get on well in life.* *Tsuji-san was just like me. We were strangely similar.* *Our relationship was centered around licking each other's wounds, but what was wrong with that?* *What other choice was there but to have someone else tend to the wounds you couldn't treat yourself? If left alone, they would surely fester and become infected.* *Anyone who mocked a relationship like ours was surely someone who had never been hurt.* Marika: "If I make fun of you, I may as well be making fun of myself." Sousuke: "Huh? What does that mean? I don't get it." Marika: "We're both incomplete people, right? But I'm sure if we put ourselves together we would be made whole. We can't make it on our own; we wouldn't survive." Sousuke: "...Are you crazy? Of course I'm an incomplete person, but you're different. You have a future..." Marika: "This place is the only future I have." Sousuke: "Wha..." *My firm answer seemed to throw him off, and Tsuji-san couldn't get the words out.* Marika: "So I will come here. I'll come here as many times as it takes, even if you reject me, even if you drive me away, even if it rains or snows." Sousuke: "...Do whatever you want." *Tsuji-san said that at long last. Despite his exasperation, he was essentially allowing me to come here.* Marika: "Thank you." *Words of gratitude left my mouth all too naturally.* *Tsuji-san stared at me, almost as if he were staring a strange creature. Was it so unusual for me to express my gratitude?* *In that moment, I made a decision. This was where I belonged.* *This was where I landed after running from everything I hated, but I would never run away from here.* *Absolutely never, no matter what might happen...*

*I did not go to Tsuji-san's house after that.* *My heart still ached whenever I thought about him, but I could feel the pain subsiding a little at a time. In a way, that was actually kind of depressing.* *Because I now understood that people's feelings were something that could surely change.* Marika: "The weather is so nice." *It was a fine and balmy early winter's day. The wind was extremely mild, but it felt warm in the sunshine.* *I took a look around the classroom. My peers all ignored me, and I hadn't heard any strange rumors lately, either. I bet they were still saying all sorts of things about me in the shadows, though.* Marika: "...Maybe I'll give going outside a shot." Marika: "Huh...?" *I realized then that I was headed to an unpopulated area on campus. Despite the season, there was a flower bed littered with flowers in full bloom.* Marika: "There are such pretty flowers blooming in a place like this." Boy: "They're called Euryops daisies." Marika: "Huh...?" *I was surprised to hear another person's voice. A boy I didn't know was standing there when I turned around. He might be a third-year?* Boy: "Oh, sorry about that. I was being forward." Marika: "Oh, no, not really..." *I thought he might be an upperclassman at first, but maybe that was just my imagination? Given how timid he was acting, he might even be a first-year.* *Then again, a first-year wouldn't address me so casually, either.* Marika: "That's this flower's name?" Boy: "Huh? Oh, yeah, it is. Euryops daisy." Boy: "They're a valuable species that bloom in winter." Marika: "Wow... You sure know a lot, don't you?" Boy: "That's because I'm the one who planted them." *He was scratching his head shyly. Maybe he was a member of the Gardening Committee?* Marika: "..." Boy: "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to be a nuisance. Go ahead and look at your leisure." *The silence must have been uncomfortable for him, and he tried to run away.* Marika: "U-Um..." Boy: "Hm? What?" Marika: "These flowers... Could I draw them?" Boy: "Huh? Draw them?" Marika: "Yes."

*After that, I frequently visited Tsuji-san's home.* Marika: "Hey, what do you think of this piece? Can you see the resemblance?" Sousuke: "What's with this hippo?" Marika: "It's not a hippo; it's you, Tsuji-san." Sousuke: "Huh? This is me?" Sousuke: "Sleeptalk when you're asleep. This doesn't look like me at all." Marika: "It's an abstract." Sousuke: "Say that after looking up what 'abstract' means in the dictionary." *I was well aware of the meaning. That was just how it looked to me.* Sousuke: "You're one hundred years too early to do abstracts. Start with sketches like you're supposed to." Marika: "Okay!" *Despite his grumbling, he was teaching me how to paint. I had the feeling he'd gotten a little nicer since then.* *This place truly was cozy. Call it complacency or whatever else you like, I genuinely and unconditionally loved this place.* *I was glad I hadn't given up on Tsuji-san. Thank goodness I tried my hardest.* *I would protect this place forevermore.* *No, that wasn't right.* *I would nurture this place until it was even more precious to me.* *Tsuji-san and I would, together.*

Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." Sousuke: "Oh, are you asleep?" Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." Sousuke: "Hey, wake up. You'll catch a cold if you sleep here." Marika: "Mm... Mm..." Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." *For a moment there, it looked like she was going to open her eyes, but she immediately closed them again. She was fast asleep.* Sousuke: "Hey, if you're going to sleep, then go home and do it there. It's nighttime already." Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." *She showed no signs of waking. She was sleeping so soundly, I couldn't help but watch her for a moment.* Sousuke: "You look like an angel when you're asleep like this. You're a first-class nag when you're awake, though." *Takashiro had changed a little ever since she started coming back here again.* *I sensed that she was a lot happier now, and maybe a little stronger, too. She no longer got agitated when I said awful or mean things to her.* *Maybe she'd had a change of heart? Then again, I couldn't be as rough on her as I used to be, either.* *Whenever I tried, I remembered her shaking and hugging her knees in the rain.* *As such, I started going easier on her. This girl had become stronger _and_ more robust, so our positions were now reversed.* *They say women change when they get married. Perhaps this was something similar.* Sousuke: "'_Married_'...?" *Even hypothetically, it was embarrassing to say it aloud. There was enough of an age gap between us that she could feasibly be my daughter.* Marika: "Zzz... Mmmm... Sousuke..." Sousuke: "Hm?" *"Sousuke"? But she always called me by my surname...* Sousuke: "She drops the honorifics in her sleep?" Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." Sousuke: "Haha, but she sure is sleeping soundly. Very good." *I'd better jot down her sleeping face. After all, women hated being watched while they slept. Takashiro was no exception.* *She was delighted when I first drew her, but since then had gotten rather prissy and told me not to watch her while she slept. Given the occasion, I may as well get some revenge.* Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." Sousuke: "Zzz... Zzz..." Sousuke: "Mm..." Sousuke: "Urg..." *How obnoxious. Who was it?* *I was wide awake now.* Man: "Tsuji-san! Are you home?" *It was the voice of a man I didn't know. I checked the clock and it was almost 6AM. Who the heck could it be at this hour?* Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." Sousuke: "Ah..." *Wait a second. 6AM? Takashiro stayed over without telling her family where she was...* Sousuke: "Oh, don't tell me..." Man: "Tsuji-san! We know you're in there." *I felt uneasy and my face went pale. What sort of disaster was about to unfold?* Sousuke: "Guess I'll go answer for now." *Shatter!* Sousuke: "Huh...?" *Just as I was about to head to the front door, I froze. The window facing the backyard had been shattered, and there were several people looking in from the outside.* Marika: "Wh-What...?" *Unsurprisingly, Takashiro woke up. She fearfully eyed the broken window as a collection of arms reached in and unlocked the glass door.* *Moments later, several people rushed in with muddy feet.* Marika: "Wh-Who the hell are you people?!" *The intruders were staring straight at Takashiro.* Man: "Are you Takashiro-san?" Marika: "I am... Who are you?" Man: "We came to help you. We received a missing person's report from your mother." Marika: "Huh? My mom?" *Takashiro was blinking in surprise and didn't seem to quite understand what was going on yet. By this point, the other men were already restraining me.* *These men were probably...* Man: "We're the police." *Yeah, I thought so. Takashiro seemed shocked, as if this was totally unexpected.* Man: "Sousuke Tsuji, I presume? Would you mind coming down to the station with us?" Marika: "W-Wait a second! Police? Why? Why are the police taking Tsuji-san away?!" Man: "On suspicion of kidnapping and confining you against your will." Marika: "Huh...? What are you talking about? He's done no such thing." Man: "We'll be conducting a thorough investigation shortly." Marika: "Investigate what, exactly? I'm telling you that I wasn't abducted!" Man: "We'll listen to your testimony later. For now, you're coming with us." Marika: "Wait a second! You're seriously making a mistake!" Man: "Be quiet and come along." *Takashiro was taken away by the men.* Marika: "Stop it! Tsuji-san!" *Takashiro's voice faded into the distance.* Man: "Come along now." Sousuke: "..." *Like so, the cops took me away.*

Sousuke: "Phew..." *After the sun had long since set, I was finally home.* Sousuke: "Talk about a crappy day." *A confinement charge of all things...* *Takashiro's parents had apparently spoken to the police. That was only natural given how she was hanging around here without letting them know.* *Both of her parents had been curious where their daughter had been gallivanting off to and did some investigating.* *After some digging, they immediately caught wind of the nasty rumors about me─about how a young woman was visiting a wannabe artist's home all the time.* *They got understandably worried when she stayed out yesterday without contacting them, called the police, and started suspecting the worst. It didn't take long for the cops to turn up at my place.* Sousuke: "Now my reputation around the neighborhood has hit rock bottom." *The police raiding me was sure to make for juicy gossip. I guess the one silver lining was that there weren't many witnesses this morning, huh?* Sousuke: "Ah, I'm sleepy." *The police really put me through the wringer, asking questions like, "You're an adult. What the hell do you think you're doing?" They were right about that.* Sousuke: "..." *I was drowsy, but my exhaustion melted away the second I hit the sofa.* *What should I do now? I was even more unsure now that I understood exactly how I felt about Takashiro.* *What was the best thing I could do for her?* Sousuke: "It's seriously cold, damn it." *A cold wind blew in from the broken windowpane. I wonder if I could get the police to reimburse me for it?*

*After that, I started to draw here.* *I came here during the long lunch breaks. I felt more relaxed as long as I wasn't in the classroom.* *A number of people spoke to me, likely curious as to what I was doing.* Girl: "Could I bother you for a moment?" Marika: "Huh?" Sasamoto: "I'm Sasamoto from the Art Club. Do you like drawing?" Marika: "...I'm not really drawing because I like it." Sasamoto: "Really? But you're so good at it..." Marika: "Not at all... I've had very little formal instruction." Sasamoto: "Instruction? So not just fine arts lessons?" Marika: "...Yes. By a painter." Sasamoto: "Wow, so that's why you're so good." *The girl said and smiled cheerfully. I got the feeling it had been a while since I'd seen someone's smiling face.* *It would have been great if Tsuji-san had smiled like this once in a while.* Marika: "..." *I remembered Tsuji-san by mere accident. Traces of him doggedly continued to linger here and there in my world.* *He popped up during the most trivial moments of my life you normally wouldn't notice. It surprised me every single time.* *But I was sure that would diminish with time.* Class Officer: "Oh? Takashiro-san?" *A voice I had heard somewhere before. Seconds later, our class officer appeared.* Class Officer: "I noticed you were never around during lunch break. This is where you were?" Marika: "I was..." *Was this the class officer's sense of responsibility at work? She got worried and spoke to me at the slightest inclination.* *She could have just passed by without saying a word, yet here she was, going out of her way to come up and talk to me.* Sasamoto: "A friend?" Class Officer: "Oh, yes. I'm her classmate, Kojima." Marika: "Wow, that's what your name was?" Kojima: "Huh? You didn't know? I'm shocked... For the record, I _am_ the class officer." *This girl... Kojima-san, seemed quite hurt. She didn't have to care so much. I was probably about the only one who didn't know our class officer's name.* Kojima: "Well, whatever. Anyway, Takashiro-san, you're good at drawing, right?" Marika: "Not really." Sasamoto: "Oh, there you go again. It looks good." Kojima: "Yeah, really good!" *The two of them ganged up on me and praised my work. This was the first time anyone had ever praised me for something other than studying.* *It was like... a huge breath of fresh air. Each and every word out of their mouths was embarrassing.* *I suddenly remembered events from my childhood. When I learned to add, when I learned my first kanji, every little thing my parents and surrounding adults said and praised me for.* *I liked being praised. That was why I worked so hard with my studies.* Kojima: "So nice... I'm jealous of people who can draw well." Marika: "Hmmm, are you?" Kojima: "I am! I'm super bad at art. Just Fine Arts II was already complicated for me." Marika: "Two?" *Level II was pretty low. I wasn't even doing it seriously, and I hadn't taken anything below level III.* Marika: "In that case, try drawing a little." Kojima: "Huh? Forget it. You'll totally laugh at me." Marika: "I won't laugh." Sasamoto: "I won't laugh, either. It doesn't matter if it's good or bad; it's the feeling that's important." Kojima: "Is it? Okay, just a little then..." *Along with a pencil, I removed a page from my sketchbook and handed it to her.* Kojima: "Hm, I wonder if I can draw flowers? Oh, promise you won't look at it midway through?" *As she said that, Kojima began to move the pencil fluently across the paper. She hid the page as she drew, so I couldn't tell how it was turning out.* *She kept me waiting for a while.* Kojima: "...Something like this?" Sasamoto: "Let me see, let me see..." *Kojima shyly showed us her drawing. ...It was like something from another world.* Marika: "What's this? An alien?" Kojima: "Huh? It's flowers, flowers! I drew it just now while looking at these!" Marika: "These are _flowers_...?" Sasamoto: "An alien... Uh-uh, a kappa or something?" Kojima: "Wh-What are you looking at?! They're flowers, totally flowers!" Marika: "No, this is clearly an alien." Sasamoto: "I think it's a kappa personally..." Kojima: "Awww... This is why I said I didn't wanna..." *Kojima drooped her shoulders with all her might. She looked like the spitting image of the alien(?) she'd just illustrated, so it was pretty funny.* Marika: "Pfft... Ahaha..." Kojima: "Ah, you laughed at me... That hurts a lot..." Marika: "Ahaha, sorry. But, it was funny." *So funny I might cry. How long had it been since I'd laughed like this?* *It was funny, but the tears kept on coming. I couldn't tell whether I was laughing or crying. I couldn't even tell if I was happy or sad anymore, either.* Marika: "Ahahaha..." Kojima: "Is it so funny it made you cry? Oh whatever, go ahead. Laugh as much as you want!" Marika: "Ahahahaha!" *For the first time, I felt like I could forget Tsuji-san. I wonder if that's why I was tearing up so badly?* *I laughed for so long that it left Kojima stunned.*

*And so, I finally made friends.* Kojima: "Come on! It's not a kappa! Those are flowers!" Sasamoto: "And I'm telling you, it's totally a kappa!" *Sasamoto had apparently spoken to me in order to invite me to the Art Club, and now kept asking me at every opportunity.* *Personally, I didn't think there was any use in joining a club now, when I would soon be a third-year.* *Though, I found myself considering the idea, and realized then that I really had changed.* *Humans were capable of changing with unexpected ease. It all hinged on motive and determination. It was a very novel discovery.* Kojima: "Jeez! You say something too, Marika!" Marika: "...Something." Kojima: "What the heck?! So old! That joke's so passe!" Sasamoto: "Ahahaha, you're really funny, Marika!" Marika: "I am not." *Everything came so naturally when I was around them. They were all normal girls. No different from me in any way.* *Now that I had friends, the rumors everyone had been spreading suddenly stopped, too.* *Until just a short while ago, I was just this mysterious person they knew nothing about.* *Everyone must have felt relieved once I became part of the community and they finally got to know me. Their attitudes toward me softened in no time.* Sasamoto: "Hey, Marika! The three of us should go on a sketching trip sometime!" Marika: "A trip? What about studying?" Sasamoto: "We won't be able to have any fun once we're third-years, so let's do it while we still can! So after exams, let's go on a graduation sketching trip!" Kojima: "Why does it have to be focused on sketching? I'm not going to draw anymore." Sasamoto: "Don't say that! Show me another masterpiece. Ahahahaha!" Kojima: "Don't laugh~! Yeesh, I'm not gonna draw, I swear! And I won't go on the trip, either!" Marika: "Oh, come on. You teased her so much she's pouting. Apologize." Sasamoto: "Heehee, I'm so sowwy!" Kojima: "In what universe is that an apology?!" Marika: "Ahaha..." *Tsuji-san, the art skills you taught me helped me find a place where I belong.* *Thank you for opening me up to a brand-new world.* *And...* *Goodbye...*

Sousuke: "Ugh..." *The sound of the doorbell stirred me from my slumber. What happened this morning had apparently traumatized me.* *I must have fallen asleep on the sofa at some point, and was chilled to the bone. It couldn't get any worse than this.* Marika: "Ah, Tsuji-san!" Sousuke: "Takashiro..." *This was a shock. I never thought Takashiro would come here ever again, especially after what had happened yesterday.* *The police and her parents had probably interrogated her like crazy.* Sousuke: "How did you get in?" Marika: "What do you mean, 'How'? The front door was unlocked. And what's with this room? It's so cold." Marika: "Oh, the window is broken! Did the police do that?! Wait, why did you leave it that way?" *Takashiro began mending the broken window with some nearby drawing boards, cardboard, and packing tape. Very clever. I could have plugged the hole like that?* *She turned up the heat after patching the hole.* Marika: "That will do for now. Make sure you call a repairman later, okay?" Sousuke: "I guess so..." Marika: "What are you so out of it for? You're seriously hopeless on your own." *Takashiro said before snuggling up to me on the sofa.* *I couldn't hug her back, but I couldn't reject her, either. I just sat there as she embraced me.* Marika: "You're freezing, Tsuji-san. Did you sleep in here?" Sousuke: "I just nodded off a little." Marika: "You'll catch a cold. I just can't leave you be, can I?" Sousuke: "I'm not a child." Marika: "Well, you're acting like one." Sousuke: "You shouldn't be here anyway. Didn't the police and your parents chew you out?" Marika: "It's not like I really did anything wrong. I mean, it was my fault for staying out without asking, but everything was fine once I apologized." *Takashiro's grip on me gradually tightened. It was as though she was determined to never let go.* Sousuke: "What did your parents say?" Marika: "They yelled at me without letting me get a word in edgewise, then I rushed out and came here." *This was making me dizzy.* Sousuke: "That was a childish way to react." Marika: "Hey, make me your apprentice." *The subject suddenly went in a wildly different direction.* Sousuke: "Huh? Apprentice to what?" Marika: "Painting. I gave it some thought, but why not turn this studio into an art school?" Sousuke: "Huh? What are you talking about?" Marika: "Your art leaves something to be desired, but I do believe you're great at teaching _how_ to draw, so you should start your own art school." Marika: "This place would be perfect for it." Sousuke: "...So you're telling me to pool together a bunch of brats and teach them art? Doesn't sound like me." Marika: "That's not true. I'll help you do it, too! So to start with, make me your apprentice." *There was a sparkle in her eyes. I wonder what sort of future she was envisioning?* *Those eyes of hers... and the future she dreamed of were dazzling.* *Beyond dazzling.* Marika: "I will protect this place, and nobody can tell me otherwise. This is where I belong." *What Takashiro said moved me.* *She was no longer coming here to take refuge.* *She had decided this was where she belonged, and was here to protect her true home.* Sousuke: "...Don't get too far ahead of yourself. This is _my_ home." Marika: "I know. That's why I'll protect it." Sousuke: "..." *What in the world was I doing?* *I was sick of being so hopeless. I couldn't believe a brat like her had taught me that.* Marika: "It's all right. I'll protect it for you." Marika: "I'm sure that only I can save you." Sousuke: "Save me...?" *My chest burned with emotion. It was surreal to me that someone thought of me that way.* Sousuke: "You're one hundred years too early." *What could I do for someone like her?* *Takashiro would continue coming here no matter how many times I rejected her. I doubted she would give a damn how society or her parents saw her, either.* *And if that kept up, yesterday's events would repeat yet again.* *I didn't care what became of me, but when the time came, she was the one who would be hurt.* *Society would trample all over this girl's pure, unadulterated feelings until they were completely tainted.* *That would never change as long as I was here.* *In which case, there _was_ one thing I could do for her...* Marika: "You've got a serious look on your face." Sousuke: "Huh? Y-Yeah, sorry." Marika: "Come on, smile." *When Takashiro coddled and teased me, smiling came naturally.* Marika: "Ehehe." Marika: "I love that smile of yours most of all." *Takashiro smiled, and apparently I was smiling, too.* Marika: "Tsuji-san, I love you..." *Takashiro kissed me. I quickly embraced her and kissed her back. I knew she wanted more.* Marika: "Mm, mm... Tsuji-san... Make love to me..." Sousuke: "Yeah..."

Marika: "Aah, Tsuji-san... Aaah..." *I ransacked Takashiro's insides with my towering member. She clamped down on me so hard it hurt.* Marika: "Fwaah, aah... You can... do it, harder if you want..." Sousuke: "Aargh, ooh... I can't move when you get so tight around me." Marika: "No, ah... Mooore... I want to feel you, deeper inside me..." *Takashiro's pussy wound around me.* Sousuke: "Kuh, ah... aah... You're such a selfish little princess..." *I put some strength into it and thrust into her.* Marika: "Hmmmm! Ah, aah... Tsuji-san... Mmm!" Marika: "Aaah, ah, ah, aaaah! You're hitting, deep inside!" *The tip of my manhood struck her at her core. It had pried so powerfully into her inner walls that it felt as though it was being crushed.* Marika: "Aaaah! Amazing! It's going all the way in! Aaah, mm... hee... ah, aaah...!" *Takashiro's voice grew louder. Her honey pot coiled around me in response.* Sousuke: "You're incredible, inside, too, oh, ooh..." *Her body was remarkably lewd considering she had been a virgin until just recently. Our bodies may have had a good affinity for one another.* Marika: "Mm, aaan, mmm! ...Ah! Your penis, feels so good..." Marika: "Your penis, feels so... mmmah, aaan... aan... aaan... It's filling me...! Aah, rubbing inside... fuaah, aaau... mm... an... aahn... aaah...!" *Takashiro gasped eagerly in an adorable voice. Just hearing her moans got me excited.* *The emotions which filled my heart came to a boil. I really loved this girl.* Marika: "Tsuji-san, I love you... I love you...!" Sousuke: "Arrgh, ooooh...!" *After admitting to myself how I felt, my heart instantly felt lighter. It was as if... I could finally accept myself.* Sousuke: "Takashiro..." *I put my body weight into it and rocked against her relentlessly.* Marika: "Huuuh! Ah, mmm... aaan, aan, aan!" Marika: "Tsuji-san, mm... I love you... I love you, Tsuji-san..." *Her misty eyes gazed at me. Ah, I had to make this girl happy... That powerful feeling overcame me.* *What could I do for her?* Marika: "Tsuji-san... aaah, Tsuji-san... mm, mmm! ...Ah, aaah...!" Marika: "I think, I'm... going to..." *She looked up at me, seeming perplexed. An exquisite charm hung upon that face of hers. That was the face of a real woman.* *Aah, I wanted to preserve this face in a painting. The urge to do so suddenly washed over me.* *In reality, she'd kill me if I tried. All I could do was to gently jot down her expression upon the canvas in my heart.* Marika: "Aah, aah... I can't... I think, I'm going, I'm going to... aah, aaah...!" Sousuke: "Are you coming? I'm going to come soon, too..." *I obediently caved to the violent passion welling within me. I had no intention of holding it back.* Marika: "Y-Yeah... come... Come, lots..." *Marika showed me a smile much like the Virgin Mary's. It felt as though this woman who was far younger than me had engulfed my entire heart.* Marika: "I'm going to, come, too... I'm coming...! Mmm, fuaah, aaan, aaaah! I'm coming, I'm coming, I'm coming!" *Takashiro's insides squeezed even tighter. It was all I could take.* Sousuke: "Keh... argh... I'm coming!" *On the verge of ejaculation, I used what meager reasoning I had left and vigorously pulled out of her.* *A cloudy liquid burst from the head of my penis and scattered across her flushed body.* Marika: "Fuah... ah... aah... Hot..." Sousuke: "Keh... Aaargh... Ooh...!" *Murky white dots covered Takashiro's white, naked flesh, as if a tube of white paint had been forcefully squeezed open.* Marika: "Aah, aaah... so much, hot semen, shooting out... mm... aah... aaan... aaah..." Marika: "Ah, aah... Tsuji-san, it... smells amazing... mm... ah, aah... aah..." *Takashiro sighed deeply. Between the light blush of her skin, and the lovely air about her, I couldn't quite call her a brat any longer.* Marika: "Ah..." Marika: "Your penis just twitched. Are you still thinking dirty things?" Sousuke: "...I just thought you were kind of sexy." Marika: "Huh? Is... that so?" Marika: "Hehe, I'm happy." *Takashiro smiled. There was nothing I wanted more than to make her smile mine alone, and I had done just that. I burned the image into the canvas of my heart.* Marika: "Want to do it again?" Sousuke: "Fool. I'm an old geezer. You'll work me to death." Marika: "Work you to death? ...Ehehe." *Her giggles were embarrassing. This surprisingly happy smile of hers really suited her. Calling it "surprising" might be rude, though.* *Either way, I had to make sure this woman could keep smiling like this from now on, and forever more. As for what I could do to that end...* Marika: "Say, give me a key. A house key." Sousuke: "...I'll think about it." Marika: "Huh, really? I was just joking. ...But that makes me happy." *Takashiro was innocently delighted. That smile made my heart hurt a little.* Sousuke: "Get some sleep. I'll rest with you." Marika: "Yeah..." *Takashiro closed her eyes. After making sure of that, I closed mine as well.* *Then, I pretended to have fallen asleep until she finally nodded off.*

Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." Sousuke: "..." *I slipped away from her side, careful not to wake her.* *I got dressed, packed up the bare necessities, and grabbed my cash and credit cards.* Sousuke: "Sorry about this." *I said that softly to a sleeping Takashiro. I would leave this place so that she could stay.* Sousuke: "Use this place as you wish. I'll even leave you the key you asked for." *Now she could come and use this place whenever and however she pleased. She could paint if she wanted, and I didn't mind if she hung around here to avoid going home or to school, either.* Sousuke: "This is your true home, so I don't care what you do with it. In exchange, be responsible and protect it." *For that reason, I couldn't stay here any longer. My mere presence meant society would never approve of this place─the place where Takashiro belonged.* *If I weren't around, they should at least tolerate her staying here once in a while.* *So, I would leave this place.* Marika: "Zzz... Zzz... Mm... Tsuji-sa...n..." Sousuke: "..." *Hypothetically speaking, after a little more time had passed, if things had simmered down... once Takashiro was more mature, and was able to live on her own...* *If she were still protecting this place when that time came, then...* Sousuke: "No, I'd better stop." *Dreaming of such a naive future was pointless.* *But...* *Knowing Takashiro, I suspected she would keep on protecting this place until then.* Marika: "Zzz... Zzz..." Sousuke: "See you. Do your best." *Just in case those million-to-one odds panned out and we met once more, I was going to put more effort into becoming a better man.*

Marika: "Mm..." Marika: "Huh...?" *I felt a small tug at my left hand and woke up.* Marika: "What could it be?" *I took a look at my hand. For a brief moment, I thought there was something red tied around my pinky, but it must have been my imagination, as it instantly disappeared.* Marika: "Weird. Wait..." *I forgot for a second where I was, but it all came flooding back to me. This was where I belonged.* Marika: "I stayed out without asking again." *I was happy to greet such a peaceful morning. My parents were likely appalled, but I figured they wouldn't call the police again. They must have felt ashamed.* *Either way, it sure was quiet. After noticing that, I realized Tsuji-san wasn't here.* Marika: "I wonder where he went? Maybe the convenience store or something?" Marika: "...Hm?" *I spotted something shining on the nearby table. It caught my interest, and I took a closer look.* *It was a key. Most likely to this house. A note had been left along with it.* *It read, "For you."* Marika: "Tsuji-san really gave it to me." *I was so happy, I hugged the key on reflex. At long last, this place truly felt like my home.* Marika: "I wonder if he got embarrassed over it and went out?" *I was looking forward to seeing what sort of face he'd make once he came back.* Marika: "I wonder if he'll be back soon?" *However, Tsuji-san never returned.*

Marika: "I'm home!" *I would come here every day. After all, this was where I belonged. It was a place I had finally obtained, and one that I had to protect.* Marika: "It's about time I clean up. Tsuji-san will yell at me if he comes back." Marika: "But before that, I'd better finish this painting." *Despite not knowing when he might return, I continued to paint every day as I waited for Tsuji-san.* *To wait for a person you weren't sure would actually come back was incredibly overwhelming.* *However, I'd decided to wait. I wouldn't give up again.* Marika: "I'm sure he'll come back." *That was the feeling I had, and I believed in it.* *I looked down at my left hand. Although I couldn't see it, I felt an invisible force tied around my pinky finger.* *I knew that it connected me to Tsuji-san.* *Just like the legendary red thread of fate.* *Fate had surely bound us together.* *That was why I could bear it even though I was lonely. Why I could believe there would be a day Tsuji-san would come back here once more.* *After all, this should be the only place Tsuji-san called home, too.* *"Welcome home."* *I would continue to wait until the day came that I could say that for real.*

Oomura: "Hey, spread yer legs wider!" Koyuki: "..." *As instructed, I spread my legs. I felt Oomura's eyes coiling around the center like a snake.* Oomura: "Yer so wet, it's like yah pissed yerself!" *What a vulgar sneer. I couldn't stand the vulgar way he smirked and panted. I hated it so much that I wanted to puke.* Oomura: "Hey now, your hips're movin' awful greedily." Koyuki: "..." Oomura: "If yah want it so bad, then try spreadin' them lips yourself." *He was taking pleasure in humiliating me.* *He was an ugly, penniless, and uneducated man, who would often piss away his daily earnings as a day laborer on gambling and hookers.* *He must have been plagued with a myriad of mental shortcomings. He voiced his demands as if trying to alleviate his self-hatred through me.* *I was the only person in the world whom he could do with as he pleased.* Oomura: "Hey, whats'a matter? If yah don't hurry it up, I won't give yah this." *He shook his hips and emphasized his fully erect member, which seemed to soar so high it might pierce the heavens. It was likely the only part of his body he had confidence in.* *He was truly a disgusting man.* Oomura: "C'mon, speed it up." *Oomura's voice started to get irritated. This man wouldn't hesitate to use violence against me. He had a short temper and snapped easily─probably another indication of his shortcomings.* *Being hit was no big deal to me. I didn't feel pain anymore.* Koyuki: "..." *But I did as I was told and spread the folds of my pussy for him. Oomura showed me a vulgar, satisfied smile.* Oomura: "Heh heh heh, that's the way. How's it feel showin' an old coot like me yer dirty parts?" Koyuki: "...Whatever." *Oomura looked huffy when I gave that curt answer.* Oomura: "It ain't just 'whatever' now, is it? C'mon, look'it this." *Oomura spewed his anger and violently shoved his finger into my privates.* Koyuki: "Mmmuh..." *Oomura's fingers were as fat as you'd expect of a manual laborer. They might be about as thick as a tiny dick.* *However, his finger penetrated my insides with less resistance than I had expected.* Oomura: "See that? Yer so wet it went in just like that. So whatta yah mean 'whatever'?" *He churned his finger inside me as he ranted in a voice I couldn't tell was angry or lustful.* *Squick squick squick...* Oomura: "Heheh, that's a nice sound yer makin'. This oughtta be plenty." *Oomura dropped his pants with glee. I could see that his shaft had grown larger and harder than before.* *He kept going, and pressed it against me.* Oomura: "Heheh, I'm gonna stick it in raw after all." Koyuki: "..." *I already knew that; he didn't have to tell me. This man hated condoms.* *He was so utterly ignorant, he might not even know the word "contraception."* Oomura: "Here I go." *Scmk...* Koyuki: "Aaauh..." *Hearing my own sweet cries gave me shivers. I hated it, but when Oomura stuck it in I couldn't stop myself from moaning erotically.* *Oomura smiled with satisfaction. I knew he was looking down upon me. I turned my head so I wouldn't see it.* Oomura: "Whoa ho, yer gettin' even tighter again today. You want this big boy that bad?" *He began to move his hips as he yelled those comments of unparalleled vulgarity.* Koyuki: "Mm, aaah..." Oomura: "Heheh, yer moanin' awful nice again today, aren't yah?" Koyuki: "Sh-Shut... up... Just be quiet, and swing... your hips..." Oomura: "Whoo, that's a smart mouth on yah. What'm I, yer human vibrator?" Oomura: "Bah, yer such a loose woman. Yah slut!" *He pinched my nipples as he violently thrust his hips.* Koyuki: "Aargh, aah...!" *A sharp pain ran straight through the center of my chest, but it changed to pleasure a moment later.* Oomura: "You were just'a naive virgin at first. Now yer a raunchy little whore. It makes me sad." *What the hell do you mean, "Sad?" You're the one enjoying it most. You're the one who made my body this way!* Koyuki: "Ah... mm, aaah..." Oomura: "Does it feel good? If yah like it so much, then how about tellin' me how good it feels?!" Koyuki: "Oh, ooh... it feels, good..." Oomura: "What part'a yah feels good? Huh?" Koyuki: "M-My pussy... feels good...!" *And yet, I couldn't oppose him. I couldn't defy him anymore when this thick rod penetrated my inner walls.* Oomura: "Whoo, yer pussy feels good, does it?" Koyuki: "Yeah, my pussy, feels good... Your big fat dick, rubbing inside me does..." Koyuki: "Fuaah, aaan... aah... it's hitting, deep inside...! Your dick, is hitting, so deep...!" Oomura: "Guuuh, ooh... Yer squeezin' awful nasty. I can't get enough of it. I'm gonna come!" *Oomura accelerated his movements. I could feel his hot member growing in size inside of me.* Koyuki: "Yah, aah... inside, it's...! Mmm, aah, aaaaah...!" Oomura: "I'm gonna come, gonna come! Take it all in!" Koyuki: "Yah, aan, aaaah...!" Oomura: "Krrr, oooh.... oooooooh!" Koyuki: "Yah... Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!" *Somebody... save me...*

*It was a hot summer day. The air conditioner in my room was busted, and I called a repairman.* Oomura: "I'm the electrician..." *The one who turned up was Oomura.* *He had a stout, pump body. He reeked of sweat, and the state of his attire wasn't anywhere close to hygienic.* *I felt internally repulsed that such a man was in my room, so I waited in the living room downstairs until he finished the repairs.* *It was a weekday during summer break, and I was home alone. Even though he was the electrician I (or rather, my parents) had called for, having a strange man in my home made me uneasy.* *I had things to do at school in the afternoon, so it would be great if he finished up soon...* *About thirty minutes later, the electrician called me up to my room.* *Feeling relieved, I went upstairs thinking he had finished surprisingly quickly, but was suddenly pushed down onto the bed.* *I couldn't tell what had happened at first.* Oomura: "Yell and I'll kill you." *My face went pale as he spoke to me in that threatening tone. Even if I wanted to, I was too terrified to move or speak.* *Oomura violated me however he pleased until he was satisfied.* *He had recorded the incident on his cell phone to use as blackmail, so I'd done as he asked ever since.* *In three short months, my life completely changed from how it once was.* *And I was sure I could never go back...* Koyuki: "..." *The one and only good thing that came from it was that this academy had become my safe haven.* *Of course, that was only due to how heinous my time away from school had become.* *According to the few friends I had, it wasn't that anyone was intentionally keeping their distance, but that I was difficult to approach.* *According to those few friends, it wasn't that anyone was intentionally keeping their distance, but that I was difficult to approach.* *Those both sounded the same if you asked me, but my friends insisted they were completely different.* *Anyway, this was the one place I could be alone without being on guard.* *The man I despised wasn't here. That was enough to give me some peace of mind.* Koyuki: "Mm..." *However, things had felt rather strange lately. This place should feel safe and secure, but even when I was here, it felt like Oomura's shadow loomed over me.* *My body ached... It felt as if I was having sudden flashbacks.* *The places Oomura had touched burned and throbbed.* *I realized then that it didn't matter who it was, I wanted someone to touch me. No, I found myself wanting to please myself. Even though this was a classroom...* *This was Oomura's doing; he had poisoned me. Now that his venom ran through my body, I could never become clean again.* *It would be fine by me if this poison in my veins killed me someday. I'd actually prefer that.* *But it _didn't_ kill me; it just slowly ate away at me from the inside.* Koyuki: "...Mm." *The mania that filled my body spilled out in the form of a deep sigh.* ???: "Arie-san." *When I lifted my head, Osamu Mitsushima was staring at me anxiously. I looked at his sullen face and instantly felt relieved.* Osamu: "Are you all right? Your face is kind of red." Koyuki: "...I'm okay." *Osamu Mitsushima was one of my few friends. By some twist of fate, we'd been assigned to the same class for the last three years.* *As his dull appearance would suggest, he wasn't exceptionally studious or athletic, but he was likeable enough that he was currently acting as class president.* *That could have just been others pushing everything troublesome onto him, actually. Either way, we were both students with exams on the horizon.* *In spite of that, I often saw him tending to the academy's flower beds. He was a very carefree person.* Koyuki: "Did you need something?" Osamu: "Y-Yeah. You left early yesterday, right? Here are the handouts." Koyuki: "...Thanks." *I didn't want to remember yesterday. _That guy_ called me out of the blue and forced me to leave early.* Osamu: "Also, here are the notes from the classes you missed. They're copies, so you don't have to give them back." Koyuki: "Yeah, thanks." Osamu: "..." Koyuki: "What's wrong? Your face is kind of red." Osamu: "I-It's nothing. Sorry." Koyuki: "Why are you apologizing?" Osamu: "S-Sorry..." Osamu: "...Oh." Koyuki: "See, you did it again. You should fix that habit of immediately apologizing for everything." Osamu: "Y-You're right. Sorry..." Osamu: "Ah, s-sorry! A-Aaaaaah..." Koyuki: "...Ahaha. What's with you? Jeez..." Osamu: "Aha, ahaha... I sure am strange, aren't I? Ahahaha..." Koyuki: "Hehehe..." Osamu: "..." Osamu: "I'm glad you seem to be doing better." Koyuki: "Huh? ...Did I look unwell before?" Osamu: "Uh, well... j-just a little bit. Maybe it was just my imagination..." Koyuki: "I see..." *Mitsushima-kun looked dense but was surprisingly observant.* *If you're watching, if you've realized something's wrong, then do something!* *Do you notice but still do nothing?* *Did he think he was an upstanding guy for pretending to worry about a pathetic girl like me from his nice, safe vantage point?* *...No. I shouldn't think that way.* *I shook away the darkness that suddenly seethed from within the depths of my heart.* Koyuki: "...It's nothing, really." Osamu: "I-I see... Sorry..." Koyuki: "Don't apologize." Osamu: "Yeah..." *Poison. Oomura's poison had turned me into such an awful woman.* *His venom had defiled me down to my very core.* Osamu: "S-See ya..." Koyuki: "Yeah... Thanks..." Osamu: "M-Mhm..." *I barely managed to thank him. I was fed up with being this way.* *Although I hadn't yet eaten my lunch, I left the classroom.*

Koyuki: "..." *I thought it had been closed off, but the rooftop was unlocked.* *I had heard it was made off-limits, but it seemed this was being poorly enforced.* *The city always looked so dingy during winter, although the same could be said of anywhere in this season.* *But was it just my imagination, or did the scenery look far more grey this year than usual?* *No, it wasn't just the view from here. The whole world seemed to have dulled in color.* Koyuki: "Was it just me who changed?" *That was probably it. The world appeared faded because I had been sullied.* Aine: "I am sure they exist!" Kiyohito: "No, I think most would agree they don't?" Aine: "They do!" Koyuki: "Ah..." *Someone was there. They weren't alone, either.* *I _was_ alone, and running into people here would be awkward, but it wasn't like there was anywhere to hide, and there was only one way out.* *The voices drew closer as I stood there unable to do anything.* Aine: "Oh, we have a guest." *One of them said after spotting me.* Tomoe: "Isn't it weird to call her a guest? It's not like we own the place." Naruko: "Ahaha, sorry about that!" *A different girl greeted me with a laugh. I went along with it and bowed my head in return.* Kiyohito: "Huh? It's Arie-sempai." Tomoe: "Arie... Oh." *One boy was nodding his head like something had just occurred to him.* *I suddenly felt uneasy. It was like this boy was in on some horrible rumor that was spreading about me.* Naruko: "Arie-sempai, you mean Koyuki Arie-san? Hashiguchi-kun's...?" Koyuki: "Hashiguchi?" Koyuki: "Are you by chance friends of Shunsuke Hashiguchi's?" Naruko: "Something like that. He's talked about you a little bit." *Oh, they were Shunsuke's friends? That was a huge relief.* *Run-ins like this had happened repeatedly since I'd gotten involved with Oomura.* *Oomura was insane. He was totally unpredictable, so there was no telling when he might start spreading rumors about me.* Aine: "You have a sort of scary look on your face..." Koyuki: "Ah..." Naruko: "Is something wrong?" Koyuki: "No, it's nothing. I'm sorry." *No good. I was better off not thinking about Oomura. That would be best...* *The more I tried to keep my mind off him, the more he dominated my thoughts.* *I didn't want to think about that bastard, either...* Kiyohito: "Sempai, do you believe in ghosts?" Koyuki: "...Huh?" Kiyohito: "Ghosts. Specters." Aine: "And kappas, too!" Koyuki: "Kappas? ...What are you talking about?" *I couldn't follow their conversation at all.* Kiyohito: "I say those sorts of things don't exist, but she's insisting they do." Aine: "They exist! Specters and kappas and stuff!" Koyuki: "Who knows? These sorts of things are over my head..." Aine: "So you are the type to deny what you do not understand? If you are unsure whether they exist, does that not mean they _might_ exist?" Koyuki: "You're right. That might be true." Aine: "See!" Tomoe: "What are you acting so proud for? It doesn't matter if ghosts or kappas exist or not. It doesn't affect us either way." Aine: "It is okay to dream once in a while, Tomoe-san." Tomoe: "Are ghosts and kappas your idea of a dream come true?" Aine: "They are. Besides, it will be Christmas soon." *I realized then what time of the year it was. Christmas had completely slipped my mind. Then again, I was so busy preparing for exams I hardly thought about it from the start.* Naruko: "What does Christmas have to do with anything?" Aine: "Because, Santa Claus is just like ghosts and aliens! There are even theories that he _is_ an alien! Did you not know?" Naruko: "Santa Claus is an alien?" Koyuki: "..." *What in the world was she talking about? It was rare for me to be this out of the loop.* *Santa Claus was an alien? Any girl who could say that looking so serious sounded more like the alien to me.* Aine: "Santa Claus exists, right?" Koyuki: "Huh? Me?" Koyuki: "...Who knows?" *In all honesty, I didn't really believe he existed. That was obvious, but I couldn't say that to a girl who seemed to believe in him so genuinely.* *I knew it was impossible, but what was the harm in letting her hold onto that tiny wish...?* Aine: "I am sure he exists! Angels exist, after all!" Koyuki: "Huh...? Angels...?" Tomoe: "Hey, Aine." Aine: "Huh? ...AH!" *Aine panicked after saying something she shouldn't have and covered her mouth with her hands.* Koyuki: "Angels..." Aine: "Uh, no, um..." Koyuki: "Angels definitely do not exist." Aine: "Huh...?" Koyuki: "I don't believe angels exist." *There were angels on display all over this city, but those were merely icons born of human desire. They held no true value.* *If angels really did exist, then there was no way they would abandon me in my time of need.* Koyuki: "I don't believe angels exist at all." Tomoe: "..." *No, I believed they _mustn't_ exist. That would be unforgivable.* *If angels really did exist, then I would slaughter them with my own two ha─* Koyuki: "..." *I couldn't believe what I was thinking. Normally people would want angels to help them, yet I was contemplating personally slaying them.* *This wasn't normal.* Naruko: "Th-This conversation's taken kind of a strange turn, huh?" Kiyohito: "Isn't there that saying, 'Un ange passe,' for awkward silences like these?" Tomoe: "Angels apparently don't exist. Take a hint." Kiyohito: "Oh, I get you. My bad, my bad." Aine: "..." Koyuki: "..." *Did they realize I was irritated? This whole situation was so awkward.* Aine: "Um..." Koyuki: "Yes?" Aine: "If there is something bothering you, would you like to consult with us?" Koyuki: "Huh?" *Of course I was puzzled. I never expected a question like that from someone I didn't even know.* Koyuki: "I don't really have any worries." Aine: "Really?" Koyuki: "Really." *After repeating myself, the girl looked chestfallen and drooped her shoulders.* Aine: "Is that so...?" Aine: "If anything does come up, please let me know! I will be here anytime!" *What was her deal? Why was she saying this to someone she just met?* Tomoe: "Sorry, she's impolite." *The boy beside her bowed his head, looking embarrassed. It was as if he was used to her behavior. He seemed to have been apologizing like that quite frequently based on his tone.* *My cell phone vibrated in my pocket. I subconsciously jumped in surprise.* *It only delivered bad news when it rang.* Naruko: "Is something the matter?" Koyuki: "Nothing... All right, I'll be excusing myself." Aine: "Oh, I really will be waiting for you!" *I heard her calling after me, but I left the rooftop without responding.* Koyuki: "..." *Once I was alone, I checked my cell phone.* Koyuki: "...I knew it." *Just as I had suspected, Oomura had texted me. He wanted me to come to his place after school again.* *Yesterday and now again today? I was fed up. If he wanted his desires satisfied so badly, he should go to a whore house or something on his own time.* Osamu: "Oh, Arie-san?" Koyuki: "Ah..." *I panicked and hid my phone. Part of me felt like I had been seen with something very filthy in my hands.* Osamu: "Um..." *I must have been acting pretty suspicious; Mitsushima-kun looked very bothered.* Osamu: "Oh... Lunch break... is over, huh? Want to head back?" Koyuki: "...Yeah." *Saved by the bell.* Osamu: "Did you eat lunch? I ate a little too much." Koyuki: "Did you...?" *Whenever I was with Mitsushima-kun, I felt like I was doing something terrible to him.* *Thinking about how filthy I was made me miserable.* *Since I started thinking this way, he was kind of getting on my nerves. It wasn't like it was his fault or anything, though...* Koyuki: "Sorry, you can head back without me. I'll be there after going to the bathroom." Osamu: "Th-The bathroom... S-Sure, sorry..." Koyuki: "Stop apologizing, seriously." Osamu: "Oh... Yeah. Sor─ Err..." Koyuki: "...See ya." *In all honesty, I didn't want to go to the bathroom. I just... couldn't breathe when I was around him...* *He was practically my only friend, and yet it was like I was trying to destroy our friendship myself.* *Nothing mattered anymore. I didn't care what became of me...* Osamu: "..."

*As rare an event as it was, I went down the steep slope alone today.* *People had been tagging along with me so often lately that it felt ridiculously quiet now that I was alone.* Tomoe: "...Hm?" *Was that Hisaka-san? She supposedly headed home a while ago. Why was she just standing there?* Yuri: "..." *She was looking up the whole time... Was something bothering her?* Tomoe: "Hisaka-san." *I walked up and spoke to her.* Yuri: "Oh, Kirinokojima-kun. You came at the perfect time." Tomoe: "I did?" Yuri: "Please look there." *Hisaka-san pointed upwards at a large mandarin tree. Its large branches spanned all the way across the road.* *I could see the fruit growing from it.* Yuri: "I want to get one of those." Tomoe: "Huh? A mandarin?" Yuri: "Yes, a mandarin. I would like to bring one home for Momo." Tomoe: "Momo... Oh, your sister." Tomoe: "They're pretty high up, though. Picking one could be dangerous. Why don't you go buy some like a normal person?" Yuri: "Extravagance is the enemy. There are some growing right there, so there's no need to buy any." Yuri: "Oh, there's no need to worry. I made sure to get permission from the owners." Tomoe: "Did you? How courteous of you." *She seemed eager to pick them herself.* Tomoe: "So, how do you plan to go about it?" Yuri: "It would be difficult alone, but with your help, I'll manage. I'm sorry to ask, but could you lift me on your shoulders?" Tomoe: "On my shoulders?" *Now it made sense. If I lifted her on my shoulders, she just might reach.* Tomoe: "Will you be all right, though? You don't have to go that far..." Yuri: "But Momo likes them." *She sounded very adamant. Momo-chan sure was precious to her.* Tomoe: "Okay, please be careful." Yuri: "Yes, thank you very much." Tomoe: "Well then..." *Um, so I was going to give Hisaka-san a ride on my shoulders? This had taken a strange turn.* *I decided not to think about it too deeply and squatted down in place.* Yuri: "Excuse me, then. I'll be getting on now." *Hisaka-san straddled around my neck.* *Her warm weight spread from my neck to my shoulders. Then suddenly... everything went black.* Tomoe: "Hm? What the?" Yuri: "Oh, I'm sorry. It's my skirt..." Tomoe: "Oh..." *Her skirt was apparently caught on my head.* Yuri: "I-I'm sorry. Oh, what should I do?" *Amidst the darkness, I could hear her panicked voice calling to me from overhead.* Tomoe: "It's all right, so please don't panic." Yuri: "Y-Yes..." *That was probably asking for too much. Any way you looked at it, I currently had my head shoved up Hisaka-san's skirt.* *On a busy street like this? Talk about awkward...* Kiyohito: "What are you doing?" Tomoe: "Huh?" *This voice belonged to...* *When I regained my vision, I found Kiyohito standing there staring at me with an astounded look on his face.* Tomoe: "You on your way home now, too, Kiyohito?" Kiyohito: "...Are you sure that's what you should be asking? What the heck do you two think you're doing in public...?" *His face bore the slightest tinge of red. That was the face of someone imagining something dirty.* Tomoe: "I think you've got the wrong idea. We're not doing anything wrong." Kiyohito: "You're saying shoving your head up a girl's skirt is innocent?" Yuri: "I-It isn't what it looks like. I only asked him to give me a lift on his shoulders..." Kiyohito: "On his shoulders?" Tomoe: "She was just trying to pick the mandarins up there." Kiyohito: "Mandarins indeed." *Kiyohito looked up at the mandarins, then back at us before staring at Hisaka-san.* Kiyohito: "That branch is pretty high up, huh? I'm taller. Want me to give you a lift?" Yuri: "Huh? No, that's all right..." *It was true. Kiyohito was taller, and he was pretty cut out for piggyback rides, but Hisaka-san looked put off by the offer.* Kiyohito: "Oh, kidding, just kidding. It's a joke." *Kiyohito immediately took back what he'd said, seeming to have noticed her expression.* Kiyohito: "Makes sense~ Gotcha, gotcha. Guess I just wouldn't do." Yuri: "Huh? No, uh..." Kiyohito: "It's all right. I get it." *I didn't follow, but he sounded like he'd figured something out.* Tomoe: "What do you 'get,' exactly? We're totally in the dark here." Kiyohito: "And I'm saying I'm not. You two may not have realized it yet, though." Tomoe: "Again, what are you talking about?" Kiyohito: "It's fine, totally fine. The two of you will figure it out sooner or later." Kiyohito: "All right, I'm heading off. Take your time!" Tomoe: "Oh, hey..." Yuri: "...There he goes." *There was a lighthearted spring in Kiyohito's step as he wandered off into the distance. All was well as long as he didn't have any strange misconceptions.* *Actually, my head had been sticking out from between Hisaka-san's legs this whole time. There was no way we could avoid people getting the wrong idea from this, huh?* Tomoe: "Let's hurry up and pick that fruit." Yuri: "Oh, you're right." Tomoe: "Hang on tight, okay?" Yuri: "Yes, I will be all right." *I maintained my balance as best as I could while I stood up and carried Hisaka-san.* Yuri: "Wow, it's so high. I'm not heavy, am I?" Tomoe: "You're light as can be, but this is dangerous, so please try to get it over with quickly." Yuri: "Yes, right away." *Hisaka-san started to pluck the mandarins. One, two, three, four, five...* Tomoe: "You're picking an awful lot." Yuri: "Oh, am I being too greedy? The owners said I could pick as many as I wanted..." Tomoe: "In that case, you're probably fine. It might be risky if you take too many at once, though..." *As soon as I said that, the mandarins fell out of her hands.* Yuri: "Oh, the mandarins!" Yuri: "Kyah?!" *Hisaka-san started to lose her balance.* Tomoe: "Look out!" *Bam!* *I caught her in the nick of time as she fell from above. In exchange, all the mandarins fell to the ground.* Yuri: "I-I'm sorry..." Tomoe: "I told you it was dangerous." Yuri: "I'm sorry. I panicked once the mandarins fell." Tomoe: "The mandarins will be just fine if they fall, but _you_ will get hurt. Momo-chan would be sad if you got hurt over a few mandarins, too." Yuri: "You're right. I truly do apologize." *Hisaka-san dejectedly drooped her shoulders.* *I picked up the fallen mandarins. There were seven in all. Way too greedy.* Tomoe: "This should be plenty, shouldn't it? I'll walk you home." Yuri: "Huh? But..." Tomoe: "You would probably end up dropping them again." Yuri: "..." *She seemed deep in thought. I didn't put much thought into my offer, but had I crossed a line?* Tomoe: "Of course, I'm not saying I _have_ to." Yuri: "No... You are right. Please and thank you." Tomoe: "Are you sure it's okay?" Yuri: "Yes." *Hisaka-san smiled in pretty much the same fashion as usual. Maybe I just made too much of it?* Yuri: "Round that next corner." Tomoe: "Okay." *I turned at the corner with her.* *A building resembling a kindergarten came into view. At the very least, it wasn't a private residence. Upon closer inspection, it looked like some sort of housing facility.* Yuri: "This is the place." Tomoe: "Huh? Here?" Yuri: "This is my... my and Momo's home." Tomoe: "Huh? This is..." Yuri: "We don't have any parents, so we took this facility up on its hospitality." *A tiny smile crossed her face. It seemed intended to keep me from worrying, but had the opposite effect.* *I saw now. This was why she looked uncomfortable when I said I would escort her?* Tomoe: "So that's how it is. You're the same as me, huh?" Yuri: "That's right." *Learning we had similar circumstances helped me feel a small connection with her. Of course, there was no way she'd be happy being lumped together with someone like me.* Yuri: "But I have Momo." Tomoe: "And Nakizaki and her whole family have taken good care of me, too." Yuri: "Is that so? I guess neither of us were ever truly alone. Thank goodness." *There was loving care in the smile that rose to her face when she said that. She seemed to be delighted that my situation was just like hers.* *I felt happy that Hisaka-san wasn't all alone, either.* Momo: "Oh, Onee-chan~!" *Momo-chan ran over, but hid behind her sister the moment she saw me. Was she scared of me?* Tomoe: "Hello." Momo: "...Hi." *Even her greeting was short.* Momo: "Onee-chan, what were you up to?" Yuri: "Oh, he escorted me home. I picked too many mandarins." *I showed the mandarins I was carrying to Momo-chan.* Momo: "Wow, mandarins! Where'd you get them?" Yuri: "They were growing at a home near our school, and they shared some with us." Momo: "Yay!" *They were only mandarins, but she was genuinely delighted.* *When I saw her like this, she seemed like an ordinary girl who acted a little immature for her age, however...* Momo: "Come on in so we can eat." Yuri: "Yes, let's." Yuri: "Well then, Kirinokojima-kun. Thank you for walking me home..." Momo: "Never mind him, hurry up!" *She interrupted Hisaka-san and pulled on her hand.* Yuri: "Oh, wait, Momo. See you..." Tomoe: "Bye." *Hisaka-san was dragged away as she said goodbye. It was a charming scene with two intimate sisters.* *Then, as they walked away, Momo-chan turned back around.* Momo: "..." *Was she glaring at me? Looks like she really did hate me after all.* *Oh well. I wasn't exactly the likeable type anyway.* Momo: "Hey, Onee-chan! I'll peel your helping of mandarins, too!" Yuri: "Really? I'm so happy!" *The two of them joined hands and entered the building while chatting away.* *The two of them must have gotten really close living here.* *The likeness of those two walking away was forever imprinted into my retinas.*

Aine: "Mm, mmhhhm..." *Krk, krk, krk...* *Aine drew the bow. She was pulling so hard that her face turned beet red, but her form _was_ finally showing improvement.* Aine: "Weh!" Aine: "Ah! I hit it! I actually hit it!" Tomoe: "Follow through." Aine: "Ah..." Tomoe: "What good does it do if you lose your composure simply because you hit your target? You're _supposed_ to hit. Your excitement proves your inexperience." Aine: "I-I am sorry... but could you praise me, even if it is just a little?" Tomoe: "No. One more time." Aine: "You are stingy, Tomoe-san..." Tomoe: "_One hundred_ more times." Aine: "Wah, ah! I am sorry! I will do my best!" Tomoe: "Please do." *If Aine's archery improved a little more, I would be freed from acting as her proxy. I hoped that would come to pass soon.* *At that point in time, Aine would probably leave this place. She would have no more reason to stay.* Tomoe: "..." *Suddenly, an unfamiliar emotion reared its head, but then quickly disappeared.* *What was that just now? It was so brief, I couldn't get a grasp of what it had been.* Aine: "Tomoe-san, is something the matter?" Tomoe: "Huh? ...Oh, it's nothing." Tomoe: "Okay, five more." Aine: "Yes!" *If I couldn't tell what it was, best leave it be. If I didn't understand it, it meant there was no need to know.* *If the need arose, I was sure I'd come to understand it someday whether I liked it or not. However, my gut told me it would be best if that day never came.*

Aine: "Aww, my arms hurt..." *Aine rubbed her arms incessantly. This morning's practice must have really done a number on her.* *Neither Nakizaki nor Kiyohito were here; we were all alone.* Aine: "I wonder if anyone will come for a consultation." Tomoe: "People not showing up all the time is a good thing." *I'd gotten involved with so many couples these past two months. Enough was enough.* Tomoe: "Besides, if nobody shows up, doesn't that mean there are fewer people with troubles on their mind? Doesn't it mean it's peaceful?" Aine: "You may have a point..." *Aine didn't look satisfied. If I took a malicious point of view, you might even say she appeared to be eagerly awaiting a disaster to befall someone.* Tomoe: "Would you prefer it if a lot of unhappy people showed up?" Aine: "That is not it, either..." *Just then, the door to the roof opened.* *And out walked Hisaka-san.* Yuri: "Oh, you two were here already?" Tomoe: "Hisaka-san. Hello." *That's when I noticed someone was standing behind her.* ???: "Hello..." *That person timidly bowed his head. When our eyes met, he cowered and shyly avoided my gaze.* Yuri: "This is Osamu Mitsushima, from my class. Something seems to be troubling him. Would you mind filling us in?" Osamu: "I-I'm sorry..." Aine: "Oh, you need counseling? Please, go right ahead!" *Aine happily rushed over and dragged him along. How was this _not_ taking pleasure in other people's misfortune?* Aine: "So, what do you have to discuss? Love troubles?" Osamu: "N-No... There's no way I would be in a relationship..." Aine: "It is not related to love? Then what could it be?" Osamu: "Well, the thing is... I think someone I know is in trouble..." Aine: "Someone you know? Not a school friend?" Osamu: "No, it _is_ a classmate..." Aine: "Would that not make them a friend?" Osamu: "You think? I'm not so sure. I'd love it if we were, but I doubt she feels the same way..." Aine: "But you consider her a friend, correct? Otherwise you would not go out of your way to come and talk about her." Osamu: "Yeah, I'm worried..." Aine: "Then I am sure she feels the same! It is all right. I am positive your feelings will get through to her!" Osamu: "Will they? That would make me happy, but..." Aine: "It will all work out! So, would you tell me all about what you are worried about?" Osamu: "...Yeah." *He nodded in a exaggerated fashion, as if he had made up his mind about something.*

Aine: "So you think she is being followed by some bad guy?" Osamu: "Y-Yeah..." *Despite being our senior, Mitsushima-san was cowering before us. His story went like this:* *There were signs that a classmate of his was going out with some less than pleasant guy, and that this relationship was against her will.* Aine: "Have you seen them together?" Osamu: "Yeah, at the station. ...By chance." *He hastily added that at the end of his comment.* Tomoe: "The 'by chance' part is probably a lie." *I said in a low voice so only Aine would hear.* Aine: "Huh? You think so?" Tomoe: "Odds are he followed her." Aine: "He followed her? But why?" Tomoe: "Maybe he's a stalker?" *I didn't find that likely even though it was my own suggestion. He just plain didn't look like a bad guy, nor did he seem capable of something so nefarious.* Aine: "He does not look like a bad person to me." Tomoe: "Yeah." *That left only one conclusion: Mitsushima-san was most likely in love with that classmate.* *He insisted otherwise at first, but this was essentially a love consultation.* Osamu: "Um..." Aine: "Oh, I am sorry! It sounds like you are very worried about your classmate." Osamu: "Yeah, a lot." Tomoe: "Did he look like that horrible a person when they were together?" Osamu: "Yeah, that's right. He's this rough-looking old man in his forties..." Aine: "An older man? Are you sure he is not her father?" Osamu: "I doubt it..." *Sempai furled his brows with concern. It was tragic to see him looking so faint of heart.* Aine: "If you are that concerned, why do you not just ask your classmate about it directly?" Osamu: "A-About that... I think it would just bother her if someone like me were to ask something so private..." Aine: "That is not true! Nobody gets upset when people worry about them." Osamu: "You think so?" Aine: "I do! Right, Tomoe-san?" Tomoe: "It would irritate me, personally." Osamu: "I knew it..." Aine: "I-I am telling you, that is not the case! Tomoe-san is just too shy to say how he really feels. Right?" Tomoe: "No, I'm telling the truth..." Aine: "Ah, okay, okay, never mind." *She asked me, then cut off the conversation when it was convenient for her. What a selfish angel.* Aine: "Osamu-san." Aine: "If that classmate of yours is truly in trouble, I believe she must be hoping that someone will reach out to her." Aine: "I am sure she will be happy you care about her." Osamu: "You think so?" Aine: "I do! Besides, even if she _does_ get irritated and it turns out to be nothing, that would not be such a bad outcome." Osamu: "Yeah, it would be best if it _is_ nothing. All I want is to see her smile again..." *Sempai's expression relaxed. He must have been reminded of her smile.* Aine: "You must really love her." Osamu: "I-It's not like that. She's like a flower which rests on the highest of peaks, someone I'll never hope to reach." Aine: "Is that so?" Tomoe: "A flower on a peak..." *A third-year girl that was out of his league... A certain someone's face suddenly came to mind.* Tomoe: "Are you talking about Koyuki Arie-san, by chance?" Osamu: "Huh? Huh? Huuuh? Wh-Why...?" *I could tell by how flustered he got. Looks like I had hit the mark.* Osamu: "How could you tell it was Arie-san?" Tomoe: "We got to know her a little recently." Aine: "Is that so? It is Koyuki-san..." *It looked like something was bugging Aine about her, too. She _was_ rather concerned about her when we last met.* *Part of me was a little concerned about her myself.* *What stuck in my mind was how hollow and bottomless her eyes got for that brief moment.* *Those weren't the eyes of the living, but of someone envisioning death...* *What must someone go through to end up with eyes like that?* Aine: "Osamu-san, please try to help Koyuki-san! If there is anything we can do, we will help you, too!" Osamu: "Y-Yeah... I'll try my best..." *He nodded awkwardly, yet with determination.* *He must have really treasured Arie-san. Not puppy love, but the real thing... It might even be similar to faith.* *That was when it hit me: love and faith might just be surprisingly similar concepts.*

*I was a coward.* *I had been told ever since I was in elementary school that I was an effeminate weakling. I had always been chubby and kind of a softy. "Bullied" would be a good way to describe my childhood.* *I was so dim-witted that I didn't even notice it, either.* Osamu: "Haa, haa... After three years, I'm still not used to this hill." *I was pathetic for having so little stamina.* *But I was able to make it to school all three years without a single absence because Arie-san was there for me.* *In a stroke of luck, I was able to be in the same class as her all three years. Only a few students could say such a thing.* *In terms of boys, I was the only one.* *I suspected I had used a lifetime's worth of luck, but it was something so incredible that it was worth spending it.* *Because Arie-san was virtually a goddess to me.* Osamu: "Ah..." *Spotting her off in the distance was all it took to make my heart throb.* *It mystified me on occasion. Why did I like her so much? No, it shouldn't come as a surprise for anyone to like her.* *After all, Arie-san was pretty, stylish, had the highest grades of our class, and although she wasn't the most social person, I could tell how nice she was right away once I tried talking to her.* *I was positive there wasn't a person alive who could hate her. If they _did_ exist, then they were just jealous.* *Everyone being drawn to her only made sense; there was nothing strange about it.* *Even so, I had a hunch my feelings went beyond just "liking her."* Koyuki: "Ah..." *She must have sensed my eyes on her as she turned around and spotted me. The moment our eyes met, my heart felt like it would stop.* Koyuki: "Morning." Osamu: "G-Good morning..." *It could be as simple as a greeting, but when we exchanged words, my chest grew warm. So long as I could see her smile, I knew I could climb any slope that stood in my way.* *But Arie-san hardly ever smiled anymore. When had it started? Around summertime, maybe?* *I figured something must have been bothering her.* *She _was_ a third-year, and exceptional people like her surely had their own set of extraordinary worries.* *There was basically nothing I could do to give her a helping hand.* *That was why I continued to watch over her, worried all the while, but Arie-san never cheered up. In fact, it looked like she was getting more depressed with each passing day.* *But that too only lasted until a certain season...* *Ever since then, she stopped changing altogether. It was like she had just given up. Nobody else had noticed, but I could tell since I had been watching Arie-san, and only her, for some time.* *Of course, there was no way I could tell her that. She would just think I was creepy. That was clear even to an idiot like me.* *So even though I couldn't speak up, I noticed a long time ago that something was troubling her.* Koyuki: "What's wrong?" Osamu: "Oh... Uh-uh, it's nothing." Osamu: "I could ask you the same..." Koyuki: "Huh? What about me?" Osamu: "Um, uh..." Osamu: "It's nothing..." *"If something is on your mind, tell me." That was the one phrase I couldn't say aloud no matter what.* *It would hurt if she rejected me. I was terrified of that happening. In the end, I only thought of myself...* Koyuki: "Let's hurry up and get going, then." Osamu: "Yeah..." *I was absolutely pathetic.* Osamu: "Hm...?" *I could hear a cell phone vibrating. It wasn't mine, so that meant...* Osamu: "Isn't that your phone?" *I only pointed it out since I thought she hadn't noticed, but I instantly realized it had been a mistake.* Koyuki: "...Yeah, I know." *She noticed it, but pretended not to! It must have been a call she didn't want to answer.* *And now that I had said something, she had no choice.* Koyuki: "Hello..." *A resigned look immediately crossed her face. Looks like it hadn't been a good call after all. I was such a loudmouth...* Koyuki: "...Got it." *Her call apparently finished in the time it took me to repent to myself.* Osamu: "Wh-Who... was that?" *I boldly asked that single question.* Koyuki: "Nobody... A family member..." Osamu: "W-Was it? Well... that's good, then..." *It definitely was not good! ...Even though that's what I believed, I couldn't say it out loud.* Koyuki: "Sorry, I'm gonna leave early. Tell the teacher for me." Osamu: "Huh? Leave early? But we haven't even started?" Koyuki: "Then tell the teacher I'll be absent. A minor emergency came up." Osamu: "Emergency..." Koyuki: "Please." *Arie-san headed in the direction from which she came. What should I do...?* Osamu: "Sorry, Arie-san." *I stealthily followed after her. I couldn't tell the teacher she was absent.*

Osamu: "..." *Arie-san seemed to be waiting for someone in front of the station.* *She stood out due to her school uniform, but luckily there were few people around at this time of day, so no one really paid her any mind.* Osamu: "Th-That guy..." *It was that man I had seen her with before. It occurred to me then that him being here wasn't very surprising. It was just a prediction I had hoped was wrong.* Oomura: "C'mon, let's go." Koyuki: "..." *The older man started to walk, and Arie-san followed after him. Almost like...* Osamu: "Th-That can't be it..." *I quickly denied the idea that popped into my head.* *I mean, Arie-san couldn't possibly be... selling herself...* Osamu: "I wonder where they're going?" *I was becoming more anxious every second I spent following them.* *After all, just past this park was a sketchy area on the outskirts of town that everyone shied away from.* *It was a rough neighborhood with lewd shops and sexually oriented hotels.* *And it looked like those two were heading in that very direction.* Osamu: "It couldn't be..." *I refused to believe it. Arie-san couldn't be doing _that_ with this old man...* Osamu: "There's absolutely no way." *It couldn't be. It just _couldn't_ be...*

*At some point, the sky had gone dark.* *To make things worse, it had started to rain, but I didn't feel like moving.* Osamu: "..." *I couldn't believe what I'd seen. I couldn't believe Arie-san had gone into a... love hotel with that man.* *I thought it might be a nightmare and pinched my cheeks.* *Squeeeeze...* Osamu: "...It hurts." *The pain came time and time again. I thought it might turn out to be some horrible nightmare if I just kept pinching until the pain subsided, but it never did.* Osamu: "Maybe... they're lovers...?" *There _were_ couples with large age gaps. That possibility wasn't completely out of the question...* Osamu: "No." *They _definitely_ weren't acting very intimate back there.* *I had never dated a girl before, and I was a virgin, but I could still say that for sure.* *I kept watch the whole time. The old man finally came out alone sometime after 3AM.* *After tailing him a while longer, I was convinced.* *That old man wasn't Arie-san's lover.* *I happened to see him yelling at an elderly man he bumped into at the shopping district.* *It was his fault for not watching where he was going, but he blamed the old man for his age and shouted at him relentlessly.* *On top of that, he walked around while smoking, threw his cigarette butts on the street, and kicked over the bicycles parked on the sidewalk.* *He was a terrible human being. There was no way Arie-san would fall for a horrible guy like him. Absolutely not.* *If that were true, then I had to imagine he somehow brought her here against her will.* Osamu: "Terrible..." *Rage filled me, but since I almost never got angry, I didn't know what to do with it.* Osamu: "I never knew anger could make your chest hurt this much..." *The pain was so severe that my heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest. My fingernails dug into my clenched palms and hurt even worse. It felt like my body might be torn to shreds.* *What should I do? What could I do for Arie-san?* Osamu: "There's nothing I _can_ do..." *Why was I so powerless?* Yuri: "Oh...?"