April 30 (Thursday)

April 30 (Thursday), 12:00 PM

The start of the second day.

April 30 (Thursday), 12:37 PM

It’s lunch break.

A yawn escapes me, probably because of that bizarre phone call I received at six in the morning.

“I’m going to make you a bento for lunch today.”

She hung up before I could answer.

What was that all about…?

It’s the last day of April, and the rest of society is kicking off the long Golden Week holiday, and our own school vacation is fast approaching. I’m standing in the hallway waiting for Otonashi as usual. We eat lunch together pretty much every day, but this is the first time she’s ever made food for me.

“Hey, Kazu! I heard all about it! You have a little bento event-o coming up with Maria today, don’t you?”

There goes my peace and quiet. Kokone sweeps around in front of me with Haruaki grinning ear to ear right beside her.

“…I thought I told you not to tell anyone since it would cause a stir, Haruaki,” I grumble.

“You can give me orders, but whether I follow them is entirely up to me!”

This guy truly is the lowest of the low.

“Anyway, Kazu, tell us all about this little lunch event of yours!”

“…Uh, well, I don’t really know much about it myself. I just got a call this morning, and…”

“She called you in the morning? You two must be so in love!”

I wish she’d let me finish.

“She called him in the morning…,” someone mutters behind me, and I turn around.

…Oh, great, here comes even more trouble.

“Oh, morning, Riko-rin,” Kokone called.

“Hello…”

The girl with the strange nickname, courtesy of Kokone, is Riko Asami, a petite, short-haired first-year student. She’s in the same class as Otonashi and one of her many fans thanks to that speech at the school entrance ceremony. Normally, Asami and Otonashi come to school together, but today it seems Asami got to class first. Maybe it’s just me, but she looks and sounds darker than usual.

Asami is staring at me with empty eyes.

“…Um, okay?” Is she mad at me about something?

“I’ve heard some things. Like how Maria is making you lunch today.”

“U-uh, yeah. It seems that way.”

My answer provokes no response from Asami except more silent staring.

“……I wish your cell phone battery would explode… I hope it’s one of those dodgy batteries they sell for supercheap in other countries… It should just swell up bigger and bigger…!”

All that mumbling under her breath gives me goose bumps, like she’s putting a curse on me.

“A-anyway, I wonder why Maria chose you, Kazu?” Kokone interjects with a smile, perhaps hoping to dispel some of the tension. “You know, some of the other boys in school have been shooting you some pretty scary looks lately. I even heard they’ve got a list of guys they wanna kill and make it look like an accident. You’re right at the top!”

“What the hell kind of list is that…?! Who says that…?”

“Me, for one.” Haruaki raises his hand. “I cast my vote just like the rest. The thought of you getting all touchy-feely with Maria really grinds my gears!”

I sag in exhaustion.

I know Haruaki, at least, is joking, but I have definitely noticed some of the other guys at school giving me the stink eye recently. I don’t think my relationship with Otonashi is the only thing bugging them, though…

“Huh? What’re you looking at, Kazu?”

“……Nothing.”

I wonder if Kokone knows. Does she understand that all this friendly conversation between us is also probably part of why everyone has it in for me?

Kokone inclines her head quizzically at my attitude. She recently switched up her hairstyle from the way she wore it during that near-eternal March. Now she pulls her hair up on the side instead of in the center. I guess you’d call that a side ponytail?

“Hey, I’ve been wondering for a while now, but how exactly did you manage to tame Otonashi?”

“‘Tame’…? That’s not a very nice way of putting it.”

“C’mon, she must be used to guys coming on to her, so I’m sure it took more than your average pickup line to snag her. You must have convinced her it was fate and made her believe ‘Oh, this guy’s special.’” With a triumphant tone, Kokone starts letting her imagination run wild as if she’s got it all figured out. “That’s gotta be it… Maybe you saved her from some pervert… Yeah, it’s definitely within the realm of possibility. Some sicko probably came after her like, ‘Hey, your belly button lint smells sooo nice! And what’s this?! Do I spy a bit of crust here, too? I—I definitely don’t mind a bit of crust in my belly button!!’ And then you saved her from his filthy clutches, I know it!”

“I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think I have what it takes to face off with someone as twisted as that… Besides, Otonashi and I aren’t even dating, you know.”

That’s the undeniable truth, but my rebuttal only makes Kokone’s smile widen.

“Okay, then how do you explain what happened at the entrance ceremony? Huh? Huuuuuh?”

“Th-that was just…”

She’s speaking of the “declaration” Otonashi made at our school entrance ceremony this year. I can understand how that might have sparked some misunderstandings. I have to find some way to explain things to Kokone that’ll wipe the grin off her face.

“O-Otonashi is just kinda crazy like that.”

“…I’m crazy like what?”

I know that voice. I turn around in terror.

It’s Maria Otonashi.

I can’t help but freeze as I see her face, but not because my blood is running cold at what she said. I’m tense because I didn’t have time to steel myself before my eyes landed on her sculpted features.

Otonashi is unbelievably beautiful, and I still haven’t acclimated to her aloof manner. I can’t help but be nervous when she’s nearby. I count to three in my head, as I always do when I prepare myself to speak with her.

We’ve spent nearly an entire lifetime together. I’m well aware of that. It’s just that none of that time seems real to me anymore.

“Why are you so tense? Did you think I’d be angry with you? You know it takes more than that to upset me.”

“Y-yeah.”

As I stand there flustered, Asami quietly shuffles around until she’s behind Otonashi.

“…Huh? What is it, Asami?”

Asami stares at me as before without making a reply.

Haruaki speaks up instead. “There’s something off about her today. I’m sure it has to do with this bento incident, like she thinks you’re going to snatch dear Maria away from her.”

“……Quit talking like you know her. You should show her more respect……”

Asami is snarling under her breath again, her gaze downcast.

“Enough of this. Let’s go, Kazuki.”

“You mean to the cafeteria?”

Otonashi lets her breath out in undisguised exasperation. “Why can’t you understand what I was getting at when I said I would make your lunch today? The cafeteria is no good.”

It isn’t?

Otonashi and I meet every day for lunch, mostly so we can discuss O and the Boxes.

That said, it’s not like new information on those topics crops up every day, so we rarely speak of anything that isn’t meant for the ears of others. I say “rarely,” but truthfully, we haven’t had a top-secret conversation even once since Otonashi came to this school.

But for some reason we can’t meet in the cafeteria today.

“Oh, I get it. That’s why you made me a bento… We could’ve bought some bread or something at the cafeteria, though,” I answer quietly.

Otonashi leans in close and whispers in my ear. “I had more than my fill of the bread they sell here during my stay in the Rejecting Classroom. I’m sure you know what I mean…”

Yeah, I guess, but… I can understand why she wouldn’t want anyone to hear the words “Rejecting Classroom,” but why would she be so obvious about getting close to me in front of Asami? Seems like rubbing it in.

Casting a quick glance at Asami, I realize her gaze has sharpened even more.

“Um, Maria? Can I come along today, too…?”

“Sorry, Asami, but today I want to eat alone with Kazuki.”

“Alone with…”

“Let’s go, Kazuki.”

Otonashi takes me by the arm and leads me away. Completely failing to read the situation, Haruaki can’t resist a whistle.

…I wonder what Asami thinks of all this.

I glance behind me in curiosity and see that she’s staring at the ground and whispering something under her breath.

“……I wish some big fat female cockroach all bloated with eggs would crawl in your mouth and lay the entire clutch in your stomach… I hope they hatch and the babies eat you alive from the inside out……!”

She’s scaring me!

April 30 (Thursday), 12:43 PM

“Being behind the school like this brings back memories, huh?”

This spot around back of the building was home to many of our talks within that endlessly repeating realm.

Apparently, Otonashi isn’t particularly sentimental about that, because she only shoots me a quick glance and, indifferently, removes a cloth-covered bento from her bag and hands it to me.

“…Th-thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

I unwrap the bento and open the lid. Nothing too remarkable, but somehow not quite what I expected.

I decide to try the asparagus wrapped in bacon first, popping a piece in my mouth.

…Yep, the taste is pretty standard, too.

“Uh…the bacon asparagus tastes really good.”

“It was frozen.”

…Ah, okay, now I get it. That explains why it’s so nondescript.

I go for the hamburg steak next. Naturally, it looks and tastes completely ordinary.

“…Um, the hamburg is good, t—”

“Also frozen.”

…Thought so.

I scan the bento to see what else is on the menu. I’m willing to bet that the fries, meatballs, dumplings, and mixed veggies all came straight from the freezer.

“Don’t try so hard to consider my feelings. There’s no need to compliment me on any of this.”

“…So you never cooked the whole time you were in the Rejecting Classroom?”

During all those time loops, Otonashi had learned martial arts and a bunch of other skills, so I figured she must have tried her hand at cooking as well.

“What, are you chomping at the bit to inform me of how terrible I am in the kitchen?”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant…”

“Of course it is… Not that I care, though. I did cook. I even learned to make some rather elaborate dishes. It’s just that I never found it particularly enjoyable. I was never able to find the same fun in mastering cooking as I did with other skills.”

“And that’s why your bento sucks.”

“I see you’re finally being honest.”

Whoops.

I risk a peek at Otonashi’s reaction… She doesn’t seem angry, at least.

“I have to ask: Since you’re not interested in cooking, does that also mean you aren’t into food in general?”

“Quite the contrary. I’m very happy when I eat something that suits my palate.”

“What’s your favorite food, then?”

“Strawberry tarts. I like most pastries made with straw— Hey, why are you sitting there with that meatball sticking out of your mouth?”

“Uh, it’s nothing…”

Who would’ve thought she likes something so cutesy? I can see Otonashi liking something like sweet potato youkan jelly, but strawberry seems completely unlike her. …I’m on the verge of saying so, too, before I think better of it and keep the thought to myself. That was a close one.

“Heh, it takes some nerve to decide someone’s preferences don’t suit them.”

“…I never said that.”

“Oh? Then who were you thinking of? She seemed more likely to enjoy sweet potato, I believe?”

…How did she figure out something that specific?

“So you like eating, but not cooking.”

I try to shift the topic to something less dangerous for me.

“I don’t find much pleasure in eating food I prepare myself. It just feels like work.”

It goes without saying that there was no one for Otonashi to share her culinary skill with in that interminable world. Even someone like me who hardly ever spends time in the kitchen understands that half the fun of cooking is seeing the joy of others when they eat your handiwork. Without someone to share your cooking with, it would seem like a lot of work for nothing.

“…Enough about that. I didn’t bring you back here to talk about this nonsense.”

“O-of course not.”

“Let’s get down to business.” With that, Otonashi rifles through her bag and pulls out her cell phone. “I got a message in the middle of the night.”

“A message?” I parrot back at her.

Otonashi wordlessly shoves her phone up to my face. The message on the screen reads: My wish has been granted. Now you and I can be together.

…Okay, what the heck is this? It looks like the sort of thing people would send just after they started a relationship. Hmm? Does this mean Otonashi is seeing someone? Her, of all people?

Looking over at Otonashi, I see her smirking at my reaction.

“Anyway, I knew what was up from the moment I met you today. Check who the sender is, Kazuki.”

I do as she says. After the word “From”…

“Huh?”

…it says “Kazuki Hoshino.”

Wait, so I sent this? …No way, that’s impossible! I don’t remember that at all. But clearly, someone must have sent it, right…?

“At first, I thought maybe someone was spoofing your account, but I filter all my messages, so that didn’t seem likely. Naturally, I have to assume it did in fact come from your phone.”

“But, Otonashi, I don’t remember sending this at—”

“How about we take a look at your sent messages box, then? It should be in there, unless you deleted it.”

I nod and pull out my phone. After a quick check, I find the e-mail in question.

“My wish has been granted. Now you and I can be together.”

There it is, verbatim.

“B-but…” My blood curdles.

“Calm down, Kazuki. One look at your face is all I need to know that you didn’t send this message of your own volition. The thing is, if this is the work of someone else, they would’ve had to use your phone sometime after two in the morning to send the message to me.”

The message is dated the thirtieth, so it was sent at 2:23 AM today.

My phone would’ve been lying next to my pillow then. Otonashi’s call woke me up this morning, so I’m positive on that detail at least. That suggests that whoever sent this sneaked into my room sometime after two this morning. But why? Why would anyone go to the trouble of doing that…?

“Kazuki,” Otonashi says to bring me back into focus. “I forced my way into the Box known as Rejecting Classroom before, right? How do you think I was able to do that?”

“…Huh?”

I can’t grasp what she’s trying to tell me.

“It has something to do with what we’re talking about now. I was able to force my way in because I’m a Box myself—that’s how I explained it before, but that still doesn’t directly correlate to the reason I was able to actually enter the Box, don’t you think?”

“…Now that you put it that way, you’re right.”

“I have the ability to sense other Boxes and track them down. I also have the ability get inside one once I find it.”

“…I see.”

“So someone sent this message from your phone to mine at a little after two in the morning, or at least they made it seem that way. There are probably several methods, but I have a theory.” Otonashi lays out her hypothesis. “It was done using a Box.”

…A Box?

“Are…you sure? Why would someone go to the trouble of using a Box to do something like that?”

“I already told you, Kazuki. I can sense their presence… True, as you say, the Box may have nothing to do with the actual message itself, but I am absolutely certain of one thing.”

Otonashi fixes me with something bordering on a glare as she continues.

“Someone nearby is using a Box at this very moment.”

More than her words, her steady gaze leads me to finally understand what’s starting to occur around me.

It’s happening again.

Another Box is about to ruin my normal life.

“Let’s get back to the message, Kazuki. Assume it was created using the power of a Box. If so, what does it mean? It would be a bit too optimistic to presume the owner had only a simple prank in mind once they gained power, don’t you agree?”

“…Meaning?”

“It’s a declaration of war. Or possibly just a statement of truth.”

“…Truth?” What kind of truth? It’s not like Otonashi is going to start dating the owner or anything.

“It could be a metaphor of some sort. Another possibility is that the Box has been used to ensure this future comes to pass. One thing is for certain, however…” Otonashi takes a small breath before continuing, “Whoever the owner is, their use of the Box directly involves the two of us.”

Yeah, that has to be right. There’s no reason why they would use my phone to send Otonashi that message if things were any other way.

“…So what should I do?”

“I know without a doubt that a Box is in play, so my first order of business is to pinpoint exactly how it’s being used and then determine its nature. I want you to assist me. You’re sensitive to anything out of the ordinary, no matter how minute, right? You may be able to pick up on slight disturbances I wouldn’t notice.”

“Okay, I understand. I’ll be on the lookout.”

“Thanks. I’ll be in touch if I find anything.”

Assuming our little chat is over, I return to my lunch. But I pause again once I notice that Otonashi hasn’t started eating again herself.

“Is there anything else we need to discuss, Otonashi?”

“Hmm… Yeah, I suppose so,” Otonashi continues somewhat awkwardly. “It doesn’t really matter, but I can’t get over it. It’s troubling me, so I’ll just get it off my chest.”

“…Okay, go ahead.”

“Why do you address me differently now?”

“Huh?”

Talk about a strange question out of the blue.

“…If there’s no particular reason, that’s fine.” With that said, Otonashi resumes her lunch.

I’m curious why she asked, but like she said, it probably doesn’t matter, so I get back to eating, too.

April 30 (Thursday), 10:38 PM

Slight changes in my daily life.

I rack my brain as I sit at the same desk I’ve been using since elementary school, but I can’t come up with anything at all. Changes. Aren’t things always changing in life?

I know I’m not going to get anywhere this way, so I flip open my cell phone.

On the screen is a picture of Mogi in her pajamas—a bit thinner than before, but not painfully so. She’s in her hospital room making the peace sign, with a smile as bright as a sunflower.

“Ewww, what’re you grinning like that for, Kazu? You must be looking at porn!”

I hurriedly turn off my phone as soon as I hear my sister, who’s three years older.

“N-no, I’m not!”

“Ooh, you’re so upset! Seems awfully suspicious to me!”

With a stupid grin, my older sister, Ruka Hoshino, climbs up to the top bunk of our bed. Looks like Roo is in her underwear again. Sheesh… Even though she’s almost twenty, she still runs around the house half-dressed all the time. I’m a high school second-year, so I’m pretty much an adult, too, you know.

“Oh, I know! Maybe you were looking at a picture of Kasumi Mogi!”

“Wha…?!”

How does she know?!

“Uh-oh, does that mean I’m right? Eh-heh-heh…”

“H-hold on, now. How do you know about Mogi…? Hey, have you been looking through my phone?!”

“Nope. I just saw her name on the screen when she called you once, so I guessed whatever pics you were looking at must be of her… Either way, you’re a bit of a perv, aren’t you, smiling at pictures of girls like that.”

This is exactly why I hate having to share a room…!

I grab my phone and dive into the bottom bunk so she can’t see the panic on my face.

“So tell me, is she your girlfriend?”

“N-no!”

“So what’s going on between you two? Or should I ask—how do you feel about her?”

“……Um.”

What is going on between us…? How do I really feel about her?

I remember she once confessed her feelings for me in the Rejecting Classroom, and if she’s sending me photos like this, she probably still does like me, just a little… Probably.

The prospect isn’t entirely unpleasant.

But…I honestly don’t know any more than that. All the emotions I had within the Rejecting Classroom are long gone. It’s possible I used to have feelings for Mogi, too. I recall doing things that would imply I did. But maybe that’s precisely why I can’t have a completely unfiltered view of her. I have no way of knowing how honest my emotions are in my daily life now.

“Well… Let’s, uh, let’s just say she’s a friend.”

That answer took a lot of deliberation, but there’s no response. That’s strange, I think, straining my ears only to hear my sister snoring away softly.

…I always think this, but she falls asleep way too easily.

I realize I still haven’t sent a reply to Mogi, so I begin typing one out. I check the time in the corner of the screen: 10:59.

I’m in the middle of writing when suddenly, I black out.

April 30 (Thursday), 11:18 PM

All right, time to make that call.

May 1 (Friday)

May 1 (Friday), 8:14 AM

Kokone gave me the cold shoulder when I said good morning to her today.

Normally, she’s the one approaching me, but for some reason, she’s keeping her distance, almost on purpose, and talking to our other classmates. Her eyes dart over my way every so often, though, almost as if she’s frightened of me.

I have absolutely no clue what’s going on here. What in the world could be causing her to act like this? At this rate, I probably won’t get to enjoy a nice chat before class with my friends, so I munch on a cheese Umaibo so I have an excuse not to talk to anyone.

“Did you do something to Kiri?”

That’s Daiya for you—firing off the question point-blank without a care in the world for the inner workings of my heart.

“…Not that I know of.”

“Huh… Okay then, let me fill you in on a little secret.”

“A secret?”

Does Daiya know what’s gotten into Kokone this morning?

“It’s the first time she’s had to take exams during her first year of middle school. She got too into studying the night before and ended up going into the tests with barely any sleep. Well, since she wore herself out, Kiri ended up nodding off during her third-period exam. Nobody would’ve noticed if she’d simply breathed like other people do when they drift off, but nope, that idiot had to start sleep-talking in the middle of a silent classroom. She was like: ‘I can’t fit into the plugsuit; it’s too tight…’”

“…Uh, Daiya? Why are you telling me this?”

“Why do you think? I’m giving you some heavy ammo to use on Kiri. It takes a lot to make her dislike someone. Now’s your chance to really get her to hate you and break away from her for good. You’re almost there now. All you need to do is mention what I’ve just told you, and you’re home free.”

“Um, that’s not exactly what I’m hoping for, to be honest… Besides, that story sounds more cute than embarrassing to me.”

“Well, that’s where the cuteness stops. It gets even more hilarious. You still have yet to hear about her epic drooling.”

I suspect I’m not going to like what comes next, so I shut my mouth and try to plug my ears. Unfortunately for me, Daiya is too quick and yanks my hands away from my head.

“No, I don’t want to hear any more!!”

“That’s not it; forget about that crap. Take a look over there.”

I turn in the direction Daiya is pointing and find Otonashi talking with a male student outside the classroom door. She looks like she’s in a foul mood, to say the least.

Facing off with her is a boy with intelligent almond-shaped eyes behind a pair of black-framed glasses: Ryu Miyazaki, our class president. Unlike Daiya, who was chosen as the first-year president because of his test scores, Miyazaki actually takes his role seriously. He’s a model student but not a stick-in-the-mud, and he’s pretty much universally popular with everyone in class as a leader we can count on.

I sidle up to the two of them with more than a little reluctance. Truth be told, I find it somewhat difficult to deal with Miyazaki’s overwhelming confidence sometimes.

“…What’s going on?” I ask, and the two turn to face me.

“Oh, it’s you, Kazuki. I’m trying to enter the classroom, but he won’t let me through.”

“Of course I won’t. What makes you think you can just waltz right into the homeroom of your upperclassmen? It would be another story at lunchtime, though.”

Now that he mentions it, Otonashi almost never comes here aside from lunch break. She was probably trying to show at least the bare minimum of decorum.

“All you want to do is drag Hoshino off somewhere, right?”

“What I do with Kazuki doesn’t matter.”

“Oh, it does. Don’t forget that I’m the class president. Part of my duties is to watch over my classmates. Besides, first period is about to begin. If he goes off with you, he’ll be late for class.”

“As if I care. He and I have something more important to attend to.”

For a moment, I have no idea what Otonashi’s talking about, but I soon realize that only one thing could be so important.

It must have to do with the Box. That takes priority over everything else for me, too.

“Um…hey, Miyazaki? I, uh, actually do need to go,” I say.

Miyazaki knits his brows and begins staring intently at me, like he’s sizing me up. I can’t help but recoil under such an unforgiving inspection.

“Do you do whatever Otonashi says?”

“N-no, but…”

“You’re pathetic. How about you try thinking for yourself instead of letting some girl drag you around like a dog on a leash?”

“Hey, who the hell do you think you are? You talk as if Kazuki has no will of his own.”

Otonashi jumps into the fray. The corners of Miyazaki’s mouth twitch upward in a smirk at her rebuttal.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you mad at me for insulting your lover boy here? Oh, or maybe you didn’t like the implication that you’re selfishly leading him along by the nose?”

“You…”

Otonashi’s glare is ice-cold; Miyazaki’s smile is thin.

“If you’ve got something to say about it, then—”

“You’re doing this on purpose.”

Miyazaki stops short at Otonashi’s words.

“Your position as class president is a rather poor excuse for giving us so much trouble, don’t you think? Nothing we did ever bothered you before, so why now all of a sudden? You’re practically on the verge of stopping us by force. Are you trying to come up with some shoddy premise to keep bothering us from now on?”

“…I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“That’s all well and good, if you actually don’t. I can’t help but get a bit edgy in these situations, so it jumped out at me. If I’m mistaken, we can let it go at that, and if not, I can keep you in check.”

In stunned silence, I watch the two of them go at it. Where did that come from?

“Let’s go, Kazuki.” And with that, Otonashi leads me away.

“Uh, okay…”

Miyazaki quietly gazes at Otonashi’s grip on my hand with a slightly wooden expression. Normally, I barely have anything to do with him, so it does seem odd that he would come after us like that.

Otonashi leads me out of the classroom and straight into Haruaki, who seems to be returning from a trip to the bathroom, along with Asami, who must’ve come here hot on Otonashi’s heels.

“Yo, what’s up, Hosshi? You guys eloping or something?”

“……Eloping……”

Thanks to Haruaki’s incurably clueless remark, Asami’s gaze latches on to our linked hands. It slides up a little, until her narrowed eyes are considering me… It’s really freaking me out.

“Hey, what’s the matter, Rikocchi? You’re acting weird today,” Haruaki comments.

That nickname would usually bother Asami, but today, she only has eyes for me.

“A-Asami has been kinda off since yesterday, Haruaki,” I reply.

“Huh, is that so?” Haruaki really is an airhead if he can forget yesterday just like that.

“…Miss Maria.”

“Sorry, but we don’t have time today.”

Otonashi brusquely dismisses Asami with barely a glance before turning away, leaving the other girl hanging her head in dejection.

Without moving a muscle, Asami begins muttering to herself.

“……I hope the people on those hidden message boards drag your name through the mud… I hope they bury you under a pile of photoshopped pictures that strip away every last shred of dignity you have…”

Hey, come on now, it’s not my fault Otonashi is in such a bad mood!

May 1 (Friday), 8:31AM

We’re back behind the school, just like we were yesterday.

“I’m sure you already know what I want to talk to you about,” Otonashi says, leaning against the wall.

I swallow and nod. She must have discovered something new about the Box someone’s been using recently.

“I have a few questions for you.”

“Okay.”

“Why are we here together now?”

“Why…? I thought it was because being near me is best for you, right? Since it means you’re more likely to encounter O again.”

“…Correct.”

I don’t think anything was wrong with my answer, but for some reason, Otonashi only frowns.

“Wait. So you fully understand your position in all this, and you haven’t gotten the wrong idea about what we’re doing?”

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

“Oh, come on! …No, it’s okay. You’re not the type to say something like that unless you mean it. I have to answer sincerely, too. I just wanted to escape from that. Kazuki, I—”

“Hold on a sec.”

Otonashi’s voice grows rough after I cut her off. “Why did you stop me?!”

“I-I’m sorry… But what are we talking about here? I thought this was all about the Box.”

“The Box…? What’re you saying? Of course it’s important, but you must know I brought you back here to talk about our phone call yesterday.”

“What phone call yesterday?”

“Ah, yesterday, you—” Otonashi stops short, wide-eyed, for a moment, then swallows. “…I see. It’s like that message two days ago. No, but… I’ve spent too much time with you for that. There’s no way it could work over the phone…”

“Otonashi…?”

“Kazuki, I need to ask you something else.” Otonashi stops whispering and asks me loud and clear, “Did you…make a confession to me on the phone yesterday?”

A confession?

As in, “I love you—will you go out with me?”

“Yesterday, you told me over the phone that you were going to profess your love to me again in person tomorrow, and by that I mean today.”

“I-I’d never say that…”

“I know you wouldn’t. I realize that now upon reflection.”

“O-of course I wouldn’t! How could you even think I’d do something like that…?!”

“If you’re so certain, check your call history.”

I agree to Otonashi’s calm request and pull out my phone to look over my outgoing calls.

The name at the very top is Maria Otonashi.

The time stamp is May 1, 1:49 AM.

That’s impossible. I should’ve been asleep then. I don’t remember calling her.

“Yesterday, you… No, I guess technically it would’ve been today. At any rate, you called me right before two in the morning and told me you were in love with me. I know that for a fact.”

There is no way I would ever pull something like that. At the same time, Otonashi wouldn’t stage a show like this just to mess with my head.

Either way, I know I didn’t do it. I’m absolutely sure of that.

“I don’t know how they’re doing it, but it has to be someone’s idea of a prank, don’t you think?”

“A prank, huh…? So you’re proposing that someone co-opted your cell phone and professed his love to me as you just for a laugh?”

It does sound a little far-fetched, but I can’t think of anything else. I’m about to say so when Otonashi continues.

“The voice was exactly the same as yours.”

“What?”

Otonashi presses onward while I stand there gaping like an idiot.

“Unless you have some long-lost twin brother out there, I can say that with absolute confidence. It was unquestionably you.”

“Y-you must have heard wrong. Maybe you just assumed you were hearing me since the call came from my number… That’s got to be it…”

“Kazuki, I’ve spent almost an entire lifetime with you. It’s ridiculous to think I wouldn’t recognize your voice when I hear it.”

Given the utter certainty on Otonashi’s face, I know there’s no way she could’ve been mistaken.

But if that’s the case, the only possible conclusion is that I really did say those things to her, isn’t it? No, there’s no way. Otonashi is positive it was my voice on the phone, but I’m just as positive that I would never call and pour out my heart to her like that. That doesn’t change the fact that the call happened, though.

“None of this fits together…”

“You’re right. The contradictions are simply too great for any normal explanation. The only possible answer is…”

Yes.

The incongruities are impossible. That’s why…

“This has to be the work of a Box.”

The word sits like a heavy weight on my chest. The fear welling up inside is almost unbearable, even though we still don’t have the slightest idea of what we’re facing.

“We have to devise a plan right away. The owner is clearly targeting us and seems to be hostile as well.”

“What should I do…?”

“Good question… I need some time to assess the situation. For now, hang tight until I come up with something. I’ll work out a game plan for how we should proceed.”

I nod quietly.

“That’s all for now. I’m going back to class,” she says.

Otonashi turns away and leaves without even a glance back in my direction.

May 1 (Friday), 9:32 AM

I time my return to the classroom to coincide with our first-period break, only to find Kokone standing watch beside the doorway like some sort of guardian deity.

Our eyes meet, and for some reason, she’s glaring at me. Her face is slightly flushed and red—maybe she’s angry.

“…I waited for you…”

“Huh?”

“I was waiting for you to come talk to me!” Clearly upset, Kokone starts shouting. “But you were out there skipping first period with that other girl! What the hell?! I don’t get you at all! You don’t make any sense, Kazu!”

From my perspective, there is no discernible reason why she should be so worked up, but for the time being, I decide to keep my mouth shut.

That only makes things worse, though, as Kokone groans, “Nnngh!” and pushes me up against the wall of the hallway.

“Uh…I’m sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?!”

“Huh? …S-sorry.”

“I said, why are you apologizing?!”

Kokone gets even more up in my face as I stand there bewildered.

“Or maybe you have something you want to apologize for! Are you trying to erase what you did with an apology? Don’t you know how awful that is?! W-well…actually, that would make things easier for me, but…”

“J-just hold on… What’s all this about?”

We’re really talking past each other here, exactly like the conversation I had with Otonashi.

…Wait. Hold on a second. Does that mean…?

“Why are you being so dumb?! You have to know! C’mon… You…”

Kokone’s face flushes an even-deeper red, until the tips of her ears are practically glowing.

If this is going where I think it is, I don’t want to hear any more. But nope, Kokone checks to makes sure no one else is around, leans in, and whispers, “I’m talking about how you called me yesterday…and said you liked me.”

What the…? I said I liked Kokone?

At a complete loss for words, I fall into silence. Kokone looks up at me through her lashes.

“And it’s just that…I…”

Her gaze lowers uncomfortably. Maybe she read something into my reaction. Her mouth works silently as if she’s having trouble finding the right words, before she eventually continues.

“I’m sorry… I-it’s just that I don’t know what to think… I mean…I’ve always considered you a friend, and I thought you felt the same way about me. And…not that it really matters, but…there’s Daiya to think about, too.”

Mustering her courage, Kokone clenches her fists and focuses on me.

“…Wait for me. I’m not sure when I’ll have an answer for you, but wait a bit… I’m sorry.”

There is genuine pain on her face, and it threatens to break my heart. I want to cry out to her that it wasn’t me who said those things, but I know it would be pointless to explain. In fact, it would only make things worse.

Kokone misinterprets my agonized expression, and her mouth forms a grim line identical to mine. She spins on her heel and hurries back to the classroom.

Once she’s completely out of sight, I mutter under my breath, “I think of you as a friend, too.”

My hands ball into fists.

Suddenly, something occurs to me, and I pull out my phone and check my outgoing call history… Why didn’t I think of this before? There it is, at 1:29 in the morning on May 1.

Right under Maria Otonashi is the name Kokone Kirino.

May 1 (Friday), 11:00 AM

Now then, let’s see how things are turning out.

May 1 (Friday), 12:00 PM

The first thing I hear is a girl crying.

Daiya’s face is right in front of mine. We’re almost touching. I have no idea what’s going on.

What is this?

The emotion in Daiya’s eyes is pure and hostile. But against who? The answer is obvious. It has to be me, since we’re so close that I can see my own reflection in his corneas. It’s me. I’m the object of his hatred.

Pain suddenly washes over my body as if I’ve suddenly remembered I have a sense of touch. My cheek and mouth hurt. Same with my wrists.

Daiya is sitting on top of me with a tight hold on my arms.

I’m finally beginning to grasp the situation.

We’re in the music room. I should be in the classroom for third-period classic literature, but for some reason, I’m here, where we normally have fourth period. There’s blood on my uniform. Whose is it? …Probably mine, if that metallic taste is any indication. My mouth is all cut up. Most likely because Daiya hit me.

What happened…? What the hell is going on?!

“Daiya… Wha—?”

“Keep your mouth shut, Kazu. If you say anything else, I’ll shut it for you.”

The anger in Daiya’s eyes is genuine. I know he meant every word he said. If I make even the slightest peep, he’ll make good on that promise to lay into me.

This has to be some sort of bad dream.

But if this were only a nightmare, the pain wouldn’t be so sharp and raw. This is reality, no two ways about it.

That girl is still crying… Who is it?

I turn my head to look and find Kokone Kirino sobbing.

The first feeling I embrace is acceptance. Oh. That’s why she didn’t stop Daiya, even after the situation escalated this far. The next feeling to enter my mind is puzzlement. Why is Kokone crying? Last is trepidation.

…It can’t be.

I assess the situation as it stands now. Kokone is in tears, and Daiya is livid. Who made her cry? Who made him angry? I’m in the music room, so it’s probably fourth period. I remember nothing between third period and now, but I’m here all the same. I’m in a different place from where I last remember. In other words…

…I’m doing things unconsciously?

Like sending an e-mail to Otonashi without knowing it and confessing my love to her.

Or maybe like unwittingly telling Kokone I had feelings for her and trying to destroy my friendship with her.

Or like hurting Kokone without any awareness of it and sending Daiya into a rage?

“I think he’s had enough, Daiyan.”

Haruaki puts his hand on the other boy’s shoulder as he speaks.

He’s had enough?

Does that mean Daiya hit me once or twice while he was on top of me?

Daiya slams my arms into the floor and lets go, then stands up slowly without taking his baleful glare away from me for a second. Then, as if to hammer the point home—

“Ungh!”

—he stomps down on my stomach as hard as he can before turning away.

My body curls into a ball of pain. I can see the expressions of everyone around me. My classmates, the music teacher, even Haruaki—all of them are staring at me as if they don’t know who I am. Kokone is sobbing even louder with her head against Daiya’s chest.

I try to stand up, but the pain is too much, and I can’t make it to my feet. No one steps in to lend a hand.

A thought enters my head as I lie there hunched over like I’m kowtowing in apology.

Why does it have to be me? What did I do to deserve this? I don’t have any idea what happened, but I do know what caused it.

…The Box.

That’s right—this is the Box’s fault, not mine. I didn’t do anything!

Why does this have to happen to me?!

I get to my feet on my own.

Everyone is standing around watching, but not a single person steps forward to help.

It makes sense. There’s no reason to expect any of them to deduce that a Box caused this whole mess. That’s why no one wants to touch me. Or approach me. Or speak to me. No one. Not Daiya, not Kokone, and not even Haruaki. No one. No one. No one no one no one…

“Are you all right, Kazuki?”

Except for her.

I smile. Everyone freezes at her sudden appearance, perhaps because we’re still in the middle of class. I don’t find it strange at all, though.

“…Maria,” I call almost reflexively.

As Otonashi stands in front of the music room door, her eyes go wide at hearing her name. However, her composure quickly returns, and she rushes over.

Otonashi doesn’t care that no one else wanted to help. She comes up so close that I can see the shadows of her eyelashes as she reaches out to gently touch my swollen check.

“We need to get these wounds cleaned up. Let’s go to the nurse’s office.”

“…Okay.”

She walks off, and I follow silently.

Not a soul says a word to me as I leave.

As I turn my back on the classroom, Kokone’s crying gets louder. Or at least that’s how it feels.

May 1 (Friday), 12:17 PM

There’s no one in the nurse’s office, not even the nurse.

Once she’s sure of that, Otonashi examines my injuries with light touches here and there. Opening up the cabinet and grabbing the first aid kit, she begins treating them with an apparently practiced hand.

“I came to talk to you because I had an idea about the Box, but I never expected to find you in such a miserable state… What exactly happened?” Otonashi asks as she disinfects my scrapes and cuts.

“I wish I knew myself.”

“You’re saying you don’t remember?”

I nod. Otonashi lets out a sigh of exasperation.

“You know, that’s all that’s come out of you ever since the Rejecting Classroom. Even I’m starting to get sick of it.”

“…It’s not like I can help it.”

“I was joking.”

Otonashi reaches out and puts a bandage on my face as she says this.

“All I saw was Oomine stomping on you. You have no recollection of what happened before that?”

“…Daiya was already on top of me when I came to.”

“And you haven’t the faintest clue as to why he hit you?”

“Yeah. I don’t know anything.”

Otonashi folds her arms in thought at my reply. “Do you have your phone on you, Kazuki?”

“My phone? It should be in my pocket…”

“It could have some record of what happened. See if you can find anything at all.”

I quickly press the button.

Incoming and outgoing calls, e-mail in-box and out-box—there’s no change from before, as far I can tell. I open up my data folder.

“Voice memos.”

Was that always there? I open this folder, too.

Inside is one file, named with a twelve-digit number. It must be the time and date the file was made. Unless the file name was altered, it appears this was recorded around two AM on May 1—in other words, in the middle of last night.

I open the file and put the phone to my ear.

The recording plays.

“Good morning, Kazuki Hoshino. No, good afternoon, or maybe it’s good evening?”

What the hell is this?

I pause the playback for a moment. Why is there a voice memo from some rando on my phone? Why is he talking to me?

“What’s wrong, Kazuki? Did you find something?”

I ignore Otonashi’s query and press play again with a trembling finger.

“Ah well, it doesn’t matter. I’m sure you don’t care, either. No, what’s foremost on your mind right now is the question of who I am, correct? Oh yeah, you know about Boxes, don’t you? At least that’s what O told me. I can skip explaining all the details there, right?”

He knows about Boxes and O. Does that mean he’s an owner?

“I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that your life is collapsing around your ears. Yeah, it’s wonderful. I’m doing it on purpose, after all. Why, you ask? So I can destroy you.”

The disparity between the voice’s cheerful, pleasant tone and what it’s saying makes my heart race.

“I’m going to leave you in ruins. I’m going to violate everything you hold dear. Now that I have a Box, all that you once had will be stripped away from you. After all, I…”

The recording cuts off. Wait, no. I just dropped my phone.

“Kazuki…! Are you okay? What were you listening to?”

“Ah…”

The malice in that recording is as clear as the light of day. There’s no denying it now. Someone with a Box, that most powerful and terrible of weapons, has it in for me and is trying to ruin my life.

Otonashi picks up my phone and opens the recording.

“This is…!”

A scowl appears on her face as she listens. After a moment, she closes the phone and wordlessly returns it to me before crossing her arms in contemplation.

“Kazuki.” She breaks her silence after a moment and says my name in a distressingly stark tone. “I’ve been deliberating about what happened this morning, and I came up with a rough plan for how we should proceed. I wasn’t able to reach any concrete conclusions, unfortunately. Upon hearing this, I am now certain of one thing, though.”

Otonashi gives me a sharp look as she delivers her verdict.

“I don’t trust anything you say or do.”

“…Huh?”

I fail to grasp her meaning, and my mouth hangs open foolishly.

“Even you must understand by now. The power of this new Box is affecting you directly. It’s quite likely that you’ve already fallen into the owner’s clutches. There’s no way I can trust you while you’re under their influence.”

I mull over her words.

She can’t trust me…?

“Wh-why? It’s not like I’ve done anything to betray you!”

“That’s true, as long as you’re actually Kazuki Hoshino.”

“What?”

“Are you really Kazuki Hoshino, or are you the owner?”

“Wh-what the hell are you talking about, Otonashi? The owner is the one who made that recording!”

“…Didn’t you listen to the entire thing? Even if you didn’t, surely you recognize the voice…”

“Otonashi, do you know who recorded that message? Did you already figure out who the owner is? Is it someone you know?”

“…I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised it’s taking him a while to understand. It’s possible he’s never heard that voice in the flesh, not to mention that the tone is considerably different than usual.”

Otonashi isn’t answering my question, just speaking quietly to herself. She turns away to leave the nurse’s office.

“W-wait! At least tell me whose voice it is!”

She stops but doesn’t turn around.

“Kazuki, pull yourself together and try listening to that recording again.”

And with that, she walks off.

I have nothing to say in the face of such a blatant dismissal.

I open the voice memo again, and understanding suddenly dawns on me as I recognize the voice that is always in my ears, yet I have never actually “heard” before.

“Ha-ha-ha…”

All I can do is laugh. What else? I wouldn’t trust me, either, after I heard this.

“…Dammit.”

Well, what the hell am I supposed to do now…?

“It’s the easiest thing in the world. After all—”

I finally heard the rest of the recording that I missed when I dropped my phone.

“—I share the same body with you, Kazuki Hoshino.”

The voice in the recording is mine.

May 1 (Friday), 1:00 PM

Think I’ll lie low for now.

May 1 (Friday), 2:00 PM

I lose consciousness.

Then it comes back.

I’m sitting down. It should still be lunchtime, but for some reason I’m already here. I check the time. It’s two on the dot, so it’s about time for fifth period to end. I quickly survey my surroundings. Kokone’s and Daiya’s desks are empty. My guess is they probably went home early. Everyone else is focused on class for the most part. Nothing seems out of the ordinary at this point. On the desk are my textbook, notebook, and writing supplies. It doesn’t look like I’ve actually taken any notes, though.

There’s no doubting it now.

Someone else is inside my body with me. There’s “me” and an imperceptible “other me.”

And the other me was in control of my body until only a few minutes ago.

The bell rings.

Even though it’s break time, everyone’s keeping their distance from me because of the scene in the music room. I’m sure the other me intentionally brought this about. He did say he was going to destroy me, after all. This has to be one of his attacks.

I slump over my desk.

How am I supposed to fight this other me, especially now that even Otonashi has abandoned me?

“Hosshi.”

I lift my head at the sound of my name. Haruaki’s expression has none of its usual playfulness. The serious tone of voice doesn’t suit him at all. “Hey, why the hell would you do something like that to Kokone?”

I stay quiet. I have no answer for him, mostly because I don’t even know what I did.

“This is just me, but I don’t think you would do something like that for no reason. I can’t for the life of me figure out what it would be, but I’m sure you must have one. Come on—fill me in here. Don’t leave me in the dark.”

Haruaki sounds like he’s in pain.

“If you can’t help me understand, then I don’t know if I can have your back in this.”

Something dawns on me as he confesses.

Haruaki is the last bastion of normalcy in my life.

Would he believe me if I told him someone else is taking control of my body? …This is Haruaki we’re talking about, so he just might. Still…

“…I can’t tell you. At least not right now.”

My understanding of this situation is a scrambled mess, so I don’t have any confidence in my ability to explain things in a believable way.

“But don’t worry, I’ll tell you soon.”

I make sure I look Haruaki in the eye to show I’m sincere, at least.

“Got it. I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

That’s all he says, biting back all the other things I’m sure he wants to ask. He walks away quietly.

He’ll be waiting, he said. Now I’m obligated to explain to him once the time arrives. If I’m not careful about it, I could lose him.

And without Haruaki, the one thing that hasn’t changed, I probably have no hope of maintaining my life as I know it.

…That settles it. I know what I have to do now. I have to unravel the mystery of the Box and this other me.

Question is, how do I go about it? I have no way of interacting with this imposter in my body.

“……Oh.”

Right. How did I find out about him in the first place? He contacted me.

I step out into the hallway and pull out my phone. I’m going to record a message for my counterpart.

There’s no guarantee he’ll reply, of course, but it’s worth trying regardless.

“Nice to meet you, I guess? I’m talking to you, other me.”

I start the recording.

“I understand that you share my body with me. But there are a few things I still don’t get. I want you to tell me more about this Box of yours. I also want to know who, or what, you are.”

I wonder if he’ll respond to such straightforward questions. He is trying to completely ruin my life, after all.

That’s why I decide to issue him a challenge.

“You don’t have to say if you don’t want to. No matter how you answer, it won’t change my actions. I don’t care if you have some lofty purpose or if there’s a reason I should sympathize with you or even if you just hate me.”

I’m surprised at how naturally the anger wells up within me. This isn’t like me at all. Still, I feel like it has to be said.

“I cannot allow you to exist.”

He has to know I’m determined.

Who would sit back and let this happen? It’s unthinkable. He’s trying to take away everything I am.

My legs are shaking so hard that I have to steady myself against the wall. My body isn’t ready for the fact that, for perhaps the first time in my life, someone out there is trying to do me serious harm.

I close my phone and let out a long breath.

I will crush this “other me.”

No matter what happens, I cannot allow him to exist.

May 1 (Friday), 3:34 PM

I notice Kazuki Hoshino has recorded a voice memo.

May 1 (Friday), 4:00 PM

In front of me is the face of an unfamiliar high school girl. I’m so startled that I let go of the strap in my hand and fall over. Ignoring the snickers from those around me, I stand up and try to get my bearings.

The strap means I’m on a train.

I don’t even need to think about it at this point. The other me was in control of my body again. I pull out my phone to check, and sure enough, there’s a new voice memo waiting for me.

I press the play button.

“I see… So this is a good way for us to keep in touch. I was starting to worry I’d get bored as the only one reaching out, so to return the favor, I’ll answer your questions.”

It’s my own voice coming from the speaker.

“I received a Box, and my wish was granted. That’s how I became you, Kazuki Hoshino.”

I swallow nervously.

“I’ve taken possession of your body now, but I only have control here and there, which makes me think ‘possession’ is perhaps too strong of a word. So relax. This is just a temporary thing. These little body-jackings will end within one week of when I used the Box. The instant it becomes the sixth, the final day of Golden Week, your soul will be erased from this body. Only I will remain.”

Which means I have only four days and change to find and destroy the Box.

“I hope that clarifies things for you. Now then, you also asked who I am. Heh-heh-heh, that’s a difficult one. Who am I, really? To tell you the truth, I don’t really know, myself. I mean, at the moment, I’m Kazuki Hoshino, aren’t I? I don’t think that’s the answer you’re looking for, though, is it? So I decided to make things a little easier for you to parse and came up with a temporary name for myself. You can call me…”

Using my voice, he says his name.

“…‘Yuhei Ishihara.’”

I’ve never heard it before. I commit the unfamiliar name to memory, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.

“Now, let me give you my take on things. You won’t allow me to exist, will you? Don’t take this the wrong way, but I got a good laugh from that one. Don’t you see? There’s no way you and I will ever meet face-to-face. All we can do is record messages for each other on the phone like this. How do you think you’re going to get rid of me?”

“Yuhei Ishihara” giggles creepily in my voice.

“But I do feel some pity for you, so I’ll go ahead and tell you the one and only way you can be rid of me. I already control more than half of Kazuki Hoshino, so it’s really quite simple…”

He continues.

“…Just kill yourself.”

His unbearable laughter rings out again. The memo plays on, though it’s all I can do to refrain from pressing the stop button.

Having had his fill of laughter, “Yuhei Ishihara” brings his message to a close.

“Oh yeah. I got a text from one of your friends. You may not have noticed yet, so I thought I’d let you know.”

A friend…?

Swallowing hard, I open my in-box. At the very top is the name Haruaki Usui. The message has already been read, though I have no recollection of opening it.

What did he…

What did this bastard do to Haruaki…?!

I take a deep breath and let it out, but I still can’t seem to calm myself and end up chewing my lip nervously. I hate to admit it, but my hands are shaking.

I open the message.

“Don’t talk to me for a while.”

Oh no…

And that’s how I lost my last refuge, the one thing keeping my life sane.

May 1 (Friday), 11:22 PM

I’m dreaming.

I’ve had this dream many times before.

May 3 (Sunday), Constitution Day

May 3 (Sunday), 7:12 AM

I wake up. The sensation isn’t like when I regain control of my body; it’s just the normal rise-and-shine routine.

I’m on the floor of Miyazaki’s apartment, my hands and feet restrained.

Miyazaki is sitting on his bed. There are dark circles under his eyes. It’s likely he hasn’t slept properly these past few days.

Noticing that I’m awake, he pulls out a wipe and rubs down my face. The cool menthol on the tissue helps clear away my drowsiness.

“Here are your orders.”

As soon as he’s cleaned me off, Miyazaki starts right in without so much as a curt “G’morning.”

“You’re going to show your willingness to betray Otonashi by restraining her arms and legs. Nothing else matters in the meantime as long as you do that. Simple, right?”

“…You’re telling the truth?”

“What?”

“If I do it, you’ll accept that you’ve beaten me?”

Whether they do is entirely up to “him.” Even after I catch Otonashi for them, there’s no guarantee they won’t merely claim they aren’t sure I’m truly defeated and come at me with even crazier demands.

“‘Yuhei Ishihara’ will be satisfied with stealing Maria Otonashi away from you, according to our talks in the past.”

“Stealing her away from me…?”

What the heck does that mean? I don’t understand at all. Then I remember the e-mail from before:

“My wish has been granted. Now you and I can be together.”

Now I get it.

He mistakenly assumed that Otonashi and I were in a relationship. That’s why he believes he’ll inherit my connection to her if the Week in the Mud reaches its conclusion.

That’s absurd, though. He may take over my body, but that doesn’t mean he’ll automatically assume control of everything about me, too.

“There’s no way he can steal her from me,” I say quietly.

“Yes, there is.”

I almost leap out of my skin. The answer comes in a voice I shouldn’t be able to hear.

“I am the one and only Kazuki Hoshino. That’s why Maria Otonashi will be mine, just like that.”

It’s coming from the speakers of a desktop computer, which Miyazaki is using.

“You probably think that sounds crazy. You must be sure I could never become Kazuki Hoshino, since you’re him.”

Of course I do. I am Kazuki Hoshino, so there’s no way anyone else could be.

“Tell me this, then: What really makes Kazuki Hoshino himself? At the very least, I doubt you can tell by personality alone. If you haven’t seen someone for a while, you would probably assume they’re still the same person even if their aura or character has completely changed, right?”

The question now reminds me of a similar remark I once heard from someone else.

“If you see a person acting in a way that is unlike them, do you think they must be a different person? Do you think they’ve been possessed?”

“…Ngh!”

It’s true. Daiya, Kokone, Haruaki—they all believed “he” was Kazuki Hoshino. Even Otonashi, who has been with me for so long…

“Not even Maria Otonashi can distinguish between us, can she?”

“…Ugh.”

“Still, she knows there is a Box involved, so she may treat the loss of ‘Kazuki Hoshino’ as the loss of Kazuki Hoshino himself. That’s why I’m going to show her that he won’t disappear, even if ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ assumes his identity. That will keep Kazuki Hoshino alive within her mind.”

Giggling emanates from the speakers.

“If I can pull that off, then Maria Otonashi will be mine.”

As long as Kazuki Hoshino’s appearance remains the same, he will be taken as such, no matter how much his nature may change. There’s a certain logic to it. I can’t dismiss these claims out of hand.

……However, I think it’s an exaggeration to claim he can actually become me.

“You think it’s a far-fetched argument, don’t you?” Miyazaki says accusingly.

I clamp my mouth shut.

“Hoshino, what would you do if you found out someone very dear to you had multiple personalities?”

“Huh?” I’m confused at the sudden hypothetical.

“Is only one of those personalities the person you love? Do you carefully pick through them and decide ‘This one’s important’ or ‘I don’t like this one’ or ‘I don’t really care about this one’? Of course you don’t, right? If you truly care for someone, they will be a single, precious entity for you, no matter the nature of their personality.”

“……You may be right.”

“That’s why it doesn’t matter if it’s you or ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ inside. Once someone recognizes the body as Kazuki Hoshino, their feelings for him automatically carry over. If you’re important to Maria Otonashi at all, those feelings aren’t directed toward the personality known as ‘Kazuki Hoshino.’ No, what she most likely values is…”

His expression remains unchanged as he explains.

“…your very existence.”

It’s a powerful statement. However, it’s not enough to crush me.

“…I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think I’m that important to her.”

Miyazaki sneers. “Maybe you’re too close to the situation to notice it yourself. I can see it, though. Otonashi is dependent upon you. That’s why the loss of your personality could prove to be an unbearable defeat for her. She would seek out something to fill that void, and I think we both know what the easiest alternative would be.”

“…You mean ‘Yuhei Ishihara’?”

“Not quite. He may have changed, but Kazuki Hoshino will still be there.”

“And so Maria Otonashi will be his…? That’s all in your head, Miyazaki. What makes you so confident things will work out that way?”

“Because she’s just like me,” he replies blandly.

“Huh?”

“I’m dependent upon someone else, too, just like she is. That’s how I know what will happen to her and that she can be obtained.”

I’m finally starting to understand why Miyazaki’s claims hold so much power.

He knows. He appreciates what it’s like to watch the person he cares about disappear and become something else.

“We’re wasting words here. All you need to do is sell her out. Once you do, Otonashi won’t be able to tell ‘Kazuki Hoshino’ from ‘Yuhei Ishihara.’”

“……And why is that?”

“I’m sure it’s never entered into her mind that ‘Kazuki Hoshino’ would take action against her. Even if you’re the one who puts the cuffs on her wrists, she’ll most likely believe ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ is responsible. But it’s actually ‘Kazuki Hoshino.’ She’ll lose confidence in her ability to distinguish between you. What’s more, it’ll break down the barrier between the two personalities.”

And so she would see us as one and the same.

If that’s the case when May 6 arrives, Otonashi will be able to accept it without resistance, even if “he” has taken over. That’s what Miyazaki is saying.

“Do you see what I’m getting at now? Good, I’ll tell you what you need to do.”

“…Wait.” I cut him off.

“What is it?”

“What happens if ‘he’ doesn’t believe he’s been completely successful in taking Otonashi from ‘me’?”

That’s the most likely outcome. It’s not like she and I were ever in a relationship, so it’s not really possible to take her from me if she was never mine to begin with. This can’t possibly work out as planned.

“Would you start hurting her since you have her tied up? Would you use me to do it again?”

Miyazaki ponders silently for a few moments. “Yeah.” He continues unapologetically, “So what?”

“‘So what…?’ Th-there’s no way… I could never do that. Sure, I decided to set her up for you, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to do anything else to her…”

“Are you trying to get yourself slugged again?”

“……But I still can’t do it, now that I know.”

Any pain I suffer doesn’t matter. All I have to do is endure it.

But I can’t stand the thought of someone else getting hurt because of me, and not because I consider Otonashi an ally. That has nothing to do with it. No, the very idea of wounding another with my actions is sickening.

After observing me for a few moments, Miyazaki breathes out a terribly disappointed sigh.

“Is this how you want it to be?”

“……What?”

“If beating you up directly won’t work, then we’ll just have to find some other way to convince you.”

“…What do you mean?”

Miyazaki doesn’t reply and says nothing else at all.

May 3 (Sunday), 8:45 AM

I’m in front of Kazuki Hoshino’s house.

“This is a really twisted idea you came up with,” I say.

“How so? An idea like this is nothing if it means helping you. Besides, you’re the one who actually has to see it through.” He’s so matter-of-fact.

“Do you really think Underwear Girl will cooperate? Aw, I hope she does, for her sake.”

“Well, let’s pray that everything goes smoothly,” says Ryu Miyazaki. It’s like he’s trying to show everyone that he’s totally uninvested in what’s about to happen.

No—maybe it really doesn’t mean anything to him at all.

Maybe nothing matters to him, now that what’s done is done. I don’t have any proof, so it’s just a hunch.

“Okay, I’ll be back in a bit.”

“Right.” I open the front door without ringing the bell, as I should. “I’m home.” I go up the stairs.

Ruka Hoshino is asleep in her underwear as usual.

May 3 (Sunday), 10:06 AM

Miyazaki is holding a phone to my ear.

“N-noooooooo!!”

I can hear someone screaming through the phone. I recognize the voice right away. I hear it every day.

“Roo…!!”

“Why are you doing this?! Stop it, Kazu!!”

“Ah—!”

What… What did they do?! What did they use my body to do to her?!

“See? This is what happens when you don’t do as you’re told.”

“But Roo has nothing to do with any of this! She’s not involved, so why would you—?!”

“Probably because we knew hurting someone innocent would be especially painful,” Miyazaki replies.

I lunge for him…but I fail miserably and end up toppling over.

I forgot that they have me bound hand and foot. Without a hint of a reaction, Miyazaki plants his foot on top of me where I lie in a miserable heap on the floor, and he puts the phone to my ear again.

“Listen to the rest. That way you can find out exactly how things went down.”

“Ungh…”

I can’t very well plug my ears, so I clamp my eyes shut instead, even though doing so doesn’t help at all.

I hear more voices from the phone.

“Gotchaaaaa!”

“Huh…?”

“Why did you want me to say all that, Kazu? I’m kinda worried about you.”

I look up at Miyazaki, stunned.

What the hell is this? A joke…?

Miyazaki removes his foot. Still focused on his blank face, I get up off the floor.

“Why are you acting so relieved, Hoshino?”

“What?”

“Those were recordings made using the phone’s voice-memo function, not real-time audio. What if I played the last recording first and the first recording last?”

“N-no!”

“I’m kidding.”

“Ugh…”

It’s pitiful how easily they can toy with me.

“Sheesh… What’re you going back and forth like that for? What you should be worried about isn’t whether your sister has been hurt or not. No, the issue is that Ruka Hoshino isn’t even the tiniest bit on guard against ‘Yuhei Ishihara.’ It would be so easy to do just about anything to her.”

With that said, Miyazaki stomps on me again, this time grinding his heel into me.

“‘Yuhei Ishihara’ will soon become Kazuki Hoshino in actuality. Can you imagine how much of a nuisance it’ll be to have an older sister? Especially sharing a bedroom with her. She’ll notice something different about him, of course, but it’s not like he can simply break off all ties with her as a sibling. She could end up becoming the greatest wrench in the works. Apparently, the question is quite troubling. How to get rid of her, that is.”

Having said his piece, Miyazaki presses a couple of buttons on the phone again and plays a recording.

“You’ll betray Maria Otonashi for us, won’t you, ‘Kazuki Hoshino’?”

It’s a threat.

It’s a simple one, easy to understand. If I don’t do what they say, they will kill Ruka Hoshino.

“So, what’s it going to be, Hoshino?”

If I put Otonashi in cuffs, it could lead to her being hurt. But if I don’t, it could get Roo killed.

There’s no way I can make that choice! …But Otonashi wouldn’t be losing her life.

Plus, knowing her, she might be able to find a way to overcome this on her own. No, I’m positive she will.

…She will find a way to beat us.

May 3 (Sunday), 9:04 PM

“Otonashi still hasn’t found us, eh…? I’ve got to admit I’m surprised. I would’ve thought she’d pick up on this place pretty much instantly,” Miyazaki says. “She may not know you’re being held captive, I guess. ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ did go back home, for one thing. Yet she should’ve noticed something was up when you didn’t return any of her calls… Hey, Hoshino, did you and Otonashi have a fight or something? Is that why she isn’t worried that you aren’t picking up your phone?”

I have no answer to that, mainly since I don’t remember how we parted ways after my despair overtook me and turned everything black.

“Well, it doesn’t really matter. We were about to make our move, anyway,” he says, taking out my phone.

The reason we haven’t done anything until now is that we didn’t know exactly when “my” time today would be until I lost control at seven PM. Everything after that was charted out, though. We know for certain that I will be “me” until eleven PM.

“…Oh yeah, I almost forgot something.”

Miyazaki pulls out a roll of tape and puts a double layer over my mouth. My hands and feet are restrained, so I can’t pull it off.

He begins making a call. As for who…I don’t really need to say.

“Hello?”

“……Who is this?” The room is very quiet. I can hear Otonashi’s voice clearly.

“Ryu Miyazaki.”

“…Miyazaki, why are you calling me from Kazuki’s phone? What’s happened to him? I know you’re in league with ‘Yuhei Ishihara’…”

“In league with him? You think I’d help scum like that? He found something he could use against me and threatened me.”

What is Miyazaki saying…?

“Something to use against you?”

“That’s right. I didn’t help him willingly. He trapped me and used me to do his dirty work. I think I’ve had about as much of that as I can take, though. Luckily, I’ve come up with an easy plan to set all this right.”

“A plan…?”

“I’m sure you’ll figure out what it is if you put your mind to it. It’s quite simple.”

“……You can’t mean…”

“You guessed it—all we have to do is kill Kazuki Hoshino.”

Miyazaki’s tone is all business without the slightest change in emotion. That’s when I begin to realize he’s lying. His acting is almost too natural; I know the truth, and even I was nearly convinced for a moment.

I don’t think Otonashi is likely to see his deception for what it is.

“…What a load of nonsense. I don’t know what exactly ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ has on you, but the risks of what you’re suggesting are too great to ignore. I don’t think you’re stupid enough to choose that path, either.”

“What a straightforward response. I thought you’d have a better knack for deception than that.”

“……”

“Murder is always a dangerous bet. The payoff is never worth it. But none of those risks apply to Kazuki Hoshino as he is now. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you why.”

“…I don’t follow.”

“Ha-ha, don’t play dumb with me. I’ll tell you, anyway. This is a risk-free murder because all we need to do is get him when control of his body changes hands.”

Otonashi must have realized the same thing. Just yesterday, she was telling me about the dangers of a switch occurring while we’re on her motorcycle. If you built a foolproof plan around that premise, it would be a cinch to paint the death as an accident or suicide.

That’s what Miyazaki means by a risk-free murder.

“If I can put an end to that bastard and his threats and get away with it scot-free, I’ll do it.”

“…Why are you telling me your plans?”

“If you had a bullet that would never be found after it’s shot, there’s probably someone you’d want to use it on, right? But let’s say doing that would also eliminate someone you have nothing against. You’d have some pity for them. That’s why I figured I would at least let him hear the voice of his lover one last time.”

“You’re only thinking of yourself…”

“Am I? Hoshino only has a few hours left in that body, you know. He might as well be dead already. Don’t you worry; I’ll make sure to do the deed when it’s ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ in control. Think of it as more of a mercy killing for Hoshino. I’m sure he would want to die before that human filth assumed his identity completely, anyway. Don’t you agree?”

“Kazuki will take his body back!”

“That’s just what you want to think. Given the circumstances, I doubt anyone would be that optimistic about his chances, unfortunately.”

“Grr…”

“Anyway, that’s that. Now I’ll let you hear his last words.”

So he says, but of course Miyazaki has no intention of removing the tape covering my mouth.

He moves the cursor to a file and double-clicks it. Kazuki Hoshino’s voice plays from the speakers.

“Help me…”

It would’ve been the oldest, easiest line in the book…

“…Aya.”

…if not for what came next.

How do they know that name…? There’s no way they could have heard it, especially since they know nothing of the Rejecting Classroom.

Wait… Maybe they did. I have used it in Class 2-3’s room. Miyazaki must have picked up on it as some kind of code and told “him” about it.

Otonashi won’t realize this, since she’s unaware who’s speaking. And so…

“……I’ll be there for you soon, Kazuki.”

…Otonashi is fully convinced the voice belongs to me.

“You made a mistake,” she asserts with force. “If you were going to call me, you should have done it right before ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ took control. It’s nine twelve now. The earliest you can make your move is at ten sharp. There’s still forty-eight minutes left. That’s plenty of time for me to stop you and take him back.”

Her threat is misguided.

She has no idea her words don’t strike fear into Miyazaki so much as put him at ease.

May 3 (Sunday), 9:32 PM

And just like that, she arrives. Not even twenty minutes have passed since the call.

She smashes through the window in a spray of glass. Clad in street clothes instead of her school uniform, she walks into the center of the room, the broken shards crunching under her sneakers.

“…Here so soon? It’s almost like you knew exactly where we would be.”

Miyazaki faces her from where he stands, holding a kitchen knife pressed against me in the hallway leading to the front door.

“You think it was difficult to figure out? I knew you wouldn’t make a call like that in public, so in all probability, you were at your home. No other place seemed likely.”

“Still rather fast, don’t you think?”

“I made it a point to learn your address the moment it became apparent you were working with ‘Yuhei Ishihara’… But enough of that. Let Kazuki go. You said yourself that you don’t think murder is worth the risk. If you stab him now, it’ll be more than a risk. It’s a guaranteed assault charge, at the very least.”

“Shut up.”

“There’s no need to fly off the handle just because things aren’t going how you planned. All you really want is for ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ to stop blackmailing you, correct? Hand Kazuki over to me, and I’ll show you that I can put an end to his threats.”

“You’re just saying that.” He’s acting agitated and ignoring her.

Why is Miyazaki behaving like this?

…It’s all a show to set her up for the fall.

Miyazaki is playing the part of the stereotypical villain so that my betrayal will shock her even more. Otonashi will defeat the dastardly Miyazaki and rescue me. She’ll be relieved, maybe even a little excited.

And then I’ll stab her in the back.

So to build it up as much as possible, Miyazaki can’t afford to be reasonable and let me go.

“Just leave. You already had your final rendezvous here.”

“Quit being stupid.”

I’m curious as to why Otonashi hasn’t rushed Miyazaki yet.

Yeah, he’s got a knife pressed to my throat at the moment, but it’s an empty threat. Miyazaki wants to commit this risk-free murder only because he’s up against the wall himself (or so it would seem), so there’s no reason he would choose to stab me and wreck any hope of doing that.

“And here I had you pegged as a person who thought things through logically without letting emotion get the better of him.”

Otonashi sure seems aware that Miyazaki has no intention of stabbing me. Yet she still isn’t coming any closer.

“Calm down, Miyazaki.”

From her perspective, she can’t say for certain that the blade won’t touch me. If Miyazaki gets too panicked, he could even harm me by accident.

……Is that why?

Is she holding off because she isn’t 100 percent sure I won’t get hurt?

“……”

No, of course not…

After all, Otonashi has no reason to go to such lengths to protect me. I may not know what it is, but something is preventing her from taking action. She’s reached a deadlock.

With his free hand, Miyazaki prods me in the side where Otonashi can’t see.

……I know, I know.

Obviously, he had given me instructions in case of a standstill like this. I don’t like having to take the initiative in this, but I have no choice.

Miyazaki told me to do this like I mean it or else Otonashi will figure out it’s a ruse. I swallow hard once, then play my part.

With all my might, I bite down on Miyazaki’s hand.

“…Agh!!”

His yell is no act, but a genuine reaction of pain. He drops the knife as naturally as he said he would when he went over the plan.

We’ve created an opening.

Otonashi doesn’t let it pass.

It’s over in an instant.

The room is only about a hundred square feet. Before I know it, she’s right in front of us, and the momentum of her forward lunge carries her into a powerful head-butt right on the bridge of Miyazaki’s nose. As he cradles his face, she places herself between us and slams her fist into his jaw, sending him staggering back. He stumbles, and she quickly scoops up the knife and flings it out of reach.

“Get back, Kazuki.”

I nod and move away.

Otonashi gets some distance from Miyazaki and says, “Give me the keys to the cuffs and leg restraints, Miyazaki. I’m going to set him free.”

“…You’re more weak-willed than I would’ve thought,” he replies through his hands as he tries to staunch the flow of blood from his nose. “You should have gotten me by the neck. Then I would’ve had no choice but to hand over the keys.”

“…There was no need for that.”

I suddenly remember something. That’s right—Otonashi doesn’t like violence. She was able to do what she did just now only because it was justifiably necessary to save me. Otonashi could never strangle Miyazaki and force him to give her the keys.

Miyazaki recovers his balance and lowers his center of gravity for a fight. He lunges for Otonashi and even gets a hand on her, but the moment he makes contact, his body is airborne.

“Wha—?!”

That’s not acting, but a real cry of shock.

It happens so quickly that I don’t even see him before he hits the ground. A picture-perfect shoulder throw.

“Come at me again, and you’ll get more of the same.”

“…Dammit, I never heard you were a judo expert.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t have. I am just a white belt, after all… Though I have taken down more than a few black belts in my time,” Otonashi says, wrapping an arm around his neck and pinning him to the floor on his side in a kesa-gatame hold.

“Ngh…”

“I heard something metallic when I threw you.”

Using her free left hand, Otonashi searches the pockets of Miyazaki’s jeans. She quickly finds what she’s looking for and tosses it over to me. The keys to my handcuffs and leg restraints land on the floor with a clatter.

“Kazuki, how many minutes after the hour is it? I need you to be exact.”

“…Thirty-nine.”

“We should still be okay, then. Kazuki, I want you to get your phone and escape through the veranda. I’ll catch up with you in five minutes. In the meantime, I’m going to make sure he can’t cause any more trouble.”

Miyazaki gives me a quick glance. No need to worry; I’m not going to do what she says. She still has him in a headlock, though, so I can’t very well cuff her arms and legs. What do I do? I can’t catch her like this.

I look down.

I spot something, and I get an idea.

It’s the worst but, by the same token, the most meaningful means of betraying her.

Yes, I am now a true enemy of Aya Otonashi. I had a feeling it could come to this once I made my choice. All the same, it feels so despicable.

I don’t pick up the keys on the floor, because I actually had my own set all along. I remove my restraints.

Now that I’m free to move again…I pick up the knife Otonashi tossed aside.

“Aya.”

I turn the blade in my hand toward Otonashi. I’m sure she’ll see right away that I lack the courage to actually stab her. That’s fine. My betrayal will still be a success even if she does.

“Let go of Miyazaki and stay still.”

Otonashi notices the weapon pointed at her.

And then…

“Huh…?”

The one voicing surprise isn’t Otonashi, but me.

All I did was aim the knife at her, but her eyes have gone wide, and her breath has caught in her throat. I have never seen her look so completely vulnerable. Seeing his chance, Miyazaki wriggles free of her hold on him. Even so, Otonashi herself sits rigid and motionless.

With the blade still leveled at her, I approach where she’s sitting frozen in shock and stoop down to put the handcuffs on her wrists. She doesn’t resist and speaks only once both her hands are trapped.

“What… What are you doing, Kazuki?” She’s struggling to get the words out. “What is this…? I… I don’t understand. Why are you pointing that knife at me…?”

“Uh, probably because he’s betrayed you?” Miyazaki answers for me.

“Betrayed me…? There’s no need for him to do that. If it weren’t for me, Kazuki would have no hope of resisting the Week in the Mud. He’d never turn on me, not unless you wore him down until he gave up. But that’s not possible. There’s no way he would betray me…”

“Well, you said it yourself. We did wear Hoshino down, and he gave up.”

“Gave…up?”

My eyes dart away from Otonashi’s imploring gaze.

“Pfft.”

Miyazaki can’t contain his laughter any longer.

“Heh-heh…ah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Oh, come on, Otonashi—what the hell is with you? Gimme a break! I had planned to fight you as my toughest opponent; I never would’ve guessed you were fragile enough to completely lose it once little lover boy here went turncoat on you! Talk about a letdown!”

“Kazuki.” Otonashi doesn’t spare a glance for Miyazaki and his laughter. Her eyes have remained on me the entire time. “Is this true? Did they really break you like he says?”

“……Yeah.” I choke the word out.

When she hears my response, she lowers her head until I can no longer see her face and begins trembling.

“Whoa, hold on a sec. Now you’re shaking? Don’t tell me you’re gonna start bawling your eyes out? Hey now, you can’t be serious! Holy shit, this is hilarious!!” Miyazaki keeps howling with laughter at the unexpected success of his plan. “By the way, Otonashi. I’ll let you in on a little something. That is definitely ‘Kazuki Hoshino’ you’re looking at, not ‘Yuhei Ishihara.’ He’s the one who stabbed you in the back and slapped those cuffs on you, nobody else!!”

“……I know that.”

Her head remains lowered as she replies.

“What?”

“I’m well aware this is ‘Kazuki Hoshino’ and not anybody else.”

Otonashi climbs to her feet without raising her head. I can’t see her face. She stumbles in my direction. Though I’m still holding the knife out before me, her odd behavior causes me to step back. I bump against the wall.

Without looking up, she slams her cuffed hands against the wall above my head with a loud thud.

“Kazuki, did you really allow someone like him to take you down?” Her voice is low and monotone. My shoulders slump, and I fearfully turn my eyes back toward Otonashi.

She slowly raises her eyes to meet mine.

I see now… She wasn’t trembling with fear; she was trembling with anger.

“You, the only person to defeat me since I became a Box, lost to a couple of softheaded weaklings like them?! Are you trying to mock me…?! You wanna tell me those pathetic wimps are better than me…?!”

Earlier, she had been keeping the tone of her voice in check, but now it’s growing louder and louder.

“How dare you! How dare you! Don’t waste my time with this crap! There’s no way your faith could be broken by scum like them…!!”

She slams her cuffed hands again. I squeeze my eyes shut on reflex. Another blow sounds against the wall. I hear a loud noise above my head. I slowly open my eyes again and see her beet-red face nose to nose with mine, her teeth grinding in frustration.

“H-hey, what’s gotten into you, Otonashi? Did the shock of Hoshino’s betrayal send you off the deep end or something?”

“You need to shut up,” Otonashi snaps, never taking her eyes off me. “…I knew something was off after that phone call. But I was sure you wouldn’t go along with whatever demands they made. That’s why I accepted Miyazaki’s words at face value. But then I come here and find you like this… Damn it! You have to be kidding!”

Otonashi looks down at the kitchen knife in my hand as if she’s just noticing it for the first time. Her face warps in disbelief, and she begins to ridicule me even harder.

“…And what do you think you’re doing with that knife? You going to stab me if I don’t do what you say? Ha-ha, that’s rich. Fine, stab me if you want. I’m wide-open. Do it, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon. As if you actually could!”

“Ngh…” I find myself lowering my arm.

“Tell me. How did this happen? …Tell me!”

I lower my gaze, gritting my teeth at my miserable state, and I tell her. “They took my sister, Roo, hostage. I had no choice but to do what they said.”

“And that’s all it took.”

“That’s all?! Roo is my only—!”

“You’re the guy who was prepared to let someone he loved become roadkill.”

I swallow nervously.

“Hold up a minute, Otonashi,” Miyazaki interjects.

She reluctantly turns back toward him. “What? Surely you can see I’m busy here.”

“Well, it’s just that I’d think you probably wouldn’t want to believe this is ‘Kazuki Hoshino’ after he did this to you. Why aren’t you questioning your belief that this is really him?”

True, that is one point Miyazaki can’t afford to ignore. After all, his main goal is make it so she can’t tell us apart.

“You say some pretty stupid things, you know that? Kazuki will always be Kazuki, no two ways about it. Nothing can change that fact.”

“But how can you tell which is which?! …I see—you were already primed to believe it. You assumed that the voice crying for help on the phone belonged to ‘Kazuki Hoshino.’ The reason you aren’t questioning things now is that you’ve been under that assumption the entire time.”

“I knew that ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ was the one on the phone.”

Miyazaki scowls. “Quit lying. So, what, you’re saying you could tell it was a recording?”

“No, I’m not.”

“Okay then, how did you know it wasn’t ‘Kazuki Hoshino’?!”

“How could I not know?” she retorts, as if this were the most obvious thing in the world.

“Kazuki wouldn’t use the name ‘Aya’ if he were truly asking for help in a situation like that.”

“……Oh.”

I remember something.

When Daiya straddled me and punched me in the face in the music room, when I felt so completely alone, I called her by another name without meaning to.

Yeah, that’s right. I wouldn’t say that. I wouldn’t call for “Aya” if I sincerely needed Otonashi’s help. That was the name of my adversary, after all.

“…So then why did you still come to help him?”

“If the situation had been real, then helping ‘Yuhei Ishihara’ would have been same as helping Kazuki.”

“…Stop right there. Does that mean you believe the Kazuki Hoshino in front of you is ‘Yuhei Ishihara’?”

“Yeah, I actually did. But all it took was one look to know he was actually ‘Kazuki Hoshino.’”

“…Oh, come on, now that’s a lie. I know for a fact that you couldn’t tell them apart up until now.”

“That was only because I couldn’t pinpoint the timing of when they traded places. I can distinguish them in about three seconds by the way they use their facial muscles. I’m now confident I can recognize the real Kazuki when I see him.”

She can tell that I’m me? Even though no one else caught on?

“…That’s impossible! Don’t try to feed me that crap!”

“True, if it were anyone but Kazuki, I might not be able to differentiate so well. But with him, it’s entirely possible.”

“Why?!”

The next words out of her mouth explain it all.

“Because I’ve spent more time with Kazuki than anyone else in the world.”

I heard those words so many times in that other realm.

“Aaahhh…”

A sound escapes my lips, and I place a hand on Otonashi’s shoulder. She turns back to me with a disappointed expression.

Miyazaki’s brows furrow as he takes this in. “What is it, Hoshino? Don’t tell me those trite, unsubstantiated comments are enough to make you consider removing her handcuffs. You know what will happen to your sister if you do that, don’t you?”

I don’t know why, but his threat no longer seems to affect me.

“Hey, Otonashi.” Once I say what comes next, there’s no turning back. Though I seem hesitant, I’m already set on what I’m about to do. “Let me touch your Box.”

The look of disappointment on her features transforms into something else.

“You don’t need to ask permission. Even if I wanted to resist, I’m in handcuffs.”

She says this despite the fact that she has shown almost no fear toward this knife and was slamming her hands against the wall earlier.

Otonashi smiles, with the barest hint of redness on her cheeks.

“…I’m not gonna stop you.”

She curtly grants me permission, and with a small nod, I press the palm of my hand flat against her chest.

“……Oh.”

I’m sinking to the bottom of the ocean. This is the second time I’ve been here. It’s still the same—everyone seems so happy amid the falsehoods bringing them joy. And among them, someone is crying. She knows all about these pleasant lies, and she can’t accept them. I’ve heard these sobs before.

It hurts.

There’s no oxygen, so I can’t be down here for long. I can’t stay here forever.

Is that why it hurts?

Or is it the knowledge that I can’t do anything to ease her suffering that pains me?

Is it because I know I can’t do anything about her profound loneliness?

Tears are running down my cheeks, much like the ones I cried in another Box once before.

“…I’m so sorry.”

I’ve remembered everything that made her who she is.

How could I have assumed she was only using me as bait to catch O? Why did I believe she cared nothing for my life? Why did these ideas enter my mind when I knew this girl, who always puts herself last, would never do such a thing?

She had had faith that I could face the Week in the Mud on my own and thus stopped contacting me after I rejected her help. Yet I had failed to give her the same benefit of the doubt and even betrayed her.

“I’m sorry,” I say again.

She looks away uncomfortably. “…No, I don’t think I gave this enough thought, either. I…might have placed my own selfish expectations upon you without considering how you’ve forgotten the events of the Rejecting Classroom… So, um, my apologies for only just figuring it out.” I shake my head. She watches me out of the corner of her eyes. “I’ll assume you really do understand and tell you something that needs to be said. Kazuki, your life will never return to the way you once knew. But…”

Otonashi returns her gaze to me, and her lips soften into a little smile.

“…we can still take it back.”

Oh…

Hearing those words, I know I will never lose my place again.

I am me.

I…am Kazuki Hoshino.

I pull the keys out of my pocket and insert them in the keyholes on her handcuffs.

“…What the hell are you doing, Hoshino?! Are you planning to throw away your sister’s life just to get in good with your girlfriend?! You have to be the biggest piece of—”

“You’re wrong. I did make a decision, but I’m not throwing away my sister’s life.”

“Then what are you doing? You know Ruka Hoshino is as good as dead if you don’t play along.”

“You won’t kill her.”

“And why is that?!”

“Simple.” What comes next isn’t a bluff but a statement of my intention. “I won’t let you. That’s why.”

I don’t have to listen to them anymore. There’s no need to be restricted to the choices they present to me. Now that I have Otonashi on my side, there’s no way I can lose. I’ve decided to entrust my everything to her.

I turn the key in the handcuffs. The shackles come undone and fall to the floor. I take her free hands in mine. She looks at me, and I look at her.

“Please help me…”

I will never get it wrong again. There’s only one name I can call her.

“…Maria.”

For a moment, for one single moment…

…Maria’s face lights up like any other teenage girl’s, as if she can’t help herself.

“I have a few conditions.” And her face regains its usual sternness. “Maybe this doesn’t need to be said again. I have faith that you will keep this promise on your own, even if I don’t say it out loud. But I’m feeling rather uneasy, and this has been painful for me. That’s why I ask that you just let me say it.”

I nod slightly, though I’m not sure what this is leading up to.