Chapter 6: A TS Girl Enjoys Her Day Off

The smell of gunpowder hung thick in the air. Piles of rubble were heaped all around.

The traces of violent destruction were unmistakable.

Fragments of something unrecognizable lay scattered, slick with blood. Pieces of torn human bodies were strewn across the ground.

A choking stench of blood and smoke filled the air.

At the center of it all stood a single girl. Her eyes were hollow as she remained frozen in place, clutching a severed human arm. Silent and unmoving—so vacant it was impossible to tell what she was even looking at.

A scene straight out of hell. Utter devastation.

And yet, ever since the arrival of the Deep Calamity, this had become all too common.

Just another ordinary tragedy in this world.

It seems that, before I even noticed, Reina and Nagisa-kun have grown a little closer. Heh, the “Make Nagisa-kun Loved by the Whole Team” plan is progressing nicely!

After all, I’ve even managed to get a bit closer to Kisa myself.

Kisa, you see, is fairly willing to go along with things—on the surface. Yeah, just on the surface. Us Curse Seekers are all emotionally unstable messes, so stuff like this is tricky.

Me? I’m a mess too! If I’m away from Nagisa-kun, I get so lonely I feel like barging in and crawling into bed with him!

…Okay, sorry. That was a bit much. Even I know that’s going too far.

Anyway, team relations have improved—barely! So what should I do next…? Well, there’s a lot, but right now? Nothing!

Kisa and Nagisa-kun still seem like a lost cause, though.

Still, rushing things wouldn’t be good. I’m aiming to be a refined lady who doesn’t push too hard.

So… what should I do?

By the way, today’s my day off. No school, and a No Nagisa-kun Day. Please, someone, give me some protagonistium.

Given that, I guess I’ll just enjoy my day off.

Akegami Yuri, heading out in casual clothes. Not a uniform today.

Something simple. Maybe I’ll go with a calm color palette.

Hmm, I’m out of eggs… maybe I’ll pick up some food while I’m at it.

—And so, I ended up at a nearby shopping mall.

I don’t really have the budget to buy clothes, so I guess food will do.

"Ah."

"Hm?"

I heard a small voice and turned, spotting a sway of red hair.

"Oh, it’s you, Yuri."

"Huh, Kisa. What a coincidence."

I ran into Kisa completely by chance. …Isn’t this kind of like a protagonist event? Or am I just imagining things?

"So you’re not with Connector-kun on your day off."

She teased me with a smile. Man, that alone is already cute. Guess I’ll play along.

"Yeah. I actually wanted to go on a day-off date with Nagisa-kun."

"Haha, you really do love Connector-kun, don’t you?"

"Hehe, not that much."

As I tried to act modest, Kisa’s expression suddenly shifted. …She’s about to say something serious.

"…Hey, Yuri. Want to go on a date right now?"

Huh?

Am I playing some kind of protagonist game or something?

I was about to brush it off with a joke, but the way Kisa said it was unexpectedly sincere… and before I knew it, I nodded.

Sorry—I’m weak when people push like that.

Now I’m being dragged all around the shopping mall by Kisa. First stop: a variety goods shop. …What’s the goal here? I kind of just want to buy eggs.

Wait, does this even count as a date?

Oh, that hair tie is cute. …Though my hair’s too short to tie up, so never mind.

Scrunchies are tempting, but they’d suit Kisa way better. She’s practically made for the ponytail look…!

I was staring at the scrunchies when Kisa, who had been looking elsewhere, came over. Maybe she found what she wanted.

"Come to think of it, you never tie your hair, Yuri."

"It’s not that long."

"But you don’t plan on growing it out either, right?"

Hmm… well, that’s just because I’m matching the original version of me. It’s not really a preference. Still, it might be fun to try growing it out.

"Then maybe I’ll try growing it."

"I think it’d suit you."

"Really? Then when it gets longer, maybe I’ll have you pick something out for me, Kisa."

"Yeah, sure."

With that small promise between us, we left the shop—Kisa having bought only a bracelet, and me nothing at all.

Next stop: a café. Pretty standard.

Kisa, looking a bit pensive, sipped her cream soda through a straw.

She usually gives off such a lively impression, but this more melancholic side of her suits her too. Man… beautiful girls really are something else.

Well, not like I lose, though???

Still, what’s up with Kisa today? She feels a little off. I mean, Kurokawa Kisa is usually high-energy. Of course, she’s the type who carries her own darkness, but still.

By the way, I ordered coffee. That bitterness with a hint of sourness underneath—kind of addictive, right? Ahh, so good.

"…Hey, I was thinking we could go to karaoke or something after this."

Kisa’s cream soda, which she’d been noisily sipping, was already empty before I knew it.

Well, yeah. No way a date ends after just a trip to a variety shop and a café.

Kisa idly spun the tip of her straw between her fingers.

"—I don’t think it’d be fun even if we went."

"Huh?"

Wait… does that mean a date with me isn’t fun?

My hand stopped midway as I was about to take another sip of coffee.

"…Did you have fun, Yuri?"

The way she looked at me—like she was clinging to something—made it hard to brush it off with a joke.

"I guess so."

"…I see."

What flickered in her eyes looked a lot like disappointment. Seems my answer wasn’t what she wanted.

"You know, Yuri… I thought you were on this side too. Nagisa-kun and Reina didn’t seem like they were."

…What is she talking about? Do Kisa and I even have something in common? Maybe just being high-energy?

If Nagisa-kun weren’t involved, I might’ve guessed something like… chest size.

…Wait, but what if Nagisa-kun actually has a broad chest and ripped abs under his clothes?

I should hug him from the front next time and check.

…Yeah, I’m way too confused right now to make sense of anything.

In the original story, I never had any direct interaction with Kisa, so this is completely unexpected.

Kisa’s route usually involves spending time with Nagisa-kun and gradually getting her to open up about her inner self.

"—You’re like me, aren’t you? Someone who had someone important taken by the Deep Calamity. I can tell just by watching you."

—Ah. So that’s what she meant. It finally clicked.

Someone in the same situation, acting in a similar way… and yet I’m the only one who seems fine. That must feel unsettling to her. What would the “original me” have said here? Probably something honest.

"That’s not it."

"Liar."

That was the end of our conversation. There was nothing else to say.

Because neither of us was willing to step any further in.

We paid the bill and parted ways in silence.

…Come to think of it, I still haven’t bought eggs.