Chapter 11: Someday… come catch me.

Alright, let me organize this. There are four people involved in the cultural festival events: Kitatsuji-san, a graduate; Takamiyagi-senpai; the underclassman-type Yunochan; and Kaimori-chan.

On the morning of day one, I’ll go around the school and gym events with Kitatsuji-san, and in the afternoon, I’ll check out the stalls with Takamiyagi-senpai. Then day two is with Yunochan and Kaimori-chan. Looking at it like this, the schedule itself isn’t that tight… but… I just realized a pretty big problem.

Kitatsuji-san and Takamiyagi-senpai don’t get along well, and as for Kaimori-chan and Yunochan, it’s beyond “not getting along”—they’re basically like cats and dogs… Isn’t that bad? Well, at least between Kitatsuji-san and Takamiyagi-senpai, it’s manageable. It’s just Kitatsuji-san unilaterally seeing senpai as a rival.

But Kaimori-chan and Yunochan… yeah… It’s more like Yunochan is always picking fights with Kaimori-chan and snatching away whatever’s important to her. And I’m supposed to go on dates with both of them on the same day? Isn’t that just asking for a total mess? The only saving grace is that, to Kaimori-chan right now, the protagonist probably isn’t important at all. …Wait, is that even a saving grace? Saying it out loud just makes me feel kind of sad.

After school, while I was standing at the entrance, still lost in thought, Kaimori-chan came running over from the other side, apparently just finished with class. The protagonist and I had already met up, so now the three of us were together. Takamiyagi-senpai was at club practice—kyudo, by the way. And Kitatsuji-san, who we’re going to see today, is in that club too.

"Shione-senpai, are we finally going to the shopping street today? Ryuzoji-senpai is here too."

"Hmm… yeah, let’s go today! I think we’ll be able to meet her."

Well, even if things are a bit tense with Takamiyagi-senpai, Kitatsuji-san is still a good person. It’s just that she always gets completely beaten down by the obviously overpowered Takamiyagi-senpai during club practice.

Still, when you think about it, the mental strength it takes to keep seeing someone like that as your rival and continue working hard is pretty impressive. Though if we’re talking sheer grit, she probably comes second to Kaimori-chan. I mean, Takamiyagi-senpai’s physical abilities are just insane. She’d probably make it to at least the top eight in a martial arts tournament manga. And for a normal person to keep up with someone like that… that takes serious determination.

On the way to the shopping street, I decided to casually ask Kaimori-chan about her relationship with Yunochan. Sure, they didn’t get along in the game, but maybe here they’re actually best friends. I don’t think it’d be a crime for the world to be that kind for once.

"So, this is kind of out of nowhere, but… is there anyone you’re not good with, Kaimori-chan?"

"That’s really out of nowhere!? Umm… well… not exactly ‘bad with,’ but more like… kind of scared of… yeah. But don’t worry too much. I’m fine. There are things that bother me, sure, but I know she’s not a bad person."

"…Yeah, yeah… huh…? Wait… who are we talking about?"

"N-no!? I mean—that’s not what I—? Actually… which one is this… Sorry, please forget that. Umm… someone I’m not good with? Yeah, there’s one person in my class."

Kaimori-chan answered with a slightly gloomy expression. The face we’re both picturing is probably the same. So they really don’t get along here either. Then again, maybe it’s someone completely different. I should dig a little deeper.

"What kind of person?"

"Well, she’s super two-faced. And for some reason, she’s always picking on me. Plus, she’s really capable, so she always ends up doing things better than I do."

"Are you sure you’re not actually close?"

"There was nothing in that description that suggested we were close, right? …Ah, but wait—does that mean she might start bothering Shione-senpai too…? That sounds like it’d get complicated fast…"

"What kind of girl? What does she look like?"

"…Did I say she was a girl?"

"W-well, when you say someone’s two-faced, I kind of picture a girl."

To all the girls out there, I’m sorry. I mean, I just did it myself. Let’s call it even and hope for forgiveness somehow.

Kaimori-chan shot me a sideways glance, then sighed and looked up at the sky as if resetting herself.

"She’s really slender and small, like she’s made of glass… She has braided hair, all soft and girly-looking, and at first glance she seems gentle. Shione-senpai has that soft vibe too, but… how do I put it… unlike you, she doesn’t have any innocence. And she’s always putting on a fake front. But what she’s really thinking inside… who knows…"

She put a lot of emphasis on “at first glance.” Yeah, there’s no way their relationship is good in this world either. Still, Yunochan does have a more human side—she gets tired of acting cute and sometimes goes to her secret base to relax. Though if Kaimori-chan ever found out about that, Yunochan would probably die of embarrassment. Thinking about it like this, they really don’t get along at all.

Then suddenly, Kaimori-chan stopped in her tracks. She looked up sharply, as if realizing something.

"…Wait. We’re not going to see Yuno today, right?"

No, no, no. If we went to see her now, it’d turn into a mongoose-versus-snake kind of showdown. And not only that—we’d all be entering the same arena together. I’m definitely not mentally prepared to enjoy something like that.

"Eh? No, we’re not. We’re going to see Kitatsuji-san today. …Though if it were Yunochan… I wonder what you’d do, Kaimori-chan~?"

"I just remembered I have something to do."

"Seriously!? No, really, we’re not seeing her today! Wait, stop!"

She turned a full 180 degrees and started marching off in the opposite direction. I tried to stop her, but ended up getting dragged along instead. …This is bad. And not just because of this—Kitatsuji-san can be pretty strict too. If it’s just Takahiro in this state, she’ll definitely get mad. Hey, don’t just stand there—help me, Takahiro! Don’t just watch your childhood friend get dragged across the pavement in a panic…!

In the end, after repeated persuasion, Kaimori-chan agreed to come to the shopping street. More accurately, she couldn’t bring herself to be cold enough to just drag me away entirely. Meanwhile, the protagonist just kept circling around us uselessly, contributing absolutely nothing. I’m already feeling uneasy about how the rest of today is going to go.

"Anyway, let’s go meet her! Kitatsuji-san!"

—Kitatsuji Erina. A senpai-type character. Among the heroines, she’s the only one who isn’t a high school student—she’s a first-year college student. She’s fairly tall, around 165 cm. Very prideful, somewhat haughty, even a bit overbearing. But deep down, she’s caring—a classic tsundere older-sister type. She also has a surprising fondness for cute things. (Self-proclaimed) rival of Takamiyagi-senpai.

As for her, she’s the daughter of a set-meal restaurant in the shopping street, so you can meet her anytime by going there. Normally, in the game, you’d have to visit repeatedly and become a regular customer first—but this time, I have a secret plan. Personally, I’d rather not use it, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Hey, I’m just going to the restroom for a bit."

I stepped away at the entrance of the shopping street, and when I returned a little while later, both Kaimori-chan and the protagonist froze the moment they saw me.

"Why did you suddenly change your hairstyle?"

"Oh, come on—I just added a ribbon."

"That’s not just ‘adding a ribbon.’ You styled your hair to match it, tied it up, and loosened it just enough. It maximizes your strengths—your whole look is basically the pinnacle of ‘cute.’ You were already dangerously strong, and now you’ve raised your combat power even further?"

"Kaimori-chan, that sounded like something out of a battle manga… But Kitatsuji-san likes cute things, so I thought this might help."

“Dangerously strong,” she says. Well, this is the hairstyle Shione-chan uses for dates. I can’t normally do it myself, but maybe because I had the ribbon with me, my hands just moved on their own before I realized it. The motions were so smooth, it felt like something practiced countless times in front of a mirror.

…In this world, who was Shione-chan looking at in that mirror? And where is she now…?

"But Ryuzoji-senpai just lost his soul, you know."

"Takahiro-kun is really hopeless…"

Seriously, this guy is useless… Even if Kitatsuji-san is kind, I doubt she likes guys this pathetic.

"Hmm… alright, let’s take a short break on that bench."

"Ah, okay."

The protagonist shuffled along behind us like a puppet, then hesitantly sat down next to us on the bench, as if he’d never seen one before.

From the bench, we could clearly see students heading home and adults returning from work being drawn into the shopping street arcade.

There was no conversation between us. I absentmindedly looked up at the sky. Even though it was just after school, the sun was already setting. The sky was a blend of red, blue, and orange, slowly fading as the day came to an end.

Then, suddenly, Kaimori-chan straightened her posture. With a serious expression, she placed her hands on her knees and looked directly at me.

…Whoa, what’s this? Something serious?

"I have something I want to ask you, Shione-senpai."

"…Kaimori-chan?"

"What exactly are you trying to do, senpai? Going around to different people, gathering them… what is your ultimate goal?"

My goal is to pair the other heroines with Takahiro… but when she puts it like that—“ultimate goal”—it feels a little different. Separate from my “no guys” rule, there was something I thought at the very beginning. My purpose… what I truly wanted to do.

…Yeah. I’m sure—

"…Sure?"

"Huh?"

Without any warning—suddenly—the world in front of me was empty of people.

The color of the sky hadn’t changed. The roadside trees, their leaves beginning to fall, were still there. The shopping street arcade, lit up with its lights, was still there.

But in the world before my eyes, only people had vanished completely.

Kaimori-chan, who had been sitting next to me, was gone. Takahiro was gone too. The noisy bustle from before had disappeared, replaced by a silence so deep it hurt my ears.

And instead, sitting beside me on the bench, was a single small figure.

Soft, fluffy hair with a slight brown tint, reaching past her shoulders. Large eyes. Skin so pale it looked almost translucent.

It was the first face I had seen when I came to this world.

And on that face was a bright, delighted smile.

"So? Sure what? Hehe, if you stop like that halfway, it just makes me curious."

"Shione…-chan?"

Just looking at that smile, whatever I had just realized slipped away from my mind like mist.

Beside me, Shione-chan smiled happily. Her long, fluffy hair swayed gently in the wind—unlike mine now, there was no ribbon tied in it.

"What is it?"

"Where are you right now?"

"Want to know?"

Shione-chan giggled even more, like a child who had just thought of something amusing.

"Then try to catch up to me."

"Huh?"

"But I can’t wait forever… see?"

She gently reached out her hand toward me.

Afraid she might disappear, I instinctively grabbed that hand with both of mine. But even though I was certain I was touching her, it felt like nothing—like grasping an illusion.

And then, suddenly, my vision was swallowed by a blinding light.

In that world where I could see nothing, only her whisper remained, echoing over and over in my ears.

"—Then it’s a promise. Someday, come catch me."

"…Wait, what is this hand?"

"Huh?"

When I came to, Kaimori-chan’s exasperated face was right in front of me. At the same time, the noise of the crowd rushed back into my ears.

Slowly, I lowered my gaze—and for some reason, both my hands were tightly gripping Kaimori-chan’s.

"You suddenly froze, and then grabbed my hand out of nowhere. That startled me, you know."

"…Where’s Shione-chan?"

"Huh? Did you lose track of yourself? Shione-chan is you, you know?"

As Kaimori-chan gently explained, almost as if trying to reason with me, I looked down at my hands again. Her slender fingers were enclosed within my small hands.

"…What is this hand…?"

"You’re the one who grabbed it, Shione-senpai!"

"Oh my, Kaimori-chan, how bold…"

"I told you—it was you, senpai! You grabbed my hand! Now let go!"

She shook my hands off forcefully.

Hey, you didn’t have to react like that… But still, what was that just now? A daydream? Even so, it felt…

As I stared intently at my own hands, Kaimori-chan shrugged in exasperation.

"I asked what you were trying to do, and you just froze. Was it really that hard to answer? Or are you actually a bad person planning something shady?"

"…Ahh… we’re back to that, huh…"

"What do you mean, ‘back to that’? Honestly… get it together, senpai…"

What do I want to do?

The image I first reached for—there’s no way it was wrong.

I quietly held my hand up against the sky. Within my small palm, I could clearly see the faint red of blood beneath the skin. Looking at it made me feel like I truly existed here.

"My goal, huh… I guess… it’d be nice if everyone could just be at peace."

As I kept looking up at the sky, those words slipped out of my mouth without thinking.

Kaimori-chan stared at me blankly for a moment—then let out a small laugh.

"Seriously, what is that? That’s way too vague. You need to define it more clearly."

"You said something like that earlier too… Kaimori-chan, are you a science type by any chance?"

"That’s because you, Shione-senpai, are way too sloppy about this!"