Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 5th Episode 20 (section)

=== Part 2 ===
The strong wind made the classroom door creak. Dancing sand clattered as it hit the glass window.

But no matter how much the wind blew, it would never disturb the inside of the class—

"Hey, Kusuriya-kun! If you're free, will you play with me? I brought this game from home. It's fine, look, it's just a board game. Nothing suspicious."

"Oh, a sugoroku?<ref>Traditional Japanese board game played with dice, similar to Snakes and Ladders</ref> Looks like it has all sorts of patterns on it, waaaait, what’s that?! All of the squares have punishment games on them! Also, the subject is always me!”

"Rolled a 3. One, two, three… umm, 'make Kusuriya Daisuke wear glasses and breathe in his ears. In real life', apparently. Well, I have some glasses prepared."

"What's up with that crazy setting! This has to be homemade by Saionji-san. You're wasting your talents again… wait, when did these glasses got on me! I'm not playing! I'm not playing, Kujou-san!"

Unrelated to the weather outside, the storm inside of the classroom combusted spontaneously.

It was Ichinokuro Arisu’s class in Horusu Seijou Academy, Middle School Year 3.

The students all formed their own groups and did whatever they pleased. The words "self-study" written on the blackboard asserted themselves silently.

Gathered around the board game on Kusuriya Daisuke's desk were two female students.

The refined-looking Saionji Ena and the elegantly smiling Kujou Takako. As usual with this school full of children of rich people, all of them were raised in privileged households, a fact which was apparent by their well-groomed hair and good complexion.

Ena and Takako were Arisu's friends. She knew that as well.

"Now's my turn. Go! 6! 'Do something inappropriate for a middle schooler on Kusuriya Daisuke'! Oh yeah, the cooking practice room should be empty right around now!"

"What are we going to do there?! Your roulette techniques seem to be far from amateurish and you’ve checked the empty room beforehand, so it feels like it’s a fixed game!”

"Now, now, Daisuke-san. Look, this square alone right here says ‘If Kusuriya Daisuke lands here he gains the right to refuse’, so it’s fair.”

“Creating a meager thread of hope to make me play is such a pro move!”

To hide the fact that he had infiltrated the school for his mission for the SEPB, Daisuke played the part of a normal student in front of his classmates. Since he, who was feared as a demon, had been brought to tears just by associating from his female classmates, it was quite the realistic acting.

On the other hand, only Arisu—Mari who borrowed Ichinokuro Arisu’s body—stood there with a strained face among the frolicking classmates.

She couldn't take a careless action and get suspected. —No, that was just an excuse.

The truth was that she didn't know how to act.

This was a middle school classroom she hadn't been able to attend even once while she was alive.

It was way more boisterous and energetic than she thought. Perhaps because she was used the always-silent hospital room, being surrounded by these loud voices caused her ears to start ringing.

On top of that, all of those classmates were people Mari hadn't talked to even once. Unsure of how she should talk to them, she was unable to match eyes with even one of them.

Ena turned around.

"What's wrong, Arisu? Aren't you playing? This is the ‘Kusuriya Daisugoroku’."

"That's the game’s name?! It's not subtle at all!”

Mari twitched, hurriedly raising her face.

"B-but it's self-study period, so we should use this time to study prop—"

Speaking disorderly, she opened her textbook full of incomprehensible drawings.

At once, all the noise around class ceased.

Ena and Takako, Daisuke, and all other students froze at once. As if time itself stopped, they gazed at Arisu with widened eyes.

With the eyes of looking at someone abnormal.

It was a situation Mari had experienced countless times.

"Follow me"—

She always heard the laughter from afar. She had no confidence and she was too scared to be rejected, so she was unable to join that ring even once. 

However, now—she knew how she could join the circle of laughter.

"…Did you really think I'd say that?"

Mari rose up vigorously, throwing the textbook at Daisuke.

"I don't care about self-study period at all! You fell for my trap, stupid Daisuke!"

Her classmates averted their gazes, relieved. The classroom retrieved its former activity

Ena and Takako also looked relieved. Daisuke alone looked unconvinced, rubbing his nose.

“You were so weird I thought you had food poisoning for a moment there. Well, it’s your turn next, so go for it. We’ll be using him after that.”

“Ignoring the fact that I got a nosebleed because of that textbook… so no one cares about me, huh.”

"Y-yeah. Got it. …Rolled a 1. 'have Kusuriya Daisuke princess carry you and go to some place fitting the mood'—Eeeek."

"What's wrong, Arisu-san? You made a weird noise."

“Oh well, we can do them all at once later. With this sort of stuff the momentum is the most important thing. Now, since everyone had a turn, it's Takako again next."

"Wait… my turn… my thread of hope…"

Arisu would have probably laughed like this. Said this. Moved like this.

Imagining her friend's words and actions, she acted accordingly.

"Oh, 'make Kusuriya Daisuke wear female gym clothes’."

"…!"

"Kusuriya-kun's escaped! Arisu!"

"Just do it, Daisuke! Arisu Drop Kick!"

As long as she could pretend to be Arisu, she could join the ring.

Without anyone noticing she was Hanashiro Mari, they were able to laugh together like always. At first she was anxious whether she'd be found out, but gradually she was able to become calm enough to enjoy the situation.

Laughing together with many people was much more fun than she imagined.

"Ahaha!"

Losing track of time probably felt like this.

For her past self, time was merely something annoying. The sounds of the clock’s hands moving she had listened to in her lonely room were nothing but the stages leading her to death. 

Was the time she spent not alone but along with other people—that happy?

She thought so again.

No, she should've already realized this.

When she spent time with the girl called Ichinokuro Arisu. During that very short period of time.

She recalled.

The moment that her classmate Arisu appeared in Mari's sickroom.

Perhaps then Mari came to know the shape of the thing known as happiness for the first time.

Just by recalling this, her cheeks loosened. When Arisu came to visit Mari’s sickbed for the first time, she mumbled incomprehensibly in front of the room, took the water pitcher and—

"…"

Took the water pitcher and…

What—had she done then?

"Arisu!"

"Arisu-san? The bell rang."

Called by Ena and Takako, the gym clothes-clad Mari came back to her senses.

"I-it's nothing. Let's go."

Wearing a smile, she exited the changing room along with her friends.

Right. Self-study period was over, and so they came out to the sports ground for gym class. It was then that this happened.

She tried recalling her past, but it was all blurry.

Apparently, she was still unable to clearly recall her memories from when she was alive.

If it was found out that Mari and Arisu were switched, Daisuke would probably not stay silent.

It might even become a battle.

If so, then until she was found out she could at least indulge in the joy of life—

It happened just as she thought this.

"…?"

Looking at the Morpho butterfly fluttering above her, she tilted her head.

For an instant—its eyes looked like they were glowing red.

But looking again, the butterfly's behavior was the same as the usual; it simply fluttered about leisurely.

It was probably her imagination. After all, even she, the butterfly’s host, had never seen it with red eyes.

Gym class was a marathon. Racing against Ena in the strong wind with Daisuke as a prize, she lost against her but strangely felt fine with that. It was probably the first sweet loss that a sore loser like her experienced.

The strong sunlight and the wind kept growing stronger. Loud voices of other people at her ears. The long lecture of the creepy teacher. The minor wound she received due to a small mistake in gym class. Her hair ruffled by the wind. The sleepiness and dullness of afternoon—

When she was being eaten by her illness, all those would have been gloomy for her.

But right now all that actually felt pleasant.

Everything she felt with her body connected to the sensation of being alive.

"Ehehe."

Drinking water from the tap near the classroom, she laughed. It wasn't a pitcher full of mineral water but merely water from a pipe with the smell of chloride. Even so it was so ridiculously tasty.

Wiping off her mouth not with a handkerchief but with the palm of her hand, she raised her face.

When she did, she found Ena and Takako staring at her face.

"…What's wrong? Ena, Takako."

"You really have a pretty face, now that I think about it."

Takako nodded at Ena's mumble.

Following Daisuke, another person told her she was pretty.

“You laughed like a girl for once… so it was a bit strange.”

She probably meant those words as a joke.

Yet Mari's heart leapt.

"What's that? It's like you're implying I'm not usually girly."

"Well, umm, how can I say this…"

"Right… you're usually quite manly, sorta."

''I see, manly''. She had the feeling it suited Arisu more than "girly".

So apparently despite Mari thinking her acting was good, there were still some discrepancies. Mari thought she knew Arisu well, but her friends that knew her for longer were probably more sensitive to small changes than her.

"…"

Mari's only friend was Arisu, but it was different for Arisu.

What Mari felt was fun right now, was originally all Arisu's.

"Arisu?"

"Arisu-san?"

And so naturally, they called Arisu's name.

A small pain like being stabbed with a needle pricked in her heart.

However, without letting it show on her face, Mari once again wore an Ichinokuro Arisu-like, bright smile.

"You two have forgotten that I'm a girl, geez!"

Turning back on her heels, she walked ahead to the classroom.

They hadn't figured out Mari's true identity yet. Never mind that, probably no one would believe that the current Arisu wasn't Arisu.

As long as Mari acted the part of Arisu, this happy time would never run out.

And so, after some time, Mari would truly become Arisu in every sense—

"…"

She felt a chill at her own thoughts.

She would become her one and only friend.

Although it was very cowardly and cruel—it was a sweet temptation.

''I’ll become Arisu…''

She mumbled this in the depths of her heart.

''If this really was what I had wished for—''

"…!"

Seeing a silver glow pass through her line of sight, Mari face twitched upward.

On the other side of the corridor’s windows, she saw the Morpho butterfly flying about. While she saw its silver afterimages, she felt her thought process growing duller.

"—"

The previous Mari's memories consisted only of painful things.

Rather than recalling about her long road to death, it was better for her to enjoy these moments even a little while more.

The day she had been given as a gift from god.

She would thoroughly enjoy today’s fortune.

"…I need to get ready for the next class."

Averting her gaze from the Morpho butterfly, she entered the classroom.

If she wasn’t wrong the next class should be mathematics. It wasn't a subject she hated, but just sitting in her chair quietly was boring.

Perhaps she hadn't moved her body enough in gym class, as she felt sluggish and couldn't calm down.

She had so much fun she wanted to have even more of it with each passing second.

Mari felt like she could fly to the sky.

"…Eh?"

Opening the bag on her desk, Mari strained her face.

She wanted to get her textbook out, but noticed that there was something missing.

The silver rod.

That weapon, which was probably the reason for her switching with Arisu, was magically gone.

"O-oh no… why—"

She supposedly hid it in her bag. Her memories were blurry due to many things in the past, but she at least remembered this entire day.

"Arisu? What're you doing?"

Suddenly hearing a voice from behind, she straightened up in surprise.

Turning around, she saw Kusuriya Daisuke making a puzzled face. He'd probably come back to the classroom from gym class.

Should she tell him she'd lost the rod?

The answer soon came inside her.

"It's nothing. I was just preparing for the next class."

Mari tried grinning. Like Arisu.

"…"

Perhaps suspicious, Daisuke frowned. Mari pouted.

"What's up with that face? Is me preparing for class so weird? You really are being cheeky toward your mistress, you slave."

"Well, that's fine."

Saying this disinterestedly, Daisuke pulled Arisu while still grabbing her shoulder.

"Arisu. There's something I want to tell you. Come outside with me for a—"

But still standing in front of her desk, she resisted the boy.

"Hey, Daisuke."

"Hmm?"

"Today after school… we’re going to investigate things again, right?"

Arisu spoke quietly. Daisuke nodded matter-of-factly.

It went without saying what investigation she was talking about.

"I'm just a bit tired after gym class… I'm going to rest in the infirmary for a bit."

"…"

"It's fine, don't make that face. I believe I'll recover until school ends."

Seeing Mari wear a somewhat weak smile, Daisuke furrowed his brows.

Was he suspicious? As expected, the strong Blaze Class Rank 1 had such deep attentiveness and guessing power so that he wouldn’t miss even these small discrepancies—

"Are you fine?"

"…Eh? O-oh, I'm fine. Don't worry."

She never thought someone other than Arisu or Sensei would worry about her. As she let out a silly voice without thinking, Ena and Takako approached her.

"Is something wrong, Arisu?"

"She apparently feels unwell. She said she'll go to the infirmary."

"Will she be fine alone?"

"I-I'm fine. It's not such a big deal."

Not wanting them to see her agitated face, she left the classroom to escape them.

After walking for a while in the corridor, she started spontaneously smiling.

"Ehehe."

The rumored demon Kakkou asked her "Are you fine?" with a straight face. Perhaps she'd seen something very rare.

She was also happy that Ena and Takako worried about her.

This world was filled with so much happiness.

Just by living she was able to feel that.

In order to take another step to enjoy this wonderful world, Mari walked lightly in the corridor. 

With the chime indicating afternoon classes were over was ringing, Mari was walking lightly in the corridor.

Her face cheerful, she passed near the teachers and students who were starting to leave class.

When Mari entered her classroom, Ena and Takako immediately turned around. Seeing they both had worried faces, she became happy again.

"Arisu, are you feeling well already?"

"Your complexion looks good, Arisu-san."

"Yes, I am perfectly fine."

She answered with a smile to those who worried about her.

She felt much better even with such small things.

When she was alive Sensei also worried about her, but since she knew she had an incurable illness, they did nothing but vain exchanges.

Even so Mari was happy that Sensei worried about her, and she—

She was happy and… what did she do?

If she recalled correctly, Mari had given Sensei a small present.

What had she given him?

"…"

She suddenly felt dizzy.

It was definitely just something boring. If she couldn't recall it, it meant that it was something trifling.

Since Mari was enjoying the world, she had no need of such memories.

"…Daisuke, what are you doing?"

Smiling again, she walked to Daisuke with light steps.

At a corner of the class, Daisuke put his cellphone to his ears. He was apparently speaking with someone in a hushed voice, but soon finished the call and looked at Mari's face.

"Arisu."

The boy grabbed her arm and dragged her out of class.

"W-what is it? Did something happen?"

Even while blushing at the boy's forcible actions, she came to the corridor just as instructed.

After letting herself be dragged to the nearest window, Daisuke brought his face closer to Mari's.

"D-Daisuke? W-wait a minute, what are we suddenly, doing at this place, eep—"

Thinking about it, Arisu and Daisuke were lovers. Recalling this, although she was agitated, she reflexively shut her eyes.

But the bitter happening that she expected didn’t happen no matter how much she waited.

"You… where were you until now?"

"Huh?"

When she nervously opened her eyes, she saw Daisuke glaring at her with sharp eyes.

Outside the window, with the wind blowing fiercely, the Morpho butterfly was fluttering.

"—Apparently, Hunter has appeared."

The voice of the dancing sand hitting the window overlapped with the boy's low voice.