Editing Mushi Uta:Volume 8th Episode 29 (section)

=== Part 1 ===

“The sea!”

Wearing a one-piece swimsuit, Ichinokuro Arisu leaned over the guardrail separating the road from the white beach.

“It’s the sea!”

Clad in a t-shirt, jeans and a cap on her head, Saionji Ena also resolutely leapt over the guardrail.

“It really is the sea!”

Clad in an unusually rough style of a jumper skirt over a striped shirt, Kujou Takako climbed on the guardrail while minding her skirt.

“—Yeah, it’s the sea, I guess.”

Kusuriya Daisuke had bags hanging from both arms and his back as well as another one at his feet. He looked up the midsummer sun that brought sweat to his forehead while being forced to carry four people’s worth of luggage.

“The sea!”

The three girls raised a cheer together, kicking the sand toward the beach with its calm water.

Horusu Seijou Academy entered its summer vacation.

Welcoming their last summer as middle schoolers, Arisu’s group came to a summer retreat on the outskirts of town for a certain purpose.

Ahead was the gently curving beach and the sparkling sea reflecting the sun’s rays. Sandwiched in the road along the sea behind them was planted a vast windbreak. Also, in the far distance beyond the beach, there was a pure-white tower on the cape—an astronomical observatory.

The sea and the sun, the windbreak and the observatory.

Coming to this simple terrain, Arisu’s group had only one great goal in mind.

“Haven’t we come here not for the sea but for the meteor shower…?”

As Daisuke left a sigh in the road behind him, the three girls all leapt toward the approaching waves with their clothes still on.



Regaining their senses once they became completely wet, they changed to their swimsuits and challenged the sea again.

“The sea!”

“It’s the sea!”

“It really is the sea!”

“That again?”

Unlike the girls who stood still on the white beach, Daisuke mumbled this with a sullen expression. Regardless of what he said, though, he too was wearing a swimsuit.

“Come on, hold the parasol already, Daisuke! Protect us from UV radiation!”

Arisu looked up the shining sun, narrowing her eyes from the dazzling light. Her frilled bikini and skirt were polka dot-patterned and she had a small ribbon on her chest.

“Kusuriya-kun! How’s my swimsuit? Well, how is it? Come on, I can’t tell with you averting your red face, look at me properly—eek! Don’t look so suddenly! I’m still not mentally prepared!”

Saionji Ena, clad in a bold low-rise swimsuit, gave the uncharacteristically blushing Daisuke a body blow right in the pit of his stomach. “W-what am I supposed to do then…” The boy crouched on the sand.

“Err, Daisuke-san. This sunscreen does not appear to be the one I’ve brought… but if I don’t use one made in France my skin gets all chapped. Can you go back to the inn and get it for me?”

Kujou Takako, who had an especially adult style among his classmates, wore a floral design one-piece swimsuit. She used her fingers to poke him as he held his stomach and trembled.

“I-it’s not fun at all! Why am I the only one not to enjoy this! It’s too unreasonable!”

Daisuke raised his sand-stained face for a shout. As he also normally looked plain, he wore a commonplace boxer-type swimsuit. His sole distinguishing feature was the band-aid on his cheek.

[[File:Mushi_Uta_Bug_8th_p013.jpg|thumb]]

“Oh?”

Ena, who hid her chest using her hands, looked toward the far beach and seemed to notice something.

“Weren’t we the only ones to rent this place? There’s someone there. Look, Arisu.”

As Arisu looked there, she could see two figures. ''Ugh'', she grimaced.

“Y-yeah… there certainly are. Someone with blond hair too pretty for her and someone who looks sleepy.”

“The blond one’s making a castle—wait, no. Isn’t that a character from the tokusatsu show called Carnivorous Corps? I wouldn’t expect a complete amateur to create something like that.”

“Oh, the sleepy one’s swaying. She broke the sand sculpture.”

“Looks like the blond girl’s angry. Oh wow. She’s thrown the sleepy one into the sea… err, she’s not floating, is she fine?”

“By the way, that blond hair… it looks familiar. Oh right, it looks just that girl from the class next to ours, Mitake Anneliese—”

“I-it’s just your imagination! She’s probably a worker from the recreation facility!”

“Right! It’s rude to stare like that, so I don’t think you should mind it!”

Arisu and Daisuke hurriedly blocked Ena and Takako’s line of sight. Daisuke then reproached Arisu with a whisper.

“Hey, Arisu…”

“I couldn’t do anything…! They said they really wanted to swim!”

While deceiving Ena and Takako with forced smiles, the two whispered to each other. Behind them, the swimsuit-clad Kasuou—Mitake Anneliese and the form of Yomori Neiko who finally floated to the sea surface could be seen.

“O-oh, really?” mumbled the puzzled Ena, but was apparently won over by her excitement that they monopolized the entire coast. She spread her arms wide as though to hug the ocean, her eyes sparkling.

“Anyway, as expected from Chairman of the Akasegawa Group. She actually lent us this wonderful place so easily despite our short acquaintance! I wish Nanana-san was here as well!”

The one who gave Arisu’s group the chance to be invited there was the girl called Akasegawa Nanana.

Nanana worked as the Chairman for Akasegawa Group that had many companies under its umbrella, colloquially called the Akasegawa Foundation. She and Ena had apparently hit it off at some party and even now remained friendly.

This area was once bought by the country to be used as a recreation facility for clerks, creating vacation facilities such as hotels, inns and other related things. However, after being in the red it was apparently auctioned off and bought by the Akasegawa Corporation.

Hearing that Ena was looking for a place where she could pass the summer’s greatest event, Nanana had offered this beach. Also, despite the fact it was still in the middle of construction, she even provided some workers for the minimal support of lifestyle as a bonus, which was really generous.

Takako put her hands together happily, and Arisu and Daisuke smiled as well.

“Being able to use this place as our own just to watch the meteor shower really is luxurious.”

“It really is.”

“Feels way too big for just the four of us, though.”

The greatest reason for Arisu’s group to arrive at this land.

That was the Perseid meteor shower.

Just like its name suggested, a meteor shower was a phenomenon where one could see many comets in the sky. The Perseid constellation meter shower was especially famous since it could be seen periodically, but since this year it was anticipated that the viewing conditions would be at their very best, it became the talk of the town.

The peak of the Perseid constellation meteor shower, meaning the period of time most comets would be visible, was tonight. Arisu could probably also see it from her hometown of Akamaki City, but the best place to watch it from would be a spot with no obstacles in the sky.

“Tonight’s the real deal! But it’s the real deal now too, we can’t let a single second go to waste! Attack!”

“Yeah!”

“Eek, my swimsuit fell off! What am I going to do, Kusuriya-kun?!”

“Right, I thought you’d set up something like that! But you haven’t even entered the sea, so I think you’re being too hasty, Saionji-san—wait, uh?! It really fell off! Why?!”

The sparkling sun scorched the sandy beach.

Figures of four swimsuit-clad people playing around in the calm waves were shook by heat haze.

Racing inside the sea, playing beachball, chasing off some sneaky thieves (or rather Kasuou and Neiko) trying to steal the contents of their cooler box, eating lunch and then diving in the sea again.

Since these four hadn’t had a lot of opportunities to have fun recently, they got wild as if they saved it all up for this moment.

By the time the sun started sinking toward the west, Arisu announced to Ena and Takako that she was thirsty and came to the beach.

Coming back to the parasol, she found someone already there, lying with a towel on head.

“Ena’s calling you, Daisuke.”

“…I’ll go, if you stop her from sexually harassing me.”

A boy’s low voice could be heard from beneath the towel. It was completely different from when he acted out a “normal” boy in front of Ena and Takako.

“Even though you’re really happy…”

“…”

“Oh, you’re not denying it.”

“I’m used to being hated, though.”

Sitting next to the disgruntled Daisuke, Arisu held her knees. She took out a carbonated drink from inside the cooler box and pulled on the tab. If Takako were to see her, she would probably say something like, “My, how slovenly to drink straight from the can.”

“When I’m faced with these kinds of situations… how do I put it, I’m not sure how to respond to them.”

“Hehe, I knew it wasn’t like you hated it—”

Arisu tried to laugh, but her strength suddenly left her hand.

“—”

Her vision blurred. She felt her consciousness being muddied as if something leaked from inside her body. The can fell from her powerless hand.

It fell atop the sand scorched by the sun and spread its contents—or so she thought was going to happen, but it didn’t turn out like that. The moment before it fell, a hand caught it from the side.

“Arisu.”

Despite hiding his face with a towel, Daisuke easily caught the can and called to her.

Her consciousness was brought back by the boy’s voice and Arisu started back to her senses.

“Are you alright?”

“…Yes, I’m fine.”

She turned her head, slightly forming a smile and accepted the can from Daisuke.

Rarely in the past there were times when her body didn’t work like she wanted it to. However, recently it wasn’t just her body, but even her consciousness nearly cut off. And the aftereffects also came much earlier every day. Daisuke obviously knew about this as well.

They knew the cause for it.

“I can’t just sleep like that. I want to play lots more.”

As she smiled and looked up at the sky, a silver glow flew into her sight.

While reflecting the setting sun, a lone Morpho butterfly danced in air.

It was the Mushi given to Arisu by her now deceased friend, Hanashiro Mari. Apparently, being given another person’s Mushi was unheard of.

“You too, Daisuke?”

She called toward the boy lying on the sand, but he made no reply.

Daisuke wasn’t just her classmate. He always remained at Arisu’s side to monitor her. He was also a Mushitsuki, and a combatant dispatched from the organization called the Special Environmental Preservation Bureau.

“You have to answer when your mistress calls to you. Are you listening, Daisuke?”

“I’m having plenty of fun.”

“Then look more cheerful! Arisu Chop!”

“Ouch! Damn, you’re so annoying!”

Daisuke swept off the towel on his head. His true face hidden by this cloth looked embarrassed to her. Seeing how stubborn he was, he probably didn’t want his face to be seen. Arisu smiled.

“Oh, so you are enjoying yourself. No need to be shy.”

“I’ve been telling you this just now! —And you’re the one not being honest.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Can you really enjoy it? You’re the one who created this situation, so how can you smile all innocently. Really… it’s always like this, but I can’t follow your ideas.”

Arisu stared at him. She soon recalled, and then snorted.

Thinking about it, he was right. Everything that Arisu was attempting to do now was part of the plan that she herself had thought of.

However, she completely forgot about it.

Time spent with her friends who were as important as the late Mari was so fun, so everything else went out of her mind. Playing with her friends wasn’t the time to be considering Mushi, Mushitsuki or the situation she found herself in.

“Who cares about that right now?”

“Huh? Obviously you should—”

Although he was trying to argue, Daisuke immediately went silent upon seeing Arisu’s face. What expression was she wearing while looking at her two classmates playing at the water’s edge?

“…”

Kujou Takako fell. Since she lacked athletic abilities, her stamina probably reached its limits. Just like all others sons and daughters of the wealthy that attended Horusu Seijou Academy, she was a sheltered young lady, and Arisu heard that it took quite a bit of effort to have Takako’s parents allow this small trip.

Takako was also related to Daisuke appearing in front of Arisu. When Takako’s childhood friend became a Mushitsuki, the one sent to capture him to Horusu Seijou Academy by the SEPB was none other than Daisuke.

“Aren’t you overdoing it despite being scared?”

Daisuke said curtly. Since when had she started being able to feel his worry for her behind his detached tone?

Perhaps it was like this from the very start. He was feared among Mushitsuki as a demon, but Arisu knew that he possessed certain kindness.

“I’m not scared at all.”

She was thankful for him being the first Mushitsuki she met other than Mari. Although he always spoke as if he acted for the sake of his mission, he would save Arisu’s body and soul every day. Because she had his support—because he’d saved her countless times, even when she was about to give up, she rose again and again.

She also met a lot of Mushitsuki other than him.

Every such meeting ended up as a battle as if it was predestined. The same happened when she met Yomori Neiko and Kasuou who were now poking each other in the distance.

Yet now they were undoubtably her friends.

And not just these two.

At times fighting, at times hurting each other, at times even scared, those Mushitsuki—were definitely not her enemies. They might have been, once, but they also managed to hold hands again.

“After all, I’m not alone.”

Mushitsuki were always fighting against something.

Therefore, even as Arisu threw herself into the battle out of her own will, she was definitely not alone.

However, even so—

In the current state, which shouldn’t have existed, which was impossible, of being bound by the fate of becoming host to another Mushi, which led to her exhaustion as well as the splintering of both body and mind— 

The possibility that the now-deceased Mari remained within the Morpho butterfly, trying to overwrite Arisu’s existence—

The mysterious beings called Mushi—

As well as how powerful was the enemy they were trying to take down—

“I’m… not scared—”

Just by recalling these, her body shook on its own.

However, even that fear—soon vanished.

“—”

A warm sensation enveloped Arisu’s clenched, shaking hand. Another hand, filled with even more warmth that the sand scorched by the sun, grabbed her hand.

“You don’t have to bluff now, stupid Arisu.”

Daisuke said. Although his tone was as curt as always, something about his expression and voice was overflowing with small kindness that could easily be missed.

“I’m not bluffing.”

Arisu grabbed back the boy’s hand slightly sunk in the sand. With their hands held under the sand, couldn’t be seen by the girls playing in the sea.

“Look. —I’m no longer scared.”

Arisu often said she knew no fear, but she was actually always scared.

Dying was scary, and people close to her dying as well—just like when Mari passed away, she felt very scared.

She was scared of facing a difficult problem, and failing was also terrifying.

However, Arisu had many allies.

Right now, the warmth of a kind hand was erasing Arisu’s fear.

Therefore—Arisu was no longer scared of anything.

“I’m not wrong.”

Arisu raised her face again.

Ahead of her eyes was her classmate, grabbed by Takako.

Saionji Ena.

Starting with her friend Takako, the many problems involving Arisu and Mushitsuki finally reached her other friend as well.

Therefore, Arisu had decided.

“There wasn’t any right answer in the first place.”

Daisuke spoke.

“But—you forcibly dragged out the right answer. I can’t think of any other way to solve it.”

“…”

“I won’t grumble anymore. My mission and my promise to Hanashiro Mari, maybe even the promise I made some years ago… I’ll settle all of them.”

She felt him put strength into his hand holding hers. She looked at his face intently.

“W-what is it?”

“Say, Daisuke.”

Her eyes looking at Daisuke were serious.

Silence fell between the two.

Arisu and Daisuke stared at each other for a while—and, finally making up her mind, Arisu spoke.

“You really are a womanizer, Daisuke.”

Daisuke blushed. He hurriedly released Arisu’s hand and raised his upper body.

“Wha—”

“You’ve obviously attracted Ena, and you even seem to have some secret promise with Mari… and you even have Ayuyu and Erii. You’re too unfaithful. If you keep doing things to my friends, I can’t stay silent.”

“W-what are you talking about!? I’m not really…! Actually, I’m the one in trouble here! It should be obvious! No, understand it already!”

“Who’s the one you actually love! Answer me, please!”

“What do you mean, love? I don’t have—”

''Something like that—

She thought he was about to say that, but Daisuke stopped talking. Although he looked like he wanted to say something, he averted his face.

“What is it?”

“What about you?”

“Eh?”

“Takako has her childhood friend, and Ena… she’s probably making a pass at me. —Aren’t you the only one without someone like that?”

Now that he said this, he was right. Both Takako and Ena had someone of the opposite sex they were interested in.

She never thought this topic would come from Daisuke’s mouth. Even as she looked his frowning profile, the boy looked to be somewhat sulking.

“Are you still trying to be a girl despite that?”

“Despite what, exactly… if you’re talking about a certain body part, I’ll bury you alive.”

Reflexively hiding her chest, she spoke in a low voice.

It wasn’t how Daisuke worded it, but Arisu too wanted to be a normal middle schooler. It wasn’t like she had no interest in romance, and there were times she was conscious of the other sex.

Right now, sitting next to Daisuke on the beach like that led to a certain thought—

What she could feel so naturally.

“I’m having so much fun.”

Daisuke turned to look at her.

“I have my precious friends, I worry with them, I’m helped by them—when I think I can make many more friends, my heart flutters.”

She had the friend called Hanashiro Mari.

She made her precious friends Saionji Ena and Kujou Takako, and had the strong boy called Kusuriya Daisuke at her side. Even if they weren’t there, she could feel the existence of her Mushitsuki friends.

“You’re obviously also one of them.”

As Arisu said this with a smile, Daisuke made a vacant, foolish expression.

“What is it? I won’t let you say at this stage that you’re just doing this for your mission.”

“I’m—”

Daisuke tried to say something but fell silent. He cast his gaze for a moment and a little while later raised his face. He wore a painful smile.

“Friends, huh. …Right, that’s true.”

“You’re answering vaguely again! If you have any complaints, how about ‘partners’ or something? Sounds much stronger.”

“Doesn’t matter whether we’re friends or partners.”

Making this offhand reply, he lay on the sand again. Arisu clenched her fist to hit him again, but when she saw his expression, her thoughts stopped.

“I’ll become whichever you choose.”

Daisuke was also smiling happily.

“Yeah…”

Lowering her fist, Arisu found herself smiling as well.

“You’re finally an obedient slave.”

“Hey, there were only two choices there.”

Arisu smiled.

“Say, Daisuke. —Can you tell me about that Fuyuhotaru girl already?”

Arisu’s question was apparently a surprise attack. Daisuke’s face twitched.

Every time she used the keyword “Fuyuhotaru” he would grow silent and make a face as if he was enduring something. Just like he was now.

“So you won’t tell me?”

The determination and unfathomable power Daisuke showed while he was fighting. She already knew long ago that the word Fuyuhotaru lay in their roots.

She wanted to know more about him.

As a friend.

And at the same time—as an equal partner.

“Got nothing to do with you.”

While turning over on the sand, Daisuke looked to the other side.

“It’s got nothing to do with anyone. Not only you, it’s unrelated to either Hanashiro Mari or the Morpho butterfly as well… so why do you need—”

“It’s something important to you, right?”

“…”

“Then it has to do with me.”

Smiling, she looked at Daisuke’s profile.

“It’s about my friend, after all.”

Silence fell between the two.

The sound of the approaching waves resounded loudly, and the sounds of Ena and Takako having fun reached them.

Daisuke scratched his head, seemingly hesitating.

However, before long—

“It really has nothing to do with the Morpho butterfly, but—”

Arisu smiled.

Daisuke spoke a little.

About his first mission for the SEPB.

The story about the large disaster that cornered the country and the boy who faced a single person.

Everything, just like he said, was events unrelated to what started due to Arisu and Mari meeting, but—

Arisu was finally able to find out why the person important to her was strong.