Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko:Volume6

Novel Illustrations

These are the novel illustrations that were included in volume 6.

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  Index
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  page 9
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  page 11
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  page 17
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  page 27
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  page 53
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  page 64
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  page 71
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  page 88
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  page 119
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  page 131
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  page 151
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  page 181
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  page 201
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  page 225
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  page 227
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  page 249
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  page 267
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  page 283

Prologue - School Newspaper Article: Culture Festival Preparations

Total current Youth Points: +4

…And so, this week’s topic is, without a doubt, our school’s cultural festival, which is just around the corner this weekend. Last year’s festival fully showcased the unique characteristics of our region, and we received praise from the local people. However, on the other hand, many students felt that the cultural festival itself was rather small in scale. I, Mary Okui of the newspaper club, shared this same impression based on my experience as a participant. There is a part of me that feels that it is unavoidable since interest and enthusiasm for cultural festivals are generally on the decline, but on the other hand, as someone involved in this matter, I cannot help but hope for a memorable cultural festival. This year’s cultural festival theme is, quite simply, “Attraction”.

When I asked about its true meaning to the head of the cultural festival committee, the one who had chosen that theme, which is maybe a bit harder to understand than last year’s “Soaring”, he answered, “It has a cosmic feeling to it, doesn’t it?”

It would appear that they have carried over the core concept of a community-based cultural festival from last year.

As a project conceived by the student council chairman, drawing inspiration from the theme of Attraction, each student will be given a “thread” in the order they arrive at school on the day of the festival. Each thread will have a unique pattern, and each student will be given only one thread dyed with the same pattern. The highlight of this year’s school festival, themed around the “Attraction” between people, will be for each student to find their matching thread and tie their little fingers together. Threads will also be distributed to guests invited by the students. We encourage everyone to participate!

The couple who will successfully find each other and tie themselves together with threads of the same pattern will be given the right to attend the event scheduled for 2 PM in the gymnasium from seats in the arena. As for the content of this year’s highlight event, a concert is scheduled featuring singer Nijou Owari-san, who is active in a wide range of fields… or so we were told. When we asked Nijou Owari-san, who is not a student, why she kindly agreed to participate in our school’s cultural festival, we received the following response:

“A child can refuse a request from a known face. An adult can’t. In short, I am already an adult.”

Yes, as you’d expect from an eccentric singer, her Japanese isn’t very specific, right? And what kind of face is a “known face”?

While enjoying the cultural festival’s Attractions, it might also be fun to look for someone you’re drawn to. As for the rather unusual idea of ​​”tying a thread”, which is rather old-fashioned like the red string of fate… the cultural festival committee chairman said, “Huh? It’s a total rip-off. Back in elementary school, I saw a couple acting lovey-dovey holding their little fingers together like that.” So, everyone, please be careful not to praise the committee chairman too much.

During the interview, a trivial question arose: “What if the thread combines two men or two women together?” When I asked this year’s cultural festival committee chairman for his comments on this matter, he responded with a furious and almost bee-shock-like response: “Two men? Just go for it! Two women? What’s the problem with that?!” If I, Mary Okui, had to take a guess, I would assume that they hadn’t thought that far ahead and it is now too late to come up with a solution. Now, moving on, let’s address the performances’ features.

Among the preparations for food stalls that line the area, the girls’ basketball team stands out the most. They’ve registered to sell giant takoyaki the size of a basketball. When I asked for a comment from one of the girls who was preparing them during our visit, she only gave the same response, so I’ve omitted it. I don’t know anything about that special intensive training month or whatever.

And the takoyaki that they made during practice was divided into small portions, and female club members were seen around the school using deceptive phrases like, “They are homemade; eat them,” to get male students to accept them.

Regarding the taste of the takoyaki, I happened to ask a male student, N-san, who was receiving some in front of the newspaper club. With a sour expression, he whispered so the girls wouldn’t hear, “It’s full of cabbage and doesn’t have any octopus in it. I was prepared for it since it was the fruitarian who brought it, though.” The latter sentence was a little hard to understand, but it seems to have been well-received overall. Come on everyone, let’s all go with the determination to eat one takoyaki each from the girls’ basketball team… Is the girls’ basketball team butting in? No, what are you talking about?

In addition, among the cultural clubs, the art club’s participation announcement has caused a stir. The art club, which boasts the highest number of ghost members, had not produced any club activities for several years, but this year, it appears that a few members led by the club president are planning something.

It is also said that the art club was responsible for creating the aforementioned thread. When we interviewed the art club president, who is also renowned as the tallest person in the school, she remarked sceptically, “Are there actually people who would try to tie something like this?” before suddenly collapsing. I quickly supported her from behind, and the art club president managed to leave unharmed. What a relief, right? Anyway, that was the art club.

In addition, there will be other events such as a play in the gymnasium in the morning and a target practice competition hosted by the baseball club on the field in the afternoon, so we recommend that you read the pamphlet thoroughly.

Also, we saw an unfamiliar card mascot lumbering down the hallway, and we plan to investigate the truth behind that in tomorrow’s special issue of our column, “Okui’s Inner Parlour”, so please look forward to it.

The school newspaper club plans to run around the school grounds throughout the cultural festival, investigating any event that might occur. We apologise in advance if we abruptly request an interview while you are enjoying yourself.

The Attraction Cultural Festival is finally happening the day after tomorrow!

I hope you have a memorable encounter with someone who attracts you!

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• Treated to homemade (?) takoyaki by Ryuushi-san while preparing for the school festival: +2

Total current Youth Points: +6

Chapter 1 - Tokaido Melos

I suddenly found myself wondering what last year’s school festival was like. I was fumbling through my hazy memories as if trying to recall a dream I had yesterday… Ah, I was asleep.

Old movies were being shown all day in the gymnasium, and I was lost in the darkness on the second floor. I was lying around with my friends in that dimly lit, stuffy space that made my lips dry. Even though it was called a school festival, it was a rather unexciting school. There were only a few food stalls and nothing special except for a blood donation van. There weren’t any exhibits from each class or anything like that, so we were really just just killing time.

After having about 200 cc of my blood drawn in the donation van, I was given some bread and milk, and then I collapsed in the corner of the gymnasium, succumbing to exhaustion. “Let’s make the most of our youth here!” I didn’t have the passion left in me to stand up and rally everyone by shouting that. After all, I’d had my blood drawn, wah ha ha. It was my first time donating blood, and I learned first-hand that it makes you surprisingly drowsy.

…I looked up from my bowed head, thinking self-discrepantly that it wasn’t really worth reminiscing about.

Hi everyone, it’s Niwa Makoto. “Tanbashin” sounds like a musical instrument when you read the word, doesn’t it? Anyway, that’s irrelevant.

In late September, the scorching heat continued day after day, a far cry from the concept of an Indian summer. Only the clear, high sky seemed to signal the beginning of autumn. Just as my mind and body, accustomed to the laziness of summer vacation, were beginning to adjust to school schedules again, the school festival began. Without any opening greetings or anything like that, the students simply arrived at school, put their belongings in their classrooms, and then proceeded to prepare their individual performances or explore the festival grounds.

Just after 9 a.m., looking down from the third-floor window towards the school gate, I could see a large group of students running a little late as they made their way to school. The hustle and bustle and loud voices reached me as if I were passing by a night festival. The line of students was moving very slowly. Probably because of what the school festival committee members were handing out.

“Transfer student, have you found Ryuushi?”

A tall shadow fell by the window. It was the faint shadow of Maekawa-san, who was standing next to me. With her hands behind her hips, she had the air of a female teacher even though she was wearing her school uniform. She pressed her palms against the windowpane and leaned forward, looking down at the schoolyard. Maybe her eyesight was failing, as she narrowed her eyes as if glaring.

“I’m not really looking for her. Besides, Ryushi’s running a food stall with the basketball club, so I think she’ll be here early.”

So, I doubt that my lovely classmate was among the people caught up in the crowd below. I hadn’t even seen her in the classroom today. It’s debatable whether they count as a replacement, but instead I run into Nakajima and Hanazawa-san near the shoe lockers. Those two, who met through playing amateur baseball during summer vacation, were both in sports clubs, so they’ve been called upon early in the morning to set up the food stalls. Nakajima was the first to greet me.

Not with a “Hey Isonou, let’s play baseball.” “Hi! So you’re the transfer student?” “…Hi.”

The couple, Nakajima friendly as ever, and Hanazawa-san, whose face looked sleepy, surrounded me and peered at my right hand even though I wasn’t the kind of person they’d usually be very interested in.

“Hey, what kind of thread do you have?”

Both seemed intrigued by the “thread of Attraction” that had been handed out to the cultural festival committee members at the main gate.

Urged on by Nakajima and the others, I unintentionally raised my right hand, which I had been hiding. The thread I was given was purple. I tied the grape-coloured thread to the first joint of my little finger, just like everyone else had done. To be honest, whenever I saw someone with a piece of string tied around their finger, I felt like telling them, “Ah, you have a piece of thread hanging.” Its appearance was kind of… not very memorable. I didn’t feel any sense of destiny.

But everyone I passed or who greeted me would intently examine the pattern of the thread with their keen eyes. Even Nakajima and Hanazawa-san did that. Nakajima looked at the colour of my thread and let out a sigh of relief. Hanazawa-san silently raised her hand to shoulder height. On her little finger was a lemon-yellow thread.

“I don’t want to be bound by the threads of fate to a man, especially not someone I know.”

Nakajima gave a wry smile, showing his thread, which was striped with moss green and blue. Apparently, these two didn’t have enough Attraction to each other. I mean, what was even Attraction between people?

Whether it was love, friendship, or hostility, was Attraction simply the force that draws people together? I really can’t tell. Since there was no clear line between what to affirm and deny, all I could do was accept it with an ambiguous attitude.

Putting that aside, I didn’t consider this distributed thread to be important at the moment, but it seemed to be a big deal to the other students. Well, it’s not like they were desperately trying to find their soul-mate, though.

Apparently, if one found someone with the same kind of thread wrapped around their little finger and tied it together, one could get arena seats at an event in the gymnasium that started after 2 PM. I didn’t know the details, but apparently a somewhat famous singer would be performing a live show or concert. Ryuushi-san told me she was a fan of that singer. “What?! Niwa-kun, you don’t know Nijou Owari? That’s just as bad as not being able to pronounce Ryuko-san’s name properly, I told ya,” she said. Huh, is that bad?

“Well, I might have seen her on TV. What kind of person is she?”

“Well, well, she’s a total dog lover, I told ya.”

“…A top breeder?”

“An artist, I told ya.”

“Oh, so she’s someone who hits homeruns?”

“Huh? Hmm… what’s that, I told ya?”

My joke didn’t land, and the silence that followed was rather sad. Incidentally, as she promised it would be, this month was apparently Ryuushi-san’s “I told ya special intensive training month”, and she’s been adding more often “I told ya” to the end of her sentences.

Needless to say, I thought to myself, “No, that’s not what you should be training.”

…And so, that’s how I ended up arriving at school earlier than the other students and breathing the same air as the art club. Yes, I was in the art room on the third floor of the school building. Yes, I was helping out with the art club’s exhibit. I wasn’t a member of the art club, but I was helping out the club president, Maekawa-san. That was my morning at the school festival. Since the festival only lasted one day, half of it was spent in the art room.

To be honest, the circumstances and motivations that led me to help were quite vague. Something was hanging just above my forehead, and no matter how hard I tried to find out what it was, it kept disappearing into a blind spot. Haunted by that memory, and yet driven by a compulsive feeling that I “had to help”, my school festival began in the dusty air of the art room, together with Maekawa-san.

“Transfer student, I underestimated your memory.”

This is what Maekawa-san said with a smile that made her face soft and squishy like a freshly made daifuku when I offered to help a week ago. I couldn’t exactly deny it cheerfully by saying, “Well, I can’t remember anything, haha,” so I awkwardly accepted her compliment. However, I suspected that this is what she meant when I wrote “Help Mae-tan” on the back of my right hand during our beach trip. The only other thing I could do to help Maekawa-san was to support her back when she was about to fall. In terms of academics, which is the main duty of a student, our height difference was certainly a factor. Model physique, excellent grades, and (in a way) great sense of humour. So, what could she need?

“By the way, what exactly am I supposed to help with at the art club?”

“Hmm, well, just various odd jobs that will come up during our activities. It’s only during the morning. I’m counting on you.”

Incidentally, the string on Maekawa-san’s little finger had a white background with scattered green speckles. It gave the impression of being made from the wrapper of a melon-flavoured candy. It looked as if it would be slightly sweet if I licked it.

“Maekawa-san, are you looking for someone to tie your thread with?”

When I asked this casually, Maekawa-san glanced at my purple thread and then smiled faintly.

“Isn’t Attraction something that exists so that things naturally attract each other, rather than something you search for?”

“Fair enough.”

Just drop a line in the fishing pond and lie there and wait. How romantic!

I turned around because I heard a particularly loud laugh behind me. Around the piled-up desks were the art club members, only a few boys and girls, who had formed a circle and were enjoying a lively conversation. Maekawa-san and I were standing a little distance away from them. I had decided to keep my distance because I didn’t know any of them, and I wasn’t in the art club, so joining their conversation would only make things awkward.

I guess Maekawa-san, the president of the art club, which is full of ghost members, was putting up with me. When I looked up at Maekawa-san with that thought in mind, she seemed to understand, her lips softened, and she closed her eyes.

“I’m a ghost member too, so I barely remember the faces of the other members.”

“So it’s practically a ghost club then?”

As I said that, Maekawa-san shook her shoulders slightly. As usual, she seemed to have a low threshold for laughter. If it were Erio, she would just nod expressionlessly with a “hum”, and I would struggle to figure out what she was thinking. Well, whatever.

One more completely irrelevant thing, but the art preparation room next door was strangely noisy. I could hear intermittent shouting, or rather, excited conversations between a boy and a girl, and I was wondering who was using it.

It seems like all the art club members were here. And although I couldn’t recall any specific names or faces, the voices I heard sounded familiar… A chicken farm? Why did that word just pop into my head now?

“Transfer student, your thread. Does it match Ryuushi’s or Touwa’s?”

Leaning against the window and squinting, Maekawa-san asked this without looking at me.

“Well, I haven’t checked either of them… but Erio told me she wasn’t coming.”

“Heh? I don’t need to ask why. It must be difficult for her to come to school.”

Maekawa-san let out a wry smile. I agreed, putting on a polite smile myself as I muttered to myself, “I wonder.” It would certainly be awkward for her to come. After all, she caused trouble at this school and was expelled. And all the people involved were still enrolled.

But she did receive an invitation, so it wasn’t as if there was no hope at all.

Participation in the school’s cultural festival wasn’t mandatory, so it was up to her whether she wanted to come or not.

With that in mind, I pondered how this thread would lead to someone I knew personally. Was Attraction really such a romantic thing?… No, it couldn’t be. It’s me we’re talking about after all. If there was a connection fitting for me, then… maybe Meme-san? No, no, impossible. I was frightened by that thought and hastily shook my head to dismiss it. It was so plausible that it was terrifying how it could escalate from mere imagination to precognition. Meme-san snatched an invitation ticket from someone’s hand without being invited and declared, “School festival date accepted!” I gave up on getting it back from her. She was like a monkey ransacking an orchard.

If the question “Are you doing alright with your job?” made any sense, then she wouldn’t be referred to as an adult-child. Come to think of it, she had been acting strangely restless lately, and I wondered if it wasn’t like the excitation of a child the day before a school trip.

“……………………………Anyway, back to the main topic.”

What’s the fun in thinking about Meme-san all the time? The important thing was the school festival. I was here today so that my point card would be full and we could call it the Autumn Youth Festival.

Well, it was unclear whether the experience in the art club’s project would contribute to Youth Points.

The art club’s plan was to draw a picture of the students who visited, alongside their requested ideal lover. A sign outside read, “If it’s your ideal, we will use our imagination to draw it, no matter what kind of person they are or whether they exist in reality.” The price was set at 200 yen per drawing. When I first heard about it, I was impressed by the skill required to reproduce something like that on a sheet of paper.

“However…”

Everyone would get embarrassed when asked about their ideal partner. At least, that’s how I would feel. Is there anyone who would seriously come here and ask, “A picture of OO-san and me, please”? The project was conceived by a member of the art club, and apparently that girl and Maekawa-san were in charge of drawing the portraits.

The other club members didn’t seem to know much about painting, so I wondered what they were supposed to do, what their purpose was, and if they weren’t simply there to liven things up. But I was in pretty much the same position, being here to help out even though the details were still unclear, so I couldn’t really say anything too harsh.

Ultimately, whether the project succeeded and what they would end up doing was all up to chance.

That’s why I couldn’t wait for it to start.

Enveloped in this buzzing excitement, this time spent waiting by the window for the school festival to truly begin was both frustrating and unbearable. It was like the feeling you would get after raising both hands to your feet and experience extreme dizziness. It was a contradictory, itchy feeling that one was happy to embrace, yet simultaneously longing for release or liberation.

“Oh my, you seem to be having a lot of fun by yourself. How unusual for you, transfer student. Are you actually a party animal?”

Maekawa-san, who leaned in to look at my face, also showed a more genuine expression of joy than usual.

Maekawa-san, who leaned in to look at my face, also showed a more genuine expression of joy than usual. “Oh, so my face looks happy too,” I thought, accepting the observation readily, and I felt my cheeks curling up even more.

But if it was rare, what did my face usually look like? And does Maekawa-san check my face all the time? Thinking about it made me feel a little embarrassed.

“I’m the type of person who travels far and wide in search of youthful experiences, and I never miss a night festival.”

When I replied jokingly, Maekawa-san seemed to recall summer vacation and said, “Indeed you are.”

“I hope we both have a great school festival.”

“Absolutely.”

As I answered, I felt ticklish and scratched the underside of my chin with my finger. A school festival. It was like a bonus stage for Youth Points, or were there lots of coins and green mushrooms under the pipes?

The sun, just after nine o’clock, began to appear from the boundary between the east and west school buildings. The sunlight, reflecting off the windowpanes and marking the transition between summer and autumn, burnt the eyes from the side. It felt like being immersed in a lukewarm flood.

The light silently melted away the thin layer of stagnation that had accumulated in the school during the night. I experienced this illusion as I became intoxicated by the exhilaration that matched my slightly quicker-than-usual heartbeat.

The pleasant tingling sensation in my fingertips automatically made my hands float through the air, rising to eye level.

I gazed intently at the purple thread dangling from my little finger, which was fluttering in the wind.

Where would today’s Attraction draw me towards?

The thread of fate still swayed alone, unconnected to anything.

It was just past nine o’clock at the school’s back gate. Unlike the main gate I had just looked around at, the flow of people here was calm. The back gate seemed to be the entrance exclusively for visitors from outside the school who had received invitation tickets. There were still hardly any people around, and students who had arrived by bicycle glanced enviously at the deserted gate as they passed by. The female student on the cultural festival committee who was checking the entrants and tearing tickets by the side of the gate was yawning repeatedly with a bored expression. She squinted her tear-filled eyes towards the rising sun.

About three metres to the left from there. Facing the back gate, there was a path leading to the main gate stretching straight ahead to the left. There stood a fence separating the school’s sports field from the path, and there I was, peering over that fence into the playing field.

I was wearing Mom’s clothes without permission, and I’m also putting on rimless round glasses that I’ve never worn before. And even though I wasn’t riding a bicycle, I was wearing a yellow helmet, with my long, eye-catching light blue hair tucked inside. It was I, Touwa Erio. I was currently in disguise.

I stared blankly at the school that I attended a year ago. I clearly remembered the trouble I caused last year. That was why it was difficult for me to confidently enter a school where I knew so many people. In fact, when Cousin invited me to the school festival, I refused.

“Everyone at school hates it, anyway.”

“Is that so? Well, come if you feel like it.”

I accepted the invitation ticket he offered me, but at first I really didn’t intend to go. However, when I found out that Mom was going to the school festival, my resolve wavered a little. Then, while I was minding Tamura Shop, the candy store where I worked, Mom came in (who smiled and ignored my question, “Mom, what about work?”) and invited Grandma Tamura, who was sleeping in the back, to the school festival. I didn’t hear the full conversation, but I later heard Grandma say she would go. That made my resolve waver even more. And then, last night, Mom hugged me and said, “Eri-tan, if you come to the school festival, Mom and Grandma will be so moved. I’ll carry Eri-chan on our portable shrine!” After thinking about it all night in bed (with of course my upper body wrapped in my blanket), I secretly decided to go. Only Mom and Grandma knew that I was going to the school festival. When Mom heard that I was going, she smiled a little. She was acting a bit more grown-up than usual.

I haven’t told Cousin, who left early this morning. If I did, he would have probably given me a mean look and said, “Oh, so you wanted to come after all?” Cousin is kind but also mean. So I’ll try my best to avoid him at school. Then, in the evening, I will greet him at home as if nothing happened. I might even ask him with a cool expression, “Did you enjoy the school festival?” If that happens, I would consider today a great success. I might even chuckle at Cousin trying to act like a big brother.

“…Uhh…”

But I regretted a little turning him down since it made it harder for me to come.

I started walking down the street slowly, silently telling myself to tiptoe. I had to be brave and slip through the back gate. There were surely lots of people inside who remembered me.

Let’s sing something so I don’t get scared.

“Mofu, mofu, mofu-mofu-mofu, mofufufuuuu, mofufufufufufu” “Ah, Eri-chan! If it’s not Eri-chan!” “Mofu!” Suddenly someone called out from behind and gave me a push on the back, which made me jump.

My feet flailed in the air, swinging like a pendulum three times. Even after landing on the ground, I couldn’t really tell if the soles of my feet were firmly planted because I was wearing shoes. I wanted to just toss my shoes off, but I was more flustered by the fact that someone had spoken to me.

How odd, I was disguised with glasses, a helmet, and Mum’s clothes.

“It’s been ages! Still acting like an alien, are you?”

The one who pushed me forward was a girl wearing a school uniform… Ah, I knew this girl. She was a friend of mine back when I attended school. But I’ve forgotten her name. My eyes were drawn to her abundant blonde hair. That was her most striking feature, and I felt like if I stared at it for a while I might remember a lot of things.

“…………………………..Uh, uhhh.”

I shook my head, then froze. I still didn’t remember her name. Ignoring my confusion, the girl who had approached me started laughing heartily. Every time she laughed, my face felt hot. It also annoyed me.

“Hahaha, are you wearing a disguise? What an idiot; the colour of your eyes makes it so obvious. Who else has light blue eyes besides you, Eri-chan? You’re still the same as ever. Are you from a water planet or something?!”

I regretted not wearing sunglasses. I instinctively covered my eyes with my hands. The other person reacted to my gesture by raising her laugh by an octave.

“It’s not just your eyes, your hair too. You can’t hide it at all; just be yourself. Are you some kind of chemical waterfall?!”

I didn’t really think I should have cut my hair short. As I was fiddling with my bangs, stuffing them into my helmet, the girl who spoke started staring at me with a mocking look in her eyes.

“Eri-chan, you’ve got some nerve. And you’ve become so well-behaved.”

“Uh, yeah. Thanks to Cousin.”

I answered while waving my hands wildly.

“Cousin? Oh, well, since you’re well-behaved, can I kick you? …Oh no, I’m just kidding.”

The girl was busy pushing and pulling her body in an exaggerated way. And what she said was incredibly abrupt. Was a brain arranged vertically? That’s the feeling it gave me. Ah, but I vaguely remembered her being like that. If I recalled correctly, her father was a foreigner and her mother was Japanese, just like me. That’s why we became friends soon after starting school… or so I thought. We were even reprimanded together by the student guidance officer… I mean the teacher.

“What’s with that hair colour?!” he said. So we ran together, all the way outside the school. To the fence overlooking the playground where we are now. I think that’s when she ran out of breath and stopped.

“W-what do you want?”

But all these memories were from before I left school. So I wonder why she’s talking to me now. The girl, averting her eyes, dismissively said:

“Hmm, nothing in particular. It’s just that I saw Eri-chan and called out to her. Rare animal spotted! Or something like that.”

“…I’m not an animal.”

I didn’t deny that it was rare. Kashiwagi also told me that there weren’t many girls with my hair colour.

“Ah, by the way. I’ll give you this thread as a special gift.”

The girl took a piece of thread from her skirt pocket. It was a long, plain white thread with no distinguishing features. She dangled it back and forth as she offered it to me, so I took it without thinking.

I rebelled inwardly, thinking, “Why can’t she find a trash can by herself?”

“If you tie that around your little finger, something good might happen.”

“……Kay”

“Huh, isn’t it just trash?” I thought, but I tied it anyway. Something good?… I looked around. No immediate effect. I was about to ask what it was all about when I turned my head and saw the girl frowning, staring at her wrist, which wasn’t even wearing a watch. She also had a black and white striped thread tied to her little finger.

“Ah, this is bad; time is running out.”

“Hmm?” If so, then she shouldn’t talk to me.

“I’m busy looking for newspaper articles! Well, see you later! Stupid Eri-chan!”

“…Newspaper?”

I groaned, watching the blonde girl run off into the school grounds. I groaned “huh, huh” for a few seconds, my eyes darting around, and then finally, her name came to mind. That’s right, that girl’s name was “Mary something”.

Feeling satisfied with recalling this, I started walking along the road again.

Come to think of it, I used to have friends.

And somehow, I was happy that I wasn’t treated badly even now.

The question of whether customers would come was answered less than 30 minutes later. Because they did come.

“Huh? My ideal lover? I still have some time, so why don’t you draw it for me?”

“In our case, all we have to do is draw the person next to us, so it’s easy, right?”

“Oh my, you’re just too honest.”

They were a stupid couple. These two seemed to be the complete opposite of the customers seeking their ideal partner, as they walked into the art club practically huddled together. The warmth in the eyes of the welcoming art club members quickly vanished.

Both were wearing school uniforms. The boy was unremarkable, but the girl was undeniably a beauty. Her long indigo hair resembled flowing water, and she had the air of a senior student. Her facial features, body shape, and everything about her was “appropriate”, and if I had met her on my first day of school, it would have been difficult not to admire her. To be able to captivate a girl’s gaze and make her eyes glaze over like that, I’d like to call this boy “teacher” and ask him for some pointers. Though I had no idea what to ask him to teach.

The two were wriggling along. They weren’t holding hands, but they were walking so close together that their feet looked like they were about to get tangled. The art club members didn’t even say “welcome”; they just looked at each other in bewilderment. They probably hadn’t anticipated these kinds of customers. They were people who didn’t need to seek their ideal person on paper or in their own minds.

Only Maekawa-san bowed slightly to the girl, saying, “Hello.” Did they know each other? It seemed the girl finally looked beyond the scope of her stupid couple and noticed Maekawa-san’s presence.

Maekawa-san really knew a lot of people. I wish she would share some of her sociability with Erio.

“Hey, Maekawa-san. Thanks for all your preparations today. You’re really good at wearing mascot costumes. You should definitely come to our event.”

“I’ll come if I can find someone.”

“Haha,” Maekawa-san replied with a forced laugh. She then glanced at me… Hmm?

“I don’t really want to go…”

The boy muttered to himself, turning to the side. Huh? Looking closer, aren’t these the same stupid couple who were playing catch with a porno magazine at the bookshop? They’re from the same school? Today they didn’t have a porno magazine with them, but they made an appearance with their little fingers tied together with string. However, the strings weren’t matching; their colours were completely different. The boy’s thread was brown, and the girl’s was amber. With beaming smiles that seemed to say, “But we’re each our own colour,” they sat down in the customer chairs. Not in front of Maekawa-san, but in front of another female art club member.

“Two pictures of my ideal lover!”

The girl ordered with a peace sign, as if she were buying movie tickets.

“Huh, two? Isn’t that double the effort?”

When the boy interjected, the girl responded with a “Hupf!” and crossed her arms.

“Well, it’s just drawing the same man and woman twice. This way you and I can each get one copy.”

“Ah, you’re right. Tamako-san, you’re so smart.”

“Heh heh, it’s the wisdom of age.”

“Hooray for big sister! Anyway, two pictures, pleeeease.”

This time, the boy innocently thrust out a peace sign. The female art club member who was facing them turned to Maekawa-san, pleading that she reached her limit.

“Club leader, this project makes me want to give it all up!”

“Weren’t you the one who suggested it? Well, she and I are acquainted, so I’ll draw it.”

After brushing off the female club member, Maekawa-san moved in front of the stupid couple with her sketchbook in hand. As the head of the art club, Maekawa-san could draw pictures. She was really talented.

I called out to her broad, thin, and unreliable back.

“Anything I can help with?”

When I tentatively asked her that question, Maekawa-san looked around at the ceiling and began to ponder, saying, “Let’s see…”

“Well, if it’s so much of a bother, then I won’t help.”

“So, will you stay there then?”

“Yes?”

At that point, Maekawa-san hesitated, closing her mouth and averting her eyes. But then she continued:

“If, for example, Ryuushi… Or rather, Touwa suddenly showed up here and you didn’t immediately start touring the cultural festival with her, that would be enough for me.”

“Ugh. Well, I did say I’d help, and, err, I think we agreed on the morning, right?”

“That’s right, the morning.”

“So I’ll stay here until lunchtime then.”

Why should Erio suddenly show up? And if it were the case, I wouldn’t do anything anyway.

“Are you there?” murmured Maekawa-san playfully, turning back to face the stupid couple. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Tamako-san,” she said, somewhat cheerfully, as she moved her pen while speaking to the girl of the couple. The only sound in the art room was the scratching of the pen across the sketchbook. I followed her pen with my eyes, impressed by the fact that it never stopped moving. There is still so much more to discover about Maekawa-san.

The other art club members just stood there watching, not really offering any help. A feeling of weariness, almost like apathy, quickly enveloped the art room. I was a part of it.

If I just sit here and soak up the atmosphere, my Youth Points would only diminish.

“…………”

I wonder what Maekawa-san expected of me when she asked me to help… Wait, did she even ask? Was it me who offered to help myself? If so, maybe I was just being a nuisance?

That’s embarrassing. I sighed and lightly banged the side of my head against the window.

“This is more boring than minding the shop for Erio.”

She was always just sitting there looking bored whenever I went to the candy store.

Although it was impossible to see from here, I turned my chin towards the direction where the Touwa family house was located and closed my eyes.

I wondered if Touwa Erio, the light blue Pi○min of the Touwa family, was still rolling around at home wrapped in her futon.

I could easily picture the Smakin rolling around in the hallway of the house, and it made me a little sad. If I really wanted to, I could probably imagine Smakin rolling through the night sky or outer space.

“… Huh.”

My cell phone vibrated in my school uniform pocket. The vibration made me lift myself up from my chair, and then I tried to pull the phone out. The character keychain attached to my phone that I had received as a gift at a convenience store got caught on the edge of my pocket. I couldn’t get it out easily.

I frantically pulled the phone hard, and the sound of the fabric tearing gave me a chill. But it looked fine, so I focused on the phone. I smiled at the name displayed on the LCD screen, pressed the answer button, and brought the phone to my ear. The swaying keychain brushed against my cheek.

At that moment, a cacophony of noise came through the phone like a series of small fireworks blooming. And amidst it all, the lively voices that I rarely go a day without hearing suddenly sprouted:

“Ahhh, I’m finally connecting through!”

“Huh, was your signal bad?”

“That’s right… So, fufufu, you can guess who I am, right?”

“Hmm… Ah, I know. Ding dong.”

“Yes, Niwa-kun.”

“It’s I-told-ya-san!”

“Wrong! I told ya! That’s the second half!”

I laughed and got up from my seat. After all, there were customers, so it wouldn’t be a good idea to have a phone conversation in the art room. I gave Maekawa-san a small nod, and she narrowed her eyes. She saw me off with a slightly stern look, and I hurried out into the corridor.

Ah, I shouldn’t need to explain this, but the person on the other end of the phone was Mifune Ryuushi-san.

The light that permeated every corner of the corridor seemed to be accompanied by sound, making the surroundings a little more lively. Even though there weren’t that many people around. I leaned my back against the wall that stretched out beside the art room door and took a deep breath.

“Anyway, good morning.”

“Good morning! I told ya!”

“You don’t need to say this when saying good morning.” She should think carefully about when to use “I told ya”.

From the phone, beside Ryuushi-san’s voice, I also heard a lot of noise, like static. She was probably outside. She was probably at one of the food stalls run by sports clubs around the bicycle parking area. Besides the sounds, I could almost smell the savoury aromas wafting through the air.

“My cell phone isn’t connecting at all. Everyone is using one, so the signal isn’t going through.”

“Ah, I see. Looks like you’re heavy.”

“I told ya not to say this!” Ryuushi-san protested. Her sulky tone was so cute.

“So, Niwa-kun, you’re helping out Maekawa-san, right?”

“Yeah, Maekawa-san, or rather, the art club… well, I guess it’s the same thing.”

Back when Ryuushi-san gave me some pieces of the giant takoyaki she had made during practice, she had asked, “Won’t you help me out?” But at that point, I had already told Maekawa-san I would help her, so I had to decline.

Besides, she was from the “female” basketball team. If I were at their food stall, I would totally stick out.

“Is there a set time when you’re done helping?”

“Humm, sometime in the morning.”

As I said that, for some reason, a tatami mat appeared in my mind, and a teacup rolled across it. What was that flashback all about? Did it actually happen, or was it just an image in my head?

“Hmm, well then, when you’re done, let’s go round and round the school festival togetheeeeer.”

I expected a spinning motion, but the invitation came with shoulder rotations as well. Hmm, not bad.

“That’s totally fine. Ryuushi-san, can you sneak away from minding the food stall?”

“I told ya, I’m Ryuuko, but I should be able to.”

Yep, looks fine. Her “I told ya” had already reached the level of “Ah” and “Err”.

“Okay, then around lunchtime… where should we meet?”

As I spoke, I glanced left and right down the corridor. Loud and slightly noisy footsteps came running up the stairs on the right. A blonde girl, practically leaping up the stairs, kicked off the wall as she appeared in the corridor. “Wait, you hottie!” she shouted, using the momentum from her kick to quickly ascend the stairs. She certainly was an energetic one.

Just as the girl was passing by, someone jumped down the stairs. He was quite a handsome fellow, though he stumbled upon landing due to the force of his jump. Was he being chased? He glanced back up the stairs with a wry smile and continued down, almost jumping again. He was in casual clothes, so he must be a guest… Was this town full of people like that? After all, right now, my train of thought and line of sight were cut off at “So, this is the place that holds special memories for Niwa-kun and Ryuuko-san!”

“Where is it?”

“Wow, so many memories. They’re really coming back to me.”

“So, it’s like everyday life is a time when memories start to fall into one place.”

“Hmm, then let’s go with that. And, err, how about we meet in front of the shoe lockers?”

“Okay. I’ll go so I don’t forget.”

Well, there’s no way I’d forget an event like going around the school festival with a girl, which was a classic example of Youth Points. I wasn’t a typical youthful man for nothing.

“By the way, told ya…”

“I wonder if anyone is going to compile a Ryuushi-san dictionary soon?”

“Niwa-kun, what colour are you dyed in?!”

“Huh? Err, m-my own colour?”

“That explains nothing!”

Ryuushi-san, I don’t understand what your question means!

I almost yelled, but then Ryuushi-san’s voice faded away on the other end of the phone. There was a moment of silence, as if a switched-on microphone had been tossed aside, a flow of air, and then a new voice came through.

“Hey there, are you the transfer student who’s talking to Ryuushi-chan on the phone?”

The pitch went up by one note. The way she spoke had a wide, dynamic quality, perhaps because she was running.

“Err, Mickey-san, is that your voice?”

I unconsciously used polite language. I mean, you can’t treat someone’s name rudely or disregard it, can you?

“That’s right, I’m Mickey. Ryuushi-chan’s friend. Oh, wait, it’s Miggy now.”

I could hear a faint voice from behind her saying, “I told ya, I’m Ryuuko; give it back!” I guess she was trying to get her phone back and was getting brushed off. Hmm, so that was the difference between a regular and a substitute on the basketball team.

“It’s question time for the transfer student! What is it you find attractive about Ryuushi-chan?”

“Would there be any benefits from answering that?”

“I have an embarrassing photo of Ryuushi-chan taken during her club activities!”

“Her cheeks”, was my immediate answer. It seems my youth sensor was functioning perfectly. Nothing erotic about it.

“Oh, her cheeks?! They’re so squishy and irresistible, especially since recently Punimi-chan has become a bit like Puyomi-chan… Ahhh.”

The call ended with a drawn-out scream from Mickey, or was it Miggy? Maybe Ryuushi-san jumped on Mickey and ended up hanging up. I waited for a while, staring at the phone. A lively announcement of the start of some event echoed down the hallway. Well, I’m not going.

Since there was no sign of her calling me back, I shoved my cell phone into my pocket and went back to the art room.

“Jiwa-kun, let’s go around the school festival together once we’re done helping out.”

The moment I entered the art room, Maekawa-san blurted out that comment in a much more casual tone than usual. I involuntarily straightened my posture. She was apparently impersonating Ryuushi-san’s voice and was quite successful at it. That girl was so talented.

As expected of someone who calls herself Maeemon. Although, I felt like something was off.

Maekawa-san paused writing, turned around, and gave me a sarcastically knowing smile.

“Fufufu, I guess I got it right, transfer student.”

“Well, there was just one minor flaw.”

“Really? I practised that imitation… I mean I was secretly confident about it. Where is the problem?”

“My name.”

Maekawa-san blinked. Then, with a faraway look in her eyes, he nodded and said, “Ah.” She put his pen to his chin, his expression still stern, and looked pensive. I stood by the entrance to the art room, waiting for Maekawa-san to finish her thoughts. The other art club members and the stupid couple who were visiting… were fidgeting, each nudging the other’s shoulder with their free hand. Of course, the thread of their little fingers was still tied together. I wanted to tell them with a smile that they should stay holed up in their own world and not come over here. I wished some tough-looking foreigner would come along and pat them on the shoulder and say, “Go home.”

Eventually, the pen left Maekawa-san’s chin, and she turned her chair towards me as if taking a break. After lightly brushing her bangs aside, Maekawa-san let out a sigh. It seemed like a sigh to release the tension in her shoulders.

“Hey, transfer student.”

“Humm?”

I tilted my head at the strangely formal and almost distant way she addressed me. Maekawa-san was smiling.

“Shall we introduce ourselves to each other now?”

“Yes.”

Huh? After so much time? I swallowed my surprise and managed to reply. Well, I didn’t even know her first name anyway.

We both cleared our throats.

“I am Niwa Makoto. I moved here in April. Nice to meet you.”

It felt incredibly awkward to say it out loud. The ripple effect of my self-introduction seemed to have spread beyond Maekawa-san, causing a slight murmur around us. “Is that the rumoured one?” “Yes,” the stupid couple confirmed without lowering their volume. I suppose they’re referring to the transfer student who was rumoured to have committed suicide by jumping into the sea.

The other art club members’ perception of me changed a little after my true identity was revealed, though saying it like that might be an exaggeration. So, up until now, I was just that mysterious guy brought here by the art club president. It was a little embarrassing to imagine them thinking, “Why is this guy even here?”

But more than the reactions of those around me, the person I wanted to focus on was Maekawa-san. Maekawa-san accepted my belated self-introduction and began to speak. Finally, after the mystery of these past five months, her first name was about to be revealed.

“My name is…”

“Yes, yes?”

“Maekawa”. “Is it okay to just call her a guest? Ah, it’s alright? We wish to call for a guest. Nijou Owari-san, Nijou Owari-san. Many people are waiting for you, so please come to the venue immediately.”

Just as if on cue, the old speaker in the art room vibrated, and Maekawa-san’s voice was cleanly cut in half between us. The disjointed words spilt onto the floor, swallowed up by the reverberation of the broadcast, and vanished like sand. A jarring, unexciting sound of the connection to the broadcasting room being cut off pierced the back of our ears. And immediately afterwards, the speaker resumed its operation and began playing some mysterious background music, perhaps to liven up the school festival. It was a collection of sounds with unfamiliar melodies that somehow made me feel uneasy.

All that remained for me and Maekawa-san was the emptiness of having failed to grasp something important in each other’s lives.

To cover up the various voids and helplessness, we both laughed.

Apparently, there was no name-based Attraction between Maekawa-san and me.

“Mofu.”

Having successfully entered the school, I improved my disguise. I called it the “Hiding My Eyes with a Pamphlet” strategy.

I unfolded a school festival pamphlet that had fallen on the school grounds and covered my face with it. Now my eyes and bangs were hidden from everyone around me. Perfect disguise! “Mofu!” I bumped headfirst into something hard. The slight problem was that I couldn’t see anything either because my eyes were covered with the pamphlet. I shifted the pamphlet to check what was in front of me.

What stretched out before me was the white wall of the school building. It felt rough to the touch. I had bumped into something near the back entrance of the staff room. I turned around. The wide path between the two school buildings was full of students in uniform. Those walking in the middle were chatting loudly, peering at pamphlets and discussing things. A boy walking alone that I passed was slightly looking down. But they all had a string tied around their little finger. But I didn’t see anyone with two strings tied like me.

As I passed through the school gate, I had received another thread in exchange for my invitation ticket. It was a light blue, sparkly thread. It looked like a hair I shed. I wrapped the white thread around my left pinky finger and the light blue thread around my right pinky finger.

This should double the happiness! …or so I hoped.

Correcting course. Reattaching the “Mofu” pamphlet, I set off. I drove with quick strides towards the main gate, plodding along.

Becoming a youthful woman was quite difficult.

Especially today, I couldn’t even cling to Cousin’s back.

I wonder where Mom and Grandma are. Mom wasn’t home, but maybe she’s here now? Was there a lost and found centre where I might collect her?

“Excuse me, young lady.”

“Mofu?”

Someone called out to me. But I still had my face covered with the pamphlet, so I couldn’t see what they look like. I couldn’t reveal my face in a place like this. The other person seemed understanding and continued talking to me.

“May I ask where I can find the restroom?”

“Mofu (right).”

“Thank you.”

“Mofuuufu (You’re welcome)”.

Apparently, I got my message across, as I sensed the person who asked for directions moving away from me. Helping people feels good. But how did they know I was a young lady when I was hiding my face? “Mofu?” I sensed a different presence at my feet. I waited to see what they would do, expecting to be asked for directions again. They remained silent and showed no signs of moving away. I waited. They waited too. … “Mofu” woof. “Mofu mofu” woof woof. “Mofuffuuu” woof, woof… I won. But since a conversation wasn’t taking place, I gave up. I shifted the pamphlet slightly and checked my feet. From their appearance, it didn’t seem like they wanted directions.

It had four legs.

“A dog.”

Woof, the dog at my feet barked. When the dog lifted its head, its belly jiggled back and forth in response to my movements. It was like Mom’s breasts after she took a bath. The round dog stared up at me. I stared back at the dog. Neither of us moved. “Have any free time?”

When I asked, the dog shook its head from side to side and then barked again. Apparently it didn’t have any free time. What a shame; if it did, we could have walked around the school together. “Are you looking for someone?” Woof. Hmm, humm, so it was looking for someone.

I preferred cats to dogs, but I couldn’t just abandon it in a time of need. I’ll offer advice. But before that, I took the dog and moved it away from the crowd. People in uniform were walking towards the gymnasium, chatting and looking at pamphlets. I crouched down a little to hide from them.

“Your mom?” buzz buzz woof. “Your dad?” buzz buzz woof. “Your owner?” woof woof.

“Attention everyone! The drama club will be practising in the gymnasium from 10 o’clock! What will they be doing? Why, a play! What will they be doing? You’ll have to come and see! If you have some free time, please come and check it out!”

The speakers attached outside of the school building vibrated, advertising the performances in the gymnasium. Oh, right, everyone’s going to see the play. I wonder if Mom would like watching something like that? She probably won’t go; she doesn’t like sitting still. Just as the broadcast ended, the dog stretched its neck to the right and barked towards the middle of the road. I turned to look in that direction.

“Ah, there she is.”

A woman was coming towards me, pushing her way through the crowd from the direction of the dog’s bark. She had short chestnut-coloured hair. Her lips were strangely bright red, making her pale skin stand out. She seems to be in her twenties.

To be honest, she seems more mature than Mom. Mom hasn’t changed at all since I was little.

The woman held a partially eaten chocolate-covered banana on a stick.

“Hey, your master is running towards you, and you have no intention of running back? Well, apparently not.”

The woman stood behind the dog, hands on her hips, nodding in anger. The dog turned around, sliding on its belly, and looked up at the woman. Then it let out a joyful “woof”.

“Does that girl smell like honey or something? Ah, sorry about that…”

The woman bent down, picked up the dog, and then looked up, frozen with a wry smile. She stared at my face, not blinking. People’s eyes were scary. No matter how much I resisted in my heart, my eyes and skin reacted with a tingling rejection. I cried out, my eyes darting from side to side, searching for a hidden back. Not for Cousin, but for Mom. She wasn’t there. It wasn’t that convenient. But I couldn’t completely give up hope that Mom might be here. Just then, the woman looked away. I peered at the dog’s face in my arms.

“Nice dog. You still have a great nose. But don’t try to eat my chocolate banana; you’re a dog.”

As the woman praised and scolded the dog, it barked as if to say, “Of course, I’m a dog.” Then it properly pulled its head away from the chocolate banana. The woman stroked the dog’s head as she was holding it and then glared at me again. W-What’s up with her? I tried to remain reserved.

She was humming “funfunfun” and staring intently at my little finger. Was she checking the thread? The white thread.

The woman clapped her palms together as if she had a sudden realisation.

“I see, I see…”

“W-what’s going on?”

“You’re so cute. Ever thought about becoming an idol?”

“…Huh?” She could tell I was cute even when I was wearing a disguise?

The dog barked woof, looking up at the woman’s jaw. The woman nodded and scratched her eyebrow with her finger.

“No, no, that’s not it. I’m just picking up girls.”

“…?”

Who was this person? A weirdo? A harasser? A con artist? All sorts of thoughts were running through my mind. So I looked around again, searching the surrounding area. Cousin… no, Mom. But as usual, the only people passing by are boys wearing the same uniform as Cousin or girls wearing the uniform I used to wear.

“Hey… don’t you recognise my face?”

“…N-Not at all.”

I was so scared because a stranger was talking to me, so what was she even asking?

“Looks like it… Hmm, how should I put it?”

As the woman turned her head along with the dog, the speaker vibrated and emitted a sound again.

“Is it okay to just call her a guest? Ah, it’s alright? We wish to call for a guest. Nijou Owari-san, Nijou Owari-san. Many people are waiting for you, so please come to the venue immediately.”

The woman turned around with a displeased look on her face as the broadcast started. She said, “Aah?” in a rude manner. I knew it; she was a delinquent.

A delinquent with a dog. Looks weaker than Lone Wolf and Cub. I glanced at the dog as if to ask, “Think we can win?” Woof.

“What the hell? Calling me like that? Don’t they have any idea why I came so early?”

Scratching her waist, the woman cursed into the speaker. Nijou Owari? Was it that woman’s name? Apparently so. The woman sighs, “Oh well.”

After the broadcast cut out, an unfamiliar tune started playing.

“Anyway, you’re, err, cute!”

I was slapped hard on the shoulder, and my spine tensed up. I awkwardly stretched on my tiptoes and bowed my head, saying, “Th-thanks.” The woman turned to the side and muttered, “Oh, is that okay? It’s fine, whatever.”

“Okay, see you then. You absolutely have to come to my event!”

I was slapped hard on the shoulder, and my spine tensed up.

The woman ran off, waving with her dog (or was it the dog’s front paws waving?). The chocolate on the chocolate-covered banana was melting in the sunlight and about to spill, but I didn’t have time to point it out.

I was left all alone. I stood slightly away from the flow of people, staring blankly at where they were going, my eyes unfocused. As I did so, soft, white, soap-bubble-like things began to form out of the corner of my eye and float above people’s heads. This created a sense of distance, as if separating my presence from the view I was gazing at with envy, like a dream between reality and a dream.

I shook my head from side to side, making all the soap bubbles pop.

I felt nervous after being spoken to, and my body temperature had risen, making the sunlight outside feel much hotter than before. And I also felt cramped. The heat was pushing me around, making me feel like I was bundled up in thick, heavy clothes.

Ugh, it was hot. My head felt like it was getting hot because I was wearing a helmet. But I couldn’t just stand there forever “mofu” without doing anything, so I first tried to protect my face with the pamphlet. It got even more humid, and I couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t quite the same as being snuggled up in a futon. All I felt was discomfort. Still, I threw the pamphlet stuck to my face and started running.

…Now that I thought about it, that woman earlier didn’t have a string tied around her little finger.

“Ah, it’s Touwa-san. There’s a weird Touwa-san with a pamphlet stuck to his face.”

“Mofu?”

I was being called by name again and stopped almost immediately. Another obstacle arose on my way to Mom. The road of youthful girls was a harsh one. But this time, the voice sounded familiar, so I stopped and removed the pamphlet from my face. I let out a big “Mofuuu” of relief as the restriction on my breathing was released. I then checked the face of the person who had called out to me. Just like the voice, I recognised the face.

“Ryuushi something.”

The person named Ryushi or something was carrying a bag of flour and approaching with a frown on her face. As expected, Ryuushi-san was wearing her school uniform, and a phone strap was sticking out of her skirt pocket.

“I told ya, it’s Ryuuko.”

She uttered a line I often heard back when I was attending school. I was the first one to call her Ryuushi, after all.

“…I told ya, I’m Erio.”

“I told ya, don’t copy me.”

Ryuushi’s shoulders somehow rotated round and round. I rotated mine too. Our arms occasionally bumped into each other with a slapping sound, disrupting the rotation. Then, gradually, as if gears were meshing together, our movements somehow began to synchronise. For no particular reason, our arms started to rotate smoothly.

Round round and round. I was jealous of how Ryuushi or something’s uniform sleeves fluttered every time her arms moved.

Ah, Ryuushi or something has somehow tied a thread to her little finger. The pattern was a net. The red lines made up a net pattern.

“I’m not going to let you go to Niwa-kun’s place so easily, I told ya!”

“I-I’m not going, I told ya.”

But what if Mom and Cousin were together?… In that case, maybe since I was older than Cousin, I could compromise, and we could go around the school festival together as a family. Yes, yes, that was a good idea.

But maybe Cousin still didn’t know that Grandma Tamura was my mother’s grandmother? Cousin was so hopeless, so dense. I’ll have to teach him a lot of things.

“Ryuushi-chan, what are you doing?”

My bouncy ride with Ryuushi or something came to a sudden halt. Ryuushi or something reacted incredibly quickly and turned to the side. I slowly looked in that direction as well. A girl was standing there, holding a box full of cabbages, staring at us with cold eyes. She looked familiar, yet unfamiliar.

“M-Mickey-chan”

“How nice of you, Ryuushi-chan, to slack off and goof off at the stall. But I can’t accept Erio-chan doing that.”

The girl’s gaze pierced through my light blue bangs. I instinctively hid them with the pamphlet I was holding. It didn’t really matter, because my disguise hadn’t been working at all so far. Failure.

“Well, you see, Mickey, how should I put it… I told ya, I’m Ryuuko, but…”

Ryuushi or something was visibly troubled. Her eyes were a little frightened and confused, and she was troubled by something related to me. About me finding out. She took a step back. That was… natural. It was only natural. Both Ryuushi or something and I were careless. That’s why she was looking at me like that. The same look that I always get when I walk around town. My knees were buckling, and I felt like I was going to collapse into tears. Before it gots worse, I needed to do what I could.

The decision to work, the decision to play baseball, and the decision to become a youthful girl, all of these made me move my feet forward before they happened. Even if I couldn’t fly, I could walk and run.

To prevent Ryuushi or something from being in any more trouble, I stuck the pamphlet to my face and ran away. “Ah,” “The alien ran away.” I felt fingers pointed at me. But I didn’t look back and ran in a straight line.

Perhaps it was because my face was covered, but my hearing was heightened on the sides. Cheerful voices, voices, voices. Something was said to a friend, and the friend would say something back. Clang, clang, relationships that bounced back and forth.

But the way it bounced back wasn’t too abrupt or too cold; it was just pleasant.

The surrounding environment that kept pushing me back was incredibly rigid and cynical, and it was nothing but walls I’ve brought upon myself.

Right now, I couldn’t make friends.

…Ugh, Cousin.

“Kachiwa-kun, aren’t you a little too handsome by my standards?”

“Oh Tamako-san you’re just too cute. It’s as if you had the vitamin C of hundreds of lemons.”

“No, no, I still have about five more ways to reveal Tamako-san’s charms.”

“No, no, no, even I, Kashiwa-kun, will only use one hand in a serious fight.”

Were these two playing a DNA game or something? They were wiggling their fingers, pointing at the paper the other person was holding, as if drawing a helical structure. The girl in this stupid couple was apparently named Tamako-san, and the guy was Kashiwa-kun. They were praising each other’s lovers in the picture that Maekawa-san had just finished drawing. Both of their drawings were indeed well done. The girl next to me also complimented them, saying, “They’re pretty good.” Well, that was fine.

If these were a puzzle, there would be a lot of people trying to solve it by brute force. The room was hot because these two were passionately in love…but I could feel the heat rising in the art room for a different reason. What an amazingly stupid couple. A plausible motive for a crime would be, “I threw a stone at them because they’re such a stupid couple.” Was “stupid couple” the name of an alien from another planet?

Wow, just watching them made me feel like my Youth Points were going downhill.

“I mean, this isn’t the time for flattery! Let’s hurry, Kashiwa-kun! We need to start preparing too!”

“More importantly, Tamako-san, I’d like to go to the blood donation bus with you.”

“I don’t want to go on that kind of date! Come on, let’s go!”

There was no way for the man to escape, as their little fingers were tied together with a string. Finally, the stupid couple hurriedly ran out of the art room with the woman taking the lead. They looked like chickens that had been pecked in the rear with a sword.

After that, the atmosphere in the art room relaxed. The stifling heat loosened, creating space. Naturally, everyone exhaled the breath they had been holding in and relaxed their shoulders. The silence, accompanied by tinnitus, permeated the art room, creating a boundary with the noise coming from outside the window and the stairs in the corridor. It was similar to the pleasant feeling of being at the boundary of temperature as a body that has been heated up after exercise gradually cools down.

No one did anything in particular to reach that effect, which goes to show just how intense that stupid couple was.

Only Maekawa-san, who had risen from her chair, moved without any hesitation, as if out of the ordinary. She folded her sketchbook and brushed the bottom of her skirt. She then came towards me.

By the way, I was literally just sitting by the window. During the whole time Maekawa-san was working on drawing the stupid couple. I couldn’t deny that it was a minus in terms of Youth Points, but staring blankly at the nape of Maekawa-san’s neck, where her hair met her uniform, was quite a treat for my eyes.

“They were a lively bunch. Well, that’s nothing new, though.”

Maekawa-san dragged a chair in front of me and sat down. For a moment, the strong light streaming in from the window caused Maekawa-san’s left eyelid to flutter. Hmm, I should keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t collapse from too much sun exposure.

“Maekawa-san, was she a friend of yours?”

“More or less… That girl is actually one of our underclassmen.”

Huh? I almost cried out. She was? With that kind of look and demeanour, she was younger than me? Terrifying.

“Children these days seem to be developing well.”

“Haha, are you telling me that?”

She shook her shoulders, looking amused. Well, compared to Maekawa-san, there are probably few students in the entire school who could compete with her. And as for the girls, I’d say there were practically none.

“Well then, transfer student, it’s your turn.”

“What is?”

“Your ideal lover. I’ll draw it.”

Maekawa-san flipped through the sketchbook and smiled mischievously. I waved my hand to the side, saying, “Give me a break”, but Maekawa-san casually ignored me and picked up her pen again. I was astonished and wondered whether she was kidding.

It took some time to paint a single picture. Even though some time has passed since the stupid couple visited, there was no sign of any new visitors coming into the art room. In fact, there were very few people walking down the corridor that I could see through the open door. Everyone was probably still heading to the food stalls outside the school building. The exhibits inside the school building would probably only get busy after lunchtime.

“Come on, what’s your ideal lover, transfer student? Touwa or Ryuushi? Clearly make up your mind.”

She twirled her pen around with her fingers as she forced me to choose from a limited number of options.

“This is too specific. It should be more like an ideal scenario or a dating research project.”

“So, Meme-san, then?”

“Ah, that joke was pretty funny.”

Ha ha ha. I faked a genuine laugh from the bottom of my heart. Maekawa-san didn’t laugh at all. She picked up her pen.

“Hmm, well then, tell me what qualities you look for in a partner. I’ll try to summarise them.”

“Are you really going to do it?”

“I mean, you looked bored the whole time, didn’t you?”

Well, I mean, I was here waiting to help, but there was nothing I could do to help, and all I was asked to do was to “stay here”. If that wasn’t dull, then I’d have to wonder how busy she was with all the silly things she was thinking about. I wasn’t that naive. I was just concentrating, pondering, and admiring how beautiful Maekawa-san’s nape was.

“Hey, transfer student. Don’t worry, I won’t charge you anything.”

“Yeah, ideal, ideal… Hmm, ideal? It’s hard to think of one off the top of my head when asked so suddenly.”

“Don’t high school boys constantly wander around, breathless, searching for the shadow of an ideal girlfriend?”

It was a biased image, but not entirely wrong either. So, my ideal lover…?

Wouldn’t that kind of thing change from time to time? Depending on who I interacted with, where I was, and so on?

“Okay, I’ll leave it up to you.”

“Are you ordering dinner? Do you even understand the point?”

Maekawa-san chuckled and began to move her pen. Wait, could I really leave it up to her? Wouldn’t this just be Maekawa-san’s prediction, rather than my ideal? Not that it matters.

Besides, if it was just about drawing my ideal lover, there was no need for me to be facing Maekawa-san like this, posing as a model, was there? “…Well, never mind the details.”

I accepted that. There was nothing else to do, and Maekawa-san was the only person I knew in the art room. The sound of her pen moving across the drawing paper was regular, like the ticking of a clock’s second hand. It was a creative act, drawing, yet the sound was so regular that if I listened only to it, my eyelids would get heavy.

“School festival, huh… I wonder what I should do.”

I muttered, glancing out the window. This question arose after my summer trip to the beach. I never learnt how to get involved in, or even cause, an event that felt like a school festival. Last year, all I did was have my blood drawn and lie in bed. I still remembered the darkness and the taste of the stagnant and lukewarm air.

Maekawa-san raised her head slightly in response to my mumbling. I wasn’t expecting a reply, though.

“Since you’ve already tied the thread to your little finger, it might not be a bad idea to look for someone who has a matching thread.”

“Wait, is it okay to exert Attraction from this side?”

When I pointed that out, Maekawa-san stuck out her tongue slightly and said, “That’s right.” Oh, that gesture was so cute.

“Attraction is so inflexible.”

Said Maekawa-san as if she were giving a wry smile and evaluating a friend standing beside her. I reluctantly agreed.

“That’s troubling.”

“But that’s precisely why it sometimes brings wonderful things.”

Just as if she’d waited for my agreement, Maekawa-san suddenly reversed her stance on Attraction. Seriously?

“If you think about it normally, transfer student, it’s highly unlikely that your school festival would start from here.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’m sure Ryuushi, Touwa, or Meme-san are nearby.”

“…………”

Was the fact that my aunt was included as an option a sad point? I wouldn’t like it if my ideal lover was portrayed as that person. That’s just how it looked in other people’s eyes.

“But in reality, transfer student, you are here.”

Maekawa-san said with a slightly triumphant air. And she continued; her tone rose.

“I didn’t cause anything to happen today. Rather, it’s the result of me manipulating Attraction in the process leading up to today.”

“Heh?”

“Even if you can’t make a rubber band harder, you can bring about a different change by stretching it.”

“…Sorry, I don’t understand.”

“It’s like, ‘Long live Attraction,’ or rather, ‘Long live me!’”

“What, so it all boils down to self-praise?”

“No, what I’m trying to say is…”

“Yeah?”

Maekawa-san placed her pen and the folded sketchbook on her lap and sat up straight. Her back was perfectly straight. She lowered her long legs, which she had been crossing, and firmly planted both feet on the floor, maintaining a model student-like posture.

Her pale skin was tinged with a hint of blood, giving it a cherry blossom pink hue.

Then, Maekawa-san’s lips, now more formal, gently curved into a beautiful smile.

“Thank you for spending time with me today. I am completely satisfied.”

Gwah. Maekawa-san thanked me so sincerely to my face, and my eyes started rolling back and forth uncomfortably. What was wrong with Maekawa-san today? Her Youth Points were fluctuating much more than usual… Aah, right. It was because she wasn’t wearing a mascot costume. Well, being a high school cosplay girl suited her really well.

I faced Maekawa-san, mindful of the stares of those around us. Various parts of my skin were itchy.

“Well, I’m not really dating, and I haven’t really done anything, but is that okay?”

“It’s a good thing. The fact that there’s a ‘transfer student who hasn’t done anything’ here.”

That was enough. I was content with Attraction. Maekawa-san said this with a slightly downcast smile.

The Attraction Culture Festival had only just begun, and it was already over so quickly.

But Attraction doesn’t ripen just because time passes, does it?

“It sounds like something profound.”

Or perhaps it was the fact that it was praised as a decorative ornament that left me with mixed feelings.

“Well, it would be a bit of a problem if people thought about it too deeply…”

Maekawa-san mumbled a denial, staring at the cover of her sketchbook. She tilted her head in a way that seemed to push me out of her field of vision, making it impossible for me to force my way in, so I fell silent.

Maekawa-san placed her pen and the folded sketchbook on her lap and sat up straight.

An awkward silence fell, and I felt uncomfortable. It was full of youthful energy, but it was a little painful. So I got up from my chair. After standing up, I brushed the hair that was covering my ear with my fingers.

Suddenly, a torrent of lively voices reaches me from the scene unfolding outside the window. The school festival was in full swing as people gathered, and the one-day festivities were beginning. This peaceful place would soon be engulfed in it as well.

I got the impression that Ryuushi-san symbolised liveliness, while Maekawa-san represented the calm atmosphere of the art room.

“Transfer student?”

“I’m going to the restroom for a bit. Can we continue posing for the painting when I get back?”

“Sure, see you later.”

She waved goodbye to me. It was an awkward exchange, considering my destination was the restroom. I started walking a little hastily when Maekawa-san called out to me, “Ah, wait a minute.” I turned around.

“Hmm, what?”

“Ah, well, you see… well, N-Niwa-kun.”

Huh. Maekawa-san called me by my last name correctly. I guess it was because of my self-introduction. But I’ve always been called transfer student or Jiwa-kun, so it was a bit confusing to hear her say my name like that now.

“Ah, did I say it right?”

“Haha,” Maekawa-san asked awkwardly, her cheeks curled up on one side.

“Uh, yeah. That’s correct, yes.”

“That’s good. It’s good, yes.”

“…So, is that all?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Uh, well, you called me. But you didn’t have anything in particular to tell me?”

“Uh, yeah.”

Perhaps because we were both flustered, our conversation was starting in a monotonous way. Maekawa-san frowned, seemingly trying to think of something to do. No, no, that wasn’t the right order.

“Well then, make sure you wash your hands properly.”

“……Roger that.”

I scratched my forehead and felt embarrassed, thinking, “It’s like a nursery teacher and a child.”

I stepped out into the hallway, trying to escape the heat that had arisen from my embarrassment. “Ugh.” My cheeks were tingling.

I stopped and lightly slapped both my cheeks with my palms. Then I walked down the corridor. Cheerful music could be faintly heard in the distance, either being played or broadcast somewhere.

I started walking towards the toilets without really thinking about it until halfway down the corridor. When I realised where I was going and looked up, I could see a sign that read “Toilet →” leading down the corridor. It must be a sign posted for today’s guests. I followed it, and along the way, I glanced down at the thread on my little finger.

“Attraction, Attraction… does it even exist for me?”

There was “Attraction” at work in every action a person took. For every choice, there was a force pulling it towards oneself. Therefore, there was no such thing as coincidence in this world; everything was “predetermined” by something.

“…If the future is all predetermined, then I guess our current actions are also predetermined.”

That was probably one way of looking at it, but I couldn’t imagine any powerful, fireworks-like Attraction acting on me today. I wondered if that was what lay at the end of this thread.

I was about to enter the restroom as I thought jokingly about such matters, almost as if singing. As I was entering, a man came out of the restroom and lightly pushed my shoulder, saying, “Excuse me.” I shifted my body to avoid bumping into him, took two steps into the restroom, and then instinctively turned around.

It felt as if ‘it’ was gently tickling my skin and hair.

“…Huh?”

He was about half a head taller than me and was wearing a suit that was too short for him. He was slender but didn’t look frail, and his skin was so beautiful it was not only pale but almost translucent. He had a high and well-defined nose and perfect features.

And his ultimate features were his light blue hair and eyes.

The moment I recognised that colour, I rushed out of the bathroom and back into the hallway. But the person had already vanished from the hallway in a flash, and what was floating in my path was…

It was just familiar light blue particles. But it was something else that was emitting it.

The particles tickled my nose, and that’s when I come back to my senses.

“No way.”

Could it be that the person emitting those particles right now was…?

Well, the fact that he had light blue hair pretty much confirmed it anyway.

That person looked exactly like the description Meme-san gave me.

“Elio’s…”

Father?

Her father was here at the school festival?

---

• Memento of the start of the cultural festival: +1
• Kept my promise and helped Maekawa-san: +2
• Made a promise to tour the cultural festival with Ryuushi-san: +1

Total current Youth Points: +10

---

Chapter 2 - At the End of Star Dust

“Well then, it’s almost noon.”

“Wow, transfer student. You just muttered that, and it’s really lunchtime! Amazing! Are you a wizard or something?”

“…What’s with that awkward, monotone mumbling that is trying to pass off as a compliment?”

Maekawa-san saw me off as she moved her pen, working on a piece for a guest who came to the art club specifically to see her (imaginary) boyfriend. It was time to meet Ryuushi-san, so I finished helping out at the art club and heading to the shoe lockers. Ouch, my butt and back hurt from helping out too much. I’ve been sitting there for about two hours, either chatting with Maekawa-san or just staring blankly out the window. “… This isn’t good, not good at all.”

Maybe I should have joined a sports club or something in spite of being a transfer student. There was a certain kind of quality to adolescence that came from belonging to a group. As an outsider, I couldn’t be at the centre of things like school performances.

“Transfer student, you forgot something.”

Maekawa-san turned around and pointed to the drawing paper that was on the chair.

“Woups. Ah, but… walking around school with a picture of my ideal lover in my hand? Hmm.”

The girlfriend that Maekawa-san drew for me earlier was lying there. By the way, my ideal girlfriend was apparently a tall girl with a baby face and slightly curly light blue hair. I couldn’t help but feel like it was just a mix of all the main people I knew in town. I was a little relieved that she didn’t add elements taken from Hoshinaka (obviously).

“If you don’t want to take it, I’ll just put it up outside the art room. I’ll use it to attract guests.”

“If it can really help attracting guests, then I guess it’s fine. I said I’d help you, but in the end I haven’t done anything, so I want to contribute in some way.”

Upon hearing this, Maekawa-san put her hand to her chin and made a complicated expression, saying, “Hmm.”

“If you take it with you, everyone you meet will ask ‘What’s that?’, and it might actually be good publicity.”

“Oh, that’s fine too, I guess?”

“Don’t worry, I’m just kidding. It would be a problem if someone like Ryuushi started picking fights with the people in the drawing, wouldn’t it?”

Ha ha ha, we laughed together. In her case, she wouldn’t mind walking around with her drawings plastered all over her body, over her clothes. She might not even think of her ideal lover, fluttering about, as if it were anything more than fish scales.

Ah, and Maekawa-san decided to continue calling me “transfer student”. Her reason was:

“I decided against it after all. I’m not cut out to follow the same path as Ryuushi. And also…”

“Also?”

“…Wouldn’t it be boring, transfer student, if our playful banter became awkward?”

That’s what she said. Well, to be honest, I would feel uneasy if Maekawa-san didn’t call me “transfer student”, so I was grateful for her since it felt more natural. It was hard to get used to changing relationships and how people addressed one another.

“By the way, you’re not going to do some cosplay today?”

After moving to the area near the entrance of the art room, I tried to bring up Maekawa-san’s real identity (maybe I was being over the top?). Maekawa-san pinched the hem of her skirt with her fingers and gave me a defiant smile in return.

“Fufufu, you should look forward to what Maekawa-san will do this afternoon.”

“Well, I personally think you’re the most wonderful just the way you are.” As always.

“Geh.”

Maekawa-san was choking and slapping her thighs repeatedly, bam bam bam, but she insisted she was fine, so we parted ways, and I left the art room. The population density in the hallway had increased from almost zero to about three.

I could see no boys or girls so far with their little fingers tied together with a string. There were no boy-boy or girl-girl pairings either. As I walked down the corridor, the only people I passed by were a group of three boys who didn’t seem very enthusiastic about the school festival, a teacher with his sleeves rolled up, bustling around, and a boy walking alone with his head down, looking rather listless.

Erio’s father… I think his name was Eliott? There was no sign left of him, and even his particles had dispersed. Leaving Erio aside, if I ran into Meme-san, should I tell her that I crossed paths with him on the campus?

Why was he even at the school festival in the first place? From what I heard, he jumped town without any warning.

Did he return without any warning, and from tomorrow will Erio’s father live with the Touwa household?… Hmm, how awkward. The sight of the four of them gathered around the dinner table just didn’t fit with the Touwa family’s background. It was just impossible.

“How troublesome.”

For some reason, it appeared that I got quite used to the three of us living together in the Touwa household. Even that was complicated.

“…Huh?”

The door to the art preparation room next door was wide open. It had been closed when I came to the art room this morning. I peeked inside as I passed by, and it was empty. The air was dusty just like in the art room.

It definitely looked like someone was using it, since there were two bags placed close together and playing cards scattered on the table. Maybe some unenthusiastic people were killing time playing cards, but well, it didn’t really matter. Let’s hurry on.

The hallway was enveloped in an uncomfortable loneliness due to the presence of people, and it felt heavier than before. I hurried through it and stepped onto the stairs. Even though I had some worries, I shouldn’t forget that I wanted to enjoy the school festival to the fullest. Ryuushi-san was waiting for me in front of the shoe lockers.

What if the thread on Ryushi-san’s little finger was really the same as mine? What would happen then?

Would Attraction be that easy to understand and really lift my spirits today?

I descended the stairs one step at a time, matching the rhythm of my pulse behind my ears, which were starting to quicken slightly.

“There, I’ve finished drawing.”

I wasn’t sure if I had captured the ideal man that had been requested, but I removed the drawing from my sketchbook. I handed it to the guest in front of me, and he examined the drawing as if he were devouring it with his eyes. I felt a little nervous.

But his next reaction was a smile and a positive response, so I relaxed my shoulders. He handed me a two hundred-yen coin and stood up with a satisfied expression. Apparently, as he passed by the art room, he spontaneously decided to show it to a girl and confess his feelings, asking, “What do you think of this?” He’s got some courage.

“Thanks for coming!”

I waved the guest goodbye. If my painting were going to be used for a confession, I would inevitably feel some responsibility if it ended in failure. So I hoped things would work out for them.

Still, everyone seemed to love romance. It’s as if it were guiding their actions.

“…………”

I, Maekawa-san, have lived a fairly long life, and I experienced several years of glamorous schoolgirl days. But during that time, and I’m not boasting about it, I never received a single love letter from a boy. No boy I knew ever tried to woo me either. It wasn’t a matter of modesty: there were simply no boys in my class who were the subject of rumours.

I had a pretty good idea of ​​the reason. I was aware that it was probably because of my appearance and height.

I glanced at the other female art club member who was in charge of illustrations and was attending to a guest, then I got up. I sat down in the chair where the transfer student had been sitting just moments ago and propped my chin on my hand by the window.

The chair the transfer student had been sitting on was still warm from where his buttocks were… Not that it mattered, though.

Like a broadcast advertising a morning play, the speaker excitedly announced the details and location of the afternoon events. A target practice competition hosted by the baseball team, starting at 12:30 on the field? I chuckled wryly as I listened, as I thought it had nothing to do with me.

…Oh, isn’t that Touwa? She had a pamphlet stuck to her face and was running haphazardly between the school buildings. Her vision was obstructed, so she couldn’t weave through the crowd of people and kept bumping into them.

With her back looking so lonely and vulnerable, if the transfer student saw her like that, he would definitely run over to protect her. Despite grumbling about everything, the transfer student was very good at looking after Touwa. They were like parent and child.

“…That’s quite a problem.”

Should I let the transfer student know where Touwa was? If so, who does the transfer student prioritise meeting up with? Ryuushi or Touwa? I was curious to see how both the transfer student and Ryuushi would react.

The transfer student and Ryuushi were fun to tease. Although my motivations for doing so were quite different.

I strained my eyes to see if the transfer student and Ryuushi were walking downstairs. My eyesight was getting worse every year, so even if they were walking by, I might not be able to tell them apart. It’s not that I particularly wanted to see them together, but there was this contradictory feeling of curiosity inside me. Sometimes it even became a source of irritation.

I was aware that what I felt towards Mifune Ryuushi was more jealousy than envy. What’s with that round and gentle face of hers? I was made up of straight lines, while Ryuushi was made up of curves. I envy that difference. It was like how artificial things yearned for something natural. I was jealous of that classmate. Touwa was on a completely different level, so I didn’t know what to think about her. It was hard to tell what she was thinking about, though.

I didn’t aspire to be like Ryushi, but lately I’ve been thinking that maybe I should do a little more research on how to make my height seem more appealing. I can’t keep looking down on the transfer student forever.

Though, I doubt they’ve ever paid that much attention to me. Both Ryushi and the transfer student.

Ryuushi’s rival was Touwa, and the transfer student had the best of both worlds.

I still lacked the curves necessary to become a flower. I creaked and groaned whenever I moved.

“……Aah.”

If the transfer student had been a good-natured person, I think he would have helped me in the afternoon too if I had asked him a little more forcefully. But when faced with that vague sense of regret that I couldn’t quite pinpoint, my face turned sombre. Well, you know.

There was nothing more uncomfortable than basking in someone’s goodwill.

“Excuse meee, one picture, pleeeease.”

A girl burst into the art room, cheerfully placing her order. She was wearing an unfamiliar uniform from another school. But somehow she seemed familiar, or rather, she gave me a feeling of déjà vu… Had I met her somewhere before?

I still couldn’t remember Hanazawa’s real name, so my memory was surprisingly vague. But there was no doubt that the girl in front of me had a cute appearance, unlike mine.

“Club leader, take care of that guest.”

A nominal male receptionist, who was just sitting there moving his mouth, called out to me. “Yes, yes,” I said, pushing my chair forward with my palm as I stood up. I ran my fingers through my hair, confirming that it was hot and damp from absorbing the sunlight, and returned to the chair where my sketchbook was placed. Almost simultaneously, the girl from another school sat down in the chair opposite me. Every movement of hers was so gentle.

“Huh? You look like the person in the picture hanging outside. Are you a model?”

“Outside?” She was probably talking about the picture depicting the transfer student’s ideal lover. “Is it just a coincidence?”

The fact that someone pointed it out felt a little embarrassing. It made it sound like I thought I should be the transfer student’s ideal girlfriend. But all I did was draw my own face because I was the most familiar with it and was easier that way. Oh no, was a strange thing to say.

“So, what kind of person is your ideal lover?”

“Huh? It’s embarrassing to be asked something like that.”

“Yay, yay!” the girl squirmed playfully. I ignored her with a smile and looked down at my sketchbook. A passive approach just wouldn’t do. I needed to create the ideal image for my guest without making her do anything. The customer is God.

…Although, this was a mindset that an establishment should hold and not something customers should flaunt. At the izakaya run by my parents, there were occasionally customers who forgot about it and behaved accordingly once they got drunk.

“Agyah. Hey, you know…”

“Yes, I’m currently working hard to create this drawing to completely change your ideal vision. So please wait.”

“No, that’s not it. Isn’t that thread you’re wearing the same as mine?”

“…… Huh?”

I looked up from my sketchbook to see a girl leaning forward with the backs of both her hands facing me, her eyes fixed on my little finger. I nodded as I compared my hand to hers.

White with green speckles. Both were definitely threads I had created.

It felt like a “…boom” sound effect was about to come from somewhere. Or maybe a “zuuun”?

The girl was also looking at me with a confused expression. It wasn’t like I was in control. The threads between the girl and me swayed precariously. A thin barrier formed between us and the other female club members, isolating us from the commotion, and we simply laughed. Even our laughter was the same strained and twitchy laugh.

“What shall we do, Onee-sama?”

“Who are you calling Onee-sama, I told ya?”

Wait, was that an affirmation? Ryuushi was really hard to understand in every way.

…Oh dear.

What should I make about the fact that the person I’m attracted to was a girl? Did it mean I was that person Attraction-wise?

I jumped down the last three steps of the stairs and landed in the hallway. Then I jogged lightly towards the shoe rack and found Ryuushi-san was already there. She was leaning against the wall with his back to it, his hands clasped together behind his head.

She was swinging her legs back and forth, her lips slightly pursed, towards the entrance. As if she were kicking something. But swinging her legs so carelessly up to a 45-degree angle while wearing a skirt made her seem somewhat vulnerable. Since we weren’t of the same sex, it was hard to tell her anything, and I didn’t know where to look.

Perhaps reacting to the sound of my footsteps, Ryuushi-san noticed me immediately. She stopped flailing her legs and let out a deep sigh. Huh? My wonderful classmate, who usually greeted me with a smile, was looking visibly dejected.

“Nyowa-kun, hey there!”

“Why do you feel down when you have to meet someone with an odd name?”

I told ya, I’m Niwa-kun. I muttered to myself as I walked over to Ryuushi-san. After staring intently at my face, Ryuushi-san let out a big sigh. For some reason, it seemed like she was disappointed in me, the one she was waiting for, and I wasn’t feeling very calm. I braced myself, expecting her to start criticising me at any moment.

“Ryuuko-san is feeling a little guilty right now.”

She explained her condition. So it wasn’t that she was trying to criticise me, but that she was feeling guilt? I frowned at her words, which seemed out of place with Ryuushi-san’s gentle features.

“Did something happen? Did your fruitarian side kick in and you’ve removed all the octopus from the takoyaki?”

“It’s related to Touwa-san, and it’s mumble-mumble.”

Her legs swayed back and forth, one after the other. I was oddly impressed that this was the first time I’d encountered someone who actually said mumble-mumble, rather than simply being hard to understand.

“Erio? Did you see her at school?”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm, so Erio came after all.”

I had given her a ticket, though. She was usually as innocent and childlike as a little girl, but she lacked straightforwardness in the strangest ways… Aah, rather, that’s what makes her childish. Thinking back of my primary school days, I could remember being a little like that myself.

Was Erio with Meme-san?… No, she was probably alone. It seems like we all left the Touwa house separately this morning.

“Nyoaaaaaaaaaaaa” Ryuushi-san cried out, clutching her head and arching her upper body against the wall in agony. She probably didn’t intend it, but that posture, along with her uniform, strongly emphasised her chest. I felt sorry for Ryuushi-san’s internal struggle with her guilt, but no healthy high school boy would take that for granted.

But no matter how many vulnerabilities there were, I didn’t think I should openly admire it head-on. As a youthful man, that was a line I shouldn’t cross. If I crossed it, I would instantly transform into a pervert.

While it was essential having at least one of those types in a classroom, I was probably not suited for it considering how much trouble I had just to buy one porn magazine. So I had no choice but to keep it within the realm of youth and limit myself to just a quick glance.

She held the back of her head with her hand, maintaining a slightly bowed posture, and glanced sideways. She was sturdy. No, that was a rather inappropriate way to describe her. I was jealous. Whether it was appropriate was another ambiguous way of putting it.

“Hi everyone, I’m a member of the broadcasting club! Actually, I’m the head of the cultural festival committee! Did you enjoy the play this morning? I went to see it too, and well, it was such a weird play! What did you think of that guest joining in unexpectedly? Well, he was a hottie, so it’s okay! The stage instantly became more vibrant! Was it supposed to be dawn? It was somewhere between the bright sun and the horizon! The newspaper club members chased him around because he’d make such a good picture and then brought him along to participate! And now, another announcement! At 12:30 p.m., the baseball club will be hosting a target practice competition! It will be held on the field! If you have some excess energy to spare, how about a golden course of donating blood → target practice! The blood you take will be replenished with your hot blood! Yup, efficient, isn’t it?! The concert will be this year’s cultural festival highlight! I’m sure many of you think this, but you should all eat fish! Leave only the bones! Everyone who has that kind of spirit, we look forward to your participatiooooon!”

The overly talkative girl’s rambling echoed through the school through cheap, distorted speakers. Target practice, huh? I didn’t go to see the play, but it seemed like everyone was really excited. How was my current distance from that affecting my Youth Points? I find myself agonising over that, just like Ryuushi-san. And was the concert really the main event? From a societal perspective?

As soon as the broadcast ended, Ryuushi-san’s backbend stopped abruptly. What a pity.

“Did you have a fight with Erio or something?”

Were they pulling each other’s cheeks again, boing-boing… but there’s no way something like that would make her feel down.

“Well, actually…”

Such and such. Ryuushi-san was making lots of gestures and movements.

“……I see.”

She said that she was messing around with Erio, who was at the school festival, when his club friend Mickey saw them and gave her a cold stare. After that, when she went back to the club’s stall, Mickey gave her a good dressing down.

The gist of it all was that if Ryuushi-san got involved with Erio too openly, she would be ostracised. Mickey was right, and Ryuushi-san could only take an ambiguous stance.

“But Mickey is a really nice kid, you know. Don’t get that wrong, Niwa-kun.”

“I get it, but…”

I’ve talked to her before, and my first impression of her when I saw her in the gym during summer vacation wasn’t bad either. Besides, if Mickey were a bad person, she and Ryuushi-san probably wouldn’t get along.

“When Mickey saw me playing with Towa-san, she made a slightly scary noise.”

After saying that much, Ryuushi-san lifted both her legs at the same time. Naturally, this meant Ryuushi-san lost her support. Forming an L shape with her whole body, Ryuushi-san fell to the floor.

There was a loud boom as her buttocks hit the hard floor. The girls who were taking off their shoes in the shoe locker area reacted to that sound and looked at Ryuushi-san, who was frowning. Ryuushi-san looked up at me with the same expression and opened her mouth.

“I let my guard down; I feel kind of annoyed with myself for thinking that for a second.”

“…………”

“What should I have done right?”

It was a vague mumble, and I wasn’t sure if it was directed at me. I hesitated for a moment, but then I replied:

“Ryuushi-san, whether you were right depends on which has a higher priority for you between Mickey and Erio.”

Ryuushi-san didn’t answer directly, instead staring at the wall on the other side.

“Niwa-kun, what would you have done?”

“Well”, I scratched my neck. “I guess I would choose Erio. I’m not really close to Mickey.”

To be with such a superstar like her was too much to ask for…no, that’s not what I meant. Well, that’s how it goes. Ryuushi-san stood up, stroked her butt, and peered at my face from a diagonal angle below.

“What if I had been the one to say it instead of Mickey?”

“Ryuushi-san, you wouldn’t say something like that.”

“Gruabow”

“Wow, Ryuushi-san, you just sounded like a strangled pigeon.”

Holding her hands over both cheeks, Ryuushi-san danced back and forth. She twisted her hips wildly with a sense of dynamism. What kind of stimulation would elicit such a reaction from an ordinary person, I wonder?

“Ah, enough! Ryuuko-san can’t be a bad girl anymore!”

“Were you planning to be one?”

“I might have stolen a bicycle and sped off!”

Therefore, considering the licence requirements, the fact that she didn’t choose a motorcycle was proof that she was a good girl.

I vaguely thought that we might meet up and go outside to browse the food stalls, but Ryuushi-san started walking straight down the corridor on the first floor, so I followed her. From her gait and demeanour, I got the feeling she didn’t have any particular destination in mind. She quickly strode away from the shoe lockers as if running away.

Hmm… I should probably look for Erio. But that would be difficult while I am with Ryuushi-san. I hoped Meme-san, who was probably here, had picked her up. “Oh?”

My cell phone vibrated briefly. I had a new email. As I chased after Ryuushi-san, I checked the contents and saw that it had been sent by Maekawa-san. The subject line was “No Subject”, and the body read, “Touwa was spotted on the street across from the school building. But that was about five minutes ago, so there’s a high possibility that she’s moved now.” It was incredibly well-timed information, coming right at the moment when I was debating whether to look for Erio or not. She was as mysterious, or rather, as unfathomable as ever. When it came to reading the atmosphere, “skilled” didn’t even begin to describe her.

“Between the school buildings” meant outside. We were currently trying to move away from there. But she said five minutes ago, so even if I rushed there now, she would probably be gone. How could I catch her successfully?

…I wonder how she’ll react if I tell her her dad is here. And how Meme-san will react too.

“Niwa-kun, you’re such a natural airhead, right?”

When I caught up to her, Ryuushi-san commented in that way in a sulky tone.

“Maekawa-san also told me that. But I don’t think I am.”

“That’s just how it is, I told ya… You were helping out Maekawa-san, right?… How did it go?”

“There was nothing I could help with, so I was incredibly bored. I just spent all my time chatting with Maekawa-san.”

“Grrrrrrr.”

“Why are you groaning?”

“Ah, that’s right, the thread! What colour is yours, Niwa-kun?”

As Ryuushi-san was walking, she clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward. A smile that seemed urgent played on her face, and it was clear she was trying to end her depression. Feeling pleased that we were both returning to our usual pace, I held up the back of my right hand and showed it to her.

As Ryuushi-san was walking, she clasped her hands behind her back and leaned forward.

After staring intently at my purple thread with both eyes, she raised her hands in a gesture of helplessness or a victory pose, with a “Mwaa”. Following Ryuushi-san’s right hand raised high, I saw a red mesh-like thread swaying from her little finger.

“Oh dear.”

“Hmm, either Niwa-kun or Attraction are being contrarians.”

“Well, I’m actually a, uh… wait, what was that?”

“Hmm?”

Drawn in by my astonishment, Ryuushi-san also turned towards me. There, in my line of sight, was a hanpen.

A white, hanpen-like thing was sitting in the dimly lit hallway on the first floor. And what’s more, it was talking.

“Want to play some couple’s poker?”

Peeking out from the rectangular hanpen costume (tentative name) was one half of the stupid couple that had appeared at the art club’s event. It was the underclassman girl who looked like an upperclassman.

I felt dizzy. Did being classified as a beautiful girl in this town mean that one had to pose as a food product? A chikuwa wrapped in a futon, a hanpen… Ah, and I was also fighting a kamaboko aunt who was somewhere between an adult and a child. Could it be that the enemy lurking in this town wasn’t aliens but processed fish paste?

“Ah, that’s the legendary unidentified creature, the card costume!”

Ryuushi-san leaned back dramatically in surprise as she pointed at the hanpen. Ah, so it’s a card? Indeed, there was a heart and a number drawn on the corner of the hanpen. What a flashy hanpen.

“Unidentified, but didn’t you just reveal its entire identity?”

“Hmm, my deduction that this mysterious bipedal card contained Maekawa-san was wrong.”

“It seems like they know each other.”

Were they cosplay comrades? Apparently, this costume was also handmade by Maekawa-san… Ah, this card had a face on the back too. The guy of the stupid couple was peeking out, looking embarrassed, and fidgeting a little. So these two were both inside the card costume, back to back. I see, their backsides and butts were a perfect fit for one another.

“I’d like to toss these guys into an oden pot.” Is what the girls’ eyes seemed to say as they looked at us.

“Hey, you couple over there, want to get even more excited with a game of poker?”

“W-We’re not a couple, I told ya!”

“So, a kyapple then?”

“Y-Yes, that’s right!”

For some reason, Ryuushi-san was puffing out her chest. Kyapple kind of sounds like gyorokke or kyaramushi.

Having been turned into a kyapple, we were dragged along by the atmosphere of the moment and ended up sitting at the table and in the chairs placed in front of the card. Could this also be Attraction?

“Ugh, my butt hurts.”

After sitting down in her chair, Ryuushi-san grumbled regretfully. Well, I guess that was understandable.

“Fuffu, welcome to the Couple’s Poker Hall.”

The girl smiled defiantly, but where is that hall she’s talking about? It looked like there was just a deck of cards lying out in the hallway.

“Thanks for earlier,” I said, bowing my head as a formality.

“…Hmm.” The girl tilted her head, apparently not recognising my face. As if she’d given up on trying to remember, she tapped the card twice and flipped over. The boy’s face was revealed.

The boy glanced at my face for a split second, then conspicuously averted his gaze. His face was bright red, even up to his ears.

“That’s the person who was in the art room a little while ago.”

After checking, it flipped over again with a thud. The girl was now face up and narrowed her eyes and moved her head up and down uncomfortably. How creepy! It was as if someone embedded in a wall was moving. No matter how beautiful she may be.

“Hmm, was he there? Sorry, I only had eyes for Kashiwa-kun.”

“Yeah.”

What kind of person apologises while making an offensive remark at the same time? And she seemed completely unaware of it.

“Ah, you messed up.”

Hearing this, the back of the card (the boy’s side) sighed. The front (the girl’s side) tilted her head uncomfortably. Then, with two taps, it flipped over. The boy’s face was still red, and his eyes were still trembling.

“What’s wrong? What’s the matter?”

“I wish I only had eyes for Tamako-san back then. Especially since I can’t even see her right now.”

“…Hmmmm”

Both of them, their cheeks flushed crimson, began to tap. And spinning round and round. Stop dancing.

What was up with these guys? Are they acting like the targets of a punching machine? Alright, let’s give it our all!

“Hmm, Niwa-kun, I feel a different kind of motivation coming up from you.”

Ryuushi-san, sitting next to me, sensed it keenly. Ryuushi-san didn’t seem to be upset with this stupid couple. She was holding her hands to her cheeks and wriggling around. She was muttering something like, “We’re a kyapple, yup,” but what was she trying to convince herself of? What even is a kyapple to begin with?

Kyapple is all the rage among high school girls right now!… Is what a toothless old man would be saying to hype up the situation.

Hmm… but I was not really motivated. I didn’t even know what was going on here, but they said that the best thing about festivals was having fun. Well, I guess one cannot get started unless one participates.

Whether it was the performance or the unusual part about the spinning cards, people passing by in the corridor began to stop. I was getting annoyed that this small group of onlookers was likely to attract a whole crowd.

Thinking about it, there was no price list anywhere, so there probably was no participation fee.

Having finished spinning around to her heart’s content, the girl cleared her throat. Then, she coughed again as the other side choked as well.

“Now, I shall start to explain. First of all, the basis of this game is poker. However, due to special rules, you will need to cooperate with another person.”

“Cooperate, poker?” I doubt that was a local rule from this part of the woods.

“Each couple will take two of the five cards they are dealt. Couples cannot look at their partner’s cards. They can’t tell them either. They then place the remaining card face up on the table. That’s all; you’re all set. It’s all a matter of playing poker. Good luck!”

The explanation of the rules seemed to have finished, and she began dealing the cards. She tilted the deck of cards to the left and handed them to me with her outstretched right hand. Young people sure are really willing to put up with hardships.

I’ll take some time to consider and summarise the game’s content. In short:

“So you want me to deduce what card is on the table and what my partner has in her hand to make a hand?”

“That’s right. Ah, and each player can only change their hand once.”

Added the girl. Then, the fifth card, which had just been dealt, was placed face up on the table for both us and the girl. It looked like she was going to reveal her final hand. The opponent had the 8 of hearts, and we had the 9 of diamonds. I remembered that in an old manga I read a long time ago, there was a trap that resembled that.

Next to me, Ryuushi-san nodded in agreement, saying, “So that’s how it goes?”

“This is a poker game that tests whether a couple can communicate telepathically!”

The girl proudly explained the purpose of the card game. The other side also took two cards, one for the boy and one for the girl. They even rotated… So, these are the people Maekawa-san was talking about before, the card game research club. She had also told me that it wasn’t officially recognised by the school. No wonder. I wouldn’t want to give permission to hanpen.

I sincerely hoped that the teachers would also take on the responsibility for enforcing all other moral standards.

“We’re not a couple, I told ya!”

“Fuffu, a mere kyapple think they stand a chance against us.”

After saying that much, she slowly and sluggishly turned around. The blushing boy then mumbled something.

“Do you think we can win?”

If I lose, it’ll probably be etched into my youth history as “The day I lost to a hanpen.” There were already days when I’d been defeated by an adult-child, scattered like stepping stones, so I wasn’t going to add another day to my history of losing to a group of processed fish products.

I exchanged glances with Ryuushi-san. Being the sports-orientated type, she seemed to get fired up when it came to competitions, and her usually dreamy expression tightened up a little. Ryuushi-san raised her fist, and I responded by lightly smacking it back with my own fist. The me from last year was lying there, neatly crushed between our fists.

“I see, I told ya!”

“Obviously, I told ya.”

“Err, what? It seems like everyone’s more familiar with the nickname “I told ya” than her actual name.”

Well, it was a I told ya special intensive training month after all. A huge success, wasn’t it?

In the school festival, before noon, the corridor was just a place to move around without any particular feeling.

Following my initial encounter with a chikuwa shortly after moving in, the second act of a fish paste product competition in this town was beginning.

“Okay then, let’s meet in front of the gymnasium at 1:30! Maekawa-chan, okay?”

“I consent to it.” I almost asked, “Who is that?”

“You don’t need to be with a boy to get a good seat to listen to music, right?”

The girl with the same thread as mine (I decided to call her Ribon-chan because she had big eyes and a face like something out of a shoujo manga) seemed to be in high spirits because she would be able to attend the concert from arena seats. The green patterned thread swayed in response to her clapping. So that’s what I’m supposed to tie mine to, hmm.

As for me, I occasionally saw the name of the singer Nijou Owari on TV and the internet, but I hardly ever had the chance to actually hear her sing. The only impression I had of her is that she was a dog lover, so to be honest, I didn’t feel particularly grateful for the arena seats at her concert.

But Ribon-chan told me she was a big fan of Nijo Owari, and I didn’t think anything dramatic would happen around me during that time just because I wasn’t participating. So we decided to meet up in front of the entrance to the gymnasium, not the red door.

After sending the transfer student a report about seeing Touwa, I closed my flip phone. But I wondered, would I be allowed into the concert if I went in cosplay? Well, if kids in other schools’ uniforms were allowed in, it should be fine, probably? Since it was autumn, the season for reading, I should be allowed to dress up as a paperback book too.

“Besides, I just got dumped by a boy, so I’m sick and tired of them,” Ribon-chan sighed.

“Heh, really?” So she was clinging to an idealised image in a drawing because she got dumped? I was fine with that.

I once released a fish that I had caught in my net by chance. I don’t think it’ll come back today.

Nearby, two female club members, with nothing to do now that the guests had left were excitedly chattering in high-pitched voices: “…So, a boy collapsed after donating blood and was taken to the infirmary.” “They should have immediately given him his blood back.” “And just earlier, those lights, or rather particles? There was that incredibly good-looking guy walking along that seemed like he was radiating particles. I fell in love at first sight.” “Wasn’t it just dandruff sparkling in the sunlight? And wait, a guy?” “A guy, a guy. Yes, a boy? I couldn’t tell his age, but he was so gorgeous. His hair, for example, I felt like if I touched it, my fingerprints would be all over it, so I couldn’t bring myself to casually talk to him!” “Could he be related to that girl…?”

High school students were really creatures with a strong interest in romance, weren’t they? …Oh my, I shouldn’t say that, you say?

“Yeah?”

I perceived the illusion of the air’s colour subtly changing as a “premonition”.

…Speak of the devil and he will appear, as they say.

As if having overheard the girls’ gossip, a man freely emitting light blue particles poked his head into the art room. All eyes in the art room simultaneously and unanimously focused on him, as if someone had been conducting them with a baton. The man who was scattering light particles as if they were spores seemed accustomed to such scrutiny, and his smile remained unchanged.

I continued on without any particular hurry and sat down in an empty guest seat. The art club member sitting next to me, who would be in charge of that guest, was so captivated that she couldn’t blink, and at the same time, her hands were trembling.

It’s not as if I could make him out clearly, but I found myself staring at him too.

He was dressed in a slightly stiff suit, like a father attending a school parent’s day. The bag he was carrying was a duralumin case, the kind a salesman of yore might have used. His overall appearance was a perfect blend of straight and curved lines, and his face was the paragon of sculptural beauty. His skin was as delicate as snow, so soft it seemed it would melt at the touch.

And then there were his deep light blue eyes and hair, as if he were born at the speed of light separate from humanity.

No matter how one looked at him, he had to be related to Touwa Erio. Her father, perhaps? Surely not her much older brother, considering Meme-san’s age.

If I said that in front of her, she’d probably punch me and yell, “Don’t underestimate Meme-chin!”

“Wooow, he’s a super hottie.”

Ribon-chan, who had been following him with her eyes, gave her honest and unreserved evaluation. Her voice wasn’t quiet, so the guest next to us could hear everything, and he gave a big smile. The way he smiled and scattered particles of light like that was just like Touwa.

“Err…”

I almost blurted out a line of words. But then I stopped myself from doing so. What good would it do for me to confirm his father-daughter relationship with Touwa? Should I even ask? What good would it do for me to know? These questions lined up in a row, swirling around in my head like trains playing a game.

The Particle Man (tentative name) seemed to be waiting for me to finish my sentence, still smiling. That smile seemed capable of instantly drawing people in, and before I could be charmed I felt a sense of dread. At least, that’s how it felt to me.

Just look at the other girls in the club. They all had that classic, heart-fluttering look in their eyes. Ribon-chan, a girl who had been recently dumped, was half-opening her mouth agape and giggling, staring at his hair with curiosity.

“Excuse me, but would you happen to be Touwa Erio’s father?”

The moment that name was mentioned, everyone around froze. Come on, stop staring with hearts in your eyes and notice. Isn’t that hair and aura identical to Touwa Erio’s? With that unique, unsettling aura and the fact that this human emitted light blue particles, there was no way that he wasn’t from the same lineage as Touwa.

Particle Man didn’t behave dramatically, except for a slight upward movement of his eyelids.

“Are you a friend of hers?”

He tried to evade my question by asking me a question in return. Don’t answer a question with another question!

“Something like that. So, are you her father?”

“Hmm, I have no concrete evidence, or rather, no proof about it, but I guess I might be.”

No, that hair. That hair and these eyes. They are perfect evidence.

…But wait. If he was Touwa’s father, how old was he? If he were the same age as Meme-san, he should be around forty this year, but he looked like an older brother, only two or three years older than us.

As Touwa’s father, it wasn’t surprising at all that he was so unconventional, and that was what was strange about it.

Could it be that this father and daughter were really aliens?

“Pardon me for asking, but I heard that Touwa’s father disappeared before she was born.”

“There were various circumstances.”

He ended his sentence with a smile that seemed to say, “I don’t need to tell you that, now, do I?” And indeed, I had no reason to press him further. But surely I could show at least a little interest in the family of an acquaintance?

When I thought about it that way, I tended to act too aggressively.

“But you came back so suddenly? What have you been doing all this time?”

“I used to work for a detective agency, looking for dogs and cats. Ah, it sounds like a lie, but it’s true.”

A detective? The female club members listening to this conversation also seemed suspicious about that word. It was true that with all the unusual traits he exuded, “I’m just an ordinary working adult” wouldn’t suit him, but a detective?

“By the way, I’m sorry, but could I ask you to do the drawing instead of that girl?”

Touwa’s father specifically requested me. And I realised how much of a clear voice this man had. If that sound were to take shape in the air like a staircase, it could probably ascend all the way to outer space.

Like a fabricated stairway to heaven. It gave an impression that made people lower their guard.

“I appreciate your request, but I’m with someone else here right now.”

I shook my head slightly and looked towards Ribon-chan. Then Ribon-chan shook her hands vigorously from side to side.

“Ah, I’m fine. I’ll keep my ideal partner quietly in my heart, and one day I’ll meet him for real.”

So, was there a reason she rushed in here? I tilted my head with a wry smile, and Ribon-chan giggled and scratched the back of her head. Then she jumped up from her chair.

She froze for a moment in her running stance, then turned her head and asked me a question:

“Um, do you know where the brass band’s performance is?”

“The brass band… I think they’re doing something in the music room. It’s on the far end of the second floor of the same building.”

“Thanks! Well then, Onee-sama. See you later!”

“Who are you calling Onee-sama?”

Ignoring my comment, Ribon-chan sprinted off down the corridor. Good grief.

Touwa’s father sat down in the empty chair in front of me. He crossed his legs, rested his elbows on them, and smiled.

His smile was so captivating that the female club members let out deep and soul-dropping sighs. This guy seemed more suited to being a con artist than a detective. He was probably the perfect human being in terms of looks alone.

“So, onee-sama…”

“Please don’t get carried away.”

I gave Touwa’s father a slight glare. Touwa’s father smiled gently, his eyes narrowing into slits. If we stared at each other any longer, I felt like I might develop something like hay fever from all the particles floating around in his eyes. How frightening.

The transfer student might also be affected by Touwa’s particles, having stayed with her for so long.

“Are you going to the concert with that girl from earlier? You had matching strings on your little fingers.”

“Weeeell, probably.”

“I see. Yup, you should definitely go to the concert. Nijou Owari will be there too. Apparently she’s quite famous.”

Towa’s father spoke about the concert with strange ease and enthusiasm. He wasn’t wearing a string. Had he not entered as a guest, or was he simply carrying it without tying it around his finger? As if completely oblivious to my questions, Towa’s father casually clasped his palms together.

“That’s perfect. Here, take this.”

He opened the case that was resting on his lap. The duralumin case, which had shallow and deep scratches all over, reflected the sunlight and blinded me. I frowned, and while I was doing so, Touwa’s father took out what he was looking for and quickly closed the case. Then he looked at my sitting height with interest, nodding and saying, “Hoh, hoh.”

“You’re very tall, so you’ll be perfectly suited. And you’re apparently friends with her.”

“Haah.”

As expected, when someone was in trouble, Maekawa-san was the go-to person. Even by my own standards, the number of times people came asking me for favours was way above average. And since a lot of those favours were related to my height, I was probably serving as a good advertising figurehead or radio tower.

…The right person in the right place, I guess? There were definitely places where my height could be put to good use.

Even if it can’t be put to good use in romantic matters, right? Being Maeemon wasn’t so bad?

“Here you go.”

Even though I never once said I’d be taking on the job, Touwa’s father quickly moved things forward. I reluctantly accepted what was handed to me, tilting my head in confusion. It was just an ordinary envelope.

“Open it when you feel you need to. I’m sure it will work out well.”

“Here goes!”

I opened it right away. Who would want to keep something so mysterious? Inside the envelope was a tightly folded bundle of paper, which, when unfolded, was about the size of a placard.

The top piece of paper had the words “Attraction Romanticist” written in large letters.

The rest of the text was, how should I put it… poetic, maybe? It was prosaic.

“What is this? A poem?”

“Something like that.”

Without showing much embarrassment, Touwa’s father nodded. Judging from his reaction, it didn’t seem to be a poem he had written himself.

I skimmed through it, but there didn’t seem to be any surprise like the location of a treasure being hidden within the text. I wondered what situation this kind of poem would be useful in.

It was hard to believe that Attraction, the main character of today’s story, knew any of that.

As soon as I had grown bored of it, I stuffed the stack of papers into the envelope, and Touwa’s father opened his elegantly shaped lips.

“So, can I ask you to do the drawing then?”

“Very well.”

“Ahem, my ideal lover has slightly dark indigo hair and a youthful face…”

The description of Touwa’s father’s ideal partner that he confided to me with embarrassment was filled with all too familiar characteristics.

Ah, I knew that person very well.

But if I depicted her that young, wouldn’t I get complaints later from various parties claiming it to be a scam?

“I can see it, I can see it. Niwa-kun, I can see your card.”

In time with her unique rhythmic narration, Ryuushi-san’s index finger spun round and round.

Directed at me.

…Well, it could be seen. From the beginning.

“Ryuushi-san, doesn’t that only make sense if I use it on you?”

“I told ya, I’m Ryuuko!”

And while you’re at it, don’t try to plant any suggestions.

“Heh heh, relying on such suggestion in this manner.”

Tap, tap. “Uh, do I have to say something too?” a voice said, and the back of the card turned towards us. A trivial question, but what grade was this boy in? The girl, who was younger than us, should be a first-year, and yet he was speaking to her with polite language. These two were quite mysterious.

“Hmm, let’s see… Do you know of any suggestions for making your lover want to lick your armpits?”

“Huh?” Ryuushi-san and I froze, completely taken aback by the question, which was beyond mysterious.

“That’s not right!” the girl shouted towards the wall, tapping on it. Then she turned around again.

“Now, now, are you calling or dropping? Make it clear!”

The girl, her face flushed crimson like a diamond, her eyes tightly shut, banged on the desk repeatedly.

“No, the card swap isn’t finished yet,” so nothing has started.

By the way, the two cards I had in my hand were the 9 of clubs and the 2 of spades. Combined with the 9 of diamonds on the table, I definitely had a pair, but there was no way to tell that to Ryuushi-san.

“Hmm, I don’t get it at all! Niwa-kun, you are properly sending me your thoughts, right?”

“Hey hey,” Ryushi beckons, as if asking for a basketball. Was that supposed to be a telepathic transmission? Which was more realistic? This, or the awakening of psychic powers through suggestion? Although it was also possible that neither was true.

“Ryuushi-san, are you transmitting something to me?”

“I told ya~”

No, not that. At that point, this isn’t even a name correction anymore. Was that really okay?

“May I ask you something before we make our announcement?”

I raised my hand slightly towards Trump-san. I had a question right from the start of the game.

“Oh, you think you can get me to drop off with a bluff? I wonder if you can pull that off.”

“No, so if we lose this poker game, do we have to pay something? Like money?”

I was influenced by the boy and started using polite language with a younger student. The girl blinked in surprise at the question, her face showing a look of “Huh?” as if she had been caught off guard. Then, their eyes blatantly turned towards the end of the corridor.

“What should we do? We haven’t thought about that at all.”

She muttered in a barely audible voice. Tap, tap. “Huh, me? You’re just leaving it all to me?” The boy appeared.

“Well, it was all Tamako-san’s idea, or rather, I wasn’t told anything until today, so it’s impossible; I can’t do it.”

“Don’t worry, you can do it if you try.”

“In this world people do it because they can, good grief…”

The boy groaned, his eyes darting around.

Before we knew it, the crowd around us had grown denser, forming a wall of people in the hallway. At the very front was a female student taking pictures. It was the blonde girl I had seen near the art room. So we were getting attention too, as those who were playing against the card. Ugh, this was pretty embarrassing.

“Money is a bad idea, isn’t it?” the boy said to the girl on the other side. The card swayed slightly.

“Hmm, wait a minute. This performance isn’t officially sanctioned by the school, so it’s probably not a good idea to bet money on it.”

“Right, so… a punishment game then?”

The moment the boy said that, the shrivelled playing card costume came back to life. It banged vigorously tap, tap. The girl, grinning, turned to face us. She was undoubtedly a beautiful girl, but the card costume ruined it all. As one would expect from a work created with Maekawa-san’s cooperation, it exuded the same feeling of wasted potential.

“That’s a great idea, a punishment game. Couples who lose just don’t communicate well with each other!”

The girl suddenly became more assertive and started to speak. I just gave a half-hearted sigh, not really interested, and then the girl continued to announce the details of the penalty game that she had apparently come up with on the spot.

“So, if you lose, you’ll each get to ask each other any question you like, and you’ll have to honestly confess the answer right here and now!”

“A, a confesshion?!”

Ryuushi-san, having bitten her tongue, continued her astonishment as she winced in pain, letting out an “Aaaaah!” But her astonishment was understandable, because she could ask a brutally honest question about anything she liked! A-a question from Ryuushi-san?… I tried to act nervous to fit the atmosphere, but a question? I didn’t really have one. No, wait, she said I could ask anything… I’m hesitant. A question for a girl, that’s king of a bit too much.

What’s the colour of the underwear you are wearing today? Just kidding, ha ha ha… No, no, that was sexual harassment. This wasn’t youth. But it was something I couldn’t normally ask… No, it was one of the things I couldn’t ask, so it was the worst thing I could ask.

“P-p-punishment p-qsdf p-vdsfqig, I told ya!”

Ryuushi-san seemed to have a mountain of questions, her eyes spinning and her arms twirling around. Hmm, so she had that many things she wanted to ask me. Were we not able to talk openly with each other on a regular basis?

“Answering questions leads to intimacy, a deeper connection, and a richer experience! Plus, it eliminates worries, reduces stress, and is gentle on the skin! Yup, yup, it’s all good!”

It was all good news for you guys, but you would get nothing even if we lose.

“That seems similar in concept to that poker game we played before…” the boy muttered, grumbling about something.

They did this before? What was he talking about? At last year’s school festival?… Well, that was none of my business.

“Don’t worry about the details! I’m not taking my clothes off, so it’s fine. It’s a wholesome day today.”

The card was bouncing up and down. Ryuushi-san was bouncing along in sync with her.

“So so so! So so so we can, right?!”

From her gaze and tone of voice, I could barely understand that she was seeking my agreement. But it appeared that I still had a lot to learn to understand Ryuushi-san without needing to communicate telepathically, so, sorry, but what was she even saying?

“Calm down, Ryuushi-san.”

“So, so, so, okay, okay. I’m stopping. I’m folding! I am!”

“Alright, but…”

I check with the girl. But adding a penalty game belatedly was a pretty terrible idea.

“If we lose, it’s a penalty game… and if we fold?” “Penalty game.” “What if we win?” “The gallery applauds.”

A shout of “Wow!” was heard as an arm, sticking out from behind a card, was casually raised. The surrounding onlookers, though seemingly unenthusiastic, also raised their hands and shouted, “Wow!” The blonde woman continued to furiously take pictures.

In this game of poker, did that mean the challenger could only lose or break even? Like an antlion pit?

“Well then, if you win, I’ll give you this costume.”

“I don’t want it.”

“And the two winners will become the new hosts of couples poker here.”

“I’ll pass on being pressured into buying a curse.”

“Alright, that’s a no then. I was just only warming up to Tamako-san’s backside.”

While fidgeting inside the costume, the boy offered a helping hand (?). The girl jut her chin out.

“Are you an idiot?! What are you suddenly talking about?! H-hey, don’t move!”

“That’s not it, Tamako-san; it’s because you weren’t moving…”

“Your Japanese is disintegrating in mid-air!”

Watching the two of them continue their little game of pushing and shoving the card, the temperature around them seemed to drop in inverse proportion. “Hmm, so this stupid couple still has some sense of shame,” I thought coldly. Ryuushi-san, having finished her commotion, was huddled in her seat, holding the edge of the cards between her fingers. “Ah, now would be a good time to quickly check each other’s hands,” I thought, but I didn’t say it out loud.

Because actually, losing seemed more fun! I got the feeling this game has some kind of Youth Points. It was the school festival, so having fun would definitely lead to a real victory. Alright, I renewed my resolve to lose and stared at the cards in my hand.

“N-Niwa-kun, what’s with that bent-over pose?”

“I’m gonna do my best!” I said, bending my arm and flexing my biceps. Though, I didn’t actually have any muscles.

“What?! You’re going to continue?! N-Niwa-kun’s confession… *gulp*”

That last part, if written down, sounded like she was swallowing, but in reality it was the sound of Ryuushi-san’s neck bones cracking as she shook it. Ryuushi’s nose had a weird brightly red colour, and she seemed to be struggling with something, as if worried that blood might gush out. But we’re going into this as if we were going to lose, aren’t we?

“So, let’s resume couples’ poker! I’ll change my cards first!”

As if the pushing and shoving game was over, the card girl shouted. She slammed one card down and drew another from the central pile. The card she discarded was the king of diamonds.

“Hmm…” She stared at the cards, tapping them over and over.

“Please change whichever you prefer.”

The boy prompted us to carry on the game. Ryuushi-san and I exchanged glances, silently consulting with our eyes about who should change their hand first. In the end, Ryuushi-san lowered her chin, so it was my turn.

“What should I do…?”

If I discarded the 9 of clubs here to lose, I would be criticised for giving up a pair. The thought of Ryuushi-san realising that I wanted to lose felt like a defeat in itself. So, what should my move be?

This strategy relied on the assumption that my opponent had at least one pair, but I had no choice but to mislead Ryuushi-san. I needed to make her think I was focused on the suits of the cards rather than the numbers, meaning I was aiming for a flush. That way, even if I kept a pair in my hand, the chances of it improving to two pairs or three of a kind when combined with Ryuushi-san’s cards would be low. That was the best option.

I glanced at Ryuushi-san out of the corner of my eye, and our eyes met. She gave me a thumbs-up, so I returned the gesture.

“Right!” “I told ya!”

Well, now. First, I stared at the king of diamonds that my opponent discarded and made a small gesture of counting on my fingers. I counted on my fingers clearly, as if calculating how many diamonds were left. I quickly pulled my hand under the table, not wanting to overdo it and get scolded by the other guy. But there was no doubt that Ryuushi-san saw my hand just now. If she could just figure out what it meant, I’m sure it would work out well.

“I’ll change one card,” I said, discarding the 2 of spades to the centre. I wanted to throw away the 9 of clubs too, but that would be too obvious. Nobody would discard their entire hand to aim for a flush.

I drew a card from the central pile. If this backfired and I drew the 9 of spades or hearts, it would be game over. I pulled the card in tightly, took a deep breath, and then flipped the deck over.

“……Oh.”

I let out a short sigh. Looking satisfied. Of course, it was all an act. The card I drew was the 3 of hearts. Good.

With this, the hand I could make by combining my hand with the card shown in the centre was a single pair. I’ve given myself as much control as I could, and now it was up to Ryuushi-san and our opponent. The boy I was playing against discarded both of his cards.

“I’ll change two cards.”

He discarded the jack of hearts and the four of spades. He took two cards from the centre. Then, still clutching his hand, he tapped it around a couple of times, handing the playing field to the girl. The girl pulled her right hand back into her costume, hiding her hand. That was the end of our opponent’s change. There was no reason to fold, and there were no chips to bet, so neither of them could declare a call or a drop.

“Kashiwa-kun, did you get a good card?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

The other person spoke these words as if to provoke us. Putting aside the sarcasm that if they could use telepathy, they would understand each other without having to say anything, it was now Ryuushi-san’s turn.

“Hmm, I can’t see Niwa-kun’s card.”

Ryuushi-san stretched her neck towards the desk, her eyes becoming stern.

“Nkay, then I’ll throw one away… there.”

Ryuushi-san drew a card from the centre and nodded in agreement. She gave me a knowing look and smiled slightly.

Looks like she got a diamond card; good, good.

“That’s the end of the change. Now, let’s make the call!”

The girl announced her hand and slammed it onto the table. Then Ryuushi-san and I also threw our cards into the centre.

“Ah, just a moment.”

Tap, tap. The boy also had to turn around to reveal his hand, so it was a double hassle. The moment of resolution was slightly off and anticlimactic. The boy tosses his hand away, and then…

Ryuushi-san and I peered at the desk. Our shadow covered the card.

“Ah!”

Both the winner and the loser thrust their brief reactions into the centre of the table.

We had a pair of nines, and our opponents had a set of three eights.

The defeat I had anticipated had occurred on the table, and I instinctively stomped my foot hard on the floor.

“Hey, hey, did we win?” The girl facing the wall asked about the outcome, shaking her mascot costume.

“Flawless victory.”

“Yay, we won! We won, Kashiwa-kun! We’re amazing!”

“Yes, as expected from you who lick my belly and eyeballs!”

“No need to expose this here!”

The card celebrated its victory with a tapping dance. Meanwhile, we have a debriefing session.

“Niwa-kun, I thought it was a flush!”

Ryuushi-san’s arms shook wildly in frustration. Yup, just as planned.

“Ha ha ha, I’m not going to try for a flush when I don’t have a single diamond in my hand.”

“Y-You were pretending not to know!”

But how did they manage to get three of a kind? The boy had already discarded both of his cards.

…I see, so there was a possibility that the opponent had planned this beforehand. Like, aiming for a pair no matter what hand they had. In that case, I could discard my cards without hesitation.

Well, whatever the truth may be, a loss was a loss. It was a refreshing defeat that left a clear feeling in my heart.

“You’ve lost, and now it’s time for the punishment game. Come on, stupid couple, confess to your heart’s content. When we eventually become a stupid couple ourselves, we’ll be taking your behaviour and words into consideration.”

“Oh, so that’s why you’re playing couples’ poker?”

I suspected the boy saw through the girl’s intentions. The girl smiled warmly and understandingly.

But it seemed unlikely that this message would reach the person standing back-to-back with him in the card costume.

“Well, I guess there might be some truth to that.”

Look, you guys calling us a stupid couple was like a rabbit yelling, “You cowards, running away like frightened rabbits!” Couldn’t you realise that you’ve already been a stupid couple for ages?

I faced Ryuushi-san, scratching my cheek. It was time for the punishment game. Ryuushi-san let out a dry laugh, “Ahh”, and waited to see what I would do. It seemed I was the one who had to make the situation evolve.

This must be quite difficult, especially when surrounded by classmates.

But we’re going to move on. No more sitting still at the school festival. I didn’t know what to expect from doing this, but let’s go with the flow created by the school festival. And let’s go without resisting.

If this is also called Attraction. Then Attraction was not a matter of “chance” but of “inevitability”.

“Okay then, I’ll start with Ryuushi-san.”

“Eh? With me? Okay then, let’s do this! I’ll just rip Niwa-kun’s heart off!”

“I’d rather you didn’t!”

“Ta-Ta-daaan! Please answer this multiple-choice question!”

“Yes?”

“Tadaaan!”

Three fingers poked me between the eyebrows. It looks like tadaaan would attack me until I agreed.

“Okay, so, what’s the three-choice question?”

“Tadaaan! Question: One day, Niwa-kun is asked by a brown person to run an errand.”

Are we really going to start with that problematic part? That restlessness was endearing, and it made me want to tease her. It was like the psychology of a child wanting to bully someone they like. But what’s with the brown person?

“Where are you going to run the errand?”

“Uh, um, a candy store! The Tamura Store!”

“What are you going to buy?”

“I-I don’t like meat… so how about avocado? Avocado hot pot?”

“Why don’t you go to the supermarket?”

I was such an idiot. Besides, I didn’t want to gather around that green pot and have a good time with everyone.

“Anything is fine! So, Niwa-kun walks along to the candy store to buy an avocado.”

Well, I ended up using all of it as is. I guess I was really an idiot.

“On his way to run that errand, Niwa-kun meets a light blue person.”

“Hmm,” Ryuushi-san’s eyebrows furrowed. Now it’s light blue? What language is that?… So, Erio?”

“Niwa-kun had an appointment to play with the light blue person, beep beep! Public order is being disrupted!”

“Teacher, there seems to be some personal bias mixed into the problem.”

“Anything is fine! So, Niwa-kun is a bad boy who tries to play with the light blue person even though he’s supposed to be running an errand for avocados. Seriously!” “Well, it’s like taking out your anger on someone by making easy assumptions about their actions.” “Grrr!” “It’s nothing, sorry.” He apologised so quickly that he even omitted a “su”.

“Niwa-kun is indecisive and takes the light-blue person with him and heads back to the place he’s supposed to run an errand for. On the way, he runs into another girl he knows. This time it’s a black person!”

Who could the black person be? Judging from the tendencies of the people who have appeared so far, could it be Maekawa-san?

“Black” might refer to her hair. In that case, the first person with brown hair must be Ryuushi-san.

“The black person asked Niwa-kun to help with household chores, and now he’s in a bit of a pickle!”

“That’s a truly unique way to be in a pickle.”

“Bam! Here’s the question!”

“Oh, we’re finally getting down to business.” I didn’t even mind that he mentioned a “question”!

“Who is your priority? ① the brown person. ② the light blue person. ③ the black person. So, which one is it?!”

Ryuushi-san approached with a grip that looked like she was trying to strangle me. Priority? Well…

“How about we finish Ryuushi-san’s errand, then play with Erio, and finally help Maekawa-san?”

“W-Who are those guys?! This question is a work of fiction with no real-life examples used! And I told ya, I’m Ryuuko!”

Huh, what about me? I wanted to believe that Niwa-kun lived on as a proper noun in non-fiction.

“Besides, I can do without people-pleasers like that! We’re all alive and well at the same time, my friends!”

“If those are the conditions… I guess Ryuushi-san will take priority.”

I was asked to run the errand first, after all. However, I didn’t think I would be able to buy the avocados as requested.

“R-Right, of course! I told ya, I’m Ryuuko!”

Ryuushi-san clapped her hands in applause. This time, there was no correction about it being fiction. I wondered if the line between fiction and nonfiction could blur depending on the time and circumstances.

“Um… so, is this the question you wanted to ask me?”

I didn’t even really understand what they asked me. They didn’t give me the correct answer despite the question being quite challenging.

“Nhuh?”

Ryuushi-san tilted her head. Her head still tilted, she began to groan. While waiting for Ryuushi-san to gather her thoughts, I glanced at the crowd that had probably been watching the whole thing. I wished they wouldn’t eavesdrop or hold their breath and watch like that; it was embarrassing.

Everyone’s head was filled with question marks. Some couldn’t keep up with Ryuushi-san’s questions, and for those who had been expecting candid confessions from the couple, it seemed like a let-down.

“No, no! Not like this! That doesn’t count; let’s do it again!”

Ryuushi-san suddenly shouted and swung her arms wildly, crossing them above her head.

“Okay, you can try again! But just for one reason: you guys aren’t amusing!”

The card girl chimed in. She leaned back with a huff, looking like she was about to fall over backwards. If she did, the boy’s face on the other side would be in a terrible state. No, this pervert might be happy with the thought of, “Yaaaay, I’m being crushed by her back!” I’d welcome it if Ryuushi-san leaned on me too. Maekawa-san would be fine too, Erio… maybe not. There was no one else I’d consider leaning on me. No one at all. The forty-year-old should leave quickly.

“Heh? Is that even possible?”

I decided to rebel for some reason. The mood around me was shifting back to a more subdued one, and it bothered me.

“I am the one who gets to judge about that! So we’re doing a confession retake. However!”

The card was approaching me, stomping around the table. What, what?

“You two will both get into this costume, and then we’ll do the confession again!”

“Ueeeeh!”

Either Ryuushi-san or I let out a startled cry. The base of my jaw suddenly hurts from being too tense, so it must have been me. Ryuushi-san was also shocked, shouting, “Nyu nyu nyu waa chaa!”

Why would we have to do something like that? Their idea was just too unconventional. And their appearance, too.

Meanwhile, the girl in the card and the boy at the reverse lumbered towards the crowd, pleading for it to “unzip us, please”. Couldn’t they open it themselves? How did they fasten it after entering it?

No, that didn’t matter right now. What was important was the fact that I would get into this costume and become a card with Ryuushi-san. If I were to ask someone for advice on what to do, they’d probably think I’m crazy, but I really was at a loss for words and suffering from a fever. My ears were burning.

A blonde girl stepped forward first and unzipped the zipper hidden in the white fabric of the card. Suddenly, as if shedding its skin, the girl and boy emerged from the card.

There was a warm, sticky sound, probably from the sweat that had poured in their costume and clung to their skin.

Both of them slid face down into the corridor. There was a warm, sticky sound, probably from the sweat that had poured in their costume and clung to their skin. A few seconds later, the card costume, now empty of its contents, collapsed into the corridor, its body wrinkled and deflated. The resulting gust of wind blew up trash in the corridor.

People around, especially the boys, gasped in amazement at the beautiful girl who emerged from the card. It wasn’t quite the kind of shock of having particles swirling around when a futon was removed, but their excitement was certainly understandable.

The boy’s appearance was unremarkable, and he didn’t have any particularly striking features. It was surprising how much more normal he seemed compared to his words and actions.

The girl who emerged from the card sighed and wiped the sweat from her forehead. The boy also grabbed the back of his uniform and pulled it, blowing air onto his sweat-soaked back. Am I going to get stuck that close to Ryuushi-san? Yay.

“Alright, come on in.”

The girl pointed to the card costume lying face down and gestured for us to enter. At this rate, we’d really become a card. I exchanged glances with Ryuushi-san. Ah, her neck was bright red. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she looked like a child on the verge of bursting into tears.

“Niwa-kun… what do you think about it?”

Ugh, I’d prefer if we dropped that out of the conversation. I was busy enough trying to give an air of “it can’t be helped”.

“Well, this is what they decided, so there’s nothing we can do about it, I guess.”

I was actually very curious. I wondered how many Youth Points were packed into that card.

“Exactly, it’s a punishment game. I’m sure you kyapple will be fine with this.”

The girl, having finished wiping her sweat with a handkerchief, nodded with a knowing look on her face. Seriously, I know I’m asking this a bit late, but what kind of relationship is a kyapple supposed to represent? It sounds like some kind of musical notation.

“Hey, Kashiwa-kun, give them some encouragement.”

I turned to the boy who was touching her back. The boy scratched his chin and nodded.

“You’ll get addicted to it!”

His way of speaking was so refreshing it almost made my teeth fall out. What was going on in this guy’s head?

What if my brain got adjusted like his by wearing this costume?

“It’s Attraction! Attraction! This card costume is perfect for experiencing Attraction!”

The girl mentioned the theme for this year’s school festival as a justification, as if she had just thought about it.

“Go-in! Go-in!”

The blonde girl was egging us on. The onlookers around us didn’t join in, but they went along with the mood and cast curious glances at us. I inwardly nodded in agreement to this inescapable mood.

I wanted to do it, but I needed to do it. I didn’t want to go in, but I had no choice. That kind of atmosphere was my justification, and it made me want to go in. Well, even if I couldn’t fly, Attraction certainly seemed to be swirling around!

“Well, then, Ryuushi-san, there’s nothing we can do about it, ha ha; this is what they decided.”

“I-I already said that earlier; I told ya. Uh, uhhhhgh.”

With a groaning sound like an object flying low, Ryuushi-san and I approached the card mascot costume. The surrounding noise, which should have been bright like cheers, seemed distant. The thumping sound next to my ears was loud. Ryuushi-san also had her palms pressed flat against her legs, as if holding down the hem of her skirt. We both glanced at each other. Any time to be happy about feeling youth had long since evaporated.

We both made the card costume stand up. We looked at each other again and laughed awkwardly.

“W-Which way do we go in?”

“Go on, go ahead.”

“No, no, Niwa-kun, you go first.”

“Well then, I won’t hesitate.”

“Weeeeh!”

I slipped in while Ryuushi-san was holding the costume up. It was surprisingly comfortable, or rather, the texture was quite nice. As expected of something made by Maekawa-san. My body was swallowed up by the fluffy cotton-like material. I then placed my face in the hole on the back… It was warm around my face. From the boy’s body heat. I’ll keep a secret the fact that I almost regretted not choosing the front. Everything except the surface of my face that was exposed to the wind quickly became hot and humid.

“Ryuushi-san, p-please, go ahead.”

“O-Our backs are sticking together!”

“Do your best, Ryuushi! Do your best! Even if it’s super hard and so on!”

“Hey! Keep that kind of cheer for cooler situations! Here I go!”

Ryuushi-san jumped into the mascot costume as if she made up her mind. She grazed me, scraping my back with the force of her body slam. Our backs rubbed against each other, our elbows bumped. Come to think of it, I often talked with Ryuushi-san, and we even had phone conversations sometimes, but it was very rare for our bodies to touch like this. Maybe the only time was when we slept shoulder to shoulder on the bus on the way back from the town trip?

Even that couldn’t be called authentic. Leaving aside what constitutes authenticity, the real deal has finally arrived! The tiny speck of reason in me thought I was losing my mind, but there was nothing I could do about it. My elbow bumped into Ryushi-san’s. “Ouch,” “Swoosh,” we both thought of it as our way of apologising. As I tried to put my legs through, I bumped into Ryuushi-san’s hipbone. Ouch, my hip and other parts.

“N-Niwa-kun’s legs!”

“It’s your legs that are making that squelching sound, Ryushi-san!”

“Leave the sounds out of your commentary!”

Ryuushi-san’s thighs were pressed tightly against my leg. Even if we both tried to move apart instantly, we could barely create any distance because we were both inside the costume. In fact, if we moved our whole bodies to try and get away, other parts of our bodies end up sticking together as well. To be more specific, our shoulder blades and our buttocks.

Perhaps I should first be grateful that the person I was with in this ambiguous event which was a mix of youthful romance and perversion in close proximity while wearing a costume wasn’t Meme-san. What should I be grateful for?

Well, it must be Attraction. The force of Attraction threw us into this costume.

The zipper on the costumes was fastened up from the outside, leaving us with absolutely no escape. The oppressive heat intensified, making us feel like we were components of a steam engine. Our body temperature soared, and we began to feel dizzy.

The smell. The fragrance. My nose, which should be facing the outside, was filled with Ryuushi-san’s scent. Was it my skin? Was I absorbing what was filling the inside of the costume with my skin? Hooray! Hooray for World Fair costumes!

“Done! Now, go ahead and talk to your heart’s content!”

“Ha ha ha,” the girl who had been in the card costume laughed heartily. There was no way to talk to her, since there was only a wall in front of me. The sound of camera shutters clicking came from my blind spot and annoyed me.

“Niwa-kun, I’m leaving the rest to you. Gufu.”

“No, no, Ryuushi-san, it only turned out this way because you wanted it!”

“I can’t do it! Niwa-kun, just moving a little makes your, uh, waist! It’s sweaty! It’s sticky!”

“But Ryuushi-san, if we don’t do the Q&A, we’ll stay like this forever!”

Well, I was fine with that! It felt like a dream, or rather like a daze!

“Uuuugh, yee! It’s the initial talk corner! Ta-daaa!”

“Bring it on!” I couldn’t keep up with my rising body temperature any longer. I was just desperate.

“Niwa-kun, out of T-san, R-san, and M-san, who do you have the most fun being with?”

“I think it’s R-san!”

I mean, there’s everyone around! They are listening! Ryuushi and Ryuuko both start with an R!

“If you answer immediately, it’s suspicious! I smell a scam!”

“Is this really the time to be worrying?!”

“In that case! Which one do you think is the cutest?”

“On the topic of cuteness, I’d say R-san!”

“The person you send e-mails to the most is—!”

“R-san! I mean, T-san has a signal, but she doesn’t have a phone!”

“Then, who do you talk to the most?”

“If we count the ‘mofumofu’, probably T-san! We live in the same house, after all!”

“Grrr! There are three girls who look like they’re about to fall off a cliff! Who will you save first?!”

“M-san! I mean, she’s the weakest of them all! I wonder if she’d even be able to grab onto a cliff to begin with!”

“Grrrrrrrrrr! Niwa-kun, what do you think is the best thing R-san can do?!”

“Huh?! I guess it’s the calming, soothing aspect of the ‘I told ya’!”

“What the hell is going on? I told ya?!”

“Yeah, that’s exactly it!”

“I don’t get it! What should I do?!”

“I think it’s fine the way it is!”

“Hey!”

“Yes!”

“Niwa-kun! Out of T-san, R-san, and M-san, who would you want to become a card with the most?”

“R-san!”

My scream caused a depletion in energy. Ryuushi-san and I rapidly lost our heat.

Unable to even kneel, I stumbled down the corridor, swaying back and forth along with the card, shaken by the lingering effects of the fever. This was the intoxication of youth. My consciousness was clouded from an excessive intake of Youth Points.

Sweat poured into my eyes and streamed down my cheeks like tears. My nose became damp and snotty, and the discomfort on my face reached its limit. I squinted, trying to force through my blurry vision, and glared at the nearest girl.

“I’m burning; please open the costume.”

“Hmm… well, fine. Everyone, this is how it is, so please feel free to participate too!”

Released from the costume, we rolled on the floor like the two did earlier. But we quickly got up on our knees. Ryuushi-san also stretched her knees, playfully imitating a monkey, shouting, “Ukikiiii!”

Those around joined in the fun and applauded loudly. Not to be modest, but I did absolutely nothing to deserve praise. I was just conducting an experiment to see my sense of shame explode.

I could still feel Ryuushi-san’s warmth on my back and the sensation of her hair against my neck. Even more, I could feel her sweat running down my skin. Yeah, I could tell. I could distinguish between my own sweat and Ryuushi-san’s. I instinctively wiped the sweat with my finger… No, I didn’t lick it, but I did smell it.

“What are you doing, Niwa-kun?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“Liar! Everyone, Niwa-kun is a liar!”

“More importantly, Ryuushi-san, it’s now your turn to confess.”

“Heeey, what are you talking about Niwaiwaiworld!”

“You’ve string so many words together that you make my name sound like WALL-E.’”

“I-I told ya!”

“Don’t be selfish.”

“Tooold ya ya!”

“No, it doesn’t become a reasonable option just by flipping it around.”

“D-Don’t come any closer! If you come any closer, Ryuuko-san will ugh, ugh.”

“You’re going to what?”

“I’m gonna be like that!”

Ryuushi-san ran down the corridor, her face still covered with her hands. I half-heartedly chased after her but gave up and stopped halfway. Now, with my right hand that I missed reaching out with earlier, I was grasping at thin air.

“Aah, Ryuushi-san, where are you going… You’ve managed to escape the punishment game!”

She was slow on her bike but incredibly fast on her feet. And on top of that, there was a blonde girl chasing after her, asking for “An interview, please!” What was up with that girl?

Oh, I remembered being interviewed by that girl last week. She said she was from the school newspaper club. Did it mean that this exchange would end up in the school newspaper? Wait a minute, Ryuushi-san and I will die of anger. And if Ryuushi-san said anything in her current state of shock… I really needed her to get away from that newspaper club somehow. “Hang in there, Ryuushi-san!”

I waved goodbye to Ryuushi-san, who had already disappeared around the corner of the corridor, sending her my best wishes. I listened carefully, but I didn’t hear her ‘I told ya I’m Ryuuko’ reply. She’s gone so far away; I felt lonely.

However, since I had incurred about a hundred debts during the summer festival, I couldn’t force her to return.

As soon as we got up from our seats, the next couple poker challengers appeared, apparently taking our place. The onlookers’ attention also shifted to them, and I was surprised that there were people who watched our game before deciding to join in.

What kind of guys are they? I thought. It turned out to be Nakajima, who wasn’t tanned at all, and Hanazawa-san, who was completely sunburnt.

Moreover, they exchanged grinning glances (Hanazawa-san’s smile was a rare sight), and surprisingly, she seemed quite enthusiastic about receiving the card. Nakajima glanced at me and bowed his head in a polite nod. I returned his smile and distanced myself from the card and Nakajima. I took a breath, having left that stiflingly hot space.

“…I wonder if Nakajima and the others have something they want to ask the other side?”

In the sense that it provides an opportunity to ask questions one has always wondered about but hasn’t been able to ask casually, the presence of those people in the card costume was definitely worthwhile. Although, it doesn’t seem like they had any deep intentions behind it.

Well, it looked fun from the outside, so it was probably good enough as a spectacle.

“Well”, Ryuushi-san, who was supposed to be exploring the school festival with me, has run off in a panic, so what should I do? If I chased after Ryuushi-san… it would probably turn into a game of tag if things stayed the way they were.

In that case, should I look around the school for Erio, or should I go back to the art room where Maekawa-san was?

“…The order of the heart, right?”

If Attraction determined everything, then there was no way rankings could exist.

With such irony in mind, I took a step forward to chase after Ryuushi-san, but the music that had been playing on repeat suddenly stopped. And then.

“We have a call, we have a call. For Niwa Makoto-kun, Niwa Makoto-kun. For the guardian… ah, yes, your newlywed bride who just finished her honeymoon is attempting to make a giant takoyaki, so please come to the front of the stall quickly.”

“…………”

Various cries surfaced, then burst like bubbles.

Hey, this was being broadcast to the whole school! My name was clearly on the air! Show me the faces of those who took that kind of summons seriously! Do whatever you want! That honeymoon part was a trap, right? I had so many thoughts overflowing all at once, pushing against each other and about to break apart and disappear.

I couldn’t say anything; I just stood frozen in the hallway. The piercing stares of the onlookers behind me hurt my back. Nakajima and the others’ voices said, “Newlywed bride?” and “Takoyaki sounds delicious” in the distance. There was a bang as the broadcast cut out, and then the background music resumed as if nothing had happened. My body unconsciously swayed from side to side in time with the chorus. A dry laugh, ah ha ha ha, escaped my lips at the end, and I sighed refreshingly, “Ugh.”

I bet that person finds Attraction a cumbersome and completely irrelevant thing to them.

In a way, it was a person overflowing with refreshingly positive energy and drive.

---

• Took on the Kyapple Poker challenge with Ryuushi-san. +2
• Magnificent defeat at poker, confession(?) competition. +1
• In a card costume with Ryushi-san! +3
• The sweat and aroma of her back and the soles of her feet! +3
• Somehow shouting about all kinds of things! +3

Total current Youth Points: +22

---

Chapter 3 - StaRMan’s Children

I was very hesitant about whether to agree, but in the end I had no choice but to go. Because it’s Meme-san after all.

If they sense I’m not coming, they’ll immediately call for me over the school’s PA system again. And this time, they might even specify “Mako-kun, the one with the scent fetish”, in a really unpleasant way. I’m not a scent fetishist!

The afternoon of the cultural festival will be all about my aunt! Hoping that wouldn’t happen, I put my shoes on by the shoe rack. Ryuushi-san, who ran away, wasn’t back yet. Just how far did she run? I sent her an email asking for her to contact me when she calmed down, but will she even reply?

I pushed open the closed door and stepped outside the school building. As I pushed the door, the sunlight from outside hit my hands one by one, and I could feel the difference in temperature between inside and outside. The midday sun and heat felt like they were pressing down on my skin as they rushed in.

The quality of the sounds changed dramatically. Inside the building, it sounded like the distant sounds of club activities after school, but suddenly they became closer and surrounded me. It was like the rattle of a lottery wheel (is that the right name?) being spun around from the outside. It wouldn’t be surprising if the voices and sounds of people passing by took shape and floated in the air like sound effects in a manga. Was this how noisy it got when all the students walked around the school at once instead of attending classes? It might be even worse because there were guests as well. A stream of people moved from side to side, their voices louder than their footsteps.

I jumped into the flow of the crowd. It was a slightly hesitant feeling, like dipping my ankles into the cold river water and stepping into the unknown. Weaving through people felt like inserting a needle and thread between pieces of cloth. I briefly wished I could run past opponents like this when playing football.

I started walking, then stopped almost immediately. I figured Erio might be in front of Meme-san. I decided to go to the place Maekawa-san told me about in her email. I didn’t expect her to be there anymore, but there was still a possibility. She might be wrapped up in a futon rolling around in a corner. That was the kind of person Erio was.

If I stood still for too long, someone’s shoulder would bump into me and knock me over, so once I took my decision, I started moving my feet immediately. I changed course and headed towards the space between the school buildings… But even if it were the school festival, if Erio were there, I would end up taking care of her anyway. People teased me about being like her guardian, and even if I tried to argue back, it didn’t really mean anything. My Youth Points were steadily declining. Why was that?

I hurried towards the connecting walkway between the school buildings, pretending to be a troubled teenager. On the way, I spotted the baseball team lined up in a row on the field. throwing balls as far as they could. I wondered if it was some kind of traditional ceremony or performance. If they were a passionate baseball team, it could just be practice.

Apparently, our baseball team was pretty weak. In fact, I’ve heard that almost all of our sports clubs had terrible results in tournaments. Come to think of it, at the rural school I went to until last year, they had a dedicated field and even night lighting, but I was always called upon to cheer on the baseball team, which was a regular loser in the first round, and I watched them lose by a mercy rule in the seventh inning under a scorching sun. But after that, my friends and I hit on a girl in the cheering section, and my Youth Points revived. You can probably guess the result from the fact that I wasn’t in a long-distance relationship now. As for the topic of deep-sea fish, it appeared that the fishing hook was a little too deep for it to reach.

Standing between the school buildings, those bitter memories flooded my mind like stomach acid. There was no sign of Smakin nearby. I stood in the middle of the corridor and turned around. “She’s not here,” I said aloud as I crossed my arms.

As I pondered what to do, I looked up towards the art room window and saw Maekawa-san peeking out. Maekawa-san seemed to notice me immediately and glared down at me while giving a small wave. I waved back at her. Maekawa-san must have poor eyesight.

Then, for some reason, Maekawa-san deliberately stretched her long arm out the window and began operating her cell phone. Immediately afterwards, my cell phone rang. Maekawa-san’s name appeared on the screen. I answered the phone.

I also moved to the corner of the school building in order not to obstruct traffic.

“Hey transfer student, from here you look like a mirage.”

“Maekawa-san, why don’t you wear glasses or contact lenses?”

“I feel uneasy if there’s something near my eyes. Was Touwa there?”

“No, there’s no sign of her anywhere. Haven’t you seen her since then?”

“I didn’t have time to look outside because a guest passed by. Oh, and that guess was quite an unusual person. He left as soon as I finished drawing the picture he ordered.”

“Huh, something unusual? Er, like a celebrity?”

“He was Touwa’s father.”

“…Ah, so he came to your place as well.”

So I didn’t misidentify him, and I wasn’t having hallucinations, and it wasn’t Erio in disguise either.

“Oh, you knew?”

“Tch,” Maekawa-san said in a monotone voice, sounding disappointed. He commissioned a drawing? He was the ideal lover, right? Or did he have Meme-san drawn? But Eliott, I believe that’s his name, apparently disappeared from Meme-san’s life without a word, so that was unlikely. His sudden reappearance was also a mystery, though.

“That’s all well and good, but isn’t Ryuushi with you? I don’t see her around you, transfer student.”

“Well, when we were together, Ryuushi-san started running off singing Sanpo.”

It was a huge lie, but it was within the realm of what the naturally innocent Ryuushi-san might actually do.

“Transfer student, I totally thought you had a fight and prioritised finding Touwa.”

“No, not at all. If anything, it was like we were sticking together tightly before separating.”

“Tch,” Maekawa-san said, her voice slightly more emotional than before, expressing her disappointment. She seemed to enjoy watching people get dragged into trouble. I looked up at the art room window. Maekawa-san was probably smiling.

“Um, so, was there anything else you needed to talk about?”

“I don’t really have anything important to say, but are we the kind of people who can’t even call each other unless there’s a specific reason?”

“Not at all.”

“That’s fine then. By the way, transfer student, are you going to the concert?”

“The concert? Ah, the one at 2 o’clock?… No, I haven’t found anyone to tie my thread with.”

“Heh? So Ryuushi-san wasn’t the one? That’s a shame.”

She sounded happy and yet disappointed. She absolutely refused to drop her sarcastic attitude.

“What about you, Maekawa-san? I mean, did you find one?”

“Yeah, they came here. I already promised to go.”

“Heh? That sounds very much like Attraction.”

Apparently, Attraction wasn’t about people doing something but about invisible forces at work to bring people together. But honestly, that didn’t go along well with youth. It wasn’t just pure chance.

“Hmm… Are you curious about who my partner is?”

“Huh? Ah, what kind of person is it?”

“Don’t you sound like that was a bit forced?”

At that point, Maekawa-san, who was leaning out the window, turned to face in as if she had been called.

“…Yes dear guest? Yes, yes, I’ll do it right away.”

“You have to draw again? That’s tough.”

“Ha ha, I have things to do, so I’m not as bored as last year. Transfer student, shouldn’t you hurry up and go to your older new wife?”

“Gyaahhh, you heard it all!”

“How could I not?”

We both softly laughed. Then, I took my phone away from my ears and ended the call.

Maekawa-san left away from the art room window, waving at me as she pulled back in. After making sure I waved back, she completely disappeared into the art room… Well, should I go too?

I kicked off the ground hard with my first step and started running. Not at full speed, but at about 70% of my speed, feeling the autumn breeze. I didn’t know when the music playing from the speakers would stop to call me again. I headed straight for the bicycle parking area where the food stalls were lined up. It felt good to slip through the crowd.

Along the way, I kept an eye out to see if I’d run into Erio, Ryuushi-san, or one of their acquaintances, but I didn’t see anyone who seemed to be getting along with them. Instead, I saw a group of my male classmates going into the school building. Last year, I was one of them, but now I’m heading to my aunt’s place alone. Which was better?

But it looked like fun. There were quite a few people heading towards the grounds. Were they on their way to participate in that target practice competition? If I participated in some event, will I feel like I’m really part of the school festival? The broadcast said the concert was the main event… Hmm.

I ran all the way and arrived in front of the food stalls. Perhaps because it was daytime, the area in front of the stalls was incredibly crowded, like a condensed version of the street. I was a little bewildered by the hustle and bustle, which felt like countless soap bubbles of noise floating and bursting in the air. Where was that person, who was not my wife, newlywed or not? I walked along, looking down at my feet, wondering if he was holding a parasol to protect himself from the sun or if he had perhaps burrowed underground, when a youthful voice called out to me.

“Hey, transfer student. Ha ha.”

A girl who was at the back of the food stall called out to me. In a funny tone, using a full-on falsetto voice. It was Mickey, a girl who had the same last name as Mouse, who lived in Chiba Prefecture. I still didn’t know her real name.

Today, she was wearing a triangular headscarf and an apron. She walked towards the stall, carrying a cabbage before it could be shredded. An apron and a triangular headscarf over her uniform. Hmm, there was something youthful about it.

Did Ryuushi-san wear this outfit when she was minding the shop? I felt regret.

“Isn’t that Miggy?” I’m pretty sure that’s how she introduced herself on the phone today.

“I told ya I’m Mickey, or something like this?’”

Oh, so the phrase “I told ya” has spread even here. Although the crucial first line was missing.

“What was that voice just now? It’s like even your voice sounds like a mouse from paradise.”

As we talked, I glanced at the thread on Mickey’s little finger. A yellowish-brown vertical line was drawn through the white thread. To be connected by the same thread as someone you know was probably an extremely unlikely occurrence unless Attraction was being selective or a miracle was at work… Where was my partner, I wondered?

“So, pretty good, right? I just couldn’t resist showing off the results of all the nightly practice I did at home.”

Did she practice that falsetto voice every night at home in front of a mirror (I was only guessing the location)?… She shouldn’t worry her parents too much. And she shouldn’t become the talk of the neighbourhood either. If she kept doing that, she would end up like Meme-san once she gets older.

“By the way, what happened to Ryuushi, whose basketball skills are third-rate but who’s pretty good at making takoyaki?”

Mickey looked around, praising and criticising the friend she was looking for. Everyone kept asking me where Ryuushi-san was. But unfortunately, that was something I would have liked to know myself.

“We were together for a while, but then something happened and she ran off somewhere.”

I still haven’t received a reply to my email. Hmm, how many times have I seen Ryuushi-san run away from me like this? This made it look as if I were bullying her every time, she couldn’t take it anymore and would run away. That was bound to cause a huge misunderstanding in the public’s eye. This time too, I wasn’t in the wrong… right?

“Ryuushi-chan is as incomprehensible and funny as ever.”

Mickey readily agreed. It was nice to have a friend who understood even the most incomprehensible parts about her.

Mickey, who had been nodding repeatedly, raised her index finger towards me and said, “Oh, by the way.” Her left hand was on her hip, and she had the posture of explaining something to a child.

“Transfer student, if you become her boyfriend, make sure you properly train Ryuushi-chan.”

“T-train her!”

“Well, educating her would be fine too.”

I wasn’t even her boyfriend, so it would be bad if it weren’t education, right! Mickey, her name alone sounded dangerous, and her statements were extreme.

“What do you mean by educating her? Like trying to reform her habit of saying ‘I told ya’?”

“That too.”

Could such a thing exist? But I was against rehabilitation. “I told ya” was what was charming about her.

“But more importantly, she cannot openly be friends with Erio-chan.”

My right eyelid twitched. Mickey, oblivious to my distress, continued speaking with a grim expression.

“Ryuushi-chan is a kind-hearted girl, but she lacks a sense of danger. She’s a bit of an airhead, so those around her need to be considerate of her. Especially you, transfer student!”

“Weeeeh!”

“What kind of goat-like response is that?”

Well, ha ha ha. I bet Ryuushi-san felt the same way when Mickey spotted her. The rightness of not leaving anyone out versus the rightness of behaving within a group. It was a heartache to have to decide which rightness to prioritise and what to gain by upholding it. There was another head next to mine, and I realised it wasn’t turning. And because of that, I felt increasingly uncomfortable.

“Oh, I see. So, transfer student, you don’t know about Erio-chan?”

“…I know her.”

Probably more than Mickey or Ryuushi-san. After all, we were living together.

“Well, that makes things quick. You wouldn’t want Ryuushi to be left out or bullied, would you, transfer student?”

“Well, I guess not.”

I agreed with Mickey on that point. I just hoped Ryuushi-san could live a peaceful life.

…But at the same time. Another feeling began to sprout, like a twin.

I didn’t like the idea of ​​Erio being ostracised either.

I wasn’t an alien. I lived my days with Erio as a grounded and down-to-earth person.

So, unfortunately, I couldn’t just laugh it off with an ambiguous attitude and run away.

“Ah, I should be going now. Someone’s calling for me.”

“OK. By the way, transfer student, who’s that newly-wed bride of yours? Is Ryuushi-chan the mistress, then?”

“That was just my aunt’s joke. Ah, by the way, my aunt’s name is Touwa Meme.”

“Hmm… huh, Touwa?”

“Well then, excuse me.”

I walked away from the stall while Mickey tilted her head in confusion. Even if I took three steps back, I felt no regret.

Then that’s fine!

And within ten metres of walking, I spotted the 40-year-old sitting on a white bench next to the food stall. She greeted me with a satisfied smile, as if she had overheard my entire conversation with Mickey with her keen ears. Next to her was Tamura-san, standing tall and straight.

“Daaaarliiing, over here, come closer!”

“…………”

I wanted a new wife who calls out to her husband with a deep, heavy voice, rolling her tongue to the fullest and beckoning at me with an exaggerated gesture. If anyone’s up for it, just step in and take my place as the husband for a bit.

Since I didn’t decide how far I should run, I ended up running really, really fast.

Niwa-kun’s new wife, Niijiima! Just as I heard the announcement calling for me, and just as the arch of my foot was about to cramp up, I finally brought myself to a halt. I was in a corridor somewhere. I was out of breath and couldn’t pinpoint the exact location. Hmm, I needed to do something about this habit of running away when I get really stressed.

I let out a deep sigh and turned around.

“Could I get a comment from you?”

“Nyowaaaaah!”

She was still following me! I think her name was Okui-san. She was standing behind me, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. Her blonde hair was plastered to her forehead with sweat, and her hairstyle was a mess.

“Wow, Mifune Ryuushi-san, you’re really fast! Are you on the track and field team? You’ve really caused me some trouble!”

She was yelling at me while smiling. T-That person, too, gave off a strong vibe of strangeness. There might be a lot of strange people around me. And I also felt like there were a lot of self-proclaimed aliens. Ahead in the future, multiple star registrations.

“I’m a basketball team’s promising rookie, I told ya.”

“It’s been two years, so you shouldn’t be acting like a rookie anymore.”

“I-It’s fine! I’m a secret weapon that will activate late!”

I swung my arms wildly. Okui-san dodged it by stepping back, then brought the air microphone (the one where she bends her fingers to look like she’s holding a stick-like object) closer to my mouth.

“So, Ryuushi-san, you were playing poker with your boyfriend, weren’t you? That stupid couple?”

“C-Coup!” I bit my tongue. In the same spot as before. I was bleeding. “I told ya, Niwa-kun isn’t my boyfriend, and I’m Ryuuko!” And who’s that newlywed wife? Could it be his aunt?

“Let’s be blunt, how was it being in a card costume with him?”

“Eh?! Oh, I-I guess it’s like the seven of hearts!”

Wow, what was I even saying? And then Okui-san just responded, “Thanks”, and ran off. What could she possibly have learned from that exchange? I wondered, but I felt it would be even more awkward if she started asking me all sorts of questions, so I let her go without a word. I dramatically slumped my shoulders and let out a sigh.

“…Ugh. N-Niwa-kun, you idiooot.”

I recalled, or rather, I couldn’t forget the time I was rummaging around in the card costume and I felt a chill. It was as if several vertical lines of heat were descending down my face, and I felt a shiver down my spine.

Niwa-kun and I were so close, so close. I recreated the scene by pressing my back against the wall in the slightly dim hallway. “Whoa, what am I doing?” I quickly pulled away. I stroke my back and look around.

The hallway, devoid of any performances or visitors, was dark except for a little sunlight streaming in through the windows. The sound of my footsteps seemed to echo unimpeded, from one end of the corridor to the other. It felt like school on a holiday, completely disconnected from the cultural festival. Thinking about it that way, my adventurous spirit awoke, and I felt a little excited.

I looked up and saw the sign for the staff room above the entrance door and, a little further away, the sign for the infirmary. That was how I figured out where I was. I didn’t come here often because I didn’t have any business there, but for some reason, it conveyed a strong image of being shady, which was just right for my overheated body.

“So, what should I do?”

If I go back to Niwa-kun like this → Uh-uh → Ryuuko-san runs away.

If I show up at the takoyaki stall → Mickey asks me all sorts of questions → Ryuuko-san dash!

“M-Mickey’s an idiot too!”

…I decided to rest in the infirmary for a bit. Right now, I just wanted to sit or lie down. The feeling of Niwa-kun’s back pressed against me in the card costume wouldn’t go away either. As I walked towards the infirmary, I checked my cell phone. Did Niwa-kun email or call me…? Oh, he did. A message came in without me noticing. I opened it.

“Don’t you think it would be nice to get in touch once you’ve calmed down?”

“Whoa, leaving it all up to others!”

Well, when I talk to Niwa-kun on the phone, I’m the one who makes the call.

I also got an email, so I’ll call him once the embarrassing Ryuuko-san is done.

But was this how I was supposed to enjoy a school festival? I mean, it would be nice if there was something big that screamed, “It’s a school festival!” There was no campfire or dancing here.

“Ah, wasn’t there a concert?”

I’d love to attend Nijou Owari’s concert in the arena seats. But I couldn’t find my partner. Hmm. A boy would be a bit… I’d be wary, or maybe it would create a barrier. It wouldn’t be quite right.

I arrived in front of the infirmary, groaning. I sniffed, twitching my nose. There was no smell of medicine yet.

“Excuse me.”

I slid the door open, feeling a little hesitant. There was no reply, so I went inside.

Inside the infirmary, the breeze coming in through the open window caused the thin pink curtains to sway gently. Inside the infirmary, the breeze coming in through the open window caused the thin pink curtains to sway gently. The school nurse’s desk and chair were empty, and the room was filled with a unique silence.

The scent lingering in the air might actually be the smell of medicine.

Apparently, the nurse wasn’t here. If it were the case, why leave the entrance open? How careless.

“…Ah”

There were two beds in the infirmary, and both looked occupied. One was covered by a curtain, so I couldn’t see who was sleeping in it. But I could immediately tell who was sprawled out on the bed closer to the window.

First, Ryuuko-san’s Quiz! Puff, puff, puff, puff.

Who’s that kid sleeping face down with a blanket wrapped around her upper body?

“…Towa-saaaan”

I weakly called out the correct answer. There was no reaction. The blanket didn’t move or anything. The exchange I had this morning made it a bit hard for Ryuuko-san to speak up. But I looked around.

“…No sign of Mickey, good.”

I didn’t know if I wanted to apologise or something, but there was something inside me that I couldn’t just leave like this. So let’s have a little talk with Touwa-san. Without Niwa-kun.

“Wake uuuup~, wake uuuup~!”

I tried dancing around the bed. I intended it as a wake-up ritual. I did light steps with my legs ripped with lactic acid from all the running, or rather, I wobbled with my tangled legs… It didn’t seem to be working, so I stopped.

Next, I moved to the front of the bed and poked the sole of her bare foot. “Kepp!” Her foot jumped up in surprise, and her heel slammed against my chin. It hit me cleanly, and both my knees buckled.

“My jaw, my jaw!” I clutched and thrashed about. It was such a shock that it felt like a clean white line ran all the way up to the top of my head.

“Mofu!”

Touwa-san quickly pulled her legs back, sat up, and knelt on the bed. Ugh, she was intimidating.

“T-Touwa-san, it’s meeee!”

I managed to straighten my knees, which were still twitching, and put my hands on the bed. The blanket bent forward.

“Mofu? (If it isn’t Ryuuko-chan?)”

“May I come in?”

“Mofu (It’s fine).”

I think I got permission, so I’ll get on the bed. She even gave me a little space, so it should be okay.

“So, Touwa-san, um, were you sleeping after that?”

“Mofu (something like that)”

“About earlier, I… Sorry!”

“Mofufu (I don’t mind).”

“R-really?”

“Mofuffu (Of course)”

“Am I translating this correctly?”

“Mofu?”

This wasn’t getting anywhere!

“Take off your futon when you’re talking to someone!”

“Mofuuuu!”

I couldn’t take it anymore, so I pulled it off. Touwa-san rolled off the futon and fell onto the bed. Her hair, which was swirling with particles just from spinning, gently brushed against my face. Ugh, ugh. What a formidable enemy.

The helmet and glasses she was wearing when I saw her this morning were gone. She was just the regular Touwa-san.

Touwa-san collapsed onto the bed with a thud and didn’t get up right away. I tried covering her with the futon I had thrown off. Then Touwa-san’s eyelids began to droop… Hmm, even her sleeping face was amazing. I could understand why the boys fawned over her like she was a festival mikoshi when she was in school last year.

…Ah, come to think of it, what about the thread? Touwa-san’s thread. Surely it couldn’t be purple… I picked up her finger and examined it. It was a light blue, similar to Touwa-san’s hair… and white? Why did she have two threads tied together?

But it appeared that Touwa-san wasn’t wearing the same thread as Niwa-kun. Yup, yup, things don’t always go so smoothly.

“I told ya, don’t sleep,” I was bored.

“Hum? Hmm…”

She got up, slowly and lazily. Why was she more agile when wrapped in a futon? Given the weight of a futon, she should be slower. Touwa sat up and imitated the way I sat. Then she draped her futon over her shoulders and stared at me expressionlessly.

“Ryuushi or something, beh.”

“Ryuuko”, “I told ya”, “Don’t steal my line, I told ya!”

We pat each other’s shoulders, poka poka poka. Come to think of it, there was a time when I used to pat my grandpa’s shoulders like this… Ha. This wasn’t the time to be overcome with melancholyyyyy!

“But why do you always wrap yourself in a futon?”

I’ll ask about it after the warm-up session is over. When I asked about it before, I think she answered that it was a disguise to blend in with the world.

“’Kay”.

Touwa-san gave a short nod in response… And stared. Huh, was it over? No more reactions? …Hmm.

How did Niwa-kun interact with “this” Touwa-san at home?

“What do you usually talk about with Niwa-kun?”

“Hmm.”

Her eyes darted from side to side. It was a slightly different reaction, which was reassuring. The way his light blue eyes wavered and moved was like a water planet travelling, and that alone gave me a feeling of magnificent stars. Touwa-san’s specs were just too high.

…So he was actually living with this girl, huh?

That made it even more necessary for Ryuuko-san to crack down on Niwa-kun’s behaviour!

“About smells.” Touwa-san’s reply was a series of sharp, pointed sounds, like someone stomping their toes on the ground.

“Smells?”

“Cousin has a scent fetish.”

“Whuuuut?!”

“Cousin has a scent fetish.” “Whuuuut?!”

Come to think of it, I heard something like that when we were travelling too… Ah! Could it be that Niwa-kun likes girls who wrap themselves in futons? Wrapped in futons, smelling them… what kind of taste was that, Niwa-kun?

But it was worth trying! Like Ryuuko-san’s fragrance (fruitarian)!

This was no time to rest!

“Touwa-san, could I borrow your futon for a moment?”

“No.”

“……………………………” Squish, squish.

“……………………………” Squishy, squishy.

Muuui! Muuui!

“Mako-chii you’re really amazing; you’re totally brilliant.”

“It’s painful to watch, so please stop pretending to be young when you have no idea what it’s like.”

I pushed back Meme-san’s forehead, who was spouting nonsense like “I’m not acting, I’m really young”, and sat down on the bench. The sitting order was me, Meme-san, and Tamura-san, but I regretted not sitting next to Tamura-san after I had fully settled down. Well, this level of regret was within the realm of normal when one was involved with Meme-san.

“Meeting up for a date at the school festival feels so youthful, doesn’t it?”

“Please don’t imitate my tone of voice as if I were the one saying it.”

As seen on broadcast, Touwa Meme, whom I encountered for the first time today, was holding a pack containing a giant takoyaki in one hand. About 30% of the takoyaki was missing, and it was broken and shaped like a globe with its contents exposed.

“Makoto? Long time no see.”

Tamura-san bowed slightly as she greeted me. Was she feeling well today?

“You say it’s been a while, but we just saw each other last week.” We met when I went to pick up Erio from the candy store.

“You dolt. Don’t compare a kid’s last week to an old hag’s last week.”

“The value of time is different,” said Tamura-san with a laugh. Meme-san glanced at Tamura-san out of the corner of her eye and silently speared a takoyaki with a toothpick. Her expressionless face resembled Erio’s.

Ah, so that was why she was being relatively well-behaved today: because she was spending time with Tamura-san.

I turned my head in understanding and looked around the area near the food stalls. Maybe it was because it was daytime, but I could see several groups of people buying food and eating it with friends. The sounds of their cheerful voices were different from the noise of lunchtime in the classroom.

The food stalls included not only a giant takoyaki stand but also chocolate-covered bananas, yakisoba, crepes, and other items you might expect to find. Among them, the okonomiyaki stand seemed to be the most popular.

I was pretty sure that stall was run by the boys’ basketball team. The one Nakajima belonged to.

“But you don’t have a woman to hang out with? That’s a far cry from your father, who was always chasing after women’s buttocks. Ha ha ha.”

Tamura-san laughed heartily. My father, huh?”

“Grandma, it’s me, it’s me. I’m Mako-kun’s partner.”

“Makoto has a thing for older women? If that’s his type, maybe I should offer myself too?”

“I’m gonna knock you out, you old hag!”

They seemed to get along really well. How would they react if I said they looked like a parent and child?

Come to think of it, I gave the invitation tickets that were assigned to me to Erio and Meme-san, so there weren’t any for Tamura-san. I wonder who gave her one. Maybe she got one from a student who goes to her shop?

“Well then. Mako-kun, let’s eat some takoyaki and be lovey-dovey.”

“Your brain seems incredibly stable today.” Was she doing somersaults or handstands in your head?

“Abbreviated as Tako-Lovely.”

Giving a good thrashing sounded better than this. Meme-san held out a pack of takoyaki in my direction. The aroma of the soy sauce-based sauce filled my nose. It was quite appetising, and I hadn’t eaten anything for lunch yet. Also, Meme-san, you should wipe your mouth. It’s covered with sauce. Are you a child?

“We’ll both hold this takoyaki like a coconut and eat it each from one end!”

She thrust the takoyaki in my hand, urging me to go and eat it. The sauce almost got all over my nose.

“I have no interest in eating something thicker than Meme-san’s skin as if it were a Pocky stick.”

“Lo and behold!” It was as if she wasn’t listening to anything I was saying. Sorry, but she seemed to have a thick skin.

“My hands will get sticky with sauce, I’ll burn my mouth, and my skin will peel off.”

“But in the end, love will blossom.”

“Those kinds of people who can develop feelings for each other over something like that already have a love that doesn’t require eating takoyaki!”

“Eh?! Mako-kun, was that a marriage proposal?”

She fidgeted. She fidgeted while picking up some takoyaki. A marriage proposal? Weren’t you supposedly a newlywed?

My energy to be angry had waned, and I bowed my head, pressing my hand to my forehead. For some reason, the lively voices of the food stall vendors seemed distant.

“If I get involved with Meme-san, my school festival is going to turn sour.”

As I muttered that, it wasn’t the person I said it to who laughed, but Tamura-san. She squinted her eyes and stared at us as if the light were too bright. There wasn’t a single fat spot on her body, her neck, her hands, or her face.

“You’re such a close-knit family. Meme’s been blessed with children, right?”

“No, no, no, I wasn’t adopted into the Touwa family.”

“That’s right. Mako-kun isn’t a child; he’s my darling.”

“Please stop with these predictable comebacks.”

“So, Dawling.”

“You’re not the kind of partner I want to hear “so” from!”

Maybe our exchange was amusing, because Tamura-san parted her thin lips and laughed heartily, showing the depths of her throat. Well, if she was enjoying herself that much, maybe it was better for my mental health to think that being her darling was worthwhile. But I was at an age where I didn’t want to lie to myself.

For a reason or another, I ended up talking to Meme-san while picking up takoyaki with the two toothpicks I’d been given.

I thought I should mention it, just in case. But why was I called here?

“By the way, Meme-san.”

“Here, Darbling.”

“Enough of that. Apparently, Erio is at the school festival.”

“Hoh hoh!”

She didn’t seem particularly surprised. Did she meet with her earlier? Did she already know? What would happen next?

“And Erio also came.”

“Heh, young Elliott? Did he come to meet E. T. or something?”

There was almost no pause before she answered. I thought she might hold her breath for a moment, but that was her reaction.

“Did you know he was coming?”

“Well, I wonder…”

Meme-san was happily stuffing her face with takoyaki. It was as if she knew all along. She wasn’t even flustered.

I completely understand how Maekawa-san felt earlier. Ugh.

“You’ve already met him, didn’t you? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be so calm about it. You were always sexually self-aware whenever Eliott was involved.”

Tamura-san chimed in nostalgically. Meme-san smiled in response and remained silent. Oh, so they’ve already met? If that were the case, then me reporting on it was really pointless, wasn’t it?

“But what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there are all sorts of reasons, you know.”

I hesitated. I didn’t think the number of residents in the Touwa household would increase by one.

With a piece of green onion sticking out from the side of her mouth, Meme-san grinned.

“I get it, I get it. You’re jealous, aren’t you?”

“Hah?”

“Hey now husband! You are jealousy more more!”

“How exactly do your ears process things?!”

“Like this.”

She puckered her lips and thrust both hands out. Those aren’t your ears; they’re your mouth! Hey, don’t come any closer!

What kind of creature was she?! It’s like what happened to humanity if they lived in the deep seas!

“You are definitely perceiving another dimension with your eyes, ears, and nose!”

“If that’s what Mako-kun thinks, then I guess that’s how it is. Inside Meme-chin.”

“…Uh, ah, thank you.” Well, you ol******an… It’s been censored! What the hell even are you?!

“Fu fu fu, it’s like a young girl fighting!”

Who’s the girl?

“So, what are you going to do in the end?”

Seeing our (mostly Meme-san’s) banter, Tamura-san took the helm and steered the conversation. Meme-san responded with a “Hmmmm”, a look that suggested she wasn’t really thinking about anything, and put her hand to her chin.

There was a thread in her hand… I breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t purple. Its colour was sea-blue.

Well, I couldn’t be forced as a pair with Meme-san every single time, right? Oh, and I wasn’t making a roundabout sarcastic remark about Meme-san being the Joker, or the Old Maid.

“Well, it’s confirmed that Mako-kun is a jealasic pardon about Elliott.”

“You don’t need to force it to sound like Jurassic Park, because it’s fiction.”

“As for what I should do, well, it’s a bit late to think about Eliott.”

“Are you not planning on seeing him anymore?”

“I mean, that guy probably doesn’t even know what Erio looks like.”

“He could tell it’s her with a single glance. Such hair is rare on planet Earth.”

“That’s true, but that’s not it. He’s a stupid lady’s man.”

Meme-san had a somewhat sulky tone as she spoke about Eliott.

“I wonder, why did he come here out of the blue?”

“I wonder? Meme-chin doesn’t know either.”

She denied it, but in a way that suggested she knew something. I’m sure that even if I asked her directly, she wouldn’t answer. I knew that it’s pointless to easily reveal secrets, but something was lingering in my stomach, and I couldn’t shake off this feeling of unease.

“Erio too probably doesn’t know what her father looks like.”

“Mako-kun is here, so it’s not a problem.”

“…No, I’m not into that kind of thing.”

The roles of acting as a father figure and acting as a husband figure for Meme-san were similar, but the meanings were vastly different.

“I can’t believe even Eli-chan came. Fu fu fu, just as planned.”

“Hah?”

“The first inevitability could have happened. But trying to somehow overcome that inevitability is contradictory, isn’t it?”

With a slightly creepy, muffled chuckle, Meme-san took a bite of the octopus in her takoyaki.

“The first?”

“Yes, that’s how it all began. And hopefully Attraction will take care of the rest.”

Meme-san muttered to herself, as if speaking to someone who wasn’t here. The arrows of her words weren’t directed at me or Tamura-san. That inevitably narrowed down the possible recipients.

Probably the foreigner in light blue who was somewhere in the school during the cultural festival.

Attraction. This city, space, light blue particles. Meteorites and rockets. Was something going to happen again? Or rather, will something happen? Her words were certainly suggestive. It seemed like Meme-san was up to something again this time.

“Is this about some kind of secret or scheming?”

When I peered into her face and asked that question, Meme-san cheerfully denied it again, her mouth once more stained with sauce.

“No, no, Meme-tan doesn’t lie!”

“Oh, really?”

Your very existence reeks of lies.

“My cheeks hurt.”

“’Kay”.

We both nodded. I pulled a little too hard. Touwa-san’s cheeks were bright red, so mine must be the same colour. Niwa-kun seemed to really like my cheeks, so I had to take good care of them.

As I silently rubbed my cheek against hers, my attention was drawn to the faint music playing. Touwa-san’s eyes seemed to follow the sound, circling the ceiling. She looked somewhat puzzled, so I tried to explain.

“It’s a song by Nijou Owari. It’s called ‘Attraction Romanticist’.”

I explained, pointing to the ceiling. Touwa-san tilted her head slightly. Her eyes were wavering. But her lips moved softly, and she hummed the lyrics. Had she memorised some of them just from listening to the broadcast?

“Nijou Owari?”

Niwa-kun didn’t seem to know her either, so maybe Touwa-san’s family didn’t watch TV? As I was wondering about this, a light like a small light bulb flickered in Touwa-san’s eyes. It was like a sudden jolt.

“Ah, that was the name of the dog person.”

“That’s right, she’s a dog lover. Oh, you know her?”

“We met.”

“Huh?! Amazing, amazing, where?”

“At school.”

“Ah, so she’s already here! Wow, I wanted to meet her at the end of the show too!”

I wanted to press her for an autograph. But she’d probably run away. He seemed like the type to run away.

While I was lost in such daydreams, the curtain separating my bed from the next one suddenly swung open. At the same time as that sound, I felt the blood drain from my head.

“Aaaah, you guys are being too noisy. Is there no helping it?”

I instinctively flinched and turned towards him. A boy was sitting on the bed. He was wearing a uniform from another school that I recognised, and his complexion wasn’t very good. That’s probably why he was in the infirmary. I was quite surprised because I hadn’t expected anyone else to be in the infirmary.

Whether Touwa-san knew about it from the beginning or was simply unfazed, she maintained a completely expressionless face.

“Sorry,” I said, apologising immediately. The boy mumbled “Hmm” and scratched his cheek.

“Well, whatever… I really don’t care.”

He collapsed, his head slamming onto the pillow. Then don’t say anything! Ryuuko-san couldn’t bring herself to say something like that so strongly to a boy her age. Though I could probably say it to Niwa-kun in a playful manner.

“Hey, that thread… isn’t it the same as mine?”

The boy quickly sat up. “Huh?” His gaze was fixed on my finger. Hum, the thread on my little finger. A red mesh pattern. I looked at the hand the boy raised. There was a thread there too and a red mesh pattern.

“Whoa, Attraction!”

I instinctively leant back, pointing at the boy’s nose. This time, the boy’s shoulders twitched.

“I’m Attraction…? That’s not my name.”

The boy who looked about my age grumbled, averting his gaze. Then, as if to hide his finger with the knot, he placed his other hand on top of it. I froze, still pointing at him.

A-a boy. A boy I didn’t know had the same thread as me. Th-this was troublesome. A sloppy laugh escaped my lips. Sorry, Niwa-kun! Hmm, I didn’t even know why I apologised!

Touwa-san looked back and forth between my face and the boy’s face, then opened her mouth:

“Ryuushi or something, will you tie the thread?”

“I-it’s troubling!”

I would have loved to attend Nijo Owari’s concert from a good seat, but! W-with a boy? Casually tying my little finger goes against Ryuuko-san’s rules. Even if I actually didn’t have such a rule!

“I don’t really care either way. If you don’t like it, let’s just pretend we didn’t see each other.”

“But who’s that girl over there?” the boy muttered, his eyes fixed on Touwa-san. Touwa-san had a strange aura about her, sparkling and fluffy, yet composed entirely of straight lines. She was Niwa-kun’s cousin, so they should be somewhat related by blood, but they didn’t look alike at all.

The idea of Niwa-kun spewing out particles like Touwa-san… Hmm. As I imagined it, it went surprisingly well with him. But right now, I didn’t have the time to be letting Niwa-kun spew out some spore-like stuff into my brain.

“If we can get inside the gym, we can just untie the strings, right? We’ll just tie them when we go in.”

The boy made a gruff suggestion. “Oh, that might be a good idea.” I clap my hands together. Yeah, once we’re inside and more people start to gather around, they wouldn’t be able to tell, surely. Quite the troublemaker that one.

“Do you also want to attend the Nijo Owari concert from a good seat?”

When I asked him that, the boy nodded slightly and said, “Ah”, but then quickly shook his head and said, “Not really.” What a typical high school boy. And for some reason, Touwa-san imitated him and shook her head.

“Well then, then let’s tie them up.”

The boy confirmed, as if to put some emphasis on it. He held up his little finger as if he were making a pinky promise.

“Ok.”

“Then let’s meet in front of the gymnasium around 1:30. Would that be alright?”

“Oh, oh…” It was a little embarrassing to have a date with a guy.

“Roger. See you later then. …Ah, I’m feeling dizzy. I see, so this is what it’s like…”

The boy with the pale complexion got out of bed and stumbled out of the infirmary. If he was feeling unwell, he should have stayed in bed, but somehow it felt like we had chased him away, so we watched him go with a slightly awkward feeling.

But the thought of being able to watch Nijou Owari’s concert from the arena seats made my heart race.

Will Niwa-kun also come? He didn’t seem very interested.

…Anyway, putting my hopes aside for now, I found myself alone with Touwa-san in the infirmary once again. And we were facing each other on the same bed, sitting in the same position (for some reason, Touwa-san imitates people).

“Eliio.”

Touwa-san raised both hands with a blank expression and struck a pose. W-what was that supposed to be? Was she trying to intimidate me?

“Ryuuko.”

In response, I straightened not only my arms but also my back. Don’t underestimate the intimidating presence of Ryuuko-san, who once made a cat run away. I leaned forward slightly, pressing down on Touwa-san. Heh heh, furthermore.

“I told ya!”

I could add an extra layer of intimidation! So, how about that?!

Touwa-san also pushed her forehead to fight back. And at the same time, fluffy particles of light drifted towards me. Ugh, so Touwa-san has that! If I inhaled it, I would get infected with Touwa-san disease too! I held my breath while talking! ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………I couldn’t open my mouth! I gave up and inhaled. Sigh. Aah, it tasted like light.

“Touwa-san, how do you usually… play with Niwa-kun?”

I hesitated, wondering if there was anything else I could ask, but since there wasn’t, I decided to ask that. Touwa-san answered without changing her intimidating pose.

“Intro Quiz.”

“Heh, that’s a pretty stylish way to play.”

“Ryuushi or something, want to play too?”

“Uh? Y-Yes.”

I nodded vaguely. Then Touwa-san re-wrapped the futon she had just removed. She was so skilled and quick at it that it was obvious she was used to it. And then Touwa-san with the futon began to sing.

“Mooofufuffuu, mooofufuuu, moooffufuffuu, mooofufufuuufuuufuuu.””

“T-the Raiders March.”

“Moffu, moffu”

Fujiwara-san was bouncing around excitedly… Niwa-kun and Touwa-san must be bored; oh dear, oh dear.

“Mofumofufu (Next question, number 2).”

“Um, well, that’s fine.”

“Mofu…”

Ah, it deflated a little, looking disappointed. I felt a slight feeling of guilt. But this wasn’t the time for that kind of play.

There were other things I wanted to ask her.

“You know what?”

“Mofufufu (What is it?)”

…When she talked, she used the futon, ah, maybe it was easier to hear her if I left it like this. It was embarrassing, after all.

Ahem, ahem. Now, let’s take a courageous step forward.

“Touwa-san, what kind of person do you think Niwa-kun is?”

“Mofu?”

Woooh, she definitely didn’t get the point of my question, which I delivered at point-blank range. Just tilting the futon with a puzzled look on her face and a “Mofu” wasn’t going to cut it. But there was no shortcut any further, and if I took the long way around, she would get it even less. I was stuck on all sides. Touwa-san was also stuck on all sides.

My courage ran out, and I was writhing in despair on my bed when music started playing, as if right on cue for my dance. The song coming out the speakers wasn’t by Nijou Owari but was something else. It was my cell phone’s ringtone.

“Hmmmm”

I sat up and checked my phone’s screen. It was a call from Mickey. I instinctively looked at Touwa-san’s face. Touwa-san didn’t know who was calling, so he was still wrapped up in her futon, looking dazed. I hesitated for a moment, but then I answered the phone:

“Yes, this is Ryuuko.”

“Ryuushi-chan, where are you right now?”

“I introduced myself properly, so don’t just ignore me like that!”

“So, can I call you Mifune-cchin?”

“Mickey, your sense of style is way ahead of its time.”

“Well, I don’t care about nicknames, but where are you now?” I told ya, Ryuuko isn’t a nickname.

“Right now…”

I hesitated. I looked at Touwa-san (the futon). I closed my eyes, exhaled, and bit my lower lip once. Then,

“I’m with a friend.”

After confirming that Touwa-san flinched from deep within the futon, I looked away. Ugh, how embarrassing. Today, Ryuuko-san was acting like a high school girl experiencing her youth, and I was blushing the whole time.

“Oh, Ryuushi-chan has friends?”

“Mickey, so my friendship with you was a lie!”

“No, I mean with someone else than me. Ah, the transfer student can’t be included in the friends category.”

“W-why not? Niwa-kun is a friends even when he’s alone.”

I waved my hands frantically. Touwa-san swayed softly, “mofu mofu”, on the bed.

“Just earlier, the transfer student was eating takoyaki in front of a food stall with an older woman who looked like his guardian.”

“An older woman?” A vague image of Touwa-san’s mother’s face came to my mind. Hmm, a young, older woman.

“So, if you’re free, come and help me out. You’re the only one I can ask to do something like this, Ryuushi-chan.”

“Hmm… Alright. I guess the one you can rely on is Ryuuko-san, the secret weapon of the girls’ basketball team.”

“Yes, yes. The key to a good game is to make good substitutions with the reserves.”

“I’ll get that single-digit jersey number one day, Mickey!”

“I keep telling you, but we’re in different positions. Well then, see you soon!”

She ended the call. After confirming the beep, I let out a sigh.

…Ah, if I minded the shop, I wouldn’t be able to go around the cultural festival with Niwa-kun. Ugh, I messed up. Sorry, Niwa-kun.

As soon as I finished the phone call, Touwa-san’s face popped out from under the rolled-up futon. She looked straight at me, and her well-defined lips softly spoke words as if she were biting into snow. Her eyes were sparkling, and I felt almost overwhelmed in a good way.

“A friend.”

“Y-Yeah. We’re friends.”

I gave a thumbs-up, going along with the mood and a bit of desperation. Touwa-san’s eyes fixed on the pad of my thumb. She was staring. Staring intently, as if savouring the moment, her lips curved into a smile. Ooh, the particles become even more visible when she smiles.

“A friend!”

Touwa-san spoke up again with great energy. Then she happily got out of bed and started walking briskly towards the entrance of the infirmary. Where was she going to next? Her steps were bouncy and swaying quite a bit. As if she were leaping with each step. She was excited, or rather, I made her happy.

She sang a song she wrote herself, “I got closer to being a youthful woman”, with a “pa-para-pa” melody.

…Watching her didn’t make me feel that bad, actually. Rather, it made me feel a little cheerful. I also got out of bed and deliberately disrupted my perfectly regular breathing by taking a deep breath and then exhaling.

Mickey would probably describe me as someone who tried to please everyone or someone indecisive; that’s how she would see me right now. Yeah, I thought so. Maybe I said I was friends with Touwa-san just to look good and not to feel inferior. There was definitely some truth to that, but…

“Nothing I can do about it.”

It seems that Touwa-san and I were destined to be connected. Though invisible, some kind of thread must have bound us together.

I was greedy and stingy, so I picked things up for now. I couldn’t bring myself to throw everything away. I kept picking things up, and when it got too heavy and I couldn’t move anymore, then…

…Before throwing it away I always end up looking for someone to take it; I was such a hopeless kid.

But now I knew who that person might be, so it was okay, right?

I followed Touwa-san out of the infirmary. Was it okay to just roll up the futon in the infirmary without permission?… Well, whatever. I was a bit of a troublemaker myself, fu fu fu. Sneaking snacks from my friends’ lunchboxes was an everyday occurrence for me. Nobody got angry even when I stole their vegetables.

Touwa-san and I kept a little distance from each other and faced each other in the hallway. We started walking in completely opposite directions.

Because that would make us seem like rivals. Friends and rivals at the same time. Wah, flexible.

But I know that where I’m walking is the end of the corridor, in other words, a wall.

Still, I couldn’t walk in the same direction as Touwa-san.

High school girls had their own share of difficulties, I told ya.

Fujiwara-san was stroking the futon as she sang “mofu mofu” rhythmically. Looks like she was singing “Attraction Romanticist”.

“Mofu mofu (goodbye)”

“I told ya!”

“Moffufuuu, moffufuuu”

I was doing great.

“It’s a big takoyaki, but it only has one octopus in it, so the balance is off, isn’t it?”

“Meme-san, it’s like your balance between your feminine appearance and your childlike side.”

“In other words, I look like a child, but I have the mind of an adult. My name is the famous Meme-chin!”

The way she introduced herself had too many overlapping kanji characters that made it difficult to read.

Heh heh, the overly optimistic Meme-san was her usual self today. She wouldn’t respond at all unless I said OO directly… but why is it censored? Moreover, her territory was expanding.

Could this be related to the fact that the wrinkles on Meme-san’s face were decreasing day by day (though I didn’t want to admit it)?

Could it be that in my mind, Meme-san was starting to fall outside the OOO category…? I-I was getting chills.

“Have they started selling mermaid meat in supermarkets or something?”

“Huh, what?”

“No, nevermind.”

I kept sitting on the bench, snacking on takoyaki. It felt like sitting on land between two fast-flowing rivers. If the hustle and bustle of people constituted culture, then this cultural festival could be said to be a success.

The students and the broadcasting staff were working hard to liven up the school. They made the ordinary feel extraordinary. The liveliness is fine. Very fine. In truth, Touwa Erio should have been there too, amidst this atmosphere.

“…………”

She was admirable for not continuing to curse her absurd past.

But where were they all heading, smiling as they walked off? The school buildings, the grounds, the school grounds, all places I should be familiar with. There were food stalls that smelt a little dusty and a blood donation van that inexplicably appeared near the school gate only during the school festival. The touts in front of the stalls were getting increasingly annoyed, and their attitude was turning dismissive.

There was a giant takoyaki stall with Mickey, and from time to time she would look at me curiously. When our eyes met, all I could do was give an awkward smile. If she finds out that I am Erio’s cousin, would she warn Ryuushi-san to stay away from me too? Hmm, that would be troublesome. But Ryuushi-san told me she would be on my side. Those words made me happy and reassured, so I wasn’t too anxious.

“So, Meme, why did you bring me to a place like this? You even made me close my 24/7 shop for the day.”

Tamura-san asked Meme-san with a displeased expression. Though, Tamura-san always seemed to be in a bad mood.

In response, Meme-san smiled and picked off the seaweed stuck to her lips with her fingers.

“It’s lively and fun, right?”

“I have nothing to do and I’m bored.”

Tamura-san snorted. She then straightened her back again and adjusted her reading glasses with her fingers. Apparently, since the 6th of June, Tamura-san had been spending less time sleeping in the back of the shop all day.

“Well, even if I had something to do, I don’t think I could do anything with this body.”

She let out a straight-faced laugh. “Hi hi hi.” Meme-san puffed up like a takoyaki in response.

“Grandma, you’re always so negative.”

“I don’t know where you’re looking when you’re walking. You’re such an idiot after all.”

As one could expect from someone who knew her for so long, she acutely described Meme-san. I was impressed as I was listening to her.

“Well, school festivals are usually like this. The high school festival I took you to with Shouji back when you were a little brat was like this too. No, it was even more gloomy and pointless.”

Tamura-san gave her comments in a clear, loud voice. As if she were addressing everyone around her. Her sudden outburst caused a few students to turn towards her, but they quickly shifted their attention and returned to chatting with their friends.

Meme-san narrowed her eyes and gave an ambiguous response: “Well, I guess.” Her tone was such that it seemed she was putting off both affirmation and denial and leaving the conversation unresolved. She continued to gloss over the matter, giving the impression that she might suddenly continue the conversation hours later. She loved to be ambiguous, after all.

“That’s all well and good, but there’s one thing that bothered me. Isn’t the expression ‘little brat’ redundant?”

“Can’t help it, you’re just a big brat now.”

“Oh dear,” Tamura-san said, shaking her head slightly. Meme-san seemed pleased. “If I look younger, that’s great!” It seemed that not only were her wrinkles disappearing, but her positive attitude was also becoming more deeply rooted.

Well, I understood what Tamura-san was saying.

It’s definitely far more lively and fun than the school festival I participated in in my previous school last year.

But it felt like something was missing. That feeling had been bothering me all morning. It was just how it was, I thought. Real-life school festivals weren’t as exciting as those in manga or novels. There was nothing dramatic about them.

However, there was a unique atmosphere at school festivals that makes one hope that something special might happen.

To obtain +4 Youth Points, I had no choice but to make the most of this limited situation and space. I understood that much, but I couldn’t figure out how to act or what actions to take to get there.

Why was that? Putting on a card costume with a great classmate was a good idea, but it only got me a +3. Maybe it was lacking something organic? I didn’t even know what “organic” meant in the first place. Was it an evolved word for onion?

“Having a man around is really helpful. The takoyaki is disappearing so fast since Mako-kun arrived.”

The takoyaki, which was half-destroyed and resembled a globe, had already the lost two-thirds of its original size. It looked like a jellyfish with its head badly bitten off, and the octopus that was in the centre was gone. Now it was just a flour-based takoyaki with green onions.

“Meme-san, you’re the one who ate the largest part, though.”

“When Mako-kun is by my side, I feel a hundred times more courageous, and I can do anything!”

“Uh… uhh”

I pressed my hand to my forehead and averted my eyes. It hurt that for a split second I felt more embarrassed about the opinion that eating takoyaki had nothing to do with courage than by the idea that other girls would say things like that to make me feel needed. Ouch. No wonder my aunt was my first hug and first kiss, ha ha ha… sigh.

At the food stall, the blonde girl from the newspaper club reappeared and began taking pictures of Mickey, who was making a giant takoyaki. Mickey responded to the photo shoot with a smile and her signature high-pitched “Ha-ha!”

Sound wasn’t captured in a photograph, though.

“Aahh, so what will you do after you finish eating?”

Determined not to despair over the state of my youth, I lifted my head, trying to regain my composure. Meme-san stopped lifting the takoyaki she was about to put in her mouth and muttered the same response as before, “Well, I guess.”

“Maybe I should look for Erio. And then I’ll have a great time with Eri-chan and Tako-Lovely!”

“I can’t believe there are humans who would ask for seconds of this… Ah, should I join you in your searching?”

I still hadn’t heard from Ryuushi-san yet. I couldn’t help but think that this was the kind of thing a guardian would suggest, and a sarcastic smile played on my lips. But Meme-san held her palm out in front of my face and shook her head vigorously. The ends of her hair follow suit.

“No way. Mako-kun, I’m giving you homework.”

“Huh? Homework?”

“Go find someone to tie your thread with before the concert starts at 2 PM.”

Meme-san raised her right hand, her little finger extended, to my eye level. The blue, or rather, indigo-coloured thread swayed with her movements. It looked as if she had braided her hair into the thread.

“Mako-kun, I know you’re disappointed that your partner isn’t Meme-tan, I really do. But you can’t just mope around! Now’s the time to swallow your tears, shake off your lingering feelings for Meme-tan, and fly out into the wild!” “Excuse me, but could you please get to the point and leave out your daydreams?” “…” “Don’t you have anything to say?”

Meme-san smiled brightly, gazing at me with full-blown affection. She definitely looked younger, both in appearance and demeanour, than when we first met and she handed me her 39-year-old business card. Perhaps because her stress related to Erio had been relieved. But even so, I couldn’t simply accept that she was getting younger every day, defying the passage of time. Was she an alien too?

“Why do you want me to search for this?”

“Oh no, I’m not asking you on a date just because I’m going to the concert too. Kyaaah, I said it.”

My heart was pounding. Despite her embarrassing words, she didn’t stop stuffing her face with takoyaki. As if she had grown tired of making gestures. Tamura-san, who was behind Meme-san, was staring intently at her profile.

“Are you going to the concert?” Maekawa-san said she was going too.

“Well, I’ve already found someone. So, since I’ve been offered the opportunity, I’ll go.”

“Heh?” I sighed. Did she search for her partner sometime this morning?

“What kind of person is it?”

“Mako-kun, if you’re jealous of Meme-chin, I’ll let you know.”

“As I’ve said before, I can’t grant wishes that are beyond my power.”

I wanted to ask myself if I even need to fulfil Meme-san’s requests in the first place. It was time I stopped letting myself be swept along and started to have my own will. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that it might be too late.

“If you have nothing else to do, you might as well take a cue from Shouji and chase after women.”

Tamura-san intervened, offering a helping hand to Meme-san. Follow in my father’s footsteps? I didn’t like that.

“…If I have nothing else to do, I’ll consider looking for someone.”

I had options, like going back to the art room with Maekawa-san or calling Ryuushi-san. I didn’t have to spend my time sleeping in the darkness on the second floor of the gym anymore. Yet, I dared to choose a third option: wandering around the school in search of my soulmate (lol). Was that even possible?

Speaking of which, did Ryuushi-san still not calm down? I hadn’t heard back from her. I couldn’t help but recall the feeling of sweat on the back of my thigh, and Ryuushi-san’s scent came vividly to mind, making me blush greatly.

“That might be okay. The important thing today is the ‘it might happen’ aspect. It’s bound to happen, right?”

Meme-san didn’t press me any further. A soft giggle formed on her lips, as if she were laughing at someone. Maintaining that soft lip shape, she continued to eat the takoyaki at the same pace. She was really the kind of person whose actions were mostly contradictory but still managed to function. In a way, it was astonishing.

Then, after Meme-san and I finished eating the takoyaki and threw the container in the trash can outside, Meme-san knelt down in front of Tamura-san. She turned her back to her and beckoned her over. It looked like she intended to carry her on her back. She must have been doing that all morning. Tamura-san glanced at me and snorted. Was she feeling embarrassed?

“By the way, why did you call me here?”

“Huh? I just wanted to see your face.”

…Shit. I wished Meme-san wasn’t my aunt but a 17-year-old classmate with the exact opposite personality. I would be so happy.

Meme-san hoisted Tamura-san onto her back, looking somewhat pleased, and stretched her knees, groaning, “Fungiiiii.” She stood up, stumbling a few steps, before her feet became steady. Her back straightened, and she glared at the gymnasium in the distance.

“Well then. Now, we just have to find Grandma’s soulmate along with Eri-tan!”

“Huh? My what…? The old man has long since passed away and gone up to heaven.”

“Love shouldn’t be tied down to just one person! You have to find someone new, like me!”

“Wait a minute, you’re not talking about me, are you?”

“Keeeen!”

Interrupting what we were saying, Meme-san started running, mimicking the sound of wind rushing past with her mouth. Even with Tamura-san on her back, her 40-year-old leg strength was not to be underestimated. As I watched, her back got smaller and smaller.

I saw them off with pity, thinking, “She’ll be sore in two or three days.”

Left alone on the bench, I propped my chin on my hand and grumbled the rest of what I had left unsaid.

“Can’t be, right?”

There were all sorts of things.

She didn’t invite me just to eat takoyaki, right? That was just her ostensible motive.

The real reason was to find someone to tie the thread with. Did she call me here to order me to do that particular feature of this school festival?… But what kind of connection was that?

I couldn’t imagine any connection between Meme-san and a famous singer’s concert. Or tying a knot with her thread either. It was also unlikely that Meme-san was involved behind the scenes this time. This was school after all.

“…………”

Regardless of whether Meme-san had any ulterior motives or not, I was alone again.

Today, people kept coming and going around me. Would I run into Erio next? I sat on the bench for a while, basking in the sun and waiting to see if anything would happen. No phone calls, no emails either.

My phone was connected to the network, and it sounded like Mickey was on the phone with someone. Perhaps she was talking with Ryuushi-san. I watched her blankly, waiting a little longer until I was certain.

This time, it seemed no one would call out to me anymore.

“In that case…”

Next, there were no roadmaps. I had to decide the direction of the school festival by myself.

Where would I go? What awaited me? Did I seek peace, stability, or adventure?

…Just kidding.

The very fact that adventure was an option meant that the outcome was practically predetermined.

A heart yearning for something that could only be done here, on this day, at this very moment.

I became aware of that feeling budding within me, and I clenched my fist.

The +4 Youth Points didn’t come from stability and peace.

Having made that decision, I naturally pushed the bench with my fingers and stood up.

“Well then…”

I was betting on the fact that my Youth Points lay at the concert.

Should I take a walk in the direction where the separated threads were drawn to one other?

---

• Newlywed wife tricked, broadcast over the whole school. −2
• Off on my journey to find the threads of fate. +1

Total current Youth Points: +21

---

Chapter 4 - When the Storm Comes, the Bucket Maker Goes Bankrupt

For example, what if it were a middle-aged man?

I was seventeen, right in the prime of my youth, and had publicly revealed my embarrassing name “Youthful Man”. There were endless possibilities in the world. Maybe tomorrow the world would be at peace. Today was a beautiful day filled with the feeling that something was about to begin. Maybe a girl would fall from the sky. Mmaybe I would hit it off with a girl in my class. Maybe everything would change starting today.

And above all, when I started walking alone from in front of the food stalls, I definitely felt the atmosphere that the real show of the day was about to begin. If I continued to walk in that atmosphere, and this was the result…

With so many possibilities and a clear path ahead, what if the person standing before me was a middle-aged man? The man, in a slightly dirty, wrinkled suit, remained silent, staring at me. The watch on his wrist showed 1:15. It must have been more than 30 minutes since I started searching for my soulmate. With less than an hour until the concert at the gymnasium, the crowd was gradually becoming flooded with impromptu couples, or rather, people with their little fingers intertwined. How annoying.

My breathing is ragged. My breathing was still irregular, and the pain in my side hadn’t gone away at all. It felt like my whole body was going to fall apart.

Even so, we stood tall, facing each other on the field. A slightly strong afternoon breeze whipped the sand into the air like dust. Tiny grains of sand got through the gaps in our uniform trousers and hit our shins. They were less distinct in shape than beach sand, and when they hit us, they crumbled easily, as if smeared all over our skin. It sent shivers down my spine.

My heart was pounding with anxiety, as if I were about to start a duel with the older man standing in front of me.

We were enveloped in a profound silence, standing alone in a desolate wasteland at the edge of the horizon, far from any human habitation.

“…………”

The old man remained silent, and I couldn’t say anything either. He appeared to be in his forties, skinny and lacking in vigour, completely devoid of energy, with terrible dark circles under his eyes that would likely lead to him being mistaken for a drug addict twice if he walked down the street, and he just didn’t seem to be living in the present moment.

The future capacity of that middle-aged guy and myself should be vastly different as we aged, and yet…

For some reason, we all arrived at the same conclusion, and the answer swayed in the wind.

The only thing that old guy and I had in common was our pinky finger fashion.

Purple.

Thread.

A gentle breeze blew.

Fragments of a broken bond.

The souls that connected imperfect people, as seen through our eyes.

A high school boy and a middle-aged man’s little finger ticket to joy.

“……………………………” The old man’s mouth opened and closed, and his tongue trembled.

“……………………………” My mind stopped working, as if someone had shoved ice onto the side of my head.

“We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

His voice cracked at the end.

The combination of oxygen deprivation and despair had resulted in my brain being below freezing, so I couldn’t react immediately.

Was there any room in the process I was about to describe to consider how things came to be this way?

To be frank, I hadn’t done anything of my own volition.

If this was the real “Attraction”, then I was helpless.

To begin with, I had no idea whether this was the process or the conclusion of this year’s school festival.

Erio is running. She was wrapped in a blanket from the waist up, and her trousers were 30% thicker than usual.

“Looks like something good has happened to her.”

I’ve seen Erio up close for the longest time, so you can trust me on this. In fact, if I’m wrong, I will make Erio happy and turn it into reality! That was what a true prophet who’s always right was like, fu fu fu.

But it was fortunate that I was able to spot Erio as she came running out of the school building.

“Why are you following your daughter? I mean, with that outfit, I don’t think she’d notice you walking right beside her.”

Grandma Tamura, whom I was carrying on my back, said to both me and Erio with a look of exasperation. Hiding in the shadow of the school building, I was secretly following, or rather watching over my daughter, and I almost nodded in agreement.

Erio, not checking her surroundings, bumped her right side into the blood donation van. The impact sent her spinning around, and once she settled down, she started running forward again. In the opposite direction from where she’d been running before. Ah, here she comes. I stayed still in the shadows, keeping my eyes on Erio. She ran past us and continued on towards another school building. I moved away from the wall and jogged after her.

“Hey, answer my question.”

Grandma pulled the hair near the crown of my head. I yelped, and my head tilted backward.

“Grandma, that’s domestic violeeeence.”

“Hmph, I don’t recall ever being counted as part of your family. We live in separate houses, don’t we?”

“Even though we’re apart, our hearts are connected!”

“You should tell that to Eliott.”

“…Ahahaha.”

That was just a difference of opinion, Grandma.

Because even when we were together, I didn’t know if our hearts or our little fingers were truly connected.

“So? As usual, talking to you is a tedious process because you keep going off on tangents.”

It was Grandma, who pulled my hair, who started it all.

“To determine whether those gathered here are blessed or cursed…”

“Answer seriously.”

Squeeze. My hair was pulled from behind. My hair was being treated like a horse’s reins. I was afraid she would pull my hair out in various places until I answered, so I gave up on trying to bluff and answered:

“I’m watching to see if Erio can find someone to tie her thread to.”

I sprinted behind Erio as her rhythm slowed down. Hmm, to be able to sprint at full speed when her future looks so bleak, that’s my beloved daughter for you. She has grown up watching her mother’s back to the fullest!

But as long as she was wrapped up in that futon, it looked like she would never find a partner. She was attracting a lot of attention, but it was pointless because her hands were hidden!

“Did Eliott ask you to sort this all out today?”

“Haha, no way!”

“You always try to avoid important things. And with Eliott here, it’s perfectly clear what’s important to you.”

“…If it were Mako-kun, he’d probably say something like, ‘Ah, it’s your age, isn’t it?’”

Fu fu fu, I could already see through my nephew’s jokes. He acted just like my brother when he was with me. I wonder when either of them will ever say “I love you very much, Meme-tan.” Huh? Never? If I forced them to say it, it would probably turn into some garbled text like “Meme-tan uityjy”.

“What do you intend to do by making her find someone to tie her thread to?”

“I don’t intend to ‘make’ her find it. If she doesn’t find it, that’s fine too. I just want to respect the process.”

So even if Eri-chan hit a wall, all I could do is swallow my tears and watch over her. I was really about to cry.

Not that it was important, but where did she get this futon in the school? From the night duty room, maybe?

“Did Elliot ask you to do that?”

“Well, I wonder…”

“You’re not planning on launching another bottle rocket, are you?”

Meme-chin was an entertainer, so she wouldn’t use the same staging twice. Besides, this time, it isn’t my project. Anyway, what was Erio aiming for? I couldn’t see the purpose of her actions, mainly because of her futon. Was she looking for Mako-kun or something?

“Excuse me for a moment, ordinary civilian!”

“Yes?”

I felt like I was being addressed rather rudely, so I turned around while running. It was a girl with a ponytail running after me. She ran alongside, holding a handheld microphone to my mouth.

“What do you think of this year’s school festival?”

“There’s not enough love. Love, in the form of a heroine named Meme-chin!”

“I’m sorry, you weren’t an ordinary civilian!”

The girl ran away. With light steps, she moved away from us and disappeared into the crowd.

“She’s got no eye for people. How could she mistake Meme for an ordinary person?”

“Yeah, you’re right. How could she call ordinary such an innocent and lovely young lady as me?”

Grandma remained silent. Only the sound of my footsteps echoed frivolously from the soles of my shoes.

She was so light. It should be the sound of two sets of footsteps, mine and Grandma’s.

“No matter what I ask, I doubt you’ll give me a proper answer anyway.”

Grandma began, building up the story in a slightly dramatic way.

“Whaaat?”

“Is Elliot doing well?”

“… Yeah.”

“In that case, that’s fine,” Granma nodded and leaned her whole body on me.

Erio really did resemble Eliott.

I started to say something but ended up swallowing my words.

Seriously, we didn’t have enough love.

Let’s go back in time a few dozen minutes before the encounter with the middle-aged man.

Some two hours until the beginning of the concert.

It all started, I believe, the moment I stepped away from the bench alone. From that moment on, I felt like I wanted to try and find the connections this thread would bring me. Partly because of the encouragement of Meme-san.

I set off a little after 12:30 p.m., and I chuckled wryly almost immediately after starting walking.

If this thread had a dowsing function, it would have been easy, but it didn’t appear to be the case. How was I supposed to find it? Surely I wasn’t supposed to raise my hand and shout, “I’m looking for the person with the purple thread!” was I? It wouldn’t only be the thread but also my face that would turn purple. Rejected. I guess I would just have to patiently stare at people’s fingers.

I found myself hunched over, trying to pay attention to the fingers of people passing by. I noticed quite a few people walking around with the same hunched posture, which made me chuckle wryly. I was supposed to be looking for someone to connect with, but why couldn’t I be cheerful and positive? It was like I was fumbling around, trying to find something important that I had lost. Even if I did meet someone in this state, would I be able to make a cheerful proposal?

But I also realised how amazing it was that the little finger thread element had spread like this and was playing a part in making the school festival more exciting. It was as if we were experimenting with how trends could spread in a miniature world.

But it would be a problem if the other person was of the same sex. The moment I linked pinky fingers with a high school boy, my Youth Points would plummet. No, even before that, the moment our eyes would meet, I might have to measure them negatively. I had been accumulating some pretty good Youth Points today (especially with the card costume), so I couldn’t let it all be ruined… Just then, the phone vibrated. Probably Maekawa-san or Ryushi-san.

Trusting my prediction, I deliberately avoided checking the registered name displayed on the LCD screen and answered the phone.

“Niwa-kkyuu.”

Identifying her from her very first words was extremely easy. Based on her speech and sounds.

“Ryukyu.”

“That’s Okinawa, I told ya.”

Judging from the way she was talking, Ryuushi-san seemed to have calmed down. I moved to the side of the road, near the bushes, to a position where I wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. Looking up from there, I could see the art room window. No one was there now. I gazed at it, wondering if Maekawa-san would show up again.

“Niwa-kun what are you doing right now?”

“Nothing in particular. Just wandering around aimlessly.”

I hesitated to openly admit that I was looking for my soulmate because it was embarrassing. The sunlight reflected off the art room window, blinding me. I covered my squinting eyes with the shadow of my right hand and smiled at the heat of my hair.

I went to the beach this summer and exhausted all my energy there, so maybe this was the heat from the leftover embers.

“What about you, Ryuushi-san?”

“I told ya, I’m Ryuuko, spreading the word.”

“Doing anything else while you’re at it?”

“I’m currently on my way to the food stall as a secret weapon.”

She had clearly been talked into it by someone. Since it was a food stall, probably Mickey from the same club.

“Ah, I’m sorry for suddenly running off somewhere earlier. I ended up helping out at a food stall, so I can’t hang with you around the school festival after all. Sorry!”

“Yeah, it’s a shame. But we did play poker together,” and even pressed our backs together.

“Ugh… Now that I think about it, I was with Touwa-san just a moment ago. She wrapped herself in a futon and ran off somewhere.”

“Aah, just like always.”

She never learned. I thought she might be around if I looked for her, but I couldn’t find Smakin anywhere.

“But I haven’t seen Erio even once today.”

“Hmm, I see. I guess there’s no Attraction between Niwa-kun and Touwa-san.”

“I don’t know, she’s my cousin after all.”

It was impossible that absolutely nothing happened. In a society overflowing with people, something was bound to happen the moment you met someone. What determined whether that relationship continued afterwards?

Fate? Destiny? Or did it all depend on a person’s mindset? I just didn’t like the idea that it was a combination of both.

“Well, that’s fine, I guess, I told ya.”

“Yes, what?”

Oh, so she had something to tell me? I thought she was just calling me to kill time.

“Niwa-kun, are you going to the concert? Ah, not as a regular participant, but as a finger-tied?”

“That abbreviation only brings to mind extremely gruesome food.”

“Huh?”

That finger-tied thing sounded scary. It made a big difference whether it was a grain of rice that was the finger or the stuff inside it, mind you.

“So, about the concert…”

She fires off a series of questions at a pace that seemed to match her walking stride. Both Meme-san and Ryuushi-san seemed to be paying a lot of attention to the concert. The singer they invited must be quite famous.

“I’m looking for my partner while talking, but it doesn’t seem like I’ll find it easily.”

“Really? I found it right away.”

“Oh, you’ve already found someone. What kind of person is it?”

“What kind? Just a normal boy, I guess?”

“Hmm.”

So it’s a guy? If it was Nakajima, it would really be the worst. Well, it probably wasn’t the case since the colour of his thread was different.

“I-It’s not like we’re both just normal people or anything like that! Today is a Ryuuko-san special, after all!”

“No, I wasn’t thinking about anything like that yet.”

“So, then what’s that ‘hmm’? And what do you mean by ‘yet’?”

Almost simultaneously with Ryuushi-san’s shout, Maekawa-san stuck the top of her head out the art room window. She looked around at the main street in the school and noticed me. This time I waved back. Then, for some reason, Maekawa-san started a little skit, trapping her neck in the window and sticking out her tongue while screaming. “…………” Wow, she looks dissatisfied with my expression. How was I supposed to react to this sideways guillotine gesture? Surely she didn’t want me to laugh? She quickly got bored, opened the window again, and crossed her arms with a thoughtful expression.

“By the way, to give you an idea of ​​just how special today’s Ryuuko-san is, it’s piled high like a jumbo parfait at a family restaurant.”

Meanwhile, the phone call was going on. As usual, her analogies were nonsensical, but a parfait, huh? Ryuushi-san and I tried to eat one together during summer vacation, and it was hell. Towards the end, I was telling myself, “I’m an immortal, I’m just eating mist,” as I poured the melted cream down my throat. Ryuushi-san invited me, saying it had been her dream since childhood, so I readily agreed, but I regretted a little bit how thoughtless that was.

Also, various problems arose when I went to a family restaurant with Meme-san and Erio, but… that’s a digression from our main story, so I’ll omit it. Maybe I’ll talk about it someday, if the opportunity arises.

“So, Niwa-kuuuun!”

“Um, yes, what is it?”

As I spoke, I narrowed my eyes towards Maekawa-san. Hmm, Maekawa-san told me she would change clothes in the afternoon, but she was still in her school uniform. Maybe she was too busy with art club activities and didn’t find the time.

“So… Niwa-kun, which are you better at: English or Japanese?”

“Humm?”

“Hey you, answer my question!”

Was that an attempt to show off that she was better at English? Wow, that was some seriously Japanese-style English.

“If I had to choose, I’d say English.”

It wasn’t a huge difference, though. In the first semester’s final exams, it was a two-point grade difference. As an aside, there was a difference of more than ten points between the answers of a person who’s leaning out of the window, looking a bit bored and fiddling with their mobile phone, and those of other people.

“So, Niwa-kun, has something like Jurassic Park started to sprout in your heart?”

“Hah?”

Why did a dinosaur appear inside me during that phone call right now? And what did she mean by “something like”? Wasn’t it just a cheap imitation? Ugh, this was too far-fetched; I couldn’t get it. This month, I couldn’t understand Ryuushi-san at all.

“Because, you see… I became a boy, or something like that?”

“What? Ryuushi-san? A boy?!”

“Wait no! Ugh, Niwa-kun, you’re so stupid, idiot, moron!”

“Are you disparaging me?”

“I tried to make it mild!”

Was that a case of infantilisation? Ultimately, I had no idea what she was trying to ask.

But it was about time I wrapped things up and started walking.

“Aah, about the concert, I’ll try to find someone to come with.”

“Really? Hmm, I hope your partner mumble mumble… becomes…”

“It’s a shame that we couldn’t go around to the food stalls and things like that together, Ryuushi-san.”

“Wow, Niwa-kun, your good-guy aura is cancelling out Ryuuko-san’s curse!”

“Huh, a curse?”

“No, no, it’s nothing. Ho ho ho.”

“……? Let’s meet up after we’re at the gymnasium for the concert. Apparently, Maekawa-san will be there too.”

“Hmm… well, that’s fine. Go Niwa-kun, fight on!”

“Yes!”

I responded with a small wave of my hand. But Attraction was useless when one tried too hard, right? It was frustrating.

I hung up the phone. Immediately afterwards, I received an email. I had an idea who it was from, so I looked up, but the sender had already disappeared into the back of the art room. I checked the contents of the email.

The sender was indeed Maekawa-san. It had no subject. When I looked through the body of the email, it was all written in hiragana.

“You’re going home? You have a wife too, don’t you?”

“I don’t!”

I put away my cell phone while replying to her email verbally. It must be around 12:45?

There was just over an hour left until the concert started.

……And then.

This was where my tragicomedic future began.

Here’s a summary of what’s to come.

“Hum?”

I noticed a presence at my feet. Something round was sitting there. It was a dog, a plump, ball-like creature. The dog, plump with excess flesh, looked sleepy and wasn’t wearing a collar or leash. It seemed completely unrelated to the harshness of the wild. So, what was that thing?

It gave off a vibe of a father who was exhausted from a family outing and the crowds. Its weary appearance was probably partly due to it being an old dog. “Ah, there you are!” exclaimed a voice, and a woman who seems to be his owner rushed from a distance. It glanced at her and sat back down as if to say, “Good grief.” For a moment, I was hoping that as his belly scraped against the ground, he might lightly bounce.

The woman who had come in and crouched down seemed to be checking on the dog to see if it was injured. Then, she glared at it and said, “You’re moving around on your own again.” The dog turned away as if to escape her questioning.

Then, the woman stood up and smiled at me with a carefree grin.

“Surely you’re not going to say, ‘Doesn’t the dog need an invitation ticket too?’”

She jokingly tried to gauge my reaction. Since I wasn’t on the disciplinary committee or the cultural festival committee, I just shrugged in response. The woman chuckled, rubbing her teeth together. She had the demeanour of someone who at least somewhat looked like an adult, with slightly short chestnut-coloured hair. And her striking red lips contrasted beautifully with her pale skin.

“That dog looks tired.”

“Yeah, well… He’s an old fellow, that one. So I want to spend as much time with him as possible.”

“There, there,” the woman said, stroking the dog’s belly. I wondered why she didn’t stroke its back instead. Though, it did seem like its belly would feel nicer to the touch. The dog narrowed its eyes, letting its owner do as she pleased.

What a charming dog, I thought, gazing at its sleeping-like expression for a moment. My ears were then immediately alerted to an approaching mass of noise. A frenzied clamour. Footsteps and voices. I looked up and saw several students sprinting towards me from the direction of the playground. Their eyes were fixed on the back of the woman stroking her dog. And for some reason, they all have felt-tip pens.

“Um…”

“Yeah?”

“Some people are running towards us.”

“Uh… Whoa! What is this?!”

Despite saying that, she acted quickly. The woman immediately stopped turning around, picked up the dog, and ran past me. In a straight line. Oh, she was very fast.

I was watching the scene nonchalantly, but then I realised I was standing right in the middle of the line drawn by the fleeing woman and those chasing her, so I hastily jumped back. But I should have considered my location better. There was a bush behind me.

“Ouch!” I was thrown in hip-first. I instinctively reached my hands behind me to break my fall, but the tree branches scraped my skin. The painful spots spread like wildfire. I could hear the branches snapping in half behind my back, and while I felt sorry for them, I screamed.

I felt like I had been thrown into a sea of ​​thorns, and even after my body had sunk into the bushes, I kept my arms and legs twirling in the air for a while. Meanwhile, the group that had been running past showed no sign of caring about me whatsoever and continued on their way, chasing after the woman. Did she and her dog dine and dash or something?

However, I was more concerned with myself than with her. I stopped thrashing around pointlessly and stood up, pushing off the ground with my hands. The bushes made for a terrible sofa. Obviously. My bare arms were exposed because I was wearing summer clothes. They were covered in scrapes, and there were even some places where blood was seeping out.

First, I decided to wash my arms and headed for the nearest water fountain. The man, who had thrown himself headlong into the flowerbeds and was wincing in pain, felt he was attracting attention and being mocked by those around him, so he walked briskly away from the scene.

As I was roughly walking towards the school entrance, wondering where the nearest water fountain was, I passed the school nurse. A middle-aged woman in a white coat, clearly the type to be a school nurse, quickly noticed the condition of my arms and the dirt on my back. When she asked what was wrong and I gave a vague answer, she grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the nurse’s office. I tried to explain that I didn’t have time for this, that I should be finding my soulmate, but it was like talking to a brick wall.

This was only the second time I had been to the infirmary since transferring schools. The first time was sometime in May or June, when Maekawa-san fainted from anaemia after physical education class, and we carried her there. I had held her legs, and Ryuushi-san had held her arms.

The infirmary window was wide open and unlocked, even though no one was there. Moreover, the futon on one of the beds was missing. I had a hunch who the culprit who took it was. I’ll have to tell her to put it back when I see her later. I was asked to sit in a chair, and the school nurse prepared the disinfectant.

While waiting, I gazed blankly at the field. The baseball team had finished their long-distance throwing ritual (a truly mysterious act) and were holding their target practice competition. I had never seen the real thing on TV, but I knew that it involved nine targets that you had to shoot at with a ball. They had set up about three handmade targets on the field and were letting the spectators throw at them. Like the lower reaches of a river, a stream of people had gathered on the field, creating a lively atmosphere. Students and guests alike were throwing at the targets with all their might.

Looking at these guests, I almost burst out laughing.

At the far right of the three targets, a small figure clad in a bulky, makeshift spacesuit was awkwardly throwing a ball. It was also wearing a space helmet, making it a completely suspicious character. It was Hoshimiya Yashiro.

So she came to the school festival? I mean, don’t go out dressed like that, seriously. As I stared wide-eyed, the school nurse began treating me, and at the same time, Yashiro awkwardly threw a ball at the target. Yashiro’s full-force throw hit the edge of the target’s black frame. The ball scraped my lower abdomen but didn’t lose momentum and flew straight towards the infirmary. Luckily, the window was wide open, so the ball skipped the expected hurdle of shattering glass and hit me in the head. It had bounced off the infirmary floor just before, slowing it down, so it wasn’t excruciatingly painful, but it was incredibly frustrating. I couldn’t twist my body to avoid it because my hand was being held during treatment.

The school nurse asked a question as she watched the hard ball rolling across the floor.

“Should I treat your head as well?”

“I’ll pass. I have a feeling you are asking this with a different meaning in mind.”

Just then, Yashiro came into the infirmary through the entrance facing the playground. The school nurse was startled. Yashiro didn’t seem to mind and entered the infirmary with her shoes (?) on, running clumsily as if to say, “Excuse me, can I have my ball back?” After retrieving her ball, she tried to leave, completely ignoring me, so I called her out, “Hey S-per!” and she turned around.

Although I couldn’t see the details of her expression because she was wearing a helmet, she seemed to be giving off an air of dissatisfaction.

“Ma-ko-to-it’s-you-a-gain.”

“That’s what I’d like to say. You’re such an elusive, or perhaps curious, person with too much time on your hands.”

“I-am-con-fi-dent-that-I-am-u-sing-more-in-te-lli-gence-than-you.”

“Don’t underestimate modern high school students, you space NEET.”

For some reason, Yashiro was standing right beside me. She was rolling her ball around in her hands, kneading it, and swaying her body slightly. Was her target practice going well?

She was rolling her ball around in her hands, kneading it, and swaying her body slightly.

Soon after, a teacher appeared in the infirmary. It was the baseball club advisor. The teacher came to find Yashiro. Apparently, Yashiro seemed suspicious, so he wanted to conduct a stop-and-frisk. Moreover, Yashiro was also suspected of trespassing on school premises without an invitation.

“The Earth is my territory, so of course I don’t need permission.”

As Yashiro began speaking, the atmosphere in the infirmary became chaotic. Ah, I was getting tired of her alien-like way of speaking, but I wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. So, I decided to leave the infirmary without regard for the fact that the disinfection was still in progress, and the moment I stood up from my chair, Yashiro made her move too. She threw the ball towards the ceiling. As an intimidation tactic. The hard ball hit the ceiling, making a tremendous noise. White paint flew everywhere. The impact and roar startled the teacher and the school nurse, and Yashiro didn’t miss the opportunity to run. And I, too, ran off at the same time, as if we were accomplices. As a result, for some reason I ended up running away from the teacher with Yashiro in tow. Even though the disinfection was still in progress! What’s more, the teacher, who had rushed out of the infirmary a moment later, was chased after Yashiro, not me, at full speed. He showed no sign of giving up. “As expected of the baseball club advisor, so passionate!” I was impressed, but what should I do? I tried to escape in a different direction as Yashiro, who was running alongside me, shouting that I didn’t have time for this. But Yashiro, as if she had planned it all along, chose the same direction and continued running alongside me. I couldn’t stop and be framed for some crime. I gritted my teeth to silence my mouth that wanted to complain to Yashiro and ran straight ahead. Time was ticking away. While going back and forth through the school building, while running around outside, and while being chased by the athletic and sports-orientated advisor. What a nightmare. I was supposed to be looking for my soulmate, but it had turned into a school marathon. How did it end up like this? I didn’t even have time to figure out where the root cause lay.

And so, after the school festival and the sports festival were both held, I felt like I was about to throw up, so I stopped walking, having reached the limits of my body and mind. I placed my hands on my knees and sucked on something to hold back the tears, snot, and stomach acid.

Before I knew it, I’d got separated from Yashiro, and when I came to, I was exhausted and standing in the corner of the field.

My lower lip was swollen. It was a sign of dehydration. My breath was hoarse, my throat hurt, and I was struggling to regulate my breathing. I felt like I had lost my Youth Points in various ways while running, and my stomach acid was churning. As a consequence of sprinting at full speed without even warming up, my side hurt so much that I felt like it was going to tear off.

I had been running around the school building so much that I hadn’t even thought about looking for the thread.

Perhaps some kind soul took pity on me, because an unfamiliar voice asked if I was alright, expressing concern for my health. It was a slightly deep, masculine voice. Before even looking up, I assumed it was a guest.

Ah, I’m fine.

I replied. And as I raised my head, still out of breath, to try and force a smile, I saw an older man with a purple string tightly tied around his little finger, standing in front of me, slightly bent over.

That concludes the digest.

This was the result of being forced to run all over the school grounds due to several factors.

There was an Attraction. It felt like destiny.

But the wind mercilessly told me that I wasn’t a bucket maker who could make a profit.

As I ran, I remember that just a little bit.

Elliot lived in this town until he turned twenty-three. The day after he turned twenty, he disappeared from my life. I don’t remember being particularly sad. Elliot was always as ephemeral as an illusion. He shone brightly, but no one could touch that light. Being with him felt like a dream, so I only felt something like, “Ah, so that dream is over?” Now, I was pursuing what that dream had left behind for me.

“Fu fu, chasing her around like this reminds me of when I used to stalk Eliott as a child.”

“Don’t turn your stalking phase into a nice memory, you idiot.”

“Oh, how rude of me. Mine is a love CCTV. I’m a pure love enthusiast.”

“You and Shouji… you two siblings are definitely related.”

Heh? So the Touwa family has produced stalkers for generations? Then my deceased grandfather must have been one too. Or would it be better to say that they’ve produced pure-hearted people?

“But it’s quite a sudden return.”

Grandma’s breath, as I carried her on my back, ruffled my hair. After readjusting her slender legs, I played dumb.

“Who are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about Elliott.”

“Ah, right. His disappearance was so sudden, so I guess it’s fine?”

“He’ll disappear again soon,” I added, realising I was speaking too fast and clicking my tongue. I didn’t really want to live my life consciously thinking about him, but it looked like I couldn’t help it. Meme-tan is such a maiden!

“What did Elliot say? That he wanted to live with you?”

Erio bumped into the hood of a parked k-car. Having learned her lesson, she stuck both hands out from under her futon. She thrust her hands forward, using them like canes to prevent herself from falling, and changed direction again as she ran. Just right, now people outside could see her hands. But with just her hands sticking out, she ran along looking even more like a mysterious creature.

“No, that topic never came up. I’m against it too.”

“You’re still single, aren’t you? Soon the only men left to marry you will be granny lovers.”

“Oh, Grandma, come on!”

Fu fu, I laughed at her joke… She’s joking, right? She was snorting, though.

“I actually got a marriage proposal the other day.”

“From an alien, no doubt about it.”

Grandma nodded to herself. “Yup yup.” I was only popular with aliens, but looking at it the other way around, I meant that I was a beauty on a cosmic level beyond the world, yup yup.”

“Putting that nonsense aside, Meme…”

“Wow, that’s so naturally rude.”

“You’re sulking because Eliott left, aren’t you?”

Grandma pointed out as if to say she could see right through me. I immediately shook my head.

“Not really. I was much more scared when Erio disappeared.”

I lost so many kilograms because of stress back then. Now…noooo, a maiden’s weight is a se☆cr☆et, as is customary. Grandma sighed as if to say, “Good grief!” What was that?

After that, we continued to run along, growling, and as we watched Erio’s whereabouts, he jumped down… Huh? Yes, he jumped down from the sky, right in front of us.

A man like the sun with arms and legs, leaving a trail of light blue light, jumped down from a second-floor window. It was Eliott, who, like me, was forty years old. From the window of the second floor. He landed in the middle of the street and remained hunched over; maybe his legs were numb. But he turned towards us once, smiled, and waved. Surely he didn’t jump because he spotted us, did he? Speak of the devil, perhaps?

He shared the same aura as Erio, possessing a unique, almost dazzling, atmosphere about him. Erio’s father appeared as if nothing had happened after sixteen years. His entrance was so astonishing that it made me stop in my tracks.

Erio ran past Eliott. Wrapped in her futon, Erio didn’t notice anything, and Eliott watched her go with a smile. He probably knew who was inside that futon.

“He’s still the same flashy, restless guy as ever.”

Grandma noticed Eliott and murmured the same thing she did when we first met sixteen years ago. Eliott straightened his knees, stood up, and walked towards me. I turned dramatically to the right, whistled, and ignored him while consciously thinking about him… Ignoring someone while consciously thinking about them is hard, you know. But I guess one could not ignore someone if one didn’t think about him.

While I was caught up in this dilemma, Eliott seemed to have come right up to the front and called out to me.

“Grandma, it’s been a long time.”

“Oh, you remember me?”

“Why, of course. When I was a kid, I used to hang out at your candy store all the time.”

He laughs softly, “Ahaha.” Did he even know what a voice change was? I hadn’t noticed any change in Eliott’s voice since the first day we met. It was like a string of thinly connected words, like pressing staccato piano keys. So Eliott’s “I love you” sounded like “I\LOVE\YOU” and I couldn’t bring myself to believe him from the bottom of my heart. To begin with, he didn’t really look like the sort who’d fall in love, in a good way.

“What kind of elite education do I have to give my daughter to be like that?”

“Beep beep beep…”

It seemed like she was talking about me; I whistled louder. “Hey!” “Gyue!” The old lady pulled my hair and scolded me. My bangs, no less. My whistling was cut off with a “pyurufufuiii”.

“Stop sulking and just go along with it. That’s the kind of thing that makes you a big brat.”

“I’m not sulking,” I said, turning away with a huff. Ugh, stop sending those particles towards me.

“No, I think she’s fine like that. Meme’s childishness is part of her charm.”

“Ugh…”

Being called by my first name without any honorifics made me feel irritated and ticklish, and my whole body suddenly heated up. As if the 40-year-old me, the 22-year-old me, and the 10-year-old me were all reacting, and it was uncomfortable.

Even the little whistle I blew “beep beep beep”, sounded a bit hoarse. I wasn’t particularly good at whistling to begin with.

“I believe your daughter’s name is Erio? She properly came here, so I guess all that is left for her is to come to the gymnasium?”

Eliott murmured. I had nothing more to think or feel.

And perhaps out of consideration for me, Eliott quickly announced his intention to leave.

“Well then, see you later. I’m looking forward to everything going well.”

“… What good does it do for you to tell me that?”

I answered in a low voice so Eliott wouldn’t hear. Still, I could hear murmuring laughter from ahead, and my forehead felt hot. I couldn’t scratch my itchy forehead because I was carrying Grandma on my back, so I squeezed my eyes shut. In the darkness of my eyelids, a tiny, light blue, fairy-like figure danced.

“Is Eliott gone?”

I asked Grandma. Her answer was a tight pull on my hair. I opened my eyes in pain.

“Ah……”

He had truly vanished from my sight. Just like before, he left behind a lingering scent of light blue particles floating in the air.

“…Hmph.”

As expected, having Erio was enough for my home. I didn’t need the “tt”… wait, what?

“Where’s Eri-tan?” My daughter too had disappeared. I looked around left and right, but I couldn’t see her futon.

“A brat snatched her away the moment you looked away.”

“What?! A kidnapping?!”

“’Your thread looks just like mine. Just in the nick of time, but I’m glad we made it, let’s go together.’ That’s what that brat said as he pulled Erio along. He was pretty good-looking, by the way.”

“He was hitting on her?… but she found her partner? But, hmm…”

Since Erio was wrapped in her futon, was he purely taking her for the concert? If that was the case, it was fine, but what if he turns into a wolf and attacks Erio as soon as she sees what’s inside her futon?…Ugh, how worrying. In my state of mind, I had my fists clenched. If push came to shove, Meme-tan would have to be Erio’s hero.

After all, Erio doesn’t have a father.

“You idiot, you named your daughter Erio, but you’re not being honest with yourself.”

My grandmother placed her palm on my head. She wasn’t stroking me, but rather intended to smack me for being a naughty child. I could feel the bones in her palm, and that hurt a little.

“Grandma, you’re the last person to tell me to be honest.”

Why were elderly people so uncooperative? Though Grandma has always been like this. Both with Grandpa and with her customers.

I readjusted my sling over Grandma’s shoulder and turned towards the gymnasium. It seemed like it was almost time, so we should go too. Before I started walking, an album flipped through my mind. There was a picture of Eliott. And I was there, a stiff and rigid child, standing beside him. A blank space followed. There was Eliott in middle school. There was me, in a different class, and I didn’t see him very often. Another blank space. There was Eliott in high school. I had mixed feelings about Eliott, who had been rejected by another girl. From there, the blank spaces became fewer. There were more pictures of me with Eliott, and I was excited. Eliott’s disappearance and, at the same time, the birth of a new person.

Family. My daughter. A child who inherited both Eliott and my blood. Why did I name her Erio? I was 24 and had no doubts. But the photo albums from that point onwards were thicker than those with Eliott, and each page felt heavier. From that point on, my happiness changed in quality, and the quantity increased proportionally. That all stopped last year. But then Mako-kun came along, and it’s been back on an upward trend.

Though their circumstances and the nature of their affection were different, these two men have made me happy.

“…Okay, shall we go?”

“Hey, wait a moment.”

“What is it?” I replied calmly, but my hair was being pulled. I’ve gotten used to the pain.

“You’ve forgotten about finding my soulmate, haven’t you?”

“Ah, ha ha ha.”

Looking up at the sky, I let out a laugh that was a beat too late.

“Ah, that’s my grandmother,” I thought, deeply convinced.

“So, we can close up shop, I guess?”

As I watched the flow of students heading towards the gymnasium, seemingly with the entire school gathering, I made the suggestion to the art club members. The art club members all agreed with a “Yup!” and tossed their sketchbooks onto the desks. Well, if the students who would be our visitors were already gathered in the gymnasium, there was no point in keeping it open.

But surprisingly, a good number of guests came, and it was a great success. I was worried at first, wondering who would even come to an event like this. There were even guests with dogs. What’s more, one guest asked me to draw the ideal lover, or rather, her ideal canine companion. That was quite a challenge, yeah.

I also put away my sketchbook, and then I thought about what to do with the drawings that were posted on the outside wall. There were a few that are there to attract customers, but should I take them down? I would have to peel them off later, though.

Now that I thought about it, a girl from the school newspaper club passed by earlier and took a few pictures.

I opened my cell phone. I checked the digital clock on the screen and confirmed that I still had a little time to spare. “Okay”, I’ll finish that first before I leave. Without asking the other club members to help, I went out into the hallway.

There aren’t that many sheets, so it should be over quickly. I’ve already stuck them down low as a precaution against my own frailty. I stepped out into the hallway and inhaled the clean air, washing the back of my throat.

I faced the wall in the hallway. First, I reached for the thumbtack with the picture of the transfer student that I had pinned to the far right. My own imagination of the transfer student’s ideal lover. Touwa, Ryuushi, and… I think a little bit of me was in there too.

“Oh dear.”

I didn’t really like that aspect of myself. I didn’t like how half-hearted I was in my assertiveness.

My height was a major selling point, so that might be why people thought of me that way.

That’s why I tore it up.

I tore my impassive lover in two and rolled it up neatly. That was good. I didn’t want to leave any trace of imposing my ideals on him, not even tomorrow. I crushed the remaining parts of the rolled-up paper into my hand and smiled a little.

It’s a secret, but after I finished drawing, I regretted forgetting to include some feminine elements in the picture.

However, I’ve already drawn Meme-san looking youthful for other customers, so that should be good enough.

I collected all the drawing paper displays and placed them on the desk in the art room. Then I closed the door to the art room, which was now empty as the club members had disappeared. I was told I didn’t need to lock it because there were their belongings inside.

I… have got the things I was given this morning. Good. Oh, by the way, I was still wearing my school uniform.

I just didn’t feel like cosplaying today. That was the only reason. I had no other motive.

“Okay, should I go?”

The meeting place was in front of the gymnasium, right?

“Aren’t you going to the concert, Mickey?”

“I mean, singers are just ordinary people, and they’re not cute.”

What on earth was Mickey talking about?

The stove was turned off, allowing some of the trapped heat to escape from the food stall. Mickey and I were talking, fanning each other’s faces with a hand fan. The concert was the main topic of conversation at the time.

“Who are you going to the concert with, Ryuushi-chan? Ah, that was a silly question; it’s the transfer student.”

“Uh, well. Another boy, I told ya, I’m Ryuuko.”

As I said that, Mickey put her hand to the side of his mouth, making a gesture as if she were gossiping.

“You’re surprisingly fickle, aren’t you? *mutter*”

“N-no, I’m not! We just purely love music, you see.”

“You’re going to end up being a total cheating bitch, *mutter*.”

“Hey, hey! No baseless rumours! And I’m not muttering at all!”

I frantically fanned Mickey’s eyes with a fan. Unable to bear the dryness in her eyes, Mickey moved her hand to her mouth and covered her eyes. I’ve shattered her rumours. So Ryuuko-san’s future is… a-average?

“Ukiii, hoirizon!”

“Why are you panicking all by yourself? But is the transfer student fine with that?”

“Niwa-kun also said he’d find someone to come to the concert with.”

“Ah, by the way…”

Mickey suddenly changed the subject. Mickey really transcended time sometimes.

“I heard the transfer student’s aunt’s name is Touwa or something; is she related to Erio-chan?”

Ugh. When did Mickey get that information? This wasn’t the time to whistle and pretend “No ideaaaaa”. There were a lot of things we needed to talk about.

Because Mickey was my friend too.

“Well, yes, she is. Niwa-kun is Touwa-san’s cousin, after all.”

Was it okay for me to say it? But Niwa-kun said he didn’t intend to hide it, so I guess it was fine.

Mickey’s eyes narrowed, and I stopped fanning her with the fan. She put her hand to her chin, her eyes severe.

“Hoh, so that’s how it is?”

“But, but Niwa-kun is my friend, and Touwa-san is… um, kind of like a friend too.”

“Is she my love rival?”

“L-lobaba!”

“Ha ha, it looks like you’re having fun.”

Mickey was acting silly, speaking in a falsetto voice. But her expression wasn’t good. The way she looked at me wasn’t smiling.

“Oh, oh, it’s almost time to enter the concert!”

“Hmm, have a good time. Make sure you’re back by dinner.”

Stop acting all silly with such a straight face. It’s scary. I was so frightened even though we were facing each other, I ran away in a flash.

I jumped out of the stall and started running… Hmm, I was still wearing my apron and headscarf. I realised this and turned around, and just then Mickey called out to me.

“Hey, you there. Want me to tell you a touching line? Right now, it’s free!”

What was going on? I thought, my eyes wide with surprise. But her voice was so gentle that I couldn’t help but nod.

“Okay, then, I’ll leave it to you.”

Mickey leaned out from the stall and gave a thumbs-up. Ah, she smiled, showing her teeth.

“Ryuushi-chan, I’m also your friend! For now, anyway!”

“Heeeey! You ruined it by getting my name wrong, I told ya!”

I lied, waving my hands dramatically. The truth is, I was quite moved.

The fatigue from grilling takoyaki at the food stall vanished instantly, and my palms grew warm. I clenched my fists tightly, feeling as if I could grasp anything, even the air itself, and my face naturally tilted upwards.

I’ll sprint to the front of the gymnasium so I don’t forget this feeling.

Surely, the good days will continue from here on out.

And so, the old man and I were facing each other.

As if to stir, or perhaps tear apart our silence, a distorted broadcast began to emanate from the speakers that had been set up. The silly, bang-bang-bang intro was very jarring.

Then, a torrent of hurried, forward-leaning words poured out.

“This is your usual announcement from the Cultural Festival Executive Committee. We would like to inform you that the broadcast has been brought at 1:15 p.m. This is important, so don’t think it’s annoying just because the sound is all distorted! At 2 PM, this year’s main event, the Nijou Owari concert, will begin in the gymnasium! We will open the gymnasium to the public at 1:30 PM, so please come to the entrance if you wish to attend! However, priority will be given to those who tied the same coloured threads that were distributed this morning. We hope you’ll understand! After all, the theme is Attraction! That’s all from the Cultural Festival Executive Committee!”

Like a poorly made echo, the words stretched out and spread across the field. It sounded like a broadcast in the countryside inviting people to come to the town’s sports day. The aftershocks of the broadcast echoed in my ears.

The middle-aged guy and I were frozen for a while even after the broadcast ended. We barely blinked, and our eyes were getting dry. The penalty game was extended. The lingering effects of the poker game we played earlier in the day were finally showing.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was the case… But we just couldn’t stare at each other here forever.

The old man seemed to sense it too, and with an embarrassed look on his face, he pointed with his thumb at the broadcast speaker that had been blaring from earlier. I glanced over there, but quickly returned my gaze to the old man’s face.

“What should we do?”

“What should we do?”

It was also fine for two men to do it together? I was swirling with the feeling that it was clearly not okay, but I restrained myself because I felt that if I voiced my dissatisfaction even once, I wouldn’t be able to stop.

The middle-aged guy’s face contorted as he checked the time on his watch once more.

“Oh, you’re right. It’s a nice time.”

“… Is that so?”

“So, shall we go?”

“… Should we go?”

Things couldn’t get any worse than this. From here on, things could only get better for me. Believing this, I carefully tied the thread on my little finger with the middle-aged guy’s. The joint effort of our rough fingers overlapping gave me goosebumps. We were so distracted that we only just realised it was actually harder to tie the knot when we were both doing it at the same time. I let the old man continue tying the knot and let my fist hang loose. I looked up at the blue sky, and the wind blew into my eyes and stung. I wiped my eyes.

“All the Youth Points I earned today are just evaporating.”

That feeling of helplessness made my knees ache. The punchline that he was a middle-aged man completely crushed me.

“Hmm? …I don’t really understand, but that’s unfortunate, young man.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Well, life is full of all sorts of things.”

Ha ha ha, the middle-aged guy laughed dryly as he tried to make his statement sound positive. But that too vanishes in seconds, swallowed up by the sand, leaving us feeling helpless once again in an awkward silence.

“Um, so… today, did you receive an invitation ticket from your child?”

I wasn’t really interested, but I tried doing some small talk. The old man looked up and gave a wry smile. His face was thin and worn out, with fine wrinkles etched all around. He was unmistakably a “middle-aged guy”.

“Oh, no, I picked up the ticket.”

“Hah?”

“I just felt like coming over here, and then I happened to find it on the street. I figured I might as well come since I was bored anyway.”

“…Haaa.” It would have been better for both of us had he not picked it up.

The conversation then came to a halt. What was the appropriate way to react in a situation like this? Could someone tell me?

It was 1:15 p.m. Was there any hope for me after this? Or would midnight come much sooner than I thought? My eyes were rolling back and forth; I couldn’t settle down. Maybe it would be better to just tie fingers with Meme-san…perhaps?

No way, as a youthful man, that was not going to happen. Not my aunt. Well, never mind that person.

“It’s tied.”

As soon as he made that declaration, I could feel the middle-aged man’s dry skin through my little finger. The air that had been carried from my lungs swirled as if it had hesitated halfway down my throat. My eyes seemed to sink, along with the edges of them.

The man, who had been hunched over, straightened his back, tilted his head slightly, and looked at my face with a strained expression. What kind of comment did he wanted me to make? I didn’t want to say anything. I wanted to remain silent about things that could not be put into words.

“Let’s just start walking,” I said, gesturing towards the gymnasium with my chin. The middle-aged man nodded with a serious expression, and we started walking, matching our strides. He was taller and had longer legs. We probably didn’t look like a father and son with a strangely good relationship the way we walked.

I could feel the middle-aged guy’s heat through my little finger. Unconsciously, I tried to distance myself, to pull away, but the thread connecting the first joint of my finger tightened, preventing me from doing so. The distance between me and the middle-aged man was as close as Erio and her rolled-up futon. Indeed, if a couple did this, it would be a mix of excitement and embarrassment.

“Somehow…”

“Yeah?”

“It feels like I’m slithering through a poisonous swamp of an old video game.”

“Yes, I agree…”

The most unexciting couple in history both hung their heads with the same expression.

For us, the school festival was entering an ice age. We needed to keep warm.

Maekawa-san and Ryuushi-san were coming too, so let’s meet up with them soon. I wonder what Erio would do. In the end, I haven’t seen her at all today. Maekawa-san and Ryuushi-san saw her and apparently met her, though. Was there no Attraction between me and Erio today? Not that it mattered.

We were together every day, so it was not surprising that there were days when we didn’t see each other. Or rather, if we were together every day, wouldn’t it be unnatural if we didn’t see each other today? Being with Erio felt natural… Hmm.

Even though a “whoops” situation was looming close at hand, I find myself calmly thinking about Erio.

I started to hate myself for slightly adapting, and I grumbled openly.

“Is it really okay for Attraction to be this strong?”

“…Young man, don’t think your life is over yet.”

I appreciated his advice. However, I doubt it would be very effective coming from someone who was actually in charge of it.

“…………”

Attraction bared its fangs. I was pierced by them.

After that, we completely lost our already limited ability to speak and silently moved our feet. We narrowed our field of vision to an extreme degree so as not to notice the strange stares we were being subjected to. We moved forward, the future uncertain.

I could not lose any more Youth Points. It was a blind, reckless act, paradoxically based on that belief… Maybe that was why? I’ve stopped trying to follow that invisible Attraction pull with my eyes.

The area in front of the gymnasium was, as expected, extremely crowded, making it a struggle just to move forward. The flow and mass of people reminded me of a thicket or a bullet train during rush hour. From a distance, the middle-aged guy and I felt the difficulty of jumping into a waterfall. So we stopped in our tracks, but then, immediately afterwards…

In that mass, four paths mysteriously appeared in an instant. Before me, too, a lost path of people appeared, as if the sea were parting. Without missing a beat, the middle-aged man and I hurried and jumped into the gap.

Surely, the people who stood before the remaining three paths also stepped forward with courage.

…That was the reason.

I let my guard down, intoxicated by a fleeting moment of happiness.

I was completely unprepared for what awaited me in the gymnasium, which I had been drawn to, as if by fate.

Following the middle-aged man, a vulnerable part of my heart has been tricked once more.

After crossing the poisonous swamp, I arrived in front of the gymnasium, where a raw gem lay waiting, a chance encounter that was neither hope nor despair. Unaware of this, I stumbled upon “them”.

Each of their faces turned pale, reflecting their individual astonishment.

“Geh!”

“Ugh!”

“Wah!”

“Oh my.”

“Hmm, hmm? What’s wrong, youngsters?”

“Aaaah!”

“Whuuuut?!”

“Mofu?”

“Eight people, eight ways” reactions bloomed like fireworks.

And finally, the sun began to rise and brightly shine on “today”.

---

• Tied a thread with the middle-aged man. −4
• My points dwindle with every move! −1
• My points dwindle with every move! −1
• My points dwindle with every move! −1
• My points dwindle with every move! −1
• My points dwindle with every move! −1
• Gah, a familiar face! −2

Total current Youth Points: +10

---

Chapter 5 - Attraction Romanticist

“Hoshinaka.”

“Niwa-chi.”

“Yoshino.”

“Maekawa.”

“Jeff.”

“Paula.”

“The space old man.”

“That kid from back then? You’re all grown up!”

But more than anything, we were all frozen in shock at the “person we each brought along”.

As the second half of the encounter progressed, the understanding of each person became less and less clear as the conversation carried on.

A middle-aged man and a high school boy. A pair of high school girls. An ordinary man and woman. And finally… a spore group? Perhaps it was rude to describe humanoid creatures as fungi, but they both emitted something that ordinary people didn’t, so it couldn’t be helped. Erio, with only her face sticking out from under the futon, and a young man who also emitted white particles from his hair. I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but both of them were ridiculously beautiful.

Their two figures had their little fingers tied together with a pale blue thread. The scene truly made them seem like inhabitants of another world following unique customs or cultures. One might call them mystical twin pagodas.

But more than anything, we were all frozen in shock at the “person we each brought along”. At least I was completely stunned by the sudden appearance of that girl, Hoshinaka Koumi, whom I hadn’t seen over the last two years, as if to say, “How the hell did you plant all that foreshadowing?” What kind of causal connection led her to show up like this, linked to Maekawa-san by a little finger? Her hairstyle was the same, and her slightly youthful face hadn’t changed much, making me almost feel like I’d gone back to middle school. But Erio’s light blue hair, standing beside me, brought me back to reality. Who would have thought Erio’s particles would come in handy like this?

As soon as I calmed down a little, I averted my eyes from Hoshinaka and observed the reactions of those around me. Because I was a coward.

Erio, as usual, stared with her usual blank expression at the lovey-dovey middle-aged man, as if we were digging our own graves. The middle-aged man had narrowed his eyes as if he found meeting her gaze somewhat dazzling. Was he a relative of hers? No, otherwise I would have known him too.

Maekawa-san was gazing at the boy accompanying Ryuushi-san. Maekawa-san looked down at him, as if testing him, and the boy looked up at her awkwardly. Sensing the boy’s hesitation, a smile gradually forms on Maekawa-san’s lips, as if she found the situation amusing. She adapted quickly.

Ryuushi-san pointed to the handsome young man who was connected to Erio, looking more surprised than astonished. The young man responded to Ryuushi-san with a gentle smile, saying, “Hey there!” It appeared that Ryuushi-san pulled out a good ace from her social circle. Seems like she knew more men than women… Humm, I shouldn’t make light of her.

“It’s been a while since we snuck into the base. You still haven’t returned to space?”

…Space? Erio reacted to the word and peered at the face of the beautiful boy she was connected to.

“Well, there were various circumstances. I couldn’t go home by myself.”

The pretty boy brushed it off with a theatrical laugh, ha ha ha. And that guy! He’s the third person fitting the equation: hair that emits light = good looks = comes from outer space! Erio, Yashiro, pretty boy!

Actually, the hair colour of that pretty boy was similar to Yashiro’s. Their faces didn’t bear any resemblance at all, though.

“Are you an alien?”

Erio asked the pretty boy in a flat tone. The boy’s previously confident smile faltered slightly, revealing his bewilderment at Erio’s question. How unexpected, I thought. I would have assumed he would accept it naturally.

Come to think of it, Yashiro also seemed to have a strange reaction when she first met Erio.

“You… how can I ask this… Who are you?

“E-Erio, Touwa.”

Are you introducing yourself English style because you’re dealing with an alien? Because English is an Earth language?

The handsome young man gave a wry smile, realising his questions wouldn’t go the way he intended, and bowed to Erio, saying, “Nice to meet you.” His English pronunciation seemed to be like that of a typical Japanese boy.

…So, did the time come to stop running away from my situation and face it? Hoshinaka. Why was she here?

If only she could have sent a letter beforehand or built up the groundwork a bit more carefully.

Hoshinaka was frozen, just like me. She wasn’t even blinking. But then, she tilted her head and moved her lips:

“Who are you? You look like Niwa-chi?”

“Who else but me?”

Didn’t she study modern Japanese in high school? She hasn’t made any progress since middle school.

Then, as if suddenly relieved by my reply, the tension in Hoshinaka’s entire body eased. Standing next to the tall Maekawa-san made her look even younger, and it reminded me of the first time we met.

“Woow, it’s Niwa-chi’s voice. It’s his real voice. How many years has it been?”

“What would not be my real voice? A synthesised one?”

“Like one that protects privacy? Yeah, there have been a lot of rumours going around in the neighbourhood about that person doing it someday.”

“Wow, you’re really Hoshinaka!” That vibe. And it was the same kind of closeness we had before we changed classes. It felt so heavy now.

My state of mind had almost reverted back not only to before I transferred schools, but before I even entered the third year of middle school.

“So, why are you here?”

“I have a friend from a club in this school, and she invited me to the school festival.”

“Hmm. It’s a small world, isn’t it?”

I came to understand the word Attraction in a much more concrete way than its dictionary definition suggested.

I need to keep my distance. So that the memories arriving with the tide don’t swallow my entire beach.

Our relationship was already beyond repair by the time we were in the third year of middle school, so there was no way anything could start now.

“Niwa-kun, anyway, Niwa-kun!”

“Yes?”

Ryuushi-san raised her hand and called out to me. And it seemed she really just called out to me; there were no further matters to discuss. “Screen-out is important, I told ya,” she muttered, taking a big stride as she stepped forward.

“Chibababa!”

As she made a sound that felt like sparks flying, Ryuushi-san stepped between Hoshinaka and me. It was a sound effect that sounded like a combination of a certain light novel and the name of a prefecture famous for peanuts. And as usual, in contrast to her enthusiasm, there was absolutely no impact from it.

Hoshinaka’s gaze went right over Ryuushi-san’s head and seemed to be asking me, “Who’s that girl?” With a slight smile, I sent over the answer, “A wonderful friend,” but I wasn’t sure Hoshinaka received it.

“Well, well, well, I don’t really understand what’s going on, but it’s annoying to just stand around in front of the entrance. Let’s go inside and enjoy the concert first, and then we can worry about it like young people do.”

The calmest of the eight, the middle-aged man, took charge and ushered us into the gymnasium. It was true that we were probably being a nuisance by chatting near the crowded entrance, like a bunch of delinquents gathered in the parking lot of a rural convenience store. We were definitely blocking the flow of people heading into the gymnasium. We exchanged glances, nodded slightly, and decided to just get moving. We couldn’t keep playing along with the tricks of Attraction any longer.

As we walked, Erio called out to the middle-aged man. Her voice was friendly and full of energy.

“Hey old man, are you doing well?”

“Somehow. And you? Still doing your special training in the public park every day?… Probably not; you’re no longer at that age. But your outfit certainly looks like you’re training for something.”

When the middle-aged man pointed it out, Erio choked and let out a yelp. The fact that he didn’t know that Erio had a habit of wrapping in futons meant that he must have met her before she became like that and didn’t live in this town.

“This is, uh, fashion.”

“Hoh? I believe that outfit would be more comfortable in winter, though.”

That was not the point! That eccentric middle-aged man was a bit out of touch with reality. No wonder Erio knew him and acted all friendly towards him. Birds of a feather flock together.

“Is that cat doing well? Or did it pass away already? It must be old by now.”

“Hmm, next time I’ll ask.”

“Ah, next time then.”

The old man nodded with a silent smile, as if realising that this “next time” would never come. I didn’t say anything and just watched the exchange out of the corner of my eye. Then, a long, imposing presence approached me. It was Maekawa-san.

Maekawa-san bent down, pointing to Hoshinaka, and whispered in my ear:

“From what I’m hearing, Ribon-chan was your girlfriend from before your previous life before you transferred schools?”

Ribon-chan? She means Hoshinaka, right? But she didn’t tie her hair with a ribbon, though?

“What have you been hearing? What about you, Maekawa-san? Is that person your boyfriend?”

I pointed back at the boy walking with Ryuushi-san. The boy seemed to hear me and choked. Next to him, Ryuushi-san was clashing with Hoshinaka. Not with a gentle bachichichi, but a loud chibababa.

“Transfer student, what kind of relationship were you hoping for?”

“Ah, I’ll keep quiet. It’s best left unsaid.”

“Oh, so you’re running away?”

She said it with such a happy expression. Why was that? Maekawa-san and the boy exchanged glances, but she didn’t seem intent in trying to say anything more. Especially Maekawa-san. The boy, on the other hand, seemed to have something he wanted to say. But the tall girl smiled as if toying with his mood, fixing her gaze straight ahead.

“Who is this ‘Niwa-chi’?”

Ryuushi-san was confronting Hoshinaka. Hoshinaka, finding it amusing, responded with a disdainful look.

“Who is this ‘Niwa-kun’?”

Me.

As I stepped through the gymnasium doors, the area around the shoe lockers was bustling with activity. The cultural festival committee members were all gathered there, directing traffic and giving instructions. They were handing out plastic bags to the arriving students, apparently telling them to put their shoes in them. I found that kind of lack of sophistication, common to schools in the countryside, strangely endearing. I received a plastic bag from one of the committee members.

As I was crouching down to take off my shoes, Erio came running alongside me, dragging Jeff along (it was the name by which Ryuushi-san called the pretty boy). Ah, she was barefoot again. She called me out “Cousin”, raised her right hand slightly, then turned her face away as if remembering something, and began whistling… Hahaaaan. A mischievous thought crossed my mind.

“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be coming to the school festival?”

She apparently completely forgot her declaration until she greeted everyone. What an idiot.

“Y-you’re mistaking me for someone else. I’m not Erio, mofumofu.”

When I pointed it out, she buried her face in her futon mid-sentence. The surrounding students were staring at her face, so maybe she was a little too slow to hide it. Smakin was a well-known figure in town, so it was probably pointless anyway. Well, Jeff, who was tied to Erio by the little finger, will probably take the lead.

Erio pulled his face away, and my eyes met Jeff’s. Jeff seemed younger, but he formed a warm, reassuring smile that seemed to say, “Don’t worry.” It was a smile that didn’t seem like it went through the proper procedures. It seemed even more artificial than Erio’s or Yashiro’s.

“I don’t know that girl very well. We just trespassed here together.”

“Is that so?”

Thanks for being considerate, youngster. But that introduction just made me even more curious.

“What about Erio? You don’t seem to know her, so how did you bring her here?”

Jeff smiled meaningfully, keeping an eye on Erio, who was protesting being treated like an object he had brought along.

“Ah, I followed the predictions of a girl in a spacesuit and met this light blue girl.”

“…Another premonition, huh?”

I wished someone could put together a special programme to thoroughly investigate that guy. I wouldn’t do it because it would be too much trouble.

I finished taking off my shoes and stood up, shaking the plastic bag containing my shoes as if to shake off people’s stares. Our group certainly attracted attention. We had a tall girl, someone wearing something sparkly, and someone wrapped in a futon.

I was well aware that I was also attracting attention from being paired with that middle-aged man, so I couldn’t help but let out a self-deprecating laugh… Right here, right now, all at once.

In a sense, we were an all-star lineup heading to the main event of the day: the concert.

…But, well, you know.

Let’s just assume that us meeting here was the work of today’s protagonist: Attraction.

How many times would this kind of thing happen if we held a school festival a hundred times, Hoshinaka?

I was impressed by how the makeshift concert venue, which was actually the gymnasium, had a surprisingly authentic feel to it. To be honest, it was my first time attending this kind of concert, so I didn’t really know what kind of event to expect. That was why I couldn’t help but look around at the interior out of curiosity.

The windows were covered with blackout curtains to block out the light, and the number of lights on was limited, making the room dim. Only the stage was brightly and excessively lit. The stage, usually only used by the principal or students during cleaning time, was crammed with what looks like musical equipment. As someone whose only musical experience was playing the recorder at school, all I could understand was that it was just there. A woman was already sitting on a piano stool. For some reason she was wearing a purple yukata. Was she related to Princess Kaguya? On the wall surrounding the stage was a sign with the school name and “27th Cultural Festival”. In the corner it said in small letters, “Produced by the Art Club Ghost Members”. A prank by Maekawa-san?

“This morning I was chased here by some weird kid, but this time it was voluntary, huh? Yes, yes.”

Jeff muttered to himself, looking up at the stage in the gymnasium. Oh, right, he was chased around by the newspaper club members this morning. I never imagined then that he was acquainted with Ryuushi-san.

Strings were stretched across the left and right sides of the gymnasium, dividing the space from the front to the centre. This area, directly beneath the stage, seemed to be reserved as a special seating area for those who had tied their little fingers together. Students and guests who came alone were seated in the side areas, where it was difficult to see the stage, or in the space far at the back. So, the eight of us headed straight from the entrance to our special seats. Leaving aside the other three groups, was it really alright for me and the middle-aged man to just walk in so openly? The middle-aged man and I exchanged glances, consulted with each other with our eyes, and decided to let the three groups go ahead and sneak in at the back. This was the biggest event of the school festival, so it would be a shame to just turn around and go home now. Besides, Ryuushi-san, Maekawa-san, Erio, and even Hoshinaka were going to the special seats, so it would be lonely for me to be the only one going to the general seating area. It was disheartening to be tied to the middle-aged man, and it was true that this could become a memory that I would not want dug up in the future. Why did it have to come to this?

“But Erio, do you have any interest in concerts?”

“FaiFam not FeFio mofumofu.”

The girl walking ahead insisted, “I’m not Erio,” and twisted her upper body, wrapped in a blanket, back and forth. I tried to grab the hair sticking out from under the futon. She jumped up and then spun her head around wildly, trying to shake my hand off. “Mmmph”, and because she moved so violently while I was grabbing her hair, it seemed to hurt her even more, so I stopped immediately. As a relative, I was genuinely worried about this girl’s future.

“Hmm, was she like this before?”

The middle-aged man tilted his head. Hearing this, Erio groaned, “Ugh”, and poked her head out from under the futon. She turned around and gave the middle-aged man an embarrassed look. I let go of her hair.

“Have you perhaps given up on becoming an astronaut?”

The middle-aged man asked. An astronaut? Was that Erio’s dream? Probably from a long time ago.

“……Sorry”

“No need to apologise.”

The middle-aged man laughed without a care in the world. Erio averted his gaze and looked at me. I wished she wouldn’t look at me with such pleading eyes when I wasn’t even involved. I had no words to say. I just lowered my chin vaguely in silence.

Erio walked with her back to the camera for a while but eventually turned back to face forward.

It was then that I finally opened my tightly pressed lips and let out a deep sigh. Our procession of eight was almost over. The arena seats in the gymnasium were already filled with the people with their little fingers tied together, and the S seats on the side of the stage were completely taken over. At best, we’d be able to watch from the A seats. Just as I was thinking this, the people in the S seats started to murmur. One person turned around, then another, and so on, as if in a chain reaction or infection, they turned their backs to the stage and focused on the entrance side. Then they moved to the side, clearing the way for us in the centre. To be more accurate, they moved aside.

It wasn’t that the particles released by the spore group had the same effect as the former vice-shogun’s inrou… Rather, it seemed that everyone backed off because Erio’s face was infamous in a bad way around the school. Maekawa-san and Hoshinaka, who were walking at the front, didn’t pay any attention to the reactions of those around them and secured the best spot, directly below the platform.

Ryuushi-san followed suit, and Jeff didn’t hesitate either. The middle-aged man and I were always reserved, so we didn’t shorten our stride any further. Only Erio was exposed to multiple gazes, and she tended to look down nervously. Moreover, when she noticed the gazes and shook her head from side to side, every single one of them conspicuously averted their eyes. Each time, Erio would almost look down again. Gently supporting her hunched back, Erio and I also stood up in the S seats.

Once the crowds settled down, we secured our spots. Amidst the excitement reminiscent of the moment just before a cherry blossom viewing party begins, I noticed the surrounding noise was unusually high. Was this normal, right before a concert? In the outcast seats to the side, boys, jealous of couples with their little fingers intertwined, stretched out their hands like ghosts and hurled abuse. The boys and girls were somewhat clustered together, and there didn’t seem to be any sign of them blending together evenly. It was almost as if there were several chunks of ice rolling around. Ah, there were Nakajima and Hanazawa-san.

On the right, the most eye-catching things were those in a card costume. The stupid couple had apparently entered dressed exactly as they were. I was used to seeing Maekawa-san, so I didn’t find it particularly strange (serious case), but the people around me were taken aback by the motionless and upright hanpen.

As I was looking around, Ryuushi-san came over to me, shouting “Orwaaa!” dramatically spinning around with the guy named Yoshino. Then, after checking alternately that Erio was standing to my left and the middle-aged man to my right, she raised her hand and said, “Here’s a sneaky suggestion from Ryuuko-san!” “Sorry, I meant cheeky!” she corrected immediately. A bold change of direction.

“I think we just need to change who we’re tying our threads with!”

“Even once inside, the school festival committee members warned me at the shoe lockers not to exchange anything.”

Of course, if two guys showed up together, they’d be worried about that. And who was going to take turns tying the knot with this middle-aged man? Was Yoshino, who was standing next to Ryuushi-san with a gloomy expression, trying to look back at Maekawa-san? It didn’t seem like he was regretting anything, but rather that he was just unilaterally struggling with awkwardness.

“Niwa-chi, you’re popular with the ladies. After you moved, did you feel like becoming a different person?”

Having apparently overheard our exchange, Hoshinaka started teasing me. Leaving aside Ryuushi-san, who was reacting with an overly sensitive “What?!”, for the moment there was one thing that bothered me about what she had just said.

“You knew I moved here?”

“Hmm, I thought you’d always stay in our hometown. I only came here because a friend from the brass band invited me. So, this is a really big coincidence. It’s as amazing as me solving a puzzle in under three minutes.”

Was it a matter of luck rather than skill? Certainly, I’ve seen Hoshinaka fiddling with puzzles, but I don’t recall ever witnessing her solve them. It was just like our relationship back in middle school.

“What’s that girl to you?!”

Ryuushi-san started questioning me about my relationship with Hoshinaka in a way that sounded strangely familiar. I exchanged glances with Hoshinaka, and we both gave each other wry smiles. I mean…

“How’s your boyfriend Takimoto-kun?” is what I wanted to ask her. I thought it would probably cheer me a little, like burning the last bit of firewood.

“The moon, perhaps?”

I doubt anyone but the people involved would understand the meaning of it, but that was the only way I could express it.

“Moon. Poee…saan!”

Suddenly, Ryuushi-san raised both hands. She also spread her legs slightly and struck a pose that seemed to represent the letter X with her whole body. Yoshino was forced to join, although with only one hand, and rose his arm listlessly. The resulting image gave the impression that the puppets were moving around so energetically that the puppeteers were exhausted. So, what about it?

“What do you think from a solar system perspective?!”

I didn’t understand what was going on anymore. I turned to the side, at a loss for words, and heard someone muttering beside me. Erio was expressionlessly mimicking me, saying, “What’s going on?” I stared at her, and she flinched slightly, saying, “W-what’s going on?”

“But more importantly, let’s talk about the concert.”

Ryuushi-san bumped her shoulder bone against my upper arm as she proudly opened the school festival pamphlet. I believe it was Ryuushi-san who brought up the subject. And it was Ryuushi-san who brought up the next topic as well. I convinced myself that it was fine if it were just an overwrite and looked at the pamphlet.

It didn’t really matter, but the pamphlet was blocking my view of Hoshinaka’s face. But Maekawa-san’s face was sticking out from above. She turned around and gave me a troubled smile.

“The setlist for today’s concert is confirmed to be ‘Tokaido Melos’, ‘At the End of Star Dust’, ‘StaRMan’s Children’, ‘When the Storm Comes, the Bucket Maker Goes Bankrupt’, and ‘Attraction Romanticist’.”

“Hmm, it feels a bit strange when English titles suddenly start appearing.”

“Really? Miship Ryuuko… sounds cool.”

“When you’re singing, do you clap or something? Or is it called a clap?”

I listened to various things without really paying attention and asked a question. Ryuushi-san’s eyes had been wandering as she imagined Miship, but her attention returned to the pamphlet.

“It is the case for songs like that. But the beginning is a little different, I think.”

Hmm, I stared intently at the part of the song with the lyrics. Meanwhile, I spoke to Erio in a low voice so that the middle-aged man next to me and Ryuushi-san diagonally in front of me wouldn’t hear.

“By the way, Erio.”

“Yeah?”

Erio, who had been idly staring at the lyric sheet, looked up. I hesitated, wondering if it was okay for me to speak. Shouldn’t her mother, Meme-san, be the one to tell it to her? But somehow, I had a feeling that Eliott-san would disappear again after the school festival was over. And the school festival was almost over, with only the concert remaining and closing time fast approaching. Now was the only time to tell her.

Since I didn’t even know where Meme-san would be at that crucial moment, then I was the only one who could tell her.

“Your father is here today.”

Consciously trying to appear indifferent, I told Erio about his father’s presence.

It seemed like Meme-san had met him beforehand, and perhaps Erio had too. That’s what I was thinking, but her dazed expression made me realise that it was probably not the case. Erio’s lips opened and closed with a lifeless, bloodless movement.

“Where?”

“Well, in school.”

Erio’s head shook violently from side to side in a panic. Was he denying it, or was he searching for him?

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

I’d like to say something like, “Even I don’t know everything”… but it wasn’t the right mood for it. Erio’s face went pale, and she immediately pulled her head back under the covers. Even when I poked her from the side, she only moved slightly and didn’t break her reclusive state.

A bitter feeling wells up in my back teeth, making me wonder if I should have told her.

Standing silently beside her created an uncomfortable atmosphere. My heart and lungs craved fresh air.

And then there was a certain physiological phenomenon that came with nervousness. Come to think of it, I always wanted to go and leave school events or exams.

We raised our hands, which were so close we could almost clasp them together, to get the middle-aged man’s attention. He immediately turned to look at me and asked, “What is it?” His eyes narrowed in puzzlement.

“Is it okay to unfasten the thread to go to the toilet?”

If even that was not permitted, then a mixed-gender toilet festival would have to be held. It would probably be more lively than a concert, at least for a moment. The middle-aged man made a thoughtful gesture and observed his surroundings.

“I think it should be fine. It’s dimly lit inside, so it would be hard to notice if it doesn’t last long.”

“Right. Well, I’m off then.”

Before Ryuushi-san and Maekawa-san noticed, I untied the thread and quickly made my way away. I jogged against the flow of people, heading for the restrooms near the entrance of the gymnasium. As I ran, the noise gradually subsided with each step I took away from the stage. It felt like being swallowed by the noisy mouths of living creatures and sliding into their silent stomachs. In another thirty minutes, it would be far noisier than it was now.

I had never been to a place like that before, so I couldn’t imagine what kind of environment it was.

Just as I was about to enter the restroom, feeling a mix of fear and curiosity, I was stopped.

“Makoto, come here.”

“Yes?”

A faint voice, almost drowned out by the murmurs of noise in the gymnasium, called out to me. I turned to face it.

In the corner of the shoe rack by the entrance, Tamura-san was almost completely blended into the shadow cast by the stairs. She was crouching down, her right hand to her ear. She seemed to be beckoning me over, so I approached to see what she wanted.

As I got closer, Tamura-san flashed a mischievous smile that reminded me of Meme-san. She gestured for me to crouch down. When I crouched down to be at eye level with Tamura-san, she leaned her face towards me.

“Be quiet and listen carefully.”

She whispered that warning in my ear, then pointed with a trembling hand to the stairs right in front of us, beside the entrance.

Without any suspicion, I simply followed its direction with my eyes.

“……Ah.”

Two figures stood on the stair landing.

One of them bathed in light, shining with a divine brilliance, its light blue colour awe-inspiring.

The other was a deep indigo, almost swallowed by the shadow of the railing. In both cases, their hair colour was the deciding factor in the overall impression.

“How about this as a birthday present?”

A present? Did he bring some kind of gift?

“Erio’s birthday isn’t today, though. But you know how old she is, don’t you?”

“I’m not a detective for nothing; I looked into it. Since her birthday doesn’t coincide with the school festival, it can’t be helped. Well, it happens every year, so it’s fine, right?”

At least the purple woman who was looking at the light blue guy was someone I knew. Neither of them seemed to pay much attention to their surroundings and didn’t seem to notice me or Tamura-san. All I could hear from the light blue person was his voice, particles, and shadow, while the purple woman was hidden by the staircase. I couldn’t see any change in their expressions.

“But you have some unusual connections. How do you know that singer?”

“A few years ago, I was asked to help find a lost dog, and that’s how we met. My colleague happened to be busy with another job at the time, so I was able to help… I guess this too is a sign of Attraction.”

“Hmm, so that’s why you came to this school today?”

Was Eliott the one who invited the singer? So, while calling him the mastermind in the shadows might sound bad, was Eliott-san plotting something? But if he weren’t, he wouldn’t be here, would he?

“Do you think Erio will be happy?”

“She might resent you even more. She’s quite shy, after all.”

“Is that so? I thought that since she’s your daughter, she would have grown up to be a more assertive person.”

“You’re her father, yet you don’t know anything about her. Neither do I, for that matter.”

“That’s true,” agreed Tamura-san, nodding slightly. There was no anger on her face. Rather, a warmth reminiscent of watching a heartwarming children’s quarrel oozed from her deeply etched wrinkles.

“And she’s not just my daughter; she’s yours too.”

“Is that so? I don’t like standing out either.”

“Then go dye your hair jet black right now.”

“Hahaha, you’re as dignified as ever, never cracking a joke.”

True, up to this point, Meme-san hasn’t shown her usual self. She was speaking in a simple, low, and subdued voice, befitting her age. Maybe that was her true nature? Was it because she had special feelings for Eliott-san?

That made me wonder what her usual attitude was like… No, she’s Meme-san after all.

“That girl, Erio. She looks a lot like you when you were seventeen.”

“Her hair colour is just like her dad’s, though.”

“Yeah, that’s true. It’s the hair colour I inherited from my father.”

“Where’s your father from?”

“That’s a secret.”

His tone was playful. It didn’t seem like Meme-san was serious when she asking that question, but it really piqued my interest. The question “where” itself could be interpreted in two ways: “which region of Earth” or “which planet”. The fact that the question about Eliott’s family could be interpreted in two ways was very intriguing. It almost sparked a debate in my mind about whether or not aliens exist.

“So, what are you going to do? Are you going home now?”

“No, stay here a little longer… Ah, I’ll leave town by the end of today. Don’t worry.”

“There is nothing I should worry about. I never feel anxious when you’re around.”

“That’s a lie. You’re worried that your daughter Erio will be angry when she meets me.”

“It’s not so much that she gets angry, than her being troubled. I don’t know how she’ll take it, and besides…”

“Besides?”

“Right now, there’s a kid living with us who’s kind of like a father figure.”

“Ahahaha,” Meme-san said, holding her stomach in laughter, as if she found it truly hilarious.

Huh, was she talking about me? I asked Tamura-san for her opinion. She gave me a look that meant, “Who else, you idiot?”

“Was that the kid who was next to Erio a moment ago?”

“Yeah. The one that’s not sparkly.”

“Ah, that composed kid?”

“It’s the first time I’ve heard the word ‘plain’ described in this manner.”

Huh, was she talking about me? Was I plain? I looked at Tamura-san’s face again, seeking her opinion. “Just like Shouji,” she replied dismissively. At least it seems like Meme-san considered me a plain guy.

I wasn’t hurt, but I really felt how Ryuushi-san felt. Was I the only one with no redeeming features?

“I was wondering whether he was your man or Erio’s boyfriend.”

“Both.”

Hey, you big liar.

“How impressive… So, are you alright?”

“Alright?”

“I get the feeling that even without a father, your family is stable with just you and Erio.”

“What, you didn’t actually return with the intention of living with me?”

“If you and Erio were going through a rough patch, I might have considered that.”

“You idiot, go away!”

“Haha, I’ll do that.”

Eliott-san’s shadow moved. The top-heavy shadow wriggled and adjusted its shape to resemble a human form.

Eliott-san’s shadow moved.

“Thank you for today. You’re just like I remember you from before, and it was fun talking to you.”

“You look exactly the same as before; I’m jealous…and scared.”

“Haha. I’ll watch Erio from the second floor. This way I won’t run into her.”

“Alright. If you’ve decided not to meet with her, then that’s fine.”

“Want to watch the concert together?”

“Sorry, but I want to meet with Erio.”

Meme-san also moved from the middle of the stairs. She turned around and put her foot on the lower steps. If I stayed in front of the shoe rack like this, Meme-san would probably spot me as she came down. Tamura-san remained in the same position and showed no sign of moving. If I run away, Tamura-san will probably tell her, “Makoto was there too.”

“…Ah, Meme.”

Eliott-san’s voice, now so ethereal that he cast no shadow on the wall, echoed from the stair landing. His distinctive high-pitched tone seemed to descend from the sky, like the sound of dripping water from the edge of a cavern.

“What?”

Meme-san stopped walking and answered somewhat brusquely. Then Eliott said:

“What would you do if I asked to hold you in my arms right here?”

“I’ll shout ‘That’s sexual harassment’ and go along with it.”

“Come on,” said Meme-san, spreading her arms wide. Eliott’s wry smile seemed to spread in stages, like descending a staircase.

“Actually, I was planning to hug you, apologize, and say, ‘I’m sorry for suddenly disappearing.’”

“Wow, you’re such an idiot.”

Meme-san muttered in exasperation and smiled. Eliott-san seemed pleased, and his demeanour shifted upward. The sound of footsteps climbing a step of the stairs faintly echoed above our heads.

“Eliott.”

This time, it was Meme-san who called out to him. The various sounds associated with Eliott-san’s movements were interrupted.

“Yeah?”

“I’m always grateful that you gave me Erio.”

“……Kay”

A short, soft, affirmative response. He sounded exactly like his daughter, as if he knew her habits.

“You’re welcome.”

With that one sentence, the conversation seemed to have come to a complete end, and they started moving at the same time.

Eliott-san went up, and Meme-san went down.

As Meme-san quickly reached the bottom of the stairs and was about to enter the gymnasium, she stared at Tamura-san and me. Her eyes widened for just a moment, as if forcing her eyelids open. She put her hand to her chin and looked around at us, nodding, “Hum, hum.” With my suspicious behaviour and Tamura-san still in a listening position facing the stairs, there was no way we could deny it.

“You were listening?”

“What an idiot; obviously we were eavesdropping.”

It wasn’t even a defiant response, but a response delivered with an attitude that seemed to brandish common sense. Tamura-san was so reliable. It didn’t look as if she had thick skin, but her nerves were incredibly strong. She didn’t show the slightest bit of remorse.

“I guess you were.”

Even Meme-san readily agreed. Then she looked at me. With her usual gentle smile.

“But don’t worry, Meme-chin is devoted to Mako-kun.”

“Meme-san came charging at me, with her arms outstretched to the sides, clearly indicating her intention not to let me escape!”

I was so flustered that I unintentionally started narrating this!

“Enough of the kids’ games; let’s tie our threads of adulthood, Makko-kuuuun.”

“What thread of adulthood are you talking about?!” I’ll keep it a secret that my heart fluttered a little at the mention of that phrase!

“Fushurururu”

“Stop spitting webs from your mouth!”

She was a real female spider. I narrowly avoided the Meme-san’s attack and escaped to the toilets.

“Huh? You want to hug Meme-tan right here?”

“Someone else said that!”

“Then Meme-chin will give Mako-kun a big hug!”

“Don’t follow me into the men’s restroom!”

Where did that serious conversation from ten seconds ago disappear?! She digests things way too easily!

She could instantly reverse the image she projected to those around her and be both an adult and a child.

The fact that I was thinking in the back of my mind that this was typical of Meme-san probably meant that I was beyond saving.

Imagining Eliott-san and Meme-san embracing made me feel… not bad at all. It didn’t make me feel uneasy.

After we finished cleaning up after the school festival, the eight of us, plus Meme-san, all ended up joining a celebratory get-together that felt more like a group date, which mainly gave me a stomach ache, but that’s another story.

I ran around the empty men’s restroom with my 40-year-old aunt as the clock ticked by.

A concert that was a “birthday present” for Erio was about to begin.

Perhaps the reason it didn’t start exactly at 2:00 was because the gymnasium clock was running a little faster.

Around three minutes past the hour, all the lights except on the stage were turned off, and sunlight was blocked by blackout curtains. Having returned from the restroom, I dutifully retied the thread on my little finger with the middle-aged man and quietly waited for the concert to begin in the space swirling with heat and tension. I wasn’t sure if I could call them friends, but the other six of us also began silently watching the stage after the clock struck 1:50.

Only Erio had her face buried in the futon, occasionally mumbling softly “mofu mofu”. I deliberately ignored her.

“Kyaa! Eri-tan!” It seems some people in the general seating area have misunderstood who she was cheering for, or rather, didn’t that Jorougumo say she had someone to tie her web to?… Oh, right, maybe it was the person watching her daughter from the second floor? Whether it was by chance or intention was unclear, but in the end, she may have been turned down and had to settle into the general seating area. Carrying Tamura-san on her back, all by herself.

“Ifofo.”

“What did you say? It’s too noisy in the venue; I can’t hear you.”

It wasn’t really a matter of pronunciation, though. Erio, as if wary of something, first stuck her eyes out from under her futon. After glancing left and right, she exposed his mouth as well.

It was reminiscent of the action taken by submarines in mangas when they check the sea surface before surfacing.

“Cousin, have you met Dad?”

She asked with earnest eyes. I nodded, taking in the unique smell, the scent of the people inside the venue.

“We just passed each other for a split second. I couldn’t have a look at him for more than a second.”

“But you’ve seen Dad more than I ever did.”

“…I guess.”

The difference between zero and a number with a decimal point. “Never” and “have”. What did Erio think about that difference? Just as I was about to glance at her profile to see if I could glean any clues, I heard a popping sound.

My back and my knees straightened involuntarily. Others did the same, pushing aside the murmuring and raising their heads.

The music began abruptly. A woman with her head bowed began to press the keys of the piano that was already on the stage with meticulous movements. It was a gentle prelude, like musical notes flowing through a calm stream. The sounds continued one after another. As if thin films were being stretched over the ears one after the other, giving a feeling of uneasiness.

Ryuushi-san, who was sitting diagonally in front of me, exclaimed with sparkling eyes, “It’s ‘StaRMan’s Children’!” Then, from the side of the stage, behind the curtain, a young woman appeared with long strides, making no sound whatsoever. She emerged swinging her arms widely. It was the dog-loving woman I met during the school festival. As soon as some of the audience saw her, a huge round of applause erupted. And like a shockwave spreading from the epicentre, the wave of applause enveloped the entire gymnasium. Our applause, tied together with thread between our little fingers, could only be done one at a time: clap, clap, clap with gaps in between, making us sound like toy cymbals being struck.

I see, so that’s why she was being chased by fans: because she was a singer. The way they were chasing her seemed a bit more frightening, so I half-seriously imagined that she had tried to dine and dash. But was there really a need to run away from her fans?

She appeared in casual attire, looking as if she were about to start a street performance.

Nijou Owari, also known as the “Dog Person”, walked to the centre of the stage and performed a swift, right-angle bow completely devoid of any respect or emotion. Her hair swung down with each movement. Then, halfway through raising her head, she suddenly began singing at full volume, slamming the sound into the microphone.

The entire venue was taken by surprise, and for a moment, the air seemed to distort, as if overwhelmed by the sheer volume of her voice. Nijou Owari’s singing began its invasion, as if thrusting her tongue into that distortion without hesitation. Where in her small physique could she contain such lungs? Her intense singing voice, making full use of her lung capacity, seemed to travel along the walls of the dimly lit gymnasium, creating the illusion that the lyrics were being sharply etched into the air.

The accompaniment was a calm piano tone, but the rough singing style didn’t match it at all. Was this song intentionally designed to create such disharmony, or was it something unique to this venue?

Judging from the reaction of Ryuushi-san, a fan of hers, she seemed somewhat taken aback and far from being ecstatic. Apparently, this wasn’t the way she was supposed to sing. Nijou Owari’s passionate singing continued, giving the strong impression that she was freely pouring out her feelings. The audience was bewildered by the combination of the smooth, carpet-like accompaniment and her singing voice, which sounded like she was slamming a basketball, and there was no sense of dynamism among them. Their heads were pressed down by the waves of sound, and there was an atmosphere of bewilderment. If only one person would take the lead and get into the music, the place would start to move. That was why everyone was searching for that “someone”. Everyone was still carrying the atmosphere and position they had in the classroom, and the sense of participating in a concert was still weak. The person who took on the role of breaking this spreading stagnation would smash into the cold surface of our hearts.

Someone was clapping loudly, their hands thrust out from the general seating area. A guest with deep indigo hair that seemed to blend into the dim light swayed. It was Meme-san. She continued clapping alone to the piano accompaniment. The surrounding students were hesitant, taken aback by Meme-san’s “music”. Ignoring her surroundings, Meme-san glanced towards the second floor of the gymnasium. Was it just my imagination, or could I hear faint clapping coming from the second floor?

Erio was next. She clapped her hand, which was sticking out from under the futon, hard against Jeff’s hand, which was clasped with her little finger. The first clap was a chaotic mess that was completely out of sync with the music. But after clapping a few more times, Jeff used his clasped hand to keep the rhythm just right. The adjustments were made with the precision of tuning an instrument, and the clapping of Meme-san, Erio, and someone upstairs came together.

Strangely, the inclusion of those refined handclaps shifted the direction of the disharmony between the piano and the vocals. What was merely a voice resting on the foundation of the piano becomes glued together by the handclaps, transforming into “art”. The coherent music processes the raw, unrefined vocals into a staircase leading to greater heights. And it is on that staircase that we, the audience, finally placed our feet. A march of handclaps. Following the lead of the march, everyone raised both hands. With each clap, the sound rises as if flicking a staircase of sound with your fingers, pushing back the waves that were previously only being given to us, just right onto the stage. Before I knew it, I too was clapping in a unique rhythm, working together with the middle-aged man. His embarrassed yet not entirely displeased expression as we looked at each other was like a mirror image of my own.

Satisfied with the audience’s reaction, Nijou Owari’s singing style gained a sense of dynamism. She stepped forward, stomping on the stage floor, and poured her passion into the song with a force that seemed to turn inside out from her gut. Her unique voice soared, leaving one to debate whether they wanted to listen to it again and again or cherish this one and only song as a precious memory. As if wishing for it to go beyond us, pierce through the gymnasium, and reach as far as it could.

A high-pitched voice cutting through the wind, attracting not only the people but even the birds soaring through the sky.

The lyrics were somewhat negative and evoked a sense of decadence, and yet Nijou Owari herself was cheerful. The image of continuing to sprint at full speed backwards had definitely taken over a part of my brain.

Nijou Owari kept our energy going until the very end and finished singing her first song. I felt a long sense of fulfilment, as if the minute hand of the clock had already completed a full rotation, but in reality, it wasn’t even 2:10 yet.

While catching her breath, Nijou Owari waved and said, “Thaaanks!” This was her natural voice.

She unhesitatingly expanded her own world, or rather, her territory. My first impression of the singer Nijou Owari, both in terms of her music and personality, was summed up in that refreshingly uninhibited nature.

Amidst the applause that erupted in response, Nijou Owari bowed respectfully this time. The middle-aged man and I had grown tired of applauding, so we simply watched the stage in appreciation. Nijou Owari’s head rose again.

“Hello, I’m Nijou Owari! Standing on the stage and looking down at a space full of high school students younger than me, I feel like punching the wall a little! Wa ha ha!”

She laughed it off herself before the audience could even force a smile. The audience laughter echoed a few beats later. Was this her style of performance, or rather, was that way of talking going to continue like this? If so, she’s an eccentric one.

I thought I heard a voice from the general seating area, perhaps a 40-year-old, agreeing with me, saying, “Absolutely right!”, but I pretended not to hear it. “Meme-chin, seventeen!” Shut up and behave yourself.

I exchanged glances with Erio. Erio, whose face had been expressionless due to her worries about his father, had slightly softened.

Her mom was the same as always. She answered with just a movement of her lips, “Right.”

“Everyone, thanks for gathering here today based on your teenage desires! I wonder how many of you here don’t know me? Six years ago, only about three people on Earth knew my name! That would be Daddy, Mommy, and me!”

She laughed heartily, “Gah ha ha ha”, hands on her hips, in a self-deprecating way. I liked the song, but I couldn’t keep up with her attitude. When I looked at Ryuushi-san’s profile to evaluate her opinion, which represented the general fans, and she found it hilarious. Apparently, she had always been this kind of person. For me, one single person as frank as Meme was enough.

Unable to look directly at her, I averted my eyes and saw a small part of what looked like a dog’s nose peeking out from behind the dark curtain where Nijou Owari had emerged. Could it be that round dog? If so, that person really did love dogs.

“When you think about it, it’s hard to believe that someone would call out to me when I was just singing in front of the station and that there were so many people who would listen! I guess ‘it feels like a dream’ and ‘it doesn’t feel real’ mean the same thing, right?”

As Nijou Owari paced around the stage, she sang to herself. In between, I glanced back to the second floor. It was more crowded than a public swimming pool in summer, and a light blue figure was standing at the front, looking down at us. If she turned around, she could see her father. I hesitated about whether I should tell Erio.

“If we were together, which one would be more like me?”

This is unreal! shouted the crowd in unison. The middle-aged man, Erio, and I were left behind and remained silent.

“Right?! What does it say about my way of life that I would get such an immediate answer?!”

As she returned to the centre, Nijou Owari let out a loud laugh into the microphone. It was unbearably loud.

“Next up, I’ll be playing ‘Attraction Romanticist’!”

She shouted one of the song titles Ryuushi-san had mentioned earlier. In response, the crowd rose to their knees in excitement. A jumping, almost screaming, cheer erupted. Was it one of Nijou Owari’s signature songs? Or would it be like this no matter what song she played? “It’s my favourite song!” Ryuushi-san exclaimed, pointing happily at the stage and smiling at me. “Oh, really?” I replied, and we both turned our faces towards the stage.

“But before that… I heard that the theme of this school festival is Attraction!”

As she walked to the front of the stage, Nijou Owari changed her tone of voice. She suddenly started acting like a strangely cheerful female reporter, which was very suspicious. Fans didn’t seem to mind, though.

“In keeping with the song I’m about to sing, ‘Attraction Romanticist,’ I tried doing this too!”

Nijou Owari raised the back of her right hand to eye level, as if showing off a ring. The audience leaned forward as a whole, trying to understand what it meant. A murmur arose from the front row, close to the stage, and it didn’t take long for the sound to spread throughout the gymnasium.

Those of us in the premium seats were completely unaware of such rumours and focused on Nijou Owari’s “little finger” performance.”

She had tied a thread to the little finger of his right hand. It was plain white and unadorned, looking like any ordinary piece of thread you could find anywhere. It certainly didn’t look like the thread made by the art club and distributed today.

Apparently, she tied her hair in the style to match the theme of our school’s festival.

“Ah,” said Erio softly. She then looked down at her left hand as if to check it. “What’s the matter?” I followed with my eyes, and there, for some reason, was a pure white thread dangling idly from Erio’s left little finger.

Despite the fact that her right pinky finger was connected to Jeff’s finger by a light blue thread, he still doesn’t seem to mind.

“Why?”

Erio tilted his head. That’s what I want to know.

“I couldn’t get any thread, so I tried tying some thread scraps from my shirt!”

She then recounted the story of the thread in a self-deprecating manner. Laughter swept through the area like a whirlwind. But Erio and I were too disturbed to laugh, realising that we were tied to the same thread as the person who was getting the most attention on stage.

“And if there’s anyone who hasn’t yet tied a thread with anyone and has been given a blank white thread, why don’t we tie it together on stage? Singing alone can be boring, so let’s sing a duet!”

In response to that call and fan service, the entire venue erupted like the surface of a boiling pot. The commotion in the general seating area, in particular, was extraordinary, like the world had been turned upside down. Everyone checked the thread around their little finger, unable to hide their disappointment. The boil subsided, and a low murmur lingered in the venue.

“Anyone?! No one?! With so many people gathered here, you can’t tell me no one is lucky!”

Nijou Owari specifically called out to us in the VIP seats. Normally, if there was any possibility, it would be to the people in the general seating area. Well, since Erio was tying the white thread, she was looking in the right place… Ah, I see. Including her disingenuously cheerful attitude, I understood Nijou Owari’s true intentions. In short, she wasn’t inviting just anyone at random on stage.

“Oh? Oh, oh, oh? Hey, you there! The one wrapped in a futon, don’t turn your face away!”

In an extremely deliberate manner, Nijou Owari strained her eyes from the stage and pointed at Erio. In the dimly lit space, there was no way she could see the white thread on her left hand, which she wasn’t even holding up. If she could see it, what would her eyesight be like, and how well would her eyes adapt to darkness? Sensing that Erio was about to pull her face into the futon, I grabbed the hair on top of her head to stop her. Nijou Owari beckoned to Erio.

“Come on up! You’re the one I’ll tie my little finger with!”

Even from the general seating area, some people began to realise that the person Nijou Owari was inviting was Touwa Erio. The murmurs and murmurs reverted to the excitement that had been there before Nijou Owari’s song began, making the atmosphere in the hall uncomfortable. Sensing this, Erio looked up at me with a worried expression.

What should I do? How, and with whom, should I “cooperate”?

“Argh, grrr, grrr! Grrrrr!” Ryuushi-san seems to be envious of Erio. Her emotions were running high, and it sounded like she was chanting a spell. Erio recoiled in surprise at her tone. “Uh, uh.”

“Go on, Touwa-san! You never get to go up on the stage except at graduation ceremonies! If this was Ryuuko-san’s history, it would be a legendary event!”

Is that the direction you’re going in to persuade her? Erio shook her head vigorously.

“But I don’t know any. I don’t know any songs at all.”

“’Attraction Romanticist’ was playing on the school’s loudspeakers all day. I’m sure you vaguely remember what kind of song it is.”

Maekawa-san approached Erio, offering a helping hand, or rather, blocking Erio’s escape route and egging her on. Hoshinaka, next to her, was wide-eyed, wondering, “What’s wrong with this kid?” Meanwhile, Erio thrashed about in agony.

“But, but I don’t know the lyrics!”

“Heh heh,” Maekawa-san chuckled, as if she had anticipated this. She then took several folded papers from an envelope she was carrying under her arm and used them to fan her face.

“I anticipated something like this might happen, so I have cue cards with the lyrics ready here.”

“Do you live your life expecting anything and everything to happen?”

Maekawa-san was truly formidable. Despite having absolutely no survival skills, she was incredibly well-prepared. Or maybe Eliott-san approached her to cooperate with him? Her smug expression suddenly changed to a smile.

She came running over, leaned her face close to my ear, and whispered the truth:

“I’m totally lying. The truth is, I was entrusted to do this by Touwa’s father.”

“By Eliott-san?”

Maekawa-san nodded slightly… I guess it served as a forceful Attraction. The concert itself.

But now the stage was set, Erio.

“C-cousin.”

So why are you clinging to me? Don’t tug at my sleeve with those teary eyes. You’re not seriously asking me to go on stage with you or in your place, are you? That would be going way too far with overprotectiveness.

I had realised, of course. This was Erio’s belated “birthday present.”

I see, Erio would probably hate it… But.

I gently placed my hand on the back of Erio’s head, as if to encourage her. The smooth feel of her hair was cool and comforting, like touching the surface of a small pond.

“You didn’t participate in last year’s school festival, did you?”

“N-no”

“Then go and enjoy yourself to make up for last year.”

I gently nudged the back of her head with my middle finger. Erio took a step forward, but still turned around. Still not enough of a push, what a stubborn girl. I mean, she might need some guts, I guess.

After all, she was going up on stage in front of students who were mostly hostile.

“Besides, this is an opportunity. It might be your last chance.”

“W-what?”

“This is a golden opportunity for the entire student body to pay attention to what you have to say. Go ahead and say what you want to say.”

Apologize.

Or claim once again that she is an alien.

Do as you please, Touwa Erio. This is a present for you, so your freedom is guaranteed.

“In that case, I guess I’m no good.”

Jeff quickly untied the thread on his little finger connecting him and Erio and waved goodbye. Jeff, the middle-aged man, and I all pushed Erio’s back through the futon. Erio almost stumbled but managed to regain her balance and turned around, looking for someone her. The middle-aged man responded with a smile and encouragement.

“Isn’t the stage a little bit closer to outer space than this floor?”

This must be the middle-aged man’s way of showing support for Erio. But it was a rather disorganized cheer. I thought at this point Meme-san might shout “Eri-taaaan!”, but my aunt, standing in the general seating area, watched her daughter with a solemn expression. When our eyes met, she nodded as if to say, “Please take care of her”.

“Give her a lift part of the way.”

The middle-aged man urged me… Well, I guess I have to fulfill my responsibilities since I was the one to recommended it.

I stood beside Erio, placing my hand on her back. Then we started walking together. Erio seemed to understand something when she was with me, and her legs began to move again. Steadily, steadily.

“If Niwa-chi is backing her, maybe I’ll switch sides. Go, go, go!” Hoshinaka.

“I believe that Touwa’s courage will change the world!” - Maekawa-san.

“Well, I have no connection to it whatsoever… but if everyone’s talking about it, why don’t you give it a try?” Yoshino.

“I think the guys watching from space are looking forward to it too,” Jeff.

Cheering at the speed of a series finale, Erio and I gradually moved forward. As we approached the stage, she looked up at me once more, even though she seemed to have given up resisting the flow.

“While you’re at it, tell your father whatever you want. He’s probably here.”

“…Kay”

Slowly, she tucked her chin in, almost trembling, and exhaled. It took her about the same amount of time to lift her head.

“Watch me, Cousin.”

“…Okay. Become a youthful woman.”

Thus, I gave her a push and sent her off.

Thus, I gave her a push and sent her off.

As my hand left her back, all sorts of memories flooded back into my mind.

The day we launched a plastic bottle rocket in the ocean.

The day I hit a home run on the riverbank.

The day I was happily rocked on the bus on the way back from a trip around town.

And then, in that instant, together with Erio, we flew through the air on a bicycle.

These are the Youth Points I’ve collected since coming to this town.

I’ll give you everything I’ve been saving up.

Use it all up on stage.

And so, Touwa Erio took a strong step forward, walking heavily towards the side staircase leading to the platform, as if trying to shake off the lingering gazes. I stopped and watched Erio go. I narrowed my eyes, as if reluctantly saying goodbye to something dazzling, something that was now out of reach… I felt like a bride’s father. As I thought about that, I scratched the back of my neck.

I retraced the path Erio had walked, heading back to where everyone was waiting.

I stopped walking and turned around to see Erio, who had just gone up onto the stage, throwing off her futon as if it were a coat. The futon’s fabric, her hair, and her skin rubbed against each other, and particles scattered in a trail. She threw the discarded futon forcefully towards me, and with nothing left to hide her, Touwa Erio gazed into the distance. Her legs were trembling slightly. Her legs were trembling slightly.

“Welcome!”

Nijou Owari greeted her and welcomed Erio. For a moment, the murmuring of the students in the gymnasium subsided as if they all held their breath. There wasn’t even the sound of receding waves; it was as if the sea itself had disappeared. In the silent space, like a school at night, Erio was the centre of attention. Nijou Owari handed her the microphone. “Here you go.” Erio took the microphone and bowed.

Gripping it tightly, Erio looked around at the heads of everyone in the audience. Then she opens her lips.

“…Um…Hmm?”

“What do you intend to do with the switch off?”

Nijou Owari reached out from the side and adjusted the microphone. Erio bowed again. Was she doing ok?

It was probably similar to the feeling of watching a daughter’s school play.

“Go ahead, introduce yourself.”

“Err!”

This time, she held the microphone too close to her mouth, and an unpleasant noise got mixed in. The audience instinctively covered their ears with their hands. Perhaps frightened by their reaction, Erio tried to dash off the stage. But Nijou Owari grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and wouldn’t let her go. Her escape thwarted, Erio gave up and tried a third time.

“Err, I’m Touwa Erio.”

This time it came out normally. The audience fell silent, and rather than waiting for Erio’s next words, they seemed bewildered, wondering why she was even there.

“I think some people haven’t seen me in a while. As for me, um, I attended this school until last year.”

“You mean, up until last year, or rather, only last year?”

Ryuushi-san muttered to herself. For Ryuushi-san, it was a perfectly accurate and normal retort.

“A lot happened last year, and I ended up dropping out of school. I think some people might remember me.”

Erio continued speaking, her words mumbled and broken apart. Far from any kind of innocence, her pronunciation and her assertions were weak and tinged with a hint of pain. I couldn’t take my eyes off Erio as she spoke, almost rubbing her voice against the microphone. Fine, light blue particles seemed to float around Erio, protecting her from my gaze. They shone even brighter in the darkness surrounding her and the strong light shining on the stage.

“I said a lot of weird things. I did a lot of weird things. I know that’s why people got angry at me and hated me. That’s well and good, but…”

Her last words were delivered in a hurried manner, as if she were about to stumble. With that momentum, Erio leaned slightly forward, opening her mouth wide as if to swallow the microphone whole, and then froze for a moment. She seemed to have held her breath during that time, as when she closed and then opened her mouth again, her breathing was ragged. Then, in a voice that was hard and dull like a flowing stream of water, a voice that would resonate if struck, she offered a sincere apology. To the entire student body.

“I’m sorry for causing trouble and for being late in apologising. That’s what I wanted to say.”

She bowed deeply, her waist bent sharply, and lowered her head towards us. There was no applause, praise, or insults directed at her solemnly bowed head. The venue remained silent, and everyone watched in breathless silence as the tips of his hair, a mystical colour, seemed about to touch the floor.

After a long time had passed, Erio finally lifted his head and mumbled the following:

“Also, if Dad is here… oh, uh, never mind.”

She hesitated, then cut off her words and handed the microphone back to Nijou Owari. I think she probably couldn’t find what she wanted to say.

Erio had zero knowledge about his father. It was difficult to create something out of nothing on the spur of the moment.

Nijou Owari, who took the microphone, leaned in to look at Erio’s downcast face.

“Are you done?”

Erio nodded repeatedly, her eyes slightly downcast.

“That was a lacklustre mic performance, wasn’t it?”

She almost dashed away. But Nijou Owari had anticipated this and was holding onto Erio’s clothes.

“But you got your point across. It was a clear and easy-to-understand argument. It’s interesting in its own way and not as roundabout as I am.”

Perhaps supporting her in her own way, Nijou Owari commented, a smug look on her face. Erio stopped running and stared blankly at the venue, towards where I was. Then Nijou Owari took Erio’s left pinky finger and skilfully tied it to a piece of thread on her own pinky finger.

“Ah,” Erio responded briefly. Nijou Owari called out to the back of the curtain and, through a relay of people, got another microphone and handed it to Erio. Still surprised with her mouth slightly open, Erio grabbed it unconsciously. Then, Nijou Owari let out a loud voice as if she had been waiting for this moment. Through the microphone, her rich voice, which had spread many times over, ran a line through the venue:

“So, once again, I declare it! Here I go, ‘Attraction Romanticist’!”

Like instantly boiling cold water, Nijou Owari announced the start of the second song. The audience’s excitement surged for a brief moment, as if a dying fish came back to life. However, the question of how to react to Touwa Erio standing beside the singer brought confusion to the venue, and it seems that they cannot simply reach their peak of joy.

In that atmosphere, the piano accompaniment resumed. The prelude was slightly faster in tempo than the first song.

“Shall we get ready too?”

Maekawa-san beckons us over. Following her instructions, we jogged over to her.

Let’s all work together so that Erio can see the gift from the alien (the wind person).

Maekawa-san, the tallest of us all, held up the cue cards with the lyrics as high as she could, and Ryuushi-san, I, and the middle-aged man attached to me supported her. It was like supporting a basket for a ball toss at a school sports day, but what was this lump? Seven men and women were pressed together in the crucible of heat in the concert hall, creating a stiflingly hot object. Rather than the pleasant scent of the girls, the smell of sweat, associated with the heat, wafted from beside us.

That was great! But there was no way I’d think that, since I wasn’t a scent fetishist.

I didn’t really know why, but it was great anyway! That was the kind of attitude I was still at.

“Waa!”

“Ah, we’re already hearing Maekawa-san’s usual weak scream! Her eyes are spinning around like in a manga!”

“We need to support her even more! We need to share the positive energy of everyone on Earth!”

It was like a dream on stage, but here it was just an extension of everyday life. Maybe I made a mistake in casting. I regretted not holding up the cue cards beforehand. But it was too late. Even my regrets were an ongoing process. The intro was abruptly cut off for a moment, and then Nijou Owari slapped Erio on the back.

They both stood at the front of the stage, gripping their microphones again. Erio looked down at Nijou Owari’s dignified profile and the lyric cue cards, the culmination of our collective efforts, and tentatively moved his lips.

“……Ah.”

The beginning of the song, the small sigh Erio let out, and my own breathing all came together.

This time, the song began with a steady, gradual approach. There was no intensity, but it didn’t feel particularly calm either. It was as if the singer were moving forward with her head bowed, following an unavoidable current. It was a solemn singing voice, as if accompanying gravity or fate. The very first line of the lyrics began with a description of despair at the invisible force of Attraction. Nijou Owari sang it with genuine regret.

Unable to take her eyes off her cue cards, Erio often looked down, humming as if reciting poetry. Nijou Owari’s singing voice is overwhelming, making it almost impossible to hear. Erio seemed aware of it and glanced at her profile, but Nijou Owari showed no hesitation or consideration, not even glancing at the singer beside her.

While singing, she appeared to have no interest in anything other than her own song. With each word she put to the music, she compressed and sent out an intensity that felt as if she were spitting up blood. That fierce energy enveloped the entire venue, drawing from Erio all of the audience’s attention towards herself. She took it all away.

With the fear, disgust, and anger from those around him removed, Erio’s voice gradually gained a sense of clarity. Her previously unstable bare feet were firmly planted on the stage floor, and her restless shoulders rose to an even height. The image of Touwa Erio, the shopkeeper at Tamura Store, now able to confidently say “Welcome!”, emerged on the stage. The density of the light blue particles increased in response to this transformation.

Maekawa-san was barely able to reach out, so it was the middle-aged man’s job to stretch and turn the pages of the cue cards. The cue cards were turned one after another to keep up with the lyrics written in extra-large letters. The lyric sheets were turned with the smoothness of an apple rolling down a spiral staircase.

“I weigh up what Attraction has bestowed in abundance against what it has stripped away entirely.” The moment she reached that line in the lyrics, Erio began to sing with great emotion, as if she felt the song was about her.

Every time Erio sang, particles seemed to follow the instrument-like melody. Light blue particles swirl around as if sprinklers were spraying from the ceiling, raining down deeply beneath us. It was undoubtedly an illusion caused by my overactive mind, and surely no one else could see it. But just as that light blue glow wasn’t a mirage, the audience’s eyes became restless, as if drawn to something floating in the air.

Gradually, the melody of the song brightened, and the tension in Nijou Owari’s face began to ease. It wasn’t the freedom illuminated by the sunlight streaming in, but rather the liberated life of a canned good that had accidentally fallen from a conveyor belt and rolled onto the floor. “There was nothing I could do, there was nothing I could do; I couldn’t meet it, I couldn’t give it. Take that, Attraction!” Nijou Owari shouted, and Erio took her eyes off the lyrics cue and stretched out the end of the word as far as she could towards the gymnasium ceiling.

The windowpane behind the dark curtain vibrated violently. But it wasn’t just the glass that trembled. The screams made our skin tremble too. The flesh of our cheeks twitched, and our upper arms burnt with something akin to impatience. We gradually forgot that we were supporting Maekawa-san, or rather, our hearing became so heightened that our sense of touch was numb, and we were desperately trying to withstand the headwind of sound and particles coming from the stage.

It would be a waste to just listen in silence. Their voices make us feel that way so strongly. I wasn’t a fan, and this was the first time I ever heard her music. Yet, if it moved me this much, surely others would be too.

As if to confirm my feelings, a song of music rose from the audience seats.

The first to clap along to the music was that girl from the newspaper club.

She clapped her hands, making a sound like someone taking a picture. Her expression was stiff, somewhat sulky, and dismissive, yet she gave a tremendous round of applause. As if she had been waiting for that applause, Meme-san, sitting in the general seating area, the complete opposite side of the stage, joined in. It must not have worked the first time. Meme-san must have wanted this.

Their applause came from both sides, rhythmically urging us on. As it went back and forth like a game of catch, it pulled the arms of the audience members upward one after another. The number of people clapping in response increased exponentially, and from one corner to the other, each person began to contribute their own musical contribution. I remained clinging to Maekawa-san’s torso, my lips curling into a smile as the sound intensified.

The piano accompaniment and vocals, which had flowed and disappeared in a one-way manner, and the light blue particles, were held back by the sound of applause, intensifying their lingering resonance as if remaining within a round circle. The echoing tones clung to our ears, and the particles emitted by Erio adhered to our skin. I was overwhelmed by the fantastical scene, like snow falling in the lingering summer heat, and the light of the world seemed to blur faintly. The sound absorbed the particles one after another, burying us in the light blue realm.

“If you’re told there’s no Attraction between you and your beloved, then sprinkle salt on the threads of fate.” Nijou Owari hummed these radical lyrics, full of such intent, and Erio followed suit. What was Erio thinking about the audience’s reaction? How did she feel about this moment, when her song, everything she was involved with, was being accepted by the entire student body? At the very least, I was happy that Erio was on stage. Erio was on a stage that ordinary people like us could never reach, no matter how many years or even decades it took.

This time was special. She has been given sixteen years’ worth of birthday presents from her father all at once. But one day, Erio felt she would be able to reach that place with her own psychic powers. Her singing voice made her believe that so strongly.

All sorts of things were brought to me, a mere spectator. But it was the two of them on stage who would tell that story, and all we could do was accept them, our hearts trembling, our heads burning with excitement, and pray.

The melody also filtered out its brightness, leaving only a faint light behind. It shifted to a tone that sang of something somehow sacred, something unique. A prayer. It was then that I realised this song was a prayer to Attraction from the very beginning. Changing its form, changing its heart, it sang of countless thoughts about the serendipity of this world.

Attraction, those who believed in its connection, and those who continued to connect.

Everyone was a romanticist.

Nijou Owari’s songs tied together our ordinary common sense and perceptions of the world and carried them up onto the stage. The audience received the sensations, including a new facet of the world, as a stimulus, and released what welled up from their hearts with applause and rhythm. I was no exception.

I was grateful to Attraction for allowing me to be here.

In this world drawn together by romanticist Attraction, we were living such wonderful lives.

For several seconds after the song ended, Nijou Owari and Erio remained silent on the stage. The piano stopped, and the audience stood still. The lingering echoes of their voices seemed to go on forever, the sound never ceasing.

Breaking through that atmosphere, Nijou Owari shouted her thanks in a bright voice like the sun turned inside out.

“Thank you very much!”

Nijou Owari gave her greeting, and the applause and cheers escalated as if a catalyst had been thrown in. Erio looked so exhausted she seemed about to collapse, but she smiled contentedly. I felt like I caught her eye, so I gave her a thumbs-up in return. At the same time, the cue card team, led by Maekawa-san, also disbanded.

“Let’s go to the next one! You too, don’t slump and get ready!”

“I don’t know any other songs.”

“I don’t have any cue cards,” Maekawa-san said, making an X with both arms. But Nijou Owari didn’t stop.

“Then just lip-sync!”

She forcefully linked her elbow and arm with Erio’s and declared, “I’m not letting you get away!” Laughter erupted, and as if sensing the mood, the piano accompaniment began. Erio’s escape time was wasted, and she groaned, “Aaaww.”

She put her arm around Erio’s shoulder and shouted in a casual, drunken tone, like someone singing karaoke.

“Next up is one of my signature songs from my street-performing days! Every time I meet someone…”

Was this the scene Eliott-san wanted to see?

As I wondered about this, I turned around and looked up to the second floor, only to find that Eliott-san’s figure, who had been clinging to the front, had disappeared. But the moment I had a vision of light blue fragments floating in that space, I broke free from the old man and started running towards the outside of the gymnasium. I didn’t even understand why I did it.

I pushed my way through the crowd, like a blind dash through a deep, blue, dark forest. The song faded into the distance. The threads of my dreams unravelled, and the slightly lukewarm reality of the afternoon reconstructed the world. The light blue particles that rained down on me and clung to me were also about to dissipate, their fleeting glow coming to an end. Before that could happen, I fled the venue. Without even bothering to put on my shoes, I left the gymnasium in my socks. I pushed open the door and stepped outside.

The creaking of the door seemed to announce my return from another world. Touwa Erio, who seemed to be shrouded in illusion, and her father, Eliott-san. The light blue particles were still floating beside the gymnasium. I continued running as if guided by them and finally caught sight of their backs by the school gate.

I tried to speak, but my breathing became erratic. I choked spectacularly. To my embarrassment, Eliott-san seemed to notice my choked voice and stopped walking, turning around. “Oh my,” he replied matter-of-factly.

He didn’t seem surprised that I had followed him. Without any preamble, he started a conversation:

“You look like Shouji-kun.”

“That’s because I’m his son.”

I answered, breathing heavily, hands on my knees. This might be the first time I’ve been able to introduce myself so forcefully. “I see,” Eliott-san said, his eyes narrowing as he smiled. He chuckled, covering his mouth as if unable to contain something, and his shoulders were shaking. It was a laugh that really annoyed me.

“Do you need something from me?”

“Well, honestly, I don’t really have anything to say, but…”

I felt like I had to go after him. In Erio’s place.

“Someday…”

“Humm?”

“Someday, meet Erio and give her a father that isn’t a zero.”

It didn’t matter if it was negative or positive. Just make sure Erio doesn’t remain at zero forever.

If you just start moving even a little, you’ll eventually reach something.

That’s what human superpowers are all about, right, Hoshimiya Yashiro?

“I promise.”

Eliott-san nodded in agreement and then returned the favour.

“Please take good care of Erio. It’s a little premature, but you can call me ‘father-in-law’ if you like.”

“I don’t want to call Meme-san mother-in-law, so I’ll pass.”

When I declined, Eliott-san’s face broke into the biggest smile of the day. He then headed towards the bicycle parking area. He pulled out his bicycle, which was parked at the far right of the prefabricated shed, kicked up the kickstand (which wasn’t even locked), and immediately rode off. He gave me a small wave as he passed in front of me.

“Being a father must be tough.”

With those words, the man who had abandoned his father ran off… Good grief.

Eliott-san straddled his legendary-coloured bicycle and sped off outside the school grounds. There were no aliens in the basket, and his figure pedalling with all his might was so focused that if I chased after him, I would surely reach him.

That person is also from Earth, wasn’t he? He couldn’t fly, he only possessed ordinary superpowers.

I watched him from the road until he was completely out of sight, and then I returned to the school. After walking a short distance, I could soon hear some of the sounds leaking from the gymnasium, and a smile spread across my face.

With no one around, I looked around at the deserted food stall, and then the ground beneath my feet gave way.

I slumped down, back pressed against the school gate. I put her hand to my forehead and ruffled my bangs.

As Erio’s voice gradually weakened in my ears, yet continued to echo, my heart was stirred, and I took a deep breath of fresh air ahead of everyone else in the venue. It mixed with the heat I’d brought out of the gymnasium, creating a pleasant tension and warmth. Not a refreshing feeling, but a profound sense of accomplishment enveloped me.

Imagining Erio’s lip-syncing, I parted my lips too. I had no words. Thoughts without words, atoms of the heart scattered into the air. Celebrating that colourless, transparent, and unshining thing, I hummed my own song.

This year’s school festival would be born, begin, and continue to exert its Attraction pull all the way to the very end within that building.

In that lingering feeling, I narrowed my eyes, hoping to witness the moment when the light blue particles rose from themselves and returned to the sky under the dazzling light. From deep within my lukewarm eyeballs, I produced particles of human light.

That light resembles the moonlight that once shone between her and me.

Ah, but…

The moon was so close tonight.

It filled my heart with something completely opposite.

---

• Entrusted all my Youth Points to Erio. −10

Total current Youth Points: ±0

---

Epilogue - School Newspaper Extra Edition: Culture Festival Special

So, everyone, how was this year’s school festival? Did you have fun? Did you get a girlfriend? Did you get rejected? I hope it was a memorable experience, no matter what!

I spent the whole day running around the school. Thanks to that, I’m satisfied with the feeling that I’ll be able to write a good article. I took plenty of photos, so this time the entire page is dedicated to the school festival. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it while reminiscing about your own memories. First, I’d like to talk about the performances.

The ghost club, or rather, the art club, announced its participation for the first time in several years. It seemed to be unexpectedly busy, as you can see from the photos. This meant my carefully prepared comment, “The guests look like ghosts too!”, was obsolete. For a while, I suspected they were planted at the entrance to the art room, but it seems it wasn’t a staged event orchestrated by the art club’s ghost members after all. What a disappointment.

Also, pasted on the front wall were paintings of what appear to be fantasies, or rather, lovers in people’s minds. It was hard to imagine such a collection of beautiful men and women in real life. It was like a flower garden in someone’s head. And there are even some brave souls who have painted themselves next to their lovers and proudly given permission for the pictures to be displayed.

The interesting part was that N-san, a transfer student who was something of a celebrity around school, has his own individual poster. I am really curious to know who requested him as their ideal boyfriend. When I asked the art club president about it later, she just brushed me off. “There’s a confidentiality agreement.” What a shame. I think I heard a girl nearby, her face red, shouting, “Who, I told ya?! Who, I told ya?!” but I’ll just ignore her.

Next, let’s shift our focus from the planning to the food stalls. These were generally well-received by students and guests alike, or to put it another way, they received a safe and unremarkable reception. That was probably because no clubs were working on developing any new or innovative products, resulting in a conservative approach. I question the attitude of treating the school festival as just another ordinary day, but putting aside my personal indignation, the photo shown is of the girls’ basketball club’s stall. A cheerful shopkeeper, who greeted visitors with a high-pitched “Ha-ha!”, was busy cooking giant takoyaki. Ignoring the takoyaki, she’s just giving the peace sign.

Incidentally, this giant takoyaki stand had the lowest sales of all the food stalls this year. Because it took a long time to cook, they couldn’t serve a large number of customers. As for the taste, we asked one of the guests who was eating intently, and they said, “I really wish I had someone to eat with. I think I’ll go call Mako-kun,” so it seemed to be quite popular.

We have received a strong protest from a reader, N-san, regarding this matter, so we will omit further details regarding the subsequent announcements and other related matters. N-san is quite a topic of conversation, isn’t he?

Well, there’s a limit to the number of words that can fit on the page, so I can’t include everything that happened at the school festival in this school newspaper. Also, I don’t have a complete grasp of everything myself. The other newspaper club members were just hanging out and having fun as usual. I was the only one without any friends!

Therefore, I intend to select and highlight only the most carefully chosen content from my interviews. With that in mind, the next topic is, “I stalked a hottie!” This handsome man, who seemed to scatter particles, was frequently spotted at this school festival. There were reports of two different types of handsome men: one was a beautiful boy who looked as if a fairy might live on his head. And the other was an adult man who emitted light blue particles. I tried to follow both of them and make contact with them. To put it bluntly, it was impossible. Their actions were as unpredictable as those of aliens.

I was so frustrated that I didn’t get the chance to interact with a good-looking guy up close! I really needed to express that!

That concludes my attempt to follow handsome men. I really just followed them, so that’s all for my impressions.

There were also reports about the true identity of the card costume and the stupid couple inside, but I got so angry while writing about them that I simply summed it up to “them”. Reading it back, I feel like I want to tie their necks together with string, just kidding.

Now, let’s get to the report about the concert, which was the main event of the school festival and the subject of this article.

Please note that this is a concert review from “my” perspective.

A singing concert was held in the gymnasium, stained with the sweat of the basketball team, with Nijou Owari, whom we all hope will become famous, invited to the venue. Oh, was that an old-fashioned way of saying it? Don’t worry. The concert started at 2 p.m. and was nothing short of a resounding success. To be honest, I can’t tell if everyone was bored or simply curious. Maybe it was half and half. In the arena seats partitioned off in the middle, there were many impromptu couples with their little fingers tied together with string, and the chairman of the cultural festival committee who organised it seemed very pleased. Among the couples were two girls and two boys, and the combination of a male high school student and a middle-aged man was particularly poignant. My only regret is that I forgot to take pictures.

As for the concert that followed, almost all the students were there, so I don’t think it’s necessary to write about the details here. Therefore, in this newspaper, I, Mary Okui, will only comment on the guest who took to the stage, Touwa Erio-san.

I don’t think there’s a student, excluding the first-years, who doesn’t remember her. Even if you haven’t seen her in person, you’ve probably heard a rumour or two about her. Even after she dropped out of school, she’s become a well-known figure in town, having been spotted walking around town wrapped in a futon. Would it offend anyone to say that she was the “main character” of this year’s school festival? But that’s how I felt watching Eri-chan speak haltingly and sing weakly on stage. Who planned it? Or was it just a coincidence? Still, I can’t help but think that this year’s school festival concert was made for Touwa Erio-san.

Last year, when Erio Towa-san caused such a ruckus at school, I couldn’t understand what she was trying to say or what she was thinking. Even as a former friend, I couldn’t understand her. To be honest, I looked down on her.

When I happened to run into her that day, I even played a little prank on her. Yah ha ha ha.

It seems like it actually worked out for the best in the end. The power of Attraction is incredible!

Now, back to the main topic.

I felt that day, from the stage, what she was thinking. That’s how I interpret it. At least at that moment, she used words we could understand. She had the intention to be understood. She stood on that stage not as an alien look-alike, but as a human being.

That’s probably why there weren’t any insults being hurled at her during the concert.

It was not a matter of whether or not to forgive Touwa Erio-san’s actions, but rather whether those around her would accept her as she is now. Will they ignore her when they see her in town, gossip about her behind her back, or push her away? Or will they at least exchange greetings as an acquaintance? It’s up to each individual to decide what will become of Touwa Erio-san’s “existence” from now on.

As a former friend, I pray that Touwa Erio-san’s courageous act of standing on the stage of the school she dropped out of at this cultural festival will become a “superpower” that will change something in the future.

I was a little happy that Eri-chan, an eccentric girl who claimed to be able to use PSI telepathy, finally spoke about her feelings in her own words, so I ended up writing this long article.

…So, what did you think of our feature on the school festival?

Up to this point, I’ve tried a new approach of telling the story of the school festival in novel form, but was it a bit too long? It’s nearly 300 pages long, after all. Wow, just putting it all together resulted in a huge financial loss! It wiped out about two years’ worth of the newspaper club’s annual budget, so I’d almost like to use the same content next year!

But the result is good! It’s not entirely fair because it uses the first person, but I think it captures a part of the school festival in a very immersive way! I’d like to express my heartfelt gratitude to N-san, R-san, M-san, and E-chan and her parents for helping me create this article out of goodwill for Eri-chan, even though they are outsiders! I’m confident that asking them, who are close to Eri-chan, the star of this year’s school festival, to write this report was the right decision!

Well, I have made some minor adjustments and embellishments to the emotional aspects of the story.

Well, to be honest, everyone’s writing is rather bland, or rather, reserved, so I’ve added “quite” a lot of flavour to it. Because if I didn’t, it wouldn’t be interesting at all!

…Ahem. There was some slight rudeness in my language. Sorry about that.

In any case, we’ll definitely be keeping a close eye on their future lives!

And finally, a preview of the next episode.

Next week’s episode of “Okui’s Inner Parlour” will feature a big-name guest and a special segment on how to release particles from your hair. Stay tuned!

Afterword

It’s Iruma Hitoma.

Oh, and this marks exactly one year since the series began. Let’s celebrate!

• As a realistic means of becoming number one in the world, I publish a book every month.
• I hope MW Bunko’s “The Circumstances of 660 Yen” sells more. It’s interesting.
• So, as you can see, I’m the kind of person who would confidently declare in a setting like this that the book I wrote is interesting.
• Perhaps because it’s my debut work, the inclusion of illustrations in the middle of the text feels a little jarring.
• I noticed that the globe in my room had “West Germany” on it.
• I studied German at university. But the only thing I remember is “Wie geht es Ihnen?”
• In a way, my head is Wie geht es Ihnen.
• I don’t use the internet because I talk about incomprehensible things and make a lot of gaffes.
• I can’t drink alcohol, I can’t drink carbonated drinks, I hate coffee, I don’t like raw food, and I can’t handle spicy food.
• Yesterday, I reread the entire series of Dai no Daibouken. I like scenes like the one where Baran makes his son sleep.
• The most interesting manga in recent issues of Shounen Jump, in my opinion, is Inumarudashi.
• Morisaki-kun played Captain Tsubasa IV non-stop until he was able to catch Diaz’s Neo Cyclone.
• We have a reliable editor who says, “I played so much Tetris my left arrow key flew off.”
• There’s a father who suddenly said, “What if I become a movie star?”
• Use a computer that instantly converts the phrase “○○ is here” to “○○ is here”.
• Is this guy from the Street Fighter II generation?
• Someone who writes afterwords like this.

If most of these apply to you, you’re probably Iruma Hitoma. Your life is pretty unlucky.

If all of these apply to you, you should apply for the Dengeki Novel Prize. You’ll make it to the final selection round. Probably.

And a small question I’ve had recently.

It seems that many of the authors at Dengeki Bunko are close friends.

I’ve been wondering about this for a while, but I wonder why that is.

I probably will never understand the idea of ​​becoming friends with someone in the same industry, or rather, a competitor.

Because I hate to lose.

Iruma Hitoma

Iruma Hitoma

I’m a working adult living a life that’s almost like a ghost’s: “No exams, no being late.” If only there were no deadlines or meetings, it would be perfect! Yes, being perfectly unemployed. But then I thought, I should get a job.

Buriki

I live in the Kansai region. I’m one year older. I’ll do my best to grow even older!

Translator's Notes and References

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