Chapter 2 – Green Apple Compote

“Sweet, sour, astringent and tasteless. It tastes like unripe fruit boiled in sugar and wine. The taste of resolve and commitment.”

At the end of this love, there was a resolution. There was a promise.

I could clearly feel their determination to fulfill that promise. Even if it meant that it would hurt themselves and someone else.

In that case, as a love eater, it would be disrespectful to take pity on the other person.

It was the taste of love that could have been fulfilled. But, Takayuki had his own resolve too. Once the love was eaten, he should bury his judgment about that love and respect the other person’s wishes.

“…I knew it. Heartbreaks taste bad. It’s inedible.”

That was why Takayuki only let out a curse as usual before he moved on.

No matter what he was thinking about the case, a solved case was a solved case.

The one thing that he knew for sure was that a certain girl’s path of love had been decided.

Whether this was a good thing or not, Takayuki wouldn’t know. After all, he didn’t understand anything about love.

* * *

It wasn’t like Aoi would bury her face in Yuzu’s belly every time she came by. Like a house cat, she’d only do it if she noticed that the latter let her guard down.

Yuzu also wasn’t reading her book 24/7.

Well, it was a matter of course, since there was no way that she’d be reading while eating or sleeping. Also, there were times when she’d be bored from reading and needed a change of pace. Despite Aoi’s calling her ‘Gloomy Bookworm,’ she got into this kind of mood sometimes.

That was why the two would occasionally hang out while playing games several times a month.

And for them, ‘hanging out’ included going against each other’s throat without holding anything back. Today, they were doing just that while playing a certain fighting game.

“One more! One more!”

“Good grief. The result won’t change no matter how many times we repeat this.”

Fighting games weren’t the only games they usually played. In all of their games, their skills were usually evenly matched.

Normally, Aoi would be the one who was good at everything. Even in games that she wasn’t good at, she’d improve her skills quickly and would easily beat any ordinary person that challenged her. But, Yuzu wasn’t an ordinary person, she was strong enough to compete with Aoi. She didn’t practice in secret, nor was she passionate about those games, she was just unnaturally good at them.

That was why the two of them got really competitive whenever they played something. And that was why Aoi always found herself frustrated whenever she got into a lose streak against Yuzu.

“Grr… That’s it! I’ll never play fighting games anymore!”

“Sure, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard those words. Anyway, what’s bothering you this time? What are you so preoccupied with to the point that you showed this kind of disgrace to me?”

“…Uu…”

Aoi let out a lethargic voice as she rolled around the floor.

The problem she was so preoccupied with was naturally connected to Takayuki’s relationship. Because of a strange occurrence, he had to be involved with someone who was also connected with the supernaturals, Himuro Reina, but that wasn’t the problem Aoi was worrying about. Rather, she was worrying about Yui, the girl who was lurking behind the scene.

“Yuzu, do you know about the girl called Takayama Yui? She’s in a different class than you…”

“I know her… Ah, she’s the one behind everything, isn’t she?”

“You’re quick on the uptake as always.”

In the first place, it was hard to imagine that Takayuki didn’t reveal his ability to someone that he trusted so much. They had been working together since middle school. There were bound to be some occasions where she witnessed him using his power. It would be more reasonable to think that Takayuki had told her about it previously, but she was unable to remember what happened exactly due to her memory being tampered. That would explain the reason why he looked surprised when he found out that Aoi remembered everything about his power… Aoi hadn’t told Yuzu about his power, so her line of thought stopped there.

“Well, to put it bluntly… Takayama-san is like a guardian? To Satou-kun. Their relationship is quite complicated. Her feelings toward him are also complicated… She doesn’t want to actively hurt him, but she has been trying her hardest to…change him? In any case, she’s conspiring with this girl, Kuramori Karin, to achieve whatever goal that she has. Takayama-san and Satou-kun are quite close to each other, though the former will definitely deny it if you bring the topic up to her. What do you think I should do in this situation?”

After much deliberation, she decided to reveal everything about her current concern while hiding about Takayuki’s power.

“Hmm…”

“Seriously, Takayama-san is so troublesome to deal with. It’s clear that she isn’t an ordinary person. Whenever I talk with her alone, she always has this intimidating aura. But, whenever I mention Satou-kun, her facade will crumble and she acts like a normal high school girl…”

“I see. So she’s the same kind of person as you. A pain in the ass to deal with.”

“Ugh…”

Although she was suddenly stabbed by the sharp words and almost fainted in agony, Aoi recovered quickly.

“A-Anyway, she’s a pain in the ass, right! Also, I got the feeling that if I were to tell Satou-kun about what she has been up to, things will get even messier. He’s probably going to be mad.”

“Definitely. He’ll most likely relieve you of your partner position.”

“N-No, no way, no way that’ll happen! The bond between Satou-kun and I is strong! That’s why we’re partners to begin with! …B-But, is there a possibility that he’ll actually abandon me?”

“Yes. Doing that means you’ll be getting in the way of Takayama’s goals. From what I’ve heard from you, Takayama is selfish and she’s obsessed with him for some reason. She doesn’t seem to be someone who’d be merciful toward her enemies.”

After hearing Yuzu’s words, Aoi let out a groan and pondered.

From their previous interactions, Aoi never felt any hostility coming from Yui. Rather, she had only been receiving advice on how to deal with Takayuki’s antics from her. That was why she was convinced that no matter what Yui’s goals were, Aoi’s current position wasn’t a hindrance to her.

However, at the same time, she had a premonition that off the chance that Yui became an enemy, she would be a really troublesome one to face.

“No matter what the reason behind her actions are, whether it’s right or wrong, she’s bound to be a tough opponent. She’s determined, unwavering and has the power to do whatever she wants.”

“I know. For me, Takayama-san is either a reassuring ally or a troublesome enemy. But, no matter what she is for me, I’ll never be swayed by her will. And I never intend to lose to her either.”

Aoi said with a smile. After seeing that smile, Yuzu let out a snort as if to say, ‘I was dumb to worry about you,’ and let go of the controller in her hands.

“Is that so? Do whatever. I’ll cheer on you if I feel like it.”

“Hehehe. Anyway, I feel like I’ve maxed out Satou-kun’s trust in me. I have plenty of time! I can do this!”

“But, isn’t he going to be busy with the matter regarding Amamiya-senpai and Kageyama-senpai tomorrow?”

“Ack!”

It was the second critical hit she received today. The damage was noticeably bigger than before as she took twice as long of a time to recover.

“…I-I mean, I don’t have any choice! Haru-kun had just been released from Renge-nee-san’s private lessons! That’s why I let her go with Satou-kun this time! I’d go to cheer her on, but I don’t want to put them in a strange mood!”

“I don’t know if you’re kind or just naive.”

“Regardless of what happened, Haru-kun is still precious to me! I want to cheer on her so that she can do her best at all times! As for Kageyama-senpai… Satou-kun will be there, I don’t think he’ll let her run wild without any restraints… In any case, I’m ignoring my childish jealousy! I’m exchanging their happiness with my life as collateral!”

“I see. So, you’re accepting this arrangement logically speaking, but you still can’t accept it emotionally.”

“…I mean…”

After making all those noises, Aoi suddenly became quiet.

She only mumbled something while clinging to Yuzu’s belly. It was clear that she was having trouble saying something back to her.

“…I’m his partner. And as a partner of a hero, I don’t want to look uncool…”

“Do whatever.”

Yuzu didn’t say anything to comfort her. But, unlike usual, she didn’t pry her away from her belly. Aoi knew that at times like this, Yuzu would pamper her for five minutes, so she moved quickly and buried her face on her soft belly, trying to recharge the energy that she had lost.

It was at this moment, during the time when Aoi was making up her mind to do better tomorrow after showing her best friend her uncool sides, Aoi’s phone rang.

“Ugh… It’s from Rinko-senpai? …Huh?”

Still clinging on Yuzu’s belly, Aoi operated her phone and checked the message she had gotten.

[Hello, Aoi. I want to have a talk with you tomorrow. Can you come to the clubroom at around noon?]

The text looked ordinary at a first glance, but Aoi knew. The senpai who sent her this message loved to joke around. Normally, her texts were just her messing around like suddenly sending something along the lines of, ‘Let’s go to the beach!’ at 2 am. And that wasn’t even the end of it as sometimes she’d send nonsenses that were locked behind cryptic images she found on the internet.

Her antics were so annoying that even Aoi, who had high tolerance for things like this, often contemplated to block her for good. But this time, that same weirdo sent her a real text.

“…Ugh…”

Aoi let out a groan before reluctantly replied to her.

Yuzu, who had been observing her, patted her head with an expressionless face.

“You’re such a sweetie, Aoi. Though you’re an idiot.”

“Shut it. Make sure to pat me gentler next time, okay?”

Yuzu’s voice, despite lacking any emotions in it, sounded warm for a second there.

It was as if she was comforting Aoi for the hardship she was about to go through.

* * *

“Sorry! Did you wait long?!”

At a less popular spot, a familiar voice suddenly called out to Takayuki. He turned around toward the voice’s direction to see the girl that he had been waiting for had arrived, while being slightly out of breath.

“No. I just arrived here myself.”

Takayuki tried his best to let out an amiable smile toward the girl who ran up to him and replied to her words properly.

It was easy to mistake him as a brusque person due to his appearance even though he was normally polite to other people around him. He was even willing to humble himself depending on who he was talking with. If he were to talk bluntly, that would mean either he was wary of the person he talked to or because he knew the other party well.

But, the girl in front of him was a special case. He tried to be as amiable as possible with her and treated her politely, but it was hard for him to treat her as a normal friend.

“I’m truly sorry… I should have arrived thirty minutes earlier than you, Master! I’m so ashamed of my immaturity…”

Because the girl in front of him was Kageyama Misato. The perpetrator of the stalking case that he and Aoi solved last month.

“No, it has nothing to do with immaturity or anything. If I make you wait for that long, Haruka-senpai will definitely give me hell for it. Rather, this is just right, Kageyama-senpai.”

“Uu… Such merciful words! I don’t deserve them, Master!”

“Also, stop calling me master already.”

However, the girl was clearly different than back when Takayuki caught her red-handedly as a stalker. Her hunched back had gone, giving her a rather stout impression. The long bangs that covered her eyes had been cut by a few centimeters and were held by a blue hairpin.

Previously, she was unable to make eye contact with anyone, but right now, her gaze was locked firmly to Takayuki’s. The dark, gloomy gaze she had was gone, replaced by a bright and strong-willed one.

“Understood! I guess I’m still lacking as a disciple, that’s why you don’t want to recognize me as one yet. I have to devote myself to you more before I get to refer to you by that. Is that what you meant, Satou-san?”

“Definitely not.”

However, her gaze was way too bright for Takayuki, to the point that he had to endure the urge to look away from her.

“Understood, Satou-san! You were the one who unraveled my distorted emotions and saved me from them! I guess it’s a long way to go before I can understand the true intention of your words. Is this the secret art of your school¹Just to clarify, the ‘school’ here is 流派/ryuha, not 学生/gakusei. The latter is the school we’re familiar with while the former is like martial arts schools, schools that passed down their arts or technique and stuff.?”

“Just in case, let me ask you something. What school do you think I’m part of, Kageyama-senpai?”

“Ugh… Sorry! I’m not good enough, I don’t have a single clue as to what kind of school you’re part of, Satou-san! Perhaps a school related to parapsychology… No, I have to look for more clues before I speculate…”

“Before you go to look for something strange, why don’t you look at yourself first, Kageyama-senpai?”

With Misato triumphantly saying the wrong things, Takayuki could only give out a wry smile.

Of course, there were reasons behind Misato’s words and actions. It was the side effect of Takayuki’s own power.

‘Sugar Spice,’ the power to devour the love of his target.

Last month, he used it on Misato, to eat the distorted feelings that tormented and turned her into a stalker.

However, his power was still something that differed from common sense. Most people were unable to perceive it correctly and instead would perceive it as something else entirely. As to how they would perceive it, it was different from person to person, depending on their own common sense. Even if that person was someone who was directly affected by that power, this would still be the case.

And so, as a result, following Misato’s own common sense, Takayuki became ‘an incredible consultant who managed to lift dark emotions within people’s hearts with mere words.’

She was so impressed with Takayuki’s skills to the point that she decided to devote herself as his apprentice, hoping that she could someday help someone who had darkness in their heart.

“I see. I have to look at myself first, reflect on what I’ve done, before I should strive to do better. Right, I haven’t atoned my sins toward Haruka-senpai yet.”

“…I don’t dislike that earnest part of yours, but I thought she said that she doesn’t care about your atonement? She won’t avoid you either way.”

However, just because Takayuki’s power affected her, it didn’t mean her true nature would change that easily.

In response to his words, Misato let out a weak smile and shook her head.

“No, I can’t accept that. Even if Haruka-senpai forgives me, I can’t forgive myself. I will continue to atone my sins until I can forgive myself. Well, I have to be careful so that Haruka-senpai won’t feel burdened by it…”

It seemed like Misato had a personality that if she entered a certain state of mind, her mood would swing into that direction whether it was bad or not. This personality made her strict to herself.

“Is that so? Alright, I’ll make sure that you won’t do anything strange to her.”

“Hehehe, thank you very much, Mast— I mean, Satou-san!”

“…You can call me whatever you like. Just call me normally at school.”

“Thank you very much, Master!”

To Misato’s cheerful grin, Takayuki let out an exasperated sigh while saying, “Good grief.”

“Master, can I ask you a question?”

“Haah… Let me tell you this first. I’m an amateur when it comes to psychology in general. I can’t give you the answer that you want.”

“Not that. Um… The people who’ve been staring at you for a while… The one who looks like a middle schooler who’s glaring at you and the pretty white haired girl who’s smiling happily beside her… Who are they?”

At Misato’s words, Takayuki shifted his gaze to the direction he had been afraid to look at.

“Satou-san… Were the rumors about you being a womanizer true?”

In the direction was Karin, who had been glaring at him for a while, and Reina, who was looking in her direction while smiling.

It seemed like someone had spread another bad rumor about Takayuki, who had been quiet lately. They made it as if he was a delinquent and a womanizer.

“Shut up, middle schooler. Look at my outfit. Do you think it’s appropriate for a date?”

Takayuki responded to the suspicion with a curse. Certainly, his outfit wasn’t fit for a date. Both him and Misato were wearing their school jerseys. The reason for this was because they were going to cheer on Haruka’s volleyball match.

“Reina-san said that things like that won’t matter as long as the two people involved are in love with each other.”

“Oi, Himuro, teach her properly. At this rate, she’ll be wearing jerseys on her dates.”

“What’s wrong with jerseys?”

“Hehehe. Correct answer, Karin-chan! You’ll still be cute even if you’re wearing jerseys!”

Seeing Reina smiling and the conversation turning in her favor, Karin puffed her chest while giving him a ‘See that?’ look.

At the sight of the two, Takayuki let out a sigh.

“Haah, now that there are two of them, it’s getting noisier… They are my acquaintances, Kageyama-senpai. Just treat them casually, or you can ignore them completely. Actually, just ignore them.”

“No, that’s a little… U-Um, nice to meet you. My name is Kageyama Misato. I’m indebted to Satou Takayuki-san over here…”

Seeing Takayuki’s dismay at the sight of the two of them, Misato let out a wry smile before introducing herself to them with a bow.

Karin straightened her back and returned her bow.

“Nice to meet you, Kageyama-san. My name is Kuramori Karin. I’m Satou-san’s fian— I’m a good natured caretaker of him. I’m sure we’ll meet each other a lot in the future, so please take care of me.”

“Ah… Y-Yes, likewise… B-But, caretaker?”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Himuro Reina. Karin-chan’s guardian. Please take care of me~”

“L-Likewise… U-Um, guardian? M-Master?”

To Misato who stared at him with a confused gaze, Takayuki spat out his answer.

“As you can see, they’re weirdos. Well, as long as you don’t touch them, they won’t hurt you.”

“I see. In other words, they are your friends?”

“Yes, sure.”

“I see! I should have known! But, great for you, Master!”

“I’m amazed that you could distort my sarcasm in a positive direction.”

While they were talking, the bus they had been waiting for arrived. Their conversation came to a halt as they all boarded the bus.

Yes, all of them, including Reina and Karin.

“We’re going to cheer for a senpai in her volleyball match. You two don’t need to come.”

““Don’t mind us!””

“Tch.”

Takayuki sat down on an empty seat while rudely clicking his tongue at the two.

Himuro Reina and Kuramori Karin. Someone who was connected with the supernaturals and her partner. Oddly enough, ever since Takayuki and Reina recognized each other’s identities, Reina had been acting together with Karin more often, similar to how Takayuki was with Aoi. Although Takayuki was distressed by this development, he understood that they did this because they were wary of him.

Their worries weren’t unprecedented too. At first, they treated him as a ‘foolish idealist’ but as soon as they knew about his ability, the possibility that he could become their enemy appeared, that explained the change in treatment that they gave him.

Of course, Takayuki also treated them differently than usual. His own safety aside, he had to also ensure Aoi’s. That was why he planned to have a long conversation with Reina as it would be better for them to talk it out rather than keep being wary toward each other. That being said, being followed by them on holidays felt bothersome to him.

“Um, Master? I know that I don’t have the right to say anything about this, but… Don’t you think it’s better for you to just report them to the authorities? Or at least be more straightforward in rejecting them?”

“That Kuramori girl is related to a friend of mine. Also, this matter is kinda connected to my family’s matters…”

From the seat next to him, Misato whispered her suggestion to him.

He appreciated her concern, but he shook his head anyway. It was true that it felt bothersome, but it wasn’t like they caused any troubles so far. There was no need to treat them roughly.

“Well, if it comes down to it, I’ll do something about it.”

After trying his best to make an amiable smile, Takayuki glanced toward the window to quell the irritation from his heart. He tried to reflect on himself since he unilaterally caused Misato to worry about him.

“…Sorry, Kageyama-senpai. Please go on without me, I have an urgent matter to take care of.”

“Eh? But the bus will be leaving soon!”

Without hearing the rest of Misato’s words, Takayuki stood up and walked away.

He dismissed Karin’s and Reina’s reactions, who were as surprised as Misato, as he said, “Sorry, I have an urgent matter to take care of,” to the bus driver and forcefully asked them to stop the bus.

And before anyone could react to him, he dashed away. The destination was a sideway a little bit away from the bus stop.

“Ah, jeez. I knew it.”

As he arrived at his destination, he looked around, paying no attention to the fact that the bus had left the stop already. However, even though he tried to look around as hard as he could, there was no one around except for him and ‘the other person.’

“It can’t be helped…”

Takayuki let out a wry smile as he suppressed his self-loathing.

“Oww… It hurts…”

He let out a smile to make sure that ‘the other person’, a little girl who was curling and sobbing, wouldn’t be frightened of him.

“Are you okay? Did you hurt your knee?”

“Eh? Onii-chan, who are you?”

While smiling, Takayuki said to the girl with bruised knees,

“Me? I am—”

“Just an idiot passing by!”

“Ugh!”

But, before he could answer her question, he received a chop to his side. The one who gave him that was Karin, who came out from behind him. It was a really sharp blow, clearly expressing her frustration toward Takayuki, who dashed out of the bus without saying anything.

* * *

It was a little after Takayuki suddenly rushed out of the bus. Aoi entered the art clubroom.

The moment she entered the room, the smell of various arts materials entered her nose, but it soon faded, carried away by the winds. It seemed like they had opened the window so that the air inside could change easily just for Aoi.

Seeing this level of consideration made Aoi concerned. The senpai who called her out here was someone who lacked any kind of consideration toward others. She was the same person who extended her paint-stained hand for a handshake while smiling innocently to her.

“Oh! Thank you for coming, Aoi! I honestly thought that there was a 30% chance that you’d ignore my request, but since you owed me something— Anyway, good deeds are always rewarded, I guess!”

“I’m regretting the fact that I didn’t take that 30% chance instead, Rinko-senpai.”

The one who welcomed Aoi into the clubroom was a second year student named Akanashi Rinko.

She was a petite, baby-faced girl with bob-haired cut and gray overalls. Her appearance made her look younger if you didn’t know her at all. The reason why she pulled that haircut was to make it easier for her to work. As for her overalls, apparently she had already turned at least fifty of them unusable, thanks to how much dedication she had toward her crafts.

“Ahahaha, you don’t need to act like that! I know that you’ll never abandon me, Aoi!”

“Right. I’ll do my best to remove that weakness of mine for the sake of a better future.”

“I don’t think that’s possible for you. I mean, you were the one who came to my house and took care of me without me asking you first back in middle school.”

“Only because if I didn’t do that, you’d definitely die back then. I didn’t have any choice.”

“Sure, sure, let’s leave it at that~”

“The tone of your voice is pissing me off.”

Aoi gave Rinko a beautiful smile while regretting her life’s choices.

Rinko was a senpai that she had known since middle school, but she was someone who was annoying to deal with for Aoi. The reason for this was because of how she treated Aoi in an unnaturally intimate way. It was only Aoi that she treated this way. With other people, she’d show them so much arrogance and smugness to the point that everyone around her treated her like a weirdo. Aoi wasn’t comfortable with this kind of treatment, but as she hadn’t done anything that Aoi truly hated, there was no reason for her to cut their relationship off.

“Haah, enough. So, what is it that you want to talk to me about? If this is another poor joke of yours, my low affection points toward you will become even lower, okay?”

“I’m serious this time, so don’t worry. Anyway, about that… Well, you see…”

Rinko paused for a moment before saying her next words without any kind of hesitation.

“I’m thinking of confessing to someone that I like.”

Her cheeks turned red as she suddenly put on an embarrassed face, like a maiden-in-love.

“…Someone that you like? You have someone like that, Rinko-senpai?”

Aoi was astonished by her answer that she involuntarily opened her eyes wide. Rinko’s words struck her like bolt out of the blue.

“Are you the same Rinko-senpai that I know? The Rinko-senpai who knows nothing about human interaction except when it involves paintings? The one who they called painting youkai who disguised herself as a human being?!”

“Yes. I fell in love.”

“D-Did you finally turn into a proper human being? Rinko-senpai?!”

“Yes. I’ve become a human.”

Despite Aoi’s harsh words, Rinko nodded in good-spirits. She was clearly amused after seeing Aoi’s reaction to her words.

“That’s… Um… I guess… Congratulations? …So, who’s the lucky guy?”

“Hehehe. I’ve fallen in love with Shuzou-kun! Well, actually, I’ve liked him for a while now, but recently I realized that I fell in love with him!”

“Shuzou-kun? Is his last name Iwanaga?”

“Yes, yes! The tall and expressionless dude!”

The corners of Aoi’s lips twitched as she looked through her memories, trying to find within it, who was the person who fit the description she gave her. Then, while hoping that her guess was wrong, she uttered a question.

“…Is he the art club’s advisor? Iwanaga-sensei?”

“Mhm!”

Seeing Rinko’s smile as she nodded in affirmation gave Aoi a headache. Sure, she didn’t have the right to criticize other people’s love affairs, but this one was a different story.

“This is what I want to talk about! I’m thinking of confessing my feelings to him, but Shuzou-kun’s personality is a little…troublesome, you see? But that’s part of his charm, so I won’t complain!”

“Please don’t get sidetracked. But, seriously, seeing you having this kind of conversation with me feels surreal. It’s like I’m watching a fish walking with two legs.”

“That’s not a fish anymore, but a monster! Anyway, let’s get back to the topic. So, I want to confess my feelings to him, but there’s a little problem…”

‘The fact that a student is thinking about confessing her feelings to a teacher is already a problem in itself! Besides, why are you even asking me about this?! You know I’m clueless about love!’ Aoi swallowed her words and decided to just let her continue talking. She had solved several love-related problems with Takayuki before, so she could wait until she gained more information about the problem before deciding on her course of action.

“You see, Aoi. I have a feeling that if I were to confess my love now, he’ll definitely reject me in a heartbeat!”

“…I can see that happening, yes.”

“Of course that won’t be the case! Do you think Shuzou-kun hates me that much, Aoi?! He likes me, you know?!”

“…”

“Why are you looking at me like someone who can’t face reality?!”

Seeing Aoi giving her a cold stare, Rinko began to make excuses for herself in a flustered manner.

“Hear me out! Shuzou-kun treats his students fairly, but there’s something different about the gaze he has when he looks at me. It’s obvious that he harbors hidden feelings for me! Also, ever since I joined the art club as a first year, he had been opening the clubroom earlier and he always tried to attend club activities with me whenever possible!”

However, rather than giving Aoi a real answer, she spouted her words as if it was decided that the teacher had fallen for her.

“Uh… Honestly, it feels like you’re just misunderstanding his intention, Rinko-senpai. I’m sure Iwanaga-sensei is just trying to do his best as a teacher… But still, if that’s what you’re really thinking…”

Rinko was speaking like a maiden-in-love. If the saying ‘love is blind’ applied to her, then it was certain that everything was just her misunderstanding.

However, Aoi knew. Despite everything, Rinko had exceptional judgment when it came to people.

“Glad to hear that you trust me, Aoi!”

“Your personality aside, I do trust your judgment when it comes to things like this. But still…”

In fact, Aoi had solved cases with her help a few times in the past. The case with Takayuki’s friend, Minoru, for example. She asked for her help and she had done a great job giving Minoru sound advice when he was struggling to paint.

And to prove that she had really given sound advice, Minoru himself came over and thanked her for it. There was no doubt that the advice had at least a positive impact on him.

“Well, I don’t think you have lost your touch… Okay, let’s assume that your words are correct and Iwanaga-sensei is fond of you. You two have feelings for each other and when you confess to him, he accepts your confession. In that scenario, what comes afterwards will be nothing but trouble.”

At Aoi’s words, Rinko stopped moving and started to mutter something under her breath.

“Previously, I told Shuzou-kun, ‘You love me, don’t you?!’ And he replied to me with, ‘Teachers don’t fall in love with their students,’ with a blank face.”

“You got dumped before you even confessed, huh?”

“B-But, he’s the kind of person who’d reply that way even if he has feelings for me!”

“Ah, I guess you have a point. Iwanaga-sensei is that kind of person…”

Aoi was familiar with the teacher called Iwanaga Shuzou. He was quiet, firm and was a rule-abiding person. He never raised his voice to warn his students. Instead, he’d approach them calmly and give them a lecture filled with logical reasons on why you should abide by the rules. The students recognized him as ‘A teacher that you should never offend.’

“Then, why don’t you wait until graduation? If you really love him, waiting for that long shouldn’t be a problem, no?”

“Ngh… Well, for personal reasons, I need to hear his answer now… Also, Shuzou-kun will definitely dump me if I were to confess to him after graduation. This is my only chance to confess.”

“I don’t understand the logic behind this at all… What made you think that you have a chance in the first place anyway?”

Aoi tilted her head, in which Rinko replied with a sly smile.

“I got him to promise me when we meet outside the school, just for once, he’ll reply to me honestly. Not as a teacher, but as himself.”

“…What kind of shady tricks did you pull to get him to promise you that?”

“Well, Shuzou-kun loves my paintings. So, I got him to promise that in exchange that I’ll paint him anything that he wants. Also, I told him, even if he refuses me, I’ll still paint for him. Except that I’ll burn it right in front of his eyes afterwards.”

The devilish glee she had befit the ominous words she spouted.

Reluctantly, Aoi asked another question to her.

“How could you say something like burning your own painting even if it’s just a bluff?”

“No, no, I could say something like that because it’s my own painting to begin with. I have a conscience, I won’t burn other people’s paintings!”

“What conscience are you even talking about?… Anyway, since you’ve made that kind of promise, why don’t you just go ahead and confess? Why do you even talk to me about it?”

To Aoi’s words, Rinko replied with a mysterious expression on her face.

“You see, Shuzou-kun never revealed anything about his personal life. Like, never.”

“Ah, well, that makes sense. He does seem to be the kind of person who’d separate his private and work matters.”

“On top of that, he commutes by car! I can’t even stalk him!”

“I’m at a dead end.” Rinko said, shrugging her shoulders.

“I see. In other words, you want to meet him outside of school to confess to him, but you don’t even know how to do that in the first place. That’s why you came to ask for my help.”

“Exactly!”

Rinko nodded with a big smile after hearing Aoi’s words. Her smile was filled with trust toward Aoi, who wasn’t in particularly a bad mood even though she realized that she had been dragged into yet another troublesome case.

However, before everything, there was something that she wanted to confirm.

“Rinko-senpai, can I ask you something first?”

“Of course!”

“Alright, first of all… Have you truly considered everything before deciding to do this? Let’s say that he somehow accepted your feelings and you two are going out. But, he’s still a teacher. If someone were to find out about your relationship, he’ll definitely get into trouble. He might even get fired because of it.”

“Well, of course I’ve considered everything already! He’ll hate me if I don’t, after all!”

Although Rinko answered her question casually, Aoi knew that she was serious about her answer. Rinko wasn’t someone who’d consider common sense and rules, but if it was for the person that she liked, she could change that. In fact, the reason why she attended school every day back during middle school was because she didn’t want Aoi to hate her.

“I guess so, huh? You’re that kind of person, after all… Alright, then, have you considered the possibility that you wouldn’t get the answer you want from him?”

If that was the case, there was only one thing left for Aoi to worry about.

How would the weirdo who had just learned about love react to being heartbroken?

“Hm? Of course I did. Everyone who was about to confess did. It would be weirder if I didn’t consider that possibility in the first place, no?”

“Hyah!”

“Huh? Why did you react like that?! I didn’t say anything weird, didn’t I?”

“D-Don’t mind that, Rinko-senpai. B-But still, I’ve never expected that you, out of all people, would be so understanding…”

“Ahahaha… What, do you think I’d cry and be depressed about it for months if I were to get dumped? Well, I might cry about it for a while, but, Aoi, for me, this confession is like a turning point.”

“A turning point?”

Aoi tilted her head after hearing Rinko’s casual words.

“You see, an art dealer approached me. They offered me to do some work overseas.”

“…What?”

“That’s why, Aoi, this confession is a turning point for me. If he accepts my confession, I’ll do my best to devote my whole life to him. But, if he dumps me, then, I’ll take the offer and dedicate my life to being a painter instead.”

Aoi knew. Despite her casual tone, Rinko was dead serious. There wasn’t any trace of playfulness in her face, she was seriously considering the path that she would be taking in the future.

“Um… But… Can’t you do both of them at the same time?”

“No. There’s no third option for me. It’s either art or romance, there’s no in between. Both paths are difficult to tread on, so I don’t want to do both of them half-heartedly.”

While she was a high school student, Akanashi Rinko was still a painter.

Her talent had been recognized by not only the art dealer that gave her an offer, but also by various other people. Her peers might be unable to recognize her paintings and pen name, but anyone in the industry would recognize her as a monstrous genius, the kind of talent that would only appear once every thousand years.

“This is my choice, the path that I want to walk on. Whatever the result is, I won’t hold a grudge against anyone about it. That’s why, Aoi, can you help me? As a friend?”

“…No, this is too heavy for me…”

“I see. I guess so, huh?”

Unknowingly, Aoi managed to involve herself into the turning point of Rinko’s life.

* * *

It would be no exaggeration to say that Takayuki’s middle school days were filled with Yui’s abusive words. Especially during his third year, where Yui endlessly gave him hell for it.

“So that’s why you were late… But, still, are you for real? Sending a kouhai to the infirmary because they were anemic is fine, but do you feel the need to stay there to the point that you came in late?!”

“Sorry…”

Spring of the third year of middle school. Takayuki got scolded by Yui again.

During a short period of time between the homeroom and the first period. Yui dragged Takayuki out of the classroom and made him dogeza in the hallway. With an angry expression on her face, Yui folded her arms in front of her chest and looked down at him with a cold stare.

“Takayuki. I’m not saying that helping people is bad. But, ‘helping people without any regards for yourself’ is an extremely foolish thing to do. It’s borderline self-harming yourself. Do you understand what I’m saying? Helping people is fine, but keep it reasonable!”

“You’re right. Sorry, I’ll reflect on it.”

“Sorry? Reflect on it? Just how many times have you said those words to me, hm?”

“Ouch! OW!”

Yui had the habit of pulling Takayuki’s cheeks each time she got angry. Not with force though, as she only pulled them lightly. But, the strength she put in was enough to show him that she was angry.

“…Haah. Do you really get what I’m saying?”

“Yes, I do. I understand that you’re worried about me, Yui.”

“Who’s worried about you?!”

As far as Takayuki knew, Yui never acted this way except with him.

Takayama Yui was someone who was calm, reserved and always paid attention to her surroundings. One could say that she was flawless. But, for some reason, she always lost her cool whenever she was dealing with Takayuki.

This fact made Takayuki feel ashamed. He felt that he was too lacking as her friend and he didn’t deserve the care she gave him all this time.

“Do you understand? The more you go out of your way to help someone out, the more they feel burdened about it. That’s why, try to gain some benefit from your actions. Don’t act as if you’re a saint. It’s better for you to act like a bad person, but still help out someone when they need to.”

“How do I act like a bad person, then?”

“For the time being, try to speak more bluntly. Change your tone of speech, dress yourself up to make you look more like a delinquent.”

“Yui. I got a feeling that your personal taste is involved in that advice.”

“You must have imagined it.”

Yui cursed him, but he just received her words willingly.

In their middle school days, the two of them spent their days together like that.

Even after they eventually got separated, they never denied that they once had that kind of relationship in the past.

* * *

Back to the present.

“I never expected you to do this. Seriously, I don’t know what to do with you, Satou-san.”

Takayuki was currently sitting on a bench while receiving a sermon from Karin.

Yes, a sermon from someone younger than himself. Takayuki had his own thoughts about this matter, but the other party was right, so he couldn’t really argue against her.

“…Haah, look at that face. No remorse at all.”

“Wait, Kuramori. I understand your dismay against me, but who are you sending that text to? Oh no, I have a bad feeling about this.”

Karin stared at Takayuki, completely ignoring his words as she operated her phone.

“So, why did you run out of the bus just to help that child?”

“You did the same thing after you saw me doing that.”

“I did it out of obligation. I’ll be disqualified as your caretaker if I just let you run off like that.”

Seeing her accusatory gaze made Takayuki feel uncomfortable. However, he didn’t feel that out of any kind of ill-feelings, rather he felt thankful to her. Just a few minutes ago, both Karin and Takayuki were taking the injured kid they helped back to her parents… After wasting a few hours of getting lost first though…

“Give me a proper answer, Satou-san.”

Since he felt indebted to her for accompanying him in the moderately hard work despite today being a holiday, Takayuki had no choice but to answer her.

“Well, I saw a child crouching from inside the bus. There’s no one around her. As a normal person, I should at least find out what’s going on.”

“A normal person wouldn’t cancel their plan just for something like this. Unless the plan is something unimportant. So, is cheering for your senpai with Kageyama-san unimportant to you?”

“…That’s…”

Takayuki involuntarily fell silent after hearing Karin’s words.

Her words hit a sore spot for him. In fact, what remained in Takayuki’s heart after rescuing the child wasn’t a sense of accomplishment, but a sense of guilt. Regret over the fact that he couldn’t abandon someone in misfortune and kept acting impulsively for them.

He didn’t regret that he helped that child, but he regretted not being able to cheer for Haruka because of it.

“The fact that you’re talking casually like this to me means that the match is already over, right?”

“…Yeah. They played against a strong opponent. They gave a good fight, but in the end they lost and got eliminated in the first round.”

“I saw you fiddling on your phone while looking for the lost child’s parents. You were probably either texting Kageyama-san or that senpai of yours to apologize, but along the way, she told you the result of the match.”

Karin’s guesses were correct.

Originally, Takayuki had contacted them to tell them that he’ll come over and join them after helping the lost child. However, along the way, he received the news that Haruka’s team had been eliminated in the first round from both of them.

“Were they angry at you?”

“Kageyama is still angry at me. She sent me, ‘I understand your situation, but you should know better.’ and other messages along that line for a while now.”

“I see. So that’s why your phone has been buzzing non-stop. What about the other senpai? The one who had a match.”

Takayuki frowned at his own foolishness before answering her question.

“She told me, ‘Yes, I might have lost, but don’t you dare take pity on me! I’ll beat you up if you do! It feels bad that you weren’t there to cheer on me, but your senpai isn’t so pitiful that she’d get sad for something like that!’”

“That person is a tough one.”

“Yeah, she is much stronger than me.”

“…Is she important to you?”

“Yes… She’s a good friend of mine…”

After a moment of hesitation, Takayuki said those words firmly. Haruka was his friend. Even after she confessed to him and kissed him, she was still a friend to him.

“If that’s the case, then this can’t go on.”

Karin hurled strong words of rejection toward Takayuki.

“Helping someone is okay. I won’t denounce you for doing it. But at the cost of yourself and someone important to you? Now, that is a different story.”

She got up from the bench and stood in front of Takayuki as she said that. Then, while looking down on him, she continued.

“Also, you’ll hurt the people you helped too. Just think about it. What if the girl you just helped found out about your current situation? Don’t think about how or why she got to find out about it. Just think about the possibility first. Do you think she’ll be happy if she were to find out that the person who saved her was actually hurting himself in the process?”

Despite her words, Karin wasn’t angry at him.

Takayuki could tell that. After all, she didn’t wear her usual expressionless face, rather, she seemed to be sad about something.

“I see. You’re right… Ugh, I had a friend tell me about the same thing a long time ago. I told her that I’ll reflect on it properly, but it seems like I haven’t changed even a little since then.”

That was why he spouted those self-deprecative words. He understood that Karin was being genuine and her words reminded himself of his past.

“Yes. You’re hopeless, Satou-san… A hopeless high schooler like you has no business in playing as a hero.”

“Did your collaborators tell you to say those words to me?”

“Who knows.”

“…Well, I can tell that much at least.”

Facing Karin’s grim look, Takayuki averted his gaze and smiled. Not with her usual fearless, irreverent smile, but one filled with self-hatred.

“If you know that I aim to be a hero, then you should have got what you wanted. I don’t live a decent life, you can stop observing me.”

“That’s for me to decide.”

“Don’t bother. I don’t know who’s the one who asked you to do this, but you should just forget about it. Don’t try to get involved with a failure like me. You know that the only person who’d wish to be a hero at my age would either be someone who’s all talk or someone like me, an idiot who couldn’t even tell his own self-worth unless he’s throwing his life away to help someone out.”

Karin’s frown became even deeper after hearing those self-deprecative words coming from him.

“They said that excessive modesty equals sarcasm, but what you’re doing, demeaning yourself just because you heard about someone else’s opinion of you, is even worse than that.”

“I don’t want to hear those words come from an idiot who hangs around a high schooler everywhere while calling herself as his fiancee for no reason.”

“…”

“My bad… I’m sorry. You were worried about me and I made you cry in return. I shoulda known better. Please forgive me.”

“I’m not crying. Dust got into my eyes.”

Karin wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before glaring daggers at Takayuki.

A middle schooler had already given him that kind of look, the only option for him would be to yield here. If he still didn’t yield then, he wouldn’t be a fool anymore, but a demon.

“Kuramori. I’m not trying to imply anything here, but I’m just curious… Why did you approach me while saying that you wanted to be an understanding fiancee for me? Is there some kind of circumstances behind it?”

His words were filled with genuine concern toward Karin.

“In the first place, you didn’t have to go out of your way to pretend to be someone who’s in need of a consultant. You can just approach me directly while telling me that you came because that certain someone behind you asked you to do this. Whoever that someone was, since they were asking you to do this, they must be closely related to me. It would be easier for you to mention their name instead. We wouldn’t need to have that kind of standoff back when we first met.”

Takayuki hadn’t mentioned anything about this until now because he expected that whoever it was behind her would eventually create an opening for him to exploit. He also expected that after finding out that Reina was someone who was connected to the supernaturals, Karin would eventually slip up and drag down the person behind her along with her.

But the situation had changed. She was seriously concerned about him, so he had to act in a good faith in response.

“Correct. I have my reasons.”

And Karin understood that his words were out of concern for her. So, she suppressed her irritation and replied with logic while putting away her emotion.

“Firstly, I pretended to be someone who is in need of a consultation because I want to see how you interact with your clients. Secondly, I didn’t tell you the name of the person behind me because I’m waiting for the right time to do so. One day, I’ll definitely tell you everything. And lastly, the reason why I told you I want to be an understanding fiancee for you…”

Karin broke off her words for a moment. Her eyes were still red, but she stared directly into Takayuki’s eyes despite that.

“Actually, let’s turn this into a trade. If you tell me the reason why you decided to be a hero, I’ll tell you the reason.”

This time, Takayuki didn’t run away from her gaze. After a few deep breaths, he answered her question.

“… Because I’m scared.”

“Scared?”

Karin involuntarily opened her eyes wide after hearing his words. It was understandable as the words didn’t fit his appearance at all.

“Yeah. I kept saying ‘that’s what a normal person would do,’ but that’s just an excuse. The real reason why I kept helping people is because I’m scared. It isn’t like there isn’t any other drive behind my actions, but fear is the main reason behind it. I’m afraid that if I were to stop helping people, people around me will give up on me. No, rather, I’m afraid of being disappointed in myself if I were to stop…”

Takayuki said such weak words, words that he never uttered in front of Aoi and Yui. Words that described his true feelings that he had been trying to hide.

“That’s why I did all that. I don’t want anyone to be disappointed in me, that’s why I moved to help people without thinking twice about it. I know it’s a bad habit of mine and I’ve been trying my best to fix it, but it’s hard.”

“Even if you stop helping people, no one will abandon you.”

“True, but there’s still a possibility…”

His tone was weak, but Takayuki still forced himself to finish his words.

“That’s why I tried to be a hero. So that someday, I’ll be able to help people with a more proper reason instead of the pathetic one I currently have. I want to gain that reason and puff my chest proudly. I know it sounds like wishful thinking for a coward like me. You can laugh at me if you want to.”

“I won’t laugh at you.”

“Then, forget about it.”

Takayuki said with a self-deprecating smile.

“I will never forget it. I won’t forget the reason why you decided to become a hero.”

However, Karin rejected his words with a firm attitude.

With a determined look, Karin stared at Takayuki and said,

“I will never forget someone like you. Someone who works hard for his goals.”

“…Is that so?”

“After all, it’s sad when people forget about everything that they should remember.”

Those words hit home for Takayuki. As someone who was connected with the supernaturals, it was hard to find someone who could relate so strongly with him. Most of the people he met could only see him through the lens of common sense that distorted their views from the truth.

It was because of this that the existence of a partner was valued so highly by people like him.

“…Uuu… sniff I’m so happy… My Rin-chan has grown up…”

“Woah! S-Since when–?!”

Unknowingly, Karin’s words found their way to penetrate Reina’s heart, who had been hiding next to Takayuki this whole time.

“…Reina-san. Please stop sneaking around and eavesdropping on other people’s conversation.”

Her partner gave her a look of disapproval for her actions though.

“Hehehe. I’m sorry. But, your words moved me so much!”

“Haah… Sorry, Satou-san. It’s probably due to the side effect of her ability, but her presence is abnormally thin. Even I couldn’t find her if she were to go out of her way to hide like that.”

“I-I see…”

Meanwhile, Takayuki, who spoke out his true feelings, thinking that there was only Karin in this place, was feeling depressed because of this development.

“See? Your prank is in bad taste, Reina-san! Apologize properly!”

“Sorry for eavesdropping, Takayuki-kun. I’ll make it up to you properly later, okay?”

“Oh, jeez!”

Karin then proceeded to hit Reina lightly with the force of a playful kitten. At that moment, her phone buzzed. Someone texted her.

“Mm, it’s time.”

After confirming the content of the text, Karin grabbed Reina’s hand and pulled her closer. It was supposed to be a heartwarming gesture, like a child pulling her mother’s arm, but Karin’s expressionless face made it hard to think of it that way.

“Alright, we’ll leave it at that for today.”

“No, wait. You haven’t told me the third reason yet.”

To Takayuki who tried to stop her, Karin replied curtly.

“It’s just sentimentalism. That’s the reason why I declared myself as your fiancee. A long, long time ago. During that ‘summer vacation.’ I wish that I met you during that time.”

“What did you mean—”

“It’s a secret. I can’t tell you about it now.”

“…That’s just unfair.”

Even though she received Takayuki’s dissatisfied look, Karin was unperturbed. Instead, she replied to him properly without losing any composure.

“Girls are sneaky like that, get used to it, Satou-san. Also, this is a cliche development, but you really should think more before you act. Especially when you know that there are people who’d never let you off easily when things like this happen.”

Then, with an expressionless face, she said,

“This is my payback for what you’ve done ages ago. Are you confused? Good. Be as confused as possible.”

“Um?”

When Takayuki tilted his head in confusion, both Karin and Reina had already left the park. Almost immediately, he got his answer to Karin’s ominous words as he saw two people entering the park.

“Oi, that idiot over there.”

“Satou-kun.”

Seeing Yui and Aoi, walking side by side, with the former wearing an angry face and the latter donning her beautiful smile, Takayuki realized that his fate was sealed.

““Tell me everything.””

“…Yes.”

And so, with flowers in both hands, Takayuki received a heart-wrenching scolding.

* * *

The scolding Takayuki received from Yui and Aoi mostly consisted of something along the lines of, ‘If you were going to do something like that, tell the others about it first, you idiot!’ Apparently, Karin was acquaintanced with Yui and they had been contacting each other during the search for the lost child’s parents. As for Aoi, Yui contacted her about this and she was more than glad to join in scolding Takayuki. After understanding the situation, they cut the scolding short and dragged him to the volleyball club so that he could apologize to Haruka.

Aoi made it possible that he could go there. The driver was arranged by Yui. Meanwhile, Takayuki, who was guilty of breaking his own promise, was in charge of buying an apology gift as well as apologizing. With this division of roles, everything was done quickly and they managed to resolve the problem before Takayuki’s interpersonal relationship deteriorated even further.

“I’ll have the pancake set, a tropical parfait and a piece of cheesecake, please.”

“One grilled chicken, please. C’mon, Satou-kun, you can order something too. No need to be shy.”

“…Another refill, please.”

However, everything came with a price.

After the apology, the three of them went to a family restaurant. To show his appreciation for the two’s efforts, Takayuki treated them to a good meal.

“H-Hahaha… I can feel my wallet getting lighter…”

“You haven’t even paid for anything, you idiot.”

“This is a cheap price for breaking your promise to Haru-kun, don’t you think?”

“…Yes.”

The seating position was, Takayuki sitting by himself, facing the two girls across the table. Both of them were glaring at him, but they wolfed down their food nonetheless.

“Mm! Sweet things are the best thing to relieve stress!”

Aoi was eating the sweets with precision and speed, but she still looked graceful as she was doing so. It didn’t look like she was eating quickly from her gesture, but her speed could be seen clearly from how fast her food disappeared from her plate. Seeing her eating made Takayuki feel some joy.

“Nom nom…”

On the other hand, Yui’s gestures were bold and vigorous, despite the cold look on her eyes. She opened her mouth widely and bit into the chunk of chicken without any hesitation. Though, unlike a beast, she didn’t leave leftovers on her cheeks.

Takayuki watched them eating in a daze. He wasn’t jealous of them or anything though, he just stared at them while sipping his orange juice.

““Thanks for the food!””

By the time Takayuki finished his second drink, they had already gulped down their food.

“Alright, now that I’m done scolding him, I’m going to go home. You two should discuss the rest among yourself.”

After finishing her meal, Yui casually stood up from her seat.

“Ah, Yu— I mean, Takayama. I have a question for you…”

“Depending on the question, I won’t give you the answer you’re looking for.”

Takayuki stopped her. Yui let out a sigh before she sat back down again.

“So, Kuramori contacted you just now, right? Then you were the one who contacted Miyama… Anyway, are you close with Kuramori?”

“She’s a friend. Before you say anything, I know that she has been following you.”

Not only that, but she was also the one who gave her all the information she needed about him. Aoi knew this, so she gave Yui a dissatisfied look, but Yui just ignored her.

But Takayuki was unaware of this interaction, so he asked her another question,

“I see. Then, can you tell me how to contact her parents? I know she has someone that could be called her guardian, but I still need to visit her parents properly at least once.”

To this innocent question, Yui narrowed her eyes and answered,

“That’s impossible. Karin doesn’t have parents.”

“…What?”

Not only Takayuki, even Aoi was shocked by those words. Nevertheless, Yui didn’t care about their reactions and continued her words.

“Her father passed away from an illness before she started pre-school. Her mother left her behind five years ago. Our branch family is her mother’s family, so they’re the ones currently taking care of her. However, that family has the laissez-faire policy, they’re just taking care of her because it’s their responsibility and not because they are emotionally attached to her.”

Yui continued to say those shocking facts like they were nothing.

“They didn’t make her life difficult and they’d spend their time for her if she ever asked them to, but they only did it out of their sense of duty instead of love. They aren’t her family, but a bunch of strangers living in the same house as her. That was the kind of environment she grew up in.”

She said all those words casually, but Takayuki didn’t doubt any of her words. He knew what Yui’s personality was like. She wouldn’t say something like that as a joke.

That was why he was so stunned by Karin’s unexpected background and tried to say something.

“That girl… Kuramori—:”

“Don’t pity her.”

Yui cut his words before he could say anything else. Her tone was as strong and harsh as usual.

“Don’t treat her past as some kind of a tragedy novel. Don’t treat her as if she’s a pitiful fellow. Both of you might have lost someone important, but don’t try to put yourself in her shoes. You are you, Karin is Karin. Do you understand my words?”

Takayuki knew. Yui always said that she wasn’t a kind person.

“Only Karin herself has the right to determine the value of her own life. The only thing that you should do is to face her properly.”

Takayuki knew. Yui was a prideful girl.

Takayama Yui was a girl who aimed to live a noble life. She despised any kind of cheap sympathy.

“Also, Miyama-san, you don’t need to worry. Karin already gave me permission to talk about this in advance.”

“…I understand. Thank you for your consideration for me.”

Yui sent a dry smile to the discouraged Aoi. It wasn’t a smile filled with arrogance, but one filled with approval over the fact that it was Aoi who stayed by Takayuki’s side.

“Then, I’ll leave everything to you two.”

“Takayama.”

“What?”

Yui stood up again without dropping her smile, but as soon as she heard Takayuki calling out to her again, her expression became distorted.

“Thanks for helping me out today.”

“…Hmph. Say those words to your partner, idiot.”

Then with a foul expression on her face, she walked away.

At first glance, it felt like she spouted those words to hide her embarrassment, but there was a more complex emotion behind them.

* * *

“…Another shiratama anmitsu, please.”

“Oi, Miyama, are you okay? I’m worried about your stomach. Won’t you get fat if you eat that much?”

“Hmph. I just need to move as much as I eat. Also, it’s none of your business.”

After Yui left, Aoi proceeded to lighten Takayuki’s wallet even further.

Takayuki could tell that she was in this kind of mood because of Yui, but he didn’t know the exact reason why. Then he remembered the last thing that Yui said before he left.

“I see. Well, I’m really thankful for all that you’ve done, Miyama. I don’t mind spending all my money to treat you to some sweets, but please don’t overdo it. I’m really worried about your health.”

“…W-What? I-If that’s what you’re worried about, I told you, it’s none of your business.”

Seeing Aoi pouting her lips before turning her face away made Takayuki realize that Yui’s words were spot on. Yes, they might be partners, but things like gratitude still had to be said properly. He figured out that the reason why she was sulking was because he failed to do so regularly.

After swearing to change his ways in his heart, Takayuki bowed his head.

“I know this is late, but I really want to give you my heartfelt thanks, Miyama. Thank you for covering my mistakes this time. If you weren’t there, I would’ve hurted Haruka-senpai even more.”

“Hmph. Raise your head, Satou-kun. Remember that I’m your partner. Me helping you out is a given. Remember. I. Am. Your. Partner. Okay?”

“Yes, I’ll remember that.”

Takayuki raised his head and gave her a nod. His action made a smile blossom on her face.

“Hehe, good. Always keep that in mind and rely on me even more in the future!”

“No, I can’t do that. We are partners, we’re supposed to be equals. I need to help you as much as you help me. That’s why if you ever need my help, just tell me.”

Aoi pondered after hearing his words for a moment.

“Hmm… Come to think of it, there’s that troublesome case. Thanks to the sweets, I forgot about all the stress that one case gave me. As expected, sweets are justice!”

“I never knew justice was so expensive… Anyway, what are you talking about?”

“Well, an unruly senpai asked me for some love advice.”

Of course, prior to this, Aoi had already received permission from Rinko to seek help from people she deemed as trustworthy. That was why there would be no particular problem if she were to confide in Takayuki about this.

“Jeez, that person is as stubborn as an ox. I gotta give props to Akanashi-senpai. Making that kind of deal with that person is quite something.”

“Huh? You know Iwanaga-sensei, Satou-kun?”

Aoi tilted her head as she asked him that question. She was curious about the relationship between the rule-abiding teacher and the delinquent student.

“We aren’t that close, but we do talk to each other occasionally. From those conversations, I know how stubborn that person is… Well, on the other hand, because of his stubbornness, he won’t lie to her, so I guess that’s one good thing about this case.”

“I see. If you say so, Satou-kun, I guess I can count on that. Anyway, the problem here is how to find out about his private life. Rinko-senpai was thinking about hiring a detective if things came down to it, but… Hiring a detective for a love affair is a bit…”

“Hmm…” Aoi closed her mouth tightly as she mulled over the problem. The sight of her wrinkling her eyebrows while swaying her body from side to side could make anyone who saw her look think that her gesture was cute. Though the girl was thinking seriously.

“That’s unusual, Miyama.”

That was why Takayuki ended up saying what was on his mind.

“Unusual? What do you mean?”

“I thought you’re the kind of person who’d avoid people that you don’t particularly like. But you’re going this far for her.”

“That’s… Um… I-I mean… I owed her something, so…”

At first, Aoi mumbled her words, but as she continued, they became clearer.

“While I find her annoying, I can’t just leave her alone.”

Her smile resembled the smile of a mother who had just caught up in her child’s pranks.

“After all, this rotten relationship of ours had started ever since we were in middle school.”

Aoi began to reminisce about her memories with Akanashi Rinko.

* * *

Fall of the first year of middle school was the first time Aoi met Rinko.

It was an unusually cold morning on the weekend. Aoi went to the park where she promised to meet up with her friends. Their plan was to play around in the city for the day.

Suddenly, with a thud, a small figure fell in the park.

“…Eh? Are you okay?!”

Maybe because the park was located at the top of a steep slope, there was barely anyone there. There were some children playing around nearby, but they were only grade schoolers at most. Aoi was the only person around who was able to deal with the situation.

“Phew… It’s okay… It’s okay… All that time I spent reading all those medical manga shouldn’t be in vain! It’s your moment now, Miyama Aoi!”

For reasons she herself failed to understand, Aoi hyped herself up to try and help the collapsed person despite her being a complete amateur at this.

“…U-Uuu… Where… Is this?…”

Luckily for her, the person immediately woke up after the first procedure. With that, Aoi understood that the matter didn’t seem to be much of a big deal. The person also didn’t seem to have any external injuries.

“Ah, thank god, you woke up! You’re in the park right now! You suddenly collapsed in front of me. Are you okay? Are you hurt or maybe you are in some kind of trouble?”

Aoi asked in a gentle tone, as if she was talking to a younger child. It was understandable though, as the person in front of her looked exactly like a child.

With their long, unkempt, shaggy hair, tattered duffle coat that had gone through the passage of time and their small build, it was not a surprise that Aoi’d assume that the person was younger than her.

“…M-My stomach…”

“Your stomach? Is it hurting?”

“…No… I’m…hungry…”

“…What?”

But, her assumption was completely wrong. That person was Akanashi Rinko, a senpai that went to the same school as her. She wasn’t in pain, she was just hungry because she had been sketching in the park while forgetting to eat.

It wasn’t until a few hours later that Aoi found out about the full situation and burst in anger.

* * *

In middle school, Aoi was so full of herself, trying to play as a hero of justice to the point that she treated that part of her life as her black history nowadays. This was even more so back when she was a first year. She’d always gone out of her way to look for someone that she could show off her overflowing sense of justice to.

Since the older student in front of her seemed to be in some kind of problem, she was a perfect target for her.

Back then, Aoi was more than willing to come over to her house to stick her nose to her affairs. Especially after she found out that the girl went into the same school as her and was a well-known truant.

“Hello, Rinko-senpai! I’m here to cook you something to eat!”

“…You don’t need to come everyday…”

However, as the target of Aoi’s overflowing sense of justice, Rinko felt depressed about her situation. Yes, for Rinko back then, Aoi wasn’t someone she particularly liked.

“Oh, c’mon, don’t be like that~ I know I’m pretty and caring, and you’re overwhelmed by me willingly taking care of you, but you don’t need to mind it that much~ By the way, it’s cold out there today, so let’s have some kamonabe²Kamonabe literally meant duck hot pot. I think it’s self-explanatory.!”

“…You just don’t listen to others, do you?”

Even so, Rinko couldn’t exactly reject her, since after Aoi saved her, she got a hold of her weakness, which were her identity as a well-known truant and the location of her house. Also, it wasn’t like she had the option to refuse her as her health would deteriorate even further without her.

Aoi knew about this, so she used this weakness of hers to slowly entrap Rinko to satisfy her desires.

“Now, now, eat plenty and get well soon!”

“So noisy…”

Aoi secretly giggled as she placed the kamonabe on the table.

She had already finished her research on Rinko. Rinko was a second year who, at one point, stopped coming to school because she failed to fit in with her surroundings. She was a member of the art club, a well-known genius among them. Both her parents had jobs and they always came back home at midnight. Maybe because she was painting all the time, she practically neglected herself. Inadequate living environment, clothing and food were only part of her problems. Her room was a mess and she never changed her clothes.

With that information, Aoi calculated that if she were able to rehabilitate Rinko, then everyone at school would view her as a hero.

“Yes, yes, you ate a lot, didn’t you? Alright, now that you’re done eating, let’s take a bath, shall we? You’re a little stinky, but some good rubbing will fix that!”

“…You… Planned this all along, didn’t you?… S-Stop…”

Aoi’s plan was to take care of Rinko and make her voluntarily go to school by persuading her both mentally and physically. Due to her forceful actions, her actions were actually more counterproductive than anything, but at that time, Aoi was so full of herself to the point that she failed to notice this fact.

This was a week after they first met.

* * *

“Rinko-senpai, if it’s hard for you to go to school, then, please don’t force yourself. There are various forms of educational facilities nowadays anyway, you don’t need to go to school.”

A month after they met and three weeks after Aoi started taking care of Rinko. Aoi had already grown fond of Rinko. Instead of her original plan of trying to be viewed as a hero by the student body, she decided that it would be better to ensure her happiness instead.

“Why are you saying something like that when I finally gained the will to go to school on my own, Aoi?”

But, Aoi’s remarks were confusing for Rinko.

After all, she was the person who’d been yelling at her for the past month to go to school. If she wasn’t her benefactor, Rinko woulda slapped her already. But after seeing her efforts and how caring she was, Rinko also grew fond of Aoi.

But, when she decided to finally go to school to make her happy, this was her reaction. Rinko was puzzled.

“B-But, didn’t you say that school is boring? I can’t let you go to a place like that!”

“Don’t you go there everyday? Also, you were the one who has been telling me to go. I mean, I don’t want to be a tool for you to satisfy your twisted sense of justice, but at the same time, it doesn’t feel bad being taken care of by you. That’s why I decided to take advantage of your kindness and go.”

“You’re a dear friend of mine, Rinko-senpai! Don’t demean yourself as a tool or whatnot ever again!”

“S-Sorry… I-I never knew that you liked me this much…”

Rinko couldn’t hide her bewilderment toward Aoi, who was staring at her with teary eyes.

She had already found out about what Aoi was planning since the very beginning, but she hadn’t realized that Aoi actually thought of her as one of her most important friends.

“Why do you like me anyway? It doesn’t seem like you’re interested in my art and aside from art, I’m no better than any other person out there… So, why do you like me?”

“Rinko-senpai, you’re an idiot!”

“Gya!”

Aoi suddenly hugged Rinko, who started talking in a self-deprecative way.

“You might be stinky, terrible at housework and hate everyone, but you’re fun to hang around with! I enjoy being with you! You have a different perspective about a lot of things compared to me, so I always learned something whenever I talk with you! Above all, you even went out of your way to try to go to school just because of me even though you hate it!”

“G-Got it, c-could you please stop hugging me? You’re putting too much strength on it!”

“That’s how much I love you!”

“Your love is hurting me!”

After escaping from Aoi’s embrace, Rinko gasped for breath as she realized the weight of Aoi’s feelings toward her.

Aoi was cold toward the opposite sex, but when it came to the same sex, her skinship could be excessive to the point that she could actually hurt the other person.

Though, her overflowing affection was proof of how much she actually liked the other person, so more often than not, they’d forgive her for it.

“I get it, I understand how you feel. But that’s the reason why I decided to go to school.”

“But why?! You don’t need to force yourself!”

And Rinko was one of the people who forgave her for it. Despite her rotten initial motive, in the end Aoi abandoned it and became genuinely worried for her sake.

“I’m not forcing myself. You see, I’m interested in school now. Aoi, I want to spend my school life with you.”

“Rinko-senpai…”

Seeing Aoi’s eyes starting to tear up, Rinko couldn’t help but let out a giggle.

“You don’t need to be so dramatic. Anyway, if I need help I can just rely on you, right?”

“Of course! I’ll sell my soul to the devil to help you!”

“Didn’t I tell you to not be so dramatic? …Well, whatever.”

Rinko grabbed her own hair in the middle of her sentence and let out a smile. She came up with a good idea.

“For now, can you recommend a good hairdresser for me?”

That was how their friendship began. From then on, they went to school together, hung out together and experienced various things together.

And Aoi, who grew to be more mature as time passed, would always end up getting teased by Rinko as she kept mentioning about her antics back when she was younger.

* * *

“What rotten relationship? You are practically into each other…”

“…Uh…”

That was Takayuki’s response after hearing Aoi’s old story.

“B-But, Satou-kun! She kept tormenting me with her bizarre actions! She’s inconsiderate! Always dragging me to stupid things without minding the time and place! No matter how much I complained to her, she’d only brush it with ‘I know you love me, Aoi,’ and it’s driving me insane! I swear, one day I’d block her account…”

“Why haven’t you done it then?”

“…Hmph.”

Despite her calling Rinko ‘unruly senpai,’ the bond between them was strong. Aoi might say that their relationship was based on the give and take principle, but the truth was, if one of them were in trouble, the other one would lend her aid without any hesitation.

“A-Anyway, she was talking about love so seriously, so I couldn’t just say no to her. It’s a miracle that a weirdo like her, who only has interest in painting, somehow managed to fall in love with someone. That’s why… Um… I-I can’t just leave her alone. Is what I’m doing bad?”

“No, of course not.”

Takayuki responded to her words with a fearless grin.

“Got it. I’ll make sure that she and Iwanaga-sensei will be able to meet up outside school.”

“Really?! But…how?”

A second after she smiled beautifully, Aoi’s face turned serious as she asked Takayuki that question.

“There are a lot of ways to do it. Recently, I made an acquaintance who seems to be experienced handling this kind of thing. I can just ask them for help… Also, I have an ‘insurance,’ just in case everything turns out to be a failure.”

Takayuki thought that it would be more than possible for Rinko and Shuzou to meet outside of school. He even had an insurance that would definitely make both of them meet each other without fail. Hence, the only problem they had to tackle would be everything that would happen after the two of them met.

“I’ll cooperate with you, Miyama, but please tell that senpai to prepare herself in advance. While I can make the two of them meet, I can’t ensure that her confession will go through. Even if it seems that she has a good chance—”

“Ah, Rinko-senpai told me that she had already prepared herself to be rejected by him. She said that when that happens, she’d just start her career as a painter overseas.”

Takayuki’s concern was immediately dispelled by Aoi’s words.

“I-I see… Your senpai is one hell of a girl…”

Aoi smiled at Takayuki, who seemed to be flabbergasted.

“Naturally. Though her personality is troublesome and arrogant, she is still someone that I can rely on.”

Her smile was filled with pride as she described what her close friend was like.

* * *

“Oh my, helping a cute girl who fell in love with her strict teacher? Hehehe… I don’t see any reason to say no to that!”

A few days later. Takayuki invited Reina and Karin to a coffee shop. The reason being, he wanted to ask for their help to solve Rinko’s case. With Reina being herself, someone who wouldn’t easily be remembered by anyone, she was the best person he could ask to investigate Shuzou’s daily life pretty much unnoticed.

Of course, Takayuki had an ‘insurance’ and the means to call Shuzou out by himself if the needs arose, however, he’d only use them as a last resort. It would be best if Reina was able to gain the information they needed and settle the matter as peacefully as they could.

He didn’t expect that she’d immediately agree without him trying to coax her, though.

“Wait, Reina-san?”

“It’s that, you know? The royal road! If this is a shoujou manga, this kind of pattern surely can be counted as the royal road! This kind of development is too charming for me to not lend my hand!”

“Don’t agree to help someone with that kind of half-assed reason, please.”

Naturally, Karin, who was sitting next to Reina, protested while glaring at her for accepting the request without much thought. She expected her to at least hear more of the situation on hand before accepting it.

“Oh my, sorry, Karin-chan, but I owe a debt to Takayuki-kun because of the little prank I did the other day. Besides, it won’t be hard to follow that teacher around. I’ve been following Takayuki-kun around lately, don’t you think it’s good for me to accept this request for a change of pace and for all the troubles we’ve caused him?”

“…Ugh… T-That’s…”

However, Reina didn’t back down and instead asserted her thoughts even more, as if trying to pressure Karin. On the other hand, Karin couldn’t say anything against her, despite her having her own ideas about this matter.

“Wait, Himuro, Kuramori is right. While I do find you two following me around annoying at first, but after the lost child’s case, I don’t really feel that way anymore.That’s why, you don’t need to worry about this sort of thing.”

Instead, it was Takayuki who denied Reina’s words. Though, he did it more because he was afraid the conversation would end right there and then.

His words were genuine, though. After the lost child’s case, Takayuki had begun to open up to Karin more. In fact, part of the reason why he interjected was because he wanted to help Karin out.

“…I don’t know how to feel after hearing those words, Satou-san.”

“Hehehe, you’re exactly the kind of person I expected you to be, Takayuki-kun.”

“Once you start to trust someone, you’d also start to go easy on them, huh, Satou-kun?”

However, all he received from the other three were their retorts.

Everyone sitting in the coffee shop already knew Takayuki’s personality to a certain degree, that was why they could be in sync in admonishing him.

“Alright, I’ll accept this request because I don’t want Takayuki-kun to do something reckless if I were to refuse. Any objection?~”

““None.””

Eventually, the three girls reached the same conclusion; it would be better for Reina to accept this request to prevent Takayuki from going out of control. At this result, Takayuki could only nod his head. Since it was just the other day that he caused some troubles, Takayuki didn’t have any right to complain.

Therefore, before they could admonish him even further, he moved on to the next topic of conversation.

“Ah, also Kuramori, Himuro, I’m not doing this as a thank you for accepting my request, but rather it’s my way of showing my trust in you. I’m going to tell you about my ability. …Time to make a fool out of myself.”

It was to make sure that they would be able to solve this case smoothly, also to build a certain level of trust between them. Takayuki proposed a heart-to-heart talk between them.

“Oh my, that’s a good one. Karin-chan, I’m going to do the same so that we don’t need to be vigilant against each other anymore. Is that okay with you?”

“Right… I’ve been thinking about doing that for a while and it wouldn’t look good for us if I were to refuse, anyway…”

At Takayuki’s suggestion, Karin and Reina nodded their heads. After knowing Takayuki’s personality, they concluded that it would be better to drop the unnecessary vigilance toward each other as it would only stress them more as time went on.

Once Takayuki received their agreements, he turned his head toward Aoi, who nodded, as if saying, ‘Go ahead,’ urging him to continue the conversation. Since the lost child case, Takayuki had been learning to consult with Aoi before doing anything big.

“Alright, I’ll start. My ability’s name is ‘Sugar Spice.’ With it, I can eat someone’s love. The side effect of this ability is that whenever I use it on someone, they’ll forget everything about it and think that I solved their problems using a method that adheres to common sense.”

Takayuki’s explanation didn’t seem to surprise both Reina and Karin. Just as Aoi and Takayuki had been trying to figure out what Reina’s ability was, both of them had also been doing the same.

“I see. So, I assume that you ate Minoru-kun’s love for me?”

Reina, who had already guessed his ability to a certain extent, smiled and asked him that question. She was there when it happened, hiding while observing from behind the scene, but she still wanted to hear everything properly from Takayuki’s mouth.

“Yeah, I ate his love for you. He was the one asking for it though, as he felt that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his promise otherwise.”

“…I see. That’s a relief, then. Thank you for saving that child, Takayuki-kun.”

Her smile wasn’t her usual gentle smile, but one that was filled with gratitude and a little hint of loneliness.

“…”

Karin, who was sitting next to her, looked at her expression with a somewhat sad look, but it didn’t last long. Almost immediately, she wore her expressionless face again.

“No need to thank me. Minoru is my friend. It’s normal for friends to help each other out.”

“Hehe, I guess you’re right. Still, I want to thank you.”

“…Somehow, this feels embarrassing. Let’s drop this and talk about your ability instead.”

“Oh my, hehehe…”

Feeling embarrassed, Takayuki urged her with a blunt tone. Meanwhile Reina was smiling, feeling amused by his reaction.

“…Hmph.”

Aoi watched this situation with mixed feelings.

“Alright, before Takayuki-kun gets into any trouble, let me tell you about my ability.”

Reina glanced at Aoi and began her explanation while smiling.

“My ability’s name is ‘Little Maid.’ It turns me into an immortal. That means, I’ll never be able to die no matter what happens. Whatever ‘change’ I receive, my body will reject it and restore itself to its original state. For example, if I were to do this…”

Right in front of Takayuki and Aoi, Reina bit her finger until it bled. But, the wound disappeared in a blink of an eye. No traces of blood could be seen on the table.

“My body hasn’t changed in any way after I gained this power. I didn’t age nor grow. Even if I starve myself, my body will reject the change and restore itself to its previously healthy state. I’ve tried this before. Also, this sailor uniform I’m proud of comes as a set with my very existence, that’s why this uniform will never get dirty! Well, I get tired of wearing the same outfit all the time, so sometimes, I wear different ones!”

Reina said those words in a rather casual manner, but the content of her words were heavy. Immortality. Aoi gulped after hearing words that would only come up in fantasy stories.

“I see. No wonder your ability’s side effect is way worse than mine. I guess it would take something like being easily forgotten by everyone to balance out immortality.”

While Aoi was surprised, Takayuki was calm. If anything, he seemed satisfied by her explanation. He was relaxed, probably because he had finally found the answer for the question he had in his mind for a while now.

“Yes. My existence itself is against the common sense of this world. That’s why, to correct everyone’s perspective on me, the common sense of this world erased me from everyone’s memories. Well, either that or it distorted everyone’s perspective of me as I’m not someone who’s supposed to exist in the first place. It’s like Nurarihyon³It’s a youkai in the form of an old man with a big head. It would sneak into people’s houses, drink their tea while sitting in their living room while pretending to be the owner of the house. It could make you think that it’s actually the owner though, hence the comparison., you know? The youkai.”

“I see. That’s why they called you ‘Dareka-san.’”

“I was doing my things like usual, before I knew it, an urban legend about me was created.”

“Ah, I feel you. My side effect doesn’t make everyone involved lose their memories, but distort them. There are times when those memories that remained in their brain turned the truth into some kind of bizarre ghost story.”

The two people who were disconnected from common sense were having a cheerful conversation.

Seeing this, Aoi felt a gulf was created between herself and the two of them. A gulf that separated ordinary people like her from the two.

“U-Um, Himuro-san, can I ask you a question?”

“Hm? What is it?”

That was why Aoi voiced that question. To create a bridge so she could cross that gulf. She wanted to stand on the same side as them.

“I’ve never met anyone else who’s connected with the supernatural aside from you two. What about you? Have you met someone other than Satou-kun before this?”

“Yeah, but I haven’t met a lot of them. The last time I met one of them was thirty years ago, so I’m not really familiar with this matter.”

“T-Thirty years ago?!”

Aoi was surprised to hear the words that she said ever so casually. She forced herself to stop pursuing the matter though. Instead, she asked her about the thing she wanted to know the most at the current moment.

“Then, can you tell me what makes people like me and Kuramori different? Why can we distinguish you two from the rest of the crowds?”

Aoi managed to recognize Takayuki’s ability despite her not understanding the logic behind it. This led to a certain fear appearing in her heart. The fear that one day, she’d lose this mysterious qualification that she had.

“Right… Well, I have my own guess about this, but what do you think, Takayuki-kun?”

Under Aoi’s gaze, Reina casually passed the question over to Takayuki. She wasn’t doing this because she was being irresponsible or anything. Rather, because the question came from Takayuki’s partner, she thought that it would be better for Takayuki to say his opinion first.

Even if his answer was way off the mark, it would at least show that he was taking his partner seriously.

“…Give me a minute.”

As a fellow person who was connected with the supernaturals, Takayuki was also aware of Reina’s intention. That was why he fell silent as he mull over what he wanted to say.

From his first meeting with the witch, his reunion with Aoi to the appearance of Haruka, another person who managed to recognize his power. As he traced his memories back, Takayuki came to one conclusion.

“…I’m guessing that it has something to do with love.”

““Love?!””

However, both Aoi and Karin hadn’t heard of the witch’s hint. That was why they retorted as hard as they could the moment they heard his words.

“I see, that’s a good one. As expected of you, Takayuki-kun, that’s a brilliant answer.”

Meanwhile, Reina nodded, pleased by the answer she received.

Karin was troubled by her reaction. While it was true that Karin loved Reina, she was still in the youthful age of puberty. She simply couldn’t accept that Reina said it out loud that she loved her.

“A-Ahem! That wasn’t what you told me, Reina-san! Didn’t you tell me that people like you two were people who went against common sense itself and the people who could recognize your ability had a different perspective about what they considered as common sense? We could become your partners because we either have a flexible perspective or strong emotions that could overwrite that perspective itself. In other words, we have the ability to accept the supernaturals into our common sense!”

With a red face, Karin gave her explanation.

Aoi immediately understood what she was talking about. Ever since she was a young child, she always strongly believed that the supernaturals existed because she believed in the existence of her hero. No matter what anyone else said about it, she continued to believe in her hero and look for him.

“…Hmph.”

With that in mind, she also managed to guess why Haruka could also perceive Takayuki’s power, though she wasn’t sure about it. The more she tried to think about it, the more the vague feelings in her chest grew.

“Honestly, I like Takayuki-kun’s answer more, but what Karin-chan said was correct.”

“…That meant I made a fool out of myself.”

“Your answer is still a brilliant one, though~”

Next to Aoi, who was struggling with her emotion, was Takayuki, who was covering his head with his hands.

Like a normal boy in his puberty, he was dying from shame after knowing he made a fool out of himself.

“Ahem! U-Um, thanks for answering, Kuramori-san, I appreciate it! And, Himuro-san, I have another question, I’d appreciate it if you can answer it this time.”

To change the atmosphere that had become quite delicate, Aoi forcefully changed the focus of the conversation by attempting to start another topic. All while ignoring a certain feeling that appeared in her chest.

“Hehe, of course I’ll answer your question, Miyama-san. Just ask me anything.”

“…You told me that you met another person like you thirty years ago. If you weren’t lying, then I assume you’re way older than your look suggests?”

“Oh my, it’s considered rude to ask a woman of her age, you know?”

“But, we’re both women, so it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.”

“Hehehe, I guess so, huh? Alright, then. It’s embarrassing, but I’ll tell you.”

Reina smiled before casually answering the question. Her tone was light, as if she was engaging in your usual daily conversations.

“Right… My real age should be around the same age as Takayuki-kun’s grandfather, Hiiragi Soujiro-san’s age if he’s still alive.”

But the content of her words were basically herself admitting that she was truly an undying monster.

* * *

Hiiragi Soujiro. After that name was mentioned, Takayuki stopped saying anything. When Aoi tried to talk to him, he only replied to her absent-mindedly with jumbled words. When they were on their way, as they approached the toilet, his face became noticeably paler, as if his health was slowly deteriorating.

Seeing this, Aoi suggested that they break up their little gathering. Since the purpose of this gathering was to gain Reina’s cooperation and they had already accomplished that purpose, it should be okay for them to break up now. They decided that they’d be having another discussion at another opportunity.

But, as they broke up, Takayuki didn’t leave together with Aoi. After saying, “Give me some time alone,” he walked away on his own.

“I knew it. Satou-kun still hasn’t moved on from his late grandfather.”

On her way home, Aoi quietly muttered those words.

His grandfather was the person that he admired, but at the same time, he was the source of his trauma. A man of character who was adored by everyone around him. Someone who’d go as far as sacrificing his own life just to save a small child. That was the only thing that Aoi knew about his grandfather.

She pondered. Would Takayuki be able to move on from the scars of his past? If so, how?

“…Excuse me.”

“Hii!”

As she was deep in thought, suddenly, a voice called out to her from behind, making her let out a strange sound in surprise. She hurriedly turned around to see Karin standing behind her.

“…Huh? Kuramori-san? Do you need something from me?”

“Yes. There’s something important that I have to talk to you about. Do you mind walking with me for a moment?”

“Yes, sure, but… Something important?”

Aoi nodded at Kuramori, who was looking up at her with her expressionless face. As soon the latter received the answer, she immediately turned around and walked away.

“Um? Wait, Kuramori-san!”

“Those two…”

Karin didn’t stop walking as she went through the alley in front of them.

“Their abilities came with a price.”

“…Price?”

Aoi had to hasten her pace to catch up with Karin. When she did, she asked her that question in a flustered tone.

“Yes. According to Reina-san, to gain an ability, one has to follow a procedure. First, summon the witch using a certain medium. Then, the witch will offer you to pay a certain price after she hears of your wish. If you agree to her offer, then a contract between you and her will be formed and she’ll grant you the ability you could use to fulfill your wish.”

Without paying any attention to Aoi, who was still behind her, Karin continued to speak.

“When Reina-san’s life was about to end due to an illness, she called upon the witch and stated her wish to ‘stay alive.’ And that was how she was granted with her immortality. And in exchange for that, she had to pay the price for it.”

“Price… But, from her explanation, that ‘price’ seems to be part of her ability…”

“Isn’t it obvious? She sugarcoated it. The truth isn’t that pretty.”

Karin answered Aoi’s question while facing forward.

Her face was still expressionless, but it was clear that she was holding back from showing her emotion this time.

“Abilities like this always come with a price as the price itself is part of the ability. Like birds, they sacrificed their birds so they could fly. Fish, they sacrificed their ability to live on land to be able to roam freely in the ocean. And to be an immortal, then they just don’t need to age to begin with. Well, at least that was the price that the witch decided.”

“…But, why?”

“Beats me. The only thing that I know is that the price for any kind of ability isn’t something trivial.”

Karin’s expressionless face was unchanged, but there was a hint of pain in her voice.

“At a first glance, being ‘ageless’ sounds like something enviable, but if you think for a bit, there’s more to it than it meets the eye. Your family, your friends, the people that you love, they will carry on with their lives, growing up and eventually leave you behind. Meanwhile you are there, being the ageless being you are, unable to grow, never-changing, never aging and eventually you’d become a lone outcast among the sea of people. That loneliness comes with immortality, there’s no way around it. In Reina-san’s case, it’s even worse than that. The side effect of her ability makes her easily forgotten by others, even by the people that she loves. She can’t even remain in the memories of her aging loved ones. That’s the kind of life she has been living in.”

After that long speech, Karin stopped her feet as she turned to face Aoi, who was walking right beside her.

“Miyama-san. Do you know what the price that Satou-san had to pay?”

“Eh… U-Um… I-I… Don’t know…”

“I see. Then, I strongly recommend you to ask him about it. In a way, the price he had to pay is the shortcoming of his ability, that’s why someone with an ability like him and Reina-san tend to hide it. I had a hard time trying to find out about what Reina-san had to pay too.”

To Aoi, who was flustered by the unexpected question, Karin sent her words, uttered in a strong tone.

“You need to hurry before it’s too late. Besides, it’s better if he can confide in you for things like this. Having someone to talk with is always a blessing, after all.”

Her expressionless face broke into a self-mocking smile. After saying, “That’s all from me,” Karin walked away, leaving the stunned Aoi behind.

“Price… The price Satou-kun had to pay…”

Even after Karin disappeared from her sight, Aoi was still standing on her spot while muttering those words over and over. It wasn’t like she was clueless about this matter, though.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

It was precisely because she knew that she became restless like this. Aoi’s mind was being encroached by impatience.

* * *

“This is a glass of water.”

In front of Takayuki was a transparent glass, filled with water to its brim.

“The glass is the vessel and the water is its content. Think of it as our body and spirit respectively. The spirit possessed our body entirely, just like how this water filled the glass. Just like our lives, the water in this glass could get muddy, corrupt and its color might change, but the important thing to note here is that no matter what kind of change you give it, the amount of water will never change. From our births to our deaths, it will stay the same… Except for one occasion.”

The owner of the voice, Reina, took the glass and placed it near her lips. With a small gulp, she lowered the amount of water inside the glass.

“When we pay the price for our abilities, to make sure we have a room for it within our vessel, we have to reduce what we have. This is why the witch demanded us to pay her the price.”

After placing the glass of water back onto the table, Reina smiled at Takayuki.

“If that’s the case, what’s in it for the witch? If the price we paid isn’t what she’s after, then what’s her purpose?”

“Mhm… I live long enough to know a little about her. She told me once, ‘I want to know about love.’”

“…As expected. Love, huh?”

Takayuki and Reina were exchanging words at a certain family restaurant. After breaking up at the coffee shop, ‘as planned,’ they contacted each other and met up here.

“Whether it’s magic or other kind of supernatural powers, none of them can beat love, huh?”

“Oh my, amazing! Did you come to that conclusion on your own, Takayuki-kun?”

“No. When I first met the witch, I was young, stupid and naive, so she deliberately told me this as a hint. To regain the price I had paid and break the contract, love is the key.”

“Hehehe. The witch only answers the wish of someone that she likes. She must’ve really loved your wish back then.”

“Really?”

Reina began to speak with a distant gaze in her eyes as Takayuki tilted his head in confusion.

“Yeah, it took me a long time to realize that. I wandered around for a long time, involved myself with various people despite myself being forgotten not long afterwards. Yet, some things stay the same.”

“Wandered around, huh? With that kind of side effect, I can see why you did that… Speaking of side effects, were you really okay when you tried starving yourself? Sure, your body could restore itself to its healthy state, but that isn’t the case with your mind, right?”

“Hehehe, well, let’s just say that I’m special. You understand what I meant, right?”

At that question, a frown formed in Takayuki’s brows and he fell silent. He had an idea what she was talking about, though he didn’t feel comfortable talking about it.

“We’re different from the rest of the humanity. I mean, we live with an ability that goes against common sense. Someone’s nature could change depending on their environment, but that isn’t necessarily the case with us. You understand what I’m trying to say, right?”

With a gentle smile, Reina slowly poured some milk and gum syrup into the glass in front of her.

“Once foreign substances are mixed into the water, we can’t turn it back into water again. We aren’t water. We’ve turned into something different compared to normal people. And we have to try to obtain our love in this kind of state, it’s a little difficult, don’t you think? I had been living for a long time, but I still doubt that I’d ever get over my regrets before I eventually perish.”

Then, she drank down the liquid in front of her in an unconcerned manner in one gulp before turning her attention back to Takayuki.

“So, don’t you think we should help each other out? We’re of the same kind, after all.”

“Right… I guess so, huh?”

Takayuki looked at her and nodded. Satisfied with his reaction, Reina continued her words.

“Alright, let’s move on to our deal. As a sign of good faith, I’ll give you the information that you need.”

With a cheerful expression and an affectionate smile, Reina began to tell Takayuki the information that he needed.

“Your grandfather’s will… The story about the curse behind his will…”

* * *

With Reina’s help, the plan to help out Rinko’s confession was going smoothly.

Reina, who was assigned to tail Shuzou, did a better job than they had ever expected. Within the span of three days, she managed to finish everything. Not only did she find his home address, but she also succeeded in figuring his daily schedule out. This was beyond what an amateur could pull off.

Inspired by her good work, Takayuki started cooperating with her to work out a plan so that Rinko’s confession would go smoothly on D-Day. Meanwhile, Aoi, after shelving her own problems, were making final adjustments for the confession with Rinko herself.

“Uhh, despite everything, I take a bath everyday, you know?”

“But, you didn’t do more than that. I can tell by looking at your skin and hair. What I’m doing is just a small thing but it’s still better than doing nothing.”

To be exact, she dragged the unwilling Rinko into her house and scrubbed every inch of her body.

“I told you I’ll fight my own battle!—”

“I thought you’re the kind of person who’d do your best for the sake of winning?”

“Uwah, you always have the perfect comeback to everything, huh, Aoi?”

Rinko resisted for a while, but after being beaten by both logic and force, she languidly stopped her resistance. She looked like she was on the brink of giving up on everything.

“…Well, tomorrow is the big day, so stay over for tonight. We’ll do this again tomorrow morning.”

“Uu, you said that I’m hard to handle or whatnot, don’t you realize that you’re also hard to handle when you’re like this, Aoi?”

“Is that so? We can call it even then.”

After Aoi finished scrubbing Rinko’s body, they both entered the bathtub together. There were still things to do after bath and they didn’t want one of them to catch a cold from waiting, so they just entered the bathtub together. Thankfully, Aoi’s bathtub was big enough, so despite both of them being inside, it didn’t feel cramped.

“Rinko-senpai.”

“Hm? What is it?”

Both of them submerged their bodies into the water. After a while, Aoi opened her mouth again.

“…Aren’t you scared, Rinko-senpai?”

“I am. Would be crazy if I’m not.”

“I guess so, huh?”

“Surprising isn’t it? Well, I did say that I’d just focus on other things if I got dumped, but I’m still scared, you know?”

Rinko let out a chuckle and leaned toward Aoi.

“But, you see, the fear in my heart means that I’m taking this matter seriously. Both this matter and my career as a painter. I really can’t choose one over the other, that’s why I decided to confess in the first place. If I get rejected then, I will never confess my feelings to Shuzou-kun ever again and focus on my career. But, if he accepts me, then, I’ll abandon my career and dedicate my whole life to him.”

“…You weren’t joking about that, Rinko-senpai?”

“Yes. Well, to be honest this just shows that I’m incapable of doing both at the same time. It isn’t like I can help it. If I dedicate myself to love, then I want to reach the future where I’d eventually marry Shuzou-kun and create a happy family together with her. If I dedicate my life to my career, then I expect at least I’d mark my name in history with my doodles.”

“Doodles you say…”

Aoi gently accepted Rinko’s body as the latter leaned on her while muttering, “You’re amazing…”

She muttered the words in such a small voice, she barely could even hear it herself, but Rinko somehow managed to pick up on them.

“No, the amazing one here is you, Aoi. You were the one who taught me that I’m worthy of being loved. You’re the reason why I became who I am right now. If it wasn’t because of you, I’d probably still be trapped in that dark room and I could never have fallen in love with someone.”

“…Rinko-senpai.”

“That’s why, it’s okay, Aoi. You’re amazing, you don’t need to hesitate. Just do it.”

Rinko’s smile, which remained unclouded even after being covered by the bath’s steam, looked gentle and mature. A hot sensation grew from inside Aoi’s chest.

“Seeing through what’s on my mind like that, you’re too hard for me to handle, Rinko-senpai.”

“That so? We’re even then.”

To those words, Aoi could only turn her face away from Rinko’s while pursing her lips. With a boiling red face, she couldn’t bring herself to meet her gaze head on.

* * *

The day of confession.

The preliminary investigation by Takayuki and Reina was perfect. They predicted Shuzou’s movement perfectly and managed to catch sight of him on a holiday just right before noon.

“Are you ready, Rinko-senpai?”

“Yes. I won’t be a coward who runs away on D-Day.”

Shuzou’s figure could be seen at a certain bookstore. There were no familiar faces around him, so this was the perfect chance for her to call out to him.

“Right. You look cute and pretty now, Rinko-senpai. Good luck out there.”

“Haha, thank you, Aoi.”

The preparations were in place.

Aoi hid and positioned herself so that she would be able to watch Rinko’s confession from the shadows.

Rinko herself was dressed in the casual clothes that Aoi picked for her. Long skirt that emphasized her feminine side while also retaining the charm that came from her baby face.

“Phew… Alright! Um, Shuzou-kun!”

“Hm?”

After taking a deep breath, Rinko dashed toward Shuzou and called out to him.

Shuzou was a tall, well-built man in his late twenties. With short black hair and blank expression, as if his facial muscles were frozen in place, he dressed in a black suit. Apparently he still wore his suit even on his days off.

“Akanashi-san? I kept telling you to call me Iwanaga-sensei, please do that properly.”

“No. Didn’t we agree that I’ll only call you that when other teachers or students are around? No one is around right now, so can you let it slide this time?”

“…Right. It would be unfair if I don’t fulfill my part of our agreement. From now on, I’ll strive to do my best to prove that I’m worthy enough to be called ‘sensei.’”

Shuzou responded in a flat tone that seemed to be devoid of emotion. Despite how hard it took for Rinko to dress up for the occasion, he didn’t even mention anything about her outfit, though this wasn’t the most outlandish thing when it came to him.

His response showed his honesty, albeit it also showed how boring of a person he was. Rinko didn’t dislike him for it though. In fact, ever since she fell in love with him, his boring side felt endearing to her.

“Then, Akanashi-san. Today is a holiday, but do you need something from me?”

“U-Um, Shuzou-kun! Uh… Y-You haven’t forgotten about our agreement, have you?”

“Agreement? Which one? Can you please be more specific?”

“Oh, jeez!”

Talking to him was like talking to a machine. But, Rinko knew this was his ruse so that he could safely get out of this situation. If she didn’t pressure him now, he’d just make an excuse and leave without any hesitation.

“Y-You told me that you’ll answer my confession in private!”

“Yes I remember that, but this is a public place. If I were to do that here, my career as a teacher would be over. Let’s do this another time. Then, see you.”

“If the place isn’t right then, just shut up and follow me! I already have a place in mind!”

“…It can’t be helped then.”

Despite her bright red face, Rinko managed to crush Shuzou’s attempt to escape the situation. He seemed to be unwilling, but he walked beside Rinko without making any fuss.

“Alright, this should be the place!”

After walking for a while, they arrived at a certain park. Despite its size, the place was sparsely populated, mainly due to its location, it was on a steep slope, and the lack of equipment for children to play around. The park was a perfect place to sit down and paint, though.

Yes. This park was the park where Rinko and Aoi first met.

“U-Um, Shuzou-kun? I-I know you’ve figured what I’m going to say already… W-Wait, I’ve already told you about this before! A-Anyway! I-I’ve known you for a year. A-At first, I thought you’re like an udo tree, boring and— W-Wait, no! T-That isn’t what I’m trying to say!”

“Calm down, Akanashi-san.”

“I-I am calm!”

Rinko’s gaze swam around as she tried to say what was in her mind, but in the end, she failed to do so and ended up screaming loudly. But then, either out of desperation or determination, her gaze finally found its way to Shuzou.”

“Shuzou-kun… Iwanaga Shuzou-san.”

Her big eyes stared right at Shuzou’s eyes.

“I love you. Please go out with me.”

With a little prayer that she could convey her feelings properly, she confessed with a strained voice. At the very last moment, she managed to squeeze out a genuine confession without any of her usual eccentricities.

“…I see.”

To that, Shuzou closed his eyes, before he opened them again and faced Rinko’s gaze with his pensive gaze. He didn’t run away as he decided to face Rinko’s feelings directly.

“I’m sorry, I can’t go out with you, Akanashi-san. No matter what happens, I can’t go out with you. This isn’t because of my status as a teacher, this is my genuine feeling as an individual.”

And so, he responded with the answer that he had prepared since a month ago.

* * *

Initially, Iwanaga Shuzou’s feelings toward Akanashi Rinko weren’t something close to fondness. He genuinely hated her. The pure black hatred he felt stemmed from his jealousy toward her talent.

Shuzou was an ordinary man.

He came from an ordinary family, his talent wasn’t anything outstanding and his life wasn’t anything special either. If there was any distinguishing feature about himself, it would be the fact that he went to an art college and somehow managed to become a teacher. But that wasn’t the future that he wanted. It was just the path he ended up choosing because his dream of being a painter was shattered by the harsh reality.

Yes, Shuzou wanted to be a painter, but he couldn’t make a living from that occupation. If anything, his heart had already been broken before he could even start his career as one.

But, he already saw this coming from a long time ago.

He had no talent and luck to keep up with the trends. He didn’t have the passion necessary to risk everything to achieve his dream. That was why he ended up burying his dream and chose the more stable career path for himself.

“Heya, nice to meet you, Advisor. My name is Akanashi Rinko. I’ll be in your care~”

That was until a real monster appeared before his very eyes.

Rinko, who had just entered high school at the time, greeted him casually, but her hands never stopped painting. Naturally, Shuzou turned his gaze toward the painting… And the thing that he saw overwhelmed him. It was as if a kaijuu suddenly appeared in the city and stomped on him.

That was how beautiful her painting was to Shuzou.

The beauty of her painting made him, who had already given up on his dream, pick up his brush once again.

However, no matter how hard he tried, his painting couldn’t be compared to Rinko’s. Even though he cut down his sleep time as much as he could and spent most of his time painting, all his works would only end up as garbage compared to her’s.

“Iwanaga-sensei, you don’t really need to attend morning practice everyday with me. Aren’t teachers usually busy in the morning?”

And so, Shuzou decided to devote himself to observing the monster.

Taking advantage of his position as the art club advisor, he tried to learn something from Rinko. That was the reason why he kept visiting the club room as often as he could.

“Your paintings suck, Shuzou-sensei. Well, I don’t dislike them, though~”

Time passed and it had been six months since he first met with Rinko. Shuzou’s painting had improved somewhat, but compared to Rinko’s, it was like comparing a sand mountain made by a child to a real mountain.

That was why when Rinko casually threw those words at him, he started to despise her. He had been talking with her for a while, hiding his emotion behind his expressionless face, but Rinko’s words and actions suggested that she saw right through him. But that didn’t matter to him.

In the end, he decided that there was nothing he could do. Even if he were to wallow in his hatred, the situation wouldn’t change. Also, he’d rather give up on his hatred than not being able to see her new works.

Realizing that she really managed to figure out his true nature, Shuzou laughed at himself.

“Shuzou-kun, so, why are you still painting? Is there any special purpose behind it?”

One day. It had been almost a year since he first met with Rinko. All the club members had gone out to do something outside the club room and Shuzou happened to be staying alone with Rinko inside. The situation made him feel nervous. Not because he was alone with her though, he wasn’t a boy in his puberty.

It was because of Rinko’s question. Despite it being asked in a frank tone, it was clear that there was a deep meaning behind it. He had to answer her question sincerely, no matter what. And so, Shuzou braced himself to tell her the truth.

“I just think that it would be nice if my paintings could appear in textbooks. Wouldn’t it be amazing if people were still able to see my paintings even after centuries had passed?”

But, his mouth blabbered on without him realizing it. Instead of giving her a serious answer, it told her the remnants of the dream of a foolish child.

Shuzou stared at Rinko. He thought for sure that this monster in front of him would laugh at his silly, stupid words.

“What a coincidence, Shuzou-kun. That’s also my purpose to keep on painting.”

But, instead of mockery, he met with her sparkling eyes. They gave him as much shock as back when he first met her. To him back then, she looked beautiful, so beautiful that she managed to steal his heart.

He was stunned to find out that his feelings, which were supposed to be filled with hatred and jealousy, were completely flipped upside down like an othello. ‘What a foolish guy,’ he cursed himself over and over in his mind.

But, the moment he realized his love for her, he also came to realize another thing.

“Hehehe, we share the same dream, Shuzou-kun!”

The fact that she also shared the same feeling as him.

This was a serious problem for him. Not because they were supposed to be teacher and student, but because this was simply something that should never happen.

As a genius, she shoulda fell in love with her paintings, not with an ordinary guy like him.

Shuzou knew that a gallery from overseas had scouted her.

Shuzou knew that with her talent, she’d be able to spread her wings all around the world.

Shuzou knew of her weakness. If Rinko were able to gain his affection, even her talent wouldn’t save her and she’d end up falling into mediocrity.

He was in his last straw. That was why he decided to consult someone about this matter. There was a rumor about a certain consultant account in the social media that might be able to solve his case. And that account name was ‘Baku.’

The account of the love-eater himself, Satou Takayuki.

“You sure that’s the outcome that you wanted, Iwanaga-sensei?”

“Yes. It has to end this way, Satou-kun. There’s no other choice.”

Back to the present. Shuzou was on his way home when Takayuki suddenly blocked his path.

“I have to cut everything off so neither of us will be left with any regrets.”

“…Couldn’t you just be honest with her and say that you do have feelings for her at least?”

“Rejecting her confession and giving her a sense of false hope just because of my feeling of guilt? That would be cruel of me. Besides, you were the one who encouraged me to make this decision.”

“I guess so, huh?”

Shuzou was unable to recognize Takayuki’s power.

According to Shuzou’s memories, a month ago, he talked with Takayuki and the latter somehow managed to convince him to forget about his love and make up his mind on what he should be doing next.

“I just think that it’s a pity. People said that as long as love is involved, things will always work for the better. Who knows, if you and Akanashi-senpai got together, a path where Akanashi-senpai will still be able to achieve her dreams could be opened.”

“Satou-kun, it isn’t wise to say things that you don’t even mean. Besides, reality is different. Love doesn’t always make things better. But still…”

Shuzou smiled at Takayuki, who had a regretful look on his face. He broke his emotionless facade and opened his mouth.

“I love Akanashi-san when she paints. I love that part of her the most. Therefore, if my love for her makes her stop painting, then I’ll discard it without any hesitation. How deep my love for her doesn’t matter when it comes to it.”

“…You’re such an egoist.”

“Yes. That’s why you don’t need to take pity on me, Satou-kun.”

With those words, Shuzou started walking once again. This time, Takayuki didn’t block his path.

Takayuki couldn’t see any hesitation in his step as he saw him off without saying anything.

“What am I supposed to do in this situation, I wonder?”

He looked up at the sky as he muttered those words.

But the sky was clear and cloudless, completely ignoring Takayuki’s anguish.

* * *

“Jeez, I was the one who got dumped, why are you the one who’s crying?”

“…I’m not crying.”

“Sure you aren’t.”

“Good grief,” Rinko said as she shrugged her shoulders. Despite what happened, her cheeks weren’t wet with tears.

“Me aside, why aren’t you crying, Rinko-senpai?”

Aoi asked with a crumpled face.

“When I got dumped a long time ago, I remember it felt really painful. I was still in grade school back then, but the pain made me cry and scream like it was the end of the world. Do you not feel the same pain as me?”

“I do, but it isn’t as painful as that. Actually, if I let my guard down a little, I’m sure I’m going to cry in a heartbeat. But still, I want to embrace this pain, I don’t want to let it go. Because this pain, this scar in my heart is something that I’m proud of.”

After patting the teary-eyed Aoi, Rinko answered her question.

“Hm, I don’t know if you’d understand if I were to tell you, but this rejection is Shuzou-kun’s way of encouraging me. It feels like he’s telling me ‘Move forward, just forget about me.’”

As she said, Aoi failed to understand what she wanted to say, but she at least understood that Rinko wasn’t being delusional when she said it. It was clear from her bright expression.

“That’s why, Aoi, I won’t hesitate anymore. I’m going to put this love aside and move on. One day, I’ll become someone that Shuzou-kun wouldn’t be ashamed of!”

Her smile was so beautiful that it was hard to believe that she was currently being heartbroken.

“…I see. But, if you’re going overseas, Rinko-senpai, I’m going to miss you.”

“That won’t happen for a long time, I still need to prepare for a lot of things first! Also, we can still talk on social media! If you miss me, I’ll call you every night!”

“Please keep it in moderation. Don’t make me block all your accounts.”

Her smile was so beautiful that even Aoi, who was annoyed by her words, was entranced by it.

And that was probably why Aoi was able to move on from this case without any regrets.

* * *

After seeing Rinko off, Aoi sat down in the park by herself. She kept taking deep breaths to calm her chaotic mind down.

“…Alright!”

Then, she sent the text that she had written in advance.

Its content was simple, but the courage it took for her to do that single action was immense.

[Can you come over to my house tomorrow, after school? I want to discuss something with you.]

The person she sent it to was Takayuki, her benefactor and most importantly, her partner.

That was the reason why she had to make this matter clear.

“I’m scared… But I want to face my feelings properly. Just like Rinko-senpai.”

Yes. Was she even qualified to be Takayuki’s partner? That question had been haunting her. And to find the answer to that, she decided to delve into her own past and Takayuki’s past.

Even when she knew that he had to confront her own guilt in exchange for it…