Chapter 3 – Melted Ice Cream Before Summer

Kuramori Karin was a child born of elopement.

Her mother was a young lady from a rich family, but her father was merely an ordinary businessman. Originally, her mother’s family had already arranged a fiance for her to marry, but she rejected that and eloped with her father. At least, that was what Karin was told growing up.

Despite that, her mother would go back to her hometown whenever the year was about to end, so it was possible that the part about her elopement was an exaggeration. Either way, both her parents were gone before she could ask them about the truth, so it remained buried in the dark.

“Don’t worry, Mama will take good care of Karin.”

As far as Karin remembered, her mother was someone with a great sense of responsibility.

After her husband, Karin’s father, died of illness, she pushed herself to work without a rest. Not only did she have to work on her shifts as a nurse, she also handled all the housework herself. She always had a tired smile plastered on her face, but she always attended all of Karin’s school events without fail. That was how great her sense of responsibility was.

For this reason, Karin tried her best to not act like a spoiled child toward her mother despite her being in the right age to do so. She didn’t want to be a burden to her mother. However, she never felt discontent with this situation. For Karin during that time, being with her mother was her happiness.

Moreover, there was an elderly couple who lived in the neighborhood who always tried to look after her.

“Hmph. You’re here again, Brat? No matter how many times you come here, this old hag can only give you pickles to eat.”

“Don’t mind her, Karin-chan. The old woman just can’t be honest with herself.”

Despite her foul mouth, the old woman never rejected Karin.

Sitting by the old woman’s side was a gentle old man, who’d always engage in a comical conversation with her.

Karin loved spending her time with the elderly couple. The atmosphere around them was lively and there was always someone who’d come to visit them with a smile on their face. It made her long for such a future, where she could pass her time with her loved ones.

Back then, she was happy enough to be able to dream of such a future.

* * *

One disaster destroyed Karin’s happiness.

A landslide, a small one as it had only managed to damage a single house out of many.

Number of casualties, one death. It was the kind of disaster that you’d forget immediately as it came out in the morning news. But this disaster crushed Karin’s whole world.

“I’m sorry, Karin, I’ll be coming back late from work today… Buy some dinner with this, okay? Sorry…I’m really sorry…”

Before she went to school that day, her mother repeatedly apologized to her as she handed her a few ten thousand yen bills.

That was the last exchange between the two of them. Her mother never returned from work. After finishing her shift, she disappeared and no one ever saw her again. At first, Karin waited for her to come back for a few days, but eventually, she contacted the police and was taken into custody.

Strangely enough, she didn’t feel too sad about the situation. Probably because she noticed that her mother’s condition had become worse each day and she was clearly approaching her limit. That was also why she didn’t cry at all when her mother’s family took her in after a short while of her being taken into custody.

“This will be your room. If you need anything or if there’s something troubling you, just let me know.”

The man who took her in, the head of the family, said so to her in a business-like tone. He neither pitied her nor disrespected her. At that time, she thought that she was hated because she wasn’t exactly a part of their family, but that assumption couldn’t be more wrong.

They didn’t treat her in a special way, the whole family was distant like that. It wasn’t like they didn’t get along, though, they just didn’t want to involve themselves with each other too deeply. Karin would only find out about this fact later, along with the revelation that they actually treated her relatively well.

She was treated kindly despite her being a stranger to them and they even accommodated her even if it was only out of obligation. They went to her school events, went on family trips with her. They’d even give her Christmas presents if she were to ask them for it.

But, there was no love involved in those actions. They might have the same blood running in their veins, but in the end, they were only strangers and nothing more.

Still, Karin never complained. There was no way that she’d complain in the first place.

“…This kind of thing is a luxury.”

Karin, who was given a spacious room for a child her age, muttered that to herself.

She thought that she was among the blessed ones. She was lucky to be alive even though she was supposed to be dead. There were people who willingly took care of her and they weren’t abusive toward her. As a child who lost both her parents, this was more than she could ask for.

Yet, the amount of times she shed her tears alone wasn’t small.

“Don’t be spoiled, don’t be spoiled, don’t be spoiled, me…”

She always muttered those words to herself whenever she cried.

Alone in her room, where there was no one watching. She vowed to herself that one day, she wouldn’t lose to her loneliness like this ever again. To become strong enough that she wouldn’t need to succumb to her weak self.

Half a year after she was taken in by her mother’s family.

“Oh my, what a crybaby~ You won’t be happy if you keep on crying like this, you know?”

A savior suddenly descended from God knows where.

In that solitary room, the savior gently wiped away Karin’s tears from her cheeks.

* * *

“Hello, Kuramori Karin-chan. My name is Himuro Reina. I’m an old monster who came to make fun of you, crybaby~”

When a beautiful girl who proclaimed to be a monster, Reina, appeared in front of her, naturally, Karin put her guards up. She was obviously a suspicious person, so suspicious that she almost called out her foster father for help.

However, that feeling would soon be overshadowed by doubts. Because, except for Karin, no one else managed to recognize Reina’s figure correctly. Yes, almost no one inside the house noticed Reina’s presence. Even when Karin tried to explain everything to them, all she received was ‘Is there something wrong with that?’ as a reply. It was as if their sense of perception was being manipulated. They thought that it was a given that she was there.

“So, do you get it now?~ As you can see, I’m a monster. You can think of me as a distant relative of the Nurarihyon. Due to some personal circumstances, I have to live together with you, so, please take care of me from now on, okay? Hehehe~”

Facing Reina with her otherworldly power made Karin feel terrified. She was still in grade school back then. To her, Reina was an incomprehensible monster out of a horror movie, despite how pretty she looked on the outside.

* * *

“Welcome back, Karin-chan! Today’s dinner is sweet curry rice! I added some secret ingredients to the curry, so it tastes both spicy and sweet at the same time!”

One month after her first meeting with Reina. Karin felt like a fool for keeping her guard up against her.

Because, despite Reina calling herself a monster, she acted like a normal human being. Yes, it was hard for her to be recognized by others, she was easily forgotten and any injuries she received would disappear quickly, but her life cycle was the same as a normal human’s. She cooked Karin’s meals, took baths and went to bed together with her. Also, no matter how much Karin resisted her, she’d brush it off easily. Because any kind of bruises she could inflict on her would disappear soon, Karin eventually felt that it was useless to resist her.

And so, Reina became a part of her daily life.

“Karin-chan, since you don’t have any friend to hang out with, why don’t we study together instead. Not the kind of studying you usually do at school, but studying to make some money.”

After hearing those words, Karin couldn’t even try to ignore Reina anymore. The other party might not have been a human, but as long as they could communicate, they could work together. Moreover, the other party seemed to have plenty of life experiences and she was good at talking. That was how Karin got easily coaxed to learn about various things under the guise of ‘killing time.’

For example, how to make money at her age or some self-defense technique to protect herself.

And the most important lesson of them all, Reina taught her how to make friends. However, due to her shy and sulky personality, Karin couldn’t utilize what she had learned properly. Even so, slowly but surely, she began to have someone who she could call as a friend.

Before she knew it, Karin was no longer alone.

* * *

“The pocket watch? Well, it’s a cursed item. I can’t get rid of it.”

Half a year since she met Reina. After spending that long time with her, Karin stopped treating her as a monster, instead he treated her like a family. That was why she started to worry about her. Because she went out of her way to lie to her, calling herself a distant relative of the Nurarihyon.

And so, Karin started to be more upfront to her and asked her about the things that she wanted to know.

‘How long have you been alive? Why did your injuries disappear quickly? Why do you have a sad expression on your face whenever you stare at that broken pocket watch?’ Karin began to act like a spoiled child, constantly pestering Reina with those questions. Normally, Reina would answer all her questions clearly, but for those sets of questions specifically, she only gave Karin vague answers.

“Sorry, Rin-chan. I’m going on a trip for about a week.”

Not long after that, she declared that she’d be leaving on a trip. Obviously, she was trying to escape those questions.

During the week when she was gone, Karin started to ponder about her actions. Maybe her approach was wrong, she was too persistent about it. So, she thought about various things that she could do to make Reina forgive her actions. And the answer that she came up with was to cook for herself. Normally, Reina would be the one who cooks her meals, but this time, Karin wanted to cook for herself and she wanted to treat Reina to her cooking too.

“I-I’m home… Um, Karin-chan… Do you remember me?”

So, when Reina returned a week later, Karin greeted her with a smile and a plate of food.

But that smile of hers soon crumbled to nothing.

“H-Huh? Y-You remember me? H-How?”

Karin’s smile turned into anger as she began to interrogate Reina due to her remarks. Using her privilege as a kid and the fact that any injuries she inflicted to Reina would disappear immediately, Karin threw a huge tantrum and managed to get all the information she wanted out of her mouth.

Reina’s true identity was someone who wields a certain power. Due to that power, she was easily forgotten by everyone around her. She took a trip this time to make Karin forget everything about her.

“I mean, you don’t need a monster like me hanging around you anymore, do you?”

When Reina said those words with a lonely expression, Karin’s anger exploded.

“I don’t care if Rei-Onee-chan is a monster! You’re my family! Don’t you dare run off on your own!”

It was at that time that Karin had truly become Reina’s partner.

“I see…so, that’s how it is… I’m sorry, Rin-chan…”

Reina gently pulled Karin toward her bosom.

“I’ll make you a special dessert as an apology, so stop crying, okay?”

This was the incident that led them to live together. Although she felt guilty for leaving her adoptive family, Karin decided that it would be better to live together with her ‘family’ rather than a group of strangers.

From that time on, Karin began to ask Reina many things. From her past to the details about her ability. But this time, she didn’t ask those questions out of curiosity, but out of cautiousness. She wanted to make sure that Reina wouldn’t disappear from her life without her noticing. Everything she did from that time onwards was so that she could spend her time together with Reina as much as possible.

And so, Karin got to know everything about Reina. Everything except for one thing. The truth that Reina deliberately kept hidden from her.

* * *

“Kuramori, look, I don’t care what you’re doing, but you need to show up at club activities. Your self-proclaimed rivals have been nagging me, ‘When will Kuramori come to practice?’ and so on!”

“I’m sorry, Sensei. I’ll be finished with this matter soon.”

Back to the present. After school.

Karin bowed to a female teacher, the advisor of her club, the karate club, before dashing away.

Her destination was a certain high school a short distance away.

“…Hm? Huh? Yui-san?”

On the way, she noticed her phone vibrating. Someone was calling her.

{Hello, Karin-chan. Are you busy right now?}

“No. What happened, Yui-san? Is this regarding Satou-san? A change of plan?”

{Mhm. Miyama-san is taking him to her house, so you don’t need to go to our school for today. You should go back home and take a good rest.}

“I…see… I guess it would be impolite if I were to barge into her house, huh?”

{Yes, what a good girl you are. If only that blockhead had a good manner like you— Wait, if he had a good manner like you, I wouldn’t have a hard time dealing with him in the first place!}

“Please calm down, Yui-san.”

Hearing the frustration in Yui’s voice, Karin let out a wry smile.

A relative from Karin’s mother’s side, the eldest daughter of the Takayama family, Takayama Yui.

Rumors said that she was the most outstanding girl in the family even when you counted all the branch families. Many believed that she was the chosen successor of the family. Despite this kind of amazing background that you’d only seen in stories, her relationship with Karin didn’t involve any kind politics at all.

Both of them were close in age, so, after meeting each other a few times at family gatherings, they decided to exchange contact information. Ever since then, they remained good friends. That was why Karin knew what was up with her. There was only one person who could make her act like this and it was Takayuki. Normally, Yui was always calm and collected, but when it came to Takayuki, her tolerance toward his bullshit was low.

{It would be nice if she’d just be more aggressive and push him down or something.}

“That would be nice, isn’t it? Maybe Satou-san’s priority will change when that happens and he’ll mellow down a little, but that’s like a dream coming true. That won’t happen.”

{Yes, unfortunately, you’re right. That’s why everything is up to us now.}

“Yes, but Yui-san… Your words made it sound like we’re the ones who’ll be pushing him down instead…”

{My arms aren’t strong enough to do that.}

“Are you saying that Miyama-san is strong enough to do that?”

Talking with Yui always felt pleasant to Karin. She knew they were using each other for their own goals and she knew that Yui couldn’t perceive the supernaturals like she did. Nevertheless, she was a dear friend to Karin.

That was why she uttered her words without holding anything back.

“Yui-san, it’s about time for me to end this. If I mess up, please take care of the rest.”

{Yes. You don’t need to tell me twice.}

She spoke out her resolve.

The resolve to face her own sin, so that she could live proudly with her beloved family.

* * *

If Aoi invited him in to talk about something important, there was no way that Takayuki would refuse her.

He didn’t even need to think twice to give her his affirmation to the text she sent the other day. The fact that she hadn’t left his side ever since class ended also didn’t bother him.

Takayuki was the kind of person who’d never doubt someone whom he had trusted. Most of the time, that trait was a virtue, but at times, it was a curse that could strangle him in the neck and Takayuki was about to find out.

“But, why are we doing this in your room, Miyama? Can’t we just go to our usual place instead? The restaurant?”

“I don’t want our conversation to be heard by anyone. What, do you hate going to my room that much?”

“Of course not. It’s an honor for someone like me to be invited to a beautiful girl’s room.”

“Jeez, stop acting like a weirdo!”

Perhaps because it wasn’t the first time he visited her place, Takayuki didn’t feel nervous. He followed Aoi to the second floor of her house.

“Why don’t you sit down somewhere?”

“Mm, sure.”

However, the moment he entered her room, he started to get nervous. He realized that entering someone’s house and someone’s room were two different things. And so, to hide his nervousness, Takayuki sat down on the dustless wooden floor.

“…”

Silently, he looked around the room. A closet, a neatly arranged bed, a simple four legged desk with a laptop on it, a cute calendar with animal pictures hanging on the wall and lastly several bookshelves filled with books. The bookshelves had a few reference books there, but it was mostly filled with American hero comics and various kinds of books related to heroes.

“Don’t look around too much, okay?”

“A-Ahh… Sorry…”

Takayuki involuntarily looked away when he saw Aoi sitting on her bed, with a timid expression on her face.

He didn’t mean to look around so intensely, he was just trying to distract himself from his nervousness. Feeling guilty because he was unable to control his actions Takayuki shifted his gaze and position away from Aoi.

“…Hm?”

As he moved, he noticed something strange. It was something that looked like a sandbag… No, it was actually a sandbag. Two of them actually, filled to the brim, placed neatly on both sides of the door.

“Hehehe, even you got curious about a girl’s room, huh? Satou-kun?”

“I-I mean, I’m a high school boy, that’s a matter of course… But, that isn’t the point… Uh, Miyama?”

Aoi’s movement looked natural. With a mischievous smile on her face, she piled the sandbags right in front of the door before locking it. Her smile didn’t drop as she did it.

It was at this point that Takayuki finally understood that those sandbags weren’t some kind of decorations that were popular among the high school girls. They were tools to lock him inside.

“Satou-kun, this is the second floor. If you jump from here, only the cold asphalt road will greet you down there. I don’t recommend you to escape through the window.”

Just as Takayuki turned his gaze toward the window, Aoi said those words. Her smile didn’t change, but her tone was cold. Like a well-planned crime, Aoi’s plan to confine him was perfect.

“Come over here. I told you that we’re going to talk about something important, right?”

“…Yes.”

Seeing Aoi beckoning him to come closer to the bed, Takayuki realized that any kind of resistance was futile. Actually, if he really wanted to get out of this situation, he could just scream for help, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that. Aoi went this far, that meant she had a really good reason to do so.

And so, Takayuki started to rack his head, thinking about what could possibly be the reason for her to go this far.

“Satou-kun.”

But, his thoughts stopped the moment he sat down next to Aoi.

Before he knew it, she wasn’t smiling anymore and the distance between them was so close that their shoulders were practically touching each other. Aoi’s beautiful, serious gaze was locked into Takayuki’s eyes.

“…What was it that you sacrificed in exchange for your power?”

The moment Takayuki was asked with that cold voice, he realized…

That the worst of his guess had come true. He wouldn’t be able to get out of this situation unless he answered this question.

“…”

“Keeping your mouth shut, huh? Usually when you do this, you’re doing it for someone else’s sake. So, for whose sake is it this time? Me?”

Before he knew it, Aoi placed her hand over his own, ensuring that he wouldn’t be able to run away and at the same time, ensuring that she herself also wouldn’t be able to run away. With a trembling hand, she tightened her grip on his hand.

“Fine, I’ll guess it on my own then. You can laugh at me for being wrong, I don’t care. Anyway, what I know about the witch is that she’s a being who grants different powers in response to different wishes. In exchange to that, it’s necessary to pay a price as a sacrifice to even things out. Lastly, to summon the witch, you’d need a medium, the thing that they called ‘artifact.’”

Aoi spoke while maintaining eye contact with Takayuki. She suppressed the emotion that welled up from the depths of her heart as she tried to keep the calmness of her tone.

“Now, let’s deduce from all those one at a time. Firstly, the artifact. After confirming it with Kuramori-san, I found out that artifacts are usually cursed objects that you have to bring with you everywhere. That made me remember something. Seven years ago, you bragged to me about your hairpin, the one you’re wearing all the time, saying that it’s something special, it’s something that could turn you into a hero.”

“You remembered it wrong—”

“I didn’t. There’s no way I’d forget about that. My memories about you, I’ll never forget about them.”

Feeling her grip on his hand tightened, Takayuki couldn’t say anything back to her.

Because he also remembered. Seven years ago, when he found her and rescued her. That night was the turning point of his life.

“I remember everything. Everything that you said, your answers to my words and everything that I asked of you. ‘I want you to do something about this pain in my chest,’ an unreasonable thing to ask, I know. I also remember your answer to those silly words, you proudly showed your hairpin as you answered me.”

Aoi’s eyes were downcast for a moment, then she looked at Takayuki with a determined expression in her eyes.

“Your artifact, my selfishness, the ability to eat love. There’s enough circumstantial evidence, Satou-kun. Do you have any more excuses?”

“That’s…”

“By the way, if you lie to me, I’ll kiss you.”

“Kiss?!—”

“With a silly lie, you’ll get your partner’s first kiss, not a bad deal, isn’t it?”

Takayuki felt a chill running down his spine as he witnessed Aoi tilting her head while letting out a beautiful smile.

Aoi understood that she was someone important to him. Takayuki wouldn’t hesitate in hurting himself, but he would never risk trying to hurt someone important to him.

“Ugh…”

“Huh, I thought you’d actually try to kiss me to show me your resolve, I guess I was wrong. Satou-kun, I know you’re a responsible person despite your appearances, that’s why I won’t say any more careless things from now on. And I’m going to ask you a question.”

His artifact was his hairpin and his wish was to fulfill Aoi’s selfishness. The power that the witch gave her was the power to eat love. Then, what was the price that he had to pay?

Aoi managed to take a guess when she was talking to Karin about it. However, she refused to accept the answer she managed to reach, so she racked her brain over and over, trying to come up with another answer. But in the end, she always kept coming back to the same conclusion.

“The price you had to pay to get your love-eating power, it’s the very emotion you needed to fall in love, right?”

Takayuki offered his ability to love someone as his price.

“When I think about it, your obsession with love was abnormal, not to mention that you’ve been having it since middle school. You filled several notebooks for it. I originally thought that you’re just someone who doesn’t feel strongly toward love, but that isn’t the case at all. You’re just trying to regain what you had lost, that was what started your obsession…”

“…”

“I’ll consider your silence as an affirmation, Satou-kun.”

Takayuki’s distorted expression basically confirmed that Aoi’s words weren’t wrong.

At the same time, she was convinced. His aloof attitude compared to other boys his age was appropriate due to his lack of emotional attachment to love itself.

That explained his strange expression when he received Haruka’s confession, his awkwardness after Haruka kissed him.

“Everything was my fault…”

Convinced by that thought, Aoi’s smile turned sad as she spoke those words to Takayuki.

“You gained your power by sacrificing your love just to fulfill my selfish wish. I never realized this. I’ve been admiring you like a fool despite what I’ve done to you… Everything was my fault, wasn’t it?”

“No! It wasn’t your fault! Everything happened because I was a fool! An idiot who randomly agreed to have a contract with the witch without thinking about the consequences! As a result of that, I destroyed my own life! I did it to myself, everything happened because of my stupid choice! You don’t need to feel responsible… A-Also, I’ve never regretted this outcome in the first place! Since that was the case, you should stop worrying about it!”

“Hehehe, you’re digging yourself deeper, Satou-kun.”

“Ugh… T-That’s… U-Um…”

It was unusual for Takayuki to panic like this.

That was why Aoi involuntarily blurted those words out. The cold sadness she felt just a moment ago was brushed away by a warm feeling. And that warmth was enough for her to make up her mind.

“R-Right! Miyama! Listen to me carefully! Even if I didn’t do it back then, I’d eventually do something similar later! You know that I’m the kind of fool who’d borrow some money just to feed a luxurious meal to a starving child, right? You’re more of a victim in this situation, Miyama!”

“You know that your argument is flawed, don’t you? Also, you know that I’m the kind of person who’d never let this kind of thing slide if I were to find out, that’s why you’ve been trying to hide the truth for me, haven’t you?”

“Yeah because I knew you’d be beating yourself over it like what you’re doing right now!”

Takayuki was desperate. Deep down, he knew that his words didn’t really make any sense, but he said those words anyway. His desperation came from his concern toward Aoi, his wish to prevent her from being hurt by the revelation.

“…Pfft… Hahahaha!”

And Aoi found this situation amusing.

“Why are you laughing?! Seriously, what’s wrong with you?!”

He was confused and Aoi could feel his bewilderment. Nevertheless, she liked seeing him like this.

Takayuki was the kind of person who’d ignore any kind of pain he received, yet he’d overreact to everyone else’s pain. At one moment, one would find him smiling at them with his irreverent smile but at the very next moment, he would be bowing at them with a pitiful expression on his face.

When she realized that she fell for this kind of person, Aoi laughed.

She laughed at how funny the realization was. Her feelings toward him wasn’t an affection toward a comrade, but the feeling of love toward the opposite sex.

“Satou-kun.”

“A-At least you’ve finally calmed down now…”

That was why, Aoi decided to tell him her feelings without any hesitation.

“Let’s get married.”

Well, at least her heart was in the right place when she made that decision.

“Marry?… Huh? What? Miyama-san? Miyama Aoi-san?”

Obviously, to Takayuki her words made no sense whatsoever. He looked bewildered as he wondered if Aoi got a screw loose somewhere.

“I understand your confusion, but let me explain.”

“O-Okay…”

To the confused Takayuki, Aoi took out a sheet of paper from her desk’s drawer and handed it over to him.

It was a marriage certificate. The real thing.

“See, I’m serious about this whole thing. I even went to the government office to get this certificate.”

“No, wait, that didn’t explain jack! Explain from the beginning! Why do you want to marry me in the first place?!”

“We’re a member of the opposite sex. Taking responsibilities for our actions to each other means we have to marry each other, right? I was the reason why you lost your love, even though it was your own choice in the end, but that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t stop feeling guilty about it. That’s why, to make up for it, I’ll be your wife. I want to replace your lost love with happiness from being together with me.”

“What are you even on about?! Also, if you want to marry me out of guilt, then I’d rather refuse your proposal!”

To Takayuki’s desperate attempt of rejecting her, Aoi let out a smile.

“What are you talking about, Satou-kun? There’s no way that I’d marry you just because I’m feeling guilty towards you.”

“Eh?”

“I’m doing this because it’s you.”

Aoi’s hands grabbed Takayuki’s shoulders as he stared at her in confusion.

“Satou-kun, listen to me. I’m happy right now.”

“Y-Yes…”

“Like you, I don’t understand anything about love, but I know that this happiness that I’m feeling is because you’re here by my side. You don’t need to force yourself to change, I’ll still stay by your side no matter what. You don’t need to force yourself to love me when we get married. After all, I…like you enough the way you are right now…”

With a shy smile and reddened cheeks, Aoi confessed her feelings to him.

If it was any other boys or any other person, really, they would definitely nod their heads in a heartbeat after seeing her expression. But this was Satou Takayuki we were talking about.

Despite receiving that sweet proposal from her, Takayuki couldn’t shake off the feeling that something wasn’t right. It was as if there was some kind of discrepancy between the information that they knew.

“M-Miyama? Um…”

“It’s okay. It’ll be hard at first, but I’m that we’ll be able to do the n-naughty act properly…”

“Cough!”

Takayuki did a spit take out of surprise. He had a feeling that if he was unable to find out what the discrepancy was, things would turn into an even stranger direction.

“…Mhm, I’ve been thinking this through. Even if you’re unable to feel love, you’re still able to feel emotions. We can still make a loving family without love! Oh, but we shouldn’t have children before we’ve settled in our jobs. They said that timing, environment and our cooperation are all something we have to take note of when we’re raising our kids. Also, let’s not get married before we graduate. We have reputations to maintain, after all!”

“Wait, Miyama, calm down! I can’t keep up with all this— Huh?”

Takayuki desperately tried to calm Aoi down as the conversation actually turned into a stranger direction. Suddenly, he realized what the discrepancy was.

He realized it when the words ‘loving family’ came out of her mouth. Those words made him remember about the condition that the witch gave him. The condition he had to fulfill if he ever wanted to get his price back. Takayuki knew about this, but Aoi did not.

“Miyama, stop! There’s a way for me to get my price back!”

“For the distribution of chores… Huh?”

The expression on Aoi’s face proved that he hit the nail on the head.

“You can just…do that?”

“Yeah, of course! If there isn’t, why do you think I’m trying so hard to get it back?!”

“…Escapism?”

“Hell no! It’s the total opposite! I’m doing this because I’m facing reality properly!”

In response to Takayuki’s words, Aoi blinked her eyes a few times. Then, with a robot-like motion, she slowly covered her face.

“….AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!”

She crouched on the bed, moaning in a strange voice that would only come out from someone who felt deeply ashamed by their actions.

Seeing this, Takayuki nodded at her. He could relate to her feelings deeply.

“I see. You don’t know. That’s why you were so desperate.”

“U-Uuu… Why didn’t you tell me about it sooner?”

“Sorry, I got caught up in your momentum. Also, it was a special service by the witch since I made a contract with her back when I was still young and foolish. Don’t worry about it, though. I’ll figure something out.”

“…No. You’re supposed to say, ‘we’ll figure something out’ there.”

Aoi repeatedly bumped her body to Takayuki as she curled her body up. She was close to her limit mentally, but she still wouldn’t compromise on that one point.

“Yeah, I got— Ow! It hurts! Stop, I get your feelings, but don’t take it out on me!”

“Let me have my moment, just scold me later if you hate it.”

“This is how you always act when you get cornered, huh?”

Thinking back, she trapped herself in this room the moment she dumped those sandbags in front of her door. That fact made Takayuki smile involuntarily. It was a little messed up that he smiled over that, but there was no one around to point it out to him.

“…By the way, Satou-kun.”

“Hm?”

Aoi, who had stopped bumping her body into Takayuki, had also stopped curling her body into a ball. There was a gentle expression on her face.

“I’ll do my best… I’ll do my best to make you fall in love, Satou-kun…”

Her face was bright red like a boiled lobster and her hair was a mess because of her earlier antics. But, to Takayuki, her current expression was the prettiest expression he had ever seen.

“I-I see… I-I’ll be in your care then, Miyama. I don’t think I can handle it without you.”

“Hehe… Well, I’m just cleaning up the mess I made, but I’ll do my best!”

After Takayuki spoke those words, Aoi seemed to regain her self-esteem as she stood up, puffing her chest with pride.

“Anyway, what did the witch say to you?”

“Ahh… ‘Find your love’ or something like that. She also told me no matter how strong the power of the supernatural is, it will never be able to defeat love. That’s why if I were able to find my love, I’ll be able to break this curse and regain the price that I had to pay. I don’t think she was lying when she said that.”

“I see. Pretty words are usually lies, but it isn’t like we have any other choice but to believe it. By the way, does familial love or friendship count as ‘love’?”

“Seeing that I’m still stuck in this situation, no, they don’t count.”

After hearing Takayuki’s words, Aoi racked her brain a little before saying her next words with an embarrassed expression.

“…I knew it, we should get married.”

“If you can’t even say those words without getting all red, just don’t say it at all, jeez…”

It seemed like it wasn’t the time yet for those two to talk about love.

* * *

“By the way, Satou-kun, do you have something else that you’re hiding from me?”

“Lots of them.”

“…No, that was the wrong question, I knew that you have secrets that you want to keep at all costs. Let me rephrase. Do you have any other secrets that you’re hiding from me for my sake?”

“Do you really want me to tell you?”

“Yes.”

“…Your skirt is rolled up for a while now…”

“Kyaa!”

After they were done with their talks, they removed the sandbags from Aoi’s room. On the table, there were tea cakes and two glasses of well-chilled green tea that Aoi brought. Both of them exchanged a few words before sipping the tea.

“You can just not tell me about that kind of thing! We’re the only ones here!”

“But you told me to tell you.”

“That wasn’t the thing I was talking about, you know that!”

“I’ll tell you when the time is right, so can you spare me until then? Also, forgive me for peeking at your skirt.”

“I’ll forgive the former, but the latter… Well, I know you don’t have any ill will, but still! My maiden heart can’t forgive you that easily! Ei!”

“Oof!”

“Hehehe, I’ll forgive you with that head flick.”

“That was a head flick?! My head was about to be cracked open!”

Aoi teasing Takayuki and Takayuki smiling wryly at her antics. They were back to their usual interactions and the atmosphere between them was bright and cheerful.

“Well, it doesn’t seem like you’re hiding anything regarding your power, Takayuki-kun. Then, the problem here is Kuramori being around you all the time and her guardian… Rei…Reina? Right, Himuro Reina. Well, there’s no need to be overly cautious of them unless we have to deal with Himuro Reina directly.”

“…I don’t know about that. I think Kuramori is the one we should pay attention to.”

“Huh? Satou-kun?”

He didn’t mean to say that. Takayuki then drank up all the content in his glass and said, ‘I said something unnecessary.’

“Speaking of her, she told me she wants to have a talk with me.”

Then, he brushed it over and brought up the topic he wanted to talk about with her.

“She probably wants to talk about the whole deal with her calling herself as my fiancee. I know that she’s stalking me as a way to get to know me better, but I have the feeling that after we have our talk, she will stop doing it.”

“Do you know why she called yourself as your fiancee to begin with, Satou-kun?”

“I don’t know, but she seems to be serious about it. Not about the fiancee thing, but about getting to know me better. That’s why I agreed to have a heartfelt talk with her.”

“Heartfelt talk, huh?”

Aoi placed her hand on her mouth, making a gesture that showed that she was thinking about something.

Takayuki glanced at her before continuing his words with a serious expression on his face.

“In any case, this talk will definitely cause a change in our relationship. That’s why, Miyama, if you don’t mind—”

“I’ll be there.”

“…I haven’t finished talking yet.”

“But, that’s what you were about to ask me, right? If it isn’t, I’m gonna be mad…”

Seeing Aoi staring at him, Takayuki let out a sigh.

“Yeah, I was about to ask you that.”

“Hehe, I knew it!”

Aoi patted her own chest while saying, “Leave it to me!” She was clearly in a good mood.

In fact, Takayuki was relieved after seeing Aoi’s consent. Because, it was true that he had planned to ask for her consent from the very beginning.

“I’m grateful that I can count on you, Miyama.”

Long before the talk with the two of them began, Takayuki knew.

He wouldn’t be able to face Kuramori Karin without Aoi by his side.

* * *

Karin’s favorite food was ice cream made by Reina.

It was an ice cream mixed with lemon juice, making it taste both sweet and sour. The taste of it always soothed her heart. This had never changed from the very first time Reina had ever made the ice cream for her.

Even when she cried because of her past regrets, because she fought with her friends or because she made a stupid mistake.

“…Alright.”

Even now when Karin made her mind up about something. The ice cream still soothed her heart.

Even though she was making a life-changing decision.

“You really love ice cream, don’t you, Rin-chan? The other day, you also ate plenty of them.”

“Your ice cream is just tasty, Rei-Onee-chan. Also, ‘the other day’ was a month ago. I’m still eating them in moderation.”

“Oh my, is that so?”

It was an evening during the weekday. Karin was sitting in front of Reina while eating her ice cream.

“Of course. Besides, this amount of ice cream isn’t much since we’re going to eat more after this.”

“Hehehe, last time you ate too much and got a stomach ache. You’ve grown up haven’t you, Rin-chan?”

“Stop bringing up the mistakes I did back when I was still in grade school. I’m old enough to take care of myself now! Also, I think I can eat more ice cream than back then.”

“I’ll make more if you grow up a little more.”

“You kept saying that to me, Rei-Onee-chan.”

Unlike her usual expressionless face, Karin wore a pouty look as she complained to Reina. Meanwhile, Reina brushed off her complaints without batting an eye. This was their usual routine.

Compared to when she was outside her house, where she’d always try to look mature, Karin never hid her childishness in front of Reina. Meanwhile, the smile that Reina showed to Karin was different from the smile she always showed to others. It was filled with motherly love. They might not be related by blood, but those two were tied by a bond that was stronger than that of a normal parent-child bond.

“Alright, let’s do it like this, Rei-Onee-chan. If I can face Satou-san properly on this matter, will you finally treat me like an adult?”

“Hehehe, no way~ I’ll only treat you as an adult if you can snag a good guy and make me stop worrying about you.”

“…I don’t think being an adult has anything to do with getting a boyfriend.”

“It doesn’t, but you do have someone in mind already, don’t you?”

Hearing Reina pointing that out, Karin let out a groan and fell silent.

While she might be an outlier, someone who had the means to earn her own money at such a young age, ultimately, she was still a middle school student, an adolescent. She didn’t want to hear anything about the guy that she liked coming out from someone else’s mouth, including Reina’s.

Ding dong.

That was why the bell sound that rang at that moment was a godsend to Karin. She immediately stood up from her chair while saying, “I’ll check it out,” and rushed to the front door to see who was the person who had become her accidental savior.

“Hello, Rin. How are you?”

“…Minoru-Onii-chan.”

That savior was a high school boy with shaggy hair, Kashiki Minoru. He was wearing a jersey and in his right hand, there was a square-shaped object wrapped in a beautiful furoshiki¹Wrapping clothes, the thing that they use to wrap bento in anime..

“Here, a gift from my mom. There are pickles in the bottom box and stir-fried veggies in the top box. Sorry that it’s all veggies, but feel free to eat them all if you want to.”

“Don’t be sorry. Also, thank you very much.”

After bowing deeply, Karin accepted the package with a smile on her face.

She almost always had a sullen look on her face, but whenever Minoru was around, her expression would brighten up like this.

“If you ever need my help, just give me a shout. We’re neighbors.”

As Minoru patted her head, her cheeks started to redden.

“Minoru-Onii-chan, I’m already in middle school! Stop treating me like a child!”

“Sorry. My bad, I’ll be more careful next time.”

“I didn’t say I dislike it…”

In contrast to Minoru’s direct manner of speaking, Karin’s words were indirect, but it was quite clear what she meant by her words.

After Karin came to live in the area, Young Minoru was the one she interacted the most with, aside from Reina. At first, Karin wasn’t particularly interested in him because she thought that he was merely a mob character, but as they interacted with each other more and more, she gradually changed her mind.

When Minoru learned that a middle schooler was living by herself, only accompanied by a nanny, Reina, he always found a reason to visit her just to see how she was doing. The first time Karin joined the karate club, he stood up for her so that she wouldn’t be isolated by others because of her shy personality.

While he might look dull, Minoru was good at noticing the subtleties and getting along with others.

And that was the reason why the cheeky Karin fell for him.

“Thank God that you don’t actually dislike it. You’re like a little sister to me, It’d pain me if you were to hate me…”

However, he only treated her like a little sister and nothing more.

“…Hmph.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Anyway, how’s your painting going?”

“Pretty well, I guess. When I get to coloring it, I’ll let you know.”

Seeing Minoru answered with a faint smile, Karin’s chest tightened. However, she quickly hardened her expression and said with a curt tone,

“Have you decided on a title for that painting?”

“No, I’m still struggling with that. I’m planning to think of something when I finish it, but do you have a good one in mind?”

“…First Love. How does it sound?”

“First Love, huh? That doesn’t sound bad. If a girl like that truly exists, I’m sure I’d fall in love at first sight with her… Ah, sorry, I was gloating, didn’t I?”

Minoru smiled wryly before giving her his thanks and left.

“Seriously, such a difficult person to handle.”

Karin muttered quietly toward Minoru’s departing back.

If only Reina’s partner was him instead of her, maybe everything would turn out for the better. Such thoughts came up in her mind as she spouted her next words.

“Those people with powers and the people around them are all difficult to handle… That’s why…”

She turned her back on the door and walked with a longer stride than usual.

“I’ll at least do something for you, Satou-san. Maybe, if I were to do that, this guilt of mine would disappear…”

She walked forward while saying those words to no one in particular.

In any case, she was sure that the turmoils in her heart would calm down a little by the time she finished eating her melting ice cream.

* * *

There was a cemetery located on a steep hill.

Due to its location, even an adult male would find it difficult to reach it. One couldn’t exactly ride a bicycle to get there due to the slopes with poor footholds on the way.

Many tombstones were erected on a steep slope of the hill. Calling it a bad location to build a grave on was an understatement. Even the deceased’s families would only visit the place during important occasions such as the Obon Festival.

It would be even rarer for someone to visit the place when the sun had started to set. Even if one were to come to the place during that kind of time, that was only because they had a good reason to do so. And that was the case with the five people who came here today.

“Hello, Satou-san.”

“Hello, Kuramori.”

A boy and a girl were facing each other in front of a single tombstone.

The boy was Takayuki, wearing his casual clothes, standing comfortably on the uneven grounds while wearing his usual irreverent smile.

Karin was the girl, wearing a black outfit that looked like it would be difficult to move in, her mourning clothes. Her face was as expressionless as usual, but because of her clothes, she gave off a totally different atmosphere.

A distance away from them were three girls, Reina, Aoi and Yui, silently watching the situation as they didn’t want to disturb the other two.

“Look at you, dressing up properly like that. At this time of the day, you should dress more comfortably, Kuramori. You don’t want to slip and join ‘them’, do you?”

“I don’t. Normally, I dressed myself more comfortably too. But, today is a special occasion.”

“So that means there’s a meaning behind the way you dress yourself and why we’re here at this time of the day?”

“Yes. Since we’re both here, you should’ve noticed something already, aren’t you, Satou-san?”

Hearing Karin’s words, Takayuki silently turned his flashlights toward the tombstone. The words ‘Hiiragi family’ were carved there.

A familiar tombstone. It was the tombstone of someone that Takayuki knew.

“It was roughly at this time of the day.”

Without waiting for Takayuki to answer her previous question, Karin continued talking.

“It was summer back then. The weather wasn’t as sunny as today, though. There was heavy rain… It poured…”

With an indifferent tone, Karin reminisced, or rather, repented about the past.

“They said that the river was flooding, but it didn’t cause much damage to the surroundings, only a few rice paddies collapsed. There was no story of someone’s house being washed away by the water or anything of that sort. However, there was a part of the mountain where the trees had just been cut down at the time. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but it just happened that there was a huge downpour on that day. Unfortunately, or fortunately, despite that part of the mountain collapsed, the landslide only occurred on a small scale. Nothing worth noting was damaged, save from a certain house that got buried. Well, only half of it was buried, though.”

As her words went on, Takayuki’s smile started to fade.

He knew. He knew the reason why the girl who brazenly went out of her way to declare herself as his fiancee was standing here.

“I wonder who was at fault? The mother who let her young child stay at home and didn’t come home until late at night? But she was a nurse and she was on a mission to save someone else’s life. What about the daughter who foolishly stayed inside the house even though she clearly heard the sound of the ground rumbling? But that girl was too young to make a sound decision at that time. Honestly, it would be easier to blame that young girl, me, for everything and let me suffer all the consequences, but reality was ruthless.”

At that point, Karin broke her expressionless face and smiled. However, her smile wasn’t the kind of smile that a normal middle school student makes. It was a smile filled with shame and resignation, the kind of smile that only someone who had once cursed the world until their throat bled and finally gave up on everything.

“Now that I’m done with the preface, let me introduce myself once again. My name is Kuramori Karin, a sinner who wishes to get to know you better…using the whole thing about being your fiancee as a pretext…”

That was why, even though Takayuki knew what Karin was about to tell him, he couldn’t say anything.

“And I am the foolish child who caused your grandfather’s death.”

He didn’t know what to say when someone who was saved by his grandfather at the cost of his own life was making a face like this.

* * *

Aoi watched this happening at a distance away from the two.

The middle school girl who always followed Takayuki around had finally confessed the truth she had been hiding.

“I get your feeling, Miyama-san, but don’t rush out to his side right now. This is the matter that the two of them have to solve.”

Yui suddenly grabbed Aoi’s hand as she was staring intently at Takayuki. The strength she put in her grip was stronger than expected and it made Aoi flinch.

“I’m not going to do that, Takayama-san. I know that much at least.”

“I see. That’s great to hear.”

“…Anyway, Takayama-san, are you sure it’s okay for you to appear in front of him like this?”

“Yeah. I don’t like it, but there won’t be any problems with me coming out here.”

Aoi couldn’t help but feel sorry for Yui, who was smiling with an irritated expression on her face before letting out a sigh.

Shortly before Karin and Takayuki met, Yui arrived at the cemetery with a black car to drop off both Karin and Reina. She was also here to tell Takayuki about everything before things were settled.

And so she did. She told Takayuki about all of her actions without making any excuses. Yui was even ready to bow her head and apologize if he wished her to do so.

However, his response after that revelation was, “Ah, I already had an idea about it, don’t worry. If anything, now that I know it’s you who gave her the information, I can rest easy.” Apparently, he already figured it out on his own, but he still continued to believe in Yui.

Even Aoi, who saw their exchange, felt sorry for her.

“Seriously, that idiot…”

Because of that, even though she was supposed to be apologizing to him, Yui felt the urge to punch him in the face instead. But, she wasn’t that tactless, so she held herself back. Besides, this moment was for Karin and Takayuki to settle their problems. So far, Yui had been supporting Karin from behind, she couldn’t just step forward and ruin this moment for her.

“Oh my, your feelings seem complicated, but your thoughts are so simple, Takayama-chan.”

A few steps away from Yui, whose shoulders were trembling as she tried to hold back her irritation, was Reina. Unlike the other two who came with their casual clothes, Reina was wearing her usual sailor uniform. Considering the place they were at, no one would blame anyone who thought that she was a wandering ghost.

“Hm? Nanny, did you say something?”

“Nothing~”

“Really?”

Also, Yui was the only one in that place who couldn’t recognize Reina’s presence properly. She knew that Reina was there, but since they barely exchanged words and all their conversations were cut off short, it was hard for Yui to notice her. In fact, if Reina didn’t call out to her, she would have forgotten the fact that she was there.

“So, Himuro-san, does this mean that Takayama-san is affected by your side-effects?”

Aoi, who had been watching the situation between the two, approached Reina and whispered those words to her. While there was a possibility that Yui wouldn’t recognize their conversation due to the side-effects, Aoi didn’t feel comfortable talking about it out loud right in front of her face.

“Yes. People like Takayama-chan who believe strongly in common sense have a harder time recognizing my existence. But, because of that it’s really hard for her to be affected by the supernaturals. It’s hard for me to interact with her…or even to approach her in the first place.”

“So that’s why you’re standing strangely distant.”

Aoi’s and Reina’s conversation didn’t enter Yui’s ears. Normally, Yui would be aware of her surroundings, especially when people were talking nearby, but when Reina was involved, her brain just couldn’t recognize it somehow.

“Well, it’s usually Karin-chan who speaks with her, so there’s no problem.”

“I see, I understand… Also, is it okay for you to not be with Karin-chan?”

“Hehehe, it’s okay.”

Reina smiled gently before she narrowed her eyes.

“Sooner or later, I know that I have to let her go eventually…”

She muttered in a slow and sad tone.

At the end of her gaze were Karin and Takayuki, ready to confess their feelings to each other.

* * *

“I always hated summer vacation. Because whenever it comes, you’ll also come and I’ll be unable to play with Sojiro-san— Sojiro-Ojii-chan…”

Karin put her words together curtly.

Soaked in her sentimentality, her voice sounded empty, like a machine.

“I was always a lonely child and I became especially lonely during the summer vacation. There was no one at home and if I were to go to the Old Man’s house… You were there. My mother told me to restrain myself. I always went there during every other season, so it would be fair for me to leave the old couple alone with their family whenever the summer vacation arrives. I always wondered when the vacation ended. I couldn’t do anything but watch TV back at home and read thick books I got from the library to pass time… Even so, the Old Man would check up on me from time to time, that alone made it more bearable for me…”

Karin’s voice echoed in that quiet cemetery.

“That year, you went back early, didn’t you? I heard there was some commotion during that year, but I didn’t know much about it. Rather, I didn’t care, I just wanted to play with the Old Man again. Hehe, I still remember how good he was with his hands. He can create anything with those hands. He can even make the overly complicated origamis like the ones you see in videos. I really wanted him to teach me how to do it…”

She let out a smile, but it wasn’t a happy smile, rather one of resignation. The smile of someone who had given up on something.

“But, when we finally could play together again, the Old Man looked especially troubled. And the cause of that was you, his own grandson. He told me that his grandson started to follow in his footsteps, acting like a hero with an excessive sense of justice. He was worried that if you were to keep that up, helping others without any regard for yourself, it’ll do you more harm than good.”

“…That sounds like something he’d say.”

To Takayuki, whose expression was distorted with bitterness, Karin let out an empty smile.

“I know, right? Well, I was too young to understand what his words meant back then. All I knew was that the Old Man was troubled, so I tried to come up with ways to make him feel better. Eventually, I told him that I’ll become your wife so I could take care of you. It’s dumb, I know, but I said that partly because I wanted to be part of his family. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s dumb though.”

“Yeah, seriously. I bet my grandpa rejected it without a second thought, right?”

“Yes, but I insisted.”

With a nostalgic gaze, Karin turned her eyes toward the sky.

“Out of selfishness, I insisted on the idea. Back then I just wanted to be closer to him, so despite knowing that I acted like a bad girl, I didn’t care. Meanwhile, the Old Man just laughed… He told me, ‘You can decide after you meet him, for now, you can be his fiancee.’ Now, I know what he meant by those words. After a year, a child is bound to forget about their promise and even if they remember, there’s no way that they’d go out of their way to approach an older kid. This is supposed to end like that.”

Then, she gently closed her eyelids.

“Come next summer, I’d try to dress up the best that I could so that I could say something nasty to you, then in response you’d show me a bewildered look, but you’d try to go along with my antics anyway. Meanwhile, the Old Man would watch over us with a smile on his face… Such summer would come…if he hadn’t died saving me…”

She muttered to herself before opening her eyes once again.

“The old man was truly an amazing person until the end… He protected me, got injured and collapsed… Even after that, he was still worried about me until the moment when he was about to die, holding no grudges against me whatsoever…”

“That’s why…” Once again, her gaze settled on Takayuki.

“Everyone around us, the people who also adored the Old Man, blame our family for his death…”

“!”

Those words were like a blade that swung right into Takayuki’s chest.

“Satou-san, do you understand? When a hero is hurt, the people who adored him also felt his pain. That pain became the motivation for them to hurt the person who caused the hero’s death. Of course, it isn’t like they suddenly became a villain who’d abuse the person without any remorse. They were just normal people who couldn’t stand the loss of their loved ones.”

The blade of words kept striking Takayuki’s chest.

“If I were in their position, I would definitely do the same thing. Thoughts like, ‘Why did this happen? He should have left the child to die…’ would most likely come up in my mind. I knew that they definitely whispered those words toward me behind my back and honestly, I deserved it, after all, I was the cause of his death. Though, their words became harder to bear after my mother left me…”

As the blade striked Takayuki’s chest, it also striked Karin’s as well. She kept on going, hurting herself with her words without any hesitation.

“My mother had a great sense of responsibility. Back then, she was most likely being crushed by her guilt and broke down, that was why she disappeared. Even now I still don’t know where she is. I don’t want to know though. I don’t want to know whether she’s dead or alive…”

“Kuramori, that’s…”

Takayuki tried to deny her words, but Karin disregarded it and continued.

“The only salvation I had was the Old Woman. She was supposed to be the one who was hit the hardest by his loss, but she carried on with her life. ‘That idiot died because he did another dumb thing like usual. It’s all on him, not you, so stop with that gloomy look,’ she told me. She even scolded everyone who talked behind my back. After that, things get a little better. Instead of my mother, who disappeared somewhere, the Old Woman and his daughter, your mother, took care of me. They would reminisce about the Old Man together with me, up until the moment I was adopted by my relatives.”

But, before Takayuki could say anything, Karin smiled midway through her words. It wasn’t a hollow smile like before, but a smile of resignation. It was a smile that looked human-like.

“Then, I met Reina-san and I became happy enough to keep on living. A lot of things happened, but those things wouldn’t hurt me more than dying senselessly. That’s why, Satou-san, this is only a selfish request of mine to erase all the guilt remaining in my heart. You can refuse it, but please, at least listen to me until I’m done…”

That was why Takayuki grew fearful of Karin.

“Satou-san, please give up on your dream to become a hero right now.”

The determination in Karin’s eyes made Takayuki step back involuntarily.

“It was the Old Man’s last will. Until his last moment, he was worried about you. He told me that he had taught you the wrong thing.”

“…”

“I promised him that I’d correct his mistakes, to make sure that you’re living a normal life. I said all those words to reassure him in his last moments. Fulfilling this promise will get rid of the remaining guilt I have in my heart.”

However, it didn’t take long before Takayuki took a step forward, back where he previously stood. His movement was sluggish as he tried to endure the pain that he felt.

“Please, help me, Satou-san. Get rid of this guilt in my heart. Give up on being a hero. Use me as a reason for you to give up.”

Takayuki wouldn’t turn his back on someone who begged for his help.

“It’s okay, there’s nothing for you to be afraid of. Let’s just put an end to all this suffering we’ve been through. Even if you were to stop being a hero, there are people who’ll still stay by your side. If you’re still afraid, I can stay with you for as long as you like. It was my promise to my savior and you’re more than aware that I’d fulfill that promise no matter what, aren’t you?”

There was no escape from this situation. From the moment he met Karin, the escape routes that he had were completely shut off.

If he were to refuse Karin’s plea, the illusion he had of him being a hero would completely collapse as if it was his grandfather in his shoes, he wouldn’t even think of refusing it.

But, if he were to accept it, then he’d have to give up being a hero. He couldn’t just half-heartedly agree, he had to go through with it. The moment he went against his words, being a hero would be the least of his worries. He’d never be able to forgive himself and carry on that guilt with him. And, above all, the moment he said that he’d give up, the words would bind his heart like a curse and continue weighing him down for the rest of his life.

“Yeah, I know…”

No matter which options he chose, his conviction would break. That was the kind of situation that he was facing.

And that was why he had been preparing himself for this exact situation.

“I know that you’re someone who’ll fulfill your promises no matter what, Kuramori. I know that it’s easier for me to just give up everything here. That’s why you gave me an easy way for me to give up, to lift up the curse that my grandfather left me, the curse that made me feel obligated to become a hero. It’s amazing. With this, not only me, anyone would be tempted to give up after hearing your words.”

Takayuki began to speak.

“To begin with, I don’t have the qualifications to be a hero. The reason why I started in the first place was because I wanted to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps, not because I felt obligated to help someone in need. I did it because I want my grandfather to notice me, I want to hear him praising me. After he passed away, it became my coping mechanism. That was why I made countless mistakes. I hurted my friend and made her cry. From that point onwards, I was already disqualified as a hero.”

His weakness that he had been hiding deep inside his heart for so long, the truth that he desperately tried to hide from.

“I already knew that this day would come. The day when I’d have to throw the word I had been using as an excuse away, the day when I’d have to abandon the word ‘hero.’”

Takayuki took a deep breath and stared at Karin. Without averting his gaze he gave her his words, his choice for his future.

“That’s why, Kuramori, my bad. I don’t want to give up on being a hero yet.”

And his choice was to not accept Karin’s plea.

To completely shatter the illusion he had been in and abandon his conviction.

“…Why?”

Hearing his answer, Karin blinked her eyes several times. His answer seemed to be unexpected for her.

“Because I’ve promised to be a hero together with a certain someone.”

“Who?”

“My partner…Miyama. That girl is so much better than me in every aspect, but somehow she has a high expectation of me. As long as she’s with me, I’m sure that even the wildest dream I made back when I was a kid will come true eventually. That’s why I will never give up. It isn’t for my sake or her sake, but for the sake of fulfilling my promise to her.”

After saying that, Takayuki let out a small laugh.

“I’m such a bad guy, don’t you think?”

“Yeah. I can’t believe you readily rejected me like that. You’re the worst.”

In response, Karin let out a smile, as if she was responding to a light joke.

She responded as such because she understood. Takayuki’s unhealthy obsession had been broken the moment he decided to make this choice.

“But, that’s how people are, I guess. That’s how a ‘decent human being’ lives.”

“Those words make a ‘decent human being’ sound detestable.”

“That’s the way it is. They’re selfish, they have no convictions, always trying to compromise everything. There’s no way those kinds of people could become the hero everyone strives to be. There’s simply no way.”

In the dim darkness, Karin moved her gaze away.

Toward the three girls that were watching them a few meters apart. One of them, Aoi, was looking at them with a flabbergasted look.

“But, even so, you might still be able to become Miyama-san’s hero.”

“…Who knows? Just a few minutes ago, I made a very un-hero-like choice. She might have started hating me already.”

Following Karin’s movement, Takayuki moved his gaze to Aoi’s direction.

“If you’re afraid of that possibility, you can still take your words back, you know?”

“No, it’s okay. It’s more important to not run away from your own feelings than worrying about being hated by someone else.”

“I see. Alright, for such an honest coward like yourself, let me lend you a hand.”

That was why Takayuki failed to notice Karin’s smile. She donned a mischievous smile, befit her status as a middle schooler.

“MIYAAAMA-SAAAN! SATOU-SAN HERE IS AFRAID OF YOU HATING HIM! DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO HIM?!”

“Oi, Kuramori!”

As a result, before he could stop her, Karin already shouted her words.

“Don’t worry, Satou-san, I’ve already made my plans to escape before everyone in the neighborhood catches me for being a nuisance.”

“That’s not what I meant! I meant, you didn’t need to shout that loud–”

“I LOVE YOU! YOU DON’T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ME HATING YOU, YOU IDIOOOT!”

Aoi’s words came back in a desperate, angry tone.

“You sure are loved, aren’t you, Satou-san?”

“…Shut up.”

Karin had a smug look on her face.

Takayuki chuckled without making any more complaints.

It was like an ordinary exchange between a high-schooler and a middle-schooler.

* * *

After Takayuki and Karin finished their talk, everyone who gathered at the cemetery decided to go on their ways.

However, even though it was a rural town, it was still inappropriate for minors to walk by themselves in the middle of the night. Rather than meeting some suspicious people, there were chances that they’d encounter some wild animals instead. For this reason, Yui offered everyone to ride in the black luxurious car that she brought.

“S-Sorry for inconveniencing you, Takayama-san…”

“Don’t worry about it, Miyama-san. If you’re worrying about inconveniencing the driver, don’t worry, it’s part of his job. Besides, I’ll pay him for working overtime.”

“This feels like letting someone pay the whole group’s taxi fee, I feel guilty…”

Everything went smoothly. It was the countryside, so there wasn’t much traffic at this time of the day. Yui also had instructed the driver on where to drop everyone off beforehand, so Karin, Reina and Takayuki were able to get back home without any trouble.

“So, Takayama-san, why did you make it so that you’d drop me last? Do you have something to talk about with me?”

“As expected of Miyama-san. You’re sharp when it comes to things that don’t involve Takayuki-kun.”

“That’s pot calling the kettle black.”

“Sadly, I can’t refute those words.”

Yui and Aoi then exchanged words for twenty minutes before they arrived at Aoi’s house. Of course, this was planned by Yui beforehand.

“Anyway, I want to have a pleasant chat with you without that idiot around, Miyama-san.”

“…Is this about the reason why you provided Kuramori-san with the information about Takayuki’s schedule?”

“More or less. Well, it’s easier to start with that, huh?”

As the car continued to run along quietly, Yui began to speak to Aoi.

“The reason why I cooperated with Karin was, well, like her, I wanted him to give up on being a hero. That’s why I didn’t spare any effort on providing her with any information that she might need.”

“Takayama-san, is the reason why you want him to give up on being a hero related to… Um… Something that happened in the past?”

“…Right. I guess he trusted you enough to tell you about that, huh?”

Yui let out a nostalgic smile before continuing to speak.

“Yeah. Well, I wanted him to give up on it the moment I met him, but that incident was the decisive factor. He protected my little sister and got into an accident because of it. I know I should be thanking him for it, even until this day, I still feel grateful toward him. Hell, I’d do anything to repay him for it. But, well…”

As she continued to speak, her smile turned into a grimace.

“More than feeling thankful, I feel angry toward him. I mean, he helped people for stupid reasons. His clumsiness always ended up hurting himself. He’s so good-natured that it’s so hard to look at him. No matter how pathetic the words that came out of his mouth were, in the end, he’d always be someone who’d help others in need. I just can’t bear to see that kind of person hurting himself like a martyr…”

Her expression gradually turned to anger as her cheeks flushed red.

“That’s why, I want to turn him into a ‘normal person.’ I don’t care if he turns lame in exchange. I want him to take care of himself more, to make him live a happy life as a ‘normal person.’ This frustration of mine wouldn’t subside unless I fulfill that wish.”

Yui said, expressing the burning anger in her heart. Hatefully, lovingly, she let bare all her emotions without any intention to hide anything.

“…That’s the reason behind your actions, Takayama-san?”

“Yes. That’s the reason. What do you think? Isn’t it disgusting and selfish of me?”

Aoi couldn’t respond to her self-deprecative words.

But it wasn’t because she couldn’t understand her. On the contrary, it was because she could understand her feelings, bordering between love and hate, that she chose to remain silent. She didn’t have any words that she could say to Yui at the moment.

“Alright, enough of the silly talk, that’s just the preamble, let’s get to the main topic at hand, Miyama-san.”

“Huh?”

Yui also understood that her feelings were too heavy to talk about, that was why she chose to repress it deep within her chest and move on to the main reason why she set this situation up. Yes, everything up to this point was merely the opening act.

“Yeah, the real reason why I made some time to talk alone with you like this. Let’s see, it’s true that Karin and I planned this whole thing to make him change. To make him deny his dreams and turn him into a normal person. We achieved that goal…rather easily even…and that made me feel a little uncomfortable…”

“Uncomfortable? …Um, is it because he was a little cool— I-I mean! A little too quick in making his decision?”

“Yeah. That.”

Yui nodded to Aoi’s answer and continued her explanation.

“Normally, in that kind of situation, he’d freeze, drown in self-doubt for a long while before coming to an answer. No matter how much you motivate him by being there, he shouldn’t be making a decision that quickly… It was as if he had already decided on his answer in advance.”

After Yui pointed that out, Aoi also came to the same conclusion as her. Of course, this could merely be a wild guess and they were just overthinking it, but it was still strange that both Yui’s and Aoi’s instinct were warning them about the same thing.

“It might be a groundless fear, but Miyama-san, I want you to take this into consideration. He’s hiding something from us.”

It was still too early to say that everything had been settled once and for all.

* * *

Ever since she was a child, Himuro Reina always laughed at herself, calling herself a mermaid stranded offshore.

She’d always find herself exhausted after merely running for 30 meters. Her meal portion was always unnaturally small and there were even days when she couldn’t eat due to nausea. There was always a part in her body that wasn’t in a good shape. She didn’t even know that it was possible for her body to not be hurting all over until that fateful day arrived.

“Poor child, she’s lucky that she’s blessed with good parents.”

“Well, Himuro-san’s family is related to the Takayamas, that’s why they can afford to call a doctor for her every single day. I can’t imagine how much it cost them for that.”

“If she was born in any other family, she’d die much quicker than this.”

Ever since she was a child, all Reina could hear were words filled with pity, jealousy and a sense of superiority.

A sickly girl who managed to live on because she was born in a rich family. That was Reina in the eyes of her surroundings.

That was why, before she learned how to speak, she first learned how to smile. She always had a gentle smile on her face. It wasn’t a smile from the heart, of course. Rather, she figured out that to avoid any conflicts with everyone around her, smiling amicably was the easiest way to do it.

And it worked. Every time Reina let out her gentle smile and said appropriate things at the appropriate time, most of the people around her wouldn’t utter a single word of complaint. They’d just treat a sickly person like her accordingly with the right amount of pity. Even though deep inside her heart, hatred soared through like a searing flame. The smile that she made was meant as a mockery, both for herself and other people around her.

That was the kind of smile the girl named Himuro Reina had.

At least, that was the case, until she met with a boy called Hiiragi Sojiro.

* * *

“Okay, let’s make a deal.”

Reina’s first impression of Sojiro was, she thought of him as a ‘persimmon thief.’ There was a large persimmon tree in the garden of her house. Her parents and servants were too busy to take care of the tree regularly, so a mischievous boy managed to sneak in and snatched a few ripe persimmons from that tree. And that boy was Sojiro.

Back then, they had just entered middle school. When Reina came back from the washroom while wearing her nightgown, he found Sojiro in the garden, picking up persimmons that fell off the tree.

“If you let me go, I’ll give you anything you want. As long as you don’t call your family here. I don’t want my dad to beat me to death!”

Reina watched Sojiro’s pathetic display with her usual gentle smile. However, unlike her usual smile, her smile this time didn’t hide any feelings of hatred.

Instead, she felt a sense of superiority. For the very first time in her life, she was in the position above others. With that feeling in her heart, she spoke out to Sojiro.

“Then, from today onwards, you’ll become my underling.”

Behind her gentle smile, lied her true character, a selfish and mean spirited girl.

From that moment onwards, the strange relationship between the two began.

Sojiro was good with his hands and he was physically strong. On top of that, he had a great sense of justice, though he was an idiot at his core. The reason why he broke into Reina’s garden to steal their persimmons was because he didn’t want to see the persimmons go to waste. To compensate for his idiocy, Reina, a calm girl who had a different view about the world, decided to assist him by giving him advice.

Their dynamics were akin to an armchair detective and his assistant.

Sojiro was a particularly active boy. Every time, he’d tell his experiences to Reina with excitement and every time, Reina would tell him to calm down and reluctantly listen to his stories. Despite feeling reluctant, Reina was still interested in his stories.

After all, he was the first person who treated Reina as his equal.

Someone who didn’t pity her as their relationship formed by mutual trust and interests toward each other. When they were together, they were able to laugh their hearts out.

Having met such a person for the first time, not to mention a member of the opposite sex, it was an inevitability that Reina would fall for him.

She had already given up on living due to her body condition, but because of Sojiro’s presence, she started to think about going to high school together with him. And so, she started to pay more attention towards her health. She started to follow the doctor’s advice that she always brushed off. She started to fight to regain the life that she had almost given up.

That was how much Reina cherished her time with Sojiro.

“…It would be a miracle if you were to last for another year.”

She still fought on, even though the doctor had already diagnosed that she only had a few days to live.

* * *

The doctor’s words came true, Reina’s life came to an end. No matter how hard she tried to resist, in the end, she couldn’t overcome the limit that was bestowed to her from her birth. She ended up suffering, struggling and dying without anyone to care for her.

Or that was how it was supposed to be.

“I see, I see. You don’t want to die, huh? A simple wish, nonetheless, a not unusual wish for a living being. Very well, I’ll grant that wish for you.”

A miracle happened. Just when her life was about to end, Reina ended up summoning a witch. A real witch, a being who dealt with real magic, not some kind of phony from the streets.

“But, you need to be mindful of two things. First, the price that comes with it. You won’t age. Your body will stay youthful no matter how much time passes. It might not seem like a big deal right now, but one day, you’ll come to understand and regret everything.”

Like the Cheshire Cat, the witch laughed as she explained the situation to Reina. Strangely enough, as she spoke, the pain that had been ailing Reina’s body had subsided. It was as if the witch had casted a spell to shoo it away.

“Second, there’s a time limit. Please understand that you’re a being that isn’t supposed to live. Because of that, this world’s ‘common sense’ will deny your existence and will continue to erase your presence. You’ll be fine for a few years, but the longer you live, the more of your existence will be erased. Eventually, you’ll disappear without a trace from everyone’s memory. To prevent that, I set up a time limit for you.”

Reina couldn’t understand half of the witch’s explanation. To her, the most important thing was that her suffering was eased. Not to mention that there was hope that she could survive and live on longer.

“Do you understand? The time limit for your immortality will be the moment you resolve your unfulfilled desire. I don’t know how long you will be able to do that, but once you do, you’ll die— No, you’ll be able to die. Please keep my words in mind.”

‘I want to live, I don’t want to die. I want to wear beautiful clothes, I want to wear the sailor uniform. I want to go to school with Sojiro. I want to spend more time together with him.’

‘I don’t want to die without telling him about those feelings.’

Like a moth drawn to a source of light, Reina reached out her hands to the witch without hesitation.

“Now, after considering my words, what will you decide, Himuro Reina?”

With all the strength she could muster, she grabbed the witch’s hand and nodded her head over and over.

“Alright. The contract has been made. The name of the ability I’ve given you is ‘Little Mermaid.’ O Maiden in love, give form to your feelings before you turn into foam of bubbles.”

And thus, Reina turned into a completely different person.

Her hair and eye color changed, but no one was bothered by this, probably because of the effect of her ability. But, more importantly, Reina was impressed by the fact that for the first time in her life, she didn’t feel any pain in her body. She finally could live a healthy life like a normal person.

She didn’t get exhausted even after she ran for 100 meters. She didn’t need to take her medicine after her meals. Ever since they first met, she could only wait for Sojiro to come to her side, but after she gained her ability, she didn’t need to do that anymore as she could just approach him. They were able to go to school together. She even could wear a sailor uniform and went to school together with him.

Reina managed to accomplish everything she wanted to do before she died.

Everything, except for one thing.

* * *

“Homemade ice cream? What’s the occasion? It’s unusual that you’re making something this fancy.”

It was a trivial conversation on a sunny day. The pair were eating ice cream together on the porch of Reina’s house.

“Don’t you like sweets? That’s why I put in a little effort to celebrate your recovery! I even went out of my way to beg that naggy girl from the cooking club to teach me how to make it.”

“That’s surprising. I thought you two didn’t get along with each other.”

Reina remembered how happy she was back then when Sojiro showed his concern to her. The normally blunt and caring boy seemed cooler than usual that day.

“We didn’t! She’s always nagging me about everything! If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t even think about begging her for this!”

But, at this point, Reina sensed something. Despite complaining, Sojiro was talking happily about a certain girl that they knew. Seeing this, she understood.

Her one unfulfilled desire, her love, would never come true.

She wished so badly that she had just misunderstood, but in the end, Sojiro ended up together with the girl he had complained so much about.

Reina thought about confessing to him at least, but she decided not to. As she didn’t want to confess just so she could clear her regrets. And, if she were to confess to him, she’d end up hurting him more than anything.

And that was the reason why she was still alive. Unable to hurt the person that she loved, unable to die a beautiful death in her youth, the undying maiden was still holding on to her unfulfilled desire.

Even long after the time when the dazzling boy was eaten by the passage of time, she was still around, unable to die.

* * *

It was a coincidence that Aoi managed to notice it.

“Huh? Aoi, isn’t that the middle schooler who used to follow Satou-kun around? I haven’t been seeing her for the last few days, so I thought she stopped, but is she starting to follow him around again?”

“What?”

A few days after Takayuki and Karin’s meeting at the cemetery.

When Aoi was leaving the school with her friends, this anomaly happened. Karin, who had no more reason to be around them, was hanging around the school gate restlessly.

“Sorry, you guys, you should go ahead.”

Once she noticed this, she couldn’t ignore it.

After saying some quick words to her friends, she dashed toward Karin’s direction.

“Kuramori-san?”

“Hyah!”

When Aoi called out to her, she let out an unusually high-pitched voice. It seemed like she was so absorbed into her thoughts that she didn’t even notice Aoi approaching her.

“M-Miyama-san…”

“What’s wrong? You have an unusual expression on your face. Like a housekeeper stumbling across the homeowner having an affair.”

“W-Well…”

“So, what’s wrong? It’s great that you became more expressive, but if you don’t clearly say what’s going on, people will misunderstand.”

After being prompted by Aoi, Karin let her gaze wander for a bit before resolving herself to answer.

“Miyama-san, Reina-san went to meet with Satou-san. Do you know something about this?”

“…Huh?”

Aoi tilted her head after hearing Karin’s words. Takayuki didn’t tell her about this. Well, he didn’t have any obligation to tell her about anything in the first place, but even so, an uncertain feeling rose in Aoi’s heart.

“From your reaction, it seems like you don’t know. This morning, Reina-san seemed unusually restless, so I asked her about it. She didn’t seem to plan to tell me anything, but in the end, she told me that she wanted him to guide her to her old school. Since the whole thing sounded suspicious, I secretly followed her and ended up here…”

“I haven’t heard about any of this…”

Aoi said in an discouraged voice.

Unamused, she sulkily pouted and began to complain in her heart over the fact that if it was Reina, she wouldn’t need a guide as she could just get into the school unnoticed. That was when she realized something.

“Strange. If that’s all they’re doing, then there’s no reason for him to hide this from me since I can recognize Himuro-san too. While it’s true that he has no obligation to tell me anything, he should still do it anyway to prevent me from misunderstanding his intentions…”

“M-Miyama-san, calm down… Reina-san is pretty and it’s normal to be worried in a situation like this, but she is a sensible person, she won’t do anything weird!”

Aoi muttered her thoughts out loud as Karin tried to calm her down. Her muttering didn’t express the real reason why she was worried, though. While it was true that she didn’t like this development, her instinct was screaming at her that something was wrong. Recently, Takayuki had been asking Aoi about her plans and earlier today, he even reported his schedule to him unprompted, telling her that he would be hanging out with Minoru, but it seemed like his report was a false one.

And above all, Yui’s words about how Takayuki was hiding something from her still haunted Aoi.

“Kuramori-san, if you don’t mind, would you like to check up on them with me?”

And so, Aoi decided on a simple way to confirm everything. Going to their secret meeting place and confronting them directly.

“Eh, is that okay? I-I mean, I’m wearing another school’s uniform…”

“You don’t need to worry about it. I have a lot of friends here, so they won’t think of anything if they were to see you with me. Even if they stop us and ask, I should be able to pull one over them. It’ll be troublesome if a teacher were to find out, but that’s still manageable. As long as you can walk straight and smile proudly, we should be fine.”

“Smile proudly… I’ll do my best…”

And so, Aoi and Karin went back to school to look for their partners. If nothing ended up happening and both of them were just needlessly worrying, then they could just bow their heads and apologize.

But, Aoi knew that it was just wishful thinking.

* * *

Takayuki and Reina’s secret agreement had started a long time ago.

It began back when they first discussed a way to help Rinko with her love life. Back then, after Takayuki left in a bad mood and everyone broke up the meeting, he went to meet up Reina at a certain family restaurant.

Reina used ‘Hiiragi Sojiro’s will’ as bait for Takayuki to bite. She texted the bait to him when he went to use the restroom at the coffee shop. After that, Takayuki became upset and he didn’t even need to fake his bad mood to trigger the reason for everyone’s breaking up the meeting.

Because of this, he had already known Karin’s identity long before she revealed herself to him back at the cemetery. And of course, he had already known about his grandfather’s will.

“Thank you, Takayuki-kun, for facing Rin-chan properly. Thanks to you, she’ll be released from her guilt.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I mercilessly rejected her plea for my own selfish reason.”

Both of them were currently inside an unused classroom.

The sunlight lit up the classroom, as the tiny dust inside reflected its light. No one was there except for the two of them. Takayuki chose this place because it was a distance away from the other students who were busy with their club activities. He managed to get the key from a teacher who owed him a favor, Iwanaga Shuzou. While he seemed to be a stubborn teacher that prioritized discipline above all else, he was actually someone who put his ego over everything else. That was why it wasn’t difficult for Takayuki to get the key under the guise of ‘cleaning the old classroom.’

“I wonder about that. If you were as terrible of a person as you suggested, you wouldn’t even think about going to the cemetery to meet her to begin with.”

“Nah, I just went because I don’t want Miyama to see me in a bad light. I don’t think I did something that qualifies me as a good person back then.”

Reina with her cheerful smile and Takayuki with his blunt responses. Both of them were facing each other. All the chairs and desks were at the back of the classroom, so there was nothing standing in between them.

“More importantly, are you sure this is the right place?”

An empty classroom where no one could find you. A quiet place to see the sky being painted in an orange hue. This was the place that Reina chose, the place for her to spend her last moment in her life.

“Yes. This place has changed, but it feels good to be dying in a place filled with good memories, don’t you think so? That’s why, Takayuki-kun. Can you please use your ability on me?”

Yes. Reina had chosen to end her love and as an extension, her immortality.

The agreement between the two of them was simple. In exchange for Reina providing information about Karin to Takayuki, the latter would use his ability to eat her love away. She wanted to use his ability to erase her long-lived regret.

“I still can’t erase this regret even after all those years have passed…”

“…While I don’t mind using my ability on you, not telling Kuramori about this matter is a little… I don’t know, I still feel that it’s inappropriate.”

“Hehehe, says the person who didn’t tell Miyama-san about this matter.”

Takayuki let out a frown after Reina pointed that out. He was about to retort, but Reina’s fleeting smile made him clench his lips shut.

“I’m sorry, that was mean of me to say. Compared to yours, my reason is pathetic. I’m just a weakling who’s too afraid to say goodbye to Rin-chan. But, I need to do this. I don’t want to back down at the last moment and say that ‘I want to live with Rin-chan for a while longer…’”

“Have you at least given her a note? Don’t tell me you haven’t left her with anything.”

“Yeah, I left a whole notebook filled with my words to her.”

“Don’t you think that’s too much?”

In the quiet classroom, only their conversation could be heard.

“I guess so. Anyway, if Rin-chan failed to find the note, can you bring it to her? I’ve sent you a text with a picture of it and its location.”

“Sure sure.”

“…And, if she ended up holding a grudge on you over this, please forgive me.”

“It’s fine. It’s part of our deal anyway.”

As their conversation died down, they knew that it was time for them to end everything.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

To Takayuki’s straight question, Reina smiled and replied.

“Right… I’ve lived for a long time, but I still have a lot of regrets. All the time, I thought about all the things that I missed and ended up feeling remorseful and sad about it. It’s pathetic. Also, I’m really scared of dying…”

Her lips trembled, but she tried to act like usual.

At her words, Takayuki closed his eyes before making a frown. Donning his mask as a ‘monster,’ he reached out his hand to use his ability.

“You don’t need to worry. I’ll eat your unfulfilled love. It’s as easy as taking candy from a baby. Now, rest in peace…”

As his fingertip was about to touch Reina’s forehead.

“Wait!”

His movement was stopped by a word of restraint he didn’t expect.

Immediately after, he turned his face around to see, only to be stopped by something that rammed into his face with a great force.

“Mngh!”

It was a school bag. A familiar one at that. The force that the bag carried made him lose his footing. Without missing this opportunity, a figure jumped out from outside the classroom to tackle him.

“Oi– Mmph!”

Without hesitation, the one who tackled him pinned him down and pressed his mouth with their hands. Now, not only was he unable to move and speak, he was also unable to retaliate with force.

“Satou-kun, I’m really angry right now, so be quiet, or else I won’t be able to hold myself back against you. We’ll have a talk later, okay?”

Because the one who pushed him down was Aoi, who was wearing her beautiful smile.

It was at this moment that he realized that his plan had failed. ‘How did she find out about it? How much did she know? How could she figure out that we’re here? Was it a blunder to not lock the door from inside? But then again, if I locked it and a teacher passed by, it would be hard to explain myself to them.’ Such thoughts appeared in his mind.

Eventually, he gave up. He chose to stay quiet in this situation, knowing that even if he were to do something here, he’d still end up as the villain due to the agreement he had with Reina.

“Rei-Onee-chan! Why…why did you do this to me?!”

And above all, he didn’t want to interrupt the moment between the crying Karin and Reina.

* * *

Karin knew. She knew what kind of condition needed to be fulfilled so Reina could be released from the witch’s contract. In the past, she asked her about this matter a lot, so she managed to figure it out by herself. And she also managed to figure out that if Reina’s unresolved feelings…her love were to disappear, she would cease to exist.

Karin knew. Nothing lasts forever. Even if Reina was an immortal being, there would come a day where they’d have to part ways. That was why she wanted to stay by her side for as long as possible until that day finally came.

“Reina-Onee-chan, do you hate me?”

However, there was something that Karin didn’t know. It was the reason why Reina was looking for the love-eating monster.

“No, of course that’s not the case, Rin-chan…”

So, Reina spoke to her, like a mother caring for her child who was clinging to her like glue.

“I don’t hate you. Rather, I love you…and that’s why I have to part ways with you now…”

“But…why?”

She told Karin, who had long dropped her mature facade, the secret that she had been hiding from her.

“Soon enough, the common sense of this world will erase me from existence. I’ll be gone, not leaving anything behind, not even any memories of me.”

The hopeless truth that she couldn’t exist forever as she was someone who wasn’t supposed to exist.

“You know about my ability don’t you, Rin-chan? It isn’t an ability that lets me live forever, rather, it only postpones my death until I get rid of my unfulfilled desires. That’s why, if I cling to this life indefinitely, the world will punish me, chipping away at my existence little by little until one day, no one will be able to remember me and I’ll disappear from this world completely.”

“B-But, if it’s me! I-If it’s us—”

“There’s no exception to the rule. Even if it’s you or Miyama-san, both of you will eventually forget about me, albeit the speed of it is way slower than normal people.”

Karin grabbed Reina’s shoulders as she spoke out the cold truth, trying to deny her words.

“There’s no way! I’ll definitely remember you!”

“Then, let me ask you something. When was the last time you ate my ice cream?”

“Don’t mess with me! Of course I remember that! It was a month ago, right?!”

“You’re wrong, Rin-chan. It was yesterday. I made one for you the day before yesterday too.”

“…Huh?”

But, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, the truth wouldn’t change. Reina gently patted her in the back, trying to comfort her.

“The reason is because you have a lot of precious memories to keep, Rin-chan. Maybe you’re selectively trying to remember the most precious ones so you won’t ever forget about them. But there’s a limit to that. Unless I finally pass away, you’ll keep losing those memories. If one day I disappear, even you will forget about me completely.”

Gently and cheerfully, she tried to hold back her trembling voice as she made a plea.

“Sorry, Rin-chan, but I don’t want that to happen. I don’t want you to forget about me. I want you to remember me. That’s why I have to go now, before I disappear from your mind.”

Karin didn’t know what kind of answer she should say to her plea.

Perhaps, if Karin were to insist on her selfishness, Reina would be tempted to stay until the moment she disappeared. However, in that case, Karin would end up forgetting about her most important family member in this world. Her memory of Reina would disappear into oblivion and she would be unable to get it back. That outcome would be more painful for Reina rather than just letting her pass right now.

Karin knew. She already knew what kind of answer she was supposed to give here.

But, she lacked the courage to say it out loud. She was unable to bear the pain she had to suffer to put her thoughts into proper words. Instead, she lamented how cruel the world was to her, even though she tried her best not to lose someone that she cared so much about.

At that moment, a light ringtone reached her ears, coming in like the light of salvation.

“S-Sorry…”

Hurriedly, she took out her phone and looked at it.

Even if it was spam mail, she didn’t care. As long as she could escape this situation for a while, she’d welcome any kind of text that her phone received.

“…Ah.”

Unbeknownst to her, that mail was a miracle rained down upon her.

The sender of the mail was Kashiki Minoru. The subject of the mail was ‘progress report.’ Attached to the mail was a certain painting that was in the middle of being colored. Nothing could describe this situation better than a miracle.

It was the proof of Himuro Reina’s existence.

And this is when Karin learned, though the world was cruel and the truth was cold, miraculous coincidences existed.

“A..hahaha… I knew it… Rei-Onee-chan… Minoru-Onii-chan is awesome, isn’t he?”

“…Yes, yes he is…”

When Karin showed her the picture, Reina looked into her eyes, smiled and nodded.

She wasn’t alone. Ever since she lived with Reina, she had never been alone. This fact gave her courage.

“It would be a shame if this painting never got finished.”

But, she still felt embarrassed to say it out loud in front of Reina, hence she used those words as an excuse. She wiped away her tears, averting her gaze and donning her usual facade back to hide her embarrassment.

“That’s why, you should say your goodbye properly before you go, Rei-Onee-chan.”

She believed that one day, when the painting was finished, she would be able to accept this sadness that she felt.

* * *

“Now that the problem over there is done, it’s your turn to come up with a good excuse for me, Satou-kun.”

Too bad reality wasn’t as sweet as a drama. While a miraculous coincidence could save someone, there was always someone else who got sacrificed for that.

Case on point was happening with Aoi and Takayuki.

“I understand the reason why you agreed to use your ability, I won’t make a fuss about it. You’re the only one who can help her, so it really can’t be helped. The thing I’m angry about is the fact that you’re making such a big decision without consulting me. I can’t just let that one slide.”

Aoi looked down on Takayuki with a beautiful smile on her face. Although she had already removed her hand from his mouth, enabling him to speak freely, she was still mounting him, leaving him unable to move as he faced her wrath head on.

“I don’t have any excuses to make. She didn’t ask me for help. This was a transaction between the two of us. That’s why I didn’t tell you.”

But, even under this circumstance, Takayuki still refused to yield.

“Am I not your partner?”

“Just because you’re my partner doesn’t mean I have to tell you everything.”

“But, I was involved in this case from the very beginning!”

“Even so, there’s no need for you to be next to me when I’m using my ability on Himuro.”

“You heartless man!”

Aoi spoke out in anger, not dropping her smile.

However, Takayuki didn’t waver. He looked calm and detached.

“Oh my, what happened?”

Seeing this exchange, it was Reina who felt troubled. Just a few minutes ago, she managed to face Karin properly and now all she had to do was to let Takayuki use his ability on her. But since those two got into a fight instead, she couldn’t do anything. If she were to come forward and ask them, Aoi wouldn’t be so heartless to not let Takayuki use his power, but it still felt awkward for Reina to actually do that while they were still quarreling. Not to mention that the cause of their quarrel was the agreement that she made with Takayuki.

“Leave this to me, Rei-Onee-chan.”

As Reina was about to open her mouth to mediate between the two, Karin called out to her. Her eyes were still red, but she had already wiped her tears off her cheeks.

“Can you do it, Rin-chan?”

“I can. You don’t need to worry about me, just watch.”

When she saw Karin’s resolute expression, Reina let out a happy smile.

Maybe Karin was just trying to show off to Reina, bluffing so that she could pass on without any regrets, however, her figure as she puffed her chest proudly looked way stronger than back before she wiped her tears away.

“Both of you, stop. I don’t want to see your lovers’ quarrel here.”

““…What?””

Then, Karin began to talk.

Despite herself being younger than them, she interrupted their quarrel without any hesitation.

“First, Miyama-san! I understand your feelings. I know you’re angry because he kept things hidden from you. You know that he’s doing it for your own good, but you just can’t accept it because you think he doesn’t trust you enough, am I correct?”

“T-That’s…”

“If that’s the case then say it clearly! It’s dumb to expect him to understand your feelings. Just say that you feel sad and lonely when he hides things from you! Say it while you still can so you won’t end up with regrets afterwards!”

She said all those for Aoi’s sake.

Karin experienced far more sadness than Aoi ever did, but she was still able to muster the courage to say what she wanted. In this situation, she was far more mature than Aoi was.

“F-Fine! Yeah, I’m sad and lonely because you didn’t discuss such an important decision with me beforehand, Satou-kun…”

Once Karin finished pointing that out, Aoi could no longer put up her pretense. She broke her smile and told Takayuki her true feelings with a small voice.

Likewise, Takayuki also broke his expressionless face and let out a wry smile.

“As for you, Satou-san. Well, it isn’t like I have the right to speak because this is mostly me and Reina-san’s fault. But, you were being wary of me, weren’t you? In that situation, if you were to let Reina-san pass on, not only would I end up holding a grudge on you, but on Miyama-san as well.”

When she started speaking to Takayuki, Karin let out a bitter face.

“So, you decided to not tell Miyama-san about it. That way, I’d only be holding a grudge on you and you alone. Am I correct?”

“…Rather, I did it because if I were to consult about it to her, there’s a chance that she’d spill the beans to you much earlier than this.”

“That’s a fair concern, but above all…”

Even if it was something painful or embarrassing, it was better to speak it out loud than holding it to yourself.

“You don’t want to involve Miyama-san in this. You’re practically trying to end Reina-san’s life, after all. Unlike you, she hadn’t experienced the pain of seeing someone dying in front of her. That’s why you did all this, am I correct?”

Karin said as she stared right into Takayuki’s eyes.

“After all, you wanted to be a hero for her.”

Her words, which outshone the dazzling sunlight, reached not only Takayuki, but Aoi as well. The latter was puzzled by her words at first, but as she understood their implication, her face reddened for a whole different reason than before.

“Not really…”

But, Takayuki’s bitter expression didn’t change.

“If I were a hero, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I wouldn’t make her sad and I would have done a way better job.”

He forced himself to smile.

“Even so, I have no regrets. If I get the chance to redo it, I’ll do the same thing again. Even if she ended up hating me, I’ll still do it. I don’t want her to carry this kind of heavy burden with her.”

An answer filled with arrogance and pride. Not with love but with ego.

However, his heart was in the right place. He didn’t even bother to hide behind the word ‘hero.’

“…Dummy.”

Aoi struggled in agony for a while before saying that to him. With a bright red face, she squeezed all her emotion in that single word.

“I know I am.”

That was the moment where his usual irreverent smile was back.

“…And you two are supposed to be the older ones here.”

Watching their interaction, Karin let out a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, next to her, Reina was watching those two’s interaction with a sad smile on her face, but Karin failed to notice this.

* * *

“When summer comes, you should sleep with the AC on, okay?”

“Okay.”

“If Minoru-kun keeps treating you like a little sister, all hope of dating him would be lost, so you should try to be aggressive enough to give him a surprise kiss, okay?”

“That’s none of your business.”

“Whenever you feel sick, seek help immediately. Minoru-kun will help you if you ask him. Then, you can use your illness as an excuse to get closer to him.”

“Oh, jeez, this is your last moment and you’re still nagging about my love life! Don’t you have something more important to say?”

“…Hehehe, I love you, Rin-chan.”

“I know that. I love you too, Rei-Onee-chan. You’re like a real family to me…no, we are even closer than a real family, don’t you think?”

“Yes.”

No tears flowed as they said their final goodbyes.

After they finished their last exchange, Takayuki spoke out.

“Do you have any more regrets?”

“No. No more regrets.”

“Me too. If I regret anything then wouldn’t all this be useless?”

Both of them let out a smile, Reina with her usual gentle smile and Karin with her forced one. Nobody was tactless enough to point the latter’s smile out though.

And so, the end of the girl called Himuro Reina had come.

“I’m counting on you, Takayuki-kun.”

“Got it.”

No more words needed.

Every word that came out of his mouth would be useless. And so, he extended his hand, touching Reina’s forehead with the tip of his finger.

“Take care, Rin-chan.”

And he invoked his ability, the power to eat love.

Even against another person who had an ability like him, his power worked just fine. It ate up all of the regret, all the feelings that Reina failed to convey for many years. And after the shimmering ‘love’ was completely devoured by Takayuki, the girl named Himuro Reina ceased to exist.

As if everything that just happened was a lie, there were only three people inside the classroom.

Three people and a silver pocket watch, facing against the sunlight.

“It tastes sweet like a melting ice cream, there’s also a sour taste like a lemon. Like an ice cream, the taste melted away and disappeared quickly. It’s the taste of kindness and regret.”

It was Takayuki who broke the silence. As usual, he muttered his thoughts about the taste of the love he had just devoured.

“Her love was foolish, but at the same time, it was pure…”

He added those words as a final touch in a soft tone. His words acted as a final push.

“U-Uuu… Waaaahh….!”

Like a broken dam, Karin’s cry broke out inside the classroom.

She poured her tears, like a heavy rain heralding the start of summer.

She held the silver pocket watch close to her heart, as if she was trying to engrave the memories she had with Reina deep into her heart so they wouldn’t get swept away by her tears.

This time, Kuramori Karin was able to say goodbye to her precious family.

* * *

At first, Reina didn’t have a good impression of Karin.

“Who are you? A thief? Trespasser? Whoever you are, if you don’t get out of here quickly, I’ll call the police.”

Even though she was crying just a moment ago, when she saw Reina, she immediately glared at her menacingly. She talked big, but her legs were shaking so much.

She was feeble, like every kid you could find in the world. There was really nothing special about her. Merely someone who believed her fate as a victim and mourned her misfortune without trying to change anything in her life.

Seeing her made Reina almost vomit. After all, the person that she loved died for this kind of person.

But, at the same time, she was the person who Sojiro gave his life for and she didn’t want his efforts to go to waste. She resolved herself to at least make her healthy enough to be able to stand with her own two legs.

Thus, their relationship started. Not from compassion, but a calculated act of kindness to satisfy Reina’s own desires.

That was how it started and that was how it should have ended. But, over time, a warm feeling was born in Reina’s heart.

“Reina-san! Reina-san! I made a friend!”

By the time Karin’s sullen face was replaced by her natural smile, Reina’s heart was already overflowing with warmth. Whenever she saw that smile, she could feel her heart melting.

And it was because of this Reina tried to run away from her on that day. She was afraid that this would turn into her weakness, no it already had turned into her weakness, she was just too afraid to admit it. Using ‘a monster like me can’t stay next to her’ as an excuse, she ran away so that Karin would end up forgetting about her like everyone else did.

However, things didn’t develop the way she wanted to.

“I don’t care if you’re a monster! Rei-Onee-chan is my family! That’s why, please don’t leave me on my own again!”

At that moment, it was already decided that Reina would have this kind of end. By the time she understood the overflowing emotion in her heart, her death was already set in stone.

Rather than dying as a maiden in love, Himuro Reina chose to die as Kuramori Karin’s family.

* * *

“Heya, Little Mermaid, Himuro Reina.”

After the long flashback ended, Reina saw the witch right before her eyes.

Looking around a little, she realized that she was inside the same classroom as before, though the sun had already set. Then, came the question, she was supposed to die, but how come she’s still here?

“Ah, I didn’t do anything. You are here because you broke free from our contract and resolved your regrets through the power of love. Let’s say that this is a grace period that the world itself bestowed upon you.”

The witch was carrying an old looking lantern. Its light made the witch’s cat-like smile visible.

“Though, it will end in a few minutes. I figure that it’ll be better if I were to accompany you instead of letting you sit by yourself in the darkness, that’s why I came here.”

“Oh my, is that so? The world is truly tactless, isn’t it?”

“Well, who can blame it. Your case is rare, people couldn’t just die so easily when they want to, after all. Anyway, aren’t you bored? Can I ask you some questions? Treat it like a survey if you may, though I can’t give you any rewards, it’s just a means to pass the time.”

“Hmm… Sure.”

The witch happily asked Reina, who was still wearing her gentle expression even after her death.

“After going through that kind of life, in the end you decided to abandon your love and die. You were unable to fulfill your love and it disappeared like a bubble, do you have any regrets?”

Her question sounded exactly like the devil’s.

Asking the dead about their unfulfilled regrets, reminding them of the past they wanted to forget. It was inhumane, but it befit her as an inhuman being herself.

“You’re still as foolish as usual, Witch.”

However, Reina kept her calm even after hearing that question. She treated the witch like an old friend that was pulling a prank on her.

“How would I ever regret loving Rin-chan?”

The answer came out naturally. With a triumphant smile, Reina spoke.

“If you wish to learn about love, you need to understand at least this much, you know?”

“…Hehehe. Good grief, I’m out of my game today, it seems.”

Hearing the answer, the corners of the witch’s lips hung up like that of the Cheshire Cat’s. She seemed to like that answer.

“I’ll buy you something as an apology for that boring question. What do you like as your last food in this world?”

“Ice cream.”

“You really love ice cream, don’t you?”

“Hehehe, I used to eat it a lot back when I was mourning Sojiro-kun’s death.”

“That kind of diet is harmful for you, you know that?”

They talked to each other in that dimly lit classroom. The two of them had only talked to each other for a brief period of time before this, not even for half a day long, but the way they talked about the old days made it feel like they had been friends for years.

Inside a dark classroom at night, a place that was more than likely to give birth to a ghost story, Himuro Reina talked with the witch until that moment finally came.

Her death.

After a long, long moratorium, she finally passed.

Before summer arrived, before the dawn arrived, she died without leaving a single ash behind.

Her previous identity as an immortal being couldn’t stop her death.

But, she managed to say her goodbyes to her loved ones and she had an old friend sending her off.

And more importantly, she wouldn’t be forgotten by the people she cared about.

Such was the life and death of the girl called Himuro Reina.