Chapter 10: The Real Electromagnetic Girl

The one who stepped through the rooftop door wasn’t Kishine-san—the person I’d been secretly hoping to see—but rather, Futaba-san, the mysterious girl who reigns over the library.

As always, just like me, her facial muscles seemed to be dead. In the glow of the setting sun, her light blue hair was cast in shadow, giving her an otherworldly air.

…Now I finally get why, when we first met, Kishine-san mistook me for a ghost.

Without making a sound, Futaba-san walked up quietly to my side.

Did she have some business on the rooftop?

Maybe she came to watch the sunset?

“Tsubasa, I came to talk.”

Guess not—she came to see me.

“What is it.”

“I want to recommend some Dazai.”

With that, Futaba-san pulled a paperback from the pocket of her skirt. Just like in the library that day, I could sense her desire to share something she loved.

She may be a mysterious rival, but I know she’s not a bad person. So normally, I wouldn’t mind talking with her…

“…I don’t want it.”

But right now, I was feeling down, not in the mood to talk. So I said it outright—that I didn’t feel like it.

Like I was saying, I just don’t have the energy right now.

…Kishine-san’s not coming today either, huh.

Maybe I should just go home.

With that gloomy feeling weighing on me, I walked past Futaba-san and headed toward the exit…

“──Is Kishine the reason you’re so cold?”

That single line she threw at my back stopped me dead in my tracks. I was frozen.

“…How do…”

I couldn’t finish the question—How do you know?—but the message must’ve come through.

“Want to talk about it?”

Futaba-san said it without even a hint of a smile.

And I couldn’t help but be drawn back toward her.

…Because it felt like she knew something about Kishine-san.

Because I wanted someone to tell me—why Kishine-san had been so upset.

“Tsubasa, did you two fight?”

“No, we didn’t.”

“I see… So it’s just Kishine, then.”

Staring blankly at each other’s emotionless faces, we started to talk. Futaba-san didn’t seem to know everything either, so we began by syncing up what we knew.

“…Yeah.”

Of course, my mouth wasn’t working the way I wanted it to—just as I’d expected.

“…I want to see her.”

I wanted to say I wanted to talk, to apologize—but the words came out painfully stripped down.

“Are you lonely?”

“…A little.”

What I really wanted to say was a lot.

But my mouth, with its stubborn shyness, turned into a display booth for emotional dishonesty.

──It’s not just a little.

She was my first real friend. Talking with her made me happy. She played along with all my mysterious weirdness. She didn’t treat me like a bother.

…Kishine-san’s the only one like that.

I want to talk with her again—so much—just the two of us.

“If it’s just a little, I could take her place, you know?”

“…Futaba, you’re not Kishine.”

“No, I’m me. But… I think it could still be fun.”

Maybe Futaba-san was trying to say she wanted to be friends. Because I’m like this, and she couldn’t just leave me alone.

That itself didn’t make me feel bad.

I was actually kind of thankful.

But still—I shook my head.

I didn’t want to get close to Futaba-san as a substitute for Kishine-san.

Kishine-san told me I was her number one. And even if I can’t say it out loud, I wanted to show through my actions that she’s my number one, too.

That’s why… if the timing ever works out, I think I’d like to become friends with Futaba-san someday.

“──Futaba, I don’t need you.”

But the words that actually came out of my mouth… were honestly the worst.

What kind of way is that to say it?! There were a million better ways to express that!!

Of course I need you! It’s not like I don’t want you around!!

I do appreciate you trying to be my friend!!

Look—Futaba-san may still be expressionless, but she’s blinking three times faster than usual! I’m such an idiot. A complete, absolute idiot!!

…D-Did I just get Futaba-san to hate me too?

“…………Who in this world could ever truly understand the devoted love of one such as I?”

Huh?

“If the feelings are mutual, then I suppose it can’t be helped. From a Dazai-esque perspective, I guess that makes me the interloper in a love triangle.”

Futaba-san, what just happened to you?

Did she suddenly unleash her mysterious literary girl domain expansion or something?

“I’ll work hard so you’ll say you do need me.”

“Futa… ba?”

“Just wait. I’ll fix this in two or three days.”

Still expressionless, she rolled up her sleeves and tap tap tap—walked off the rooftop like she had a plan.

She looked oddly satisfied, but what the heck just happened?

…When she said she’d fix it, did she mean… something about Kishine-san?

---

On the rooftop bathed in the evening glow, Tsubasa gazed off into the distance.

Was she watching the sunset, or was it something else…?

“Tsubasa, I came to talk.”

“What is it.”

“I want to recommend some Dazai.”

“…Don’t need it.”

She glanced at me for only a moment, then quickly looked away, as if to say she had zero interest.

The sunset was beautiful, but I don’t think that’s what had her attention.

She didn’t look captivated—she looked absent, unfocused.

…If she were really captivated by the sunset, I’d have thought she was ready to fly off like Icarus.

So no—Tsubasa wasn’t watching the sunset at all.

In fact, she immediately tried to leave the rooftop.

Even though this was finally a chance to talk to her, she wouldn’t even turn around. Right now, not even Dazai could hold her attention.

That... really frustrated me.

“──Is your coldness because of Kishine?”

I said the name of the person she seemed to be seeing beyond the sunset, and just as I’d hoped, her steps came to a halt.

“…How do…”

Tsubasa turned around, her expression clear as glass.

“Want to talk about it?”

──But in the sunset’s glow, she looked more radiant than usual.

“Are you and Kishine fighting, Tsubasa?”

“…We’re not.”

“I see. So it’s just Kishine, then.”

Honestly, I’d love to get excited talking about Dazai right now, but Tsubasa’s eyes aren’t even focused on what’s in front of her.

For the sake of both Dazai and Tsubasa, I had to deal with the immediate issue first. And to do that, I needed to understand exactly what was going on.

The problem... is Kishine angry? No—more like sulking.

If I didn’t know that, I couldn’t do anything to help.

…My gray cells are currently convinced the leading theory is: “they're in a dry spell because of a stagnant phase, triggering early-onset menopause.”

Kishine does seem like she has a high libido.

Tsubasa, probably not so much.

“…I want to see her.”

Tsubasa mumbled, softly and earnestly.

If Kishine saw her like this, I don’t think she’d keep up the stubborn act.

She’s probably just being contrary—that’s why she’s not here.

“Are you lonely?”

“…A little.”

With a blank expression, Tsubasa stared off into the distance.

Or maybe she wasn’t looking into the distance, but at someone far away in her heart.

…Tsubasa is so sincere. She’s giving her all without expecting anything in return—like some tragic noblewoman.

It’s just kind of heartbreaking.

—And so, temptation struck.

“If it’s just a little… I could take her place, you know?”

If Kishine heard that, she’d probably explode.

I’m not even into girls, but I basically asked, “Wanna try me instead?”

“…Futaba, you’re not Kishine.”

Still, she rejected me without a second of hesitation.

Tsubasa didn’t want sex—she just genuinely liked Kishine.

…Too bad. If she’d said yes, I could’ve taken her on a whirlwind Dazai-reading seduction tour.

“Yeah, I’m me. But I think we’d have fun.”

I tried pushing just a little more.

I couldn’t just leave her like this.

If she’d just nodded, I could’ve slipped out the surprise I had hidden under my skirt—

“──Futaba, I don’t want that.”

But of course, Tsubasa was too honest, and instead, I ended up making her angry.

She really does love Kishine.

………Oof, that hit something.

There’s something so thrilling about someone staying loyal to a shitty partner.

“…Who in this world could ever truly understand this earnest act of love of mine?”

Even through a Dazai-style literary lens, the current Tsubasa is full of love.

Just standing there, she seems to embody the very shape of love.

This is bad… What do I do…?

I shouldn’t… I know I shouldn’t…

—Even though I’m on meds to suppress this kind of thing, I just can’t help but get totally hyped up!

“If it’s mutual love, then it can’t be helped. From a Dazai-esque perspective, I’m like the illicit lover in this whole mess.”

Tsubasa… I just wanted to root for her.

She looked so heartbreakingly adorable.

“I’ll do my best… so you’ll say you need me.”

“Futa…ba?”

“Just wait. Give me two or three days—I’ll fix this.”

For the first time in a while, I felt like I’d received divine inspiration.

Getting more and more excited, I dashed off the rooftop.

Kishine, just wait.

For Tsubasa’s sake—I’ll set this all ablaze for you.