...I Think I'm Going to Die.... EP.8

Strange. It's so strange. It's been months since I came here, and I've lost count of how many times I've tried to kill myself. But I'm still alive. "Why can't I die?" Trying to bleed out from my wrists became a daily routine. Drowning, strangulation, immolation, falling, electrocution, I've tried it all, but failed every time. Of course, some attempts failed simply because my body was too resilient. But the rest were thwarted by Hoshino, Nonomi, or Shiroko at the last possible moment, preventing my death. And I was so careful to act unnoticed. Whenever I asked how they knew, they'd say they didn't. Just had a feeling they should check and happened to find me. "Bullshit... how is that even possible?" It's like... This world is actively preventing me from dying. "Man, that was good, Sensei!" "It was delicious." "Mhm. Thanks for the meal." "...It was good..." 'Even though my stomach feels like it's turning inside out.' Maybe ramen is just too much for me. My stomach feels awful after eating it. Although, it's probably more Sensei's fault for pushing extra food on me, saying I needed to eat a lot to grow tall. Anyway, I should probably avoid ramen for a while. "Get out! And don't come back! You're bad for business!" "Ah, ahaha... See you tomorrow, Serika-chan." "I hate you all! Just die already!" "Ahaha, glad to see you're doing well." "Let's go back, everyone." And so, after having a meal at Shibaseki Ramen, we headed back to Abydos. "...Hmm." "Huh? What's wrong, Sora-chan? Stomach still upset?" "...No, just thinking for a moment." Well, my stomach does feel bad, but I just remembered something Serika said. 'Wait, isn't today the day Serika gets kidnapped?' In the original story, Serika was kidnapped by the Helmet Gang tonight, just after we all had ramen together like today. So, following the original plot, Serika should be kidnapped tonight... '...Should I stop it?' I could stop it if I wanted to. Even if they came in a swarm, I could just take down the entire Helmet Gang. But if I do that, Sensei might not gain Serika's trust. This part of the story is crucial for Sensei to earn her trust by rescuing her. If I intervene, she might never develop that faith in him... In other words, it would be game over. So, logically, I should leave things as they are. 'But as a senior, I don't want to leave a junior in danger... I feel kinda guilty.' I am her senpai, after all. "...I really don't know what to do..." * It was a pointless question. Save Serika? Even thinking about it was meaningless. "Ughhhhh..." "Sora-chan, are you okay...?" Because I wouldn't have been able to go save her anyway. After returning to Abydos, my stomach got progressively worse. I'd had episodes like this in my past life, and they usually subsided if I endured, so I ignored it... "BLEEEARGH!!!" The moment we got home, it all came out. I couldn't hold it in any longer and sprayed a rainbow, then bolted straight to the bathroom, leading to my current state. "Ughhhh..." "Hmm... what should we do? The clinic's closed right now..." Even though I've thrown everything up, my stomach feels tight and painful, my head is throbbing, and I have no strength. How could I possibly go save Serika like this? '...It hurts so much, I feel like I'm dying... But even if I want to die, I don't want to go like this...' My goal is a clean, one-shot death, not this drawn-out, messy way. At the very least, I want to die cleanly. Not like this. "...Sora-chan, just wait a little, I'll go buy some medicine from the convenience store." "...Okay, please..." Ding! At that moment, both mine and Hoshino's smartphones buzzed with a text message. Serika was missing. 'It happened after all...' "...Sora-chan." "...Let's go. Serika might be in danger." Besides, if I could have stopped it but didn't, I should take responsibility. "But..." "It's okay... I'll be fine after taking some medicine from the store." Honestly, I wasn't sure if that was true. "...Alright." Clutching my twisted stomach, I set off for Abydos with Hoshino. * "Sora, are you okay?" "...Yeah." It was a lie. The medicine didn't help at all. If anything, it made me feel worse. Honestly, I just wanted to lie down right now. But... "But Sora-chan, your complexion is..." "I'm fine. Serika comes first." I can't stop now. Rescuing Serika as soon as possible is the priority. Even if I intentionally didn't stop it, I knew it would happen and did nothing. I have to rescue her quickly as a minimal atonement. Otherwise, she'll cry just like in the original. "Any luck calling Serika-chan?" "...No. It's been disconnected for hours." "The ramen shop said she left on time, so she didn't come home after that?" "...Probably." "She's never stayed out this late before..." "Could it be... the Helmet Gang?" "What?! The Helmet Gang has Serika-chan...?" "Let's wait for now. Hoshino-senpai and Sensei went to investigate." A little while later, Sensei and Hoshino returned. "Well, did you wait long?" "Hoshino-senpai! Sensei!" "We're back." "What happened, senpai?" "Using Sensei's authority, we accessed the central communication network managed by the General Student Council." "The central communication network... Sensei's authority allows access to that?" "We snuck in, of course. If we get caught, we'll have to write an apology letter." "What?! Is that okay, Sensei?" "It's fine. For Serika's safety." "Sensei..." 'Oh, that line was pretty good.' Thanks to that line, the girls' gazes shifted from skeptical distrust of an adult to something closer to trust in a reliable teacher. I feel a bit bad for Serika, but it's a huge advantage for me. "Before the communication was cut off, Serika-chan's phone location was pinpointed here." "This is... the outskirts of the city where desertification is progressing?" "A deserted ruin zone... a lawless area where all kinds of outlaws gather." "This area was confirmed as the main base of the Katakata Helmet Gang during the last threat analysis. That means... it was the Katakata Helmet Gang after all!!" "So they kidnapped Serika on her way home and took her to their hideout." "Attacking the school wasn't enough, so they're taking hostages to threaten us?" "I don't care about their plans! We have to go save Serika-chan right now!!" "Yes, we need to rescue her quickly." Or else she'll cry. "Of course." "Well then, shall we go?" "Let's go!"