Chapter 4: Favorite Person (2)

Favorite Person (2)

---

My mad and crazy older sister threatened me with heartless threats like, "I'll tell everyone that you stole money from Dad's wallet" and "I'll tell everyone that you took Mom's precious necklace and lost it."

Smart as I was, but there was nothing I could do this time.

In the end, I was forced to promise to offer her convenience store sweets every day for a month - I'm not happy. You fat ass.

"You just gave me a cheeky look just now, didn't you?" My older sister, sitting in a chair with her legs crossed, sharpened her eyes like a demonic villain.

"I didn't. It was all in your head. It was a misunderstanding. I'm sorry." Should I let this humiliation go unresolved? Or rather, I wanted to clear it up now. "Hey, Onee-chan."

"What is it?"

"Who confessed first?"

"Huh?" My older sister gave me a look that said, "What the hell is she talking about?"

But as her younger sister, I can tell. Her gaze wavered for just a moment. I'm sure big sis was inviting me to explore this unknown ground myself.

"Maybe you just started your relationship while still being vague about it?"

Big sis bit her soft lips and trembling. In other words, I hit the target. What a cutie.

"So, even if that's the case, so what?" Big sis is trying her best.

"Well, maybe Mizuki-san only sees you as a fun toy?" I don't know.

By the way, calling him by his first name was intentional, there's no deeper meaning to it.

"That's not true..." Big sis's voice trails off. "..."

It seems like you have an idea. Okay, let's just go ahead and do it.

"Mizuki-san," I said, giving off the impression that I was worried about my big sister. "Did he really tell you that he 'love' you?"

It's either because he doesn't say it, or because she the only who does.

However, it seemed that my big sister had suffered a great deal of damage. Her anxious squelching was at its peak. Then, after a moment, she spoke gravely. "...he ... won't say it."

This is getting interesting.

"Ah..." I forced myself to sound sad, then choked on the words with a meaningful "That's..." Of course, it wasn't just meaningless; it was completely meaningless.

"I guess he thinks I'm weird after all..." my older sister muttered with a somber expression.

I don't know why she thought she was weird, but I'll just go along with it. "I can't say it's not possible. Men can be really cruel to women they're just playing with."

Even I think I'm pretty good at talking about things I don't know about while sounding like I do.

"W-what should I do..." my older sister's eyes welled up. She was so cute, it was criminal, like a weak little animal, arousing my desire to protect her.

"Calm down," I said, exuding the compassion (lol) of a Virgin Mary (lol).

"It hasn't been decided yet. First, you will casually find out how he really feels on your next date." I used feminine language out of curiosity, but it just didn't feel right. I'll stop.

"Next date...," she muttered, then her expression darkened even more as he said, "We even haven't gone to one..."

Oh? Is he really just playing with her?　

Is it true that if you're too beautiful you can't be happy?　

"Serves you right." Damn. I said what I really thought.　

"Hmm?" my sister asked suspiciously, so I quickly and bluntly said, "You should RINE him right now and make a date. That's the only way."

"R-Right now?"　

"Yes, right now." Of course. Because I'm getting bored of playing with my sister.

"I, I understand," my older sister nodded solemnly and began operating her smartphone.　

Then, a few minutes later, my sister grimaced. "He has plans, so he probably can't make it this week," she said.

Eh .... Oops?　

"Has this ever happened before?"　

"No," she answered immediately. "It's happened for a day or two, but it's the first time it's lasted for several days."

I take back what I said. Let's play her a little more.　

"I'm afraid he might be starting to get bored of you," I said, giving my big sister a look of distress as I look at her.　

"..." There was complete silence.　　

I know it was me who did it, but I started to feel sorry for her.　

"...I'm sure Onee-chan will soon find a new boyfriend--"　

"I've decided!" Her voice suddenly changed tone. Scary. "Haruka."

"W-what is it?"

"I'm going to follow him, so help me out."

"Huh?"

What is this idiot even trying to say?

"So, I'm going to follow Minamoto and see if he's doing anything strange." Isn't that obvious? But my sense of intuition feeling something was off.

"Why should I help?"

"Do you want me to tell on you?"

"Please let me help you."

•　

•

•　

The next day after school, I went to my sister's high school. First, I was supposed to meet up with her.

Due to the schedule, I had no choice but to arrive a little early, so I was waiting at the school gate when a girl in uniform appeared and said, "Yo."　

I wonder if Mizuki-san has came out from school yet.　

"Hey," I asked, "So where is Mizuki-san?"　

"There," my sister said, pointing, and I could see a figure about 100 meters away.　

It's far away, and all I can tell is that he looks a little skinny.

"Is that the guy Onee-chan likes?" I asked.　

"I don't really like him, but I don't really dislike him..."

Why are you embarrassed when you're trying to act like a stalker?　

"Yes, yes," I said, looking at Mizuki-san. "We'll lose sight of him. Let's go."　

"Oh, yeah."

•　

•　

My sister trembled. "A-A woman...?"　

On the other hand, I was overjoyed. "My deduction was correct after all...!"

Before our eyes are Mizuki-san and the woman Hoshino-sensei had set as his wallpaper. In other words, Mizuki-san has seduced her - the woman has switched sides. There's no doubt about it.

After meeting up and having a short conversation, the two began walking in front of the station.

From the looks of it, the woman is older than him. Mizuki-san is quite capable of seducing my beautiful Onee-can and seducing an older woman.

Thanks to him, I got a chance too, so what a great jerk he is. Thank you, Mizuki-san!

"..." In contrast to my joy, my sister was depressed. "Ha-Haruka, what should I do..."　

I wanted to brush her off and say I don't know, but instead I gently (and insincerely) replied, "We don't know anything yet. Let's wait and see how things go."

"Y-yeah. That's right," Onee-chan repeated, as if convincing herself. But her eyes were shining with a dangerous light, as if she'd already killed several people.

"..." I shuddered.

What would Onee-chan do if, for example, she saw the two of them entering the LoveHo?

I shook my head.

At any rate, you still have common sense, right?

"Tch," my sister clicked her tongue, and when I turned my gaze back to the two of them, the seduced girl was giving Mizuki a pure-looking smile that seemed to be popular with men.　

"..."

I had no idea because there had never been any talk of a relationship before, but this is what my older sister is like... It's just plain scary.

"It's okay, Onee-chan." I blurted out something incomprehensible, trying to stop her from going on a rampage. "You're on a higher level of pureness, Onee-chan! It's like the difference between the secret boss, the Demon King, and the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings!"

It seems her fearsomeness is also proportional.

"Pure?" Big sis asked, raising one eyebrow.

"That's right, the pure type." Even if she quickly switches men, even if her inner self is disappointing, as long as she looks like it, she's still a pure type. "Men love pure types, so you can still compete!"

However, my sister had a strange look on her face and said, "He's a pervert who gets turned on by ribs, but even someone like that likes pure girls?"　

"Ah……"

This question is more difficult than getting first place in the prefecture on a national mock exam. It's a good question that shows how serious school studies are...　

•　

•

To be honest, I had felt something was off from the start, but because I have a terrible dislike for such things, I tried to look away somehow.

Now that I think about it, Hoshino-sensei's expression didn't give the impression of him being dwelling on the pain of a broken heart.　

"Hey hey hey Onee-chan!" I clung to her. "That woman just slipped through the car, didn't she?!"

"I guess," my sister replied calmly.　

"It's not 'I guess'!!"

The seduced girl was a ghost.

After all, most people on the street don't seem to recognize her, she doesn't appear in shop windows, and cars just pass by her, so it's hard to imagine her as a normal person.　

"Well, calm down," my sister said, feeling much more relaxed, perhaps because the possibility of physical infidelity had decreased. "It's not decided yet. Let's wait and see how things go."

"Are you stupid?! Stop acting like a complete fool! If that's not a ghost, then what is it?! Does being a stupid lusty woman lower your intelligence to that of an animal?! Don't mess with me! Give me some of your boobs!" I yelled.

"...So that's how you felt about me."　

"Shut up! It's all Onee-chan's fault! I'm going home! You can just do whatever you want!"　

Having vented my frustration, I was able to regain a little peace of mind. I could just go home, looking down to avoid seeing that woman.　

Thinking that, I was about to run off when I heard something.　

"Hitotose-san, you're really bad at tailing people." The gentle voice dissolved into a wry smile. "Ah, perhaps you're her sister. Nice to meet you."

I looked up, and there was Mizuki-san. And then──

"Boo!" The transfer woman came between Mizuki and me. "It's a ghost!"

"──"

Just before I lost consciousness, feeling as if an explosion had occurred inside my head, a baseless guess crossed my mind: maybe Tachibana-kun's advice to "keep it moderate" meant "leave 'her' alone for now."

•　

•　

•　

---

•　

•　

•　

The day after Hitotose-san became like a mentally unstable girlfriend, I was called by Mikami-sensei and was having tea in the guidance room.

"Sorry. It won't take long so please bear with me," said Mikami-sensei, who was wearing a suit with a tight skirt.　

"No problem," I said, putting the tea down. "So, what can I do for you?"

Mikami-sensei nodded and began to speak. "There is a man, his fiancee, the one he had been dating since he was a university student died in a traffic accident."

"Oh, I see." That's a lot of information all of a sudden.

"The woman's name was Saki, and she was so attached to him that she became a ghost," Mikami-sensei continued.

"Oh, I see," I replied absentmindedly.

So the only thing that comes to mind is wondering what it is that she want from me. Ghosts aren't that uncommon anyway.

It's just as common as when a female friend who normally speaks in a masculine tone suddenly becomes like a clingy girlfriend when we're on the phone, saying things like, "Wait a little longer," "It's okay, you stingy," "I want to talk more," and "Just a little bit more," forcing me to endure an ordeal for over an hour even though I was trying to finish the conversation within 15 minutes.

Mikami-sensei deliberately muttered, "It's hot," and then unbuttoned one of her shirt buttons.　

"...What about the ghost?" I reluctantly urged her to speak.

"That guy, Naoto, and I still have a healthy relationship," she said, crossing her arms and half-heartedly warming her chest despite the fact that she was hot. "But it seems like Naoto has been haunted by Saki."

"I see," I began to understand.

"Yeah," Mikami-sensei frowned seriously. "Naoto, even though his fiancee died and he's now completely single, still won't pay me any attention. I tell him I'm only interested in him physically, but he won't listen. Isn't that terrible?" she asked, seeking my agreement.

"The problem is your head," I say, trying to get her back on track. "So you want me to do something about this Saki-san?"　

"Yes, that's it," Mikami-sensei pointed at me as if she had gotten what she wanted, and nodded with satisfaction, "That's what I wanted to say."

"I'm just curious," I ask, "Why doesn't Mikami-sensei do it herself?"　

"A long time ago, Saki saw me having sex with Naoto in the university library. They've been dating ever since, and Saki was absolutely furious. Ever since then, she's hated me and even now she barely talks to me. I don't really understand human women," Mikami-sensei said, shrugging.

I let out a sigh and rubbed my brow.

Even though not much time had passed, I felt incredibly tired. It was a different kind of pain from listening to Hitotose-san's stories, which were like needlessly detailed diary entries with little in the way of introduction, development, twist, conclusion book structure.

"I understand," I said. Mikami-sensei's face lit up with joy and she was about to open her mouth, but I interrupted her and continued in a flat tone, "Of course, it won't be free."　

"Hehehe," she said, a smile that might make the adjective "seductive" come to mind. "Don't worry. I understand. The reward is sex with me--"　

"I don't need that," I said firmly.　

"W-why!?" It seems that this is a turn of events that Mikami-sensei cannot understand. She expresses shock so clearly that it would be good to include it in a textbook. "I haven't done it for the past three days and it's painful! So how can you say such a cruel thing so calmly!"

Mikami-sensei is a member of lust race, also known as a succubus. Some people call them demons, but I don't really understand the difference between them and monsters like us.

These women -- and I'm not an expert on the subject -- seem to view sex as the most important thing in life, and work hard at it every day.

But to me, they just look like people with sex addictions.

So I said with a smile, "Why not just think of it as neglect play?"

"You idiot! I want direct, concrete, physical pleasure! That won't satisfy me!" Her rage was so intense it looked like she was about to shoot her hair into the sky, but Mikami-sensei's hair was loosely curled and semi-long, making it look a little uninspiring.　

"I think I've said this before, but we awakened one have a weak sexual appetite. We're no match for Mikami-sensei." The desire to reveal the details of her fascinating mind was the strongest of all. "Isn't there anyone else suitable? Or rather, why not just attack a student who looks like they have some free time on their hands?"　

"You idiot. I'm not just going to let anyone do it," Mikami-sensei blushed.

From a human perspective, why does she act so cute even though she's a bitchy psycho monster?

Let me try to read your mind a bit.　

(Minamoto shouldn't break even if I treat him roughly. I want to do it with all my might. I want to hear more of Minamoto's voice. I'm getting horny. Should I just do it by force?)

Mikami-sensei's spine squirmed as if it were being tickled from the inside.

"...Mikami-sensei."　

"What? Are you finally ready? I'm ready, you know?"

"I can't do it because I have a girlfriend now."　

It's convenient to have a girlfriend at times like this. Well, I don't have one. Or I have?

"Fufu," Mikami-sensei let out a smile that seemed to have an aphrodisiac effect. "That's more exciting, so there's no problem. It's common sense." (Minamoto was still a child to not know that), she thought, licking her lips and unbuttoning another button on her shirt.

This succubus is really a pain in the ass.

•　

•　

After making Mikami-sensei promise to "change my Japanese history grades" as a reward, I left the guidance office and immediately went to visit Hoshino Naoto, who is said to be haunted by Adachi Saki. 

Hoshino-san works at a cram school with a sign that reads "Overwhelming pass rate! Great value for money! Homely atmosphere!" It turned out it was their break, so when I called out to someone from the cram school, he came out immediately and we decided to talk outside.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Minamoto Mizuki and I'm in Mikami-sensei's class."　

"I got a call just now..." Hoshino-san continued, his mouth full of bitterness, his face looking like he'd just chewed it over for a long time and finally swallowed it. "I'm so sorry. Was that slut doing anything terrible to you?"

"No, it's fine. I just handled it casually."　

"Oh, I see," I told him the truth, and he was a little taken aback.

After answering "Yes," I turned my gaze to the fairly pretty woman floating behind Hoshino-san and asked, "Are you Adachi Saki-san?"

"That's true, but..." Adachi-san muttered.　

"Now, please tell me the details."　

"Eh? Can you hear me?" Adachi-san asked, her eyes wide, "Really?"　

"Yes, I can hear you."

According to Mikami-sensei, Hoshino-san could only vaguely see Adachi-san's figure - though he sensed her presence - but was unable to touch or hear her voice. So she must have been surprised that I was able to converse with her normally.

After hearing what I said, Adachi-san jumped up and down above Hoshino-san's head, excitedly saying, "Amazing! This is the first time I've ever met someone I can have a conversation with!"　

Hoshino-san seemed confused by Adachi-san's behavior, and there is boy greeted him with "See you later, sensei."

"Oh, yeah. Tachibana," Hoshino-san said, noticing the boy a beat later. "Be careful on your way home."

"Hm, I understand" the boy said in a listless voice, glancing at Adachi-san, then at me. "..." He froze for just a moment, then quickly looked away and got on his bike and went home.　

That boy...　

Adachi-san, floating above Hoshino-san, whose face had a question mark on it, asked, "What's wrong?"　

So I told her, "There are actually a lot of people out there who can hold a conversation with you."

Even if it were possible, I don't think he would want to have a conversation.

•

•

Adachi-san said, "I don't want to talk about this in front of Naoto-kun," so we talked while walking along a riverside path near the cram school. Apparently, she had lost the keychain that she had bought as a keepsake on the school trip where Hoshino-san confessed his feelings, and now she can't move on because she regrets it.

When I heard this, I wanted to say, "There are certainly ways to ignore those circumstances and force the ghost to disappear," but I read the mood and only asked, "Do you know where you dropped it?"

Adachi-san then put her hand to her cheek and frowned in a troubled manner, saying, "I only remember it roughly..."

And so, Adachi-san and I ended up wandering around this vague, nebulous area in search of the keychain.

So I turned down Hitotose-san's invitation, but when I met her at school today, she was staring at me with some incomprehensible thought in her mind: (I trust you, so it's okay to follow you, right?)

Feeling unusually kind, I thought she must still be mentally confused after encountering the mysterious phenomenon of being able to change gender through a fly, and I tried to pat her on the head, but it seemed like everyone's attention was focused on us, so I stopped myself at the last moment. I got to see Hitotose-san's funny face, so I think it was a good decision to stop.

And now, sensing the presence of Hitotose-san - in some ways, even scarier than a ghost - I'm searching for the keychain in front of the station.

"It feels like a date," Adachi-san suddenly said, smiling shyly. 

"Really?" I quizzically asked.

Because I wondered if this wasn't a date, but rather a feeling of a younger brother being forced to accompany his older sister whose date got canceled on her at the last minute.

"That's right. It's cheating, that's wrong," Adachi-san said, chuckling as she cast a mischievous, playful look in Hitotose-san's direction.

(Those kids are so cute! It's youth!)　

She's just playing around. I think she should be deported to the afterlife.

That's what I thought, but when I thought of her as a poor girl whose boyfriend had been snatched away by someone like Mikami-sensei, I felt like I could forgive her.

Is it really the style that caused the loss?　

"Are you thinking something rude?" Adachi-san blurted out, a completely unfounded joke.

"No way. There's no truth to that."

"What are your true feelings?"

"I was wondering if he were just frustrated that his girlfriend had small breasts."

"...You're so honest."

I had no idea.

•

•

"I guess we should call an ambulance just in case," I asked Hitotose-san, who was sitting on a bench in a corner of the street, resting her unconscious sister on her lap.　

"Yes, please."

With Hitotose-san saying that, I quickly arranged for a ambulance to take them to the hospital.

Suddenly, the younger sister let out a childish, "Uhh..." voice. She rubbed her eyelids and muttered, "Onee-chan's smell..." as she tried to turn over in her sleep, then suddenly noticed something, "...Hmm? It smells like menstruation... ouch."

Hitotose-san pulled her sister's ear. It looks painful.

Adachi-san, who found the Hitotose sisters' tailing amusing, suggested that we go and say hello, so when I followed her advice, the younger sister fainted. It was about three minutes ago that I carried her, exhausted and limp, to a nearby bench.

Freed from Hitotose-san, the younger sister suddenly sits up. "Oh, the cheating man... ha!" she exclaims, looking around frantically before twisting her head. "Is there a ghost there...?"　

To avoid the risk of her fainting again, I asked Adachi-san to return to Hoshino-san, who is suspected of actually liking large breasts but compromised and become engaged to Adachi-san.

"No, so please don't faint," I said.　

"Ah, that's a relief," the younger sister sighed in relief and lay down, naturally using Hitotose's thighs as a pillow.　

"Just for now," Hitotose-san said in a surly voice. "Just stay quiet until the ambulance arrives."

The younger sister answered perfunctorily with "Yes," and then asked, "Mizuki-san, what were you doing with a ghost?", naturally calling me by my first name despite it being our first meeting, showing off communication skills far superior to her older sister's.　

"I was looking for a keychain she had lost."

"Oh, really..." she said, her voice dropping as if she descended the stairs, her carefree, boyish expression transforming into a serious, thoughtful expression. Then, she slowly opened her mouth. "Is that keychain the one with the red bear on it?"

"Yeah, that's right. Have you seen it somewhere?"

Without answering my question, the younger sister jumped up, opened her school bag, and took it out. "Is this it?"　

In her little hand was the lost keychain we were looking for.

•　

•　

•　

The next day, I took Adachi-san out. Along with Hitotose-san, she came along, making up excuses like she was already on board.

"Is this the keychain?" I asked bluntly, eager to quickly complete my mission of creating an environment that would make it easier for Mikami-sensei to satisfy her animalistic desires.

"Yes, that's it!" Adachi-san replied like a flower blooming, reaching for the keychain. However— "Ah..." her expression clouded over like a scattering petal.

The keychain cannot be touched, as ghosts generally cannot affect physical objects in the real world.

"I see. That's right," Adachi-san said with a faint smile, "Onee-san was careless."　

"Have you decided to tell him?" I asked.

"!" Adachi-san blinked, her eyes wide. "So you noticed."

"I just kind of knew," was all I could answer.

"I see, I see," she said, gazing off into space.

Adachi-san's greatest regret isn't losing the matching keychain.

At the heart of her mind, amidst a sea of distracting thoughts, is her desire for Hoshino-san to always love her and for him to quickly forget about her and be happy with someone else.

It's a bit misleading to say that Adachi-san lied -- the keychain is something she must regret as well -- but, well, the reason she made me go looking for it like that was because she wanted time to sort out her feelings...or maybe it was because she was running away.

But it seemed she had made up her mind. "Onee-san will do her best," she said, and turned away.　

So I stopped her. "Wait a minute. I'll go too," I said, further inflicting a blow on Adachi-san, whose enthusiasm had already been thwarted. "You can't communicate without an interpreter, can you?"　

"Ah, that's true," the Onee-san said, laughing softly this time, "I was careless again."　

(What on earth are they talking about...)

Hitotose-san is confused, so I pat her on the head.　

•　

•　

It was 11pm. We—me, Hitotose-san, Adachi-sa , and Hoshino-san—were standing on a bridge over a small river. The humid summer wind was very bothersome.　

"Um," Adachi-san, who had been silent up until then, called out to me, "Can I ask you a favor?"　

She told me to act as an interpreter. To be honest, I didn't want to be asked to do it, but I couldn't say that I wouldn't get in trouble if I didn't, so I nodded obediently.　

I said to Hoshino-san, "Adachi-san has something she'd like to tell you. I'll act as interpreter, so please listen."　

"Oh, yeah, I understand," Hoshino-san somehow guessed, and nodded obediently just like me. However, he seemed a little nervous.

"Well then, let's give it a try," I say, looking into Adachi-san's eyes.

"Wait a moment," Adachi-san said, taking a deep breath before beginning. "The ring you bought, the apartment you signed a lease on, the trip you booked, everything has been wasted. I'm sure you're thinking that if you had known this would happen, you shouldn't have done it with me."

Hoshino-san has a difficult look on his face, but he doesn't seem to want to intervene. His mouth is closed and there's no sign of him moving.

My mouth is busy but unreasonable. By the way, I use a technique similar to vocal imitation, which is an extension of my mind-reading ability, so I think the voice quality is similar.

"But," Adachi-san continued, "I still love you. Even though we can no longer touch each other, or be amazed by your strange hobbies, or bore you with stories you have no interest in, or even though it seems we can't grow old together, I still love you. I will always love you," she laughed. "So just forget about me now. I'll be gone soon, so Naoto, be happy."

Hoshino-san was trembling, his head bowed. And next to me, Hitotose-san's eyes were burning with heat.

Meanwhile, I was dissatisfied. Because...

(I don't want to. I absolutely don't want Naoto to be with anyone else. I want him to tell me that he can't really love anyone other than me. I want him to love only me forever. I want to be with him. I don't want to leave him, even if I'm ghost or whatever. I love you. So love me. Don't forget me. I'm scared. I don't want to disappear. Help me. Tell me you love me and hold me. I don't want to. Don't leave me alone. I'm scared. Love me. Touch me like you always──)

Adachi-san was constantly thinking about things like this. It was exhausting for me. What was in her mind and what was actually being said were different, so it was harder than I expected to make sure I didn't get the person I was interpreting wrong.　

So I took advantage of the fact that Hoshino-san couldn't clearly hear Adachi-san and said, "Hoshino-san, Adachi-san says, 'This is where the real action begins, so prepare yourself'."

Adachi-san looked at me suspiciously, "Huh? What? What does that mean? I didn't say that."

But what can a ghost of an ordinary person, or even just a normal spirit, do? They're no more than a mosquito that attacks you while you're sleeping. Actually, I've been bitten on the arm and it's itchy. I need to hurry home and put on some anti-itch cream.

That aside, the awakened me instinctively moved my tongue. "Naoto, you're still having sex with Asami, aren't you?"

"?!"

"?!"

The two of them open their eyes wide.　

A moment later, Hoshino-san was the first to recover. "It's a misunderstanding! We're not doing it now! It's true, please believe me!" His expression conveys his desperation, and I think it's a great one.

"Don't lie to me! I looked at your phone the other day! I've given up on your cheating habits, but that woman is a no-no!"　

For some reason, Adachi-san doesn't seem to acknowledge Mikami-sensei. I don't know why, but at the same time, I think I do know why.

"N-no. It's not that. Asami is just a friend! Yes, a friend."

"'So, what about Airi?! You're still in contact!"

"N-no, RINE comes over every once in a while, and I sometimes reply to her messages—"

And so, in this manner, I continued to ad-lib to keep the conversation flowing smoothly, while also freely venting the frustrations and core feelings that had been building up deep inside Adachi-san

Then, after they'd finished talking and felt somewhat relieved, he asked Adachi-san. "Is there anything else you regret?"

Adachi-san, who was busy calming out her frustration with her mouth open, answered. "No... I guess..."

"Oh, sorry. There was more."

In response to my words, Adachi-san skillfully imitated a troubled look and a laugh.

(So you know everything.)

Not really. I can't read everything yet. But it seems like I understand quite a bit.

So I said, "'Naoto, I still love you, even though you're like that. You Stupid Idiot'."

•　

•

Hitotose-san and I were walking through a residential area late at night - I was taking Hitotose-san home.

It seems that the lovey-dovey couple, a flat-chested woman and a cheating man, are going for a walk.

There was nothing more I could do, but there was no need for me to do anything else - Adachi-san's presence was beginning to fade - so I told them to do as they pleased and we parted ways.

"Now that I think about it," said Hitotose-san looking at the moonlight.　

"What?" I replied, looking ahead.　

"Why are you so good at imitating voices?"　

Even if you ask me, "Why is that?", I can only say, "I can do it because I can."　

"Hmm," Hitotose-san said with a calm tone, whether she was convinced or not. Then she immediately chose the next unrelated topic and spoke. "Something about yesterday--"

As usual, I walked beside Hitotose-san, nodding in a half-hearted manner.

And just as she was seriously wondering, "Does this person even remember what I just said?", a house with the appearance of one that would be bought by someone who has become so used to looking down on poor people that they no longer realize they are doing so - in other words, Hitotose-san's house.

According to my smartphone, it's past midnight.　

"Do they get mad at you?" I asked.　

"..." she mumbled, and then after a while, Hitotose-san said, "M-M-Mom said it was okay if I was with my boyfriend..."　

I stop because I've come to the front of the house.

I couldn't think of anything particularly pleasant to say, so I just uttered a dry lump of mainstream response "I see."

"..." Although Hitotose-san-san remained silent, deep down she was sulking, thinking,

(What's with that? Does it even matter? I'm the only one who's nervous and I look stupid. What's with this...?)

After turning off my mind-reading ability, I call out to her, "Hitotose-san."　

"..." There was no reply.　

"I love you."　

"……Eh?"　

"Well, see you tomorrow. Good night."　

Leaving Hitotose-san, who looks like a frozen computer, I start walking towards my apartment.　

There are probably some funny things going on inside her head, but I don't peek inside. It's hard to bear the avalanche of information.　

"Minamoto!" Hitotose-san shouted loudly.　

I stop and turn around. I'm a fair distance away from her.

"I love you too!!"　

"I see." I smiled.