Volume 4—Chapter 76: Fuzzy memory
Good evening, my dear reader.
Oh, that sounds strange to write... but I'll keep going anyway. I know this is just a diary, but hey, maybe someone will read it someday. Probably you, if you're seeing this. I said "good evening," but who knows what time it is for you? Morning, afternoon, midnight...
Anyway, enough chit chat. In case you forgot... my name is Miyazaki Aria. Why am I introducing myself again? Well, this is a new entry... no, a whole new diary, actually. My last one got filled up. And since I'm repeating things, let me say it again, I remember my past life. Right now, I'm just a normal girl, but before this? I was a guy... some rich family's spoiled son, even. Not that it matters now.
So... what happened this week?
Before I get into that, I want to talk about this strange dream I had. I don’t really remember the full details, but I do remember having some kind of supernatural power. I was fighting a woman with blonde hair who could control skeletons. Yeah, I know, weird. The kind of dream that makes no sense the moment you wake up. Most of it faded as soon as I opened my eyes, but a fragment still lingers in my head. I can't quite explain it. It felt vivid, like more than just a dream… but maybe that’s just my brain playing tricks on me.
Anyway, after that, Viola, Irana, and I decided to hang out and get some parfaits. It was supposed to be a fun little outing. But for some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was missing. Like, there should’ve been a fourth person with us. I brushed it off as imagination, probably something left over from the dream.
Now, about the parfait. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. It’s good. But not the kind of good I’d line up for hours just to get. So when I saw the line wrapping around the cafe, I told Irana and Viola I’d split for a bit and head to the bookstore instead. I figured I’d let them handle the parfait mission while I browsed.
At the bookstore, something odd happened. I bumped into this little girl named Carrol. I think that’s her name. We didn’t talk for long, just one of those accidental encounters. Still, something about her seemed unusual. I couldn’t place it, so I didn’t dwell on it. After flipping through a few titles, I left the store and headed back to the cafe.
That’s when I saw Irana sulking. Turns out the special parfait had already sold out by the time they got to the counter. Even after that day, Irana kept sulking well into the next morning. It was kind of impressive, honestly. I thought she’d be over the parfait incident by now, but nope. She had a talent for holding grudges over the weirdest things.
Anyway, after that, life went back to normal. Or at least, it seemed like it did. Classes, lectures, the same old school routine. But then lunch break rolled around… and that’s when I started to notice something strange.
Irana stopped eating with us.
At first, I didn’t think much of it. Maybe she had club stuff, or just wanted to be alone. But it kept happening. Every day, she’d vanish right before lunch, leaving me alone with Viola. Not that I was complaining, spending time with Viola wasn’t exactly a punishment. If anything, I hadn’t had much one-on-one time with her lately, especially since Irana and Viola had been glued to each other’s side for a while now.
But now, suddenly, Irana was acting like Viola didn’t exist. No warnings. No explanations. Just… gone during lunch.
I couldn’t help but get curious. So one day, I decided to follow her. Casual stalking, you might say.
That’s when I saw it.
She was meeting with someone.
A girl.
An upperclassman, I think. Her name was Yukari… Yukari Fiolera, if I remember right. I recognised her from the first day of school. She was on cleaning duty with me and someone else. Huh. Weird. I clearly remember Yukari, but who was the other one again? I can’t seem to recall. A short-haired girl, maybe? Or was it long-haired? My memory’s fuzzy… that’s unusual for me.
Well, if I can’t remember, maybe it wasn’t important.
Still… why was Irana meeting Yukari-senpai? What were they talking about?
Not bad, necessarily. Just… off. Like puzzle pieces that almost fit together, but not quite. And it’s not like Irana to go behind my back. If it was important, she would’ve said something… right?
And now we're here… another school morning, same as always. Or at least, it’s supposed to be.
I closed my journal with a soft thud and slipped it into my bag.
“Aria, are you done writing your diary?” Viola asked, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear as she peered at me from across the desk.
“I’m done,” I replied automatically, then glanced at the empty seat beside me. “Irana’s still not here?”
Viola shook her head. “Nope. You don’t think it has something to do with Syena being missing, do you? I overheard some third-years whispering about it this morning. Apparently, Syena and Yukari-senpai are cousins.”
“Oh yeah… they do share the same last name,” I said, blinking. “Fiolera, right? Same as that boy… what was his name again? Oh… Yuuya.”
“You still remember Yuuya?” Viola raised an eyebrow.
“Kind of hard to forget when someone tries to pick a fight with you for no reason,” I muttered. “I still don’t get what his deal was. He acted like I insulted his entire bloodline.”
Viola chuckled. “It was like watching two cats hissing at each other.”
“Except one cat had a superiority complex and the other just wanted to eat parfaits in peace,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “Let’s not talk about him. Just thinking about it gives me a migraine.”
Right then, the classroom door slid open, and in came Irana, hair slightly tousled, expression unreadable as usual.
“There you are,” I said, grinning. “How was your date with Yukari-senpai?”
Her reaction was immediate.
“D-D-Date?! W-We’re both girls! How can we be dating?!” she sputtered, face turning as red as a boiled shrimp.
I tilted my head and gave her my most innocent look. “Huh… I was sure you were a lily.”
“L-Lily?”
“You know,” I said, tapping my chin. “Like a girl who likes other girls? It's a common trope.”
“I am not a trope!!” Irana snapped, waving her arms defensively.
Viola stifled a laugh beside me. “You do protest a little too much, Irana.”
Irana’s eyes widened as she pointed at Viola. “You too?! Don’t just gang up on me like that!”
“Relax,” I said, still smiling. “I’m just teasing. Unless... you are hiding something.”
Irana crossed her arms and looked away, mumbling something under her breath that I couldn’t quite catch.
The energy between the three of us simmered into a weird mix of playful tension. I tried not to think too hard about it.
After all… I’m just the dense protagonist, right?
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