V4: Chapter 41: Is It a Movie Date...!? (Part 1)

Chapter 41: Is It a Movie Date...!? (Part 1)

They say everyone has a past they wish they could erase.

I'm no exception. How many times have I wished I could do it all over again?

If only I had woken up earlier that day.

If only I had paid more attention... maybe I would have had a different future.

Even thinking about such things, time only moves forward... into the future.

If only I could forget it... that would surely be a happy thing.

Is it really necessary to dig up such a past, a past that the person themselves wants to forget?

The story of my miserable past. That was... yes...

It happened this morning... at the breakfast table.

★

Just because it's summer vacation doesn't mean I sleep in until noon... I get up in the morning. However, I exercised quite a bit yesterday and the day before, so I skipped my morning run. Drawn in by the delicious smell of toasting bread, I woke up, washed my face for breakfast, and then headed to the living room.

"Good morning, Shizuku. I'll toast yours too... could you wake up Lux-chan?"

"Good morning, Mom. It's another beautiful day, isn't it...?"

—Something felt off.

It should have been the same old breakfast table. Crispy bacon on a plate. A fried egg, cooked on one side and runny inside. A salad of cherry tomatoes and lettuce, toasted bread with butter. And... milk.

A perfectly normal breakfast, nothing particularly noteworthy.

"...That?"

But I had a strong sense of familiarity with that milk... Milk?!　

"Oh, was this yours? I'm sorry, Mom just felt like having some."

"N-no...!? It's mine though, but not in that sense..."　

—Please tell me it's a lie.

"Ah..."

"What's wrong, Shizuku? You look like a pigeon that's been shot with a pea. But anyway... this milk is delicious. I wonder what brand it is..."　

—It must be a misunderstanding.　

"N-n-nothing! I was just planning to drink some later..."

"Really? Sorry my bad... I'll buy some for you later."　

Please, let it be a misunderstanding!

The slight drowsiness that had lingered under my eyelids had vanished without me realizing it.　

To avoid being noticed in any way, I leisurely left the living room... and ran upstairs to my room. I threw the door open and called out to the girl with the shocking pink hair who I assumed was inside.

"L-Lux... where did you put that milk bottle from the other day?"

"Well... it's perishable, so of course I put it in the refrigerator."

"Ah, aaaaaah...!?"

My premonition soon turned into certainty, and then into deep, deep despair.

Before feelings of shame or anger arose, a vague sense of... apology welled up.

"I... I want to die... I'm such a terrible ungrateful child...!"

What have I done to my own mother...killed her, I killed her...

I'm sorry, Mother, please let me atone with my life...

"Ah, I'm starting to feel sick...I'm going to throw up..."

"What's wrong, Shizuku-chan? Did I do something wrong...?"

"No, Lux!? It's my fault, it's my fault...!"

No, it's not Lux's fault... it's my fault.

To Lux, that was nothing more than food.

But for my Mother... to drink my milk. It's my fault.

"I... I hate myself..."

"Shizuku? It's okay, it won't harm ordinary people who drink it... rather..."

"Kill me... I just... want to disappear..."

I want to forget, I want to forget completely.

"Should I just... forget?"

There was one person I knew who could cause such a magical event.

"Jane Doe... She's the one who can save me..."

★

"...So that's the situation, Squire. What should I have done...?"

"After such a grand buildup... only for... this?"

"This is a serious problem for me...!"

Because, because... after what I did to my own mother...

Even if not saying anything was the right thing to do, it's painful...

I'll have to take it to my grave...

We'd arranged to meet in front of the association, so I was complaining to Squire while showing my face.

It's a little embarrassing, but I figured she'd find out anyway even if I kept quiet, so I figured I could talk to her about anything without hesitation.

"I'm sorry... I didn't get along well with my father and mother... so I don't know."

"Oh, sorry..."

"No, I'm glad you relied on me... It's actually stressful when people are overly considerate."

I was so shocked that I wasn't very thoughtful, but if she says it's okay, then I guess it's fine.

"I think it's fine to try it. She doesn't seem to mind using magic..."

"I see, then maybe I'll ask her. Thank you for listening, Squire."

★

So, as soon as we met, I bowed my head and asked her, without revealing the details...

"So... how did it go?"

"Well, failure! As expected of Satellite-san, the quality of your magic is just too high..."

Unfortunately, it didn't look like it was going to work.

Jane was dressed in a boyish outfit that a skater might wear: jeans, a hoodie with English lettering, and a cap. She was wearing sneakers and had short hair... she must like that kind of look.

She shook her head as if to say she was at a loss.

"So it didn't work on me too huh. I'd only knew of Squire being the only opponent it couldn't work on." (Satellite)

"Basically, I use the Magic on weakened opponents." (Jane)

"Ah, so you mean they've either used up all their energy or had all their energy drained..." (Satellite)

"...That's right." (Jane)

Being used as a breeding ground, or as a disposal tool... the fate of a defeated Magical Girl is quite tragic. It's almost like something out of a hentai game. I often hear that being eaten quickly is happier, but I actually preferred the former.

But then what to do now....

Even if I wanted to use up my magic, I've never used it all up before, so I don't know how long it would take.

"Unless we become close enough that you entrust everything to me..." (Jane)

"I want to get rid of it now, and it would be rude to try to become close with you for that reason alone, so I'll give up..." (Satellite)

This is actually only the second time she and I have met. There's no way I could place my complete trust in someone after only two days of knowing them... right?

I mean, sure, I'm the type that is easily swayed, but it's a little scary when it goes that far.

"Well, since we're here, why don't we go out somewhere? I'll treat you." (Satellite)

"Ah, well..." (Jane)

It was a rather ambiguous reaction.

The possibility of her disliking me seems slim. I certainly sense respect from her towards me. Besides, I haven't unknowingly stepped on any landmines... I can't see any reason for her to distance herself from me, someone with such a beautiful face and a wonderful personality, other than jealousy.

"If you have something to do, we can do it another time... what do you think?"

"Ah... no, nothing! I don't have any plans today, so I can hang out as much as you want!"

Indeed, given her personality, she should have readily agreed with "Sure!"...but it seems she unconsciously pushes people away.

Even from this exchange, there's a slight sense of unease...yes, I felt something was off. My intuition in situations like this... is usually right.

My bad intuition is also usually right... like this morning's.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go?" (Satellite)

"I can't think of anywhere in particular... I haven't really decided what to do today either." (Jane)

That said, I certainly wouldn't do something rude like just playing around with the sole purpose of probing. I just need to be natural and remember what I learn. I myself wanted to become friends with Jane.

"Then how about a movie theater?" (Satellite)

"Ah... that sounds good! But I feel bad, so I'll pay!" (Jane)

"Really? Then... will you let me treat you to a meal?" (Satellite)

"Hehe, I'll gladly accept!" (Jane)

And so we started walking towards a movie theater in the city. And so, our movie theater date... began.

Ugh, even though it's summer, I felt a chill from somewhere.

No, I'm not cheating, okay?

★

The movie theater was crowded with people, probably because it was summer vacation. Several large posters were displayed, and my eyes landed on one of them. It was a romance movie that I'd seen getting good reviews for when I was searching for mentions of myself on social media.　

Oh, Satellite-chan, they're showing my movie too! It's an animated film, so I'm not actually in it.

Come to think of it, I think I was at some kind of ceremony for it the other day. Too much media exposure... well, you know... it attracts those loudmouths who do nothing themselves, saying things like, "There are more lives that could be saved in that time," so I'm not too keen on that.　

But seriously, wouldn't that be a turn-off on a date? No, but it's my movie... wouldn't it be a dream come true to watch it with me? It's a tough decision...

"Once we've decided what we want to see, let's say it at the same time, okay?" (Satellite)

"Well, I don't usually go to the movies... so I'm having trouble deciding..." (Jane)

"There's no need to rush, the time spent choosing is also fun." (Satellite)

"Is that so...?" (Jane)

We looked at the movie pamphlets and posters alternately, and finally decided on a movie. We stood side by side and decided to point to the movie we wanted to see at the same time.

"One, two, three!"

In the end, I chose a popular romance movie. What she pointed to was...

"Kamen Rider, huh? I think I saw an ad for that movie." (Satellite)

"Well, I was thinking of seeing it... but I don't know it... I can see mine another time!" (Jane)

I haven't seen the one playing right now, that's true... but it seems to have pretty good reviews.

"So, shall we watch both then?" (Satellite)

"Huh? Are you really sure?"

"There's no rule that says you can't watch two movies in one day, right?"

"Well... that's true, but... I was thinking, wouldn't it be boring to watch something you don't know...?"

Is that all? She could just tell me what movie she wanted to see. However, keeping her worrying about what to watch would spoil the movie. There's about an hour until showtime, and the shop is right there... I picked up two pamphlets that were displayed outside the shop and turned around.

"Well, since we have time, could you explain it to me in a way I can understand... Jane?"

"Me...? Of course! It'll be a long explanation, so be prepared!"

Saying that, I scanned the pamphlets and sat down at a nearby table. Holding the pamphlet, I pointed to the skull-motif Rider on the cover, leaned over the table, and began to explain.

"The main character of this movie is actually the father of one of the main characters of the show currently airing on TV...!"

When she talked about things she loved, she seemed three times more lively than usual.