Chapter 20: Once again, thanks in advance.

We gathered at Takamiyagi-senpai’s favorite spot—on top of the rooftop water tank. A chilly wind brushed against us, and there was no one else around. Slowly, I looked over everyone’s faces one by one.

As expected—Takamiyagi-senpai with her usual expressionless face; Kitatsuji-san glaring at her with half-lidded annoyance; Kaimori-chan and Yuno-chan catching their breath; and Takahiro staring blankly in our direction. Hmm… no one seems to have lost the will to fight. Excellent.

"That said, honestly, the situation isn’t looking too great."

"Situation…?"

No, seriously—this is basically a battle against that guy, Kaimori-chan. But I messed up. At first, I thought maybe Takamiyagi-senpai could just carry me, but on the way here I realized that wouldn’t work.

Being carried on someone’s back? It shakes. A lot. Constantly. And that really does a number on your insides. Case in point—I feel like a boxer in the final round who’s taken nonstop body blows. Honestly, I might throw up. If I had to endure that for two hours, I wouldn’t just be dealing with my condition—I’d straight-up die. Socially, I mean.

Watching me clutch my mouth with a pale face, Kaimori-chan and the others seemed to realize just how bad things were. Their expressions turned serious as each of them began thinking.

"If all we have to do is avoid getting caught for two hours, then why not just knock out everyone who comes at us? No matter how many there are, you can only deal with about four people at once—front, back, left, and right."

Naturally, it was Kitatsuji-san who proposed this grappler-style solution with a completely serious face. Does she even know what tag is? This is the kind of answer you’d only get if you asked a foreigner in an interview, “There’s a game in Japan called ‘tag’—what do you think it’s like?”

"Uhh… anyone else have another idea?"

"What the heck!? You could at least consider it a little more!"

We don’t have time to waste. It starts in thirty minutes.

Then Yuno-chan gently raised her hand with a soft smile. Oh! If it’s her—the sharpest mind among the heroines—surely she’ll have something useful…!

"To be honest… how about giving up?"

"No, no, no! Think a little harder, Yuno-chan!"

"But Yozakura-senpai, you’re already completely worn out, aren’t you? And it hasn’t even started yet. Wouldn’t it be better to give up early and avoid unnecessary effort?"

"I don’t need that kind of realistic solution! Don’t talk about ‘unnecessary effort’! We make up for what we lack with sheer guts! Next!"

"That sounds like something out of wartime…"

Hmm… nothing really stands out as the idea…

I glanced over at Kaimori-chan, who was rubbing her hands together against the cold while thinking. But she gave a small shake of her head, looking apologetic.

"Sorry… I’m just a normal person, so I can’t think of anything…"

"What happened to that self-awareness you just gained, Kaimori-chan!? And I’m normal too!"

"Normal people don’t get photographed by random strangers on the street!"

Kaimori-chan seemed oddly stubborn about it. But honestly, the reason I get photographed is probably my flashy outfit and those custom twin-tail ribbons… I mean, when it comes to pure looks, we’re all about the same. Just different styles—cute versus beautiful.

"Well, if we all stick together, we’ll stand out. So it’d make sense for Yozakura-senpai to either move alone or with one other person…"

That does make sense. In that case, who should I team up with…?

I looked around at everyone again. Then—ding! It felt like options popped up in my mind.

⇒ "Go with the all-purpose Takamiyagi-senpai!"
　 "No, Kitatsuji-san!"
　 "Bet on Yuno-chan’s ruthless methods!"
　 "Rely on Kaimori-chan’s normalcy!"

I closed my eyes and ran through the possibilities. If I went with Takamiyagi-senpai, I’d probably just drag her down and get us eliminated immediately. Also, I have a bad feeling something tragic would happen. Kitatsuji-san is capable, but she’s loud—she’d draw attention. Yuno-chan might come up with something dangerous, which is tempting…

I cracked one eye open and looked at Kaimori-chan, who seemed a little down. Then I remembered our conversation in the courtyard earlier.

…Alright. I’ll go with Kaimori-chan.

Even if it fails, it fails. At worst, Takahiro and I can just camp out by that black stone in the classroom all night.

Though that might turn into a battle against the temptation to sneakily steal it… No, no. Causing trouble for others is bad. Yeah. Let’s do this properly.

"Kaimori-chan, will you team up with me?"

"Huh…? M-me? Is that really okay…?"

"Of course! I want you, Kaimori-chan! It’s settled, then!"

"If Yozakura-senpai has decided, then I guess it can’t be helped. But I feel bad leaving everything to Ayumi-chan… If there’s anything I can help with, I’d like to… please do your best."

With her brows lowered and a very apologetic expression, Yuno-chan delivered what sounded like a concession speech. But there was just the faintest hint of irritation at being passed over for Kaimori-chan… Still, impressive. Even like that, she’s adorable. As expected of a heroine like me. If Yuno-chan wore the same outfit as me, she’d probably get photographed too.

…Hmm? The same… outfit?

Right. What about a plan like this?

I beckoned Yuno-chan over. She approached in small, quick steps and tilted her head with a smile.

"Yes, yes—what is it?"

"We’re about the same height and build, right?"

Physically, it goes: me and Yuno-chan (small), Kaimori-chan (average), Kitatsuji-san and Takamiyagi-senpai (tall). Everyone’s slim—probably for game design reasons. Personally, I don’t dislike chubbier girls either—they look like they’d really enjoy food. In that sense, Kaimori-chan is more than good enough—

Wait, focus.

"Yuno-chan, you meant it earlier when you said you’d help, right?"

"Y-yes… I suppose…"

"Great! Then strip. Right here. Now."

"…Whaaaat!?"

In the end, Yuno-chan and I temporarily withdrew and swapped clothes.

Looking down at the gothic lolita outfit that suited her perfectly, Yuno-chan muttered with a slightly strained smile:

"I never imagined I’d almost get stripped on the rooftop…"

"We didn’t have time to go somewhere else to change."

"You wouldn’t like it if someone said that to you either, Yozakura-senpai!"

"I’m fine with it. I could just change over there in the shadows—hey, Takahiro. Don’t imagine it. Nosebleeds from excitement look kinda gross in real life."

"That one’s on you, Shione-senpai."

"I agree," said Kitatsuji-san.

"...Anyway. Here’s the plan. Yuno-chan will disguise herself as me, and Takamiyagi-senpai will carry her and run around. That should draw everyone over there."

Yuno-chan raised her hand again—still smiling, but clearly not happy.

"Isn’t this putting a bit too much burden on me?"

"It’s fine! You definitely won’t get caught!! And if you do, you can just immediately confess you’re a decoy!"

"...Well, in that case, I suppose it’s fine. So it’s basically buying time."

She agreed, albeit reluctantly. Though if she fully understood what it meant to be carried around by Takamiyagi-senpai while fleeing, she might not have accepted so easily.

"So what about us?" asked Kitatsuji-san.

"Kitatsuji-san, could you casually support Takamiyagi-senpai? Like, interfere with the ‘taggers’ chasing her. I think her escape will really shine with your support."

Even without it, she’d probably manage—but better safe than sorry. Kitatsuji-san glanced at Takamiyagi-senpai with a clearly displeased expression, though I didn’t miss the slight upward curl of her lips.

"Geez… well, if you’re asking that much, I guess I have no choice. I’ll cover for whatever Takamiyagi’s lacking."

"Um… Shione-senpai… what about me…?"

"Kaimori-chan, let’s move around the school together. You know, in situations like this, acting confident actually makes you stand out less."

"Hmm… is that really how it works…?"

She looked doubtful, but nodded. Then she glanced at Yuno-chan.

"But Yuno doesn’t have hair as long as yours, right? Won’t that be a problem?"

True—my hair reaches the middle of my back, while Yuno-chan’s only goes to her shoulders. It’s not quite enough to recreate long, fluffy twin-tails. Honestly, this hair is ridiculously long… It’s mine, can you believe it? It’s a pain to wash and takes forever to dry. Didn’t Shione ever think about cutting it? I definitely would. I mean, I do. Every day.

"Then maybe I should take this chance to cut my hair down to Yuno-chan’s length—just kidding! Sorry, Kitatsuji-san, don’t give me that scary look."

"So what do we do? Just have Yuno wear something over her head? Like a sack?"

"Heh, why don’t you try that, Ayumi-chan?"

"What would be the point!? I’d just look like a suspicious weirdo walking around campus with my face hidden!!"

"Sounds about the same as usual."

"It does not!"

As the two of them bickered, I kept thinking. Covering her face might help, but ideally we’d replicate the hairstyle too…

"Hey, Shione, why not borrow something from the class?"

"Huh? Borrow… hair? Takahiro… are you okay? Did you finally lose it?"

Everyone shot him cold looks, but he frantically waved his hands.

"No, no! Your class is doing a cosplay café, right!? They’ve gotta have wigs or something! That’s what I meant!"

"...Oh."

Right! I think I saw boxes like that in the dressing room this morning. This guy actually said something useful for once. I clapped in admiration.

"Takahiro, that’s amazing! You’re on fire! Genius!!"

"Right!? Even I’m scared of my own talent… just kidding! Hahaha!"

"The fact that Ryuzoji-senpai can still celebrate after what Shione-senpai just said is what’s scary."

"Maybe he just has no memory. Wow, Ayumi-chan, you’ve got something in common."

"I absolutely do not!"

And so, we successfully “borrowed” a wig from the class, and Yuno-chan—carried on Takamiyagi-senpai’s back—set off.

As she left the rooftop, the shadow that crossed her face made it clear she’d finally realized just how dangerous her role was… but by then, it was already too late.

"—So, are you really okay just relaxing here like this? This is your class, Shione-senpai, isn’t it?"

Leaning forward over the table, Kaimori-chan whispered to me. That’s right—Kaimori-chan, Takahiro, and I had come to our class’s cosplay café as customers. An announcement had already been made, and it seemed the game of tag had officially begun. I took a sip of my iced tea and smiled confidently.

"Well, no one would expect us to be here, right? Hehe. Plus, I’m disguised."

I adjusted my glasses to show off my countermeasures. I had considered sitting here in a full mascot costume, but my sense of reason stopped me—wouldn’t that just make me stand out more? Honestly, I should praise my past self for not suggesting it out loud.

"Yeah… you do give off a different impression. And your hair’s braided this time, too."

"Kitatsuji-san did it for me. That girl can really do just about anything."

"...Right… and yet you still picked me."

"You’re still hung up on that, Kaimori-chan?"

"Of course I am…"

With a deep sigh that reflected the weight on her mind, Kaimori-chan slumped forward onto the table.

Hmm… this is serious. I looked around for something that might cheer her up, letting my gaze wander outside the window.

…Oh.

"Hey, Kaimori-chan, look over there."

"Huh… what is it?"

"Takamiyagi-senpai is jumping from tree to tree in the courtyard."

"...At that point, it’s not even something to be jealous of anymore… wait—what about Yuno!?"

Kaimori-chan shot upright. Yeah… if she’s being carried, she might fall. I squinted to get a better look.

"I see… she’s carrying her in her arms. But her head’s flopping all over the place… I think she might’ve passed out. Kitatsuji-san’s running below them, somehow keeping up."

"Yuno… may you rest in peace…"

Kaimori-chan closed her eyes and quietly made the sign of the cross.

…Wait, is she Christian? Or just going with the vibe?

"Anyway, putting that aside—since we’re here, let’s plan tomorrow. Today ended up being all about finishing the stamp rally, so tomorrow we should actually enjoy the festival."

"Oh, you’re pretty motivated about this. Why’s that?"

"Well, that’s because—"

Just then, a clear, familiar voice suddenly called out to me.

"Shione! How’s it going? Making money? And why are you sitting with the customers?"

"Mom! Shhh! Shhh!"

I shot up from my seat and pressed a finger to my lips. I’d already told my classmates I’d be hiding, so that wasn’t an issue—but you never know if someone participating in the tag game might be here as a customer. Well, to be fair, anyone relaxing here with tea is probably skipping the game anyway… I’m not slacking off, okay?

But for some reason, my words caused a stir in the classroom.

"So that’s Shione’s mom…!? Wow, she’s super beautiful…! Didn’t expect that…!"

"Maybe Shione-chan will look like that when she grows up."

"Hahaha… stuff like this is kind of embarrassing, huh?"

"Why are you the one getting embarrassed, Takahiro?"

Anyway, sit down already.

But just as I got Takahiro back into his seat, my mother approached us with a strangely intense smile—and grabbed his arm.

"Owow… uh, what is it?"

"There’s something I need to ask you—as Shione’s mother. Come with me. Come on. Now. Let’s go."

And just like that, Takahiro was dragged out of the classroom.

…Yeah, he’s not coming back unscathed.

Following Kaimori-chan’s example, I awkwardly made the sign of the cross.

"Good luck, Masataka."

"Why are you suddenly speaking broken English?"

"It’s the mood. Anyway—tomorrow. Let’s decide tomorrow’s plan."

"That really was your mom just now, right?"

"Yep. My dear mother."

"What’s with that way of calling her…"

"I think Yuno-chan’s the type who’d properly say ‘Mother.’"

"What’s with that… Actually, yeah… I guess it starts with the parents…"

Staring wistfully at the door my mother disappeared through, Kaimori-chan looked distant. From beyond it, I thought I faintly heard someone screaming.

…That’s terrifying. What was that?

"My parents are nothing like that. I mean, you can tell just by looking at me—they’re totally normal."

"Really? But you’re good at kendama and the organ, right? That’s pretty cool."

"I’m not even going to ask how you know that anymore, but that’s not cool at all."

"That’s not true."

Kaimori-chan smiled like she didn’t quite buy it and shook her head—but seeing how serious I was, her expression shifted slightly, curiosity creeping in.

"...Why do you say that?"

"Because those are skills your parents practiced really hard—so they could show them to their child someday."

That was from near the end of Kaimori-chan’s route. When she almost had to transfer schools because of her parents’ work and ran away from home, believing she wasn’t loved… her mother told that story in bits and pieces. Kaimori-chan cried when she heard it.

And so did I.

Kaimori-chan froze at my words, then lowered her gaze slightly in silence.

…After hesitating, I decided to speak gently.

Back in the game, I really felt it—I wanted to hug her.

Maybe now’s the time.

"Kaimori-chan… are you about to cry? It’s okay. I’ll cry with you."

"...That’s the worst way to comfort someone—wait, you’re actually crying!?"

Oops.

Not nearly as much as when I played the game, but it seemed I’d teared up a little.

When I wiped my eyes and looked up, Kaimori-chan wasn’t crying at all—though her eyes were slightly red.

W-well… the situation’s different from the game.

After that, Kaimori-chan stayed quiet for a while, deep in thought. Then suddenly, as if something had clicked into place, she shook her head firmly and let out a long breath.

"...Alright. Fine."

"...Huh?"

"I’m saying—I’ll go along with it. Whatever it is you know."

"...Oh! Really!? Yes! Yes!!"

I immediately jumped to my feet and spun around in a little victory dance. After finishing, I plopped back into my seat, while Kaimori-chan stared at me with exasperation.

"Why did you just start dancing?"

"Did you know? The song ‘Ma-ya-hi Ma-ya-hu’—the one they play at festivals—comes from when ancient Hebrews discovered water and started dancing."

"...And your point?"

"Joy and dancing go hand in hand, Kaimori-chan."

"...Right."

She stirred the ice in her glass and gave a half-hearted nod, then leaned forward again, refocusing.

"So, about day two. What’s the goal? I said I’d help, so I want to know."

"The goal is… just to have fun."

"Huh? Have fun…? ...Ah, sure. Sounds great."

"Hey! You think I’m hiding something, don’t you!? That look says it all!"

"Am I wrong?"

"It’s not just that… Yuno-chan’s never experienced a festival like this, so even just walking around would be a great memory for her. She’s never even had cotton candy! I have to let her try it—and experience that weird feeling when you get to the end and it’s just that last sticky bit. And Takamiyagi-senpai… well, she’s like that. I just want her to take a little more interest in the world around her. It’d be such a waste otherwise. You know, once she gets a spark, she’s actually insanely curious. And Kitatsuji-san—she’s going to say later that the idea for her desserts came from walking around the stalls and watching performances here—"

Oops. I got carried away and started talking way too fast.

Anyway, this festival event is packed with opportunities.

As I caught my breath, Kaimori-chan stared at me blankly… then suddenly burst out laughing.

And kept laughing.

This is… very uncomfortable.

"...Wait, was there something funny? That was supposed to be a heartfelt moment."

"Snrk… that girl, with that face, has never had cotton candy… we have to make her try it…!"

"...Yeah, but that’s the main takeaway?"

"Listening to you just now… it made me realize something. I haven’t felt lonely at home lately."

"Oh… that’s great… but are we still on the same topic?"

"We are."

She wiped her tears—probably from laughing too much—then slowly reached her hand out toward me.

Not understanding, I looked at her face.

And then—she smiled again.

The most beautiful smile I’d seen from her yet. Clear, almost transparent.

"I’ll help you, senpai… once again, I look forward to working with you."