Chapter 27: Tag

—I’ve always been afraid of losing what makes me me.

And… I don’t like that the timing gets decided for me without my say. That’s why I’ve always wished I could somehow keep living. I’m not lying.

That’s why I decided not to throw away the wishes of my past self, but to cherish them. Because they are who I once was.

"I want a wavelength that matches mine… someone like that. Bring me someone who would do anything for me… huh."

After that, I kept carrying a single “black stone” with me, pouring my wishes into it whenever I could. Again and again. But… in the end, not even once did anyone answer my call.

Maybe… there isn’t a single person in this world who is what I’m looking for.

I stood alone on an empty road, staring at the few remaining screens floating before me. Summer would end soon, and autumn would come. At the same time, so would my limit.

Lately—maybe because of the “black stone”—I’ve been able to see the future without coming here. But honestly, I wish it would stop. It feels like I’m being forced to face a deadline, and I hate it.

But what should I do? Should I give up on my past wish—to keep myself alive? After all, I still haven’t found the final piece I need.

I sat down on the road, staring at the screen while idly rolling the “black stone” in my hand. I’m ready. All that’s left is to carry out my other wish. But…

Unable to decide, I absentmindedly looked up.

As always, the sky filled my vision—a sea of stars that looked as though they were falling. Standing alone on that empty road, gazing into that ocean of stars, I started to feel like I was already dead. Because this place… it feels like somewhere beyond this world…

…Wait.

An idea struck me. I tightened my grip on the “black stone” and stood up.

Then, just like that, I reached out toward the stars above, pouring my wish into them.

I see now. In my world, there’s no one I’m looking for.

But what about here? On this road beneath the stars—this place beyond the world… maybe, just maybe, it can transcend the boundaries of worlds… Is there someone who would answer my call?

Once more.

I make my wish.

To the countless stars.

Believing that among them, at least one light will respond to me.

After that, I went all around the city.

Following Kitatsuji-san’s wide network of connections, chasing Yuno-chan’s ties to high society. Tagging along with Takamiyagi-senpai, bringing along Kaimori-chan—and Takahiro, too, while I was at it.

West to east. North to south.

But I couldn’t find any trace of Shione-chan. There were a few past sightings. Apparently, during the summer, Shione-chan had been walking around the city alone. She was probably collecting the “black stones.” Though how she knew where they were… I’ve got no clue.

Five days left.

Today, with Yuno-chan and Takahiro in tow, I collapsed onto a bench in the shopping district, gasping for breath. Whether my illness is cured or not, stamina doesn’t come back that quickly. Well… obviously.

"I really don’t understand why Shione-senpai is trying this hard."

Sitting beside me on the bench, Yuno-chan muttered as she held her cup delicately in both hands. She’s right—when the time limit comes, I’m supposed to go back, so maybe it doesn’t matter. But the place I’m in right now… it originally belongs to Shione-chan. If that’s the case, then the right thing to do is return it to how it should be before I leave. …Right, Takahiro?

When I looked up at Takahiro standing beside the bench, he gave a big nod.

He probably doesn’t really understand the situation, but he’s been sticking with me anyway. I might even root for your love life—so long as I’m not the competition. …Though it didn’t seem like Shione-chan was interested in you, to be honest.

I sprang to my feet.

That’s right—the limit is five days. That’s plenty of time to find one person.

"Let’s go! We’re finding Shione-chan!!"

"Yeah!!"

"Lately, I keep losing track of what I’m even doing…"

"…Oh? Not having fun?"

Yuno-chan chuckled softly.

"Well, I suppose it’s not so bad."

Her smile felt more genuine than before—like she was finally speaking honestly.

…Personally, I think that version of her is cuter.

Four days left.

Today, with Kitatsuji-san and Takahiro, we focused on asking around the city. From high schoolers to college students, office workers to greengrocers, even the police and detectives—we went through everyone Kitatsuji-san connected us with, asking the same questions over and over.

"Have you seen a girl who looks like me recently?"

"W-What do you mean…?"

"Actually… my twin sister ran away from home…"

I pulled out a handkerchief*1 and gently wiped my eyes, and most people were willing to help. A police officer even kindly offered to file a missing person report, but I politely declined. I mean, if you’re filing a missing report for a soul, the police probably aren’t the right place.

"Ugh… I rubbed my eyes too much—they’re getting red."

"Oh, honestly… here, let me see."

Kitatsuji-san leaned in with an exasperated look. Staying still, I thanked her again.

"You’ve got an important tournament coming up soon, right? …Sorry for dragging you into this…"

"No, that’s not it."

"Huh? Not a tournament?"

According to my game knowledge, she should be winning a regional tournament next week… Did I get that wrong? I haven’t been keeping up with games lately.

"There is a tournament. But you don’t need to apologize. I’m helping because I want to."

"Then… thank you."

"That’s better. I’ll accept that."

She puffed out her chest proudly as she accepted my thanks. She really does feel more mature than the rest of us.

The next day. Three days left.

Carried in Takamiyagi-senpai’s arms, I sped through the city at high speed. Rooftops, utility poles, walls—it didn’t matter to her. She bounded across them effortlessly. When I looked back, I saw Takahiro taking a longer route, sprinting after us. …Hey, not bad.

We must have circled the city about three times in total, but Shione-chan was nowhere to be seen.

Where do souls even hide? According to Lynette, they should look just like ordinary people. But then it’s strange that there haven’t been any recent sightings at all.

"What do you think, senpai?"

"In that case… maybe she’s not somewhere visible."

"…Huh? Like where?"

"Up in the sky."

"Even if Shione-chan is kind of extraordinary, that’s a bit much."

"I see… I hope we find her soon."

Takamiyagi-senpai gazed up at the sky and murmured quietly. Her words encouraged me more than I expected. The old her probably wouldn’t have said that last part out loud.

"You’ve helped me a lot, senpai."

"I have…"

"I’m grateful."

"Same here."

"Huh?"

I turned to look at her, but she said nothing more. For just a moment, she smiled—and I found myself captivated. It was the most transparent smile I had ever seen in my life. My chest tightened sharply, almost painfully.

She quickly returned to her usual expressionless face, but that smile stayed etched in my heart. I had a feeling I’d never forget it.

The next day. Only two days left.

I’d like to go back in time and lecture my past self for saying six days would be enough. We’re already more than halfway through, and we’ve got zero leads.

Today’s search party: Lynette, me, and Takahiro. Did Takahiro even talk yesterday? He disappeared halfway through, didn’t he? Well, I guess I should praise him for keeping up as long as he did.

While taking a break at a café, I slumped over the table and complained to Lynette.

"Lynette… guess what, we’ve only got two days left. …Two days."

"Y-Yes…"

"No one’s seen her. We can’t find her anywhere. What if I was actually Shione-chan all along? And I just dreamed I was someone from another world?"

"P-Please don’t lose yourself!"

Flustered, Lynette tugged at my arm.

…Right. Yeah. I was losing it for a second there. If I don’t believe in Shione-chan, then who will?

Still, the fact remains—we really can’t find her. Even Lynette’s magic isn’t helping. Apparently, with a full set of “black stones,” Shione-chan has surpassed Lynette’s abilities entirely, leaving her unable to even get a hint of her location.

"What are we supposed to do…"

"If only there were someone who knows Shione-san well…!"

"That’s me!! Me!!"

"Ah—!"

Startled by Takahiro’s sudden shout, Lynette let out a little “eep!” and bolted away at full speed. Clatter-clatter! The bell on the café door rang as she dashed outside, letting us know she’d made a quick escape.

“…Takahiro-kun?”

“No, seriously… sorry about that.”

It took a full thirty minutes for Lynette to return to the seat after that. Even though there were only two days left.

Then I tried asking Takahiro if he had any idea where Shione-chan might have gone, but all I got was nothing but lovey-dovey stories about the past, so I cut him off halfway through. Useless when it matters most.

“So yeah, we still don’t have any leads…”

“We have to find her. If we leave her alone, something seriously bad is definitely going to happen!”

“Like what exactly?”

“Umm… like… the world collapsing into pieces, or maybe cursing all of humanity.”

“…Hmm. That doesn’t really fit her image.”

As I crossed my arms and thought it over, Lynette let out a troubled little laugh.

“But! You know Shione-san better than I do, right? A lot better. So maybe your intuition is the right one. I think it might be best if you trust your own judgment more.”

The Shione-chan I know, huh…

In the end, we still didn’t reach a conclusion that day.

One day left.

The exact deadline isn’t clear, but it’s probably safer to assume that the game is over the moment I wake up next. Because… when I woke up, I was already Shione-chan.

Today, it was supposed to be me, Kaimori-chan, and Takahiro searching together… but I got a call from Kaimori-chan on my phone.

"Senpai, I’m really sorry. My mom suddenly got sick and had to go to the hospital… it looks like exhaustion, so I think she’ll be okay, but…"

"It’s fine, it’s fine! Go be with her. You’ve helped more than anyone in all of this, Kaimori-chan. Seriously, don’t worry about it at all."

"Thank you so much!"

A relieved sigh came through the phone. Of course she’d be relieved.

Then I’ll just make Takahiro do double the work. Kaimori-chan doesn’t need to worry about anything.

"Alright, I’ll hang up now."

"…Um! I’ll keep tomorrow free!"

I hesitated for a moment.

…Tomorrow, I probably won’t be here anymore.

Still, I answered casually anyway.

"Yeah, got it. See you tomorrow."

"I’m sorry!!"

And then I should’ve just ended the call there.

But I opened my mouth instead.

Even if I’m gone, she still has plenty of people around her she can rely on. She probably already knows that—but I still wanted to say it.

Because the Kaimori-chan I know is the kind of girl who always holds herself back a little, both in games and in real life.

“Kaimori-chan.”

“Y-Yes?”

“If anything happens, rely on Takamiyagi-senpai, Kitatsuji-san, and Lynette. And… get along with Yuno-chan too.”

“…? What does that mean…?”

“I’ll explain tomorrow.”

And with that, I ended the call.

…Goodbye, Kaimori-chan. Take care of yourself.

I sincerely wished for the happiness of my right hand—my partner in this search. It was a little disappointing that I wouldn’t be able to see it through myself.

Now then.

With only one day left, it’s just me and Takahiro… but if we keep going like this, I feel like we’ll just waste it, so I need a different approach.

So I decided to follow the “the culprit returns to the scene” theory and brought Takahiro back to my room. I made sure to repeatedly warn him not to say anything unnecessary. After all, in Shione-chan’s route, the confession scene happens in Shione-chan’s room. From a story standpoint, this is a top-tier danger zone—but I didn’t have the luxury of avoiding it.

I searched every corner of the room again, but found nothing resembling a clue.

I pulled out a cookie tin from under the bed and stared at it. …This is the only remaining “evidence.” If there’s a hint, it has to be here. Takahiro, meanwhile, was sitting quietly in seiza a little away from me, exactly as instructed.

I took one of the “black stones” from the tin and examined it closely.

…Yeah, I don’t really know anything about this kind of stuff.

After a while, I concluded that I understood nothing. If it were something obvious, Lynette would’ve already pointed it out.

Then I remembered Lynette’s words from yesterday: “You should think about what you believe yourself.” I decided to follow that advice and think it through again.

—Shione-chan.

The girl who wished to keep living… why is she not here now?

Lynette said she might have “resented the world,” but that doesn’t feel right. The Shione-chan I know is someone who puts others before herself.

In other words…

Ah.

She once said she “chose something more important than herself.”

That means it has to be something involving the people around her.

Something she had to deal with regarding someone close to her… she must have realized that.

What is it?

If I can figure that out, everything should fall into place.

But the people closest to Shione-chan are… probably just her mother and Takahiro.

Her mother or Takahiro… some kind of problem…?

But nothing really seems off…

And yet, something nagged at me.

…Come to think of it, Takahiro always felt a bit off before.

When was that again…?

I carefully followed the thread of thought.

Right… during the school festival, when we were searching for Lynette.

Back then, I asked everyone for help. I drew a picture to explain who she was. That part was fine.

But the problem was this:

At that time, Takahiro had already met Lynette.

If that was the case, when Lynette came up in conversation, he should’ve reacted somehow.

Especially since she played such a major role in all of this.

And yet… he never mentioned knowing her.

In fact, if Kitatsuji-san hadn’t picked up on her trail, we might never have found Lynette at all.

Instead, what he said back then was this—

—“Oh, so that’s what she looks like. Shione’s drawing skills are as good as ever.”

And then, in my mind, Shione-chan’s memory from when we visited Lynette’s house came flooding back.

What were Lynette and Shione-chan talking about back then? I even confirmed it directly with Lynette myself.

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

“By the way, why were you so afraid of Takahiro-kun?”

“…That person isn’t just cursed. His very existence is already distorted.”

“Hmm? What do you mean?”

“He has a constitution that tends to attract misfortune and drag everyone around him into it.”

“Yeah.”

“To put it simply, he’s like a living, breathing black hole.”

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

“Curses are like distortions engraved into both body and soul, so you have to fix that somehow.”

“Fix it? Don’t tell me… injections or something? No way, right?”

“No. For example, separating the body and the soul. Or temporarily calling in someone else’s soul. The idea is to disrupt the balance that allows the curse to exist.”

＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊ ＊

…No way.

No. But even if my guess is correct, it should be impossible. Because a soul can only exist in a body if their “shape” matches, right? Takahiro and Shione-chan are clearly different—Shione-chan herself said so…

And yet I looked again at the cookie tin in front of me.

—A girl who must have wished for the happiness of everyone around her.

—A tin filled with “black stones.”

—Each one supposedly capable of altering the world.

—Why did she need that many?

…Wait.

When multiple souls exist in one body, it disrupts the balance, right?

It had always bothered me.

Why was I so clumsy in this world? The me in the game wasn’t like this. I was supposed to be a perfect, almost overpowered protagonist—someone who would naturally be well-liked.

And then, my mother’s words echoed in my ears.

—“You know, during tag… there was always this kid who ended up right behind me without me noticing.”

I turned around.

…No doubt about it.

You must be—

And then I reached out.

And I touched her.

“I’ve got you now, Shione-chan.”