Epilogue End

When I grabbed Takamiyagi’s arm and pulled with all my strength, something stretched out from inside him—Shione, wide-eyed and semi-transparent—boing—like she was being pulled free. Just as I thought.

Though… for a second she stretched like mochi. Apparently, souls are pretty soft.

"So that makes Takamiyagi-kun an accomplice too, huh?"

When I shot him a hard glare, Takamiyagi awkwardly looked away. Shione quickly stepped between us, spreading her arms as if shielding him.

"I'm the one who forced him to help. So it’s not Takamiyagi-kun’s fault."

"Wait… then does that mean Takamiyagi-kun is some kind of dangerous guy who tries to confess even when your actual self isn’t inside him?"

"…That’s not quite it."

Shione gave a troubled smile, scratching her cheek awkwardly.

"I didn’t explain anything to him at all."

"…Huh?"

"I only told him, ‘I’ll be staying inside you for a while.’ I don’t think he understands what’s going on even now."

"A-And he didn’t question that…?"

If my childhood friend suddenly said something like that, I’d be completely thrown off. I wouldn’t even know what face to make. Actually… I can’t even picture that situation.

"He said, ‘Got it.’"

"I’ll do anything Shione asks of me."

"Hey—learn your limits, will you?"

…Wait. They’re already separated, right? So why is he still acting like this? Side effects?

Meanwhile, the real Shione stared at my face like she was seeing it properly for the first time. She blinked several times, her expression full of curiosity. Up close… wow, her eyelashes are insanely long.

"This is the first time we’ve met face to face, isn’t it? …So how did you figure out where I was?"

"That’s easy. I know you better than anyone."

Her eyes widened. Then, after a brief pause, she burst out laughing, clearly delighted. Clutching her stomach, she laughed for a while.

"Ahahaha! I see! …But now that I think about it, I might not know you very well at all."

"Hey, Shione."

"What?"

When both of us turned to look at Takamiyagi at the same time, he staggered like he’d just gotten dizzy.

…Oh? What’s wrong? Side effects after all? Take care, man.

After holding his head for a bit, Takamiyagi weakly pointed at the other Shione—the one who had been inside him.

"Uh… the one who was inside me."

"Yes, Takamiyagi-kun?"

"About that… could you maybe explain what’s going on?"

Shione smiled sweetly, like an angel. She clasped her hands together and tilted her head, almost as if praying to him. But what came out of her mouth was ice-cold.

"I’ll explain tomorrow. So, Takamiyagi-kun, sorry, but could you head home for today?"

"Yeah, I don’t think that’s reasonable."

"Okay!"

"…You’ve got to be kidding me…"

Ah, yeah, I get it now. This must be exactly how it went when she first told him she’d be entering him.

After Takamiyagi left…

Just as I was about to speak, Shione cut me off.

"I know what you’re going to say. ‘Hurry up and go back to your own body,’ right?"

"…Well, yes—but not exactly."

"?? What do you mean? Which is it?"

"You’re trying to stop Takamiyagi from spreading misfortune, right?"

"…Yeah. Everyone ends up unhappy, and it can’t be stopped. So there’s no other choice."

"Actually, there’s a much simpler solution than what you’re doing now. That’s what I wanted to tell you."

"A simpler… solution?"

She looked at me suspiciously. I met her gaze and told her the blunt, almost cruel truth.

"If Takamiyagi gets a girlfriend, that solves everything."

"…………Huh?"

"No, seriously. That’s all it takes."

"W-What? What does that even mean? I honestly don’t get it at all."

Shione flailed in confusion, completely thrown off.

I explained everything—why I knew her, how I woke up as her, what happened after I got here, and how, as far as I knew, Takamiyagi’s “curse” had always lifted normally once he got a girlfriend.

After hearing it all, Shione went silent and looked down. Then, for a brief moment, her expression turned… dangerous. Her body trembled, and I could hear something creaking, like pressure building.

"That… useless witch…!"

…Uh-oh. Is Lynette going to be okay? Shione’s not about to go full dark mode, is she?

Sensing the dangerous shift in the air, I hurriedly steered the conversation back.

"So yeah—if someone just becomes his cute girlfriend, problem solved. …By the way, how about it, Shione? Limited-time offer—discounted price."

"I’ll pass."

"At least think about it a little—huh?"

At that moment—

Brrr—brrr—

A sudden electronic ringtone echoed from the corner of the room. I turned toward it.

…Oh, my phone’s ringing. Hold on.

When I checked the screen, it was Kaimori-chan.

What’s up? Something wrong? Is your mom not doing well? Do you need my passionate encouragement?

"Sorry! I just got back from the hospital. My mom seems to be fine now."

"Oh, that’s great to hear. …Wait, what’s up? You called just to tell me that?"

"No, it’s just… you seemed kind of off earlier, senpai. I was worried. …It felt like you were going somewhere far away. Like you were trying to say something nice before it ended."

At this point, Kaimori-chan has to be psychic or something…

I stopped speaking and looked at Shione. If possible, I wanted to explain everything to Kaimori-chan—the girl who had always been by my side, helping me.

But Shione shook her head and silently mouthed the words: “Time’s up.”

…Looks like that’s it. No helping it.

I gave up on explaining things to Kaimori-chan.

Still, it’s fine. Even if I don’t explain, the time we spent together won’t just disappear.

"It’s okay, it’s okay. Listen—starting tomorrow, I might seem a little different, but we’ll still be together."

"Together?"

"Yeah. Apparently, we’re the same at the core."

A deep sigh came from the other end of the line.

"No… I’m starting to regret calling you."

"I’m glad you did. I’m really happy we got to talk. I’m glad I met you, Kaimori-chan."

"There you go again… what is this? Are you on some ‘say nice things’ streak or something?"

"Well… I’ve just been busy, you know? We’ve been pretty busy lately."

"Busy…? I mean, we went to a lot of places, but that’s not really what I’d call ‘busy,’ is it?"

"—Yeah, it is."

"Huh? Sorry, I didn’t catch that."

Maybe she heard me mutter under my breath, because Shione, listening beside me, let out a quiet laugh. I mean, you’re the one who’s about to get busy from here on out. Not really the time to laugh.

But suddenly feeling embarrassed, I shouted again to Kaimori-chan—loud and clear.

"So! …I’ve been busy trying to avoid all the romance routes!"

---

"Man… that was hilarious."

Shione chuckled, recalling the moment. Beside her, I looked up at the sky filled with countless stars. When I turned around, there was a long, narrow road stretching behind us.

Before I knew it, she had led me onto a path floating beneath the starry sky. When I looked forward again, I could see that the path—once broken—now clearly continued ahead. Following my gaze, Shione narrowed her eyes toward the same distant point.

"You know… maybe it’s better not to see the future after all."

"Not necessarily. Knowing what lay ahead helped me take action."

"…You think so?"

"I’m sure of it."

We stood side by side, staring down the path ahead. But the view wavered and blurred, making it hard to see clearly. Shione stretched up on her toes, trying to see further. Watching her small profile, I spoke my thoughts aloud.

"Since we’re here… I kind of wish I could’ve talked with you more."

She looked at me with interest, as if probing my true feelings. The smile at the corner of her lips had a slightly mischievous edge.

"Why not now? Or from here on?"

"Unfortunately… I have to go back, don’t I?"

"Yeah… I guess so."

Murmuring that, Shione smiled softly and spun around lightly on the spot for no clear reason.

"Then I guess there’s no choice but to give up. If you were me, what would you do?"

"I’d accept it and move on."

It can’t be helped.

"We really might be alike," she said, laughing brightly. She seemed like the type who could let things go cleanly if she had to.

…Right. Before we part, there’s one thing I should say.

"I think… you said you don’t want to rely on others, but somewhere deep down, you wanted someone by your side. Just having someone there makes a difference. That’s why I was able to catch up to you."

"That’s true. You were quite a reliable partner. After all… you’re me."

Shione laughed again. She really does laugh a lot. Thinking back, she smiled like this often in the game too. This must be her true self.

"From your partner, one last piece of advice: take better care of yourself."

"…And what about you?"

"Me? …I’m not a character in this story."

"Hmm. Oh wow. So you’re really going to say something like that? …Yeah, we really are alike."

We stood there for a while longer, chatting about trivial things.

They were just ordinary stories—memories from my elementary school days, or about a shop near my house that I liked.

Even though they were probably boring, Shione listened with shining eyes.

"Hey… I still want to talk with you more."

"No, it’d be boring. Just normal stories without any real punchlines."

"It’s not boring. I didn’t hate listening to Takamiyagi-kun’s stories either, you know."

…That kind of sounds like she’s indirectly saying his stories are boring.

"Well, keep listening to him from now on. You could try being happy with Takamiyagi. That guy would straight-up die for your sake."

"Is that supposed to be a good thing…?"

"I’m all for childhood friends ending up happy together. It’s just… sweet, you know?"

"I’m against deciding things based only on labels like that. Everyone’s different. Whether you’re childhood friends, or senior and junior, or… ‘not even a character in the story.’ In the end, it’s about how the people involved feel."

"Guess we belong to different schools of thought."

"Let’s save this discussion for another time."

Saying that, Shione met my eyes and gave a slightly lonely smile. I smiled back.

Because there wouldn’t be another time.

We both knew that.

So I changed the subject.

"By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask—you had a ton of those black stones, right?"

"Yeah. What about them?"

"I was just wondering how you collected them."

"Ah. You see, if I ever got my hands on a magic lamp, I’d be the type to negotiate for more wishes."

"…What do you mean?"

"So I made a wish on the stone I borrowed from Lynette. I asked it to tell me where the other stones were."

That’s how she got so many.

And she needed all of them just to enter Takamiyagi… that guy really is something else. Well, if he’s basically a walking black hole on a world-scale level, I guess it makes sense.

"Oh, by the way, I didn’t even need to use all of them. I still have a few left."

Apparently, that wasn’t even her full collection. Terrifying.

Then, at the edge of my vision, I saw it—

A shooting star, trailing a long streak of light, slipping from right to left.

When I looked up again, the sky was overflowing with stars, like they were pouring down in a vast ocean of light. It was eerily quiet, yet every twinkle made the entire sky seem to shimmer faintly. Even though they should have been far away, they felt so close I could almost reach out and touch them.

And it wasn’t just one.

One after another, streaks of light crossed the night sky. Each time, it felt like time itself slowed, leaving just the two of us gazing upward.

…Yeah. With this many stars, of course there’d be shooting stars.

Noticing how intently I was staring, Shione let out an amused laugh.

"Are shooting stars that rare to you? You’re like a little kid."

"I-It’s not that! You don’t see skies like this in the city!"

She laughed again—but then suddenly stopped.

Her eyes widened, and she quietly stared at me. That lonely expression told me everything.

It was time.

"…Is it about time?"

"Yeah. Thank you… for everything. I really mean it—I’m grateful to you."

"Then I guess my job here is done. If anything happens again, just call me anytime."

Smiling, I held out my hand. I knew this would be the last time—but because of that, I didn’t want a tearful goodbye.

"Hmm…" She thought for a moment, then took my hand.

"Got it. Then next time…"

"Next time?! Isn’t that soon?! There’s more?!"

"――――"

At the very end, Shione leaned closer and said something.

I definitely saw her lips move.

But I couldn’t hear the words.

Shione, the path we stood on, even myself—everything was swallowed by white light, until there was nothing left to see.

---

…Next time, huh.

I’d do anything for Shione—but I can’t do it if she doesn’t tell me what it is. I mean, it looked like she said something… but if I didn’t hear it, there’s nothing I can do.

In the end, when I woke up, I was back in the real world—and somehow, I was in a hospital.

Apparently, a blood vessel in my brain had either clogged or ruptured, and I collapsed in my apartment in pretty bad condition. But hey, I made a full recovery. All’s well that ends well. As expected of me.

Also, huge thanks to my landlord who found me, and to everyone at the hospital who treated me.

At first, after waking up, I couldn’t really tell what was real. I remember the white ceiling and the smell of disinfectant feeling strangely distant.

After about a month in the hospital, the morning of my discharge—

Wearing a long-sleeved autumn hoodie, I stepped outside and took a few deep breaths. Cold air filled my lungs, and my breath rose white in front of me.

And that’s when I realized…

The season had quietly shifted from autumn to winter.

These days, I’ve gone back to my part-time job like nothing ever happened. One day, on my way home, humming to myself, I stopped by a game shop.

That’s when I heard a familiar piece of music.

Oh—there’s a promo for that game.

On the monitor were Kaimori-chan and Yuno-chan. The two of them were bickering, but somehow still seemed close. Since I didn’t recognize the scene, it was probably some kind of added episode.

Standing a little apart, I watched in silence, a faint sense of nostalgia in my chest.

…Maybe that autumn I experienced… was just one episode among many.

A story about someone who appeared from nowhere—someone Shione called forth.

Even so, I don’t mind.

Whenever I hear the game’s theme song, or the cold wind announcing the arrival of winter, I know I’ll remember that season—from autumn into winter.

The time we spent dancing on the rooftop.

And the girl who was never quite in front of me, yet always by my side.

That alone is enough.

Carrying a slightly sentimental mood, I hurried home again. But midway, I realized I’d forgotten my pass case and turned around.

Oops. That’s not like me.

And then—

Thump.

Something light bumped into my stomach.

"Ah—!"

At the same time, someone let out a small cry and plopped down right in front of me.

…Oh no. I must’ve caused a collision when I suddenly turned.

"I’m so sorry," I said, reaching out a hand to help them up.

But no matter how long I waited, they didn’t lift their face.

With a white hat pulled low over her eyes, I couldn’t see her expression clearly…

A small girl, maybe?

"Um… sorry—are you okay?"

“…………”

“Hello? Can’t stand up? I know a good hospital if you want me to recommend one.”

“…That’s not what we agreed on.”

“…Huh?”

A chill ran through my chest at that voice. I knew it. No—more than that, it felt like a voice I’d produced myself.

I looked at her again, closely.

From under the hat peeked fluffy brown hair. Large eyes. Skin as pale and clear as porcelain.

“…………No way…”

What looked up at me was the face I used to see every single day. The girl I thought I’d never meet again after we split across different worlds.

Shione.

I froze for a moment, unable to process what was happening.

Then, still sitting on the ground, she looked up at me with a mischievous smile.

“We made a promise, didn’t we? That next time, you’d be the one to invite me. You didn’t forget, did you?”

I stayed still for a while… then let out a small, bitter smile.

And slowly, respectfully, I reached out my hand to her again.

…Yeah. That’s right, isn’t it? Man, how careless of me.

“…Hey. Will you dance with me?”

At that moment, the opening theme I had heard at the game shop earlier seemed to echo quietly in the back of my mind for some reason.

Shione smiled just like she had the last time I saw her.

She firmly took my hand and whispered,

“…Yes. I’ve caught you.”

And then—

Suddenly.

The final moment on that star-filled path flashed through my mind.

Right before I was swallowed by white light.

I had definitely seen her lips move.

But I never heard the words.

Only that silent motion remained lodged somewhere in my heart ever since.

But now…

Standing face to face with her again, I felt like I finally understood.

What she had said at the end.

“Thank you for everything… I really mean it. I’m grateful to you.”

“Then I guess my job here is done. If anything happens again, just call me anytime.”

“Got it. Next time then—”

“Next time?! That’s too soon! There’s more?!”

Back then, under that sky full of falling stars…

While accepting our farewell handshake, Shione had laughed softly—and said it.

“——Next time… I’m the ‘oni’.”

(End)