Marimo's death… was my fault?
"As a causality conductor, you brought 'information about Marimo's death' over to this world."
W-what?
"When you returned to this world, you merged consciousnesses with this world's Shirogane. 'You' are now a hybrid version of yourself with this branch's 'you' and the other 'you.' Your existence in this world - specifically, the information osmosis occurring through you - is killing people in this world. Marimo was first because of the impression her death left in your head. These things will keep happening until equilibrium is met."
She paused.
"Let me be perfectly clear with you. People will be hurt until you return Shirogane's body to him."
Sumika… Sumika… I can't let other people get hurt because of me. I have to end it-
Yuuko's body blocks my way.
"Out of the way, Kouzuki-sensei!"
"I can't let you kill yourself."
"But Sumika- it's all my fault- people are going to die because of me!"
"Marimo's pupil is my pupil now… I can't let you kill Shirogane."
"Huh…?"
"In your eyes, some incomprehensible force is toying with your life. But to this world's Shirogane, YOU are that incomprehensible force. You are a cancer, slowing but surely killing everything and everyone close to him. You've ruined his life... But I can't let you end it for him."
"This world's me…?"
"Before you came, Shirogane was a normal person. You of all people should realize this. He and Kagami were best friends… they had a future together… and then you came. You possessed his body and robbed him of a piece of his future. How do you think Shirogane feels, having some stranger murder his friends and then having him kill himself?"
….She's right. Killing myself won't fix anything. I need to go back. I have to return Shirogane's body to him.
Chapter 1
I jolt up as consciousness enters my body.
"Where am I…?"
My mind is hazy, but even I can recognize where I am after a few seconds.
"A hospital?"
I'm sitting up on a hospital bed. I haven't been in a place like this in years, but I still am able to recognize the scenery: white walls, sterile-looking medical equipment, not to mention IV cables hooked into my body. The door is ajar, with a busty woman and a shady man in a trenchcoat talking in the doorway.
"Hello?" I ask.
The woman peeks her head in.
"Oh, awake, are we?" she asks wryly.
She enters my room. She must be the doctor.
"Why am I here?" I ask.
"How are you feeling, Shirogane?" she says.
I rotate my arms and stretch my legs. Everything feels fine, except for a dull pain in my head.
"Good, I guess… just a headache…"
That said, something doesn't feel right…
I turn to my left and notice the stack of get-well cards on my nightstand. I see ones from Class Rep, Mikoto, Ayamine, and Tama…
"Where's Sumika's card? Does she not know I'm in the hospital?"
That makes no sense - my other classmates know I'm here, so it should be common knowledge.
I sigh. "Sumika… I'm gonna bop you so hard the next time I see you…"
"Kagami Sumika?" the doctor asks with a puzzled look.
"You know Sumika?" I ask.
"Yes…" Her face darkens. "Shirogane, can you tell me the last thing you remember?"
"Well… it was a normal day… I went to class, had English with Marimo - ah, Jinguuji-sensei, that is – and went home, ate dinner with Meiya and Tsukuyomi…"
Huh…
"I think… that's it?"
But why am I here if that's it?
The woman is writing in a notebook. She looks grim.
"And do you remember spending time with…"
"Kouzuki Yuuko?" the trenchoat man completes her sentence.
The doctor bites her lip. "Yes, my sister."
Kouzuki-sensei? And this doctor is her sister?
"N-no, not really… not outside of class…"
"I'll lay it on you straight," the trenchcoat says, holding up a detective's badge. "Kouzuki is in custody for breaking and entering into a nuclear reactor facility."