Author's note: Hello everyone! Here is the next chapter (Another one from Afterlife side).

Enjoys!

Qwqs

A hard road

A few months later

"Okay, are you ready, Otonashi-san?" The girl asks.

"Anytime, Saigusa-san," Yuzuru responds.

"Okay, then I will start!" Saying so, she presses the button.

"So how is it, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asks after a while has passed.

"It's a success, Otonashi-san. I am able to see the ring!" The girl says excitedly.

"Oh, good!" Yuzuru exclaims.

"Hmm… It's such a beautiful ring," The girl murmurs after looking at Yuzuru's left hand.

"Umm… thanks, I guess?" Yuzuru responds.

"Oh, well, the first sense is a success. Let's continue on hearing next!" The girl says cheerfully.

Yes, they have continued their plan in a particular way.

As for which way it is, we have to go back to a few months ago.

-o-O-o-

"So, what do you plan to do next, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asked Haruka one day, when they were both relaxing in the student council's room.

"Oh, so you are curious about my next plan, huh?" Instead of an answer, Haruka asked back.

"Of course I am!" Yuzuru paused before continuing, "After all, we made such a big step forward."

"Well, I guess I could tell you…" The girl paused before continuing, "…Lately I have spent my time, apart from helping other students move on, to create a new skill. This skill will add the property of the extrasensory perception in the sixth sense to the five senses. If you combine that with the strengthened sixth sense skill, the effect will be wondrous. Well, it's much more difficult to make than the skill that just strengthens the sixth sense, but I have been getting used to the program lately. So I guess I will manage."

"I see. An interesting way to continue," Yuzuru murmured.

"Of course, since we were successful in this direction, we should continue in this direction further," The girl had heard Yuzuru's murmur and answered.

"Yes, you're right."

"Well, anyway, you will have to wait for a little while, I'm working on it."

-o-O-o-

And so it has been a few months since then. Finally Haruka is able to succeed in making a skill that gives extrasensory perception to her vision, and so they are having it tested right now.

The result is…

"It's a success, let's continue on hearing next!" The girl repeats it again.

"Yes, yes, but it will take a while again before you are finally successful in making the skill, right?" Yuzuru asks.

"Yes, but you just have to be patient, Otonashi-san," The girl responds.

"Yes, yes, my mistress," Yuzuru jokingly replies.

-o-O-o-

A few months later

"Okay, Otonashi-san, if you will," The girl speaks.

"Yes, yes," Yuzuru knocks on a wall with his ring – repeating the experiment - after the girl pressed the button.

"So, how is it, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asks.

"It's a success, Otonashi-san! I am able to hear the sound of the ring!" The girl happily replies.

"Good!" Yuzuru exclaims.

"Well, now then, let's test the last thing, the sense of touch!"

-o-O-o-

A few months later

"Okay, now it's the final test, let's do it!" Saying so the girl presses the button and touches Yuzuru's left hand, or to be more specific, his left ring-finger. Of course she is able to see it from her extrasensory perception of vision skill.

"How is it, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asks.

"Yes, it works, Otonashi-san. I guess all of the tests are successful." Haruka nods.

"I see." As Yuzuru thinks about what has been happening with the experiments recently, suddenly an idea comes to him.

"!"

"H-hey, Saigusa-san?" He begins

"Yes?" The girl replies.

"Could you…" He pauses, "Could you please take this ring off for me? I can't touch it."

Yes, that has been his wish for a long time. He misses Kanade so much because of it, so he naturally wants to take it off, so his mind would be able to forget about Kanade, even if only a little. But unfortunately he can't touch the ring, let alone take it off. But now that he has someone who can, it should be possible.

"Huh? Why?" The girl asks.

"Just answer me whether you can do it!" Yuzuru shouts

"!"

his shout surprises the girl.

"W-well, I'm sorry about that, but could you please do it?" He asks again.

"Well, I guess I can try…" saying so the girl approaches Yuzuru and wraps her fingers around the ring in an attempt to take it off.

And then the next moment…

"Kyaa!" The girl cries.

"What's wrong, Saigusa-san?" Yuzuru asks, seems concern.

"T-the ring gave me an electric shock when I tried to take it off," The girl replies

"An electric shock?" Yuzuru repeats.

"Yes."

"So you mean to tell me that you can't take the ring off because it gives you an electric shock when you try to take it off?"

"Yes."

"*Sigh* What a bad joke is this? So this ring can't be taken off after all?" Yuzuru groans.

"Well, I guess so," the girl replies.

"Anyway what are we supposed to do next?" Changing the topic, Yuzuru asks.

"Hmm… I guess we did reach a dead end here. Although now I can see, hear and touch the ring, it doesn't help in realizing more about the ring except the fact that it can be observed with the use of extrasensory perceptions."

"So our hard work will result in nothing?" Yuzuru asks again, feeling disappoint.

"It's my hard work, actually," Haruka corrects, "You did almost nothing to help me in this, Otonashi-san. I was the one doing the coding and all."

"Yes, yes, I know, miss." Yuzuru replies begrudgingly.

"Well, I guess it can't be help that we have to go back to the original plan," The girl says.

"The original plan?" Yuzuru repeats.

"Yes, the original plan," The girl pauses, taking a deep breath and then speaks again, "The plan to know more about The Angel Player itself. You did not forget that was what I originally suggested?"

"…" Yuzuru goes silent.

"So you did forget," The girl says.

"It can't be helped; I was too occupied with this strengthening senses idea of yours." Yuzuru gives an excuse.

"Whatever, Otonashi-san," The girl says, too tired to argue.

"Anyway, like I said, The Angel Player is a magical thing like the ring, and since we can't learn more about the ring by the way of strengthening senses, we might as well try to learn more about The Angel Player itself in hope it is giving us clues to know more about the ring. Don't you agree?"

"Yes, I agree." Yuzuru accepts her point.

And so abandoning their current achievement, they decide to go back to the original plan.

But the original plan – to learn more about The Angel Player – is a hard road indeed.

-o-O-o-

"My lord, did you see? Like I told you, they couldn't possibly be able to understand the truth about your ring just by relying on that Angel Player," A voice says.

"Yes, yes, I can see it very well, my loyal servant. It's a pity, but like you said, their plan has reached a dead end," Another voice agrees

"Thank you for your understanding, my lord,"

"But now I am curious, if they do know more about The Angel Player, I wonder what kind of face they will make?" The sacred voice continues again.

"Oh, so you mean that, my lord."

"Yes, I meant that. It will be interesting to know what they think about the human who made the program and about the true nature of The Angel Player itself."

"I can see what you meant there, my lord. It's quite interesting."

"I'm glad you agree." The sacred voice sounds happy, maybe he smiles?

"Now then, let me see your reactions when you know the truth about The Angel Player."

This matter still seems to be in the interest of this divine being.


Done!

So how is it?

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