7

"Good afternoon! I'm going to skip the meeting today," Satoko greeted from outside the door of their dormitory. "I didn't finish the books you all loaned."

Rika frowned before forcing a smile, trying not to let her disappointment show. The meeting of the unofficial club had been something she had been honestly looking forward to, even having slogged through the other girls' choices just to be sure to be able to talk about everything.

"You really had trouble with the last test, didn't you?"

The question of the other club member ignited concern, especially given Satoko's bothered expression. "Do you need help? Should we study together?" Rika asked. At least then they'd spend time together. Rika would be studying too, so it wouldn't be a total waste. The effort could be fun, actually.

"I already know what I need to do. I'll take care of it myself." Satoko said. "You all can discuss things without me."

"No, I wouldn't want to without Satoko," Rika insisted before realizing that might be rude. Though a special affinity was had for Satoko, along with a desire to see her, the others had been pleasant and fun enough to be around too. Maybe she should try and enjoy their company if Satoko was busy.

Thankfully, the other girls didn't notice her possible faux pas and just agreed. "Yeah! We can just wait until you're ready."

"It wouldn't be fun to discuss your pick without you," the other agreed.

"I haven't finished the last one either, so it gives me time as well."

"Fine, then we'll just decide later when to meet," Satoko concluded as she opened the door, waving a hand to let everyone else in before her. Rika went in last. "Right, Rika-san, this is partially your fault," Satoko added with exasperation as she passed.

Rika looked to her with alarm, feeling dread at the accusation.

Satoko tittered at her reaction. "Would you come with me?"

Rika followed Satoko to her dormitory, realizing she hadn't been there before. Coming inside after being invited, semi-arranged stacks of papers and books could be seen, a few articles of clothing here and there that hadn't been put away and hung up. The room was filled with Satoko's busy energy, trying to stay organized while various aspects of her life burst out here and there. Recalling how a different Rika and Satoko shared such a cozy place before added more mixed feelings, including both nostalgia and a vague sense of envy for Satoko's current roommate, who had her own items spread around and mixed in.

"Here it is." Satoko lifted the familiar notebook. She put it on her desk, then picked through her possessions for the others. "Even when I needed a break from studying, I read yours here instead of the club's picks. So it's really your fault we couldn't have the meeting today."

Rika nodded as a bit of an apology. So she'd read more? What would her reaction be? The question was wondered, but not spoken aloud.

Satoko sat down as she placed the last book on the stack. "So Oyashiro-sama was real? I'm not sure how I felt about that twist. You made her a cutie though! I really think she ought to have taken action before she did. Her not doing anything... And Rika-san, that is, the 'Rika-san' of this story not doing anything for so long, I think that's a weakness of this story."

"Yeah," Rika muttered.

"What a nice ending though! After so many bad ends, congratulations on being able to make a satisfying ending after all. That stupid culprit got what she deserved. You had some empathy for her as well though, didn't you? Everything was so exciting. Here, I'm done, you should take them back. I've been thinking about the story, but I really should be concentrating on everything else."

Rika silently reached to pick up her records after Satoko gestured toward them.

"There were some loose ends though," Satoko added once Rika had them. "Like, what about my- I mean, Satoko-san's brother? We didn't get to see a happy reunion for him with Satoko-san and Shion-san."

"He's probably a vegetable anyway." Rika spoke before considering she ought to hold back her bluntness.

Satoko just laughed. "I should have known that would be your dreary outlook! It's more realistic... I suppose, I mean, I really don't know much about this made-up disease. Even so, that's disappointing for a reader, you know? Readers want resolution. Maybe me, especially. I admit I'm attached to my brother. Maybe not as much as the girl in the story, but enough."

Made-up disease. Right. That's all it was in this world. Hinamizawa Syndrome had never been anything at all, much less a blight on their entire community and lives, Satoko's especially. All this was to this Satoko was a story, apparently. Far from being offended at an unflattering representation of her life, she was engaged in it briefly before forgetting it all, separated from it as an actual reality. "What about Rika and Satoko's attachment?" Rika decided to ask.

"Hm?" Satoko looked up from where she'd been arranging her studying materials. "Yes, I could tell they were good friends. The friendships in the story were nice, even considering everything else that occurred. The romances, too. Of course, they didn't get resolution either. Maybe-"

"I mean... Their situation was sad, but don't you think Rika and Satoko's connection was enough to make up for not having her brother?" Rika asked, clutching her records closer.

"Oh, right." Satoko glanced upward, shifting in her chair and folding her arms as she seemed to consider the question. "Rika-san and Satoko-san of the story... I did wonder how they made it, living alone with no parents. They were quite important to each other. Their connection was sweet, but they needed more than just each other, didn't they?"

"Maybe you would be enough for me," Rika said.

Satoko turned back to her desk, blushing subtly before she laughed. "Hey, don't distract me with over-the-top lines like that. We're talking about the story though, right?"

"Right," Rika tentatively agreed. "But wasn't Rika and Satoko's connection just the exciting kind that you like?"

"You mean in romance?" Satoko considered before nodding. "I suppose so... I didn't consider it, since they were younger - children. But maybe if they were older and into that sort of thing, it might be an exciting story of love. Are you going to try and rewrite it? Maybe make them older, their sort of story as a romance?"

"Oh, well... Something could develop between them after all that as they're older, maybe," Rika suggested. Despite wanting to discuss it as a reality, the conversation stayed with Satoko's idea of it all as a story.

"And then it would be the kind of uncomplicated, easy romance you'd prefer, wouldn't it?" Satoko considered. "They've expelled all the evil and other threats that were affecting their life, haven't they? And even if it's not romantic, they already love each other dearly. Their feelings would just morph somewhat as they became lovers." Satoko opened up the workbook, taking out a pencil. "I really need to concentrate on this..."

Rika left without another word, though plenty of thoughts on Satoko's interpretations were to be had. If only things really did remain uncomplicated after a happy ending. How nice it would be if there really was such an easy, uncomplicated romance, 'morphing' their relationship to a new, exciting height upon growing older.

But life wasn't so easy. The idea of how complicated things were weighed heavily as Rika walked through the dim hall, face toward the ground. The scraps of the effortless romantic conclusion with this Satoko paying her mind and even seeming to have some curiosity, even affection toward this Rika didn't seem satisfying at all. But despite not being happy with the conclusion, the decision had already been made.

With these ruminations in mind, the outsider girl had been passed by at first until Rika doubled back. She was indeed there, wearing the uniform of the future, arms folded as she leaned against the wall. "It's been a while," she said quietly, not wanting anyone nearby to overhear her speaking to the entity they certainly couldn't see.

"I'd been ready to disappear for good," Ange said. "Seems I'm still necessary to maintain this resurrection."

"You're a useless witch, aren't you?" Rika spoke coldly, glaring toward the one that tooted her own horn with no results.

"You think your insults affect me at all?" Ange clenched her jaw, giving Rika an exasperated glance. "I've heard much worse. Besides, I admit my efforts will probably be useless. I'll still stick around for a little while yet."

"Why bother if you're not going to do anything?" Rika challenged.

"I've done plenty."

"I don't think you've resurrected a damn thing, Witch of Resurrection."

Ange relaxed her posture, taking a few steps toward Rika. The witch was backed away from in a start before the realization that such a being couldn't much affect the human Rika was set in. One serious expression met another as the Witch of Resurrection stared Rika down. "Aren't you 'the reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama' or some nonsense like that?" she asked.

"Not in this accursed world, but I have been in the past," Rika admitted.

"Accursed?" Ange shook her head. "Never mind. Since that's the case, you should know better than some that something resurrected usually isn't the same as before."

"Reincarnation and resurrection are different."

Ange shrugged slightly at the simple statement of fact. "Even if no resurrection was necessary, things will always change. We can only go from wherever we are now."

"Excuses now?" Even when directly confronted with her incompetence, the witch said nothing, just continued on her way, her quiet footsteps eventually fading into nothing. The memory of having made a 'wish' to that entity wasn't recalled, though perhaps Rika had made the wish to herself many times. Even without having directly asked for anything, the desire to hold that witch responsible for following through was strong. Bring back what had been lost, or at least the intensity of such a bond.

To some extent, maybe Rika preferred an 'exciting' relationship development herself. The idea was mulled upon more as she returned to her room, arranging the now returned records of past worlds. Together, they were completed, weren't they? Even having recorded the conclusion and solution, there was more that might be added from every time the worlds had been repeated, but that would get repetitive and boring.

Of course, the sea of fragments was vast, with endless possibilities. What would the world Rika had left before this one have been like? Even if Rika had been more careful on her bike that day, there really wasn't any simple, inevitable outcome. Considering the idea more, an empty notebook was taken from a drawer.