Inoue Akira and Tennouiji Kotarou are from Rewrite, a 2011 visual novel published by Key, translated into English by Amaterasu Translations, and adapted into an anime by Studio 8bit. Elements of the following story were also inspired by Inoue's story in the now-defunct mobile gacha game, Rewrite: Ignis Memoria (which never received any English translation), as well as her appearances in the fandisc Rewrite Harvest festa!

Spoilers and references to all other heroine routes, as well as Moon and Terra.

Record: Paper, Scissors, Key (III)

The next day.

I was slumped forward on my desk, face down. I had finalised my arrangement with Anzai, the editor at monthly Terra magazine, and was now officially one of their correspondents for the harvest festival. This also meant that I didn't need to attend school for the entire week, since I was now one of the students who was working part-time.

But that wasn't the reason for my fatigue.

Outside, rain continued to pour. It had stopped sometime during the evening yesterday, but the skies hadn't cleared, and it had started again this morning.

They say that when you sleep, you consolidate your memories, file them away neatly in your brain.

Some thought that this was what caused you to dream.

It had been terrible.

I still don't remember everything fully, but I got the sense that I had been terrible. A terrible person.

Cold, uncaring, isolated. An empty shell, a lost sheep, a worthless failure.

"Kotarou looks more worn out than usual, doesn't he?" Chihaya.

"Indeed. He's in a right state." Class Rep.

Ah, so the two of them are still friends, aren't they? That's good.

"Yo, Kotarou!" A third, cheerful voice, and I look up immediately. "Wow, you look terrible."

"Thanks, Innoway." I roll my eyes.

"No problem. I'm here to get you for lunch." She nods at Class Rep and Chihaya. "I hope Kotarou hasn't been fooling around when I'm not there."

"On the contrary, he seems better behaved compared to before." Lucia gives her honest opinion, and shoots a glance at my haggard appearance. "I hope you're not wearing him out too much."

"I hope so as well. Come, Kotarou. Something interesting awaits."

"Something interesting?"

"Did you forget what I said yesterday? About matchm-I mean, introducing Shinsaibashi to Tanuma?"

"I did."

Inoue looks at me. "That bad? Couldn't sleep?"

"A lot of unpleasant things came back at once," I sum up. "Worse, I don't even remember anything useful."

"Well, you can just let me do more of the talking today." She looks at me even more closely. "Or do you want to go to the infirmary?"

"Nah, I'll live." I stretch out my arms, feeling bones and muscles crack. "Besides, I should be there in case anything goes wrong. Actually, I'm surprised Tanuma even agreed to this."

"Agreed?" Inoue had a catlike grin. "I told her that we'd finished her request to investigate Shinsaibashi, and that we'd tell her over lunch."

"And Shinsaibashi?"

"I told her that we'd like to introduce her to a friend of ours who I thought she'd get along with. And said it had nothing to do with supernatural stuff." Inoue added.

"That's two lies in a row." I sigh.

"The first is what you might call relative truth, which is a useful concept to understand when you're a reporter," my girlfriend said happily. "And it's really nothing to do with the supernatural. I think they'd be a good fit for each other, sharing the same interests and all."

"The same interests?"

"Remember when we cleaned up Tanuma's room? I saw what kind of stuff she liked. And when Shinsaibashi interrupted us on our date–"

"You could remember things from that long conversation? When she just went on and on?"

"An eye for detail and a good memory. Start training those, my apprentice." She lightly chops me on the head with her hand.

"Yes, sensei." I roll my eyes.

~~[r]~~

As it turns out, Tanuma had arrived before us. As usual, she was desperately trying to blend into the background.

"Yo, Tanuma." I greet the girl with the glasses, and she shrinks back in her usual manner, tugging down the sides of her ever-present green woollen hat.

"T-Tennouji. Akira."

"Hey, Imako!" Inoue cheerfully greets. "Excited?"

"N-Not really." Tanuma looks down.

"(Given name? Since when did you get so chummy with her?)" I whisper to my girlfriend as we find a table.

"A little bit of empathy goes a long way." Inoue smirks. "We've been messaging each other quite a bit. Well, at first it was mostly one-sided on my end, but she's been warming up to me lately."

"Inoue-senpai! Tennouji-senpai!" Another chipper voice joins the scene. "Ah, and the green hat girl!"

At the moniker, Tanuma looks up. As soon as she saw Hitomi, however, she froze up. It seemed like the summoner would turn to dust at any moment. "S-S-Shi-"

"Hitomi-san, this is Tanuma Imako, a fellow second-year of ours." I make the introduction. "And our friend. I thought–excuse me, Inoue thought it'd be a good idea for you to get to know each other, since you seem to be interested in the same things."

Hitomi's eyes light up. "Really? You like games as well? What's your favourite?"

"A-A-Action games." Tanuma seemed to be curling in on herself. "Bakemono Pursuit is good, but I like The Old Hunters series better–"

"Really? That's my favourite!" The extroverted superhuman now seemed to be radiating a dazzling aura. "I was checking the library the other day, and the new manga companion was out!"

"R-R-R-Really?"

"Yeah! The Chosen Hunter and the Grey Knight meet, and then they go and–"

"But that's impossible!" Tanuma's eyes were wide open. "They're in completely different–"

Inoue gives me a nudge. "Told you it would be fine," she said quietly.

"Yeah," I nod. "But what about when the…you know…comes up?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." She looks at the two girls, now locked in intense conversation. Tanuma's stutter had vanished. "Shinsaibashi can't be that devoted to her organization if she had been willing to reveal this much."

"True." Even Shizuru, nice as she was, had been somewhat cross when I mentioned that I had been investigating Hitomi.

The bell chimed, signalling the end of lunch, and both summoner and superhuman turned to look as us, as if simultaneously remembering we existed, before they looked back at each other in a synchronized motion.

"You know," Inoue suggested, "we could continue this after school. Go to Hitomi's house or something."

"My house, huh?" Hitomi scratched her head, looking surprisingly uncertain. "I don't know. It's not exactly a nice place, though it does have a console we can play with."

I nudged Tanuma. "You want to see where Hitomi lives, don't you?"

"B-But–"

"Have a little more courage." I pushed her forwards with my words.

"I-I-I would like to see your house, S-Shinsaibashi-san!" Tanuma managed to get out.

"Imako's more the indoor type." Inoue nodded to Hitomi. "We'd probably be more comfortable at someone's home."

"Understood," Hitomi said cheerfully. "Can't say I've never felt like that before."

~~[r]~~

After school.

The four of us walked through the streets that were beginning to fill up for the harvest festival. Stalls had been set up but not yet furnished, and buildings were in the middle of being decorated.

The harvest festival, huh?

I made a promise, long ago, that I would show someone around. A promise to a friend I had made on my last day in Kazamatsuri, when I had decided to leave Martel for good.

A promise to someone who had kept me in the dark, who had pretended everything had been all right.

It left an bitter taste in my mouth, a different kind of pain than a thousand needles.

I decided to ignore those thoughts for now, and instead looked straight ahead of me. Hitomi was talking in her usual animated manner with Tanuma, who seemed to be nodding along with interest.

"Have I ever told you you're a genius?" I say to Inoue.

"Yes, but you could stand to praise me more." Inoue says smugly.

I smile, and rub her head. "There, there."

"I'm not a cat," she says, but she snuggles up to me nonetheless. "I'm glad you catch on quickly."

"What, to have an excuse to head to Shinsaibashi's house? Yeah, I thought you'd try something like that." A smirk comes to my face.

"Glad to know we're in sync, old man."

"Flirting back there, senpais?" Hitomi looks over her shoulder at us with a teasing grin. Tanuma had a mixed expression on her face.

"Yeah, we're getting real lovey-dovey back here." I say happily, not even bother hiding it. "Got a problem?"

"Nope. I would tell you to carry on all you like, except that we've reached my house."

As it turns out, Hitomi lived in a run-down apartment, the building of which looked quite weathered with age.

"This is…"

"Yeah, it's pretty shabby, but it's cheap and more importantly, comfortable." The superhuman did not appear the least bit bothered by her lodgings, or the fact that others might have looked down on her for them.

As we climbed the metal stairs outside with a plonking sound, Hitomi spoke to me in a quieter voice. "By the way, Shizuru-senpai is my neighbour. I'd thought I'd let you know, seeing as you're her friend and all."

"Eh? But…"

"Both of us get paid enough for our work, so we could easily get a better place if we wanted. For me, I don't really care about a room's outside as long as the inside is fine, and it doesn't take a lot to make me happy. On the other hand, Shizuru-senpai probably has her own reasons, and I'll ask that you respect her privacy and stuff."

"Yeah, I got it."

That was reality. It could be harsh in mundane ways, and with how I'd lived comfortably in the upper-middle class up until now, I had forgotten that.

Memory flashed before my eyes. Esaka in his white suit. His back in front of me. The stench of sewage in my nose, as we walked though a quiet, remote town, where I would be enrolled into Guardian.

What lessons had I forgotten from my first life? What I had carelessly thrown away?

We enter Hitomi's middling apartment. It was small, and felt more like a guy's apartment than a girl's. In the single room, a futon peeked out of the small inbuilt storage space, while a reasonably-sized television screen sat on top of a chest of drawers, right across an old but comfortable-looking couch. In between them was a simple table, and in the corner was a simple wardrobe, with a sturdy-looking suitcase beside it.

But what caught our eyes the most, especially Tanuma's, were the walls, which were plastered with posters from various games and anime. I looked up at one with a tan man holding a black sword in one hand and a white sword in the other, but it seemed to be in the minority, seeing as the rest mainly comprised of magical girls or girls in fantasy-looking outfits, as well as the occasional views of other fantasy landscapes.

I look back at the superhuman, who had named her attacks. "Hey, Hitomi."

"What's up?"

"Do you know a Yoshino? In my year?"

"Haruhiko? The King? What of it?"

The reply drew out a pained grunt from me. "Given-name? And the title?"

"From the moment we crossed paths, we knew we were kindred spirits. He has the soul of a fighter, and recognised the same in myself." The superhuman's eyes were shining.

I felt a headache coming on, and decided to drop this line of questioning. "Never mind."

Absentmindedly, Tanuma reached out for the walls, her fingers brushing across a purple-clad magical girl with a pistol, to a blindfolded woman wearing black robes. "Why posters?"

"Ah, this is where my genius comes into play." Hitomi looked happy. "I'm somewhat of a migratory bird, you see–need to travel often and stuff. So I thought: what goods can I use to decorate with, that I can also carry around easily, and came to this solution." She tapped a long, cylindrical case.

"Smart." Tanuma nodded with appreciation, one connoisseur to another.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Hitomi bustles into the kitchen, then returns with a tray with four glasses and a chilled beaker. "Here. Oolong tea. Help yourself."

"Geh." Somehow, from beside me, my girlfriend makes a noise.

"I thought it was your favourite drink."

"I like it more when you're the one buying me a can." Inoue grumbles, but she pours herself a glass anyway.

Hitomi returns from the kitchen again, this time with several packets. "Sorry, I don't really eat biscuits and sweet stuff. But if you're staying for dinner, I can cook for everyone!"

"Y-You're a good cook?"

"I've been complimented a few times." Hitomi says brightly to Tanuma. "How about you stay for dinner? Cooking is fun, but I don't get the chance to do it much."

"I-I-I-"

"I'm sure we would all like to," Inoue says smoothly.

"Right?" I add. "I've never had a junior cook for me before."

Inoue swats me on the arm for the remark, and Hitomi chuckles. "I hope you don't mind plenty of meat."

"Though hopefully it isn't beef bowls," I joke. "We had those yesterday."

Hitomi's hand, which was reaching for a controller, freezes in the air. "Ah."

"Don't tell me that was the plan?!"

~~[r]~~

The rest of the afternoon was spent playing games leisurely, and chatting about all sorts of things. Hitomi's catalogue mostly consisted of action games where you had to dodge at the right times, dancing around the monsters' attacks to find an opening.

Needless to say, Shinsaibashi, as a superhuman with enhanced senses, was very good.

I quietly asked her if this was the case, and she had given me a small grin.

"Yes and no."

"Yes and no?"

"It's also because I've played these games quite a lot. I'm familiar enough with the levels and bosses that I could finish it in one afternoon." She glanced back at the screen, where Tanuma's face was screwed up in concentration. "You're not doing too bad yourself, for a first-timer."

"Yeah, well…"

The words "great enemy felled" appeared on the screen in large English letters, and Tanuma set down the controller with a look of smug satisfaction, before adjusting her glasses. "Looks like I still got it."

Inoue was open-mouthed. "Did you just beat the boss without taking any damage at all?"

"Don't worry about it. I've played this game before many times, so I know all the attack patterns." She reset the level before handing the controller over. "How about you give it a go?"

Inoue, as it turned out, was one extremely angry gamer.

"I'm pressing attack, but my character isn't moving!"

"That's because you're out of stamina." Imako sighed.

"There's no openings to attack!"

"You need to dodge and pick the right time," Hitomi pointed out.

"WHY CAN"T I DODGE WHEN I'M PRESSING THE BUTTON?"

"That weapon has a long recovery after each attack," Imako explained.

"Mgrgrgr!"

"You need to calm down, Innoway. You can't get through these kind of games by button mashing."

"I–am–not–button–mashing!"

This was the first time I had seen Inoue this mad, with that time she met Akane a somewhat far second. Who knew she had this side to her? Then again, I suppose we already knew she had a strong competitive spirit.

"D-Do you want me to tell you how to beat the boss?" Imako says hesitantly. "I can–"

"No! Shut up! I'll figure this out on my own!"

Tanuma flinches at Inoue's unexpected outburst. I don't think the poor girl has ever been on the receiving end of her wrath before.

"You sure you want to keep going out with this girl? Imagine what happens when you forget to do the housework in the future." Hitomi nudges me jokingly.

"Nah, it's all part of her charm." I close my eyes and lean back against the bottom part of the couch, where Inoue (as the person currently playing) was sitting.

"Shut up!"

She reprimands me, and we all laugh.

~~[r]~~

The afternoon turns into evening.

"Imako, could you watch the house with Inoue-senpai for me?" Hitomi yells from the kitchen. "There's not enough ingredients here for four people."

"Mm, okay." Tanuma replies, from where she was walking Inoue through another game.

"And what do I do?"

"You, as the big strong man, am going to help carry the groceries."

"Guess that's to be expected," I snort. "I'll be off."

"See you later," my girlfriend says, somewhat tiredly. Despite that, however, she gave me a wink, a glint still in her eye.

As we close the front door, I turn to Hitomi. "You know, Inoue's probably going to rummage through your closet or bug your house or something, right?"

"Oh no," Hitomi says in a monotone. "I definitely did not see this coming, what with Inoue-senpai being a known reporter and all."

A half-grin comes to my face. "So you knew already, huh?"

"I really don't mind," Hitomi says cheerfully. "It's not as if there are sensitive documents in the house, and I only use it for relaxing and sleeping. There's nothing to find."

We reach the nearby supermarket, and the superhuman turns to me. "Kotarou-senpai."

"What is it?"

"Will you join me in Guardian? As a fellow superhuman, you should be with us."

For a moment I saw double–another invitation, extended to me years ago. "No."

"Answering without hesitation, huh? Does that mean you already know what 'Guardian' stands for?"

Shit. This junior of mine was much sharper than she seemed.

"That look on your face says yes."

I said nothing.

"Not that I don't understand. Having to keep everything secret is kind of exhausting, honestly." Carrots and lettuce went into the basket, which I was carrying. "Can I ask why?"

Because we're trying to reveal the truth of this world. "Inoue is a normal person. I won't leave her behind." I speak an honest reason.

"I see." Hitomi smiles. "By the way, thanks for introducing me to Tanuma-senpai."

"Don't mention it." I pick up some frozen chicken, add it to the basket, then turned to my junior with a serious look. "Hitomi-san."

"What's up?"

"Have you ever thought about leaving Guardian?" I ask the opposite question.

"I wonder…" The superhuman smile was enigmatic. "What do you think?"

"Several times." I speak my mind. "You probably only stayed because you want to fight familiars, right? I can't imagine the people there are very pleasant."

"A hundred points to you, senpai." Hitomi confirms my guess cheerfully. "If I can't fight, I don't feel alive. Also, the people there are fine, if you stay out of their way. The middle is a good place to be. Plus-minus zero, you know?"

"Yeah, better than being at the bot–" I start, then hit myself with my free hand, the ball of my palm impacting my forehead with a solid smack.

What the hell was I saying? Was I really this distracted? Maybe I had every right to be, considering everything that had happened yesterday.

Hitomi simply looks at me. "You really are a mystery, senpai."

"That's probably why Inoue likes me so much." I force out a joke, then try to move the topic away from myself, thankful that my junior wasn't prying. "What did you mean, plus-minus zero?"

"Oh, that's just an anime reference. I meant that I always aimed for the middle of the class during training. Being in last place means people look down on you, and being in first place–"

"-means you get unwanted attention?" I finish.

"You're too kind, senpai." Hitomi chuckles. "What I wanted to say was 'being in first place is too much work', especially for an average superhuman like me."

Average superhuman, my ass.

Not only had I witnessed her athletic ability and her skill with weapons during our short duel, but she was also an outgoing, cheerful person that could talk easily with anybody. Not to mention her physical appearance as a tall, slender beauty (which I had to acknowledge as fact.)

All superhumans were by definition outliers of the human race, but even with that considered, I still thought Shinsahibashi was underselling herself.

I decide not to say anything, and instead went on a different tack. "How was superhuman training?" I ask, half-joking, half-serious.

"Hmm." Hitomi considers my question seriously. "Something like a very long training camp? Maybe?"

"Like for a sports club?"

"Yeah! Except that we learned how to fight."

There was a pause as we continued to browse the shelves, and then I asked the question (or rather, one of the many questions) that had been weighing on my mind ever since I regained my memories. "When you said 'look down on', does that mean…bullying?"

Hitomi stops in her tracks. "I'm not doing a good job of selling our secret club to you, huh?" She takes in my expression, which must have looked more grave than usual, then nods. "Yeah. Some do. Superhumans are still human, after all. In fact, I might say it's worse, since everyone is used to being the best where they came from previously. Not to say we're all people that look down on others!" she hurriedly adds.

"I know," I chuckle. "Shizuru has been nothing but nice, and Lucia's not a bad person, even if she keeps yelling at me."

"How did you–ah, I suppose it wasn't that hard to figure out." The superhuman fiddles with her ponytail.

"Don't worry, it's not as if I'm going to tell anyone." I'm simply trying to expose the existence of the entire organization, no biggie.

"Didn't think you would," she nods. "You know, about the bullying thing–think of it this way. We superhumans are sort of, you know, more human than human? Like, we're sort of extremes?" She gestures at me, as if to say you're included, and goes on. "So we sort of embody the best, but also the worst parts of humanity."

I stop dead in my tracks. I didn't think this airheaded junior of mine could get this philosophical.

"You're giving me a look that says 'I didn't think this airheaded junior of mine had thoughts this deep', right?"

"Yeah, more or less." I think back to my old teammates: Imamiya, Nishikujou, and Nagai. One dropped out, one was still hanging around, and one was now…silently watching over me? As a teacher in Kaza High?

Answer one question, and two more pop up.

Mysteries were certainly much less fun when it was your life on the line, but those are the ones that were much more important to solve.

I put the question aside, and instead focused on the individual right in front of me, before an obvious inconsistency comes to my mind. "How did you ever manage to maintain your average position? I don't see you as the type to hold back even in practice duels, and I can guess that you're quite good, even only from that one time."

"I didn't bother studying for the written exams," the superhuman admits happily.

I let out a snort. "Figures."

~~[r]~~

Another view

"All right! Now that Shinsaibashi's out, it's time to dig through her house!"

Tanuma Imako simply gave a resigned smile. Barely half a minute had passed since Kotarou and Hitomi had left, and the reporter had already set down her controller, her mind back to investigating.

"Akira-san…"

"Come on, Imako. I'm sure you're curious as well. After all, you like Hitomi, don't you?"

"I–what?!" To say that the summoner was caught off-guard would be an understatement.

Inoue took a moment to enjoy Imako's face shifting through the entire range of human emotion, before she next spoke gently. "It was quite obvious to anyone that bothered to pay attention. Don't worry, I'm not going to write an article about this." She frowned. "I feel like I've been saying that a lot recently. It kind of annoys me."

"..."

"Are you going to silence me?" Inoue asked seriously.

Imako stared right at Inoue, right through Inoue, for several long moments, before finally exhaling. "Can I be honest?"

"Yeah?"

"I thought about it." Imako's smile was self-depreciating. "But you're my friend. And Kotarou–I mean, Tennouji–would probably kill me, if I did anything to you."

"Well, I'm glad you changed your mind." Inoue stood. "And you can call him Kotarou. I'm sure he wouldn't mind. Now!" She clapped her hands. "The house!"

"Y-You're serious?"

"Of course!"

To Inoue's disappointment, however, Shinsaibashi's apartment was not much more than it appeared, with no hidden doors or compartments of any kind. The small existing storage space held a folded futon along with a blanket and a pillow, along with a second, longer pillow, and the closet simply held clothes and not much else.

"Huh, no fancy underwear. I suppose that's to be expected."

"A-A-A-Akira-san!" Imako looked scandalized.

"How are you supposed to win her over if you don't know what underwear she likes?" Inoue said, grinning. She shut the drawer, and went into the kitchen.

"H-H-How are you certain t-that–"

"That she likes girls instead of boys? She told me and Kotarou to our faces." Nothing at all in the house, huh? If anything, it's probably in that luggage case, but I probably couldn't crack that open without her noticing. Besides, it might be bad if Imako finds out Hitomi is a superhuman, at least at this point in their relationship. But if our guess is right, Hitomi isn't that staunch a member of Guardian, so things won't go that badly. Hopefully.

Inoue returned to see a weird mix of emotions on Imako's face. The summoner was standing in a familiar pose, her hands clutching the sides of her hat, her gaze angled downwards.

"Hang in there, Imako." She shot some words of encouragement over. "At least now it's on par with a normal confession."

"H-How did it happen? Y-You and Tennouji–"

Despite herself, Inoue found a faint blush come to her cheeks. "I confessed after the second night in the forest. I honestly thought I was going to die in there, and him saving me helped, but I really did like Kotarou since…"

When exactly had it happened? When had she stopped seeing him as an investigation target, or as a rival? The boundaries had blurred so gradually, a gentle gradient of feelings that she knew not the start of. "Well, it doesn't matter," she declared. "What's important now is you." She lightly bopped Imako on the head, and the girl jumped in surprise. "I probably am not qualified to give romantic advice, but I'm going to say what I think anyway."

"Which is?" Imako said, almost timidly.

"Confess sooner rather than later, and if it doesn't work out, move on." Inoue's tone was blunt. "Don't let your feelings stew."

Because that was the kind of person Imako was, and it was, to a smaller extent, the kind of person Kotarou was. Moody and brooding, she recalled.

But he had never dumped those negative emotions on her, which she appreciated. Never looked for sympathy, never whined, and always did his best. For her.

Even when he was looking as if he was shouldering some kind of invisible burden–which of course he was, what with the whole thing about superpowers and being removed from time.

It was endearing. It made her want to care for him.

She tore her mind back to the present in time to hear Imako's response. "B-But…"

"Kotarou and I will have your back if anything happens."

"B-But…"

"I'm not going to say that everything will be all right, because I don't know myself. But for your own sake, you should. I mean, you've had your eye on her for a very long time now, right?"

"Y-Yes."

"Then just do it. If she says no, you can move on."

She wondered what happened if the whole life-and-death, forest expedition had never happened. Would she have worked up the courage to confess to Kotarou, or would she have just watched from afar?

Would they still be friends? Partners in finding the truth? Or would he have been swallowed up by either Guardian or Gaia, one way or another? Or would he…

Kanbe Kotori's face came to Inoue's mind, and, though she did not notice it, her own face had formed a frown.

It galled her. It made her angry in several different ways, and she hoped Kotarou felt the same–no, even if he didn't, she would be on his behalf.

The truth of ten missing years. The truth of the existence of the supernatural.

What kind of childhood friend was she, to keep her friend in the dark like that, without even a single word or hint?

Shaking off the unpleasant thoughts, and hoping to distract Imako (and herself), she once again picked up the controller. "In any case, don't worry," she said, lightly nudging the glasses girl, who still seemed to be frozen. "I know you're smart, but sometimes thinking too much about things doesn't help." She reached over to the console and switched the game. "How about you help me with this?"

~~[r]~~

"Honey, I'm home!"

"Welcome back!" Inoue called.

"A-hem." Hitomi coughed from behind me. "Please save this for when you newlyweds get your own apartment."

"Right, sorry."

Hitomi took the shopping bags from my hand. "You can just wait in the living room. I'll be done quite soon."

Returning to the living room, I saw that the both of them were still busy gaming–well, Inoue was the one actually playing, while Tanuma was giving instructions.

Compared to earlier, however, I noticed that Inoue seemed somewhat tense, and it wasn't the funny kind of frustration caused by the game. "Something bothering you?" I asked directly.

"Yeah." 'PAUSED' appeared on the screen, and Inoue turned to me. "I…"

"S-Should I go bugger off somewhere?" Tanuma asked meekly.

"No need." Inoue said. She took a breath. "I don't really have the words for it now," she addressed me. "I'll tell you later."

"Is this about the–" my eyes flicked to the kitchen, then at Tanuma, before realising that I probably shouldn't imply that either knew about the supernatural to the other.

"No, it isn't. It's just me being angry on your behalf."

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I appreciate it," I nodded. I could trust her to speak her mind when the time came.

~~[r]~~

Dinner was a karaage chicken and tamagoyaki, along with a western-style salad that seemed more of an afterthought.

"Sorry about the bowls." The cutlery were all mismatched, and so were the plates. In fact, there was only one proper-sized bowl (given to Tanuma) and one proper-sized plate (Inoue), which led to Hitomi and I eating rice out of mess tins.

"The food is delicious, so all is forgiven." I give my honest opinion. I forgot where I had heard this from–probably a radio or TV show or something, but apparently the mark of a good chef was to be able to make the simplest dishes taste good. "Where did you learn to cook?"

"Oh, here and there. I don't really have many hobbies except well, you know," the superhuman gestured at her console and the walls, "and cooking's fun since you get to eat afterwards."

"Mmm." Inoue expresses her approval. "You'd make a fine wife one day, Hitomi-san."

"I wouldn't go that far," Hitomi says, somewhat bashfully. "I'm just glad all of you like it."

"Didn't you say you had been complimented a few times?" Tanuma looks up.

"Yeah! People always say my food is good when I swap at bit with them at lunch. This is my first time cooking for a group like this." Hitomi plays with her short ponytail.

"W-Well," Tanuma went on, "I c-c-could eat this e-everyday."

A subtle marriage proposal! At the statement, I choke on my food, and Inoue thumps me on the back. "Chew before swallowing, you idiot."

"Sorry."

"I'm going to get more miso soup." Hitomi stands. "Also, Tanuma-senpai." She speaks, with her back still turned to us. "I'm glad you liked it."

Was it just me, or was her voice uncharacteristically tender compared to her usual self?

I opened my mouth to make a comment, but it didn't even take Inoue to nudge me before I closed it without saying anything.

For an insane plan to matchmake two people that we had only thought of yesterday (that I myself had only remembered halfway through the afternoon), it was all going very smoothly.

Perhaps it was to be expected, given that the two people in question seemed to be quite compatible.

Except for the issue of the supernatural. Well, that was something to be dealt with later.

~~[r]~~

"Thanks for the food," I say once again as I step out the door.

"No worries. I'd be glad for all of you to come over again. It's the most fun I've had in a while," Hitomi smiles. She turns to address our hatted companion. "Senpai, I'll come by tomorrow for lunch. What class were you in again?"

"2-D." The summoner fiddled with her glasses. "A-Are you sure you don't mind, Shinsaibashi-san?"

"Quite sure." Another smile. "And you can call me Hitomi."

Inoue quickly mutters into Tanuma's ear, and the summoner jumps.

"What is it?" Hitomi quirks her head, looking puzzled.

"Y-Y-You c-c-c-"

I shoot Tanuma a quick thumbs-up, and she glares at me in irritation, before determination sets into her features. "You can c-call me Imako, if you want." She speaks to Shinsaibashi.

"Imako-senpai it is, then." It seemed that nothing could stop Hitomi's cheerfulness. "You'll be seeing Inoue-senpai home then, Kotarou-senpai?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Strange things have been happening lately. Stay safe. But…"

"I-I'll be fine by myself. Really."

For a moment Hitomi looked conflicted, before she eventually sighed. "Okay. Can you exchange mail addresses with me? And message me once you get home? Just so I know you got home safe."

Tanuma nods.

~~[r]~~

"Well, we can call that plan a success." I hold hands with Inoue as we walk through the evening air.

Inoue gives a wan smile. "Not quite yet, but it's a good start."

"Remind me why we're doing this again?"

"Because Imako is a friend of mine, and I would like to see her happy?"

"Doesn't really advance our cause, though."

"Doesn't it?" Inoue sounded upbeat. "I'll need to ask Imako about the details of summoning soon. That, or how to get into the Gaia archives. The Martel headquarters have been that concert-hall-looking building since before we were born; there's probably a lot hidden underground or something. Being a superhuman seems like something you can only be born with, but I think that everyone can learn summoning to some degree. I think."

Having no evidence either way, I just nod. "An infiltration." I rack my middle-schooler-self's memories of the place, and got an impression of a prestigious and wide space, large lecture theatres and auditoriums, high and long hallways. "I think, with my abilities, I might be able to pull it off."

"Let's leave that as the last resort," Inoue says seriously. "We also don't know what security measures they might have. Or what monsters they might keep."

"But why do you need information about summoning? Shouldn't the pictures be enough? We had video too."

A shake of the head. "It's not going to be enough. They'll accuse us of doctoring pictures, using special effects for videos. We need instructions for summoning. For creating familiars." Her fist slams into her palm. "Then, when people try it out for themselves, and it works, they'll know it's real, and be convinced."

Sound, impeccable logic. But… "People are going to need to give up their life force, right?"

"That's why I need detailed instructions. It needs to be relatively easy to do, and not intensive as well. The most important thing is the experience. Plus, we don't want people to run around creating monstrosities."

"You've put a good deal of thought into this." I scratch my head. "Much more than me."

"Of course! I've been thinking hard about how to break this scoop. You just need to follow my plans, and we'll be home free." Inoue's tone was light and happy.

"Shut up and do what you tell me, huh?" I chuckle.

"Don't say it like that," she pouts. "If you think of anything, you should speak up as well. After all, we're a team. Inoue's Allies of Truth. Plus, you're secretly an adult. That counts for something."

My feet drags on the ground for a moment. "Don't call me an adult."

"Sorry. That was a joke." She looks at me with concern. "Are you alright? It happened only yesterday, and we've had a long day today…"

"I'm fine. Really."

"Your memories…"

"They're coming back." My fingers unconsciously curl up, and would have formed a fist had Inoue not gently pried them open again. "I want to make sense of everything, before I tell you the whole story."

"That's fine. You can take your time."

"No," I found myself saying. "That isn't right. I don't think it's fair to you, if I keep you in the dark any longer than I need to." I close my eyes, breathe in and out. I picture my blood circulating around my body, transporting life to every last inch, the tips of my fingers and toes, the very top of my head.

I had nearly died while feeling so empty, and now here I was, alive and happy.

Was that fair?

"Kotarou?"

"I'll tell you what I can remember so far."

Middle school. Feeling unfulfilled. Being forced to attend Martel lectures, while not agreeing at all with their philosophy.

Inoue nods at this part. "No wonder you got so angry with Imako the day we met her."

"I can't stand it. But I can't stand the other side either."

I tell her about hunting UMAs at night alone, using my superpower, the ability to control blood. I tell her how I met the superhuman named Sougen Esaka by chance after I was saved from a familiar attack, and how I finally made up my mind to join Guardian.

Kotori had been a huge part of my memories, but I left her out for now. That would come later.

Talking to Hitomi had also made me recall some other things. I speak about being last in my cohort in Guardian. How superhumans condescended and looked down upon the weak.

And then I tell her that, finally, I was deployed back to Kazamatsuri, to the harvest festival ten years ago, where I nearly died after encountering…the Key.

"It's not a complete story," I finish. "I get the feeling that I'm still forgetting important things. Both about Martel and about Guardian."

Inoue shakes her head, a compassionate movement. "That's fine," she said again, in a gentler tone.

"There's also been something else I've been keeping from you."

"Oh?"

"I have more than one superpower. For as long as I remember, I have the ability to…to rewrite myself." I breathe out, and finally tell her my greatest secret-the secret which not a single other person knew.

"Rewrite?"

"Yeah. With an unknown cost, I can change aspects of myself, like how strong I am, or how fast I can run."

"And this isn't the normal kind of superpower?"

"Yeah."

At this point, we had reached the foot of the high-rise apartment

Inoue mulls it over, then comes to a complete stop. "And you don't know the cost?"

"No, but–"

"Don't use it," Inoue says immediately. "It feels like a trap. What's going to happen if you do?"

I couldn't help it–a chuckle escaped from my mouth.

"What's so funny?"

"I came to the same conclusion." I laugh. "Even as a kid. I could have just made myself so much stronger and faster, and joined the elite of the elite. I wonder why I never did that?"

"Because you're not an idiot." Inoue reprimands me, then stops. "I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me everything. Even about what I think might be your deepest, darkest secret." She looks me in the eye. "I mean that seriously."

"And I'm glad you didn't freak out and run away after we discovered that I, you know." I scratch my head in embarrassment.

"Don't worry about it. Hey, can you come here for a second?" She gestures at me, and I bend down slightly.

"Mmph?"

I did not expect the kiss.

As it went on, I felt the tension in my body drain, until we finally broke away.

"Sometimes," I say, "I wonder what I did to end up with someone as…"

"As awesome as me?" Inoue's smile takes on a hint of playfulness. "Don't question it."

Reluctantly, she lets go of my hand. "Thanks for walking me back. See you tomorrow, okay? Sweet dreams."

I turn to leave, before a thought strikes me. "I think I need some help with that."

"With what?"

"Having sweet dreams."

"Ah, I see. I think I can help."

~~[r]~~

Another view

After another kiss with Kotarou, Inoue proceeded up the stairs to her front door, thoughts swirling in her mind.

She had never been very superstitious, nor was she the type to believe in, like some other girls in class did, astrology or other fortune-telling. Yet, for the first time in her life, she was considering that there might be some strange force of destiny at work.

Weren't things too perfect? She was trying to reveal both organizations at once, and here was Kotarou, someone who had experience with both, and on top of that, also had a superpower that was apparently beyond ordinary superhumans.

A big scoop that could change the world, and a loving, superpowered boyfriend.

Was this all a happy dream?

What if, in the real world, she was actually dying by herself, after she had went to the forest alone?

"Ouch!"

She had pinched her cheek and immediately regretted it.

"Okay, not a dream."

As she drew near her front door, however, she could sense that something was wrong. First, her father seemed to be shouting, and she could count the number of times that had happened before on one hand.

Second, so was her mother. She had never heard her mom angry in her entire life. Stern, yes, but not angry.

With a shaking hand, she unlocked the door, and opened it. "I'm home!"

Instantly, both her parents turned to her. "Akira."

"Dad?"

She looked around, and saw what was wrong immediately. On the dining table, her father's laptop was open…displaying the images that she had taken in the forest.

Images of clearly supernatural creatures.

"When were you going to mention this?"

"When I was sure there was something worth mentioning." Quickly, Inoue tried to think about what actually was in the records.

"This is serious, Akira."

"I'm serious as well. This is a giant scoop!"

"It's on the level of a world-changing revelation, and could actually be dangerous." Inoue Satoru, Akira's father, spoke in a grave tone. "Depending on the number of people you've told, we could be in danger. As it stands, you've already narrowly escaped death once."

"What are you saying, Dad?"

"That we leave Kazamatsuri immediately." Satoru's voice brooked no argument. His amber eyes, which Inoue had inherited, were now bottomless pits. "This place is clearly dangerous, and, if what you say about Martel is correct, might in fact be the core of the danger itself."

"And I refuse." That was Inoue Kaede, Inoue's mother. The brown hair that sat on her shoulder in a ponytail had been passed down to her daughter…and so, apparently, had her steadfast nature.

"Darling–"

"Kazamatsuri is my hometown. I'm not going to leave, and even if there exists all-powerful secret societies, what makes you think their reach does extend outside of this town? Now that we know the supernatural is real?"

"Even so, we should be as safe as possible!" Inoue's father slashed his hand across the air.

"Running away to go somewhere else has its own set of problems too!" Inoue's mother raised her voice. "We shouldn't just uproot just because we might be in danger!"

"Might? Have you forgotten that Akira almost died in the forest? If not for sheer luck–"

"Then we should just stay away from the forest!"

"And if other invisible creatures come out and attack? What if, monsters aside, Martel gets wind of this, and threatens our jobs? Our social standing? It's not just the supernatural we're dealing with here!"

The argument between her parents continued for several long minutes, until her father eventually turned back to her. "Akira–"

"I'm not leaving Kazamatsuri." Inoue's answer was instant.

"Thank you, Akira." Inoue's mother had a look of relief on her face.

"And I'm not stopping my investigation, either." She grit her teeth.

The look of relief became a frown. "No. If there's anything your Dad and I can agree on, it's your safety."

"Dad!" Inoue turned. "Didn't you always say that telling the truth was important? That I shouldn't lie? Isn't this the biggest lie the world has ever told, and you're telling me that–"

Inoue Satoru sighed. "I don't like to say this, but when you grow older and have a family, you'll understand."

"Don't say it, Dad."

"To both me and your mother, the most important thing is you."

"Dad!"

"I mean it, Akira." She could hear the exhaustion in her father's tone, and yet it did not sway her in the slightest. "Again, I don't like any of this, but–"

Without listening to the rest, Inoue Akira turned her back and ran out the door.

Still in her school uniform, she ran down the corridor, down the stairs, and through the lamplight-illuminated streets.

Why had she done it?

Was it because this was the first time in her life she had seen her parents argue, and it scared her?

Was it because she had thought that, once her parents knew of the supernatural and her quest to uncover it, they would support her instead of stop her?

Or was it just because she had been spooked out, more than she knew, about the possibility that none of this was real?

Eventually she found herself in an unknown park, out of breath, and she stopped.

"Haah…haah…"

No thoughts were in her head. For several long moments, she simply breathed in the cool night air, crisp from the park's vegetation.

A random piece of trivia surfaced in her mind: one that Imako had told her, in a random conversation by mail over the phone.

Gaia theory. The whole Earth as one giant, complex living system. Each living organism, embedded in its environment. Environments, linked together by proximity and other factors, until they all blended together.

She breathed in more of the air, and for a moment she felt herself blend into the park, into Kazamatsuri, into the Earth.

Then the moment passed, and she felt more like her usual self again, except much more tired.

She couldn't remember the last time this had felt this exhausted. It was a kind of mental exhaustion that somehow felt deeper than her fatigue while on the run in the forest.

"Guess those nights of staying up late for research are finally catching up," she muttered.

She also didn't particularly want to go back to her house.

Kotarou's place it is.

Maybe it was an excuse.

If it's an excuse, so be it! Don't fault a girl for wanting to spend more time with her boyfriend!

She stood, then began to walk. By now, she knew the way by heart.

A few minutes into her journey, she felt a strange prickling sensation, as if she was being watched.

She jerked her head around, and there it was: one of those black dogs. It made no move to attack, and simply watched.

She began walking faster.

Was it her imagination, or could she hear the padding of the dog's footsteps, in this quiet night?

Were those footsteps getting faster?

She broke into a full run.

A bark sounded behind her.

The run became a sprint. She could not go any faster.

Are you kidding me? Is this really how it's going to end?

One stupid moment?

Right after what Dad said?

If she could have laughed, she would have.

Something else entered the edge of her senses, and in the next moment, she saw crimson.

Red, flowing through the night air.

Blood?

The split remains of the pursuing dog tumbled to either side of her.

No, not blood.

A ribbon. Multiple red ribbons, trailing from the arm of a little girl with white hair and purple eyes, dressed in a black dress.

Inoue breathed out. A thousand thoughts rushed to her head, but none prepared her for what would happen next.

"...Ma…ma…"

~~[r]~~

Another view

Konohana Lucia arrived outside Tennouji Kotarou's house, blending into the evening gloom.

Why was she there?

To investigate the person living there, of course.

As Shizuru had pointed out, Tennouji Kotarou had returned from the forest a subtly changed man. And, as the days had gone by, he was behaving in a slightly strange manner, constantly lethargic as compared to his usual energetic self.

His usual energetic self, which she did not want to admit she missed.

Maybe it was all due to him getting a girlfriend. Maybe.

But sometimes, when he hadn't been looking, she had caught glimpses of his gaze, and it had reminded her, somehow, of older Guardian operatives that she had seen return from missions.

It was strange.

There was also the fact that Ohtori Chihaya had suggested it. While the transfer student and her sometimes came close to arguing, having this common mission of sorts had helped them work around the parts of both their personalities that seemed to clash, and Lucia was glad for it.

In some ways, she thought that the orange-haired girl and herself were alike.

She was a friend–even if she had to be kept at arms length due to her own condition, and due to her being a superhuman in a secret organization.

Out of the corner of her eye, in the trees, she spotted movement, and her gloved hand came to rest on the hilt of her sword.

There it is again.

A white glow so pale it was almost invisible, and the suggestion of fluttering wings.

A familiar, right outside Kotarou's house. I was right to think that something might be off!

Without hesitation, she followed. She did not think about what the glow resembled the most: the light of an anglerfish in the deep sea, the last thing a tiny fish would see before ravenous jaws clamped shut on it.

As she walked, her eyes became more accustomed to the darkness, and she could make out a figure in front of her, even with the only illumination coming from the pale moon and distant stars above.

A white sweater. Denim overalls and skirt. The round shape of a dark-coloured knit cap, and dark hair underneath that ended slightly below the shoulder bounced slightly as the figure walked.

A girl? No, could this be…

A summoner? After Kotarou?

"Stop right there," Lucia warned.

The mystery girl's footsteps came to a halt. The pale light settled on the girl's shoulder, like a fairy coming to rest on a perch.

She did not turn around.

"Who are you, and what are you doing out here so late?"

"The same could be asked of you." The girl still did not turn around.

Lucia took a breath. Already, the mystery girl was getting on her nerves. "How about you face me when we're speaking? It's rude to have a conversation while having your back turned to someone."

"It's also rude to stalk someone for no reason."

"I was going to check on a friend, before I spotted someone suspicious lurking around his house. That's enough reason for me."

Finally, the girl turned. Her features were gentle, and on her round face sat a pair of thick, square glasses. "It seems to me, carrying that sword around, with that strange scent of death around, that you're equally suspicious…Class Rep."

Lucia's grip tightened on her sword. "Who are you?"

"Honestly, with how unlucky Kotarou is, you'd think he was God's plaything or something. How often do you form a club to find friends, and then accidentally assemble a crew comprised of both superhumans and summoners?"

"You–you're a summoner, aren't you?" Lucia drew her sword. "Where is your familiar? Surrender quietly, or–"

"Or what? You'll kill me, Konohana Lucia of the Occult Club? Come, then. I don't fear death!"

If you're asking for it, I'm happy to oblige!

Throwing aside her hesitation, Lucia leapt forward and struck–

"-Come, Asper!"

–her sword slamming into solid air. Her eyes barely widened in surprised before she was blasted backwards by some unknown force.

With a somersault, she recovered mid-air, before she landed on her feet, her sword now raised in a fighting stance.

What just happened? An invisible familiar?

Literally superhuman instincts caused her to dodge to the side once more, causing an attack to narrowly miss. Behind her, a tree shook, dislodging leaves even as bark was blasted off.

Just attack her!

This time, the attack comes from the front–head-height, a solid wave.

A tail swipe?

She dodges below, and in milliseconds, she was right in front of the girl. Her sword slashes down–

–and met an invisible barrier once again.

The glasses girl simply stood where she was, unbothered.

This girl–! I just need to cut through!

Her blade begins to vibrate, and sparks begin to fly.

A frown finally breaks the summoner's calm mien. "High-frequency vibration? This might be problematic."

A wave of force expands outwards, blasting Lucia off her feet. This time, she skid backwards as she landed on her feet, her mouth a grim slash of determination. Pieces fell into place.

This isn't an invisible familiar. This is–!

Even as her eyes snapped to the white glow on the girl's shoulder, she found herself forced to dodge once more.

Wind? Air? What kind of familiar lets you control the elements?

Sideways she ran, dodging blasts of air, waves of bludgeoning and cutting wind. The trees shook, as if in sympathy, as she relied fully on her instincts to avoid attacks she could not see.

Despite her bluster, and her training (or some would say, indoctrination), she was still hesitant to kill, especially since her enemy in question appeared to be one of her schoolmates.

But if I don't focus–!

She increased her speed, leapt into the air, bounced off a tree, and shot towards the girl like a silver bullet. A powerful wave blew her backwards, upwards, right into the forest canopy, and she took mere milliseconds to correct before she launched herself downwards again, a slash that would cut from high to low.

This time, she was close enough to hear the summoner's sharp intake of breath as she missed.

But her opponent was also intensifying their attack. The blasts now came faster, quicker, and she found herself having to parry, cutting through air to mitigate the brunt of an attack.

This was the problem with a melee combatant versus one that could strike from range.

Another narrowly avoided blast shattered wood, sending shrapnel flying, and she ducked her head, only for a chip of wood to still graze her cheek.

But if she kept at it, she would win. A summoner's familiar worked off lifeforce, and such strong attacks must be costing a significant amount.

Apparently, the glasses girl came to the same conclusion as well, because she turned tail and started running.

"Wait!"

But it was not a problem. She was superhuman, after all, and could run faster than a normal human.

Lucia charged forwards.

Five metres. Four metres.

An attack came, and she blocked/dispelled it–most of it, leaving an unpleasant gale in her face.

Three metres, two metres.

A wide gust at knee level, then at head level. She leapt over, ducked under.

One metre, and she closed in.

"This is the end!"

She swung her sword down. It made a keening scream as hypervibrations tore through compressed air–

–and then she suddenly found herself forced to her knees as the air seemed to weigh of lead.

With a snarl, she forced herself back up, only for the weight to double, triple, quadruple, before she had no choice but to yield, dropping back onto one knee.

"This is ridiculous. Superhumans really are monsters."

From her forced tone, Lucia judged that her opponent seemed to be as worn out as she was, and grimaced in satisfaction. She tried to speak, but she couldn't find a breath to.

Blood–not hers, but that of the summoner's–dripped from somewhere higher up.

"Good fight, Konohana Lucia. I don't mind seeing you again…if the world hasn't ended by then."

There was a thud, and the superhuman would know no more until the morning.

~~[r]~~

With the lights of my house dimmed, I waited on my balcony, having come out of the shower to one of the most terrifying messages I have ever received.

something happened coming over right now

From Inoue.

Soon enough, I spotted two figures walking down the street, and I leapt off the second floor, landing on the garden wall, then landed right in front of Inoue and the little girl with her.

"!"

"It's me." Without asking further, I sling Inoue's arm over my shoulder, supporting her, and pull the barely-conscious little girl along with my free hand.

"Kotarou, I–"

"Sssh. Wait until we're in the house."

Back in my house, I lock my door, then look around at my living room. I draw the curtains, then peek through them to check if anyone was watching.

Nobody.

Inoue collapses on my couch, and the little girl robotically sits down.

I turn off the living room's lights altogether, before switching on the kitchen lights so we weren't sitting in total darkness.

No, it was still no good.

The living room was too airy, with too many windows. Dimming the lights was a strategy to avoid giving away your precise location when you were hiding in a house, but there were still too many possible vectors of attack into this particular room.

Gently, I scoop Inoue up in my arms, a princess carry. "Wait a while longer."

Somehow, the little girl follows us up the stairs without asking, sitting herself on my chair while I lay Inoue down on my bed.

"My Dad found out about the supernatural from the memory cards I stashed," Inoue gets to the point. "He argued with my Mom, then they both tried to force me to stop investigating. I got upset and ran away, then a familiar found me, then I ran, then this girl saved me and called me Mama–"

The words tumbled out of her mouth.

"Just relax." Sitting down on the bed, I hug Inoue close, stroke her hair. "I'm sorry. I should have noticed how hard you were working sooner."

"I should have realised how hard I was driving myself sooner." Inoue gives me a wan smile. "It's okay. I'll be fine once I get some rest. I just got caught while my guard was down, after all. And…"

"What is it?" At her hesitation, I pry further. "This isn't like you."

"Do you ever get the feeling that you're living in a dream?"

"What do you mean?"

She tells me.

I reject her claim immediately. "Never. Though, now that I think of it, I could just be lying in a hospital bed somewhere." I bark out a laugh.

"Kotarou…"

"Did you pinch yourself and check already?"

"I did. And it hurt."

"Well, there you go." I look at her expression, still vulnerable, and decide to reassure her further. "You just ran away from your parents arguing, didn't you? Do you really think a perfect dream would have allowed for that?"

"But–"

I pinch her.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry. I couldn't really think of another way."

She sighed. "Well, that got the point across." After a deep breath, she looked over to the girl sitting at my desk. "What do we do with her?"

Being reminded that we weren't alone, the weight of reality rushes in all at once, a waterfall of cold water from a great height. Getting up, I rechecked my curtains, peeked through them again for any watchers.

Seeing none, I walk back to beside the bed, placing myself somewhat between Inoue and…the girl.

"If you ever see something that looks like a human, but isn't…"

Not that I needed that warning, Hitomi. My face contorts. I dearly wanted to move Inoue away out of room, away to safety, but she needed rest.

Tension fills my every word as I speak. "How do you know that this is the Key?" I think back to that terrible, that terror-filled memory I had in the forest, under the moonlight.

"I don't know what you want with him, but you can't have him. He's mine! Now get the hell out of here!"

"I thought you couldn't see it. The Key, I mean."

"I can see it, her, whatever, now." Inoue speaks quietly, matching the sombre mood. "And she looks exactly like how Imako described her." A pause. "How you described her."

Pale hair that was almost white. Purple hair. A black dress.

Red ribbons trailing from her wrists.

I felt like I had just been handed the keys to a bomb. A nuclear bomb.

Or a a gun.

A very large gun, one pointed at the head of the universe.

My right hand twitched, and I placed my left hand on it. Inoue's eyes flick to my arm at the movement, then back to the girl.

Even now, my instincts scream at me. To run, or to…

I could end this conflict right now. I could kill the Key to avert Salvation, and then both Gaia and Guardian would leave Kazamatsuri, and I could have a normal, peaceful life with Inoue.

And why shouldn't I? The thing before me–wasn't it was responsible for how I was now?

Displaced from time.

An almost thirty-year-old, playing as a high schooler.

The indisputable truth, no matter how kindly Inoue might have put it.

"Kotarou." Inoue had stretched out her hand. "You'd better not be thinking of doing something stupid. Again."

"I was." A sheepish grin came to my face. Caught in the act once more.

"Good grief. What would you do without me?"

"Probably wander around aimlessly and die," I deadpan.

I steel myself, and finally address the girl. "Are you the Key?"

"Key?" She blankly repeats after me, cocking her head. It didn't seem as if she understood my question.

Maybe I should dumb it down?

"What's your name?"

"Kagari."

Well, that was clear. A quick glance told me that Inoue, bless her, had gotten out her notebook and was writing everything down. Talk about reliable.

Before I could speak further, she continued. "I Kagari. You Papa."

I follow the end of her finger, where it almost seemed hesitant, to where it pointed at myself.

"Me?"

"Yes."

I look again from the quiet girl, who had an air of expectation, to Inoue, who, for some reason, had an oddly hopeful look on her face.

"Fantastic," I muttered. "Absolutely fantastic."

For reference, Hitomi lives in what is called a 1K apartment, with only a kitchen and a single room. You can look up real-life floor plans to get an idea, but an example would be Yuno's apartment from Hidamari Sketch.

Kagari's role was planned since the beginning. It was only after I reread Summer Pockets that I realised that I must have accidentally the plot. Yes, I accidentally-ed the plot. Please forgive me.

At this point in the fic, where we're coming up to 80,000 words and deviating further and further from existing material, I'm beginning to get worried about the quality of my writing. My handling of canon characters, for example, or even the usage of fleshed-out OCs such as Inoue's parents, and (effectively) Shinsaibashi and Tanuma. Please do leave comments if you think there's anything you don't like, or if there's anything you think I should improve upon or want to see more (or less) of.

Next time: the eve of the harvest festival, and fun family shenanigans.

Review please, and thank you for reading!