People always say, "I'm so glad I met you,"
but I don't think that way.
The person destined for me has long been gone.
However, the love song we listened to together tells me,
we are fated to meet again.
Don't be afraid to get lost.
When the dawn breaks, just open the door and walk out.
But no one can prove what the future holds.
Tomorrow, I will be alone again,
unable to share with you.
It feels like there's a hole in my heart.
If I had known it would be this painful,
perhaps it would have been better not to meet you at all.
— *"Turn The World Upside Down"* by Kirishima Touko
1
That day, Azusagawa Sakuta chased after a wild bunny girl and stumbled into a strange world.
April 1st.
Sakuta changed trains at Yokohama Station, boarding the rapid service of the Minato Mirai Line. Soon, he arrived at the next station, Bashamichi.
As the doors opened, Sakuta stepped off the train. Many people were getting off at this stop. The platform, with its reddish-brown brick walls, became crowded in an instant.
The people getting off were generally young, mostly between 12 and 25 years old. The majority were high school students and people in their twenties. The gender ratio was about equal.
"These people must be going to the music festival, right?"
A voice came from beside Sakuta.
He looked over and saw the profile of Akagi Ikumi.
"..."
"What?"
Noticing that Sakuta was silently staring at her, Ikumi briefly expressed her curiosity.
"I was just thinking, why am I on a date with you?"
They had met up in Yokohama, at the front of the platform for the Minato Mirai Line.
"Because you didn't refuse my invitation."
Ikumi, still facing forward, answered matter-of-factly.
"How could I refuse when you asked?"
Sakuta also looked ahead and replied.
"You have such a nice girlfriend, yet you still couldn't refuse me?"
Her tone remained flat. It seemed like a joke, but with her unchanged expression, it was hard to tell.
"You're also curious about that dream, aren't you?"
That was the reason Sakuta accepted the invitation.
"Yes. Just like everyone else."
Ikumi looked through her glasses at the young men and women crowding the escalator.
Most of them had the same destination as Sakuta.
A place about a ten-minute walk from Bashamichi Station.
The red-brick warehouse by the sea.
It's a famous Yokohama landmark, and also a popular date spot.
Today, a music festival was being held there.
"Because of that dream, it's so crowded here."
The voices of a group of high school girls ahead drifted over. Their conversation confirmed Sakuta's guess.
"I'm so excited for the festival today!"
"Will the content from '#Dreaming' really become reality? Will they really announce that?"
"For sure! I even saw it in my dream!"
"Sakurajima Mai is actually Kirishima Touko! This is too shocking! I can't take it!"
Everyone was expecting Mai to reveal her identity.
Everyone was waiting for their dream to come true.
Everyone was waiting for the content of the '#Dreaming' tag to become real.
Conversations like this surrounded Sakuta from all sides.
Sakuta had also had the same strange dream.
In the dream, Mai sang Kirishima Touko's song passionately on stage.
And then she declared, "I am Kirishima Touko."
The audience went wild.
In the dream, Sakuta was there too, but he left midway through the performance, found a quiet place, and called Ikumi on his phone. Yes, in the dream, Sakuta had a phone...
One day, Ikumi had also had a dream. She dreamed that Sakuta called her, so she was also curious.
"You even came to see the performance. That's just like you."
"If the dream really becomes reality, wouldn't it be difficult for you if I weren't by your side? Since you don't have a phone."
Ikumi's tone remained flat.
"Reality won't be the same as the dream. So you really don't need to worry."
That dream couldn't come true.
Sakuta was sure of it.
Because Mai wasn't Kirishima Touko.
Mai had told him so. Today, on stage, she would clearly state that she wasn't Kirishima Touko.
The people crowded around the escalator were still enthusiastically discussing the "Sakurajima Mai = Kirishima Touko" topic.
Sakuta chose to walk through the crowd and took the less crowded stairs.
Ikumi followed without complaint.
They climbed the stairs and arrived at the ticket gate, where a tall arched ceiling greeted them. The surrounding walls were made of orange-red bricks.
This underground space felt both nostalgic and fresh.
Stepping out of the ticket gate, the central plaza was also paved with bricks. Naturally, Sakuta looked up at the reddish-brown walls that reached up to the ceiling. The design had a certain atmosphere that matched the historical feel of the station name, Bashamichi.
Sakuta followed the signs toward the exit. Along the way, he heard the sound of a piano from above. It seemed a crowd had gathered upstairs, probably watching something. From where Sakuta stood, he couldn't see the other side of the crowd, but at the center, there was likely a public piano. That was where the music was coming from.
Sakuta recognized the tune.
The people gathered there had probably heard it too.
It was one of Kirishima Touko's songs. The same one Mai had sung in his dream.
Perhaps the pianist had also had the same dream as Sakuta.
"Sakurajima Mai has been amazing since her childhood star days."
"I remember she was in a morning drama, right? My mom loved it. She always carried that little red backpack. So cute."
"Yeah, I remember. Feels nostalgic."
Sakuta and Ikumi could hear their conversation clearly. Ikumi glanced at Sakuta as if to say, "How do you feel about hearing people talk about your girlfriend?"
The couple walking ahead would never imagine that Sakuta, Mai's boyfriend, was right behind them.
This made Sakuta chuckle.
At that moment, from the corner of his eye, Sakuta caught a glimpse of red.
It was upstairs.
In the straight corridor where the public piano was.
A girl with long hair and a little red backpack ran through the crowd and disappeared into the distance.
"...?"
Sakuta was drawn to that figure and stopped in his tracks for a moment.
"Did you see someone you know?"
Ikumi noticed Sakuta's strange behavior and asked.
"Just now, I saw Mai in her little red backpack..."
The long-haired figure matched the description given by the couple ahead. It was exactly how Mai looked when she appeared in the morning drama.
"A little red backpack...?"
Ikumi followed Sakuta's gaze, but she seemed puzzled. She hadn't seen it. The girl with the little red backpack had already disappeared into the crowd.
"Did you see that? The girl, about the size of a grade schooler."
"Sorry, I didn't see anything."
Ikumi shook her head at Sakuta's question.
"Maybe you saw wrong...?"
Ikumi's expression showed some doubt.
"Maybe not. I'll go check it out."
A sudden, inexplicable sense of urgency made Sakuta start walking again. He quickly passed the couple ahead of them.
"Wait for me, Azusagawa-kun."
Sakuta ignored Ikumi's call and ran up the stairs.
But the girl was nowhere to be seen in the corridor.
"Sakurajima Mai was such a beauty even as a child. I saw an old ad online, one she did when she was little."
"Was it the car commercial?"
"Yeah, that's the one."
A group of college girls riding the escalator up were discussing Mai as they looked at their phones.
Many people on the streets today were talking about Mai.
It seemed like Mai had become the topic on everyone's lips.
"She grew up so fast."
Even if he didn't want to hear it, he couldn't help but overhear.
Just then, Sakuta saw the figure with the little red backpack again, this time at the direction of Exit 6—the closest exit to the red-brick warehouse. That figure disappeared down the hallway.
"...?"
But Sakuta hesitated, not chasing after her immediately. Something didn't feel quite right.
The figure was clearly much taller than the girl Sakuta had seen earlier. Almost as tall as an adult. And her steps were steady and confident.
In other words, she was a grown-up version of Mai.
At least, that's how it seemed to Sakuta.
"...What is going on here?"
His confusion grew.
"Did you find her?"
Ikumi caught up to Sakuta and asked.
But Sakuta didn't know how to respond.
Yes, he had found her.
But she wasn't the same girl he had originally chased. What he found was the same girl, but older...
Sakuta had no idea what was happening.
So, he had no way to explain it to Ikumi either.
However, at the very least, Sakuta was now certain that the girl really existed.
He definitely hadn't imagined it.
So, there was only one thing Sakuta needed to do now.
"I really saw the younger Mai. Help me look for her too."
Saying this, Sakuta took off in pursuit. He wove through the crowd, running toward the exit where the girl had gone. He rushed up the stairs and emerged onto the surface.
What greeted Sakuta aboveground was the clear blue sky of spring.
It was just after 3 PM.
The crowd was all heading in the same direction. Everyone was following the red-brick path towards the sea—the direction of the red-brick warehouse.
Sakuta scanned the crowd but couldn't find the girl's figure.
He continued looking around as he passed people ahead of him.
He ran past the old beef hot pot shop and over the bridge where he could see a hotel on the other side. Then he had to stop at the traffic light, which had turned red. Ahead was Yokohama's World Window, a popular date spot.
"Hey, Azusagawa-kun," Ikumi called out as she looked around.
"What is it?"
Sakuta asked back while also scanning the surroundings.
"If Sakurajima-san were really here, wouldn't people be noticing her?"
Ikumi asked while glancing at Sakuta.
Sakuta returned her gaze.
"Now that you mention it..."
She was right.
There had been so many people at the station talking about "Sakurajima Mai."
If Mai herself had appeared there, running boldly through the corridor, someone should have noticed. Even if it were a younger version of Mai, people would recognize her, as she had been famous since she was a child. People knew both the current and the past Mai.
So, surely, someone would have noticed her.
"Sakurajima Mai is just so beautiful,"
the college students behind them were still talking about her while waiting for the light to change.
"I bought her photo book back when I was in middle school."
"That photo book sold out back then."
"I even went to see the movie she was in. Wasn't it about a heart condition?"
"Yeah, that was it. It was the first movie that made me cry. I was so moved that I even signed an organ donor card afterward."
"Same here!"
The college guys laughed and chatted.
The traffic light was still red. Several cars passed in front of them. Across the street, another group of young people was also waiting for the light. At that moment, a girl walked past them.
She seemed to be around middle school age.
She was wearing a white dress and was barefoot.
Sakuta immediately recognized her side profile.
It was Mai from before he had met her. The same version of Mai the college guys had been talking about, from that movie.
The Mai in the white dress was walking toward the red-brick warehouse. Step by step, she was slowly approaching her destination.
"Is this another outfit change...?"
Sakuta couldn't comprehend what was happening in front of him. His tone was almost like he was venting his frustration.
"Did you find her?"
"Across the street."
Sakuta gestured with his eyes toward the girl in white. But when Ikumi looked in that direction, she seemed unable to see her.
The traffic light turned green.
The crowd began to cross the street.
"Sorry, but I'm going ahead."
"Wait..."
The people who had been across the street now mingled with those crossing, making it hard to see.
Sakuta pushed through the crowd and was the first to reach the other side. But the Mai in the white dress was already gone.
"What is going on...?"
Sakuta muttered in frustration.
"What on earth is happening...?"
Repeating himself didn't help. Sakuta hurried toward the red-brick warehouse. Even he didn't know why he was doing it.
He also didn't know what was going on now.
But one thing was certain—something wasn't right.
Sakuta had a bad feeling.
In any case, he had to find the Mai he'd just seen.
Whether it was the girl with the red backpack or the one in the white dress—it didn't matter. Sakuta just felt that he had to meet her now. Because if they were both Mai, there couldn't be two of them at the same time.
The red-brick warehouse was just ahead.
There was a music festival being held there today, and Mai was supposed to appear on stage.
So, Mai must be there.
Sakuta walked toward the venue, glancing around.
But he couldn't find the girl with the red backpack anywhere.
Nor could he see the girl in the white dress.
As he continued walking, he reached the red-brick warehouse.
Two tall, reddish-brown warehouses flanked Sakuta on either side, with him standing in the middle.
The plaza between the two warehouses was usually open to the public, but today it was fenced off. Inside the fenced area, the space was packed with young people.
From across the warehouse, the sound of a rock band's performance and loud cheers could be heard. The waves of sound swept over like a heated breeze.
Everything confirmed that this was the music festival's venue.
Sakuta entered the fenced area. Shortly afterward, two young men in their twenties followed behind him.
"Speaking of which, when I went to a mixer before, I met a girl who went to the same high school as Sakurajima Mai."
"Really? Did she say what Mai was like back then?"
"She said Sakurajima Mai liked rabbits."
"Rabbits?"
"Apparently, in high school, her phone case and hairpins were all rabbit-shaped."
"Speaking of rabbits, I'd rather see her in a bunny girl outfit."
"Where's your mind going?"
The guy who brought up the topic burst into laughter at his friend's absurd remark.
"Wouldn't you like to see Sakurajima Mai in a bunny girl outfit?"
"How much do you love bunny girls? There's no way Mai would ever wear something like that."
The two of them laughed together. As Sakuta listened, the woman at the entrance called out to him, "Next guest, please present your ticket."
Sakuta stepped forward and handed over his ticket. At that moment, he noticed a pair of bunny ears making their way through the crowd. Amidst the heads of people, a pair of black bunny ears was moving across the field.
Those ears crossed from left to right within Sakuta's line of sight.
A familiar face flickered among the crowd. The black bunny girl outfit was also something he recognized.
Without a doubt, it was the same Mai he had seen that day.
The outfit was identical to the one she wore when Sakuta first met her.
Sakuta's heart skipped a beat.
"Please show your entry pass."
"Ah, right."
Sakuta snapped back to reality and pulled out his entry pass.
After handing it over, he received a wristband for entry.
"When re-entering, please show the staff your wristband."
"Got it."
As he replied, Sakuta was already walking into the venue.
Everywhere he looked, it was packed with people, people, people.
His field of vision was limited to a few meters at most.
Sakuta stood on tiptoe, searching the crowd for those ears.
The last time he saw her, she was heading toward the smaller warehouse. Sakuta started walking in that direction, looking for her. Finally, he spotted the ears swaying about ten meters ahead.
"Found her."
Sakuta quickly tried to catch up, but the venue was too crowded, and it was hard to move. Dodging people on the right almost made him bump into people on the left.
Meanwhile, the bunny girl moved effortlessly through the crowd, putting more distance between them.
No one noticed her.
Most of the people here had come to see Sakurajima Mai. Yet, no one seemed to notice the actual Mai right in front of them.
And she was even wearing a very conspicuous bunny girl outfit...
The bunny girl walked right into the area behind the warehouse, unnoticed by anyone.
Sakuta finally made it through the crowd and reached the back of the warehouse.
Behind the warehouse was a parking lot for unloading cargo. Given today's music festival, the parking lot was filled with rows of large outside broadcast vehicles. It seemed to be an area reserved for the event staff.
Naturally, to prevent
attendees from accidentally entering, the area was fenced off. About five or six security guards were stationed around to maintain security.
The bunny girl confidently walked into the restricted area.
No one stopped her.
The bunny girl walked briskly and without hesitation, as if she was heading to a predetermined destination.
Sakuta tried to follow her.
"Sorry, only authorized personnel can enter this area,"
but a tall security guard blocked his way.
The fence was only waist-high, so Sakuta could easily climb over it. But if he did, he knew the next moment a security guard would pin him down. He didn't need to try to know that would be the outcome.
"I'm kind of related to this event..."
But Sakuta couldn't finish his sentence. Faced with the guard's suspicious look, he instinctively glanced to the side. At that moment, he spotted someone familiar.
"Miss Hanawa!"
It was Mai's manager, Ryoko Hanawa, who was on the phone not far away.
Hearing someone call her name, Ryoko looked over in surprise. She seemed even more surprised when she recognized Sakuta.
After finishing her call, she quickly walked over.
"Is something wrong?"
"I urgently need to see Mai."
"What's the emergency?"
"There's no time to explain, but it's really urgent!"
The bunny girl was still walking at a calm pace within the staff-only area. Her pale back, the round tail on her backside, and her long legs—this figure, accompanied by the sound of high heels, was moving farther and farther away.
"Here, use this to get in."
It seemed Ryoko was startled by Sakuta's urgency. She pulled out a staff pass from her bag and handed it to him. Sakuta put on the pass and climbed over the fence.
"Where's Mai?"
"She's in the second vehicle over there."
Ryoko gestured toward a row of more than ten large broadcast vehicles.
After thanking her briefly, Sakuta rushed ahead.
He ran straight after the bunny girl.
Her figure disappeared behind the second-to-last vehicle, slipping out of Sakuta's view.
Mai was in that vehicle.
Sakuta quickly followed.
"Mai!"
He called her name as he climbed the ladder to the vehicle's door.
"Mai!"
Sakuta called again after stepping inside.
He soon got a response.
"Sakuta?"
Mai peeked out from the back seat, sounding confused.
Her eyes were filled with surprise and confusion.
"Are you okay?"
Sakuta hurried over to her, all the while checking both sides of the vehicle to see if the bunny girl was hiding there.
But there was no one else.
The only people in the vehicle were Sakuta and Mai.
"What's going on?"
Mai stood up and asked. She had already changed into the dress she would wear on stage, but Sakuta didn't have time to admire it.
"I just saw you in a bunny girl outfit."
Just in case, Sakuta checked the entire vehicle again. He inspected the driver's seat, the dressing table, and even opened the fridge.
Finally, he checked under all the seats. But there was still no one else.
It was really just the two of them in the vehicle.
"I saw you, wearing a bunny girl outfit, enter this vehicle."
"I didn't see anyone. After Ryoko went outside to make a call, you're the only one who came in here."
"Besides that, on the way here, I saw a younger version of you with a red backpack, and you in a white dress. You remember, right? The outfit from that heart disease movie... I'm sure I wasn't seeing things."
And all of this was hard to dismiss as an illusion.
But the fact remained that only Sakuta and Mai were in the vehicle.
"Mai, are you really okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"I should be asking you if you're okay."
Mai slowly walked over, concern evident in her eyes as she looked at Sakuta.
"I'm okay."
"Really?"
Hearing her ask again, Sakuta thought for a moment.
He saw his own reflection in Mai's eyes, and his face was tense. Seeing that expression must have worried Mai. Sakuta realized he was the one making her anxious.
"Mai..."
"What?"
"I might not be okay after all. So, can I hug you?"
"I just can't win with you, can I? Come here."
Mai opened her arms playfully.
Sakuta stepped forward and embraced her slender frame.
"Don't mess up my outfit. It'll cause trouble for the stylist."
Sakuta had planned to hold her tightly, but after hearing that, he eased up.
Even without hugging her tightly, Sakuta could feel Mai's heartbeat through their chests pressed together. He could feel her warmth and her breath. Mai leaned slightly forward, resting her body against Sakuta. Her entire presence enveloped him.
"You prefer the current me to the version of me with the red backpack, don't you?"
"Of course."
"And you like me now better than the me in the white dress, right?"
"No question."
"And you prefer me, who you can see and touch, over the bunny girl version, right?"
"I might need to think about that."
"If you can joke around like that, I'd say you're doing just fine."
Mai gently pushed against Sakuta's chest, signaling that it was enough.
But Sakuta still didn't let go.
He didn't want to.
"The version I like best is the one I can see, touch, and who's dressed as a bunny girl."
"If seeing me in a bunny girl outfit will stop you from seeing these strange visions, I might consider it."
"Wait, shouldn't I be the one worried about you?"
Their roles had completely reversed.
"Today, I'll enjoy watching you in that dress from the audience."
Finally, Sakuta reluctantly let go of Mai.
"Keep your eyes wide open."
Mai, now dressed in her performance gown, smiled playfully, her face showing a hint of satisfaction.
At that moment, the loudspeaker outside the vehicle made an announcement.
"Mr. Azusagawa Sakuta from Fujisawa City, your friend is waiting for you. Please come to the entrance immediately. I repeat—"
"They're calling for you over the speaker."
"Akagi's messing with me, huh..."
2
Sakuta met up with Ikumi at the ticket gate, and the two grabbed a quick bite from a food stall. As they ate, night completely fell. The warehouse buildings were illuminated by orange lights, and the large cruise ship docked at the Ōsanbashi Pier had lit up.
The festival grounds facing the sea were packed with people, all waiting for Mai's appearance.
By the time there were thirty minutes left until the performance, the crowd had grown even denser.
"There are way more people than in the dream."
Sakuta didn't know the exact number, but he felt that there were about three times as many people as in his dream.
The audience under the main stage was already full. Those who couldn't fit had spilled over to the area in front of the second stage.
"Most of the people here probably saw the '#Dreaming' tag posts, just like me."
Indeed, in Sakuta's dream, Ikumi hadn't come here.
People believed the '#Dreaming' tag's posts would come true. This information had influenced Ikumi and many others to take action.
Just like in the dream, the night sky of spring was dotted with twinkling stars. Regulus in Leo, Spica in Virgo, and Arcturus in Boötes.
As Sakuta counted the stars, the previously dark main stage was suddenly illuminated by bright lights.
At the same time, the rock band, who had been ready for a while, began their performance.
The crowd erupted in almost-screaming cheers.
On stage was the same four-member male band Sakuta had seen in his dream, consisting of a vocalist-guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and drummer.
"It's the theme song…"
"What did you say?"
Ikumi shouted at Sakuta, trying to make herself heard over the music.
Even though they were standing right next to each other, they had to yell to be heard.
Mai was their guest vocalist, but she hadn't taken the stage yet.
Still, the audience began clapping in time with the music, and the entire concert venue seemed to become one.
The first song ended in a spectacular fashion, lasting less than four minutes.
As soon as the song finished, the entire venue fell into a dead silence, as if the excitement just moments ago had been nothing but a dream.
This silence spoke of anticipation.
Everyone was waiting for Mai to appear.
Seeing the audience's reaction, the lead vocalist gave a wry smile.
He smiled as he approached the microphone stand.
"We thought we'd surprise everyone, but I guess that's ruined now."
He complained, making the audience laugh.
"But it's fine! As long as everyone's having fun!"
The vocalist moved the microphone aside. Taking this as their cue, the drummer started playing the next song.
This song was from a movie. In that movie, Mai played the lead role and sang this song.
"I'll stay here and keep singing this song!"
Shouting the line from the movie, Mai ran out from backstage.
The moment she reached the center of the stage, she began singing with powerful energy.
The audience's reaction was huge, their enthusiasm surging toward the stage like a tidal wave.
Here is the full translation of the text into English:
On stage, Mai absorbed all the enthusiasm and sang at a level that satisfied the nearly 30,000 audience members.
The emotions in the audience were at a fever pitch, swirling like a vortex beneath the stage.
An invisible force spread through the crowd, threatening to engulf them all.
And at the center of that massive energy was Mai.
Amidst it all, she sang loudly, pointing toward the audience and interacting with them, making them go even crazier.
The cheers from the audience were like an earthquake, carrying the power of a deep-sea monster awakening.
The song was only about four minutes long, but after it ended, it felt as though thirty minutes had passed. The entire venue was filled with excitement and satisfaction.
The drummer hit the cymbals to signal the end of the song.
Then, once again, the crowd fell into silence, with only some murmurs here and there. The atmosphere became tense.
A few seconds passed before the male lead singer summed things up:
"Thank you, everyone, for listening. And let's also thank our special guest vocalist, Sakurajima Mai."
"Thank you, everyone!"
Mai smiled and waved to the audience before bowing deeply.
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause.
Mai was only scheduled to sing this one song.
After this, she was supposed to lift her head, say a few words to the audience, and then exit.
This was the plan Sakuta had been informed of beforehand.
But before she could do that, someone from the audience shouted:
"One more song!"
At first, it was just one person.
Then,
"One more song!"
Hundreds of people joined in.
"One more song!"
By the third time, the entire venue was chanting in unison.
"One more song! One more song!"
No one was leading them.
"One more song! One more song!"
The entire audience spontaneously chanted and clapped in rhythm.
"One more song! Kirishima!"
Then, the chant started to change...
"One more song! Touko!"
This chant for "one more song" had become a massive force of its own.
"One more song! One more song!"
It wouldn't stop.
"Kirishima Touko!"
This strange scene continued.
"Azusagawa-kun..."
Ikumi looked over at Sakuta with some unease.
"Now would be the perfect time for her to deny it."
All the audience wanted was for Mai to sing one more song. It would actually make it easier for her to speak.
Sakuta thought Mai would feel the same way.
But things didn't go as Sakuta expected.
Before Mai could raise her head, the drummer started tapping a rhythm on the cymbal with his foot. The snare and bass drums followed suit.
Then the bass joined in, setting the pace.
The audience's attention shifted toward the stage, and the chanting gradually died down.
The crowd was filled with anticipation, as if ready to be swallowed whole.
Then, the keyboard came in. All the audience's anticipation turned into certainty.
A gasp of awe swept through the 30,000 attendees.
The main melody began to play.
It was a song everyone recognized...
It was *her* song...
Sakuta also realized it.
"This song is Kirishima Touko's..."
Ikumi muttered as she stared at the stage.
Under the gaze of the entire crowd, Mai lifted her head.
She wore a smile.
She took a deep breath.
Then, she picked up the microphone.
And her clear singing voice rang out across the stage.
*People always say, "I'm so glad I met you."*
The scene before Sakuta's eyes was exactly the same as in his dream.
The voice he heard was identical to the one in his dream.
*But I don't feel that way.*
*The one destined for me is already gone.*
The audience's eyes were fixed on Mai. They stood in a daze, gazing up at the stage.
Everyone had come here expecting a show, but seeing it in person left them stunned.
*But the love song we listened to together tells me,*
*We are destined to meet again.*
Sakuta was captivated by her voice as well.
Her voice was so transparent.
Her voice was so graceful.
Her voice was so powerful and beautiful, matching the strength of the band's performance.
*Don't be afraid to get lost.*
*When dawn breaks, just open the door and walk outside.*
What exactly was he watching?
What was this scene in front of him?
Sakuta's mind was filled with questions.
The person holding the microphone on stage was someone Sakuta knew very well.
She was a nationally famous actress.
She had been acting since she was young, appearing in countless movies and TV shows. She was Sakurajima Mai.
There was no doubt about it—she was Sakurajima Mai.
*But no one can prove what the future holds.*
*Tomorrow, I'll be alone again,*
*Unable to share it with you,*
*It feels like a hole has opened in my heart.*
The audience seemed frozen in time, motionless and silent. Everyone was in shock.
Mai's performance on stage was just like it had been in the dream.
She sang with such force, as if this were her own song...
As if she *was* Kirishima Touko...
The audience remained silent. No one moved to the beat, no one clapped. They just stood there, listening in a daze.
*If I had known it would hurt this much,*
*Maybe it would've been better if we had never met.*
Before anyone could recover from their shock, Mai finished singing Kirishima Touko's song. The song was short, less than two minutes long. The band's accompaniment gradually faded away.
The seaside plaza returned to its original silence. The venue was dead quiet. But in the darkness, the presence of 30,000 audience members was palpable.
Everyone was holding their breath, waiting.
Waiting for Mai to speak.
Their hearts pounding, they waited anxiously.
On stage, Mai could also sense the audience's anticipation. So, she smiled shyly.
She took a deep breath.
Sakuta recognized this gesture.
It was exactly like in his dream.
Mai picked up the microphone again. Then she slowly spoke.
"Today, I have something to announce to everyone during this event."
The audience still didn't react. They just stared blankly at the stage.
"Perhaps some of you have already noticed..."
Mai paused for a moment, glancing at the crowd.
The audience became even more excited. Mai closed her eyes, feeling the energy of the crowd. Then, when she opened them again,
"The truth is, I am Kirishima Touko."
She spoke those words loudly.
The first second was filled with silence.
The second second was also silent.
Then, all at once, the emotions the audience had been holding back erupted. They no longer had to contain themselves. Time resumed. The cheers were deafening, filling the air with the kind of passion unique to music events.
No other sounds could be heard apart from the roar of the crowd. The entire venue was consumed by joy.
"Azusagawa-kun, what's going on?"
In the midst of it all, only Sakuta and Ikumi seemed out of place.
"How should I know?"
Sakuta responded, but he wasn't sure if Ikumi heard him. The surrounding cheers completely drowned out their voices.
Sakuta and Ikumi were stuck in the crowd, unable to move.
They could only stand there, watching the stage.
Watching Mai on stage.
Watching Mai, who had just called herself Kirishima Touko, drift farther away... until the performance ended, they could only stand there, their heads filled with a single question: "Why?"
3
After Mai's performance, the stage was empty, but most of the audience hadn't left. Everyone seemed to still be lost in the afterglow of the performance.
The restless energy of the crowd enveloped the venue.
It was as if the audience had become one.
Sakuta pushed through the crowd, quickly heading toward the rest area for staff members. He lost sight of Ikumi along the way but didn't go back to find her. Instead, he chose to go straight to Mai.
Showing his pass to the security guard, Sakuta entered the rest area.
He headed straight for the second vehicle, where Mai's dressing room was.
As soon as he climbed inside, he spoke up.
"Mai, what was that just now?"
His words came out fast in his urgency.
Sakuta tried to stay calm, but his anxious heart wouldn't settle.
"Your girlfriend just got off stage. Can't you at least say, 'You were great, thank you for your hard work' first?"
Mai was sitting at the dressing table, taking off her earrings. Her voice carried a hint of excitement, probably because she was still caught up in the heat of the moment from the stage.
Sakuta's emotions were the opposite. He was in a rush.
"You were great, but..."
"But what?"
Mai asked as she removed her other earring, looking at Sakuta through the mirror.
"Why did you say such a lie?"
"A lie?"
Sakuta asked seriously, but Mai responded calmly as usual.
"You said you were Kirishima Touko."
The two stared at each other through the mirror.
Mai averted her eyes and carefully removed her performance necklace and rings, placing them into the jewelry box on the dressing table. Finally, she took out a heart-shaped ring—Sakuta's birthday gift to her. She slipped it onto her right ring finger and then turned to face Sakuta.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. But this was a request from the agency. I didn't even tell Hanawa."
"That's not what I'm asking about."
"I told you before that I wasn't Kirishima Touko, so it might be hard for you to accept."
"Are you saying that you really..."
Sakuta couldn't finish his sentence. He hesitated.
"I am Kirishima Touko."
But Mai said it without hesitation.
She said it as if it were completely natural, as if it were a matter of fact, without any need for doubt.
She looked straight into Sakuta's eyes and stated this unbelievable truth.
"I am Kirishima Touko."
Seeing Sakuta frozen in shock, Mai gently repeated herself.
Just yesterday, she had adamantly denied it.
Even before the performance, she said she wasn't Kirishima Touko.
So Sakuta couldn't believe it. There was no way he could accept it.
Only endless confusion filled his mind.
"Is this some April Fool's joke?"
"If this were a joke, then my acting skills must be top-notch."
Mai joked with a smile.
"Your acting really is top-notch."
But Sakuta couldn't bring himself to smile.
Mai didn't seem like she was lying.
She genuinely believed she was Kirishima Touko.
There was this strangely natural feeling of unnaturalness about her.
"Mai, have you changed yet?"
Ryoko opened the door and poked her head in.
"Hurry up, or you'll miss the Shinkansen."
Seeing that Mai was still in her gown, Ryoko urged her to change quickly.
"Mai, do you have more plans?"
"I have a shoot in Kobe early tomorrow morning, so I need to get there tonight."
"So please get going," Ryoko said, signaling for Sakuta to get off the vehicle.
"We'll talk more when I get back."
Since Mai said that, Sakuta couldn't insist on staying any longer.
Besides, Sakuta himself felt that no matter what she said now, he wouldn't be able to resolve his confusion.
"Mai."
"What is it?"
"I love you."
Mai smiled, slightly embarrassed. It was a look Sakuta was familiar with.
"Sakuta."
"What?"
"I love you too."
Mai grinned playfully, a smile Sakuta also knew well.
After stepping off the broadcast vehicle, Sakuta felt as if the surrounding area had suddenly darkened.
It was as though his shoes had merged with the ground, sinking into the darkness.
Sakuta walked carefully through the dimness. After a while, he spotted a lone figure standing outside the fence.
It was Ikumi.
She was looking down at her phone, the screen light casting a glow on her face.
Sakuta exited the rest area and greeted her.
"You didn't have to wait for me."
"I waited because I wanted to know the outcome too."
"Right..."
"So?"
"How should I put it... It's like I've seen a ghost. At the very least, Mai really believes she's Kirishima Touko."
"Like Iwami Nene and those Santa Clauses?"
"I don't know. But this feels different. She's still the Mai I know. Plus, she has no reason to want to become Kirishima Touko, right?"
"Yeah."
"And besides, everyone can see her."
In that sense, Mai was different from those other people.
"The performance has already spread on social media. Now everyone thinks Sakurajima-san is Kirishima Touko."
Ikumi looked down at her phone.
"There was a time in high school when Mai became invisible."
"I heard about that from another version of myself. Apparently, it was because the whole school pretended not to see her, and then no one could see her."
"Could this situation be caused by the same thing?"
Hearing Sakuta's question, Ikumi seemed to realize something.
"Everyone believes Sakurajima-san is Kirishima Touko, so she's become Kirishima Touko?"
Sakuta nodded at Ikumi.
"So, that younger version of Sakurajima-san with the red backpack might be the same thing."
"Same how?"
"Maybe you saw the 'Sakurajima Mai' that exists in everyone's minds, didn't you?"
That made sense.
"Yeah, it really does."
But there was no time to dwell on that now.
"When you were in high school, you fixed this by confessing in front of the entire student body, right?"
"Yeah. Doing that made everyone acknowledge her again."
"So if you had to do the same thing this time..."
"This time, I might have to propose to her in front of the entire world..."
Futaba Academy probably had a few thousand students.
But the number of people who believed Sakurajima Mai was Kirishima Touko far exceeded that. Now that it had spread via social media, there were probably millions of people who knew about it. And that was a conservative estimate.
"Azusagawa-kun, do you really think you can change the minds of everyone in the world all at once?"
Sakuta didn't dare say he could.
But he didn't want to say he couldn't, either.
Since this involved Mai, he would have to do it.
Sakuta's silence gave Ikumi an answer in a different way.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked such an unanswerable question."
"There's a possibility, but only one."
"You mean…"
"The real Kirishima Touko has to come forward."
"We'd have to find her first."
Hearing Ikumi's words, Sakuta realized something.
"…Could this be what it was about?"
"Huh?"
"That message—'Mai is in danger'…"
As Sakuta said this, Ikumi's eyes widened in realization. Her expression confirmed his suspicion. Then,
"Ah!"
Ikumi let out a short cry, as if something had suddenly touched her.
"What's wrong?"
Ikumi didn't respond to Sakuta's question. Instead, she looked at the palm of her left hand.
"Could it be a message from the other world?"
To this question,
"Sakuta, look,"
Ikumi said, showing him her palm.
What Sakuta saw was two lines of familiar handwriting.
—Stop Kirishima Touko.
—Before reality is rewritten.
It was Sakuta's own handwriting.
But even looking at it, Sakuta couldn't make sense of it.
"What does this mean?"
He looked up and asked Ikumi.
"Don't ask me—ask yourself."
Ikumi said this and pulled a black pen from her small bag.
"You're always prepared."
"I just have a habit of carrying a pen, ready for situations like this."
"That's what being prepared means."
Sakuta took the pen and removed the cap.
"Write whatever you need to."
Ikumi extended her right hand, where nothing was written yet.
—What does 'rewriting reality' mean?
Sakuta wrote this on her palm.
Immediately, a response appeared on her left hand.
—I cannot observe Kirishima Touko.
This response deepened Sakuta's confusion.
Before he could write again, another line of text appeared on Ikumi's left hand.
—My awareness may also soon be rewritten.
The text extended from her palm to her wrist.
—I leave the rest to you.
Sakuta watched as the message continued to stretch up Ikumi's arm…
—No phone, youth—
The writing abruptly stopped at the word "youth."
—Youth what?
Sakuta wrote in pursuit, but no reply came.
Instead,
"Sorry,"
Ikumi apologized.
"The connection has been cut."
She lowered her head slightly, looking guilty.
"I see…"
Ikumi put the cap back on the pen.
"Yeah, I see."
There was nothing more Sakuta could do, so he let out another long sigh.
4
The train was moving through the residential area, and the lights outside the windows illuminated people's everyday lives.
Sakuta stood near the train door, but he wasn't looking at the view outside. His eyes saw it, but his mind wasn't focused on it.
After saying goodbye to Ikumi at Yokohama Station, Sakuta had transferred to the Tokaido Line. The train wasn't too crowded, just enough people to fill the seats. Most of the passengers were either staring at their phones or sleeping.
The scene inside the train remained unchanged.
Sakuta stood in the same position, thinking about the same thing.
He replayed the day's events in his mind.
He woke up to what should have been a normal day.
Nasu stepped on him to wake him up, and they had breakfast together. After Kaede woke up, Sakuta made her breakfast too.
Once Kaede, still half-asleep, finished eating, she left the house, saying she was going to a Sweet Bullet concert with her friend Kotomi Shikano in the afternoon.
After seeing Kaede off, Sakuta got himself ready and left the house around two in the afternoon.
He took the train from Fujisawa Station to Yokohama, then transferred to the Minato Mirai Line, meeting up with Ikumi on the platform.
Up to that point, everything was normal.
The trouble started after they got off the train.
Inside the brick-walled Bashamichi Station, Sakuta saw the younger version of Mai, carrying a red backpack. And it wasn't just once. He saw her as a lower elementary schooler and then as an upper elementary schooler.
After leaving the station, he saw Mai again, this time in a dress from her movie, playing a girl with a heart condition.
Then, at the music festival venue, he saw Mai dressed as a bunny girl.
Sakuta was sure he hadn't imagined any of it.
Afterward, he went to the broadcast vehicle and found Mai. Before the performance, she had been completely normal.
Exactly the same as usual.
In fact, it was Sakuta, seeing all these strange visions, who ended up worrying Mai.
When he hugged her, it felt familiar.
Her warmth and her touch were the Mai he knew.
So, Sakuta had thought there wouldn't be any problems.
But the result was completely unexpected.
On stage, Mai had said something outrageous.
—"I am Kirishima Touko."
Just thinking about those words made Sakuta feel uneasy all over.
It didn't feel real.
It felt like he was dreaming.
And he hoped it was a dream.
After the music festival, he had seen Mai again, and her attitude only made him feel more like he was dreaming.
Apart from claiming to be Kirishima Touko, Mai was still the same Mai.
Even though what she said was outlandish, her demeanor was completely natural.
So natural that it felt unnatural.
Then Sakuta received the message through Ikumi from the other world.
—Stop Kirishima Touko.
—Before reality is rewritten.
Sakuta had no idea what the other version of himself was trying to say. The connection had been cut halfway through.
There were so many things left unresolved.
The only thing he knew for certain was that the situation was not looking good.
And that the key to solving the problem lay with Kirishima Touko…
But the other version of himself had said, "I can't perceive her." So could this version of himself really do anything?
Sakuta had visited that other world at the end of his second year of high school. Back then, he had realized that the other version of himself was much more reliable than his current self.
As Sakuta mulled over all this, the train arrived at Fujisawa Station. It was time to get off.
Even as he walked home from the station, Sakuta's thoughts didn't stop.
His mind was filled with everything that had happened that day.
But no matter how much he thought about it, there were no answers. All he realized was that he had arrived home.
"I guess I should go talk to Futaba about this."
He stepped out of the elevator and walked to his front door.
He took out his key and unlocked the door.
"Nazuna, I'm home."
Sakuta called out as he entered. Nazuna meowed in response, walking out of the living room.
Right behind her,
"Welcome home, big brother!"
A long, black-and-white figure followed.
It was Kaede, dressed in her panda onesie.
Sakuta was in the middle of taking off his shoes, but seeing her outfit, he froze.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm welcoming you home!"
She raised her hands energetically, clearly trying to welcome Sakuta.
But her actions didn't seem like the usual Kaede. This made Sakuta even more confused.
Sakuta stared at her.
Something didn't feel right.
"Big brother?"
Seeing the troubled look on Sakuta's face, Kaede tilted her head and looked up at him.
Her movements were familiar to Sakuta.
Her expression was also familiar.
Everything about this was something he associated with his other sister. She always wore that panda onesie.
But Sakuta's rational mind tried to deny this thought.
Yet once the idea had formed, it was impossible to completely dismiss.
That thought grew larger in an instant, and before he knew it, Sakuta voiced it.
"Are you... Kaede?"
"Of course I am."
She looked puzzled, as if she didn't understand why Sakuta was asking such a thing.
"Are you really Kaede?"
"Of course! I'm me!"
Kaede answered with bright energy. Although she seemed a bit older than he remembered, her smile was unmistakable.
Faced with this reality, Sakuta felt utterly confused.
What kind of dream was this?
He couldn't figure it out.
He didn't even have time to be shocked.
Before understanding the situation, he felt joy first.
A mix of emotions left Sakuta standing there in disbelief.
He didn't know how to process it.
His thoughts were stuck in a whirlpool of questions.
'The bath is ready,' came the voice from the bathroom.
"Big brother, do you want to go first?"
"No..."
He wasn't really answering her, just muttering to himself in confusion.
"Then I'll go first!"
Kaede didn't seem bothered by Sakuta's confusion. She was as lively as ever.
She rushed into her room to grab her clothes and then dashed into the bathroom.
She closed the door, and Sakuta watched the whole scene in a daze.
A few moments later, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.
Just then, the phone in the living room rang.
Sakuta instinctively took off his shoes, walked inside, and headed quickly to the living room.
The keypad on the phone was flashing.
Sakuta picked up the receiver and put it to his ear.
"Hello?"
Without much thought, he greeted the caller.
"Big brother?"
A familiar voice came through the receiver.
The number on the caller ID was also one he recognized.
The voice was Kaede's voice. The number was Kaede's number.
Sakuta's thoughts stopped for a moment.
"Big brother? Are you listening?"
Kaede's voice came through the receiver again.
"Yeah, I'm listening."
Sakuta replied automatically.
What on earth was going on?
What was happening?
"You're Kaede, right?"
"Of course, who else would I be?"
Hearing Sakuta's strange question, Kaede chuckled softly.
"You really are Kaede?"
"Who else would I be? You don't have a fever, do you?"
The voice was undoubtedly Kaede's.
"Anyway, I need to tell you something. I'm staying at Mom and Dad's place tonight. I forgot to mention it earlier and didn't want you to worry."
Her tone and attitude left no doubt—it was Kaede.
So how could he explain the Kaede who had welcomed him home just now?
Kaede was at home, but Kaede was also calling him on the phone.
Both existed at the same time.
How was that even possible?
"Oh, and by the way, Hanawa and the others were amazing today! At the end of the concert, they announced that Sweet Bullet will be performing at the Budokan! I have to go! ...Big brother, are you listening?"
"Yeah."
Sakuta answered automatically again.
He was definitely listening.
The words were entering his ears.
But whether they were registering in his mind was another question.
"Kaede."
"What is it?"
"Can you stay at Mom and Dad's for a few more days?"
"I was planning to stay until the end of spring break anyway. But why are you asking?"
"Don't worry about it."
Sakuta couldn't think of another response.
He couldn't exactly tell her, "Kaede is at home right now."
Chapter 2: Walking in the mistThe next morning, Sakuta was woken up by Nazuna stepping on him again. When Sakuta didn't open his eyes, Nazuna continued rhythmically kneading his face, one-two, one-two.
Sakuta had no choice but to open one eye. Through his groggy vision, he saw Nazuna looking down at him.
"Good morning, Nazuna."
Sakuta let out a big yawn.
His eyelids felt heavy, and before he knew it, his eyes closed again.
Waking up didn't feel good, or rather, it felt awful.
Sakuta knew it was because he hadn't slept well the night before.
There were many reasons for this.
Too many things had happened yesterday—it was overwhelming.
Out of everything, seeing Kaede when he came home had the biggest impact. It had left him emotionally unsettled. With that on his mind, it was impossible to sleep well.
As a result, Sakuta's sleep was restless. He kept waking up, falling asleep, and waking up again until it was nearly dawn. By the time he truly fell asleep, the sky was already getting light. In other words, he had only slept for about one or two continuous hours.
"Ugh…"
He let out another big yawn.
Sakuta really wanted to just sleep through the day.
But he forced himself to fight off the sleepiness and look at the clock.
It was 7:32 AM.
April 2nd, Sunday.
Without a doubt, it was the day after April Fool's Day and the day after the music festival at the Red Brick Warehouse.
"I hope I don't wake up to find out yesterday was just a dream..."
"Nazuna, is big brother awake yet?"
However, the voice outside the room shattered Sakuta's optimistic thoughts.
It was Kaede's voice.
Nazuna meowed once and then slipped out through the crack in the door. Sakuta got out of bed, letting out a third yawn as he walked out of the room.
When he reached the living room,
"Good morning, big brother!"
Kaede, wearing her panda onesie, smiled and greeted Sakuta.
"Breakfast is ready!"
Just as she said, the dining table was set with toast, scrambled eggs with cheese, sausages, and cherry tomatoes. It was the kind of breakfast Sakuta usually made.
"Did you make all this?"
"Today's scrambled eggs are a special recipe straight from Mai-neechan."
"A special recipe?"
"I'm Mai-neechan's number one disciple now!"
Kaede proudly puffed out her chest. Her confidence wasn't unfounded. The scrambled eggs on the plate looked delicious, just like the ones Mai made.
"Alright, let's see how good the disciple is."
"Go ahead!"
Kaede responded energetically and sat down across from Sakuta.
Recently, that spot had been where Kaede sat. Now, Kaede was sitting there, happily eating toast topped with scrambled eggs. Her smile radiated happiness.
This only deepened Sakuta's confusion.
The person in front of him was undoubtedly Kaede.
Kaede was right there, leaving Sakuta at a loss.
"..."
Sakuta still felt like he was in a dream.
"Aren't you going to eat, big brother?"
"Right, I will."
Sakuta followed Kaede's lead, placing scrambled eggs on his toast and taking a bite. The soft texture of the eggs and the aroma of the bread were irresistible.
"Tasty."
"That's the power of the number one disciple!"
She proudly puffed out her chest again.
"Kaede."
"Yes?"
"How long have we been living here?"
"Four years. This April marks the beginning of our fifth year."
"That's right."
"Big brother, did you sleep so much that you forgot?"
Kaede, like a detective, deduced the situation.
"Looks like you figured it out."
"Let me make you some coffee to wake you up!"
Kaede quickly stood up and headed toward the kitchen.
Her figure seemed a little more mature than the Kaede Sakuta remembered. Four years ago, Sakuta had started living with Kaede in this apartment. That was in the spring of his first year of high school. She had regained her memories and become Kaede again in the fall of his second year.
So Sakuta only knew the middle school version of Kaede.
The face peeking out from under her panda hood looked a little more grown-up.
Just as she had said, they had moved to Fujisawa four years ago.
This was now their fifth year.
Which meant the Kaede before him had always been Kaede for those five years.
"Here, big brother, coffee."
Kaede returned from the kitchen, placing a mug with a tanuki design in front of Sakuta.
"Thanks."
Sakuta took a sip of the coffee. It tasted a bit bitter, but that bitterness grounded him in reality. This wasn't a dream, and it wasn't an illusion.
"Kaede, what did you do yesterday?"
"In the afternoon, I went to school and worked on materials for introducing the club to new students."
"Which school?"
"Mine, of course. Minegahara High School."
Kaede seemed confused by Sakuta's question.
"And what club is that?"
"The biology club."
Kaede's confusion deepened.
"I guess that makes sense."
It seemed that the Kaede before him was attending Minegahara High School and was a member of the biology club.
"If we don't recruit any new members this year, the club's going to be disbanded."
"Then you'd better work hard to recruit."
"I'll do my best!"
Kaede clenched her fists, full of determination.
"Oh, and I was really surprised yesterday."
"What happened?"
"Mai-neechan turned out to be Kirishima Touko."
Sakuta hadn't expected Kaede to bring up yesterday's events so casually. From her tone, she didn't seem to have any doubts about it.
"You saw the performance too?"
"Yeah, I watched it online."
Kaede glanced at the small table in front of the sofa. A laptop sat there. It looked like she had watched the concert on it.
"Do you think Mai-neechan is really Kirishima Touko?"
"...What do you mean?"
Kaede tilted her head, expressing her confusion with her entire body.
"Didn't Mai-neechan say it herself? How could it not be true?"
"It's not exactly untrue..."
"…?"
Kaede still seemed puzzled, but just then, the washing machine beeped.
"The laundry's calling me."
Kaede stuffed the remaining toast into her mouth and headed to the laundry room as if she'd done it a hundred times before. Her ability to handle chores seemed much more advanced than the Kaede Sakuta remembered. Maybe it was the four years that had helped her mature.
That should have been a great thing, but Sakuta couldn't feel fully happy. He still didn't know how to handle the situation in front of him.
There were too many things he didn't understand.
He couldn't even be sure if this was reality.
Since yesterday, Sakuta felt like he'd been wandering through a fog.
He wanted to learn more about the current situation.
After finishing the last bite of his scrambled eggs, Sakuta left the table and picked up the phone.
He dialed the eleven-digit number that he had memorized.
It was Rio Futaba's cell phone number. She had been Sakuta's friend since high school.
After two rings, the call was answered.
"Futaba, it's me. Sorry for bothering you so early. Do you have a minute?"
Sakuta tried to stay calm, but he couldn't suppress his anxiety. His words came out faster than he intended.
What he didn't expect was a male voice on the other end of the line.
"Futaba's not available to talk right now."
The playful voice was one Sakuta recognized immediately. He knew it belonged to another high school friend, Yuuma Kunimi.
"Why are you answering her phone?"
"Since it was you calling, I figured I might as well answer."
Sakuta was even more confused.
"Where is Futaba?"
"She's off soaking in a hot spring."
Yet another unexpected answer.
"What?"
Sakuta let out a confused sound.
"I said, she's gone to a hot spring," Yuuma repeated, as if it were no big deal.
"You guys went to a hot spring?" Sakuta asked.
"Didn't you tell us you went on a hot spring date with Sakurajima-senpai? That got us interested, so we thought we'd try it out," Yuuma explained, sounding nonchalant.
"So, you're staying overnight?"
"Of course."
"I can't believe you, Yuuma! You've got such a good image, but here you are openly cheating?" Sakuta teased, pretending to be shocked.
"What? Cheating? How'd you get to that conclusion?" Yuuma laughed heartily, showing no signs of guilt.
Sakuta felt something was off.
It was as if he and Yuuma weren't on the same wavelength.
"What about Koga?" Sakuta asked, knowing this would be a more serious question.
"We broke up two years ago. You didn't know?" Yuuma replied.
"Huh?" Sakuta was baffled.
"Are you okay, Sakuta? You're acting really strange," Yuuma said, laughing as if he thought Sakuta was joking.
"So... you're dating Futaba?" Sakuta asked, his heartbeat quickening.
"Obviously."
Sakuta's mouth went dry.
"You're really dating?" His voice trembled as he spoke.
"Yeah."
"When did this start?"
Still struggling to grasp the situation, Sakuta forced the question out.
"Last fall, right after I finished my training. Is that the answer you wanted?"
"..."
Sakuta was speechless. His mind was in turmoil.
Yuuma's words left Sakuta completely at a loss.
"By the way, Kirishima Touko really is Sakurajima-senpai, huh?" Yuuma casually shifted the conversation, though Sakuta was still grappling with his confusion.
Taking a deep breath, Sakuta asked hesitantly, "You think so too?"
"I didn't see the performance, but I heard she announced it on stage yesterday. It's all over the internet now."
"What did Futaba say about it?" Sakuta gripped the phone tightly, tension building inside him.
"She? She said, 'Looks like Azusagawa will be seeing even less of Sakurajima-senpai now. Poor guy.'"
Sakuta focused intensely on each word.
"And, as you can imagine, Sakurajima-senpai's workload will probably increase a lot after this," Yuuma continued.
But it was not what Sakuta wanted to hear. It was the last thing he wanted to accept.
"So, Futaba believes it too..." he muttered, realizing that Futaba also believed that Mai was Kirishima Touko.
Even though she had previously discussed with Sakuta multiple times that it wasn't possible.
"Oh, she's back. I'll let her take the phone."
Sakuta heard familiar voices in the background: "Sakuta's on the phone?" "What's he saying?" "I don't understand."
"What do you want?" Rio's voice came through the receiver.
Sakuta didn't even know where to begin.
Mai had announced that she was Kirishima Touko.
Ikumi had received a message from another world.
Kaede was at home.
And he had also received a phone call from Kaede.
Yuuma was dating Rio.
Too many strange things had happened.
Sakuta's mind was in complete disarray.
Even the one person he trusted to help him, Rio, was now in a strange situation. Could he really consult her about this?
Sakuta had originally planned to talk to the Rio who wasn't dating Yuuma—the Rio who didn't believe that Mai was Kirishima Touko.
But now the Rio on the other end of the line was dating Yuuma and believed that Mai was Kirishima Touko. Sakuta didn't know what to say to this Rio.
"Sakuta?" Rio prompted, as Sakuta remained silent.
"Futaba," he said hesitantly.
"Say what you need to say already," she urged.
"The you I know... isn't dating Yuuma."
"..."
"What kind of Adolescence Syndrome is this?" he asked, choosing the most direct question.
"You're still talking about Adolescence Syndrome? You're turning twenty next week," she replied.
"Yeah." Sakuta glanced at the calendar on the wall, where a big red circle marked April 10th. Next to it, Kaede had written "Big Brother's Birthday!" in large letters.
"But the you I know... really—"
Before Sakuta could finish, Rio interrupted with a serious tone.
"Are you against me dating Yuuma?"
Sakuta quickly responded, "No, I fully support it."
"Good."
Even though Rio said this, her tone still carried a hint of reluctance.
"I've always thought since high school that you two were meant to be together."
This was the truth, no doubt about it.
But at the same time, Sakuta had known it wasn't possible... because Yuuma had already had a girlfriend, and as far as Sakuta knew, they hadn't broken up...
"I see..." Rio finally sounded convinced, her voice more relaxed.
"Futaba."
"What?"
"Are you happy now?"
"..."
Rio took a sharp breath.
There was a brief silence.
Sakuta could easily imagine what happened during that silence—Rio probably glanced at Yuuma, who was in the same room, and Yuuma smiled back at her.
"Of course, I'm happy," Rio answered, her shy tone confirming Sakuta's guess.
At this point, how could Sakuta possibly tell her that something was wrong with the situation?
Even if he did, she wouldn't accept it.
She'd probably just worry that something was wrong with him.
It was all too predictable.
"Sakuta? Is that all you wanted to say?"
"There's one more thing."
"What's that?"
"I wish you two happiness."
"Thanks... Do you want me to put Yuuma back on the phone?"
"No, that's okay. Sorry for bothering you."
With that, Sakuta hung up the phone.
"..."
After putting the receiver back in place, Sakuta stood still, unable to move.
The mystery had only deepened since making the call. There were now even more questions.
But Rio's words reminded him of something.
"Come to think of it, she mentioned once... that she dreamed about dating Yuuma..."
She had said that in the dream, it felt like she and Yuuma were dating.
That had been last Christmas. At the time, many people had posted online about their dreams of the future, causing the servers to crash. The event had attracted media attention and was still being talked about even into January.
Back then, Kaede had also said that she dreamed of becoming Kaede again.
And at that same time, Sakuta had dreamed of Mai announcing that she was Kirishima Touko.
All three of those dreams had come true.
"Could that be what 'reality being rewritten' refers to...?"
"What are you talking about?" Kaede asked as she came out of the bathroom, overhearing Sakuta's muttering.
"I don't even know what I'm saying."
If the message from the other world was true, then the cause of all this was Kirishima Touko.
—Stop Kirishima Touko.
Because there was such a message.
Yesterday, Sakuta didn't yet grasp the importance of it.
But now, Sakuta felt that he had to stop her as soon as possible.
The Sakuta from the other world had described the situation as "reality being rewritten." But Sakuta felt it was more serious than that.
Because the reality he remembered was already starting to collapse.
A sudden sense of unease washed over Sakuta.
His heart was anxious.
Sakuta desperately wanted to escape this feeling as soon as possible.
"Big brother, you have a shift at the family restaurant this afternoon, right?"
"Seems like it," Sakuta replied, distracted.
"Then let's give Nazuna a bath in the morning!"
"Sure..."
Sakuta almost agreed automatically, but halfway through, he remembered there was something else he needed to do.
"No, sorry, I have something to take care of before work."
"Okay! Then I'll take care of Nazuna's bath myself!"
Nazuna meowed from near his feet.
Sakuta felt that there was something he had to confirm with his own eyes.
He had to see if both Kaede and Kaede truly existed at the same time.
2
That day, Sakuta left home shortly after 9 a.m.
"Take care, big brother!"
Kaede, holding Nazuna who was about to get a bath, enthusiastically saw Sakuta off.
As he stepped outside the apartment building, Sakuta was greeted by a bright blue sky.
Not a cloud in sight.
The spring sky was crisp and clear.
But inside, Sakuta felt gloomy. The contrast was so stark that he thought even the blue sky looked fake.
The brightness of the sky made Sakuta feel dizzy, as if he were about to lose consciousness. Quickly, he lowered his head.
At that moment—
"Hello, big brother!"
Sakuta heard a lively voice.
Looking up, he saw a familiar face waving at him from across the street in front of another apartment building.
It was Uzuki Hirokawa, the leader of the idol group Sweet Bullet. Up until six months ago, she had been attending the same university as Sakuta.
She waved energetically as she ran over.
"How are you? I'm great!"
Her smile was as dazzling as the clear blue sky above.
Behind her was Nodoka.
"I'm okay, I guess," Sakuta replied.
"Big brother, did you hear? We finally did it!"
"You're having a concert at the Kokugikan, right? Kaede told me."
"It's the Budokan!"
"But didn't you say you still had a long way to go?"
At least six months ago, both Uzuki and Nodoka had said that.
"Well, we worked really hard, and our fans supported us. What about you?"
"Of course, I'm excited to see you perform at the Budokan, Uzuki."
This was genuine.
"Yay!"
Uzuki grabbed both of Sakuta's hands and forced a high-five.
"Anyway, congratulations!"
"Thank you!"
Uzuki's excitement was infectious, as if she were thanking her fans on stage.
"And congratulations to you too, Nodoka. You've achieved your goal."
Sakuta offered his congratulations to Nodoka as well.
"Thanks," Nodoka replied, but her reaction was subdued. She should've been happier.
"Why do you look so upset?"
"You don't know, do you? Nodoka is sulking because the announcement of our concert clashed with Mai's identity reveal. We got overshadowed," Uzuki whispered to Sakuta.
"Stop saying that!"
But Nodoka had heard everything and refuted it.
"Then what's bothering you?"
"I've been living with my sister this whole time and didn't notice anything. I feel like I've been really oblivious."
"So you believe it too, huh?"
"Believe what?"
"That Mai is Kirishima Touko."
"Why wouldn't I? She said it herself yesterday, in front of all those people."
"I watched the recording too! It was such an amazing performance!" Uzuki exclaimed excitedly.
"But Mai has always said she wasn't Touko."
"It's probably something the agency or record company wanted," Nodoka said, glancing away with a somewhat disinterested look, explaining from her own experience.
"When I filmed a commercial, they didn't let me reveal it was me until the final version aired."
"That makes sense. Mai said something similar."
Sakuta could understand that. Showbiz had its rules.
But it was still hard for Sakuta to accept. What bothered him even more was how easily everyone else believed that Mai was Kirishima Touko. This feeling of unease only grew stronger with time.
"So what? You don't think it's true?" Nodoka asked, noticing Sakuta's troubled expression.
"Well, I find it hard to believe."
"Why are you saying that, big brother?" Uzuki looked puzzled, as if there was a giant question mark above her head in a cartoon.
"Didn't you go to the live performance? You must've heard my sister say it herself, right?"
"I did."
"So why don't you believe it?"
Nodoka was visibly confused now, her expression shifting to concern and worry—emotions directed at Sakuta.
Uzuki glanced back and forth between Nodoka and Sakuta, then looked at him with the same concern. Her eyes seemed to ask, "Are you okay?"
"Are you okay?" she even voiced her concern aloud.
At least from their perspective, it was Sakuta who wasn't acting normal.
Sakuta felt a growing distance between himself and them.
Close enough to touch, yet always a step too far.
When he moved closer, they moved farther away.
To escape this feeling, Sakuta changed the subject.
"Oh no, I'm going to miss my train."
"Uh-oh! We need to get to our rehearsal too! Hurry up, Nodoka!"
"If we miss the train, it's your fault!"
And so the three of them began walking quickly.
As they hurried toward the station, Sakuta felt like his feet weren't firmly on the ground, as if his mind and body were disconnected. He couldn't find his usual rhythm while walking. The further he walked, the more uncertain he became.
By the time they reached the station, Sakuta was trailing behind Nodoka and Uzuki, watching their backs and wondering how he normally walked, all while doubting if this was even reality.
3
On the way, all three of them broke into a jog, and Nodoka and Uzuki barely caught the Romancecar train to Shinjuku.
After seeing them off at the Odakyu Line ticket gate, Sakuta headed up to the JR ticket gate. He swiped his card, entered the station, and caught a train on the Tokaido Line.
After riding for about twenty minutes, he got off at Yokohama.
He stopped by a shopping mall that had just opened at 10 a.m. and bought some pudding. The packaging had the silhouette of a stylish old man on it.
Then Sakuta went back to the platform, catching the Yokohama Line train bound for Hachioji.
Kaede was at his apartment. Kaede was at his parents' house.
Sakuta needed to confirm this with his own eyes.
He rode the train, passing through Higashi-Kanagawa, Ooguchi, Kikuna, and Shin-Yokohama, eventually arriving at Kodomo no Kuni Station.
After exiting the station and walking straight down the main road for about ten minutes, he turned into a smaller street and saw his parents' apartment.
He climbed to the third floor and stood at the door in the corner, ringing the doorbell.
After a three-second pause—
"Who is it?"
His mother's voice came through the intercom.
"It's me, Sakuta."
"What are you doing here? I'll open the door right away."
The intercom crackled and cut off, followed by the sound of light footsteps behind the door.
Then the door opened.
"Big brother? Where's your key?"
The person who opened the door was Kaede.
It was the Kaede Sakuta knew. Her hairstyle, her tone, her attitude toward Sakuta... everything was unmistakably Kaede.