Chapter 2: The Song of Echoing Cries
In the car heading back to Fujisawa, silence filled the space, echoing the weight of the evening's events. Miori sat in the back seat, gazing out the window as she had earlier, but her expression had softened. Her once tightly tied hair was now loose, and she wore Sakuta's staff jacket over her stage outfit, visible in the rearview mirror.
In the passenger seat, Shoko was scrolling through her phone, updating Sakuta on social media responses. "I should drop Shoko off first—it's getting late," he said, glancing at the clock, which was nearing 8 p.m.
"Alright," Shoko agreed, while Miori replied with a quiet "Mm."
The car merged onto the highway, and once they reached cruising speed, Shoko spoke up. "Based on what I'm seeing online, it seems Mai handled the situation well. The media's reporting on it already."
"That's Mai for you," Sakuta said with a smile.
"The narrative they're going with is that today's performance was part of a larger April Fools' event, connected to the concert she held on April 1st at the Red Brick Warehouse. It's even trending in the news!"
"That was quick," Sakuta replied.
"The headline reads, 'Mai Sakurajima isn't the Real Touko Kirishima!'" Shoko continued with a slight smile. "It's definitely a clickbait title, but it should help spread the truth about the real Touko."
"The concert footage is already on streaming sites, and the views are climbing fast," she added.
"That should clear up any misconceptions about Mai," Sakuta replied, feeling relieved.
"Good," Miori said softly, her tension visibly easing.
Shoko continued, "But you've also caused quite a stir, Miori. People are speculating about you on social media."
"Like what?" Miori asked, showing mild curiosity.
"There are comments like, 'Is she a student at my school?' and 'That's Miori Mitou from our department!'"
"…"
Miori made no response, her face revealing little emotion as she continued to look out the window.
"Tomorrow's going to be quite an ordeal at the university," Shoko noted.
"Maybe I should skip class," Miori murmured.
"Skipping won't make it easier to return," Shoko replied with a gentle smile.
"True," Miori replied, managing a small smile of her own. It was a familiar smile, one that made Sakuta relax, thinking that, for now, things would be alright.
"Hey, that's not funny," Miori protested playfully, noticing Sakuta's expression.
"I'm not laughing," he said, feigning innocence.
"Yes, you are."
They continued this lighthearted exchange as they drove, until Sakuta parked in front of a nearby park to let Shoko out around 8:30 p.m.
"Is this okay?" he asked as Shoko unfastened her seatbelt.
"Yes, thank you for the ride. I'll walk home from here."
Sakuta stepped out to see her off, stretching a bit after sitting for so long. Shoko approached Miori's window, which Miori rolled down.
"I think you should have this," Shoko said, handing Miori a notebook—her and Touko's shared diary.
Miori took it in her hands, staring at it intently. "After Touko's accident, I visited her house once. Her mother took me to her room and told me I could take anything I wanted… I left with this, the fourth diary, because I didn't want to read the last page."
"Do you still feel that way?"
"I thought I understood Touko better than anyone… but now, I'm not so sure." Miori hugged the diary close to her chest, the sadness and warmth evident in her expression.
"I'm glad I met Touko," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else, a quiet sentiment that lingered in the air.
"Goodnight," Shoko said softly, bowing before heading off. She turned back once, waving energetically, and Sakuta waved back until she disappeared into the darkness.
Back in the car, he glanced over at Miori. "Want me to take you to Ofuna Station?"
"Actually…" Miori hesitated, her voice neither affirming nor denying.
"What's on your mind?"
"How about a detour? To Enoshima."
Sakuta didn't reply, but instead, he started the car and drove towards their new destination.
Arriving at Enoshima, Sakuta parked near the island's tourist office. Miori, still in her stage outfit, got out and told him, "Wait here while I change."
Sakuta moved a respectful distance away, giving her privacy, and after a few minutes, she emerged, now in her usual outfit—a jacket and dress, her hair back in its typical half-up bun.
She rubbed her stomach with a slight grimace. "Mai's waist is so tiny! I thought the dress would rip."
"I'll tell her to eat more," Sakuta replied with a grin.
"That way you can have more to hold onto, right?" Miori teased with a smirk.
"More like, a lot more," Sakuta shot back, making them both laugh as they strolled towards Enoshima's main street.
Despite the late hour, tourists still wandered about, some taking photos in front of the famous Benten Bridge. Laughter and conversations filled the air as couples snapped pictures and admired the views.
They walked up the sloping pathway towards the shrine, passing shuttered souvenir shops and closed restaurants. The usually crowded octopus cracker stall had long since closed, and the escalator up the mountain, Enoshima Electric Railway, had finished its service for the day.
They began the climb up the stone steps on foot. Miori showed no sign of hesitation, stepping onto the first stair without pause.
"Is this your first time here at night?" Sakuta asked, following her up.
"Yes. My second time here overall," Miori replied.
"Who did you come with before?"
He had a feeling he knew, but wanted to ask anyway.
"Touko. We came here after graduating from middle school."
"Did you go to Shichirigahama too?"
"Yes. It took us four hours by bus and train," Miori replied, smiling at the memory.
As they walked up the steps together, her voice carried a warmth, her smile revealing a tender sense of nostalgia.
Sakuta and Miori continued climbing, reaching a small platform midway up Enoshima's steps, where a water purification basin awaited. They washed their hands according to custom, then resumed the climb.
Step by step, they moved upward, each footfall deliberate. Finally, after the last step, the main shrine came into view. At the entrance to Enoshima Shrine, they found Benzaiten's shrine, dedicated to the goddess Ichikishimahime. During the day, even on weekdays, the area would be bustling with visitors, but now, only a couple of pairs lingered.
"That day, Touko and I only made it this far," Miori said, turning back to gaze at the steps they had just climbed and the view beyond, where the path led to the bridge below.
"After four hours of travel, you turned back here? You could have gone up to the observation deck," Sakuta remarked, noting how most visitors would continue to the top.
"Touko wanted to go up, but I told her we should come back another time since it was late and the last bus was early," Miori replied with a wistful tone. "But that 'another time' never came."
She looked over the expansive view below with a hint of regret in her eyes. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have worried about the time. I should've taken her to the top. We should have eaten octopus snacks together."
They stood there in silence for ten, maybe twenty seconds, before both naturally turned to face the shrine. They walked to the main hall, tossed in a small offering, and joined their hands in prayer.
Sakuta, however, didn't make a wish; at that moment, he couldn't think of one.
"…"
After a quiet moment at the shrine, they began walking again, moving deeper into Enoshima. Sakuta asked, "What do you think Touko wished for that day?"
"Maybe to come here again with me," Miori replied.
"And what about your wish?" he asked.
"To catch the bus back on time," she replied with a smile.
"Well, half the wish came true," Sakuta remarked.
"Half isn't bad," she replied, laughing at his comment.
They continued up the next set of steps, surrounded only by trees and the moonlight above. At the top, Miori took a deep breath, ready to move onward to the next shrine, Nakatsumiya.
As they climbed, Miori reminisced, "Touko was so happy that day. She kept saying, 'It's just like the movie!' She even took so many photos, smiling the entire time."
Finally, they reached Nakatsumiya Shrine, paid their respects, and continued deeper into the island. Another set of steps loomed ahead of them, leading to the final peak.
"This is the highest point on Enoshima," Sakuta said as they looked up the final staircase.
Miori gave him a determined glance before stepping forward, eager to finish the climb. They moved in silence, neither willing to stop, their breathing labored as they reached the top.
Once they caught their breath, Miori walked toward the viewing deck overlooking the ocean, the symbolic Sea Candle lighthouse standing nearby. The observation area was closed for the night, leaving them alone under the stars.
She stared at the closed gates, smiling wryly. "I had hoped to make it up here tonight as a kind of redemption."
"We can always come back," Sakuta replied, leading her to a nearby lookout that provided a clear view of the coastline, where lights from cars formed a winding line along Route 134.
Miori stood beside him, gazing out over the scenery. "Sakuta, would you come here with me again sometime?"
"As long as I'm around," he replied.
"Don't disappear on me, okay?"
"I won't, as long as it'll make Mai happy," Sakuta said, emphasizing his commitment.
Miori laughed, understanding the depth of his words. "Thank you," she said quietly. "It's been a while since I talked about Touko like this."
"Did it help?"
"Yes," she replied, though a look of sadness crossed her face. "But… I realized that Touko has become a memory."
"…"
"I'm finally coming to terms with her death," Miori said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "It's been hard, but I'm moving forward. I'm the one who graduated, went to university… living on without her."
Sakuta could see the mixture of nostalgia and sorrow in her eyes, the way her hand gripped the railing tightly.
"Hey, Sakuta?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think if I hadn't run away back then, if I'd faced things like you do, I might feel differently now?"
Sakuta stayed silent. He couldn't answer, nor could he fully relate, but he sensed that speaking her thoughts aloud had a healing power for her. The timing of this conversation felt like a resolution, something Miori had needed.
With a shy smile, she shrugged off her serious tone. "I'm just talking to myself, really."
"Miori," Sakuta said, looking directly at her.
"Hmm?"
"If you ever want to talk about Touko, you can come to me," he said, his gaze steady.
"Anytime?" she asked, almost as a challenge.
"Anytime. Because you're my friend," he replied, making sure she heard the sincerity in his voice.
Miori's expression softened, and she chuckled. "You're so irritatingly kind."
She looked down at her hands on the railing. "You know, I realized… I've accepted that Touko is gone. I can live with that now. But I'll always miss her."
They lingered in the moment, sharing the quiet beauty of the night. When they left Enoshima around ten, Sakuta dropped Miori off at Shonan-Enoshima Station.
"I'll see you at school tomorrow," she said with a small wave.
"Tomorrow," he echoed, waving as she stepped into the quiet station. Once she was out of sight, he drove toward Fujisawa, where he needed to return the rental car.
After handling the paperwork at the rental shop, he started walking home, reflecting on the day's events. As he passed by the station, he overheard some college students talking animatedly about the concert.
"I heard it wasn't Mai Sakurajima on stage," one of them said.
"Yeah, I saw the video. It's Touko Kirishima," another replied with a hint of excitement.
The group's lively chatter faded into the station, and Sakuta felt a sense of closure. Mai had said it herself: she wasn't Touko Kirishima. Miori's Adolescence Syndrome had been resolved, and everything was back to normal.
Or, almost everything. Though he had known it all along, Sakuta's heart felt heavy as he realized that Kaede wasn't waiting for him at home. He lowered his gaze, feeling the familiar weight of loneliness.
Just then, a voice broke the quiet night. "Sakuta-senpai?"
He looked up to see Tomoe approaching with her usual carefree smile. "What are you doing out here so late?"
"I should ask you the same," he replied. "It's late—shouldn't you be heading home?"
"I just finished my shift," she said, puffing her cheeks indignantly. "Now that I'm in college, I can work later shifts."
Sakuta smiled, watching as she looked up at him with a curious expression. "What?" she asked, noticing his lingering gaze.
"Is college fun?" Sakuta asked.
"I'm still struggling to adjust. Just picking out clothes every day is exhausting," Tomoe sighed, expressing a typical worry of hers.
"And I have to choose my own classes," she added, looking somewhat troubled.
"That sounds like a hassle."
"Luckily, Nana is helping me pick, so I'm relieved. After all, you're there too," she replied casually.
"…"
Something about what Tomoe said felt off to Sakuta, unsettling him. It didn't seem right. Nana was there, and so was he… which could only mean one thing.
"Hey, Koga," he started, feeling a sudden tension creep through him.
"What is it?"
His heart began to beat harder. "Koga, do you and I go to the same university?"
He asked nervously, his voice dry.
"Huh? You're doing this again?" She responded first with an eye-roll, but then looked at him more seriously.
"Are you okay, Senpai?" Tomoe asked, her expression showing genuine concern. She looked up at him with a puzzled face, clearly not understanding why he would even ask that, with a look that indicated she fully believed in what she had just said.
Sakuta felt light-headed under her gaze, the difference between his perception and hers throwing him off. Mai had returned to normal. But in Tomoe's world, things were still rewritten.
This realization brought a new wave of anxiety. If Tomoe's reality remained altered, then perhaps other realities hadn't returned to normal either.
The first image to pop into his mind was Kaede's face. Maybe she was still at home.
With this thought, a sense of urgency surged upward from his feet, swallowing him in a swamp of unease that wrapped around his knees.
"Sorry, Koga! I have to go! Be careful on your way home!" he shouted, then broke into a run.
"Wait, Senpai!" she called, but her voice quickly faded as he moved further away.
He dashed down the stairs of the overpass…
The light turned red, but he couldn't wait…
He ran through the crosswalk…
Crossed the bridge over the Sakai River…
Sakuta sprinted up the long, gentle slope, his breathing coming in ragged gasps.
His heart was pounding painfully, not just from the lack of air. Something seemed to be chasing him from behind, his anxiety draping over him like a thick fog, pressing against his chest and sapping his breath. Even so, he didn't stop; he couldn't stop.
He needed to get home as soon as possible.
He needed to confirm something.
A ten-minute walk became a five-minute sprint.
He burst from the elevator, finally standing at his familiar front door.
Here, he took a moment to catch his breath.
The apartment was silent.
All he could hear was the sound of his breathing.
With shaking hands, he pulled the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door.
The apartment was dimly lit. As he stepped inside, he didn't sense anyone's presence.
But as he took off his shoes, he noticed a pair of brown loafers by the entryway.
"These are Kaede's…"
"Mew~" Nasuno, their cat, appeared from the living room a moment later, meowing softly.
"Welcome home, Big Brother!" Kaede called, bouncing into view in her panda pajamas, hands raised in a cheerful welcome.
"It's really… Kaede?" he muttered, his voice cracking with disbelief.
"I'm Kaede!" she replied, tilting her head in confusion, her expression asking why he would even question it.
Sakuta felt a jolt of shock, momentarily wondering why Kaede was still here. But more than anything, he felt relief washing over him.
"So Mai wasn't really Touko Kirishima? What a surprise!" Kaede said, smiling innocently, her words breaking the tension.
Kaede was still here. She hadn't disappeared. Sakuta felt his heart finally settle.
Noting his relief, he began to feel his thoughts stirring again, as if he was hiding his happiness at this reality in front of him.
Kaede was here in the present.
This was reality.
Which could only mean one thing: this wasn't over yet.
Mai had returned to normal, but there were still realities that had been rewritten.
Tomoe's, and Kaede's too.
And what about everyone else?
"Big Brother?" Kaede looked up at him, puzzled by his expression as he stood frozen in the entryway.
"I'm fine. I'm home now."
He took off his shoes and stepped inside, moving into the living room to ease his mind.
The first thing he did was reach for the phone, dialing Rio's number.
The first ring went unanswered.
"…"
The second ring, still no answer.
"…"
The third ring was interrupted as someone picked up.
"Sakuta, what's up?" a voice said, though it wasn't Rio's. But Sakuta knew that voice—it was Yuuma Kunimi.
"Why are you answering? I called for Futaba," Sakuta replied.
"She said she's too busy to answer."
"What's she doing?"
"Working on a physics problem. She said it's for her tutoring session tomorrow."
"And you?"
"Just watching my girlfriend work hard," he replied, a hint of fondness in his voice.
What a happy scene.
"So, what did you need?" Kunimi asked.
"Thanks to you being so lovey-dovey, I'm good now."
The moment Yuuma referred to Rio as his "girlfriend," Sakuta felt a sense of relief.
"Thanks for your time."
Ignoring Yuuma's confused reply, Sakuta hung up the phone.
"What… is going on…?"
"Big Brother? Did something happen?" Kaede asked, holding Nasuno close, a worried look on her face.
But Sakuta had no answer for her.
He didn't know what was happening either…
He wished someone could explain it to him.
Questions filled his mind, clogging his thoughts, leaving him unsure of where to start or what to think.
His mind went blank, frozen in place.
Then, the phone rang again.
He initially thought it might be Yuuma calling back, since they hadn't finished talking from his perspective.
But it wasn't.
The number on the display wasn't Rio's or Yuuma's.
But it was a number Sakuta recognized.
He picked up the phone and brought it to his ear.
"Akagi?"
"Yeah. It's been a while," said Ikumi Akagi's familiar voice, sounding oddly abrupt.
"Didn't we see each other just a week ago at the concert?" he asked, surprised.
"It's been four months since I last spoke with you from here," Ikumi replied, her words overlapping with his.
She said "four months"?
A spark of understanding flashed through Sakuta's mind, making sense of her greeting.
"…Are you the Akagi from the other world?"
"Can you come out? There's someone I want you to meet."
"Someone you want me to meet?"
"They're waiting for you at the park where you used to spar with your kouhai."
Ikumi's words held a tone of invitation that left no room for questions.
"…Alright, I'll head over right away."
Despite everything that had happened today, it seemed his night wasn't over yet.
It was nearly midnight in the residential neighborhood, completely silent under the darkened sky.
Sakuta left with a quick "I'll be back" to Kaede, and without encountering anyone, he reached the nearby park.
The park where he used to "spar" with his kouhai.
Only faint streetlights illuminated the park, casting a soft glow over the empty space.
Sakuta stepped into the park, noticing a figure beside the colorful jungle gym.
It was Ikumi Akagi, the one from the other world.
She acknowledged him with a slight nod, but they didn't speak. Sakuta's attention shifted to a bench under the streetlight.
There, something large sat—a familiar pink bunny costume.
Its oversized head turned slightly, detecting his approach.
Someone was definitely inside.
"Touko Kirishima is actually Miori," Sakuta said as he sat beside the rabbit.
"I know that already," the rabbit responded, its voice unfamiliar, carrying a strange quality that felt unsettling.
It sounded a lot like him.
"Miori's problem should be resolved, and Mai is back to normal. But other realities are still altered."
"I'm aware."
"And not just Akagi from that side—you're here too. What's going on?"
"First, let's clear up your misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding?"
"The one rewriting reality isn't Miori Mitou."
"…?"
This sudden contradiction left Sakuta reeling.
"Then who is it?"
The rabbit tilted its head slightly, as if considering him.
"It's you, Sakuta Azusagawa."
"!?"
"Miori Mitou's Adolescence Syndrome is a different matter entirely."
The rabbit continued, barely giving him time to process the shock.
"How can that be? Miori herself said that every time she wakes up, reality is slightly different."
"That's probably how she perceives it."
"What do you mean?"
"In her view, she likely exists simultaneously in all possible worlds as the same Miori Mitou."
"Simultaneously…? The same?"
Sakuta repeated the words, trying to digest them.
He wanted to piece together his thoughts.
"So that means there are versions of Miori exactly like her in each world?"
"That's correct. In my world, there should be a Miori with the same memories and experiences. Akagi and I have slight variations in each world, but Miori Mitou exists as one across all realities."
"…"
"If no one noticed this, Miori Mitou could continue existing in all worlds, like a particle whose location is uncertain until observed."
"So, as long as we don't know where she is, she can be in any world?"
"Exactly."
"But someone did notice…"
The rabbit's gaze held a knowing look.
"When you came to my world, and I came to yours… you realized that there was more than one possible world. If you and I both observe Miori Mitou, what happens?"
"There would be two Mioris."
"But Miori Mitou exists as only one person."
"So what you're saying is, as long as I observe Miori here, she can't be observed in any other possible world. It creates a paradox."
"In fact, she can no longer be observed in my world."
That had been the message Ikumi conveyed at the music festival.
"I get that so far, but why does this mean I'm the one rewriting reality? If someone could do that, wouldn't it be Miori?"
"There's certainly an element of that. Existing in all worlds means she's simultaneously observing them. She knows every world. You could say every world centers around Miori Mitou. She might be a conduit, allowing different realities to become known. Like the way people discuss dreams under #Dreaming."
"…"
"You've had dreams too, right?"
"Yeah."
"And you've seen the #Dreaming posts?"
"I have. I've heard people talk about all kinds of dreams."
"Like that, you unconsciously observe other possible worlds."
"So you're saying reality is rewritten based on my observations?"
"Yes. Most likely to suit you."
"…"
"People interpret things as they want to see them."
Sakuta struggled to accept what the rabbit was saying.
He couldn't fully understand it.
The one thing he knew for sure was that reality was still being rewritten.
"The impact of you rewriting reality is reaching my world."
"…?"
"Kunimi and Futaba. In my world, they started dating last fall, but now it's rewritten so Kunimi is with Kamisato."
"So if that world comes here, this one goes there…?"
"That explanation seems accurate. This is likely happening in other possible worlds too."
"Miori once mentioned meeting different versions of me. About fifty or so."
"That suggests at least that many possible worlds."
"And now these worlds are blending together?"
The rabbit nodded slowly.
"What can I do to set things back to normal?"
"It's simple."
The rabbit rose slowly to its feet.
"Just remove the observer."
It looked down at him with emotionless eyes.
"!?"
A chill went through Sakuta as he leapt to his feet, stepping back.
But the rabbit stepped forward.
Just as Sakuta prepared to retreat again, a figure stepped between him and the rabbit.
It was Ikumi.
"You said you just wanted to talk," she chided, her voice firm.
The rabbit tilted its head. "Just kidding," it said, letting out a faint, unsettling smile.
"This is a last resort," the rabbit continued, saying something that left no room for laughter.
"I hope you're joking," Sakuta said, feeling a cold sweat down his back, nerves on edge.
"If you're hoping for that, then restore reality quickly. I might even come from another possible world."
"One of you is more than enough."
"There might be a version of me that takes even more drastic measures."
"That's really not funny."
"If this world has both 'Kaede' and 'Kaede-san,' then in some world, the possibility of Kaede disappearing is high. Sakuta Azusagawa, do you really think you would just sit back and watch that happen?"
"…"
Sakuta didn't think so, but he avoided saying it out loud. Perhaps, as the rabbit suggested, a version of himself from another possible world really would come… wearing this same rabbit costume.
"This is my last piece of advice for you." The rabbit fixed its gaze on Sakuta.
"…"
Sakuta silently returned the stare.
"Deny the Adolescence Syndrome. Do it now."
"…"
For a moment, Sakuta couldn't understand what the rabbit was saying. He didn't understand why it was telling him this, and it felt like hearing foreign words.
"Just now… what did you say…?"
So he asked, his voice hoarse.
"Deny the Adolescence Syndrome. Do it now," the rabbit repeated, word for word.
Sakuta repeated it mentally.
—Deny the Adolescence Syndrome. Do it now.
That phrase.
"If you're no longer able to recognize the Adolescence Syndrome, the observer will disappear."
"…"
"If that happens, the problem will be solved."
"Are you serious?"
"Yes. This Adolescence Syndrome doesn't exist."
"There's no way I can do that now…!"
Sakuta tried to suppress his emotions, but his voice trembled.
"Do you have any idea how it felt when no one believed me? You should know, right?"
His tone naturally became rough.
"Meeting Shoko, dating Mai… it was all because of the Adolescence Syndrome. Now, you're asking me to deny all of that?"
He thought the rabbit should understand. While they weren't identical, they both had the essence of "Sakuta Azusagawa." They'd experienced similar things, held similar memories…
"It's all an illusion. Even the you that's speaking to me now is just part of a strange dream I'm having. It's not real; it's not reality."
Yet the rabbit's response, in contrast to Sakuta's fiery emotions, was delivered calmly, which only stoked his anger further.
"So you want me to forget everything that's happened? Act like it never was?"
"That's one option."
"After losing everything, what will be left?"
"…"
The rabbit didn't respond immediately. It gazed at Sakuta, as if searching for words.
"After talking with you like this, I can tell."
After a few moments, the rabbit spoke again in a quiet tone, almost like a whisper.
"Of all the Sakuta Azusagawas, you're the one who believes in the Adolescence Syndrome the most, aren't you?"
"…"
"At least, I haven't encountered it since I graduated high school. Not until I got caught up in this situation."
The rabbit glanced toward Ikumi. It had all started with Ikumi's swapping, and it was through her that Sakuta had received information…
"It's almost midnight," the rabbit said, glancing at its phone.
Ikumi also checked the time on her phone.
The clock was nearing midnight. The long day of April 9 was finally ending, and April 10 was coming.
"April 10… that's…" Ikumi's gaze shifted to the pink rabbit.
"Sakuta Azusagawa, happy birthday. Today, you're twenty," the rabbit said, clapping its hands. The hollow applause echoed through the quiet park.
It didn't feel celebratory at all.
Emotions were immobilized by confusion.
The things he'd believed in until now were denied, and Sakuta's world felt like it was turning upside down.
"…"
He wanted to respond but couldn't find the words.
The emotions simmering within him were slowly doused by a cool-headed part of his mind.
He couldn't accept anything.
Yet he was beginning to logically grasp what the rabbit was saying.
So, what was this Adolescence Syndrome?
That question offered him a strange kind of clarity.
A delusion brought on by the instability of adolescence.
A symptom that should gradually disappear with age.
A symptom that would end one day.
Today, he'd been forced to realize he was standing on a precipice.
His heart's unease came from this anxiety.
Headlights from a car flashed through the park.
The rabbit and Ikumi both looked toward the light.
Only Sakuta remained still.
The sound of the car grew fainter, but it hadn't moved away; it had stopped nearby.
A door opened behind him.
He heard footsteps approaching.
"Sakuta?" a familiar voice called from behind.
Sakuta turned, raising his head.
Mai was standing at the park entrance.
"What are you doing in a place like this?"
She looked at Sakuta with concern.
"The rabbit and Ikumi were here," Sakuta said, glancing back to where they'd been standing.
But the pink rabbit costume was gone, as was Ikumi.
"The rabbit and Akagi-san? What do you mean?" Mai walked closer.
"They were here just a moment ago. They told me the cause of the changes in reality lies within me…"
Sakuta glanced around the park again but saw no trace of the rabbit or Ikumi.
"They were really here…"
Sakuta, unable to make sense of the situation, felt his strength leave him, and he slumped onto a nearby bench.
Mai knelt beside him and took his hands.
"We can talk more tomorrow. For now, let's go home."
On the ring finger of her right hand was the heart-shaped ring he had given her.
He could feel her warmth through their clasped hands.
The warmth seeped into his body.
"Mai-san, you're real, aren't you?"
He asked, the question laced with insecurity.
She let go of his hands, pulling his head against her chest.
"Do you think this is an illusion?"
Wrapped in her warmth, he could hear the soothing beat of her heart.
"No, I don't," he said, gripping her back tightly.
It wasn't an illusion.
For this reason, he knew he could never let go.