Once there was the "Personality Exchange" phenomenon.
Once there was the "Desire Unleash" phenomenon.
The year in which they were caught by these unbelievable events was coming to a close.
It had been four months since they first encountered «Heartseed». What happened afterward was too shocking, and because of that memories regarding the first half of the year were actually becoming blurry.
Major events like the entrance exam and entering high school were dwarfed when compared to what had happened.
Now that he thought about it, it occurred to him that he used to be living a very 'ordinary' life.
Such an ordinary life, however, was instantly shattered by a sudden disaster.
What could he do to escape it while remaining 'ordinary'?
Had he not entered Yamaboshi High School.
Had he not joined the Cultural Research Club (CRC for short).
Had he not met his companions in the CRC.
Had it been that way, he probably could have lived a much more ordinary high school life.
His rankings may not have dropped either.
However...
He never regretted entering Yamaboshi High School, joining the variety club—the CRC—that was newly established this year, and meeting his companions in the club. Not even once.
Even if he was given another chance, he would have chosen the same path as he had then.
Maybe he lost something important on the way.
Nevertheless, he was given more opportunities to gain something important.
At least this was what Yaegashi Taichi believed.
□■□■□
When the graduation ceremony ended in the ceremonial hall, each class returned to its respective classroom for a homeroom meeting.
The one who stood on the podium in Taichi's class, class 1C, was its homeroom teacher Gotou Ryuuzen (nicknamed Go-san). He was a physics teacher characterized by his carefree and relaxed personality.
"Even though the principal and student councilor said many things, as long as you don't commit any crimes or get caught up in some weird scandal during the break, you can do whatever you like. To sum it up, don't make me come out to clean up after you!"
Frank and straightforward as always. One might as well treat this as a virtue.
"Well then, the notes are distributed too... Is there anything I missed, Fujishima-san?"
"I have no idea what the higher-ups want the teachers to relay to the students; but as far as what I can think of, that should be it."
The one who answered him was the class representative Fujishima Maiko. Gotou had been relying on her responsible and able personality a lot recently (and a lot on Inaba Himeko too).
"Oh, that reminds me, it's Christmas today. Now just because it's Christmas doesn't mean you lot can go to love hotels. High schoolers are forbidden there. By the way, even if you have to do it, do it in your own homes; and don't forget the safety measures!"
"There has been a lot of troublesome events lately. I think you'd better watch your speech; it could be easily mistaken as sexual harassment, sensei."
Fujishima seemed to have become Gotou's guardian.
"Well then, that's about it. It might be a little too early, but I shouldn't get frowned on today, right? Dismissed!"
Students became restless as soon as the order was made. Since it was the day of the graduation ceremony, the classroom was filled with a mood more fidgety than usual.
"Yo, Yaegashi, you shouldn't need to worry about what Go-san said at the end, right?"
Taichi's friend, Watase Shingo, said to him.
"You're overthinking it. Watase too, right?"
Watase had the three main qualities of a good man: athletic, handsome, and cheerful, yet he didn't have a girlfriend. That was because he was after Fujishima Maiko, who seemed to be an iron fortress in her own right. Allegedly, he had tried many methods in hopes of earning Fujishima's heart, but she seemed unfazed by any of it.
"Shut up. Never mind that, didn't you say that this winter break you were gonna hang out——"
"Hey, Taichi, we'll go ahead first, okay?"
"Taichi should hurry up too~"
"Oh, alright."
Inaba and Nagase Iori gestured towards Taichi and left the classroom.
"What's up? You guys got plans?"
"We CRC are planning to have some sort of Christmas party..."
"Ah, you guys sure get along really well. That being said though, since you are getting along so well it might be surprisingly difficult now if you want to date a certain someone in the group."
"Eh... There doesn't seem to be any need to worry about that..."
"Then why don't you hurry up and ask Nagase out already?"
"... Should I say we got caught up in a rather difficult situation..."
"You keep mentioning that. It's really beginning to look dubious."
Taichi agreed that he should make it clear too.
Although that was what he had in mind...
"Whatever, it's not for me to say anyway. You seem to be in a hurry, so I'll text you about hanging out later."
"Alright."
As Watase left their desks, Taichi stood up and proceeded to chat with his other friends. They talked about things such as plans for Christmas, plans for the New Year, what sort of day January 4 was going to be, and how holiday projects were bullshit (Taichi didn't think this way).
...And ended up being distracted for quite a bit of time.
If I don't hurry, I might upset the rest of the club. With that in mind, Taichi hurried out of the classroom.
The female students waved at him from the windows: "Yaegashi-kun, see you next year!"
In the past few months the CRC members, due to their involvement in strange situations, frequently ended up acting freakishly. Yet their classmates still genuinely looked out for them. Taichi was deeply grateful for that.
Ever since they were sucked into that abnormal world, Taichi learned how great his daily life truly was.
Suddenly——
Thump.
Someone patted on Taichi's shoulder.
Nothing wrong with that.
Just like any other day in this school, somebody patted on his shoulder as usual.
Yet...
A chill ran through Taichi's entire body.
It was not... normal.
He could sense such an atmosphere in the corridor.
It was an atmosphere with a certain definitive difference than that of this world.
He was very familiar with this kind of, as he would put it, foul feeling.
No...! Taichi shook his head, denying this feeling.
This place should still be normal.
While the CRC club room was indeed invaded from time to time, this place had not been tainted.
'That person,' as unpredictable as he may be, had his own principles.
The surrounding sounds of chatter were blown far away.
He didn't want to look back.
Yet, he had to face it.
Because there was no escaping it.
Taichi gulped and spun around.
Just as his ominous feeling suggested, the one who stood there was Gotou Ryuuzen——No, a short-haired tomboyish girl.
It was Ozawa Misaki from the track and field club.
Taichi was startled at the fact that it wasn't Gotou.
What's this? I must have been hallucinating.
It felt like «Heartseed's» presence for a moment, but it seemed I was mistaken...
No.
Ozawa's eyes were half-opened.
She was emitting the same sluggish aura as that person did.
Was it «Heartseed»?
But the way she looked seemed different than the usual «Heartseed».
"...Ozawa?"
Taichi asked alarmingly.
"...You... I need you to be the Knight."
Ozawa spoke slowly, which was very different from her usual swift manner.
She was abnormal.
"What... do you mean?"
"Do not tell anyone about me... Can you promise?"
Taichi was certain the speaker before him was not Ozawa.
Yet——It didn't seem to be «Heartseed» either.
"...If you break this promise, twelve to seventeen o'clock... shall become 'forever,' understand?"
"Hold on! What's that supposed to mean?"
"It will begin soon... I know that. Well then...Bye."
As soon as she finished her sentence, Ozawa's body collapsed.
"Are—Are you alright?"
Taichi rushed to Ozawa's aid.
"Ugh... Huh? Wait, what happened?"
Ozawa opened her eyes, astonished, and stood up.
"I... What happened to me? Yaegashi-kun?"
"Uh... Ozawa, you suddenly collapsed in the corridor..."
"You're kidding... Was it anemia? Hold on, was I actually in the corridor before?"
Ozawa did not seem to recall any of what just happened.
"Ah, thanks anyway, Yaegashi-kun."
Taichi nodded and Ozawa, dumbfounded, returned to her classroom.
"Just now... What was that supposed to be?"
Knight?
Do not tell anyone?
Twelve to seventeen o'clock?
Shall become 'forever'?
More importantly, that thing——the thing that possessed Ozawa, what was it?
As Taichi collected his disarrayed thoughts, he arrived at room 401 of the recreational building, the CRC club room.
Everyone but Taichi was already there.
On the table were juice and snacks, and board games too. These were prepared yesterday.
"Hey, Taichi, did you write this?"
Inaba narrowed her slender eyes and questioned Taichi. Her posture, in addition to her slim figure, radiated the qualities of a professional model.
Taichi looked towards the blackboard that Inaba was pointing at.
Inaba Himeko, Nagase Iori, Kiriyama Yui, Aoki Yoshifumi
The CRC members' names were written on the board.
"Why isn't my name there? Am I supposed to write it up there myself?"
Taichi responded, and then Inaba's expression stiffened.
"You didn't write it either..."
"When we arrived, they were already written on the board... but none of us, including Taichi, recall writing any of this..."
Kiriyama Yui explained as she wrapped her arms around her small body.
"Then... who wrote it?"
"If we knew, we wouldn't have asked you."
"This really is... a mysterious case!"
Aoki Yoshifumi shook his slightly long curly hair, seemingly excited.
Nagase Iori, cupping her chin in a dramatic pose, replied:
"This case... could it be a 'Guess who wrote it on the blackboard' kind of who-did-it game that somebody prepared..."
"So that's it! In other words, the message on the board is a dining message? Iori-chan. In that case the culprit must be... Taichi! That's because his name is the only one not on it!"
"It wasn't me. And your deduction is too sloppy. By the way, it's not 'dining,' it's 'dying.'"
Three apparent flaws in one sentence——The Aoki today was staying true to his Aoki style.
"If it really is a who-did-it game... then wouldn't Iori be the most suspicious since she was the first one to bring the subject up? Don't the culprits usually behave like that?"
"Y—Yui... Are you suspecting me...?"
"No! I'm just saying! I mean Iori is so cute, why would you lie to us!"
"You believe I'm innocent, Yui!"
"Of course, Iori!"
Nagase and Kiriyama hugged each other like a duo in a play. Inaba darted a look at them and then, with a serious expression, muttered:
"So someone came into club room... but what were they after...?"
"Could it be just a prank? I mean, they only wrote names on the board... though not having my name up there does kinda bother me..."
"It isn't just names, Taichi."
"Huh?"
Hearing Inaba's words, Taichi looked towards the board again to find that there was something else written besides the names.
Twelve to seventeen o'clock
"What's that? The time... Ah!"
He remembered that Ozawa mentioned a time when she was acting strange just before...
——Twelve to seventeen o'clock... shall become 'forever.'
The voice that did not belong to Ozawa rang in his head.
Taichi felt a sudden chill.
Was this a coincidence? Or was it——
The clock in the room displayed 11:50.
Should he tell everyone what happened?
But that thing told him "do not tell anyone" and "do not break the promise".
Maybe he should first observe the situation and not do anything reckless for now?
Nothing had happened yet, after all.
"If this is a prank, then it's just ridiculous... Anything go missing here?"
Inaba pointed out. They searched through the whole club room, but did not find anything out of ordinary.
"Hmm... that felt a little creepy, but let's celebrate first. We'll talk about this later."
Everyone cheered with their drinks and began the Christmas party (which was actually nothing more than eating, drinking, chatting, and playing).
"Hoowa——! Sodas are great!"
"...Iori, can you be a little more lady-like? (Gulp)... So sour! Hold on, this isn't something a human can drink, is it?"
"Don't stand when you're eating, Yui. Turns out I'm the most lady-like here now am I?"
"Inaba-chan, Inaba-chan, ladies don't lean on their elbows on the table; it's like one of those forty-year-old white collars at the bar with an old man's drinking gesture... OUCH!"
"I kept my back straight; in no way do I look like a middle-aged old man!"
The four of them bickered.
Taichi, on the other hand, was checking the time while holding his paper cup near his mouth.
"Why are you looking at the time so much, Taichi? The party just started!"
Nagase said half-jokingly, peeking at Taichi.
Having the face of the rumored 'cutest girl of the class year' closing in on him like that, Taichi couldn't help but feel a spike in his heart rate.
"Oh, it's nothing..."
Taichi casually glossed it over while looking at the clock again.
The time was about to hit twelve o'clock.
Just as Taichi thought nothing would happen——
"Ugh...!"
The air suddenly changed.
Nagase moaned and abruptly put down the paper cup she was holding.
"Na— Nagase?"
"My... body's burning up..."
Nagase's expression changed drastically, and her entire body quivered uncontrollably.
"You okay?"
Taichi inquired, but Nagase was not in any condition to answer.
"Eh... Whoa... Me too..."
Kiriyama made a hoarse sound. She painfully grasped onto her chestnut-brown long hair.
"Oi, what's going on?!"
"Yui and Iori-chan, are you two alright?!"
Inaba and Aoki both asked as they noticed something was wrong.
Twelve to seventeen o'clock.
The message on the blackboard.
Paranormal changes.
The one who wasn't «Heartseed».
Twelve o'clock was the mark of a certain beginning——Just as that thought flashed across Taichi's mind...
Nagase and Kiriyama vanished from this world.
"What the—?!"
Taichi shrieked all of the sudden.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
Upon closer look, they did not exactly vanish without a trace.
Where Nagase and Kiriyama were sitting just before were now two adorable little girls, each covered in an over-sized YBH uniform.
"What... Wait... Who... They?"
Inaba asked, utterly confused.
"The real question is... Where are Nagase and Kiriyama?"
Taichi remarked after Inaba.
The black hair girl and the chestnut-brown hair girl looked around.
"Wooo~ my clothes are so big~"
The black hair girl said while swinging her over-length sleeves about.
"Mine too!"
The chestnut-brown hair girl said and rolled up her sleeves. Then, she proceeded to help the younger girl next to her to do the same.
"Oh, snacks! May I pick the ones I like?"
The chestnut-hue hair girl asked.
Taichi and the remaining others, still speechless, nodded. The little girl cheered and picked up two biscuits.
Then, she gave one to the black hair girl.
"Would you like some? Here."
"Thank you~"
The two girls began eating together like best friends.
Taichi and Aoki, who was right next to him, unconsciously looked at each other. Then they grabbed each other's shoulders.
"Wha— wha— wha— what is this?! What's going on?! Am I getting hallucinations of myself swapping bodies?!"
Aoki exclaimed, his eyes stretching wide from bewilderment.
"How am I supposed to know?! Don't ask me! There must be something wrong with my eyes!"
"Something with the eyes... Ah... That must be it! Okay, let's close our eyes. One... two... three... ready. Once we open our eyes everything will be back to normal... Why is it still the same?!"
"Who are these children?! Where are their parents?! The mother of these children, please come and take them home!"
Taichi yelled in panic. Suddenly, Inaba started laughing dryly and stood up form her seat.
Then, she opened the window... and screamed with everything from the bottom of her lungs:
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON——————?!"
Inaba's voice echoed through the schoolyard.
After that scream, Inaba seemed to have cooled down and led the remaining others to examine their current situation.
Judging by the current outcome and casting aside any thoughts of "This is impossible!", they deduced that Nagase Iori and Kiriyama Yui had reverted back to their child selves.
The two girls who suddenly appeared in the CRC room were the result of reverting Nagase and Kiriyama. Nagase was around her first year in grade school, while Kiriyama was in her fifth.
Nagase and Kiriyama not only became miniature, but their face also became round and child-like. Their hair style, however, remained the same.
Also, they both appeared directly at the spot where the first year high school versions of Nagase and Kiriyama were previously. The two were right before Taichi's group's eyes. It was hard to imagine how the two could manage to hide themselves somewhere and switch places with the children.
In addition to that, the clothes miniature Nagase and Kiriyama were wearing were the exact same clothes worn by the originals. Everything, including items in the pockets, was the same. So there was no doubt about it.
It should also be noted that as they were examining the clothes, mini-Nagase stood up and her skirt and underwear almost fell off, which made her panic. Inaba swiftly attacked Taichi's and Aoki's eyes. While the two were groaning in pain, she immediately implemented measures to stop Nagase's clothes from falling off.
Finally, the key evidence was the words from the girls involved.
Wrapped in loose clothing (the skirts looked like gowns on them), the two girls sat side by side. Across from them sat Aoki, Inaba and Taichi.
"Ahem." Inaba cleared her throat.
"Let me verify once more... What are your names and ages? Start with the one who's older."
"Yes! Kiriyama Yui, eleven years old!"
The highly energetic Kiriyama(11) answered cheerfully. She looked to be a lot more competitive compared to the present Yui, and seemed like the healthy type of girl that would run off even in the cold winter.
"Well then, this child over here?"
"Nagase Iori, six years old!"
Nagase(6) answered cheerfully too. The hairband that fell off during the reversal(?) was tied back to her hair again. Hence, she looked just like a shrunken version of Nagase.
"Next question then. Who is this lanky, dirty onii-chan?"
"Aoki-san!"
"Aoki Onii-chan!"
"The 'dirty' part was not necessary, Inaba-chan!"
"Who is this handsome onii-chan over here?"
"Taichi-san!"
"Taichi Onii-chan!"
"So... So I get a compliment for my introduction, Inaba-san...?"
Taichi was certain that he was going to be criticized.
How should he put it? He was not used to being complimented, so he was not sure how to react towards this unexpected outcome.
"Well then, who am I?"
"Inaba-san!"
"Inaba Onee-chan!"
"OK. Now, for the two of you... what are we?"
"Eh... Inaba-san is Inaba-san... Aoki-san is Aoki-san, Taichi-san is Taichi-san. What else could it be?"
"Onii-chan and Onee-chan are Onii-chan and Onee-chan?"
"...I see. Then do you remember anything you did yesterday?"
"I think I first went to school, then the dojo... but it's kinda hazy, so I'm not quite sure."
"I went to school too, and played with my friends!"
"The next question is for Yui... Do you remember your weekly schedule?"
Inaba gave Kiriyama(11) some pen and paper.
"The second semester right? If I only need to make a rough list..."
Even though Kiriyama(11) was hesitant on some details, occasionally making sounds of "Hmmph~", she managed to write down her schedule.
"Okay, I finished, I think that's it."
Inaba operated her cell phone and compared Kiriyama(11)'s paper with the version she obtained via several layers of social networking: a photo from those who 'possess copies of Kiriyama's schedule during fifth grade'. (Some people sure knew how to store things well.)
"...All correct... Why don't you two go play for a little?"
"Alright. Let's play, Iori-chan?"
"Let's play! I wanna play this!"
"Oh! You know how to play reversi?"
"Yep!"
The two girls were enjoying themselves like a pair of loving siblings.
Inaba watched over the happy girls with a serious expression, and spoke:
"If we reorganize these pieces of information..."
Nagase and Kiriyama were reverted in time, and both their body and mind were back to their younger age.
They seemed to be able to recognize their surroundings pretty well. They didn't question their situation, as if it was meant to be from the start. But when asked with questions like "Why are you here?" they couldn't seem to answer clearly.
When the two were reverted, they had some of their memory from that age (mostly fragments of memories though. Considering that they suddenly appeared here as a presence of 'this moment' due to a supernatural phenomenon, it was only logical).
"——And there you have it... The hell with 'there you have it'! This makes no sense!"
Inaba jabbed at her own remark. She seemed extremely shaken.
Based on their observations, if Taichi and the others only knew about the 'normal' world, they would probably never believe it. In fact, they may not even be observing to begin with.
If they were 'normal,' and took the 'normal' approach, while they would feel strange, they would simply bring the children to the staff office or the police, then proceed to search for the missing Nagase and Kiriyama.
But they did not take such a 'normal' approach.
Because they knew about that other world.
Because they knew about such an abnormality that would do all kinds of things to reach them.
Because they knew... that they must deal with that abnormality.
"This is really bad."
Aoki said. Inaba murmured by his side:
"This could be reconstruction of the human body at a cellular... No, this might even be at a molecular level... including the mind and memory... and the change appears to be tuned naturally... swapping between a person from the past and present... Something like that... Maybe."
"These two girls... What kind of presence are they?"
Taichi peeked at the child versions of his peers.
"What kind of presence? I doubt I can answer that... because they aren't supposed to show up here at all."
Rather than how it happened, one should say that the two children shouldn't exist here at all.
"If that's the case... Where are the original Yui and Iori-chan now?"
"... They could be existing somewhere... or they could be not existing at all. If we think of them as the result of a complete transformation... Something like that. Wait a minute."
Inaba seemed to have caught onto something. Then she raised her eye brow.
"This may sound inauspicious... But just to consider one extreme of the scale, suppose our younger versions of Iori and Yui die in a car accident... If that comes true... What will happen?"
"We'd then have ourselves a pair of human corpses that aren't supposed to exist... Give me a break, I don't want to know! We should say... Actually no. We should presume that...the two of them will return to normal sooner or later... right?"
Inaba closed her eyes and nodded at Taichi's word.
"They should... Hopefully. Based on what we've experienced anyway, is that right?"
The root of this situation...
The one who can create such a situation...
"...That's if this is «Heartseed»'s doing."
Aoki spoke the name of the mastermind who brought Taichi and the rest of the CRC into this abnormal situation.
No matter how ridiculous the situation could get, they had the feeling that "If he's involved, anything can happen."
"After three times... anyone would start getting used to it. This is bullshit!"
Inaba swore. Taichi began:
"But I——"
This noon, he...
"Hm? Don't just stop at halfway will you?"
Inaba stared into Taichi's eye closely.
The Ozawa that was possessed by someone.
The enforced promise.
Even without much of a forceful demeanor, he felt the immense pressure exerted on him. He could even say the presence was at a level beyond that of this world.
And it seemed that he was the only one who was contacted.
In the end, after putting all the information together, Taichi looked away from Inaba.
"No... nothing... It was nothing."
What sort of being was that thing? How was «Heartseed» related to this? What sort of phenomenon was this? Taichi knew nothing.
That one-sided promise may have a significant meaning.
At least before he had more information, he should hold on.
"What? If you notice anything weird, say it, okay?"
Taichi could only nod dubiously at Inaba's words.
"Say, if this is «Heartseed's» doing... Does that mean we would turn into 'this' too?"
Aoki said half-jokingly, but failed to hide his anxiety.
Based on the past two phenomena...
"It will... most likely, at random, revert some of us back to kids..."
"Wait! Wait! Wait! Hold on a second!"
Taichi's murmuring stirred Inaba greatly.
"Why are you in such a flurry, Inaba?"
"Random... In that case, what happens if this occurs on the street?"
"If someone turns into a little kid on the streets... Yelp!"
As Taichi caught onto what Inaba was thinking, his face immediately paled.
"A physical change... is visible to the naked eyes."
Inaba's voice was trembling in fear.
"Doesn't that mean... we won't even be able to step outside?"
Unable to step outside——it took Taichi a while to grasp the meaning of this simple remark.
"Eh... What? Ehhhh?! No, but...really... You're right... Ahhh!"
Aoki held his head and opened his mouth wide in horror.
Was there anything those beings couldn't do?
"Uh~ Uh~"
Kiriyama(11) suddenly came towards Inaba and yanked at her uniform, with Nagase(6) by her side.
"W—What's up?"
"Iori-chan says she wants to use the bathroom, I'll watch her. I've been taking good care of her!"
Kiriyama(11) seemed pleased with herself.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Okay~"
The two held hands and happily headed for the door.
"Wait, wait, waaaiiiiiit a second you dummies!"
Inaba blocked their path with a stern expression.
"Eh? Why?"
Kiriyama(11) asked with her head slanted in confusion.
"I can't let you go outside!"
"Huh... but..."
"I'm gonna pee~"
Nagase(6) started crossing her legs.
"W—What you mean you're gonna pee! Don't talk like that!"
"Inaba... She's just a child..."
It was obviously nothing of importance, but Taichi still had to point it out.
"Then I'll go by myself~"
"Whether you go by yourself or not isn't the problem; having a grade-schooler walk around the campus in an over-sized uniform is!"
"Pee... I'm gonna pee..."
Nagase(6)'s eyes became teary.
"Gah—— Damn it, okay I get it! Taichi, Aoki! You go out there and secure the hallway between here and the bathroom! Keep a close eye on them. We absolutely must not let anyone see them! I'll take over once we get inside the bathroom!"
Nagase(6)'s bathroom dilemma became so alarming that one could describe it as the frontlines of a battlefield.
Operation bathroom infiltration success.
After that, Taichi and the remaining others could only anxiously wait for the time to pass.
They were unsure of when they would end up like Nagase and Kiriyama.
They tried to prepare countermeasures, but failed to make any progress due to the overwhelming number of uncertain factors.
On the other hand, Nagase(6) and Kiriyama(11) were happily taking their freedom with snacks and games.
The remaining three watched over Nagase and Kiriyama, hoping that they would return to normal. But nothing happened, and the sky had turned dark outside.
"They aren't going to stay that way forever... right?"
Neither Nagase and Kiriyama showed any sign of returning to normal, and since it had been quite a long time, Inaba began to worry.
"I hope not... That would be too much to bear."
A person's entire history had been suddenly turned upside down, how could anyone take that?
"Oh! It's almost five now. Finally..." Aoki said.
Based on what they had gathered, this hour was their only thread of 'hope'.
Taichi looked towards the clock on the wall; its hand was about to hit 'twelve'.
Then he looked back towards the writing on the blackboard.
Twelve to seventeen o'clock.
——Could this mean the phenomenon only occurs 'from twelve to seventeen o'clock'?
The time written on the board left them such an abrupt impression that it led to many questions.
Then there was the fact that Nagase(6) and Kiriyama(11) both appeared at twelve o'clock.
It was a weak conclusion based on only two facts.
Yet, the three of them had a feeling that "it might be it".
And then to Taichi, the fact that he was told of 'twelve to seventeen o'clock' made him even more certain of it.
Taichi had not yet mentioned anything about the encounter with the possessed Ozawa to Inaba and Aoki.
To be honest, he felt he had missed his chance to speak up.
"Ah, it's five," Aoki said.
After a short pause, in the next moment——
"Ungh..."
"Augh..."
Nagase(6) and Kiriyama(11), who were playing cards at the time, held their arms around themselves.
Then, in the succeeding moment——
There stood Nagase Iori and Kiriyama Yui, who were returned to normal.
Taichi was petrified from shock.
He was certain that he had been watching the two tightly and had never diverted his eyes. Maybe he had blinked, but even then it was only a blink of the eye.
Even so, Taichi could not tell how the two returned to normal.
When he noticed, Nagase and Kiriyama were standing there as if they were already there to begin with.
"Th—They changed back?"
Aoki jumped up and exclaimed, while Inaba was at a loss.
"Huh... This time... is like this. What was that... magic? Is that even possible? It doesn't matter, does it... Of course it does! I refuse to accept this!"
"Umm... Eh... How did I get here?"
Kiriyama, who just returned to normal, felt confused. Nagase shook her head as well.
"That was strange... What happened? Say, why does my belly feel so tight? Who—Whoa!? How did my underwear end up like this?"
Nagase began fixing her clothing.
"Oi, Nagase! We boys are here too! Don't lift your skirt like——" "Ahhh Iori-chan——"
"Then why don't you two have some self-respect and avert your eyes?!"
Inaba threw a punch at Taichi between the eyes, who collapsed backwards along with his chair (she threw one at Aoki as well).
"Do you two... remember anything that happened just now?"
Inaba inquired, and the two expressed their surprise.
"Just now... What... You mean...?"
Kiriyama questioned.
"Why is it so dark outside?! What time is it... five o'clock?!"
Nagase stood up, shocked.
"Five o'clock? Huh? Wha—How?! Wasn't it noon just now?!"
They didn't seem to have retained any memory while they were turned into children(?).
Hence, Inaba filled the two in on what happened.
The two initially expressed "You're kidding" and did not quite believe her words, but after some serious explanation from everyone else, their expressions changed.
"I... I became eleven..."
"And I became six..."
Inaba sighed and scratched her head.
"Yea... At least that's what you... No, I mean, that's what the children that were just here insisted... You seemed to have transformed into your 'past selves', or you could have been swapped with your 'past selves'... But based on what we saw, the physical transformation theory seems to make more sense... Even though they both make zero sense!"
"Wait a minute!"
Kiriyama began touching her own face and body.
"If—If I had become a child, then my body must have shrunk too, right? If I shrunk, where did all the extra muscle and hair go? The real question is, what? Can my body even handle that kind of crazy change?"
"Don't ask me... I don't even want to think about it."
"Ahaha... I can only laugh right now... But I... really don't remember anything from the past several hours..."
Nagase wanted to treat it as a joke, but the stiff smile on her face said otherwise.
"Are your bodies... Do you two feel alright?"
Taichi asked about what he was most concerned about.
"Hm... I seem fine."
Nagase paused, and tilted her head with a hesitant expression.
"Uh... But... Something is odd."
"What? If you feel anything odd you have to tell us."
"Hmm... Is it because you guys told me that I had become six years old? ...My childhood memories feel really fresh in my head. Things that occurred when I was in first-grade... I usually can't recall any of those."
"Now that you mention it, it seems to be the same for me too... Whoa... Now that I've realized it... Ah~ This feeling is nostalgic and kind of embarrassing too..."
"...So your past memories are evoked, huh?"
Inaba murmured, and proceeded:
"So... rather than saying 'you had swapped with your past selves', it would be more accurate to say 'you had physically transformed'? Theoretically speaking, if it was 'swapping with the past selves', it wouldn't have left anything behind."
As usual, Inaba analyzed the situation solely with the information she had.
"What about now? Do you still not remember anything from during the change?"
Nagase made a 'hmm' sound and entered deep thought.
"...I still don't... remember anything. I do remember other things from my past though: playing with friends, doing homework, and... things about my family."
When she mentioned her family, Nagase's tone shifted slightly.
Nagase was six years old when she met her second 'new' father.
"Everything that I recall are things from way back then... Ah... I think I sorta became aware of my feelings back then too... This feels awkward," Nagase said sombrely.
Kiriyama continued:
"I have the same feeling as Iori... While I still find it hard to believe that I don't remember anything about my change... Things I did when I was a fifth grader... Should I say 'distinct'? ...I don't know how to say it, but I feel my chest wrenching..."
"Stop just a moment, you two."
Catching onto their grim shift in mood, Inaba interrupted the two.
"Do you think we're going to find any clues by digging into those details?"
The two gave the question a brief thought and shook their heads.
"Then why don't we put them aside for now. We've got more important things to think about." Inaba asserted.
Her considerations probably weren't just limited to the rational level of the problem. It was also on the emotional level. Inaba may be blunt at times, but she had always taken attentive note of the others' delicate states of mind.
"Even though I'm saying that, I have no clue what to do!"
Inaba seemed rather unsure of today's events.
"So, is it safe to say that——"
Aoki said awkwardly.
"——it has begun?"
He did not specify 'what' has begun.
Inaba stood up and tapped the blackboard.
"The time written up here... Should we think of it as the time of occurrence for this phenomenon? Once reverted to a child, that person will remain a child for the entire course of the time. That, or somebody else may be randomly reverted during that time ... Also, the meaning behind leaving out Taichi's name... Anyway——"
Inaba muttered and then looked back towards Taichi and the rest.
"We can say that this is «Heartseed's» doing."
She brought up the culprit's name once again.
"——So this time we're getting 'Time Regression' huh?"
Inaba finished and became silent.
Only the sound of air ventilation could be heard in the room.
Finally realizing the stale atmosphere, a nauseous feeling rushed through the CRC members' stomach.
Images of those unreasonable experiences flashed through their mind.
Every piece of those memories felt heavy, like boulders tied to their shoulders.
"Ahh... I can't take this anymore. But I have only heard it from you, it just doesn't feel real to me..."
Nagase leaned her face flat against the table and complained. Kiriyama continued,
"Again... again... again... Ugh."
"This is the third... If there's two then there'll be a third... right?"
To Aoki's remark, Inaba responded,
"If it does end at three times, that is... I must be out of my mind to think that."
It happened once, twice, and now thrice. Then... and thereafter...
It may still seem 'abnormal' at the moment, but one day it may become 'normal' to them. Taichi shuddered at this brief but dreadful thought.
No one said anything, and the time slowly ticked away.
Minutes had passed——Nagase was the first to break the silence.
"Let's... work together!"
She sounded very cheerful, enough to cause everyone to lift their heads.
"...We have... each others' back!"
Aoki echoed after her with an even more cheerful tone.
"I'm having trouble believing what's going on... But I'll do my best."
Kiriyama, whose expression was stiff before, tightened her fist.
"True, there's no point worrying now..."
Inaba smiled wryly and agreed.
They forcibly drove away any clouds of doubt they might've had.
Everyone was worried, but they would move forward together.
The CRC had become stronger.
They were strong enough to resist any incoming disaster.
Everyone focused on Taichi.
"Oh... Er... F—Fight!"
The other four dropped their heads in disappointment.
"C'mon~ We gave you the spotlight at the end. You could at least try to finish it with something inspiring!"
Nagase puffed her cheeks and booed.
"Oh well... This is expected from Taichi. It wasn't so bad after all."
Inaba gave a tired look.
"The real question is what should we do next... Hey, do you think it's alright for us to go home now?"
That suggestion didn't sound like something that would come from Inaba, who would normally avoid any unnecessary risks.
"Is it really going to be all right, Inaba-chan? What if that happens again? We'd be in big trouble!" Aoki asked.
"Iori's and Yui's 'Time Regression' occurred exactly from noon till five in the afternoon, sharp. And then there are those writings on the board... Based on these two clues, 'Time Regression' should only occur between twelve and seventeen o'clock. That's how I see it."
"But... don't you think we are drawing conclusions too early?"
This time it was Nagase who spoke.
"True. But that guy... at least before he shows up to explain, he wouldn't let this situation come to a 'surprising end'."
«Heartseed» would take a certain amount of time to 'observe' CRC's resistance in hopes of finding something 'interesting'.
This was something they were certain about.
"I see... I suppose you're right. If it's that serious, he would at least explain it to us."
"Yeah. In extreme cases, if it does end up ugly... he would have shown up already."
Inaba paused as everyone else held their breath.
Several seconds passed, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
"——Judging by that, there shouldn't be any problems then. The notice on the board must have been a heads up for us, right?"
Inaba said and threw her fist against the board.
"This is annoying... It's as if we're putting our faith in him..."
Kiriyama muttered with mixed feelings.
"At least until he comes over to explain, it shouldn't end up with anything disastrous... That should be it... maybe... I can only say 'maybe'."
Inaba lowered her voice at the end.
"I trust Inaban."
Nagase said confidently.
"Me too."
"Me too."
"...Me too."
Kiriyama, Aoki and Taichi followed suit.
"Feels weird to be unconditionally trusted like this... However, if you are willing to... then please trust me."
——In the end, despite all the hesitations, Taichi was unable to speak out his concern.
The very factor that would overthrow their theory——with the assumption of who the mastermind was——may not be «Heartseed».
After Taichi and the group decided that they would meet the next day at Inaba's house, they parted on their way home.
When he was alone, Taichi began organizing his thoughts.
Nagase and Kiriyama were reverted to children.
Taichi had long given up the thought of "that's not possible". That would be a waste of time.
It had already happened, so he could only accept it as such.
The important thing was what to do next.
Taichi had no doubts about Inaba's theory. Thinking that the 'Time Regression' might happen to him at any minute, however, made him extremely nervous.
Taichi had other concerns besides the phenomenon itself.
The writings on the blackboard excluded his name.
The one who only contacted Taichi.
He kept feeling that even though the situation this time seemed the same as before, something was different.
Not to mention: Would something significant happen to him?
Just as he was brainstorming, Taichi arrived home safely.
He let out a white breath under the darkened sky and relaxed his body a little.
Of course, he wouldn't let down his guard just because he was home, but at least he didn't need to be as uptight as he was outside.
For him, home was the place where he could be at ease.
"I'm home."
As soon as he opened the front door, he could hear light footsteps coming from the other end of the corridor.
"Onii-chan, you're so late~ Didn't you say you were gonna arrive home early?"
His sister's innocent eyes stared at Taichi with some trace of anger.
She seemed to be helping with housework, as her slightly curly hair was tied to the back of her head.
"S—Sorry. I had something important to do."
"Something more important than your cute little sister. Oh~"
She was being somewhat difficult.
"It's Christmas after all! Onii-chan has a girlfriend too. I guess he does have something important to do~"
"I said I do not have a girlfriend!"
"Eh? Wasn't there a girl before that felt pretty nice together with Onii-chan? You still aren't dating yet? You should just go for it, Onii-chan is such a child."
"Onii-chan does not agree with that 'try it out first' kind of practice!"
Never would he have thought that he would be called a 'child' by his five-year-younger sister...
"Don't tell me you haven't given her a present yet. It's Christmas after all."
"Er... I haven't."
Who was he going to give a present to? He couldn't just give one to both of them.
"Ahh~ That's not right. In that case, since you haven't given anything to a girl, why don't you give me something as a substitute, Onii-chan?"
"Alright I get it... Hey, wait a minute. What kind of weird theory was that? Don't you think it's weird?"
Taichi recently had this vision of his sister's impish nature in the future... No no. No way. His sister should be as pure as an angel at all times.
His sister began walking back towards the corridor. Taichi took off his shoes and followed suit.
His sister spun around and faced Taichi.
"Oi, why did you stop so sudden——"
Taichi gasped as he stared into his sister's face.
Her eyes were lifeless and hollow.
Taichi knew it was abnormal.
This place isn't the same.
This mustn't be allowed.
This shouldn't be happening.
You can't intrude here.
Taichi refused to believe it. Words flew through his mind like an endless mantra.
Even so, nothing changed before his eyes.
"...Who are you?"
Only the CRC was supposed to be involved in the phenomena.
Only they were caught in the paranormal world. Everything else around them should have remained the same.
For Taichi, this was the safe zone.
His sister should not be involved.
"Who am I... who am I... who am I?"
The entity that possessed his sister tilted its head, seemingly confused.
"You're not «Heartseed», are you?"
"Not... «Heartseed»? I am «Heartseed» too..."
That voice had a slow kind of unique rhythm to it, and sounded kind of airy.
This was not how his sister spoke. Taichi never once heard his sister speak like that.
"What's going on? Are you «Heartseed»? You don't sound nor feel like him, right? Or are you telling me that «Heartseed» is not really a name but rather..."
Ah. I'm talking to that 'certain something' like it was nothing.
His sister's being involved, yet he didn't scream nor run away... He merely accepted it as a part of reality.
It was abnormal.
Including himself, things were becoming too abnormal.
"Ahh... I see."
That being seemed to have understood and hence nodded.
"In that case... I am «Heartseed's»... next... you might as well call me «Number Two». I am «Number Two», do you understand?"
"«Number Two»... That's your name?"
"Correct... Can it be?"
"Er... There's no point asking me."
What? Could it be that these 'things' don't have names to begin with?
He seemed to be familiar with «Heartseed» though...
"You were the one who possessed Ozawa during the day... Am I correct?"
Taichi first wanted to confirm this.
"Correct. We have met during the daytime. It is progressing smoothly right now... Tomorrow, again."
"Wait, you said tomorrow——"
"Same as today. At twelve o'clock some of the four will be reverted to children. At seventeen o'clock they return to normal."
"That phenomenon... was your doing?"
"...Yes."
«Heartseed» did not trigger the phenomenon.
A situation that was same as before but, at the same time, definitively different had started its wheels.
Taichi suppressed his quivering body and inquired about his primary concern.
"Only four you say... Was I excluded?"
"...It will be troublesome if all five were reverted to children. Worst case scenario... ...will be unable to continue."
He may be right about that.
"Why... only me?"
"Why... why... why? No reason."
Was this a coincidence? Then again if he's the same kind of entity as «Heartseed», it would make sense.
Before Taichi could ask another question, «Number Two» in Taichi's sister's body spoke.
"You must keep everyone from trouble. Once it begins... You are on your own. Good luck. I... will be observing. I have a good feeling about this."
The other party would not intervene. Taichi and his group must deal with it themselves, hence Taichi was designated as the 'unchanging variable'... Something like that. And like 'that person,' this one wanted to 'observe'.
The one thing in common between «Number Two» and «Heartseed» was that they were both very vague, and Taichi needed to fill in the blanks with his own imagination.
"Also, do not mention me to anyone. This is very important. You must keep this promise. If you break it... I will make the situation very troublesome."
What did he mean by troublesome?
"...What are you after? Where is «Heartseed»? How are you related to him?"
Taichi asked with every question that he could think of.
«Number Two», still expressionless, blinked briefly.
"...«Heartseed» seems to think your group is interesting. But I think «Heartseed's» relationship with your group is far more interesting. Or I should say, peculiar."
"So in the end... What are you trying to achieve?"
"...What would it be?"
"You don't know it yourself...?"
Taichi and the others didn't understand the meaning behind it all, but «Heartseed» seemed to have a specific goal in mind.
Hold on, that would mean...
"How long... will this phenomenon last?"
«Number Two» stiffened for a few seconds.
"Until I have found my answer."
For a moment, Taichi felt he was about to black out.
When would this entire ordeal without even a destination truly end?
"...Bye."
"Bye?"
Just as Taichi was caught off guard by the sudden words of departure——
"...Huh? Why am I face to face with Onii-chan?"
The abnormal atmosphere vanished without a trace.
"Hey— Wait a sec——!"
It was only a wishful thinking.
"Hm? What's wrong, Onii-chan?"
"...It was nothing."
"Oh, is that so?"
Taichi watched as his sister walked back to the living room, his back drenched in cold sweat.
«Heartseed» was an unreasonable entity.
Yet, as unreasonable as he may be, «Heartseed» had his own set of principles.
But there was no guarantee that «Number Two» would follow the same principles.
They had no limit in terms of what they could do.
Taichi knew it far too well: 'They' have the power to easily kill everyone.
«Heartseed» didn't seem to have any killing intent.
But what about «Number Two»?
Did «Number Two» plan to appear before Taichi only?
Was that «Number Two's» method? Or was there any specific meaning behind it?
What measures should Taichi take?
+++
"...Did I really... turn into a child?"
That night, Nagase Iori made a phone call to Inaba Himeko.
"Yeah... You really did turn into a child... I think."
"R—Really... Then——"
"What's wrong?"
"Well... Seeing the past me... Would Taichi dislike me?"
"...He's not that kind of guy, is he? I think."
"I—I guess so... I think."
"Y—Yeah... I think."
"Hm... Huh"
"... Hah, kukuku!"
"Pff... Ahahahaha!"
"Teehahaha, what is this 'Girl's Talk'? The fact that we're talking about this was funny enough, and we like the same guy too! This is like a joke. Don't you agree?"
"I know right. I never would have dreamt that I would be talking to Inaban about this kind of stuff."
"I'm a girl too, you know. I have my fantasies too... Say, don't you think our current relationship is kind of interesting? Why don't we try letting Taichi two-time?"
"Oh, that's a fascinating idea! I hope you're not trying to make me let my guard down while aiming for a chance for yourself though, are you?"
"Auu!"
"I didn't know Inaban was the type to say 'Auu!'"
"...Er, sorry, my reaction was just too weird. I can't quite grasp it myself either. Please forget it..."
"Ah, I'd really love to see Inaban's embarrassed face now!"
Nagase tried her best to talk lively and cheerfully.
Even just a little, she wanted to keep herself from giving in to that 'unreality'.
Once there was the "Personality Exchange" phenomenon.
Once there was the "Desire Unleash" phenomenon.
The year in which they were caught by these unbelievable events was coming to a close.
It had been four months since they first encountered «Heartseed». What happened afterward was too shocking, and because of that memories regarding the first half of the year were actually becoming blurry.
Major events like the entrance exam and entering high school were dwarfed when compared to what had happened.
Now that he thought about it, it occurred to him that he used to be living a very 'ordinary' life.
Such an ordinary life, however, was instantly shattered by a sudden disaster.
What could he do to escape it while remaining 'ordinary'?
Had he not entered Yamaboshi High School.
Had he not joined the Cultural Research Club (CRC for short).
Had he not met his companions in the CRC.
Had it been that way, he probably could have lived a much more ordinary high school life.
His rankings may not have dropped either.
However...
He never regretted entering Yamaboshi High School, joining the variety club—the CRC—that was newly established this year, and meeting his companions in the club. Not even once.
Even if he was given another chance, he would have chosen the same path as he had then.
Maybe he lost something important on the way.
Nevertheless, he was given more opportunities to gain something important.
At least this was what Yaegashi Taichi believed.
□■□■□
When the graduation ceremony ended in the ceremonial hall, each class returned to its respective classroom for a homeroom meeting.
The one who stood on the podium in Taichi's class, class 1C, was its homeroom teacher Gotou Ryuuzen (nicknamed Go-san). He was a physics teacher characterized by his carefree and relaxed personality.
"Even though the principal and student councilor said many things, as long as you don't commit any crimes or get caught up in some weird scandal during the break, you can do whatever you like. To sum it up, don't make me come out to clean up after you!"
Frank and straightforward as always. One might as well treat this as a virtue.
"Well then, the notes are distributed too... Is there anything I missed, Fujishima-san?"
"I have no idea what the higher-ups want the teachers to relay to the students; but as far as what I can think of, that should be it."
The one who answered him was the class representative Fujishima Maiko. Gotou had been relying on her responsible and able personality a lot recently (and a lot on Inaba Himeko too).
"Oh, that reminds me, it's Christmas today. Now just because it's Christmas doesn't mean you lot can go to love hotels. High schoolers are forbidden there. By the way, even if you have to do it, do it in your own homes; and don't forget the safety measures!"
"There has been a lot of troublesome events lately. I think you'd better watch your speech; it could be easily mistaken as sexual harassment, sensei."
Fujishima seemed to have become Gotou's guardian.
"Well then, that's about it. It might be a little too early, but I shouldn't get frowned on today, right? Dismissed!"
Students became restless as soon as the order was made. Since it was the day of the graduation ceremony, the classroom was filled with a mood more fidgety than usual.
"Yo, Yaegashi, you shouldn't need to worry about what Go-san said at the end, right?"
Taichi's friend, Watase Shingo, said to him.
"You're overthinking it. Watase too, right?"
Watase had the three main qualities of a good man: athletic, handsome, and cheerful, yet he didn't have a girlfriend. That was because he was after Fujishima Maiko, who seemed to be an iron fortress in her own right. Allegedly, he had tried many methods in hopes of earning Fujishima's heart, but she seemed unfazed by any of it.
"Shut up. Never mind that, didn't you say that this winter break you were gonna hang out——"
"Hey, Taichi, we'll go ahead first, okay?"
"Taichi should hurry up too~"
"Oh, alright."
Inaba and Nagase Iori gestured towards Taichi and left the classroom.
"What's up? You guys got plans?"
"We CRC are planning to have some sort of Christmas party..."
"Ah, you guys sure get along really well. That being said though, since you are getting along so well it might be surprisingly difficult now if you want to date a certain someone in the group."
"Eh... There doesn't seem to be any need to worry about that..."
"Then why don't you hurry up and ask Nagase out already?"
"... Should I say we got caught up in a rather difficult situation..."
"You keep mentioning that. It's really beginning to look dubious."
Taichi agreed that he should make it clear too.
Although that was what he had in mind...
"Whatever, it's not for me to say anyway. You seem to be in a hurry, so I'll text you about hanging out later."
"Alright."
As Watase left their desks, Taichi stood up and proceeded to chat with his other friends. They talked about things such as plans for Christmas, plans for the New Year, what sort of day January 4 was going to be, and how holiday projects were bullshit (Taichi didn't think this way).
...And ended up being distracted for quite a bit of time.
If I don't hurry, I might upset the rest of the club. With that in mind, Taichi hurried out of the classroom.
The female students waved at him from the windows: "Yaegashi-kun, see you next year!"
In the past few months the CRC members, due to their involvement in strange situations, frequently ended up acting freakishly. Yet their classmates still genuinely looked out for them. Taichi was deeply grateful for that.
Ever since they were sucked into that abnormal world, Taichi learned how great his daily life truly was.
Suddenly——
Thump.
Someone patted on Taichi's shoulder.
Nothing wrong with that.
Just like any other day in this school, somebody patted on his shoulder as usual.
Yet...
A chill ran through Taichi's entire body.
It was not... normal.
He could sense such an atmosphere in the corridor.
It was an atmosphere with a certain definitive difference than that of this world.
He was very familiar with this kind of, as he would put it, foul feeling.
No...! Taichi shook his head, denying this feeling.
This place should still be normal.
While the CRC club room was indeed invaded from time to time, this place had not been tainted.
'That person,' as unpredictable as he may be, had his own principles.
The surrounding sounds of chatter were blown far away.
He didn't want to look back.
Yet, he had to face it.
Because there was no escaping it.
Taichi gulped and spun around.
Just as his ominous feeling suggested, the one who stood there was Gotou Ryuuzen——No, a short-haired tomboyish girl.
It was Ozawa Misaki from the track and field club.
Taichi was startled at the fact that it wasn't Gotou.
What's this? I must have been hallucinating.
It felt like «Heartseed's» presence for a moment, but it seemed I was mistaken...
No.
Ozawa's eyes were half-opened.
She was emitting the same sluggish aura as that person did.
Was it «Heartseed»?
But the way she looked seemed different than the usual «Heartseed».
"...Ozawa?"
Taichi asked alarmingly.
"...You... I need you to be the Knight."
Ozawa spoke slowly, which was very different from her usual swift manner.
She was abnormal.
"What... do you mean?"
"Do not tell anyone about me... Can you promise?"
Taichi was certain the speaker before him was not Ozawa.
Yet——It didn't seem to be «Heartseed» either.
"...If you break this promise, twelve to seventeen o'clock... shall become 'forever,' understand?"
"Hold on! What's that supposed to mean?"
"It will begin soon... I know that. Well then...Bye."
As soon as she finished her sentence, Ozawa's body collapsed.
"Are—Are you alright?"
Taichi rushed to Ozawa's aid.
"Ugh... Huh? Wait, what happened?"
Ozawa opened her eyes, astonished, and stood up.
"I... What happened to me? Yaegashi-kun?"
"Uh... Ozawa, you suddenly collapsed in the corridor..."
"You're kidding... Was it anemia? Hold on, was I actually in the corridor before?"
Ozawa did not seem to recall any of what just happened.
"Ah, thanks anyway, Yaegashi-kun."
Taichi nodded and Ozawa, dumbfounded, returned to her classroom.
"Just now... What was that supposed to be?"
Knight?
Do not tell anyone?
Twelve to seventeen o'clock?
Shall become 'forever'?
More importantly, that thing——the thing that possessed Ozawa, what was it?
As Taichi collected his disarrayed thoughts, he arrived at room 401 of the recreational building, the CRC club room.
Everyone but Taichi was already there.
On the table were juice and snacks, and board games too. These were prepared yesterday.
"Hey, Taichi, did you write this?"
Inaba narrowed her slender eyes and questioned Taichi. Her posture, in addition to her slim figure, radiated the qualities of a professional model.
Taichi looked towards the blackboard that Inaba was pointing at.
Inaba Himeko, Nagase Iori, Kiriyama Yui, Aoki Yoshifumi
The CRC members' names were written on the board.
"Why isn't my name there? Am I supposed to write it up there myself?"
Taichi responded, and then Inaba's expression stiffened.
"You didn't write it either..."
"When we arrived, they were already written on the board... but none of us, including Taichi, recall writing any of this..."
Kiriyama Yui explained as she wrapped her arms around her small body.
"Then... who wrote it?"
"If we knew, we wouldn't have asked you."
"This really is... a mysterious case!"
Aoki Yoshifumi shook his slightly long curly hair, seemingly excited.
Nagase Iori, cupping her chin in a dramatic pose, replied:
"This case... could it be a 'Guess who wrote it on the blackboard' kind of who-did-it game that somebody prepared..."
"So that's it! In other words, the message on the board is a dining message? Iori-chan. In that case the culprit must be... Taichi! That's because his name is the only one not on it!"
"It wasn't me. And your deduction is too sloppy. By the way, it's not 'dining,' it's 'dying.'"
Three apparent flaws in one sentence——The Aoki today was staying true to his Aoki style.
"If it really is a who-did-it game... then wouldn't Iori be the most suspicious since she was the first one to bring the subject up? Don't the culprits usually behave like that?"
"Y—Yui... Are you suspecting me...?"
"No! I'm just saying! I mean Iori is so cute, why would you lie to us!"
"You believe I'm innocent, Yui!"
"Of course, Iori!"
Nagase and Kiriyama hugged each other like a duo in a play. Inaba darted a look at them and then, with a serious expression, muttered:
"So someone came into club room... but what were they after...?"
"Could it be just a prank? I mean, they only wrote names on the board... though not having my name up there does kinda bother me..."
"It isn't just names, Taichi."
"Huh?"
Hearing Inaba's words, Taichi looked towards the board again to find that there was something else written besides the names.
Twelve to seventeen o'clock
"What's that? The time... Ah!"
He remembered that Ozawa mentioned a time when she was acting strange just before...
——Twelve to seventeen o'clock... shall become 'forever.'
The voice that did not belong to Ozawa rang in his head.
Taichi felt a sudden chill.
Was this a coincidence? Or was it——
The clock in the room displayed 11:50.
Should he tell everyone what happened?
But that thing told him "do not tell anyone" and "do not break the promise".
Maybe he should first observe the situation and not do anything reckless for now?
Nothing had happened yet, after all.
"If this is a prank, then it's just ridiculous... Anything go missing here?"
Inaba pointed out. They searched through the whole club room, but did not find anything out of ordinary.
"Hmm... that felt a little creepy, but let's celebrate first. We'll talk about this later."
Everyone cheered with their drinks and began the Christmas party (which was actually nothing more than eating, drinking, chatting, and playing).
"Hoowa——! Sodas are great!"
"...Iori, can you be a little more lady-like? (Gulp)... So sour! Hold on, this isn't something a human can drink, is it?"
"Don't stand when you're eating, Yui. Turns out I'm the most lady-like here now am I?"
"Inaba-chan, Inaba-chan, ladies don't lean on their elbows on the table; it's like one of those forty-year-old white collars at the bar with an old man's drinking gesture... OUCH!"
"I kept my back straight; in no way do I look like a middle-aged old man!"
The four of them bickered.
Taichi, on the other hand, was checking the time while holding his paper cup near his mouth.
"Why are you looking at the time so much, Taichi? The party just started!"
Nagase said half-jokingly, peeking at Taichi.
Having the face of the rumored 'cutest girl of the class year' closing in on him like that, Taichi couldn't help but feel a spike in his heart rate.
"Oh, it's nothing..."
Taichi casually glossed it over while looking at the clock again.
The time was about to hit twelve o'clock.
Just as Taichi thought nothing would happen——
"Ugh...!"
The air suddenly changed.
Nagase moaned and abruptly put down the paper cup she was holding.
"Na— Nagase?"
"My... body's burning up..."
Nagase's expression changed drastically, and her entire body quivered uncontrollably.
"You okay?"
Taichi inquired, but Nagase was not in any condition to answer.
"Eh... Whoa... Me too..."
Kiriyama made a hoarse sound. She painfully grasped onto her chestnut-brown long hair.
"Oi, what's going on?!"
"Yui and Iori-chan, are you two alright?!"
Inaba and Aoki both asked as they noticed something was wrong.
Twelve to seventeen o'clock.
The message on the blackboard.
Paranormal changes.
The one who wasn't «Heartseed».
Twelve o'clock was the mark of a certain beginning——Just as that thought flashed across Taichi's mind...
Nagase and Kiriyama vanished from this world.
"What the—?!"
Taichi shrieked all of the sudden.
He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
Upon closer look, they did not exactly vanish without a trace.
Where Nagase and Kiriyama were sitting just before were now two adorable little girls, each covered in an over-sized YBH uniform.
"What... Wait... Who... They?"
Inaba asked, utterly confused.
"The real question is... Where are Nagase and Kiriyama?"
Taichi remarked after Inaba.
The black hair girl and the chestnut-brown hair girl looked around.
"Wooo~ my clothes are so big~"
The black hair girl said while swinging her over-length sleeves about.
"Mine too!"
The chestnut-brown hair girl said and rolled up her sleeves. Then, she proceeded to help the younger girl next to her to do the same.
"Oh, snacks! May I pick the ones I like?"
The chestnut-hue hair girl asked.
Taichi and the remaining others, still speechless, nodded. The little girl cheered and picked up two biscuits.
Then, she gave one to the black hair girl.
"Would you like some? Here."
"Thank you~"
The two girls began eating together like best friends.
Taichi and Aoki, who was right next to him, unconsciously looked at each other. Then they grabbed each other's shoulders.
"Wha— wha— wha— what is this?! What's going on?! Am I getting hallucinations of myself swapping bodies?!"
Aoki exclaimed, his eyes stretching wide from bewilderment.
"How am I supposed to know?! Don't ask me! There must be something wrong with my eyes!"
"Something with the eyes... Ah... That must be it! Okay, let's close our eyes. One... two... three... ready. Once we open our eyes everything will be back to normal... Why is it still the same?!"
"Who are these children?! Where are their parents?! The mother of these children, please come and take them home!"
Taichi yelled in panic. Suddenly, Inaba started laughing dryly and stood up form her seat.
Then, she opened the window... and screamed with everything from the bottom of her lungs:
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON——————?!"
Inaba's voice echoed through the schoolyard.
After that scream, Inaba seemed to have cooled down and led the remaining others to examine their current situation.
Judging by the current outcome and casting aside any thoughts of "This is impossible!", they deduced that Nagase Iori and Kiriyama Yui had reverted back to their child selves.
The two girls who suddenly appeared in the CRC room were the result of reverting Nagase and Kiriyama. Nagase was around her first year in grade school, while Kiriyama was in her fifth.
Nagase and Kiriyama not only became miniature, but their face also became round and child-like. Their hair style, however, remained the same.
Also, they both appeared directly at the spot where the first year high school versions of Nagase and Kiriyama were previously. The two were right before Taichi's group's eyes. It was hard to imagine how the two could manage to hide themselves somewhere and switch places with the children.
In addition to that, the clothes miniature Nagase and Kiriyama were wearing were the exact same clothes worn by the originals. Everything, including items in the pockets, was the same. So there was no doubt about it.
It should also be noted that as they were examining the clothes, mini-Nagase stood up and her skirt and underwear almost fell off, which made her panic. Inaba swiftly attacked Taichi's and Aoki's eyes. While the two were groaning in pain, she immediately implemented measures to stop Nagase's clothes from falling off.
Finally, the key evidence was the words from the girls involved.
Wrapped in loose clothing (the skirts looked like gowns on them), the two girls sat side by side. Across from them sat Aoki, Inaba and Taichi.
"Ahem." Inaba cleared her throat.
"Let me verify once more... What are your names and ages? Start with the one who's older."
"Yes! Kiriyama Yui, eleven years old!"
The highly energetic Kiriyama(11) answered cheerfully. She looked to be a lot more competitive compared to the present Yui, and seemed like the healthy type of girl that would run off even in the cold winter.
"Well then, this child over here?"
"Nagase Iori, six years old!"
Nagase(6) answered cheerfully too. The hairband that fell off during the reversal(?) was tied back to her hair again. Hence, she looked just like a shrunken version of Nagase.
"Next question then. Who is this lanky, dirty onii-chan?"
"Aoki-san!"
"Aoki Onii-chan!"
"The 'dirty' part was not necessary, Inaba-chan!"
"Who is this handsome onii-chan over here?"
"Taichi-san!"
"Taichi Onii-chan!"
"So... So I get a compliment for my introduction, Inaba-san...?"
Taichi was certain that he was going to be criticized.
How should he put it? He was not used to being complimented, so he was not sure how to react towards this unexpected outcome.
"Well then, who am I?"
"Inaba-san!"
"Inaba Onee-chan!"
"OK. Now, for the two of you... what are we?"
"Eh... Inaba-san is Inaba-san... Aoki-san is Aoki-san, Taichi-san is Taichi-san. What else could it be?"
"Onii-chan and Onee-chan are Onii-chan and Onee-chan?"
"...I see. Then do you remember anything you did yesterday?"
"I think I first went to school, then the dojo... but it's kinda hazy, so I'm not quite sure."
"I went to school too, and played with my friends!"
"The next question is for Yui... Do you remember your weekly schedule?"
Inaba gave Kiriyama(11) some pen and paper.
"The second semester right? If I only need to make a rough list..."
Even though Kiriyama(11) was hesitant on some details, occasionally making sounds of "Hmmph~", she managed to write down her schedule.
"Okay, I finished, I think that's it."
Inaba operated her cell phone and compared Kiriyama(11)'s paper with the version she obtained via several layers of social networking: a photo from those who 'possess copies of Kiriyama's schedule during fifth grade'. (Some people sure knew how to store things well.)
"...All correct... Why don't you two go play for a little?"
"Alright. Let's play, Iori-chan?"
"Let's play! I wanna play this!"
"Oh! You know how to play reversi?"
"Yep!"
The two girls were enjoying themselves like a pair of loving siblings.
Inaba watched over the happy girls with a serious expression, and spoke:
"If we reorganize these pieces of information..."
Nagase and Kiriyama were reverted in time, and both their body and mind were back to their younger age.
They seemed to be able to recognize their surroundings pretty well. They didn't question their situation, as if it was meant to be from the start. But when asked with questions like "Why are you here?" they couldn't seem to answer clearly.
When the two were reverted, they had some of their memory from that age (mostly fragments of memories though. Considering that they suddenly appeared here as a presence of 'this moment' due to a supernatural phenomenon, it was only logical).
"——And there you have it... The hell with 'there you have it'! This makes no sense!"
Inaba jabbed at her own remark. She seemed extremely shaken.
Based on their observations, if Taichi and the others only knew about the 'normal' world, they would probably never believe it. In fact, they may not even be observing to begin with.
If they were 'normal,' and took the 'normal' approach, while they would feel strange, they would simply bring the children to the staff office or the police, then proceed to search for the missing Nagase and Kiriyama.
But they did not take such a 'normal' approach.
Because they knew about that other world.
Because they knew about such an abnormality that would do all kinds of things to reach them.
Because they knew... that they must deal with that abnormality.
"This is really bad."
Aoki said. Inaba murmured by his side:
"This could be reconstruction of the human body at a cellular... No, this might even be at a molecular level... including the mind and memory... and the change appears to be tuned naturally... swapping between a person from the past and present... Something like that... Maybe."
"These two girls... What kind of presence are they?"
Taichi peeked at the child versions of his peers.
"What kind of presence? I doubt I can answer that... because they aren't supposed to show up here at all."
Rather than how it happened, one should say that the two children shouldn't exist here at all.
"If that's the case... Where are the original Yui and Iori-chan now?"
"... They could be existing somewhere... or they could be not existing at all. If we think of them as the result of a complete transformation... Something like that. Wait a minute."
Inaba seemed to have caught onto something. Then she raised her eye brow.
"This may sound inauspicious... But just to consider one extreme of the scale, suppose our younger versions of Iori and Yui die in a car accident... If that comes true... What will happen?"
"We'd then have ourselves a pair of human corpses that aren't supposed to exist... Give me a break, I don't want to know! We should say... Actually no. We should presume that...the two of them will return to normal sooner or later... right?"
Inaba closed her eyes and nodded at Taichi's word.
"They should... Hopefully. Based on what we've experienced anyway, is that right?"
The root of this situation...
The one who can create such a situation...
"...That's if this is «Heartseed»'s doing."
Aoki spoke the name of the mastermind who brought Taichi and the rest of the CRC into this abnormal situation.
No matter how ridiculous the situation could get, they had the feeling that "If he's involved, anything can happen."
"After three times... anyone would start getting used to it. This is bullshit!"
Inaba swore. Taichi began:
"But I——"
This noon, he...
"Hm? Don't just stop at halfway will you?"
Inaba stared into Taichi's eye closely.
The Ozawa that was possessed by someone.
The enforced promise.
Even without much of a forceful demeanor, he felt the immense pressure exerted on him. He could even say the presence was at a level beyond that of this world.
And it seemed that he was the only one who was contacted.
In the end, after putting all the information together, Taichi looked away from Inaba.
"No... nothing... It was nothing."
What sort of being was that thing? How was «Heartseed» related to this? What sort of phenomenon was this? Taichi knew nothing.
That one-sided promise may have a significant meaning.
At least before he had more information, he should hold on.
"What? If you notice anything weird, say it, okay?"
Taichi could only nod dubiously at Inaba's words.
"Say, if this is «Heartseed's» doing... Does that mean we would turn into 'this' too?"
Aoki said half-jokingly, but failed to hide his anxiety.
Based on the past two phenomena...
"It will... most likely, at random, revert some of us back to kids..."
"Wait! Wait! Wait! Hold on a second!"
Taichi's murmuring stirred Inaba greatly.
"Why are you in such a flurry, Inaba?"
"Random... In that case, what happens if this occurs on the street?"
"If someone turns into a little kid on the streets... Yelp!"
As Taichi caught onto what Inaba was thinking, his face immediately paled.
"A physical change... is visible to the naked eyes."
Inaba's voice was trembling in fear.
"Doesn't that mean... we won't even be able to step outside?"
Unable to step outside——it took Taichi a while to grasp the meaning of this simple remark.
"Eh... What? Ehhhh?! No, but...really... You're right... Ahhh!"
Aoki held his head and opened his mouth wide in horror.
Was there anything those beings couldn't do?
"Uh~ Uh~"
Kiriyama(11) suddenly came towards Inaba and yanked at her uniform, with Nagase(6) by her side.
"W—What's up?"
"Iori-chan says she wants to use the bathroom, I'll watch her. I've been taking good care of her!"
Kiriyama(11) seemed pleased with herself.
"Alright, let's go!"
"Okay~"
The two held hands and happily headed for the door.
"Wait, wait, waaaiiiiiit a second you dummies!"
Inaba blocked their path with a stern expression.
"Eh? Why?"
Kiriyama(11) asked with her head slanted in confusion.
"I can't let you go outside!"
"Huh... but..."
"I'm gonna pee~"
Nagase(6) started crossing her legs.
"W—What you mean you're gonna pee! Don't talk like that!"
"Inaba... She's just a child..."
It was obviously nothing of importance, but Taichi still had to point it out.
"Then I'll go by myself~"
"Whether you go by yourself or not isn't the problem; having a grade-schooler walk around the campus in an over-sized uniform is!"
"Pee... I'm gonna pee..."
Nagase(6)'s eyes became teary.
"Gah—— Damn it, okay I get it! Taichi, Aoki! You go out there and secure the hallway between here and the bathroom! Keep a close eye on them. We absolutely must not let anyone see them! I'll take over once we get inside the bathroom!"
Nagase(6)'s bathroom dilemma became so alarming that one could describe it as the frontlines of a battlefield.
Operation bathroom infiltration success.
After that, Taichi and the remaining others could only anxiously wait for the time to pass.
They were unsure of when they would end up like Nagase and Kiriyama.
They tried to prepare countermeasures, but failed to make any progress due to the overwhelming number of uncertain factors.
On the other hand, Nagase(6) and Kiriyama(11) were happily taking their freedom with snacks and games.
The remaining three watched over Nagase and Kiriyama, hoping that they would return to normal. But nothing happened, and the sky had turned dark outside.
"They aren't going to stay that way forever... right?"
Neither Nagase and Kiriyama showed any sign of returning to normal, and since it had been quite a long time, Inaba began to worry.
"I hope not... That would be too much to bear."
A person's entire history had been suddenly turned upside down, how could anyone take that?
"Oh! It's almost five now. Finally..." Aoki said.
Based on what they had gathered, this hour was their only thread of 'hope'.
Taichi looked towards the clock on the wall; its hand was about to hit 'twelve'.
Then he looked back towards the writing on the blackboard.
Twelve to seventeen o'clock.
——Could this mean the phenomenon only occurs 'from twelve to seventeen o'clock'?
The time written on the board left them such an abrupt impression that it led to many questions.
Then there was the fact that Nagase(6) and Kiriyama(11) both appeared at twelve o'clock.
It was a weak conclusion based on only two facts.
Yet, the three of them had a feeling that "it might be it".
And then to Taichi, the fact that he was told of 'twelve to seventeen o'clock' made him even more certain of it.
Taichi had not yet mentioned anything about the encounter with the possessed Ozawa to Inaba and Aoki.
To be honest, he felt he had missed his chance to speak up.
"Ah, it's five," Aoki said.
After a short pause, in the next moment——
"Ungh..."
"Augh..."
Nagase(6) and Kiriyama(11), who were playing cards at the time, held their arms around themselves.
Then, in the succeeding moment——
There stood Nagase Iori and Kiriyama Yui, who were returned to normal.
Taichi was petrified from shock.
He was certain that he had been watching the two tightly and had never diverted his eyes. Maybe he had blinked, but even then it was only a blink of the eye.
Even so, Taichi could not tell how the two returned to normal.
When he noticed, Nagase and Kiriyama were standing there as if they were already there to begin with.
"Th—They changed back?"
Aoki jumped up and exclaimed, while Inaba was at a loss.
"Huh... This time... is like this. What was that... magic? Is that even possible? It doesn't matter, does it... Of course it does! I refuse to accept this!"
"Umm... Eh... How did I get here?"
Kiriyama, who just returned to normal, felt confused. Nagase shook her head as well.
"That was strange... What happened? Say, why does my belly feel so tight? Who—Whoa!? How did my underwear end up like this?"
Nagase began fixing her clothing.
"Oi, Nagase! We boys are here too! Don't lift your skirt like——" "Ahhh Iori-chan——"
"Then why don't you two have some self-respect and avert your eyes?!"
Inaba threw a punch at Taichi between the eyes, who collapsed backwards along with his chair (she threw one at Aoki as well).
"Do you two... remember anything that happened just now?"
Inaba inquired, and the two expressed their surprise.
"Just now... What... You mean...?"
Kiriyama questioned.
"Why is it so dark outside?! What time is it... five o'clock?!"
Nagase stood up, shocked.
"Five o'clock? Huh? Wha—How?! Wasn't it noon just now?!"
They didn't seem to have retained any memory while they were turned into children(?).
Hence, Inaba filled the two in on what happened.
The two initially expressed "You're kidding" and did not quite believe her words, but after some serious explanation from everyone else, their expressions changed.
"I... I became eleven..."
"And I became six..."
Inaba sighed and scratched her head.
"Yea... At least that's what you... No, I mean, that's what the children that were just here insisted... You seemed to have transformed into your 'past selves', or you could have been swapped with your 'past selves'... But based on what we saw, the physical transformation theory seems to make more sense... Even though they both make zero sense!"
"Wait a minute!"
Kiriyama began touching her own face and body.
"If—If I had become a child, then my body must have shrunk too, right? If I shrunk, where did all the extra muscle and hair go? The real question is, what? Can my body even handle that kind of crazy change?"
"Don't ask me... I don't even want to think about it."
"Ahaha... I can only laugh right now... But I... really don't remember anything from the past several hours..."
Nagase wanted to treat it as a joke, but the stiff smile on her face said otherwise.
"Are your bodies... Do you two feel alright?"
Taichi asked about what he was most concerned about.
"Hm... I seem fine."
Nagase paused, and tilted her head with a hesitant expression.
"Uh... But... Something is odd."
"What? If you feel anything odd you have to tell us."
"Hmm... Is it because you guys told me that I had become six years old? ...My childhood memories feel really fresh in my head. Things that occurred when I was in first-grade... I usually can't recall any of those."
"Now that you mention it, it seems to be the same for me too... Whoa... Now that I've realized it... Ah~ This feeling is nostalgic and kind of embarrassing too..."
"...So your past memories are evoked, huh?"
Inaba murmured, and proceeded:
"So... rather than saying 'you had swapped with your past selves', it would be more accurate to say 'you had physically transformed'? Theoretically speaking, if it was 'swapping with the past selves', it wouldn't have left anything behind."
As usual, Inaba analyzed the situation solely with the information she had.
"What about now? Do you still not remember anything from during the change?"
Nagase made a 'hmm' sound and entered deep thought.
"...I still don't... remember anything. I do remember other things from my past though: playing with friends, doing homework, and... things about my family."
When she mentioned her family, Nagase's tone shifted slightly.
Nagase was six years old when she met her second 'new' father.
"Everything that I recall are things from way back then... Ah... I think I sorta became aware of my feelings back then too... This feels awkward," Nagase said sombrely.
Kiriyama continued:
"I have the same feeling as Iori... While I still find it hard to believe that I don't remember anything about my change... Things I did when I was a fifth grader... Should I say 'distinct'? ...I don't know how to say it, but I feel my chest wrenching..."
"Stop just a moment, you two."
Catching onto their grim shift in mood, Inaba interrupted the two.
"Do you think we're going to find any clues by digging into those details?"
The two gave the question a brief thought and shook their heads.
"Then why don't we put them aside for now. We've got more important things to think about." Inaba asserted.
Her considerations probably weren't just limited to the rational level of the problem. It was also on the emotional level. Inaba may be blunt at times, but she had always taken attentive note of the others' delicate states of mind.
"Even though I'm saying that, I have no clue what to do!"
Inaba seemed rather unsure of today's events.
"So, is it safe to say that——"
Aoki said awkwardly.
"——it has begun?"
He did not specify 'what' has begun.
Inaba stood up and tapped the blackboard.
"The time written up here... Should we think of it as the time of occurrence for this phenomenon? Once reverted to a child, that person will remain a child for the entire course of the time. That, or somebody else may be randomly reverted during that time ... Also, the meaning behind leaving out Taichi's name... Anyway——"
Inaba muttered and then looked back towards Taichi and the rest.
"We can say that this is «Heartseed's» doing."
She brought up the culprit's name once again.
"——So this time we're getting 'Time Regression' huh?"
Inaba finished and became silent.
Only the sound of air ventilation could be heard in the room.
Finally realizing the stale atmosphere, a nauseous feeling rushed through the CRC members' stomach.
Images of those unreasonable experiences flashed through their mind.
Every piece of those memories felt heavy, like boulders tied to their shoulders.
"Ahh... I can't take this anymore. But I have only heard it from you, it just doesn't feel real to me..."
Nagase leaned her face flat against the table and complained. Kiriyama continued,
"Again... again... again... Ugh."
"This is the third... If there's two then there'll be a third... right?"
To Aoki's remark, Inaba responded,
"If it does end at three times, that is... I must be out of my mind to think that."
It happened once, twice, and now thrice. Then... and thereafter...
It may still seem 'abnormal' at the moment, but one day it may become 'normal' to them. Taichi shuddered at this brief but dreadful thought.
No one said anything, and the time slowly ticked away.
Minutes had passed——Nagase was the first to break the silence.
"Let's... work together!"
She sounded very cheerful, enough to cause everyone to lift their heads.
"...We have... each others' back!"
Aoki echoed after her with an even more cheerful tone.
"I'm having trouble believing what's going on... But I'll do my best."
Kiriyama, whose expression was stiff before, tightened her fist.
"True, there's no point worrying now..."
Inaba smiled wryly and agreed.
They forcibly drove away any clouds of doubt they might've had.
Everyone was worried, but they would move forward together.
The CRC had become stronger.
They were strong enough to resist any incoming disaster.
Everyone focused on Taichi.
"Oh... Er... F—Fight!"
The other four dropped their heads in disappointment.
"C'mon~ We gave you the spotlight at the end. You could at least try to finish it with something inspiring!"
Nagase puffed her cheeks and booed.
"Oh well... This is expected from Taichi. It wasn't so bad after all."
Inaba gave a tired look.
"The real question is what should we do next... Hey, do you think it's alright for us to go home now?"
That suggestion didn't sound like something that would come from Inaba, who would normally avoid any unnecessary risks.
"Is it really going to be all right, Inaba-chan? What if that happens again? We'd be in big trouble!" Aoki asked.
"Iori's and Yui's 'Time Regression' occurred exactly from noon till five in the afternoon, sharp. And then there are those writings on the board... Based on these two clues, 'Time Regression' should only occur between twelve and seventeen o'clock. That's how I see it."
"But... don't you think we are drawing conclusions too early?"
This time it was Nagase who spoke.
"True. But that guy... at least before he shows up to explain, he wouldn't let this situation come to a 'surprising end'."
«Heartseed» would take a certain amount of time to 'observe' CRC's resistance in hopes of finding something 'interesting'.
This was something they were certain about.
"I see... I suppose you're right. If it's that serious, he would at least explain it to us."
"Yeah. In extreme cases, if it does end up ugly... he would have shown up already."
Inaba paused as everyone else held their breath.
Several seconds passed, nothing out of the ordinary happened.
"——Judging by that, there shouldn't be any problems then. The notice on the board must have been a heads up for us, right?"
Inaba said and threw her fist against the board.
"This is annoying... It's as if we're putting our faith in him..."
Kiriyama muttered with mixed feelings.
"At least until he comes over to explain, it shouldn't end up with anything disastrous... That should be it... maybe... I can only say 'maybe'."
Inaba lowered her voice at the end.
"I trust Inaban."
Nagase said confidently.
"Me too."
"Me too."
"...Me too."
Kiriyama, Aoki and Taichi followed suit.
"Feels weird to be unconditionally trusted like this... However, if you are willing to... then please trust me."
——In the end, despite all the hesitations, Taichi was unable to speak out his concern.
The very factor that would overthrow their theory——with the assumption of who the mastermind was——may not be «Heartseed».
After Taichi and the group decided that they would meet the next day at Inaba's house, they parted on their way home.
When he was alone, Taichi began organizing his thoughts.
Nagase and Kiriyama were reverted to children.
Taichi had long given up the thought of "that's not possible". That would be a waste of time.
It had already happened, so he could only accept it as such.
The important thing was what to do next.
Taichi had no doubts about Inaba's theory. Thinking that the 'Time Regression' might happen to him at any minute, however, made him extremely nervous.
Taichi had other concerns besides the phenomenon itself.
The writings on the blackboard excluded his name.
The one who only contacted Taichi.
He kept feeling that even though the situation this time seemed the same as before, something was different.
Not to mention: Would something significant happen to him?
Just as he was brainstorming, Taichi arrived home safely.
He let out a white breath under the darkened sky and relaxed his body a little.
Of course, he wouldn't let down his guard just because he was home, but at least he didn't need to be as uptight as he was outside.
For him, home was the place where he could be at ease.
"I'm home."
As soon as he opened the front door, he could hear light footsteps coming from the other end of the corridor.
"Onii-chan, you're so late~ Didn't you say you were gonna arrive home early?"
His sister's innocent eyes stared at Taichi with some trace of anger.
She seemed to be helping with housework, as her slightly curly hair was tied to the back of her head.
"S—Sorry. I had something important to do."
"Something more important than your cute little sister. Oh~"
She was being somewhat difficult.
"It's Christmas after all! Onii-chan has a girlfriend too. I guess he does have something important to do~"
"I said I do not have a girlfriend!"
"Eh? Wasn't there a girl before that felt pretty nice together with Onii-chan? You still aren't dating yet? You should just go for it, Onii-chan is such a child."
"Onii-chan does not agree with that 'try it out first' kind of practice!"
Never would he have thought that he would be called a 'child' by his five-year-younger sister...
"Don't tell me you haven't given her a present yet. It's Christmas after all."
"Er... I haven't."
Who was he going to give a present to? He couldn't just give one to both of them.
"Ahh~ That's not right. In that case, since you haven't given anything to a girl, why don't you give me something as a substitute, Onii-chan?"
"Alright I get it... Hey, wait a minute. What kind of weird theory was that? Don't you think it's weird?"
Taichi recently had this vision of his sister's impish nature in the future... No no. No way. His sister should be as pure as an angel at all times.
His sister began walking back towards the corridor. Taichi took off his shoes and followed suit.
His sister spun around and faced Taichi.
"Oi, why did you stop so sudden——"
Taichi gasped as he stared into his sister's face.
Her eyes were lifeless and hollow.
Taichi knew it was abnormal.
This place isn't the same.
This mustn't be allowed.
This shouldn't be happening.
You can't intrude here.
Taichi refused to believe it. Words flew through his mind like an endless mantra.
Even so, nothing changed before his eyes.
"...Who are you?"
Only the CRC was supposed to be involved in the phenomena.
Only they were caught in the paranormal world. Everything else around them should have remained the same.
For Taichi, this was the safe zone.
His sister should not be involved.
"Who am I... who am I... who am I?"
The entity that possessed his sister tilted its head, seemingly confused.
"You're not «Heartseed», are you?"
"Not... «Heartseed»? I am «Heartseed» too..."
That voice had a slow kind of unique rhythm to it, and sounded kind of airy.
This was not how his sister spoke. Taichi never once heard his sister speak like that.
"What's going on? Are you «Heartseed»? You don't sound nor feel like him, right? Or are you telling me that «Heartseed» is not really a name but rather..."
Ah. I'm talking to that 'certain something' like it was nothing.
His sister's being involved, yet he didn't scream nor run away... He merely accepted it as a part of reality.
It was abnormal.
Including himself, things were becoming too abnormal.
"Ahh... I see."
That being seemed to have understood and hence nodded.
"In that case... I am «Heartseed's»... next... you might as well call me «Number Two». I am «Number Two», do you understand?"
"«Number Two»... That's your name?"
"Correct... Can it be?"
"Er... There's no point asking me."
What? Could it be that these 'things' don't have names to begin with?
He seemed to be familiar with «Heartseed» though...
"You were the one who possessed Ozawa during the day... Am I correct?"
Taichi first wanted to confirm this.
"Correct. We have met during the daytime. It is progressing smoothly right now... Tomorrow, again."
"Wait, you said tomorrow——"
"Same as today. At twelve o'clock some of the four will be reverted to children. At seventeen o'clock they return to normal."
"That phenomenon... was your doing?"
"...Yes."
«Heartseed» did not trigger the phenomenon.
A situation that was same as before but, at the same time, definitively different had started its wheels.
Taichi suppressed his quivering body and inquired about his primary concern.
"Only four you say... Was I excluded?"
"...It will be troublesome if all five were reverted to children. Worst case scenario... ...will be unable to continue."
He may be right about that.
"Why... only me?"
"Why... why... why? No reason."
Was this a coincidence? Then again if he's the same kind of entity as «Heartseed», it would make sense.
Before Taichi could ask another question, «Number Two» in Taichi's sister's body spoke.
"You must keep everyone from trouble. Once it begins... You are on your own. Good luck. I... will be observing. I have a good feeling about this."
The other party would not intervene. Taichi and his group must deal with it themselves, hence Taichi was designated as the 'unchanging variable'... Something like that. And like 'that person,' this one wanted to 'observe'.
The one thing in common between «Number Two» and «Heartseed» was that they were both very vague, and Taichi needed to fill in the blanks with his own imagination.
"Also, do not mention me to anyone. This is very important. You must keep this promise. If you break it... I will make the situation very troublesome."
What did he mean by troublesome?
"...What are you after? Where is «Heartseed»? How are you related to him?"
Taichi asked with every question that he could think of.
«Number Two», still expressionless, blinked briefly.
"...«Heartseed» seems to think your group is interesting. But I think «Heartseed's» relationship with your group is far more interesting. Or I should say, peculiar."
"So in the end... What are you trying to achieve?"
"...What would it be?"
"You don't know it yourself...?"
Taichi and the others didn't understand the meaning behind it all, but «Heartseed» seemed to have a specific goal in mind.
Hold on, that would mean...
"How long... will this phenomenon last?"
«Number Two» stiffened for a few seconds.
"Until I have found my answer."
For a moment, Taichi felt he was about to black out.
When would this entire ordeal without even a destination truly end?
"...Bye."
"Bye?"
Just as Taichi was caught off guard by the sudden words of departure——
"...Huh? Why am I face to face with Onii-chan?"
The abnormal atmosphere vanished without a trace.
"Hey— Wait a sec——!"
It was only a wishful thinking.
"Hm? What's wrong, Onii-chan?"
"...It was nothing."
"Oh, is that so?"
Taichi watched as his sister walked back to the living room, his back drenched in cold sweat.
«Heartseed» was an unreasonable entity.
Yet, as unreasonable as he may be, «Heartseed» had his own set of principles.
But there was no guarantee that «Number Two» would follow the same principles.
They had no limit in terms of what they could do.
Taichi knew it far too well: 'They' have the power to easily kill everyone.
«Heartseed» didn't seem to have any killing intent.
But what about «Number Two»?
Did «Number Two» plan to appear before Taichi only?
Was that «Number Two's» method? Or was there any specific meaning behind it?
What measures should Taichi take?
+++
"...Did I really... turn into a child?"
That night, Nagase Iori made a phone call to Inaba Himeko.
"Yeah... You really did turn into a child... I think."
"R—Really... Then——"
"What's wrong?"
"Well... Seeing the past me... Would Taichi dislike me?"
"...He's not that kind of guy, is he? I think."
"I—I guess so... I think."
"Y—Yeah... I think."
"Hm... Huh"
"... Hah, kukuku!"
"Pff... Ahahahaha!"
"Teehahaha, what is this 'Girl's Talk'? The fact that we're talking about this was funny enough, and we like the same guy too! This is like a joke. Don't you agree?"
"I know right. I never would have dreamt that I would be talking to Inaban about this kind of stuff."
"I'm a girl too, you know. I have my fantasies too... Say, don't you think our current relationship is kind of interesting? Why don't we try letting Taichi two-time?"
"Oh, that's a fascinating idea! I hope you're not trying to make me let my guard down while aiming for a chance for yourself though, are you?"
"Auu!"
"I didn't know Inaban was the type to say 'Auu!'"
"...Er, sorry, my reaction was just too weird. I can't quite grasp it myself either. Please forget it..."
"Ah, I'd really love to see Inaban's embarrassed face now!"
Nagase tried her best to talk lively and cheerfully.
Even just a little, she wanted to keep herself from giving in to that 'unreality'.
