—My first love was a girl.
Her name was Ririka. She was … a doll that my mother had bought for me.
“Ririka, you look lovely today, as well.”
“You’re too kind.”
Ririka was very humble and graceful.
“Ririka, why is the sky blue?”
“Because it looks beautiful that way.”
Ririka was so very clever.
“Then why are the nights dark?”
“Because only then can you see the stars, right?”
And also, a romanticist.
She’s beautiful, cute, reliable …
To me, Ririka herself was the ideal.
I wore lovely clothes just like the doll’s.
I made my hairstyle lovely, just like the doll’s.
—But before long, I realized something.
I am not beautiful, or cute, like Ririka.
I can’t become Ririka.
The day I understood that, I sobbed and wailed all day long, questioning Ririka.
But in she did not reply in her usual, gentle voice.
And then, from that day on, I never talked to Ririka again.
—This is the story of my first love, as well as the memory of heartbreak.
Time passed, and I entered high school.
I was slightly shyer than normal people, and became the type of student that doesn’t stand out at all in class.
I didn’t particularly have any close friends, and didn’t join any clubs.
I planned to live my life peacefully just like this, as I had been going until now, and start living differently only once I reached my twenties.
I’d read in a magazine somewhere that “When a girl falls in love, she changes”, but as for me, boys were only full of nonsense, and I saw no chance of falling in love with any of them.
—And then one day, something happened to me.
It was after school one day, when some litter around the rear gate happened to catch my attention, and I’d gone to get cleaning supplies from the small shed to tidy it up.
“—I’ll help out, too.”
A clear, pretty voice spoke. When I turned around, there stood a strikingly lovely girl with a cute face; a lively, short haircut; pale, pink lips; and a direct gaze.
“Ah ….. um, umm …..”
“Around the gate, right? I noticed it, too.”
“….. Ah.”
“…. Is something the matter?”
“Eh …. Um ….. uhh.”
“If I remember …. We’re in the same grade, right?”
“Y-yes ….”
“Well, anyway! Let’s get to cleaning!”
She showed me a carefree smile.
And then, she gently took my hand and pulled me along to the rear gate.
….. Over something so small, a love was sparked.
I fell completely in love with her.
I’d heard about her before from the rumors.
Actually, there probably wasn’t one person in school that didn’t know about her.
Beautiful and smart. Gorgeous.
She was a pretty girl that everyone called perfect.
There was a rumor that ever since entering high school, there had been many boys that had confessed to her, and they had all been rejected.
That day, she had gone home right after the cleaning was done, but ever since then, whenever we passed each other in the hallways, she would smile in my direction.
To me, she was my first real-life, perfect, ideal girl.
I wanted to get closer to her.
I wanted to know more about her.
She was just so wonderful.
Just by being in love, I was able to have so much fun at school every day.
Ah, I never knew that the days would come where my heart was set so aflutter.
From that day on, I never took my eyes off of her.
I want to talk to her!
I want to know more about her!!
But as I thought that, there was just one thing that disturbed me.
—Ever since what happened with Ririka, I had a certain kind of trauma.
I felt that there was a gap that was much too difficult to cross between me, and her, who as much too perfect; I faced tremendous despair.
With that in mind, unable to get closer to her, those frustrating days continued.
*
In the end, nothing worth mentioning happened since then, and my days went on.
Even so, I didn’t let go of the heat of my long-smoldering love, and always followed her in the corner of my vision.
But one day, something about her underwent a slight change.
At first, I thought it was because of the rumors about B-ko that had been going around school lately, but this was clearly something different.
I’ve always been watching her, so I knew.
There was something different about B-ko from before.
I began to feel uneasy, without thinking about it, I followed her one day after school.
She headed towards the rear gate, and from there, towards the old school building.
For the most part, the old building was used as nothing more than a storehouse now, and gradually, people stopped coming here altogether.
What could she be doing in a place like this ….?
While maintaining a safe distance from behind, I continued to secretly follow her.
And then, B-ko entered one of the classrooms.
It was a classroom that had once been used as a music room.
Very, very carefully, I peered inside through the crack in the door.
—Inside, B-ko was with two other male students.
“Honestly! Why’d you have to go and spread another rumor about me!?”
“….. Beats me?”
“Ahaha, that’s because B-ko-chan’s a celebrity around here~”
Among the two male students, there was one that gave off an impression of being introverted and attentive. I don’t really remember seeing him before.
As for the other one, I felt like I had seen him somewhere before. Both seemed to be sociable and sensitive students.
It was already surprising that B-ko was with these male students, but more than anything, I couldn’t hide my surprise at her expression and tone of voice, neither of which I had ever seen her use before.
—As I looked at that expression, I could only think of it as cute.
Up until now, B-ko had been a symbol of perfection to me, but now, I was seeing her act this lively, and revealing her emotions.
This made me realize that B-ko was different from Ririka; she was a real human being.
—Rattle.
Without thinking, I accidently pressed by hand against the door.
The two male students looked over, and B-ko turned around with a look on her face like she’d just been caught red-handed.
“…. Huh? Are you …. here to see B-ko-chan?”
“—!? Wait …. You’re …..”
When B-ko saw my face, her expression shifted slightly to one of relief.
Certainly, if a classmate or another male student caught sight of her here, it might be the cause of another rumor.
But if it was someone like me, who had not a single friend, there wouldn’t be any problem.
Thinking about it calmly, that was probably why B-ko looked relieved, but at that time, I had felt like I’ve been forgiven by her.
“Ah, I’m …. I’m sorry. I saw you coming towards this abandoned, old building, so …. Um.”
I said this with my best smile.
B-ko let out a light sigh, and answered,
“… I see. Sorry, you were worried about me, right? Thank you.”
“…. An acquaintance?”
The introverted-looking boy bluntly asked while staring in my direction.
“Weeell …. Yeah, I guess so. Ah, but I still haven’t asked your name. My name’s B-ko, what’s yours?”
“—D-ne ….”
I answered. I was sure to have made an awkward, reserved smile this time, as well.
“Right, D-ne-chan, um~ … Well, it’s kind of hard to put this in words, but, about what you saw here, umm ….”
B-ko seemed to be having trouble speaking, and was fidgeting around a bit.
“…. I-it’s okay! I won’t say anything about this.”
“Eh—? It’s not like we’re doing anything suspicious or anything.”
The other male student joked with a grin, which made B-ko glare at him.
“…. Ah, but ….”
I took a deep breath, and then continued.
“—Would it be alright, if I came here too, sometimes?”
After that, B-ko told me the names of the two male students, and I, too, became one of the members here at the old building.
At first, I didn’t understand why they gathered here, but after a few more meetings, I finally understood that it was something like a study group of the occult.
I didn’t particularly have any interest in things like the occult, but when B-ko was here, she seemed really happy, and more than anything, this was the one place that I could talk with B-ko; those were the reasons I frequently came to the old building.
The more I learned about B-ko, the more I liked her, and eventually, she even started to talk to me with that lively expression of hers.
After some time passed, I began to completely understand the members of the old school building.
It would seem that each member had their own quirks and habits.
As for A-ya and C-ta, I was gradually growing irritated of them in different, respective ways.
—And then, one day, after school in the old building.
“….. Oh.”
“….. Oh my.”
When I went to the old building to wait for B-ko, C-ta was already there.
“Hey, D-ne-chan, you’re early today, aren’t you?”
C-ta spoke with his usual smile.
I could feel my irritation steadily rising.
“Yes, it’s because I wanted to speak with you.”
I grinned and faced his way.
Fufufu, he was making a puzzled face.
“… Sorry, don’t you mean … with B-ko?”
“Oh? Of course I would love to talk with B-ko-chan, but I would also like to speak together with you, C-ta-san.”
“…. I see. What is it?”
I continued with a mischievous smile on my face.
“I … think that you and I are quite alike, C-ta-san.”
“Hm? What do you mean? No matter how you look it, I think that you and A-ya are the ones that are really like one another.”
“That’s just on the surface, isn’t it?”
“…. ?”
I raised my chin, and continued while shuffling my feet.
“…. There’s someone we can’t live without.”
“…. What are you saying ….?”
“In truth, you know what I mean. That you, yourself, are an empty existence. If you don’t find your own reason for existing inside of someone, you wouldn’t even be able to live. In truth, you’re meaningless, powerless …”
“D-ne-chan? What are you saying——!”
“It’s only been a short period of time, but when I look at you, I am annoyed. It’s as if … you are a mirror to me. Although, the orientation appears to be completely different. After all, you’ve realized it, haven’t you? If, one day, the other party has no more need for you. No, it’s possible that already, they may no longer have any need for you, and it’s just that you don’t have the courage to confirm it. And, your own——”
“——Shut up.”
C-ta said this in a low voice, sounding much different than he usually did.
“… Ufufu, it’s a joke. I think that, despite this, I would like to become friends with you, C-ta-san. You may not have the same intention, but considering the mutual benefits for each other, it’s not something you can’t understand, right?”
Just as C-ta was glaring at me with hostility, we heard a sound.
“…. Huh? C-ta.”
“Ah, D-ne. You’re early, aren’t you? What are you doing?”
There, A-ya and B-ko stood together.
“B-ko-chan! Ufufu, I was just having some idle conversation with C-ta.”
“Is that so?”
“Right? C-ta-san.”
I said, and faced C-ta with a smile.
“…. C-ta?”
“……. Ahh, yeah, just small talk.”
C-ta replied with his usual smile.
After dealing with someone in this way, I realized for the first time that I was a fairly spiteful person.
I enjoyed striking a nerve in people.
I’d noticed that just by pointing out things that people would rather not mention, they would grow to be this annoyed.
Other than B-ko, I didn’t care what anyone else thought of me.
I found myself realizing that, as if I could no longer deny it, and although they were my own thoughts, at the same time, they felt like someone else’s, and it scared me.
*
And then, during the lunch break on another day. I had gone up to the roof by myself, and was sitting in the shade of the back building.
Today was unfortunately overcast, but in its own right, that wasn’t so bad.
Thinking that she should be coming soon, I heard the sound of the rooftop door open, and before long, someone came up to me.
“B-ko-chan~”
“….. As I thought, you’re here again …..”
“Eh~ It’s just a coincidence~”
B-ko sighed and shook her head in defeat, but soon smiled and sat beside me.
“But, y’know, I never get to talk to you like this, B-ko-chan, so I’m happy that we can when we’re here.”
“Why don’t you just talk to me?”
“…. That’s because, there’s always so many people around you ……”
“Hm~ ….. Well, you’ve got a point~ …..”
Followers …. Although I wouldn’t really call them that, there was always someone hanging around B-ko.
For me, who was from another class, there was no chance to go up and talk to her.
“You shouldn’t worry about it so much, you know?”
“I know. But I like you, B-ko-chan, so I’m just happy that we’re able to talk.”
I said, and grinned.
B-ko laughed awkwardly, and turned to stare up at the sky that seemed to signal rain.
When it came to my unabashed kindness, at first, B-ko had been bewildered by it, but gradually, whether it was because she’s given up or simply saw it as a joke, she had come to stop commenting on it altogether.
I was a little happy at the relationship we had now, but also just a bit saddened by it.
“I heard that B-ko’s imposter appeared.”
Suddenly, from somewhere on the roof, we heard someone say this.
The spot that we were in was slightly secluded, and in the shadow of a smaller building, making it a blind spot for the people that were talking.
“What do you mean by imposter?”
“Like, while B-ko’s in her house, it’s going around places at night?”
“Eh? What? Like some kind of monster?”
“I dunno. But you know, B-ko’s a nice girl, so it feels like it’ll build up?”
“Build up? What will!?”
“Ahaha, that’s not it! I mean like, that ‘I want to go out~’ feeling builds up.”
“I don’t get what you’re saying at all~”
“But like, I heard there’s people that really saw it~ ….”
——Right away, I thought this to be A-ya’s rumor.
Not just because it was a rumor, but because it was combined with some kind of occult-like thing, there was no mistaking it.
B-ko seemed to figure it out right away, too.
“How dare he …..”
“Ufufu ….. B-ko’s cute when she’s angry, too.”
“…. I’m going straight to the old building after school.”
“Understood.”
As the time signaled the end of the lunch break, the sky darkened once more, and the falling rain enveloped the school in noise.
*
——After school, I met up with B-ko, and we went to the old school building right away.
Once we got to the second floor and opened the door of what had originally been the music room, we found that someone was already there.
“…. Oh? You seem awfully angry today.”
It was C-ta. He looked at me, and made an uncomfortable face for a split-second, but B-ko didn’t seem to notice.
“…. Can’t you do something about that childhood friend of yours?”
Putting down our bags, B-ko and I sat down in our usual seats.
“Ahh, that rumor, you mean? Isn’t it a masterpiece? As usual, it’s the best.”
“…. Why you ….”
Just as B-ko started to draw closer to C-ta, we heard the sound of the door sliding open again.
“…. Hey.”
——It was A-ya.
“No, it’s not just ‘hey’ …. I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as your topics?”
“…. What’re you talking about?”
“…. Don’t act like you don’t know!”
Desperately trying to suppress her anger, B-ko glared at A-ya.
“Look, don’t call smoke where there’s no fire. I only meant it as a little prank.”
“…. Why you …”
“If someone happened to see you right now, won’t they think you’re an impostor?”
“I’m serious, if you don’t stop now ….”
“But, I think it’s wonderful that B-ko-chan has that dual nature.”
Just as B-ko was about to grab A-ya by the collar, for some reason, I cheerfully said this.
“Dual nature … You’re saying it like I have a split personality.”
“Well, to be honest, it’s at a level where it really seems you might?”
It seemed that my attempt had been successful, and B-ko returned to the seat she had been sitting in before.
“Pfft, as usual, B-ko has a soft spot for D-ne, huh?”
“Oh, shut up.”
C-ta continued to speak, as if mocking B-ko.
“It’s not like A-ya meant to tell a pointless lie, right?”
“That’s right, and it matches our activities so perfectly, too.”
“Club activities … Can we really even call it that?”
——Certainly, it wasn’t something of that degree.
But, in the wake of A-ya’s discovery of the diary, our activities had suddenly became lively.
——That discovery was “a diary from ten years ago.”
An exchange diary belonging to the students from ten years ago that had gathered “occult stories” in this old school building, just like us. Many of those stories were ones we had never heard before, and made us really excited.
And within those were mentions of the “Book of Demise” and “Bookmark of Demise,” urban legends that have been told in this school.
They had obtained these two items, and …… ——died.
Before this, we’d only get together about once a week, sometimes not even meet at all, but lately, almost every day, there was at least one person in this classroom.
A few days ago, it seemed that they had actually tried doing Kokkuri-san, according to the rules written in the diary.
Although I hadn’t been there at the time, when they started to just “try it out”, they were hit by a very strange sensation and stopped halfway because of their fear.
Today, all the members in the old building were gathered.
“…. By the way, there’s something that I’ve been thinking about recently.”
A-ya spoke up suddenly.
“It might just be my imagination, though, or it might actually be an unnatural phenomenon.”
“…. Unnatural phenomenon?”
With a scraping sound, B-ko shifted her chair so that she was sitting facing A-ya.
“That’s right … Lately, when I wake up in the morning, I’m certain that I can feel someone’s gaze on me.”
“Are you sure … it’s not just your family?”
“My parents leave early in the morning, so it can’t be them.”
“Then, is it like someone’s watching from outside?”
“That’s not it … How should I put it—I feel like someone’s watching me from behind. But when I turn around, there’s no one there. This kind of thing has been happening frequently.”
“…. Huh ..”
“Maybe it’s something like a ‘zashiki-warashi’ ….”
“If it’s ‘Mearry-san,’ you’d be getting phone calls, right?”
“The Mearry-san lately seems to even use text messaging.”
“Hmmm …”
A-ya took a breath, and then continued.
“There’s something else that’s also been on my mind.”
“What is it?”
“The other day, we did Kokkuri-san, didn’t we? The three of us: B-ko, C-ta, and I …”
“Yeah ….”
“——The following day, I started to feel someone’s gaze on me …. That’s why … Perhaps this has something to do with the “Bookmark of Demise, is what I’ve been thinking.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
With those sudden words, A-ya continued further.
“… Anyway, the last attempt at ‘Kokkuri-san’ failed.”
“Failed ….?”
“We weren’t able to obtain the “Book of Demise” or the “Bookmark of Demise,” right?”
“…. It’s true that we didn’t do it as it said in the rules … but …”
The classroom was filled with silence.
I expected what his next words would be, and simply thought them to be truly irritating.
“…. Let’s do it one more time.”
*
Thus, we began the ritual of “Kokkuri-san” in order to obtain the “Bookmark of Demise”, as was written in the diary.
“Next, everyone will ask each other questions in turn. To start off, someone try asking me something.”
“…. Okay then, was A-ya’s dinner last night made of meat?”
“….. What’s up with that?”
A-ya made an almost amazed face at B-ko’s question.
“…. It’s the only thing I could think of on the spot.”
“Ah, it’s started moving.”
“….. It says “yes”……What did you eat?”
“It was hamburger steak……”
“Hamburger, huh~ the hamburger steaks at A-ya’s place are really great, I want to eat them again…”
C-ta muttered in a small voice.
As for me, I started to feel strange, somehow.
Personally, I felt very calm, but it was like a bad feeling was slowly making my hair stand on end.
“Then, next is B-ko …. Does B-ko have a crush on anyone?”
All of a sudden, A-ya asked B-ko this completely nonsensical question.
“Wait! What kind of question is that!?”
“Look, B-ko-chan, it’s not good if you don’t calm down.”
“…. Ah, ahhh ….. geez …”
B-ko was very distressed.
B-ko’s ….. crush. I ….. I ……..
The ten-yen coin moved smoothly, and then stopped.
“So it’s ‘yes?” …… Huh …”
“A-ya! If you’re going to ask, why’re you reacting like that!?
“When I thought it over, I wasn’t actually that curious, that’s all …. Ah, Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, please return to the gate.”
B-ko had someone that she liked.
That was something that I already knew.
After all, I looked at B-ko more than anyone else.
However, I …..
“… !! N-next is D-ne’s turn. Here I go!”
“Go ahead.”
“Does D-ne have a crush on anyone!?”
When B-ko made eye contact with me, she asked this, as if to hide her own embarrassment.
I couldn’t help but think that this, too, was very cute.
“Are you fine with it being such a boring question?”
Once again, the ten-yen coin moved straight to “yes.”
“Huh, so D-ne-chan has someone that she likes, too?”
“Eh? That’s because I love B-ko.”
I said, and looked at B-ko with a bright smile.
I understood that B-ko would only think of it as a joke.
Just like this, we proceeded with Kokkuri-san, and finally, we neared the last round.
Next, it was C-ta’s turn to answer a question.
“Next is …. C-ta, huh. Hmm, I wonder what kind of question would be good.”
“Um, how about this?”
C-ta said while looking at A-ya.
“…. The doll that was in my home long ago, was a penguin.”
“Eh?”
“What do you mean?”
“…. Ah, it moved.”
Kokkuri-san moved to “No”.
“C-ta, what is this ….?”
“Whether Kokkuri-san was really correct or not, we didn’t know, right? That’s why, I thought I’d ask a question that A-ya knew the answer to, as well. ….. A-ya, what that doll that was in my house long ago was …. You know, right?”
“………”
A-ya thought for a bit, and then replied,
“….. It was a rabbit ….. right?”
C-ta’s face was distorted with an expression that was caught between happiness and grief.
B-ko didn’t seem to have a very clear grasp on this situation.
Just when I turned to B-ko and was about to speak to her ….. That was when it happened.
——BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!
「「「「——————」」」」
Suddenly, the old cathode-ray tube television that was set up in the old building began to light up while spouting noise.
“What?”
“Kyaaaaaa!”
“….. It couldn’t be …!”
“………”
「——Due to a single traitor, a “fox”, the game has begun.」
The robotic voice resounded inside the room.
It was as if unpleasant noise had been poured directly into my brain.
『If you wish to escape, pay attention to the following conditions, and seek the end.
——Now, let this fun Demise Game begin.』
・To reach the end of the game, the “fox” must be killed.
・If the “fox” cannot be found, everyone else will die.
・While searching for the “fox”, Kokkuri-san’s demands must be met.
・Kokkuri-san’s demands will be sent via letter.
・You will be given one week to fulfill Kokkuri-san’s demands.
・If the demands are ignored, you will die.
・If the demands are shown to someone outside of the game, that person will die.
・Until the end of the game is reached, you absolutely cannot escape.
The enumeration of indifferently said words whose meaning I didn’t understand.
I wanted to just laugh it off as a poor joke, but this absolute fear told everyone that it was no trivial matter.
“…….. kh”
——BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!
Just when C-ta finally tried to speak, the intense noise came again.
The man’s face that was displayed on the screen was twisted as if it were something not of this world, and switched between a laughing, troubled, crying and angry expression.
——And then, the incoming silence.
“….. Wh-what was that ….. j-just now……?”
“….. I don’t know.”
“….. ‘Fox’? ‘Traitor’……?”
“I-it’s just a really bad joke, right ……?
“…….”
We all fell silent at the same time, and looked at each other.
In the dim room, I think that everyone’s faces had gone pale.
After that, for quite a long time …. Athough in reality, it might not even have been one minute …. the silence continued on. And then, prompted by someone’s suggestion of “….. Anyway, let’s go home for today …..”, we left the school.
——The next day, my classmate had been cut into an upper body and lower body, and died.
When the bodies had been found during the lunch break, a strange atmosphere soon fell over the school.
While the police were investigating on scene, the students were all made to wait in the classrooms. However, my classmates didn’t seem to grasp the reality of the situation, treating it like something shown on TV from somewhere else, and gave off a festive mood, just like the others and I would have if not for what happened yesterday.
What could this possibly be? Was this the work of the “Bookmark of Demise”?
Somehow, I felt very calm.
And, if it was a situation like this, I could become closer to B-ko.
My mind was filled with these kinds of thoughts.
Surely, B-ko was very scared right now. What would the best way that I could comfort her?
Eventually, other than the select group of students that were taken in for questioning, everyone else was ordered to go home. However, just like I had yesterday, I headed straight for the old building.
In the usual classroom, all the members from yesterday, except for B-ko, were already there.
Soon after, B-ko came as well.
“——Hey, who told him? ——Who’s the traitor!?”
B-ko seemed to be very, very afraid.
“I wonder if we’ll die, too …..?”
“….. Calm down.”
“There’s no way I can calm down in a situation like this!”
“….. We still … don’t know for sure yet …… It could have been a coincidence …..”
“There’s no way that was a coincidence!!“
“Calm down!!”
“……”
“…. If anyone else gets involved ……You don’t want to die, right?”
“————tch!!”
“In any case, someone received a letter …. And then, it was seen, right?”
“In other words, that means it was true? That …..”
“’Seems like it.”
“……..”
“The Bookmark of Demise …..”
For a while, we remained silent. A silence to the point where one’s ears would hurt.
“——Hey …. What should we do?”
B-ko asked in a voice that seemed about to cry.
“For now, we don’t really have any choice but to wait and see, right? Since someone has already received a letter……”
“Yeah, so after one week passes, one of us will die.”
“Since …. Since it’s this kind of case, they’ll find the culprit quickly, right?!”
“………. That is, if there is a culprit.”
While putting on a frightened act, I implicitly continued saying things that could increase the feelings of fear.
In the end, we confirmed that we could do nothing about the situation, and decided to all go home early that day.
And, because B-ko wasn’t able to relax, I went with her to a small city library a short distance away from the school …..
*
“…. B-ko-chan …..”
I looked at B-ko in concern. Because it was a smaller library, with the added fact that it was past noon on a weekday, there was no one else here besides us.
There was one staff person at the counter, but because we were sitting at a table in the very back of the bookshelves, the two of us were completely alone.
“…. Are you okay?”
I put my hand on the back of B-ko’s hand and asked again.
B-ko pulled her hand away slowly, and muttered a quiet, “Thanks, but I’m fine.”
“…..”
She should have just let our hands stay like that.
“…. I’m sorry that I lost it.”
“…. It’s okay.”
“Somehow … seems like it’s not a dream, huh ….? It’d be nice if it were, but somehow, I still can’t believe it …..”
“…. Yeah.”
“I-I’ve been a little curious about …. Well, it’s more like … Look, we didn’t obtain the “Book” or the “Bookmark,” so ….”
“Yeah.”
“…. So … that’s why I think …. It won’t be like ten years ago, so ….”
“……..”
“……..”
“B-ko-cha——“
“Ahaha, sorry! I know that I’m a liar …. And it’s useless no matter what a fat liar like me says, but …. I didn’t betray anyone, I’m not a traitor, I——“
“B-ko-chan!”
“…… kh!”
B-ko, who had been looking down the entire time, finally lifted her face.
Her face was like a frightened little fawn, and was very adorable.
I took hold of B-ko’s hand again.
This time, my grip was firmer than before.
“—I’ll protect you, B-ko. So …. Please don’t worry.”
—Protect. It was a word I didn’t understand very well, so to me, it sounded nothing more than a baseless, meaningless promise.
But even so, it seemed that they had some effect in calming B-ko down.
“…. Thank you.”
“Mm-hm. Because … I love B-ko-chan.”
I said this, and faced me with her best smile, just like always.
“…. I see. Thank you. I really like you too.”
I stood up, and brought my face close to B-ko’s.
And then—
“…. What I said before …. It wasn’t a lie.”
—I pressed against my lips against hers.
I went to a café near the station, and rushed into the single-stall restroom.
After I’d kissed B-ko, I told her, “I’ll be going home now,” and left the library first.
However, I didn’t think I’d be able to go home right away, and had instead come to a café.
…. I traced my own lips with my fingers.
The reflection of my face in the mirror was distorted.
—I’d just … had my first kiss …
I knew that I was red all the way up to the ears.
My face wouldn’t stop burning.
Despite the fact that my classmate had just died this afternoon, even that felt like something trivial and insignificant.
—Thump.
“…. ?”
Just when I pulled my bag towards me so I could take out my cell phone, I noticed something strange.
….. Was there something in here?
Completely unguarded, I opened my bag.
“…. Eek!”
Inside my bag was something I would have never expected.
A single letter and——what seemed to be a small, mummified hand.
It was cut off at the wrist, with five full fingers, and in a position where it was half open.
As for the size, it appeared to be about as big as an elementary schooler’s.
Being faced with this sudden, surreal object, rather than feeling fear, what overcame me more was the strange impression that it looked almost like a backscratcher.
Returning to my seat, I hid the letter inside a textbook and slowly opened it.
Inside, something unexpected was written.
《——Use the Monkey’s Paw, and defy fate.》
In the letter, it was written that the Moneky’s Paw from earlier was a “special item”.
Apparently, it could grant any five wishes, no matter what they were.
Use it, defy fate, and find the traitor …. was what it said.
If I remembered correctly, I had a feeling I’d heard about this from A-ya a while back.
It was an urban legend about an item called the Monkey’s Paw that could grant any wish.
However, I couldn’t remember what was at the end of the story. I was so sure there had been something …..
“Any wish, huh ….”
I remembered about my classmate being killed this afternoon.
That had to have been because of a paranormal power, or perhaps some kind of abstract power that went against this world; otherwise, it would not have been possible.
Just to test it out, I muttered quietly,
“B-ko-chan’s ribbon …. I wish I had it …”
—Crack.
I heard a dry noise from inside my bag.
It was the sound of a joint snapping.
Not daring to believe it, I opened my bag very, very slowly.
There, the mummified hand from earlier was still there, but now, the thumb was folded down, like when counting off numbers.
—And beside the hand, was a ribbon.
There was no mistake; this was what I was always looking at …..
Yes, the very same one that I had seen up-close just a while ago ….. B-ko’s ribbon.
I went into the restroom again, put on the ribbon in a merry mood, cut my hair with the scissors I had with me, and went home while passing in front of the station.
Once I reached home, I held my bag very, very carefully and went into my room.
What a wonderful turn of events this was.
Rather than fear, my feelings of happiness triumphed.
After all, it was perfect, wasn’t it?
If I just used the last wish to save only B-ko and I, everything would be fine!
There was nothing to be afraid of.
If I saved the last wish, there were still three more things I could wish for.
What did I want to do?
In the end, I suppose I wanted to become just the slightest bit closer to B-ko.
I recalled how I had felt when I used to talk to Ririka.
*
School became closed for a week.
On the first day, I stayed at home all day, but by the second day, I had completely run out of things to do.
Thinking for a while, I remembered I still had three wishes left, and wished for B-ko’s shoes.
Crack.
Together with a dry sound, B-ko’s shoes appeared in the entrance hall of my house.
It was like magic. Putting on my school uniform, the ribbon, and shoes, I went out into town.
After going to the school, the library, and several other places, I suddenly thought of going to B-ko’s house.
B-ko’s house was definitely around here somewhere.
Once I arrived at the park that served as a landmark, B-ko appeared right then.
Seeing B-ko walking and looking around at her surroundings, I hid in the shade of a tree without a second thought.
“—Ah ….. !”
For a split-second, B-ko seemed to notice something, and looked around.
Thinking that she would find me, I quickly hid behind the tree.
With a desperate expression on her face, B-ko threw a plastic bag into the bushes, and then ran back into the house that was in front of the park’s entrance.
….. What was that just now?
I searched the area where B-ko had been standing, and picked up the plastic bag from within the bushes.
Looking inside, there was a single book.
It was very old, with a pitch black cover, and had a bookmark stuck between its pages.
I was no longer afraid of anything.
Whether it was the Book of Demise or the Bookmark of Demise, as long as I had this Monkey’s Paw, I could defy them.
“…. Fufufu, B-ko-chan, I will protect you ….”
I threw the plastic bag and the book back into the bushes.
And then, I stood in front of B-ko’s house for a while and stared at the window that was likely to be B-ko’s room for a very, veeeery long time.
On the third day, I wandered around the vicinity of the school again, and lastly, went to stand in front of B-ko’s house.
On the fourth day, I came on a little trip to the shopping mall.
By this time, the murder incident had been long forgotten, and with nothing else left to do, there were more than a few students that had come to hang out at the mall. Already, I had seen faces of several people I recognized.
There wasn’t anything in particular I wanted, but still, I strolled around the mall with my favorite ribbon and shoes.
As I was walking and looking around, the ad for a glasses and color contact shop caught my eye.
【Find Your Dream Eyes With Color Contacts!】
I had no interest in cheap color contacts, but come to think of it, I remembered B-ko having very clear and pretty eyes.
And then, at the same time, I remembered the conversation that B-ko and her classmate, who I had just seen earlier, had had in the hallway before.
『Hey, look~ We’re matching, right~?』
『Ah, you’re right!』
『Yay! B-ko and I have matching eye colors!』
『They’re only eyes~』
『Ahahaha! Sooo mean~』
Matching eyes, hm? ……….. I wish I could have them, too.
Crack!
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”
Suddenly, a scream rang out inside of the shopping mall.
Wondering what had happened, I drew closer to where the commotion was, and saw that an accident had occurred; the top part of the lighting fixture above the mall’s stairwell had fallen down.
Right where it had landed was B-ko’s classmate, who I had just been thinking about.
And …. She was holding the area around her eye and screaming.
There seemed to be blood around her hand; a slightly thick, red moisture dripping.
I rushed into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.
—There, reflected in the mirror, was a very pretty eye that matched with B-ko’s.
The next day, in order to finally use the last wish, I went to B-ko’s house.
After yesterday’s incident, I remembered what A-ya had said about the story of the Monkey’s Paw.
The Monkey’s Paw was invincible. However, if you wished for gold, gold would disappear from somewhere, and if you wished for water, water would disappear from somewhere. It was the same with lives. The point was that it would only exchange things; although invincible, it was an item that had its limits.
In order to work out how to save B-ko and I, I would explain the situation to B-ko and have her cooperate with me. It was alright; if it was B-ko, she was sure to understand.
Telling myself this while stroking my lips in a trance, I left the house.
I arrived at B-ko’s house, and rang the doorbell.
—Ding d-ong.
Nothing.
—Ding d-ong.
…. What was she doing?
—Ker-chak!! Ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak!!
—Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong.
Hey, B-ko ……. You’re in there, aren’t you? I know you are.
………… Ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak!!
I was impatient. This Monkey’s Paw was dangerous. There was undoubtedly a spell on it that made you want to wish for things. At this rate, it would continue to escalate. That was why I had to hurry. B-ko, I’ve come to save you. Hey, why won’t you come out, why won’t you come out, why won’t you come out, why won’t you come out, why won’t you come ouuuuuuuuut!?
I moved the doorknob so violently, it seemed likely to break.
“…. Eek!!”
—Thump.
Ker-chak ……
—Just now, I was sure that I had heard B-ko’s voice, and the sound of someone falling down.
“…………….. Why won’t you come out?”
Becoming anxious, I began to pound on the door and tried to turn the doorknob again.
“B-ko! B-ko!? Open up! Open uppppppppppppppppppp!!”
Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump!!
“Why won’t you come out? Hey? Why? Hey! Heeeeeeeeeey!!”
I circled the garden and found a rock to smash open the glass.
Crash!!
Where are you, B-ko? Where have you gone!?
I stuck down the television that was emitting annoying noise.
In the now silent room, I could hear a faint voice that sounded like B-ko.
“Help meee ……………………”
It’s okay, I’m coming to save you right now!
“………………………………………………………………………… A-yaa ……”
A-ya?
I knew. I knew that B-ko had always been looking at someone.
But, that ……
That … wasn’t B-ko.
—And then!
I ripped off the covers and stared at B-ko’s face at point-blank range.
Her frightened figure was much more real than I had ever imagined, and not at all like what I had pictured.
—This thing in front of me was not B-ko.
I … I will become the perfect B-ko. And I will save B-ko.
—Crack!
I moved away slightly from the thing that had been me just a moment ago, and said in a kind tone.
“…. I will protect you.”
And then, I raised the scissors I was holding up high.
—Yes, I will protect that ideal you I know so well.
—I am perfect.
“B-ko-chan, you’re so cute!”
“Right? And great style, too, like an idol.”
“Smart, and a great personality …. I really envy you~”
“Eh— …. Oh come on, that’s not true.”
“It totally is!”
“Good reflexes, too! It’s a shame you’re not into any club~”
“Hmm …. Compared to people that are in clubs though, it’s nothing.”
“Oh, stop being so modest. Plus, you’re really popular with the guys.”
“Isn’t she—? But it’s B-ko, so of course she is~”
“If I was a guy, I’d confess to you too!”
“Ahaha”
“So, so, do you have a crush on anyone, or someone you want to go out with?’
“Hmm~ …. I don’t really know about that~”
“Eh—That’s so boring~”
“But, you know, honestly, there probably isn’t any guy that’s worthy of dating a girl like B-ko.”
“You said it.”
“Anyway, if you find a crush or anything, make sure you tell us! You have to!”
“Sure, I don’t mind.”
“It’s a promise~!”
“A promise!”
“Ah, oh no, class is about to start.”
—Yes, I am perfect.
A perfect …… ‘imposter.’
One of my classmates jogged up close to me.
“….. Ah, hey, B-ko.”
“What is it? Was there still something you needed?”
“….. Weeell, it’s not really that important, but ……”
“…… Hm?”
“Ah, yeah …… Um ….”
“?”
“……… B-ko, did you change your shampoo?”
I smiled brightly, and replied, “Yeah, isn’t the scent lovely?”
—After school, I walked to a certain library.
In the end, I had used the fourth wish to become B-ko herself.
And with the last wish, I wished for all the disaster that was sure to befall me, to disappear.
….. With this, everything would go well.
I was wrapped in a euphoria I had never felt before.
Come to think of it, ever since I had loved Ririka, I had always had a strong desire to become close to the person I admired.
My cheeks blushed as I traced around my lips.
While fiddling with my hair, I sniffed the scent of my favorite sweet osmanthus.
『….. The smell ……』
!?
Suddenly, I heard a voice from directly behind me.
One I remembered hearing, it was that voice.
….. Why? Why are you here?
—B-ko!!
『Did you know?』
“…… Eh?”
『It’s said that those who see their doppelganger …. will die.』
—Why? Why ……?
*
In the empty school building, mixed in with the sound of noise, the television sang:
『All of your wishes have been granted. The disaster that should have befallen you has all disappeared. And, in exchange for becoming the person you admired, everything that belonged to that person now belongs to you. … Yes, all their disasters … All of their misfortune … Please take great caution when impersonating someone. 』
—My first love was a girl.
Her name was Ririka. She was … a doll that my mother had bought for me.
“Ririka, you look lovely today, as well.”
“You’re too kind.”
Ririka was very humble and graceful.
“Ririka, why is the sky blue?”
“Because it looks beautiful that way.”
Ririka was so very clever.
“Then why are the nights dark?”
“Because only then can you see the stars, right?”
And also, a romanticist.
She’s beautiful, cute, reliable …
To me, Ririka herself was the ideal.
I wore lovely clothes just like the doll’s.
I made my hairstyle lovely, just like the doll’s.
—But before long, I realized something.
I am not beautiful, or cute, like Ririka.
I can’t become Ririka.
The day I understood that, I sobbed and wailed all day long, questioning Ririka.
But in she did not reply in her usual, gentle voice.
And then, from that day on, I never talked to Ririka again.
—This is the story of my first love, as well as the memory of heartbreak.
Time passed, and I entered high school.
I was slightly shyer than normal people, and became the type of student that doesn’t stand out at all in class.
I didn’t particularly have any close friends, and didn’t join any clubs.
I planned to live my life peacefully just like this, as I had been going until now, and start living differently only once I reached my twenties.
I’d read in a magazine somewhere that “When a girl falls in love, she changes”, but as for me, boys were only full of nonsense, and I saw no chance of falling in love with any of them.
—And then one day, something happened to me.
It was after school one day, when some litter around the rear gate happened to catch my attention, and I’d gone to get cleaning supplies from the small shed to tidy it up.
“—I’ll help out, too.”
A clear, pretty voice spoke. When I turned around, there stood a strikingly lovely girl with a cute face; a lively, short haircut; pale, pink lips; and a direct gaze.
“Ah ….. um, umm …..”
“Around the gate, right? I noticed it, too.”
“….. Ah.”
“…. Is something the matter?”
“Eh …. Um ….. uhh.”
“If I remember …. We’re in the same grade, right?”
“Y-yes ….”
“Well, anyway! Let’s get to cleaning!”
She showed me a carefree smile.
And then, she gently took my hand and pulled me along to the rear gate.
….. Over something so small, a love was sparked.
I fell completely in love with her.
I’d heard about her before from the rumors.
Actually, there probably wasn’t one person in school that didn’t know about her.
Beautiful and smart. Gorgeous.
She was a pretty girl that everyone called perfect.
There was a rumor that ever since entering high school, there had been many boys that had confessed to her, and they had all been rejected.
That day, she had gone home right after the cleaning was done, but ever since then, whenever we passed each other in the hallways, she would smile in my direction.
To me, she was my first real-life, perfect, ideal girl.
I wanted to get closer to her.
I wanted to know more about her.
She was just so wonderful.
Just by being in love, I was able to have so much fun at school every day.
Ah, I never knew that the days would come where my heart was set so aflutter.
From that day on, I never took my eyes off of her.
I want to talk to her!
I want to know more about her!!
But as I thought that, there was just one thing that disturbed me.
—Ever since what happened with Ririka, I had a certain kind of trauma.
I felt that there was a gap that was much too difficult to cross between me, and her, who as much too perfect; I faced tremendous despair.
With that in mind, unable to get closer to her, those frustrating days continued.
*
In the end, nothing worth mentioning happened since then, and my days went on.
Even so, I didn’t let go of the heat of my long-smoldering love, and always followed her in the corner of my vision.
But one day, something about her underwent a slight change.
At first, I thought it was because of the rumors about B-ko that had been going around school lately, but this was clearly something different.
I’ve always been watching her, so I knew.
There was something different about B-ko from before.
I began to feel uneasy, without thinking about it, I followed her one day after school.
She headed towards the rear gate, and from there, towards the old school building.
For the most part, the old building was used as nothing more than a storehouse now, and gradually, people stopped coming here altogether.
What could she be doing in a place like this ….?
While maintaining a safe distance from behind, I continued to secretly follow her.
And then, B-ko entered one of the classrooms.
It was a classroom that had once been used as a music room.
Very, very carefully, I peered inside through the crack in the door.
—Inside, B-ko was with two other male students.
“Honestly! Why’d you have to go and spread another rumor about me!?”
“….. Beats me?”
“Ahaha, that’s because B-ko-chan’s a celebrity around here~”
Among the two male students, there was one that gave off an impression of being introverted and attentive. I don’t really remember seeing him before.
As for the other one, I felt like I had seen him somewhere before. Both seemed to be sociable and sensitive students.
It was already surprising that B-ko was with these male students, but more than anything, I couldn’t hide my surprise at her expression and tone of voice, neither of which I had ever seen her use before.
—As I looked at that expression, I could only think of it as cute.
Up until now, B-ko had been a symbol of perfection to me, but now, I was seeing her act this lively, and revealing her emotions.
This made me realize that B-ko was different from Ririka; she was a real human being.
—Rattle.
Without thinking, I accidently pressed by hand against the door.
The two male students looked over, and B-ko turned around with a look on her face like she’d just been caught red-handed.
“…. Huh? Are you …. here to see B-ko-chan?”
“—!? Wait …. You’re …..”
When B-ko saw my face, her expression shifted slightly to one of relief.
Certainly, if a classmate or another male student caught sight of her here, it might be the cause of another rumor.
But if it was someone like me, who had not a single friend, there wouldn’t be any problem.
Thinking about it calmly, that was probably why B-ko looked relieved, but at that time, I had felt like I’ve been forgiven by her.
“Ah, I’m …. I’m sorry. I saw you coming towards this abandoned, old building, so …. Um.”
I said this with my best smile.
B-ko let out a light sigh, and answered,
“… I see. Sorry, you were worried about me, right? Thank you.”
“…. An acquaintance?”
The introverted-looking boy bluntly asked while staring in my direction.
“Weeell …. Yeah, I guess so. Ah, but I still haven’t asked your name. My name’s B-ko, what’s yours?”
“—D-ne ….”
I answered. I was sure to have made an awkward, reserved smile this time, as well.
“Right, D-ne-chan, um~ … Well, it’s kind of hard to put this in words, but, about what you saw here, umm ….”
B-ko seemed to be having trouble speaking, and was fidgeting around a bit.
“…. I-it’s okay! I won’t say anything about this.”
“Eh—? It’s not like we’re doing anything suspicious or anything.”
The other male student joked with a grin, which made B-ko glare at him.
“…. Ah, but ….”
I took a deep breath, and then continued.
“—Would it be alright, if I came here too, sometimes?”
After that, B-ko told me the names of the two male students, and I, too, became one of the members here at the old building.
At first, I didn’t understand why they gathered here, but after a few more meetings, I finally understood that it was something like a study group of the occult.
I didn’t particularly have any interest in things like the occult, but when B-ko was here, she seemed really happy, and more than anything, this was the one place that I could talk with B-ko; those were the reasons I frequently came to the old building.
The more I learned about B-ko, the more I liked her, and eventually, she even started to talk to me with that lively expression of hers.
After some time passed, I began to completely understand the members of the old school building.
It would seem that each member had their own quirks and habits.
As for A-ya and C-ta, I was gradually growing irritated of them in different, respective ways.
—And then, one day, after school in the old building.
“….. Oh.”
“….. Oh my.”
When I went to the old building to wait for B-ko, C-ta was already there.
“Hey, D-ne-chan, you’re early today, aren’t you?”
C-ta spoke with his usual smile.
I could feel my irritation steadily rising.
“Yes, it’s because I wanted to speak with you.”
I grinned and faced his way.
Fufufu, he was making a puzzled face.
“… Sorry, don’t you mean … with B-ko?”
“Oh? Of course I would love to talk with B-ko-chan, but I would also like to speak together with you, C-ta-san.”
“…. I see. What is it?”
I continued with a mischievous smile on my face.
“I … think that you and I are quite alike, C-ta-san.”
“Hm? What do you mean? No matter how you look it, I think that you and A-ya are the ones that are really like one another.”
“That’s just on the surface, isn’t it?”
“…. ?”
I raised my chin, and continued while shuffling my feet.
“…. There’s someone we can’t live without.”
“…. What are you saying ….?”
“In truth, you know what I mean. That you, yourself, are an empty existence. If you don’t find your own reason for existing inside of someone, you wouldn’t even be able to live. In truth, you’re meaningless, powerless …”
“D-ne-chan? What are you saying——!”
“It’s only been a short period of time, but when I look at you, I am annoyed. It’s as if … you are a mirror to me. Although, the orientation appears to be completely different. After all, you’ve realized it, haven’t you? If, one day, the other party has no more need for you. No, it’s possible that already, they may no longer have any need for you, and it’s just that you don’t have the courage to confirm it. And, your own——”
“——Shut up.”
C-ta said this in a low voice, sounding much different than he usually did.
“… Ufufu, it’s a joke. I think that, despite this, I would like to become friends with you, C-ta-san. You may not have the same intention, but considering the mutual benefits for each other, it’s not something you can’t understand, right?”
Just as C-ta was glaring at me with hostility, we heard a sound.
“…. Huh? C-ta.”
“Ah, D-ne. You’re early, aren’t you? What are you doing?”
There, A-ya and B-ko stood together.
“B-ko-chan! Ufufu, I was just having some idle conversation with C-ta.”
“Is that so?”
“Right? C-ta-san.”
I said, and faced C-ta with a smile.
“…. C-ta?”
“……. Ahh, yeah, just small talk.”
C-ta replied with his usual smile.
After dealing with someone in this way, I realized for the first time that I was a fairly spiteful person.
I enjoyed striking a nerve in people.
I’d noticed that just by pointing out things that people would rather not mention, they would grow to be this annoyed.
Other than B-ko, I didn’t care what anyone else thought of me.
I found myself realizing that, as if I could no longer deny it, and although they were my own thoughts, at the same time, they felt like someone else’s, and it scared me.
*
And then, during the lunch break on another day. I had gone up to the roof by myself, and was sitting in the shade of the back building.
Today was unfortunately overcast, but in its own right, that wasn’t so bad.
Thinking that she should be coming soon, I heard the sound of the rooftop door open, and before long, someone came up to me.
“B-ko-chan~”
“….. As I thought, you’re here again …..”
“Eh~ It’s just a coincidence~”
B-ko sighed and shook her head in defeat, but soon smiled and sat beside me.
“But, y’know, I never get to talk to you like this, B-ko-chan, so I’m happy that we can when we’re here.”
“Why don’t you just talk to me?”
“…. That’s because, there’s always so many people around you ……”
“Hm~ ….. Well, you’ve got a point~ …..”
Followers …. Although I wouldn’t really call them that, there was always someone hanging around B-ko.
For me, who was from another class, there was no chance to go up and talk to her.
“You shouldn’t worry about it so much, you know?”
“I know. But I like you, B-ko-chan, so I’m just happy that we’re able to talk.”
I said, and grinned.
B-ko laughed awkwardly, and turned to stare up at the sky that seemed to signal rain.
When it came to my unabashed kindness, at first, B-ko had been bewildered by it, but gradually, whether it was because she’s given up or simply saw it as a joke, she had come to stop commenting on it altogether.
I was a little happy at the relationship we had now, but also just a bit saddened by it.
“I heard that B-ko’s imposter appeared.”
Suddenly, from somewhere on the roof, we heard someone say this.
The spot that we were in was slightly secluded, and in the shadow of a smaller building, making it a blind spot for the people that were talking.
“What do you mean by imposter?”
“Like, while B-ko’s in her house, it’s going around places at night?”
“Eh? What? Like some kind of monster?”
“I dunno. But you know, B-ko’s a nice girl, so it feels like it’ll build up?”
“Build up? What will!?”
“Ahaha, that’s not it! I mean like, that ‘I want to go out~’ feeling builds up.”
“I don’t get what you’re saying at all~”
“But like, I heard there’s people that really saw it~ ….”
——Right away, I thought this to be A-ya’s rumor.
Not just because it was a rumor, but because it was combined with some kind of occult-like thing, there was no mistaking it.
B-ko seemed to figure it out right away, too.
“How dare he …..”
“Ufufu ….. B-ko’s cute when she’s angry, too.”
“…. I’m going straight to the old building after school.”
“Understood.”
As the time signaled the end of the lunch break, the sky darkened once more, and the falling rain enveloped the school in noise.
*
——After school, I met up with B-ko, and we went to the old school building right away.
Once we got to the second floor and opened the door of what had originally been the music room, we found that someone was already there.
“…. Oh? You seem awfully angry today.”
It was C-ta. He looked at me, and made an uncomfortable face for a split-second, but B-ko didn’t seem to notice.
“…. Can’t you do something about that childhood friend of yours?”
Putting down our bags, B-ko and I sat down in our usual seats.
“Ahh, that rumor, you mean? Isn’t it a masterpiece? As usual, it’s the best.”
“…. Why you ….”
Just as B-ko started to draw closer to C-ta, we heard the sound of the door sliding open again.
“…. Hey.”
——It was A-ya.
“No, it’s not just ‘hey’ …. I don’t really care about your bad tastes, but would you stop using people as your topics?”
“…. What’re you talking about?”
“…. Don’t act like you don’t know!”
Desperately trying to suppress her anger, B-ko glared at A-ya.
“Look, don’t call smoke where there’s no fire. I only meant it as a little prank.”
“…. Why you …”
“If someone happened to see you right now, won’t they think you’re an impostor?”
“I’m serious, if you don’t stop now ….”
“But, I think it’s wonderful that B-ko-chan has that dual nature.”
Just as B-ko was about to grab A-ya by the collar, for some reason, I cheerfully said this.
“Dual nature … You’re saying it like I have a split personality.”
“Well, to be honest, it’s at a level where it really seems you might?”
It seemed that my attempt had been successful, and B-ko returned to the seat she had been sitting in before.
“Pfft, as usual, B-ko has a soft spot for D-ne, huh?”
“Oh, shut up.”
C-ta continued to speak, as if mocking B-ko.
“It’s not like A-ya meant to tell a pointless lie, right?”
“That’s right, and it matches our activities so perfectly, too.”
“Club activities … Can we really even call it that?”
——Certainly, it wasn’t something of that degree.
But, in the wake of A-ya’s discovery of the diary, our activities had suddenly became lively.
——That discovery was “a diary from ten years ago.”
An exchange diary belonging to the students from ten years ago that had gathered “occult stories” in this old school building, just like us. Many of those stories were ones we had never heard before, and made us really excited.
And within those were mentions of the “Book of Demise” and “Bookmark of Demise,” urban legends that have been told in this school.
They had obtained these two items, and …… ——died.
Before this, we’d only get together about once a week, sometimes not even meet at all, but lately, almost every day, there was at least one person in this classroom.
A few days ago, it seemed that they had actually tried doing Kokkuri-san, according to the rules written in the diary.
Although I hadn’t been there at the time, when they started to just “try it out”, they were hit by a very strange sensation and stopped halfway because of their fear.
Today, all the members in the old building were gathered.
“…. By the way, there’s something that I’ve been thinking about recently.”
A-ya spoke up suddenly.
“It might just be my imagination, though, or it might actually be an unnatural phenomenon.”
“…. Unnatural phenomenon?”
With a scraping sound, B-ko shifted her chair so that she was sitting facing A-ya.
“That’s right … Lately, when I wake up in the morning, I’m certain that I can feel someone’s gaze on me.”
“Are you sure … it’s not just your family?”
“My parents leave early in the morning, so it can’t be them.”
“Then, is it like someone’s watching from outside?”
“That’s not it … How should I put it—I feel like someone’s watching me from behind. But when I turn around, there’s no one there. This kind of thing has been happening frequently.”
“…. Huh ..”
“Maybe it’s something like a ‘zashiki-warashi’ ….”
“If it’s ‘Mearry-san,’ you’d be getting phone calls, right?”
“The Mearry-san lately seems to even use text messaging.”
“Hmmm …”
A-ya took a breath, and then continued.
“There’s something else that’s also been on my mind.”
“What is it?”
“The other day, we did Kokkuri-san, didn’t we? The three of us: B-ko, C-ta, and I …”
“Yeah ….”
“——The following day, I started to feel someone’s gaze on me …. That’s why … Perhaps this has something to do with the “Bookmark of Demise, is what I’ve been thinking.
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
“…….”
With those sudden words, A-ya continued further.
“… Anyway, the last attempt at ‘Kokkuri-san’ failed.”
“Failed ….?”
“We weren’t able to obtain the “Book of Demise” or the “Bookmark of Demise,” right?”
“…. It’s true that we didn’t do it as it said in the rules … but …”
The classroom was filled with silence.
I expected what his next words would be, and simply thought them to be truly irritating.
“…. Let’s do it one more time.”
*
Thus, we began the ritual of “Kokkuri-san” in order to obtain the “Bookmark of Demise”, as was written in the diary.
“Next, everyone will ask each other questions in turn. To start off, someone try asking me something.”
“…. Okay then, was A-ya’s dinner last night made of meat?”
“….. What’s up with that?”
A-ya made an almost amazed face at B-ko’s question.
“…. It’s the only thing I could think of on the spot.”
“Ah, it’s started moving.”
“….. It says “yes”……What did you eat?”
“It was hamburger steak……”
“Hamburger, huh~ the hamburger steaks at A-ya’s place are really great, I want to eat them again…”
C-ta muttered in a small voice.
As for me, I started to feel strange, somehow.
Personally, I felt very calm, but it was like a bad feeling was slowly making my hair stand on end.
“Then, next is B-ko …. Does B-ko have a crush on anyone?”
All of a sudden, A-ya asked B-ko this completely nonsensical question.
“Wait! What kind of question is that!?”
“Look, B-ko-chan, it’s not good if you don’t calm down.”
“…. Ah, ahhh ….. geez …”
B-ko was very distressed.
B-ko’s ….. crush. I ….. I ……..
The ten-yen coin moved smoothly, and then stopped.
“So it’s ‘yes?” …… Huh …”
“A-ya! If you’re going to ask, why’re you reacting like that!?
“When I thought it over, I wasn’t actually that curious, that’s all …. Ah, Kokkuri-san, Kokkuri-san, please return to the gate.”
B-ko had someone that she liked.
That was something that I already knew.
After all, I looked at B-ko more than anyone else.
However, I …..
“… !! N-next is D-ne’s turn. Here I go!”
“Go ahead.”
“Does D-ne have a crush on anyone!?”
When B-ko made eye contact with me, she asked this, as if to hide her own embarrassment.
I couldn’t help but think that this, too, was very cute.
“Are you fine with it being such a boring question?”
Once again, the ten-yen coin moved straight to “yes.”
“Huh, so D-ne-chan has someone that she likes, too?”
“Eh? That’s because I love B-ko.”
I said, and looked at B-ko with a bright smile.
I understood that B-ko would only think of it as a joke.
Just like this, we proceeded with Kokkuri-san, and finally, we neared the last round.
Next, it was C-ta’s turn to answer a question.
“Next is …. C-ta, huh. Hmm, I wonder what kind of question would be good.”
“Um, how about this?”
C-ta said while looking at A-ya.
“…. The doll that was in my home long ago, was a penguin.”
“Eh?”
“What do you mean?”
“…. Ah, it moved.”
Kokkuri-san moved to “No”.
“C-ta, what is this ….?”
“Whether Kokkuri-san was really correct or not, we didn’t know, right? That’s why, I thought I’d ask a question that A-ya knew the answer to, as well. ….. A-ya, what that doll that was in my house long ago was …. You know, right?”
“………”
A-ya thought for a bit, and then replied,
“….. It was a rabbit ….. right?”
C-ta’s face was distorted with an expression that was caught between happiness and grief.
B-ko didn’t seem to have a very clear grasp on this situation.
Just when I turned to B-ko and was about to speak to her ….. That was when it happened.
——BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!
「「「「——————」」」」
Suddenly, the old cathode-ray tube television that was set up in the old building began to light up while spouting noise.
“What?”
“Kyaaaaaa!”
“….. It couldn’t be …!”
“………”
「——Due to a single traitor, a “fox”, the game has begun.」
The robotic voice resounded inside the room.
It was as if unpleasant noise had been poured directly into my brain.
『If you wish to escape, pay attention to the following conditions, and seek the end.
——Now, let this fun Demise Game begin.』
・To reach the end of the game, the “fox” must be killed.
・If the “fox” cannot be found, everyone else will die.
・While searching for the “fox”, Kokkuri-san’s demands must be met.
・Kokkuri-san’s demands will be sent via letter.
・You will be given one week to fulfill Kokkuri-san’s demands.
・If the demands are ignored, you will die.
・If the demands are shown to someone outside of the game, that person will die.
・Until the end of the game is reached, you absolutely cannot escape.
The enumeration of indifferently said words whose meaning I didn’t understand.
I wanted to just laugh it off as a poor joke, but this absolute fear told everyone that it was no trivial matter.
“…….. kh”
——BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!!!!
Just when C-ta finally tried to speak, the intense noise came again.
The man’s face that was displayed on the screen was twisted as if it were something not of this world, and switched between a laughing, troubled, crying and angry expression.
——And then, the incoming silence.
“….. Wh-what was that ….. j-just now……?”
“….. I don’t know.”
“….. ‘Fox’? ‘Traitor’……?”
“I-it’s just a really bad joke, right ……?
“…….”
We all fell silent at the same time, and looked at each other.
In the dim room, I think that everyone’s faces had gone pale.
After that, for quite a long time …. Athough in reality, it might not even have been one minute …. the silence continued on. And then, prompted by someone’s suggestion of “….. Anyway, let’s go home for today …..”, we left the school.
——The next day, my classmate had been cut into an upper body and lower body, and died.
When the bodies had been found during the lunch break, a strange atmosphere soon fell over the school.
While the police were investigating on scene, the students were all made to wait in the classrooms. However, my classmates didn’t seem to grasp the reality of the situation, treating it like something shown on TV from somewhere else, and gave off a festive mood, just like the others and I would have if not for what happened yesterday.
What could this possibly be? Was this the work of the “Bookmark of Demise”?
Somehow, I felt very calm.
And, if it was a situation like this, I could become closer to B-ko.
My mind was filled with these kinds of thoughts.
Surely, B-ko was very scared right now. What would the best way that I could comfort her?
Eventually, other than the select group of students that were taken in for questioning, everyone else was ordered to go home. However, just like I had yesterday, I headed straight for the old building.
In the usual classroom, all the members from yesterday, except for B-ko, were already there.
Soon after, B-ko came as well.
“——Hey, who told him? ——Who’s the traitor!?”
B-ko seemed to be very, very afraid.
“I wonder if we’ll die, too …..?”
“….. Calm down.”
“There’s no way I can calm down in a situation like this!”
“….. We still … don’t know for sure yet …… It could have been a coincidence …..”
“There’s no way that was a coincidence!!“
“Calm down!!”
“……”
“…. If anyone else gets involved ……You don’t want to die, right?”
“————tch!!”
“In any case, someone received a letter …. And then, it was seen, right?”
“In other words, that means it was true? That …..”
“’Seems like it.”
“……..”
“The Bookmark of Demise …..”
For a while, we remained silent. A silence to the point where one’s ears would hurt.
“——Hey …. What should we do?”
B-ko asked in a voice that seemed about to cry.
“For now, we don’t really have any choice but to wait and see, right? Since someone has already received a letter……”
“Yeah, so after one week passes, one of us will die.”
“Since …. Since it’s this kind of case, they’ll find the culprit quickly, right?!”
“………. That is, if there is a culprit.”
While putting on a frightened act, I implicitly continued saying things that could increase the feelings of fear.
In the end, we confirmed that we could do nothing about the situation, and decided to all go home early that day.
And, because B-ko wasn’t able to relax, I went with her to a small city library a short distance away from the school …..
*
“…. B-ko-chan …..”
I looked at B-ko in concern. Because it was a smaller library, with the added fact that it was past noon on a weekday, there was no one else here besides us.
There was one staff person at the counter, but because we were sitting at a table in the very back of the bookshelves, the two of us were completely alone.
“…. Are you okay?”
I put my hand on the back of B-ko’s hand and asked again.
B-ko pulled her hand away slowly, and muttered a quiet, “Thanks, but I’m fine.”
“…..”
She should have just let our hands stay like that.
“…. I’m sorry that I lost it.”
“…. It’s okay.”
“Somehow … seems like it’s not a dream, huh ….? It’d be nice if it were, but somehow, I still can’t believe it …..”
“…. Yeah.”
“I-I’ve been a little curious about …. Well, it’s more like … Look, we didn’t obtain the “Book” or the “Bookmark,” so ….”
“Yeah.”
“…. So … that’s why I think …. It won’t be like ten years ago, so ….”
“……..”
“……..”
“B-ko-cha——“
“Ahaha, sorry! I know that I’m a liar …. And it’s useless no matter what a fat liar like me says, but …. I didn’t betray anyone, I’m not a traitor, I——“
“B-ko-chan!”
“…… kh!”
B-ko, who had been looking down the entire time, finally lifted her face.
Her face was like a frightened little fawn, and was very adorable.
I took hold of B-ko’s hand again.
This time, my grip was firmer than before.
“—I’ll protect you, B-ko. So …. Please don’t worry.”
—Protect. It was a word I didn’t understand very well, so to me, it sounded nothing more than a baseless, meaningless promise.
But even so, it seemed that they had some effect in calming B-ko down.
“…. Thank you.”
“Mm-hm. Because … I love B-ko-chan.”
I said this, and faced me with her best smile, just like always.
“…. I see. Thank you. I really like you too.”
I stood up, and brought my face close to B-ko’s.
And then—
“…. What I said before …. It wasn’t a lie.”
—I pressed against my lips against hers.
I went to a café near the station, and rushed into the single-stall restroom.
After I’d kissed B-ko, I told her, “I’ll be going home now,” and left the library first.
However, I didn’t think I’d be able to go home right away, and had instead come to a café.
…. I traced my own lips with my fingers.
The reflection of my face in the mirror was distorted.
—I’d just … had my first kiss …
I knew that I was red all the way up to the ears.
My face wouldn’t stop burning.
Despite the fact that my classmate had just died this afternoon, even that felt like something trivial and insignificant.
—Thump.
“…. ?”
Just when I pulled my bag towards me so I could take out my cell phone, I noticed something strange.
….. Was there something in here?
Completely unguarded, I opened my bag.
“…. Eek!”
Inside my bag was something I would have never expected.
A single letter and——what seemed to be a small, mummified hand.
It was cut off at the wrist, with five full fingers, and in a position where it was half open.
As for the size, it appeared to be about as big as an elementary schooler’s.
Being faced with this sudden, surreal object, rather than feeling fear, what overcame me more was the strange impression that it looked almost like a backscratcher.
Returning to my seat, I hid the letter inside a textbook and slowly opened it.
Inside, something unexpected was written.
《——Use the Monkey’s Paw, and defy fate.》
In the letter, it was written that the Moneky’s Paw from earlier was a “special item”.
Apparently, it could grant any five wishes, no matter what they were.
Use it, defy fate, and find the traitor …. was what it said.
If I remembered correctly, I had a feeling I’d heard about this from A-ya a while back.
It was an urban legend about an item called the Monkey’s Paw that could grant any wish.
However, I couldn’t remember what was at the end of the story. I was so sure there had been something …..
“Any wish, huh ….”
I remembered about my classmate being killed this afternoon.
That had to have been because of a paranormal power, or perhaps some kind of abstract power that went against this world; otherwise, it would not have been possible.
Just to test it out, I muttered quietly,
“B-ko-chan’s ribbon …. I wish I had it …”
—Crack.
I heard a dry noise from inside my bag.
It was the sound of a joint snapping.
Not daring to believe it, I opened my bag very, very slowly.
There, the mummified hand from earlier was still there, but now, the thumb was folded down, like when counting off numbers.
—And beside the hand, was a ribbon.
There was no mistake; this was what I was always looking at …..
Yes, the very same one that I had seen up-close just a while ago ….. B-ko’s ribbon.
I went into the restroom again, put on the ribbon in a merry mood, cut my hair with the scissors I had with me, and went home while passing in front of the station.
Once I reached home, I held my bag very, very carefully and went into my room.
What a wonderful turn of events this was.
Rather than fear, my feelings of happiness triumphed.
After all, it was perfect, wasn’t it?
If I just used the last wish to save only B-ko and I, everything would be fine!
There was nothing to be afraid of.
If I saved the last wish, there were still three more things I could wish for.
What did I want to do?
In the end, I suppose I wanted to become just the slightest bit closer to B-ko.
I recalled how I had felt when I used to talk to Ririka.
*
School became closed for a week.
On the first day, I stayed at home all day, but by the second day, I had completely run out of things to do.
Thinking for a while, I remembered I still had three wishes left, and wished for B-ko’s shoes.
Crack.
Together with a dry sound, B-ko’s shoes appeared in the entrance hall of my house.
It was like magic. Putting on my school uniform, the ribbon, and shoes, I went out into town.
After going to the school, the library, and several other places, I suddenly thought of going to B-ko’s house.
B-ko’s house was definitely around here somewhere.
Once I arrived at the park that served as a landmark, B-ko appeared right then.
Seeing B-ko walking and looking around at her surroundings, I hid in the shade of a tree without a second thought.
“—Ah ….. !”
For a split-second, B-ko seemed to notice something, and looked around.
Thinking that she would find me, I quickly hid behind the tree.
With a desperate expression on her face, B-ko threw a plastic bag into the bushes, and then ran back into the house that was in front of the park’s entrance.
….. What was that just now?
I searched the area where B-ko had been standing, and picked up the plastic bag from within the bushes.
Looking inside, there was a single book.
It was very old, with a pitch black cover, and had a bookmark stuck between its pages.
I was no longer afraid of anything.
Whether it was the Book of Demise or the Bookmark of Demise, as long as I had this Monkey’s Paw, I could defy them.
“…. Fufufu, B-ko-chan, I will protect you ….”
I threw the plastic bag and the book back into the bushes.
And then, I stood in front of B-ko’s house for a while and stared at the window that was likely to be B-ko’s room for a very, veeeery long time.
On the third day, I wandered around the vicinity of the school again, and lastly, went to stand in front of B-ko’s house.
On the fourth day, I came on a little trip to the shopping mall.
By this time, the murder incident had been long forgotten, and with nothing else left to do, there were more than a few students that had come to hang out at the mall. Already, I had seen faces of several people I recognized.
There wasn’t anything in particular I wanted, but still, I strolled around the mall with my favorite ribbon and shoes.
As I was walking and looking around, the ad for a glasses and color contact shop caught my eye.
【Find Your Dream Eyes With Color Contacts!】
I had no interest in cheap color contacts, but come to think of it, I remembered B-ko having very clear and pretty eyes.
And then, at the same time, I remembered the conversation that B-ko and her classmate, who I had just seen earlier, had had in the hallway before.
『Hey, look~ We’re matching, right~?』
『Ah, you’re right!』
『Yay! B-ko and I have matching eye colors!』
『They’re only eyes~』
『Ahahaha! Sooo mean~』
Matching eyes, hm? ……….. I wish I could have them, too.
Crack!
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”
Suddenly, a scream rang out inside of the shopping mall.
Wondering what had happened, I drew closer to where the commotion was, and saw that an accident had occurred; the top part of the lighting fixture above the mall’s stairwell had fallen down.
Right where it had landed was B-ko’s classmate, who I had just been thinking about.
And …. She was holding the area around her eye and screaming.
There seemed to be blood around her hand; a slightly thick, red moisture dripping.
I rushed into the bathroom and looked in the mirror.
—There, reflected in the mirror, was a very pretty eye that matched with B-ko’s.
The next day, in order to finally use the last wish, I went to B-ko’s house.
After yesterday’s incident, I remembered what A-ya had said about the story of the Monkey’s Paw.
The Monkey’s Paw was invincible. However, if you wished for gold, gold would disappear from somewhere, and if you wished for water, water would disappear from somewhere. It was the same with lives. The point was that it would only exchange things; although invincible, it was an item that had its limits.
In order to work out how to save B-ko and I, I would explain the situation to B-ko and have her cooperate with me. It was alright; if it was B-ko, she was sure to understand.
Telling myself this while stroking my lips in a trance, I left the house.
I arrived at B-ko’s house, and rang the doorbell.
—Ding d-ong.
Nothing.
—Ding d-ong.
…. What was she doing?
—Ker-chak!! Ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak!!
—Ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong ding dong.
Hey, B-ko ……. You’re in there, aren’t you? I know you are.
………… Ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak ker-chak!!
I was impatient. This Monkey’s Paw was dangerous. There was undoubtedly a spell on it that made you want to wish for things. At this rate, it would continue to escalate. That was why I had to hurry. B-ko, I’ve come to save you. Hey, why won’t you come out, why won’t you come out, why won’t you come out, why won’t you come out, why won’t you come ouuuuuuuuut!?
I moved the doorknob so violently, it seemed likely to break.
“…. Eek!!”
—Thump.
Ker-chak ……
—Just now, I was sure that I had heard B-ko’s voice, and the sound of someone falling down.
“…………….. Why won’t you come out?”
Becoming anxious, I began to pound on the door and tried to turn the doorknob again.
“B-ko! B-ko!? Open up! Open uppppppppppppppppppp!!”
Thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump thump!!
“Why won’t you come out? Hey? Why? Hey! Heeeeeeeeeey!!”
I circled the garden and found a rock to smash open the glass.
Crash!!
Where are you, B-ko? Where have you gone!?
I stuck down the television that was emitting annoying noise.
In the now silent room, I could hear a faint voice that sounded like B-ko.
“Help meee ……………………”
It’s okay, I’m coming to save you right now!
“………………………………………………………………………… A-yaa ……”
A-ya?
I knew. I knew that B-ko had always been looking at someone.
But, that ……
That … wasn’t B-ko.
—And then!
I ripped off the covers and stared at B-ko’s face at point-blank range.
Her frightened figure was much more real than I had ever imagined, and not at all like what I had pictured.
—This thing in front of me was not B-ko.
I … I will become the perfect B-ko. And I will save B-ko.
—Crack!
I moved away slightly from the thing that had been me just a moment ago, and said in a kind tone.
“…. I will protect you.”
And then, I raised the scissors I was holding up high.
—Yes, I will protect that ideal you I know so well.
—I am perfect.
“B-ko-chan, you’re so cute!”
“Right? And great style, too, like an idol.”
“Smart, and a great personality …. I really envy you~”
“Eh— …. Oh come on, that’s not true.”
“It totally is!”
“Good reflexes, too! It’s a shame you’re not into any club~”
“Hmm …. Compared to people that are in clubs though, it’s nothing.”
“Oh, stop being so modest. Plus, you’re really popular with the guys.”
“Isn’t she—? But it’s B-ko, so of course she is~”
“If I was a guy, I’d confess to you too!”
“Ahaha”
“So, so, do you have a crush on anyone, or someone you want to go out with?’
“Hmm~ …. I don’t really know about that~”
“Eh—That’s so boring~”
“But, you know, honestly, there probably isn’t any guy that’s worthy of dating a girl like B-ko.”
“You said it.”
“Anyway, if you find a crush or anything, make sure you tell us! You have to!”
“Sure, I don’t mind.”
“It’s a promise~!”
“A promise!”
“Ah, oh no, class is about to start.”
—Yes, I am perfect.
A perfect …… ‘imposter.’
One of my classmates jogged up close to me.
“….. Ah, hey, B-ko.”
“What is it? Was there still something you needed?”
“….. Weeell, it’s not really that important, but ……”
“…… Hm?”
“Ah, yeah …… Um ….”
“?”
“……… B-ko, did you change your shampoo?”
I smiled brightly, and replied, “Yeah, isn’t the scent lovely?”
—After school, I walked to a certain library.
In the end, I had used the fourth wish to become B-ko herself.
And with the last wish, I wished for all the disaster that was sure to befall me, to disappear.
….. With this, everything would go well.
I was wrapped in a euphoria I had never felt before.
Come to think of it, ever since I had loved Ririka, I had always had a strong desire to become close to the person I admired.
My cheeks blushed as I traced around my lips.
While fiddling with my hair, I sniffed the scent of my favorite sweet osmanthus.
『….. The smell ……』
!?
Suddenly, I heard a voice from directly behind me.
One I remembered hearing, it was that voice.
….. Why? Why are you here?
—B-ko!!
『Did you know?』
“…… Eh?”
『It’s said that those who see their doppelganger …. will die.』
—Why? Why ……?
*
In the empty school building, mixed in with the sound of noise, the television sang:
『All of your wishes have been granted. The disaster that should have befallen you has all disappeared. And, in exchange for becoming the person you admired, everything that belonged to that person now belongs to you. … Yes, all their disasters … All of their misfortune … Please take great caution when impersonating someone. 』
