Chapter 15

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On the night that bizarre summer began.

The stargazing had ended and that Yashiro, who somehow ended up under the Touwa"s porch and refused to leave, had finally been driven out; the time was eleven o"clock.

In my room, the cellphone rung. The ringtone wasn"t short, so it wasn"t a text message.

I picked up the phone to check the caller ID. “Ohoh!” This had to be first phone call we"ve had.

Sitting on the bed, back against the wall, I prepared myself for a war of attrition and accepted the call.

The gentle voice that came was, as usual, soothing.

“h.e.l.lo, is it Niwa-kun?”

“Ryuushi-san is speaking.”

“I told ya to call me Ryuuko.”

“Oh! Now it"s definitely the real Ryuushi-san.” To my knowledge there isn"t a fake one though.

“I told ya to call me Ryuuko~ Say Ryuuko!”

It might end up being a vicious cycle, so let"s try changing the direction of our conversation.

“What about Mifune-san?”

“...”

“You don"t like it?”

“If ya wanna call me that, might as well call me Ryuushi~ But my name is Ryuuko!”

“Got it, got it~ ...So, uh, what do you need?”

I broke the cycle. Ahem~ Ryuushi-san deliberately coughed a few times on her end, and I, too, adjusted my pose. The insects" cries from the open window appeared just a little like the ringtone.

“Mm~ Like, when ya just can"t keep your eyes closed trying to sleep, y"know~ So I tried calling ya.”

“I don"t see how they relate, but… Maybe you just slept too much during the day?”

“Wow, your thoughts sure are full of dream… Ah! "I can"t sleep for there is no dream"! Doesn"t that sound super cool?”

“Clap, clap, clap.”

“Heheh~ Thank you, thank you… Actually, I"m a little nervous, in more ways than one.”

“Hm?”

“Like a pun, you peel me?”

“Before I correct your misusage of pun, I don"t "peel" you.”

“I just bit my tongue a little! Aww, it hurts~ I can taste the blood!”

The sound of rolling echoed. It would appear Ryuushi-san was lying on her bed as well. Ryuushi-san in her pajama…

I almost started imagining, but didn"t I see her wearing one last month when she came over? Well, I guess it was Erio"s pajama.

“Phew~ If a blood truck was around, n.o.body would be too upset.”

If you were bleeding so much, wouldn"t it be better to go into the hospital instead of waiting for an ambulance to be around?

“So, what could possibly make you so nervous that your life is on the line?”

“Well~ Cuz… This is my first time calling you, Niwa-kun.”

“Hm, that"s right.”

“That"s enough to make me lose it!”

“I-is that right?” Now that she pointed it out, I"m feeling embarra.s.sed too.

“Talking on the phone is, y"know, a little bit more embarra.s.sing than the usual. Like, ya are right next to my ear and whispering to me and stuff, don"t ya think?”

“Hm. Yeah, a little I guess.” I played tough, but hearing her say that, even I"m becoming conscious of it.

“Or like a hamster-sized Niwa-kun cuddling on my shoulder, heheh.”

“The fact that that sentence didn"t end in a question concerns me.”

“Oh yeah, something else too.”

“Nice to see you hearing half of what I say as always.”

“My basketball club is actually having a game next week.”

“Wait, "your" basket ball club?”

“What I mean is sometimes I feel like it"s mine.”

“So you"re the captain of the team, but only in your head.”

“Yep! That"s exactly what I mean, Niwa-kun!”

Well, no, it was just a silly joke… Is that a normal thing for an athlete to dream about?

I guess so, since I too once yearned to become a football captain too.

“Then I"ll go see you during the game.”

“Oh, but there lies the problem, missis! Ah, I mean, Niwa-kun!”

She"s smacking something. Her pillow?

“Oh, just by the way, sorry about this morning. Something suddenly came up.”

“No, that"s fine.” And I felt like it"d be trouble if she and Erio met anyway. “So, what is the problem?"

“Mm~” She grumbled. “Originally I was gonna practice till I was perfect so that I could be in more games… But if I did, forget about this summer, it"ll probably be after I graduate! That"s why I"m nervous.”

“Hm… I still don"t see what the problem is though.”

“Well, y"know, if I"m not playing in the game I told you to go, isn"t that just terrible? That"s why I have to be sure.”

“So that"s how it is… I see.”

I had the same experience too. Despite not wanting to, I recalled the parents that came all the way to watch a game that their son never got to play in, while helping to take care of other people"s kids.

“That"s what"s been keeping me up. That"s all!”

“Okay, I get it~ I understand now.”

But there is still nothing that I could do to help.

Even if there is nothing I can do, shouldn"t I still say something to comfort her?

“Then I"ll pray for you. I wish Ryuushi-san could play in a game.”

“Ahaha! If I can choose, I"d rather have you cheer for me! Prayers are for the G.o.ds, but I can hear you cheers, right?”

"And I told ya to call me Ryuuko!" Even through the phone, I could sense how relaxed she was with that usual phrase.

I"ve became a hopeless addict to that "I told ya~"

“If I get to play and kick b.u.t.ts in the game, can I expect some rewards from ya? JK, heheh~”

With a.s.sured laughters, she decorate her request for something other than spiritual support.

“A reward, huh… Is there something you want? If it"s something within my ability, that is.” You"re gonna have to look deep to find that bar though.

And who"d wish for something so far in the negative? That"s just how it is, hahah.

“Mm~ Then~ How"s going to the festival together sound? It"s getting a little awkward for me to go on my own~”

“Wouldn"t that be a reward for me?”

“Eh?”

I kept my voice down and mumbled, so Ryuushi-san couldn"t hear me.

“Oh, it"s nothing. Not that I care about conveniency, but is the festival you"re talking about held in this town?”

Even with the window open like that, I"ve never heard any festival music come in.

“Um, the biggest one is on the thirteenth of August, I think? I remember it being held on that day every year. I use to go there with the Onee-san from around, it was so fun~”

“Oh.” If it"s the thirteenth, then it"d be in three weeks.

“Ugh~? Ya were playing baseball without knowing about this, Niwa-kun?”

“Know about what?”

“The last game of the amateur baseball decides whether the city or shopping district gets to conduct the event. I don"t know who made the rule either, but apparently it was to avoid conflict or something. Dad told me if the city wins, it"d harder for the shopping district to go to the festival, and vice versa.”

But the city usually wins~ Ryuushi-san casually added.

The real deal in three weeks Maekawa-san was talking about — the match that has everything to do with the festival?

Ah~ So we"re just doing practice games now? But it already seems like the shopping district has a high chance of losing this year too. And if that were the case, can I still go the festival on the thirteenth?

“Oh, soz. I know we"re rolling around like a square, but...”

“Hm?” I guess I"m already used to Ryuushi-speech. I didn"t even bother asking.

“About cheering. Touwa-san, would she show up? ...I"m just wondering.”

“...I don"t think she will. Probably.”

Hm~ Ryuushi-san is oddly concerned with Erio. If I try to point this out, things might become more complicated.

And to keep whatever atmosphere we have going, I am always mindful of staying away from that. It isn"t easy, but it is what I want to do.

“I see~ Then, okay. I know it sounds bad to say things like this, uh, um, sorry. I don"t really know what I"m saying any more.”

“...Ahaha.” It"s the wisest to not ask any further, right?

“Oh yeah~ Speaking of baseball, I wanna talk about Nakajima-kun.”

The conversation took an L turn right then. What we just talked about wasn"t going to end up anywhere sunshine and b.u.t.terfly, so I tried to end it. And now we"re talking something I was personally very interested about, so I said nothing.

But from how startled she was then, I"d never guessed that Ryuushi-san would be the one to bring this up.

“So what"s the matter?” I curled up in preparation for any comment.

Perhaps anxious, I heard she swallow. Then…

“Nakajima-kun… I asked him out this March, only he shot me down.”

...It"s one of my predictions, but not one I had betted on.

“I see… That is… A shame.”

“Eh? For me?”

“No. For Nakajima.”

This is Ryuushi-san we"re talking about here! She doesn"t stand out, yeah, but she"s certainly someone special amongst all these people.

“Ah... Wuu… Then, if it was for Niwa-kun… Um, uh…”

“Hah? What did you say?”

“Nothing~! And I thought we were gonna have the best summer ever, but we haven"t done anything yet!”

“That"s because you"re always so busy~ But is that really so bad?”

“Mm~ But still...”

Then we talked everything about nothing until one of us finally yawned.

We talked about Ryuushi-san running away from home, and when I met an alien (lol).

These meaningless prattling faded, like stars in the dark sky.

The next morning followed.

Under the influence of having no baseball game and talking for too long, I woke up late.

Scratching my unkempt head, I walked down the stairs; I circled the entire house once, in case Meme-san was already up. Yet, someone who I shouldn"t be able to see again sat naturally in the house, making me doubt my eyes.

In the living room, Yashiro chowed away at her breakfast, mouth filled with fried egg and grilled eel.

Like a bear stuffing itself before hibernation.

And instead of the s.p.a.ce suit, she wore a shirt and skirt that probably belonged to Meme-san. Is this kid taunting me, like "s.p.a.ce ship launched! Totes carefree!"?

Whether it"s her outfit, skin, or hair, they"re of a pale colour expressible in just black and white.

Perhaps she took a shower earlier, her hair glistened with moisture. Enjoying the hotel service too, you little t.u.r.d?

On the other side of the table, a smiling Meme-san sudden raised her head up from watching the voracious girl. “Good morning~ Mako-rin!”

“Who"s the person even more abnormal than what you just called me?”

“Hm?” A scowling Yashiro with puffed up face turned over. The mysteriousness her almost silver hair and face exudes was reduced by sixty percent, while her friendliness increased… I would hope not. That aside.

I looked over to Meme-san to demand an explanation. She blinked crazily with her eyes, probably because dirt got into her eyes. In some interpretation it could also be winking, but I"d like to ignore this possibility.

“Mako-kun, if you don"t eat now, someone"s gonna eat "em all~”

“Is it because there is someone eating my food?”

“You shouldn"t be so mean to your friends, Mako-kun. Oh and by the way I think your "tsun" for your aunt has been going on for a little too long. Your aunt has been charging for too long, now her power"s leaking!”

Are you perhaps mistaking your ageing with something else?

“She"s just a sketchy kid, not my friend.”

“I found her collapsed under the porch when I was doing laundry this morning.”

“I was sleeping.”

“So I brought her in.”

“Wahahahah!”

“Ahahahahah!”

Stop laughing! Stop being so chummy! And stop bringing kids in!

Are you one of those grandmas from the old stories? You shouldn"t be so kind! Looking closely, the s.p.a.cesuit costume hung on the laundry pole in the yard — the source of nightmare appeared to drift in the breeze.

I saw Erio too… Swinging a broom. What"s she doing?

“We don"t have a baseball bat for her to practice with, so that"s the best we got.”

“Oh.” Baseball practice, huh. Does she like amateur baseball that much?

In the front, Erio; in the living room Meme Oba-san and Yashiro. What a strange sensation.

I hope I never get use to it.

It is as though we are now forced into the parallel world that "Yashiro is a part of the Touwa family." Is it because she fit so well in here? There"s a force not to be reckoned with.

Meme-san squinted gently at Yashiro"s symmetrically-split hair.

And when she almost chocked, she"d hand her a cup of barely tea like a loving mother.

...Um, isn"t this a bit too much? Did she give up on her gap-moe in favour of mother-saint character?

To calm myself down, I sat on the chair on the right side of the desk while glaring at Meme-san.

“So, why did you let some fishy kid into the house?” At least be cautious around something like this!

Well, maybe she"s a little more trustworthy than your child from some times ago, but still.

That"s not saying a whole lot if you"re comparing two people in the same negative, right?

Meme-san held her breath, skipping out on oxygen supply for a bit; when her cheeks turned red, she covered her mouth and looked away.

“I-I didn"t let her in because she called me a Onee-san!”

“…” My head hurts. This morning is ruined.

“Fufufu, I"ve hypnotized this women. This, too, is thanks to my super power.”

Yashiro c.o.c.kily added another lie.

“You"re just kissing her a.s.s, aren"t you?” Don"t you have any self respect?

“I mean, a weird old lady was coming on to me.”

“My! What do you mean weird!” Meme-san intercepted, but made no comment when her age was mentioned.

“So I had do it. "Good day, Onee-san!"” She squeezed out a super fake cute voice. “The entrancing voice was needed. She became my subordinate after realizing my magnanimity.”

“I could totally see that happen.”

“But Meme is a not too bad — at least better than you.”

Did she concede because of the food? Skillfully insulting me, Yashiro also complimented Meme-san. The air she gave was like an abandoned puppy wary of humans, only getting close to them because of the food.

I thought about this occasionally, but is the interaction between human and alien not too different from that of human and animals? I can"t be the only one who thought that.

Not that I"m equating Yashiro to an alien or a stray dog.

Mumbling something along the line of "it takes a smart kid to see my true nature~" Meme-san dazed off.

“If it were me, I would extend no mercy to others, unless I have a penchant for them.”

Yashiro declared decisively and shot me a glance. Was she implying that if she were to find me under the porch, she wouldn"t help either?

Meme-san blinked twice, and gave her the usual smile.

“Me too. I only helped you because I like you.”

“...Really.”

Timid by her standard, Yashiro looked down.

Her shutting up must be a sign that Meme-san"s kindness has gotten to her.

Erio noticed me with a gloomy face and raised her right hand exaggeratedly at me; I waved back discreetly. From the corner of my eye, I saw Yashiro grimace.

“Was it due to her growing up here…? She doesn"t appear to be aware of her nature as an extraterrestrial. Looks like she won"t be able to become a comrade with a pure alien such as myself.”

That commentary was quite like a certain battle-oriented race! [1]

“What, so you"re going to stop messing with her?”

“The reason remained unknown, so I must investigate… But I find myself not wanting.”

Again, she grumbled with her incomprehensible talk of "work."

Meme-san opened her mouth too, as though joining the conversation while changing the channel randomly.

“It"s really hot this morning. It"s making me want to go into the fridge again.”

“I won"t open it this time.” I"ll even cover it with a blanket.

“Alrighty, time to make some breakfast for Mako-kun. Just give me a second.”

Given up on making conversation, Meme-san left the table. I wanted to follow her too, to ask her questions where Yashiro isn"t nearby, but I didn"t want to leave a non-family member alone in the living room either. Yet, once I see her stuffed cheeks and content smile (that disappeared as soon as we made eye contact) I stood up and left.

Tailing Meme-san in the hallway, I queried at her long, wavy hair.

“Are you actually fine with this?”

“What"s the problem? Even if it"s some girl I don"t know, it"s just letting her sleep for the day and giving her a meal. It"s not too different than you or Erio inviting friends over.”

A nonchalant Meme-san kept her pace while announcing her lack of issues with Yashiro.

Setting how careless she was aside — if one of those naive girls in children"s stories were to grow up to forty years old, I bet she"d be the perfect example.

Her character of never doubting anyone; her act of showing the good and bad parts of her in front of anyone. This must be why she became a "big kid."

“Plus I felt like I got another little sister.”

“Your understanding of the word sister is rather poor.” Confusing that with "daughter."

However.

“I can"t believe how carefree you are.”

Aren"t I an idiot for not loosening up?

A person who lives in a town that"s more like a town than where I came from has a much broader interaction with people. There"s a silly, laughable part in that fact — that is, people back home actually understand the rudimentary.

In the country side, there aren"t many people. When there aren"t people, you become more disinclined to interact with them.

Meme-san entered the kitchen, ignoring her niece"s complaints of "no, that"s too much" and dunked more rice into the bowl with a grin. It"s that special smile that only appears when she reminisces.

“There is indeed a personal reason.”

“Which is?” Because she wasn"t called an old lady? No way.

Suddenly bashful like a young girl, and with a voice that seem to melt together with the morning sun, Meme-san quietly spelled out the truth.

“She looks just like Elliot when he was young. Of course I"d be nice to her.”

Okay, after the costume was dried.

I had to send Yashiro home for some reason.

...Where does she live?

I get that I was going to get Erio to work anyway, but…

“Not trying to disappoint you, but my bicycle doesn"t fly.”

The one that flew now sleeps with the fishes. I wonder if the original is preserved somewhere. Namu Amida Butsu. [2]

“Why would I expect you to accomplish such high-level act of kindness? I suppose I will allow you to find me a place of abode.”

“Place of abode?” What about your house? And then she immediately disregarded her previous sentence.

“Under the eave, that is. I must remain on this planet till my job is done.”

“Does that involve you putting it together?” [3]

Purposefully being incongruent, I prevented her from rambling on.

As I headed toward the shed, a sight that flashed by my eyes ceased me.

“So hot~” Seeing us off, Meme-san, who was cooked the moment she stepped out, stood in front of Yashiro who hung her head. It"s a strange expression unusual for her. With the s.p.a.ce costume under her arm, she pinched and pulled her shirt forward.

“Are you sure I can have this?”

“Okay~” Meme-san"s eyes looked bleary; the forty-year-old who proposed to her air conditioner appeared to have no resistance to heat.

“I won"t give it back though.”

“It"s fine, just take it~ Ugh.” Her tongue"s melting.

“And you won"t get anything in return.”

“If I wanted something, I would have given it to someone else~”

“What are you trying saying?”

“Exactly what I just said.”

“…Then I won"t use my power on you.”

“Ahahah! Thank you very much.”

Yashiro turned abruptly away from Meme-san; the corner of her eyes met my gaze.

“The h.e.l.l are you looking at?!”

“Oh, oops. My bad.” I just couldn"t help but eavesdrop on this rare exchange.

“The day when you see the sun in the middle of the night will be your last!”

“How would that even be the middle of the night?”

My comment was ignored. To vent her frustration and embarra.s.sment, Yashiro stomped on the ground and paced around the entrance. Looks just like a zoo monkey.

“Anyway, where is Erio?”

“Isn"t she right there?” Meme-san pointed behind me.

“Hm?” I merely turned my head. “Hm.” There she was.

She seemed to have snuck up on me.

“I tried to get the cousin"s back.” [4]

“You"re not being literal enough, sadly.”

Erio bafflingly tilted her head. There"s no way you can ever mimic Meme-san. Better question is, what"s going on with her?

Last night, she imitated the way Ryuushi-san called me too; what"s gotten into her head?

At the sight of the bicycle being carried out of the shed, Yashiro humphed for some reason. Initially I thought maybe our great esper had complaints about the plebeian vehicle, but she did not open her mouth again.

Alright, Erio in the basket, and Yashiro… Behind me? Finally — despite it being a self-t.i.tled esper — the day I get another human being riding behind me aside from my own aunt. “Came...” I"m not set so that I could easily accept this kind of thing as fortunate.

Before getting on, Yashiro donned her s.p.a.ce helmet. Of course. Why would I ever let a normal girl onto my bike? Well, below her head were an everyday shirt and skirt, so I guess I"m suppose to make do? With both of them being the helmet clan (?), her and Ryuushi-san"s cuteness couldn"t be any more different. In just an instant, I"d been sandwiched by two suspicious characters.

In the front a basket girl, the back a helmet girl. If this were a game of Reversi, even I would become the abnormal bicyclist.

“Careful~ Around Mako-kun!”

“Why don"t you send them off yourself if you"re going to warn them?”

“The rest is up to you young folks, sniffle… My youth… My dearest AC~!” The forty-year-old covered her face and retreated back into the house to heal her mental wound. I might be able to get her back here if I yell "Meme-san is just as young," but I"m not that great of a liar.

Checking Erio"s seated properly and hearing Yashiro"s jeer of "hmph, a disfigured Xenom*rph mimicry?" I released the bike lock and straddled onto the seat. From the rack behind came the movement of a person jumping on.

For someone who"s just tagging a ride on the way to Erio"s work, she"s quite an imprudent one.

Yashiro"s thin arms choked my stomach, like I was some kind of tree meant to be roped. Arms sinking into my waist, it was a tasteless act of strangulation.

I even moaned from the pressure; my Youth-points also ceased their breathing. The rigid rim I felt on my back seemed to kill off the rest.

When Yashiro is around, my Youth-points get suck away.

The almost-midday sun beamed down, like a burning hat covering my bare hair. The humidity must be worse than yesterday"s: instead of dryness, my skin felt a stickiness as the sun shone on it. The sign of sweat drops formed on my back.

The colour of the vegetation and sky seemed refreshing, yet the fact that the vividness blurred before my eyes depressed me.

I"m signing the marriage agreement with the AC… Ack!

As though linked with my heart, the wheels decelerated and rolled forward heavily. The beginning is the most likely time when the bike would fall over, so be careful.

The same, I suppose, could be said about Erio"s return to normalcy.

And so far, there hasn"t been any major setback.

“Off we go!” “O-off we roll...” Erio followed along and mumbled an old reference. [5]

Don"t these two get along well in a way?

I think espers should just stick with each others.

“Alright, here we are… Whoa!”

Must be because both my retina and consciousness had been destroyed by the heat, I braked too late. The bicycle stopped just after the Tamura Shop. A burnt smell permeated from between the hard-stopped tires and scorching road. A hallucination? Or did I actually smell it? I don"t know. This heat seemed to even melt the differences between objects.

“What- is- this- c.r.a.ppy- building- without- any- eaves?”

“Is that how you judge a house? The eaves?”

With her tongue and throat rejuvenated, Yashiro scoffed at the exterior of Tamura Shop with that alien speech. "Mmph," perhaps upset because the store was insulted, Erio pouted glaringly; she left from the basket and walked in front of Yashiro instead of into the store.

“What, you wanna go?”

Yashiro got off the bike and prepared for battle. Erio won in terms of height, but she wasn"t wearing her futon. “Wuu.”

She cowered. “Hmph.” Yashiro closed in. This image could have been interpreted as a Yashiro, with her face covered, robbing a girl in broad daylight. I looked around to see if there"s anyone who could call the police or arrest her, but only hot air hung around.

Distressed, Erio ran off. She escaped behind me, using my body as a shield from Yashiro"s eyes; standing still, she looked down regrettably. What a wimp.

Due to a lack of futon, she lost the stare-off — in what part of this country would this phrase make any sense?

“You- lost- because- you"ve- lived- complacently- on- this- planet.”

Triumphant after successfully intimidating the s.p.a.ce-hamster, Yashiro, despite the heat, laughed loudly.

On the other hand, has Erio recovered from defeat? Head raised, her face was exposed to the sun.

Under the continuous, brilliant light, the particles still hid themselves.

“Cousin.” Aw, no more Niwa-kun? “Want to see, Obaa-chan?”

Erio gazed toward the shop"s inside. Tamura Obaa-san? I haven"t seen her since a week ago.

“Well...” Yashiro was still here too, and even if I"m not obligated to stay with her…

“I"ll visit when I come to pick you up.”

“Okay. Obaa-chan, would be happy.”

“Really?”

It"s not like she"s the typical "lonely but stubborn old people."

Setting the physical aside, I thought she was, mentally, an independent person.

“Really. She likes the cousin.”

Erio smiled as though she was the one complimented; facing that neck-tingling smile, I could only give a half-courtesy half-bitter grin back.

“Then, I"m off to work.”

“Yep. Do your best.”

Only with her entire body did Erio pull open the deformed door.

With her disappearing inside the store, the only ones left in front of the door were me and Hoshimiya Yashiro.

If she were to stand alone on the road, the level of dreams and hope would inflate simply from the combination of the helmet and grey outfit. It would be like involuntarily watching something just a step away from reality.

Then why not just become an imaginary person, like swathing smoke?

But because we live in reality, we are normal. Well, if it"s only in your head, then you"re welcome to whatever.

“Where did you, uh, want to go?”

“A place to sleep.”

“Alright, well, it"s hot and all, so good luck. Don"t forget to stay hydrated.”

I let the wheels spin. “Hold up!” “Uwah!” Yashiro hugged me from the back; I stepped onto the ground and avoided falling to the right.

“What the h.e.l.l are you doing?! That was close!”

“Abandoning you duty is a heinous crime, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! Not that I follow mine...”

“I don"t remember any "duty" of helping you find a place free and illegally.”

You"re just tagging along a ride for Erio, which was how you ended here. Please don"t beg me to become your escort to wander around the town. It"s hot, man.

Also, a place to sleep… I knew she was just a runaway who doesn"t want to go home.

“Meme has ordered you, correct?”

“She only "recommended;" she didn"t ask me to help you with jack.”

That"s not for a high schooler on vacation, but a real estate agency.

“And whatever happened with that guardian guy of yours?”

“Well… I don"t wanna be a nuisance, so… Ugahh—“

Despite wailing in her helmet, Yashiro didn"t throw any tantrum.

What she said was surprisingly Earth-y.

“Are you not Meme"s son?”

“Nope.” The sudden turn in speech was unexpected, but I shook my head still.

“She"s my aunt. Didn"t you hear Erio call me "cousin?"”

“Oh… Hmph.”

Yashiro hopped onto the bike rack and strangled my chest. It was like she"s grabbing onto a piece of wood after falling into the sea. She seemed completely ignorant of what I"m made off, clawing at my flesh. The way she hugged me made me dubious whether she considered me as living.

“Aw— cut you d.a.m.n nails!”

“I have a place I want to go. I"ll tell you where.”

“...And you"ll be happy if I send you there?”

“Mm, I"ll… Let you off the hook.”

“Well, thank you very much for that.” Whatever, I"ll play along till then.

Thanks to being a nice guy all the time, I felt the responsibility of not ditching a girl on the street.

The bicycle with one less person forged ahead with a squeak.

Every time the wheel spin, the sound that followed was twisted like that of an insect flapping its wings.

On the road were a lack of people and car. Was it because now was a time when both working people and students would rather stay inside?

Without Erio or Yashiro, I would probably stay in my room to chill as well.

How should a summer vacation be spent? Full of events, or, as the word vacation would suggest, used only on resting?

Being busy certainly has its merits, but that kind of defeats the purpose of "vacation." Three days of rest, then three days of business, and finally three days of rest… Is this the ideal…?

Enough with the bullc.r.a.p.

Yashiro"s route appeared familiar.

I started to see the occasional students wearing school uniforms. Were they on the way to their clubs? Or were they merely walking home? Basically, that"s the sort of people I saw. As I wondered how similar the road looked, turned out it"s the other side of the path I usually take to school. In other words, I watched this very same scene every day from a different road.

If we keep going ahead, we may end up around my school.

After riding for a bit more, I spoke to Yashiro, who"d loosen her grip on me.

“Hey.”

“Hnwhat?” Pa.s.sing out? A lethargic response.

“Why don"t you take the helmet off?”

“Do you wish for the destruction of this planet, you sicko? You are unfit to be the denizen of this planet!”

“Ahh, please keep it down, will you? Fine, let me ask you something else.”

“Mm… Ah, mm.” If you"re gonna forget then just stop acting.

“Do you really believe in super power?”

The air behind me tensed; affected, I shrunk my thoughts.

“You don"t believe me anyway, right? So why did you bother asking? Idiot.”

“You don"t pull punches when it comes to insult, do you?”

It"s like Tamura Obaa-san, but at a much younger age.

“I"ve already given up on trying to convince people anyway. All of you are the same: you all blindly accepted that "it"s impossible," and you deny any strange things as the super natural. Ah, take a right here.” I turned right. Oh, I know this place. We"d reach the school"s gate if we keep straight.

“You all believe that "it can"t be real if I don"t think it is." I am tired of you all.”

As disappointed in people as she sounded, she again and again emphasized to me her esper ident.i.ty. Why, though? A simple hypocrite? Or was I an exception to the rule?

I wouldn"t be happy even if she thought me as hopeful.

“And what does a simple belief change?”

I retorted lightly. What does believing do anyway? Without a shard of practicality, that is.

Whether it"s football or baseball, I can"t become the best by just having faith.

But this Miss Yashiro seemed to have some great power. She must be on a different league, right? I didn"t want to jab her like so, but in the end it didn"t matter.

“You simply do not know that the world doesn"t not revolve from a strictly physical sense.”

“...Really now?”

“And truth to be told, I"ve never thought of "believing" in my super power.”

“Wha? Are you listening to yourself?” My exaggeratedly high-pitched voice vexed me.

“If it"s what I posses, than it is nothing abnormal; therefore I don"t have to question my confidence in it. Would you purposefully pray for your stomach"s existence? Of course not. To me, my power is just another part of my body.”

Perhaps mused over this conversation countless times, Yashiro spoke clearly and persuasively. I didn"t have the energy to debate her in this weather, so the words went in an ear and left the other.

“This is, at most, my thought. You simply cannot comprehend.”

“Okay? So why are you the only one with powers?”

“Hmph, to think that you do not believe in the possibility of it happening to just a selected few. This is why I hate you humans" typical way of thinking. Haven"t you thought that maybe because you kicked a piece of rock on road ages ago, the world is like so? You might have shouldered a significant part in shaping this world.”

“...That"s the thing about b.u.t.terflies and wings right?”[6]

“I meant humans are actually much greater than they thought they are. Likewise, I also disclose the possibility that anyone could be the bearer of an unnatural phenomenon.”

Now she"s praising humanity? The ultimatum of super-power belief is, in the end, just a spiritual theory?

The only thing I understood from this exchange was that nothing could change Yashiro"s unwavering dogma.

So far, there was no proof for her unnatural abilities.

We entered the road toward my school. Ryuushi-san might just be in the gym… “Oh! Stop!”

Yashiro"s voice rose. What happened next ensues command; the bicycle slowed down as I realized the inconspicuous sign of disaster. I wasn"t braking; the front wheel was still moving. If I separate the back end everything would have been fine, but the bike creaked as it struggled to stay up. “Whoa! Wait a—! Hold—!“

We fell.

I couldn"t save it. The bicycle, as though sliding, crashed onto the concrete floor. Out of reflex I stuck my palm out, avoiding having my leg trapped and diced by the road and the bike.

After making sure the bicycle stopped further down, I looked back. Judging from Yashiro"s rubbing of her feet, as well as her stiff expression, and the sudden deceleration of only the back wheel…

She stuck the tip of her shoe into the back wheel, trying to stop it.

I pulled the bicycle, the front wheel still spinning, up and screamed at Yashiro.

“W-what the h.e.l.l are you doing, you dumba.s.s?!”

“If you too have super powers, you wouldn"t need a brake to slow down.”

That"s only thanks to your endurance for pain, right? Her toes must hurt a lot!

“Then do please use yours!”

You don"t have to destroy the world — just use it to help someone else!

“My abilities are far too great for this—“

“Right, yeah, whatever. So what"s wrong with you?”

“Do you have fruits growing out of your eyes? Look! It"s a water reservoir!”

The direction Yashiro pointed intently to was… My school. Yeah, that"s right. I mean, it"s where we were just pa.s.sing by. As of this reservoir… “Wait, that"s just a swimming pool.”

“Ahahaha!”

Ignoring my words, she dashed toward the school. As though impervious to her pain, the helmeted girl latched onto the fence surround the pool and scaled it nimbly. She"d definitely be arrested if Mr. Security catches her. Her skirt also fluttered defencelessly as if screaming "it"s summer!" More than the person herself, I was embarra.s.sed.

“Ahahahahahah!” Stimulated by something, Yashiro clamoured mindlessly while climbing up, and jumped onto the empty poolside. Perhaps the impact numbed her feet, she kneeled down after landing.

“Hey! Is this where you wanted to go?”

I yelled at Yashiro from behind the fence. Now that I thought about it, I did hear that our school doesn"t have a swim club, so the pool is usually open for students during the summer. Obviously no one was here because it"s not open, but in the afternoon when club activities are out, people might show up.

“Correct! The humans are only remotely capable when it comes to this stuff! A puddle filled with cold water!”

Being stealthy since she"s trespa.s.sing — Yashiro, screaming energetically, had no plan on doing that as she walked toward the edge of the pool. She then raised her arms parallel to the sides, stuck her chest out, and fell flat into the water. Her stiffness might have been mistaken as a suicide if this were elsewhere.

The splash was surprisingly small; her weak existence was as though a fish bait dropped into a pond. I couldn"t see from where I was standing, so I had no clue what happened to Yashiro in the water. Only, as I stood encased by the coc.o.o.n known as the sun, she was embraced by cold, pool water. I"m a little annoyed, knowing that.

Oh, she surfaced. Like teleporting in a sci-fi movie, she slowly emerged with lines waving about. She probably took the helmet off in the water, letting her face exposed directly under the sun. Again, a person who shines even in the day.

“I"m gonna go home now. Remember to leave before the students catch you.”

After that extremely basic advice, I turned away from that pool. Just what the h.e.l.l did I come here for? With so many questions for what I did, I couldn"t even regret anything.

Since I"m already here, should I visit the gym? As I thought so while swiping at my forehead.

Something weird made contact with me. At the instant, I even thought I was stabbed in the back. Like having a block of salt shoved into my brain, it was a weighty and upsetting sensation.

Ringing set in, and my senses disoriented. To pull the feeling of disaster back, I tried concentrating on the heat… Agh! I pulled my hair hard; despite the growing fatigue, I managed to calm myself down. Finally, I got a grip.

The mysterious liquid dripping from my head and back turned out to be cold water.

The pool"s water, apparently, splattered on me. But, the amount was odd. Was I covered by a whole bucket of water? Was there even a bucket near the pool?

Trembling, I turned around and glared at the perpetrator. Grabbing the fence and shaking it, I protested, “I almost had a heart attack! And I mean literally!”

Yet Yashiro was still… And I want to pause here for a second: she"s floating on the water, quite a distance away from me. No bucket either. Or any one who could have been her accomplice.

Super pow—? No, no way.

“Well, well. Looks like there won"t be any need for super power, Makoto.”

“Wha?”

“Get in here! Let your brain loose like a globe! Don"t stop now!”

Yashiro raised her legs and kicked, splashing water toward the poolside. The water didn"t hit me, and it dried quickly under the blazing sun.

I"m actually a student here, y"know? If they catch me, it will definitely stay on my record. A free and shameless creature like yourself is very different than me.

Aw, but dammit, it"s still so hot.

And she"s there splashing water.

Somewhere deep in my throat squirmed.

“Grow a bigger brain! And don"t give up on what you can do, you stupid idiot!”

I did not know whether it was censure, jeering, or just raving.

Yashiro"s existence in my mind distorted, like silhouette blurred in the heat.

Gripping the fence, with a deep, strained voice, I spoke.

“...Fine.”

I should have been a regular high school student looking for Youth-points.

Breaking into the pool at a time like this isn"t like me. Besides, I don"t want to be seen with a suspicious s.p.a.ce girl.

Yet, with the excuse that I didn"t want to go around, I put my hand onto the fence.

I struggled awkwardly climbing up.

With my body acting so irrationally, the inside of my head burned.

The students running on the track seemed to look over here, but I ignored the gazes. I decided to see them as people who are across the sea, in a country far, far away.

I landed by the pool; I took off my shoes and my socks, staring at the glittering water.

It"s hot; I wanted to cool down. And so, I leave the natural desire during the summer, as well as the only solution, to the sight in front of me.

The AC didn"t want to marry me, so water is my only comfort!

Pushed by this senseless motivation, I dashed mindlessly.

I got as far as I could away from the poolside.

The day when Erio and I flew into the sea surged in my mind; compare to then, I might be able to enjoy the dive a little more. The sea was cold, but the pool refreshing.

I dashed, for no one else"s, but my own sake. This heat in my head finally imploded.

“Yooo~! Hoooo! GOO!!”

With a speed that would definitely get me in trouble with a life guard, I jumped into the pool.

The watery world, decorated by speed, undulated like rumpled paper.

My ears could feel it, the giant splash on the top of my head. But even that was short-lived. With that same momentum, I ended on the very bottom; with more air out of my body, I sunk continuously.

I breathed out more, getting rid of that lung-searing air. Embracing me like some sort of creature, the water soothed my limbs.

Even the sunshine seemed gentle in the water. I reached out; the wavering ray, like tails formed of light, appeared palpable, but escaped my grasp annoyingly.

Off with heat and sweat, I only swam up when the pain of suffocation settled in.

Upon surfacing, Yashiro welcomed me with giddy laughters. Shirts and skirts dampened, her skin showed through; it might have been tempting to stare, but I couldn"t bring myself to. Still, I did just that.

"Upon surfacing, Yashiro welcomed me with giddy laughters. Shirts and skirts dampened, her skin showed through..."

Unaware of my impure intent, Yashiro grinned satisfactorily.

“I knew you weren"t hopeless.”

Just spare me with that.

We frolicked.

We probably end up using twenty different special moves.

Kamehame-ha being the most common. Even an alien knows about that manga, huh.[7]

Just for your information, no one caught us. According to Yashiro, it"s because "a barrier made of light rendered us…" (discontinued), but in reality it"s simply because we"re lucky, and that the students around didn"t care enough.

Strange that all it took for me to cheer up was jumping into a pool of cold water. And I"m not exaggerating.

I will admit though, that it felt pretty gross when I came out from the pool with wet clothes sticking onto the skin.

Tired after swimming, Yashiro headed toward the shade under the school"s storage shed; without drying her hair, she plopped down and fell asleep.

“Hey, are you sure this is fine?” Even if it"s not an eave?

“Yep...”

A slow nod from her. Then, her wet shirt changed angle or something, and the scene started sparkling. I scratched my cheek reflexively. That"s just how being young is — I so told myself to gloss over the heightened heart rate.

“Just… Leave me… Thank you...”

With what was either sleep talk or just perfunctoriness, Yashiro"s conscious sunk. The water dripping still from her wet the ground. Unsure what to do with her, I decided, in the end, to respect her decision. There was not much, after all, that I can do now anyway.

“...Well, I guess there is something.” I flipped open Yashiro"s s.p.a.ce suit and used it like a blanket to cover her up. Hm, this could more or less limit the light coming off of her, so she wouldn"t be discovered by people right away. I think. Plus she didn"t even dry herself off, so this should be okay for keeping the cold out.

Finally I put the helmet next to her and bid a single-sided farewell to her.

Under the sun, my clothes dried instantly. Even the moisture on my skin was pulled away; while my temperature was still kept down by the pool, I aimed to head back to the Touwa household.

And on the way back, sitting outside of Tamura Shop on the bench was Erio. She had a bottle of barley tea in her hands. Legs dangling, she stared obliviously at the wall in front. The sight, as though the horror tale of "the girl who"s waiting for the bus that will never come," seemed surreal. Erio and the colour of summer — the two seemed to mix in an odd way.

Her head t.i.tled left in reaction to my bike"s brake. The foci of her eyes gradually met mine.

“Ah. The cousin.”

“Yo. How"s today?”

“No one came, so I"m… Attracting?”

“Oh? And how"s that coming along?”

“I caught the cousin.”

Erio happily pointed at me. Is the simple joke a sign of her growth?”

“Did the cousin change head?”

“I"m not some bread man, how could I?”[8]

Well it"d be nice to get a better version of my brain of face… Just kidding.

“Oops. I meant, hair.”

“Hair?” I felt a bit of moisture on my hair. “Oh. It got wet earlier.”

“Wet? Rain?”

“Nope. It"s too hot, so I dove into a pool.”

“Sounds fun.”

Erio squinted enviously. Then, her mouth opened.

“I like pool, more than the sea.”

“...You want me to take you there?” That"s what your eyes are saying.

“Very much.”

“In a while then.”

It"d be inconvenient to hang out with Ryuushi-san if Erio were around, and vice versa.

Knees curled, Erio rocked herself up; she took a sip from the bottle and asked.

“Want to see Obaa-chan?”

She asked me the same thing this morning. What is this, a marriage arrangement?

...Well, not like I"m doing anything later. I"ll go see our tsundere grandma.

“Hm, I guess I will.”

“Mm. Let"s go, cousin.”

“Yep.”

I went in from the front door. As if warning against an invader, the alarm atop the entrance rung. Inside was empty, lacking the form of that not-so-reliable person.

“Is Tamura Obaa-san inside?”

“Yep. She thinks it"s too hot, so she"s inside sleeping.”

“That"s kinda like Meme-san.”

Hearing my honest thought, Erio smiled meaningfully.

I headed toward the residence, where the solemnly silent hallway that not even the cries of cicada could infiltrate resided.

Every time I visit, this calming air like a cave with blue walls welcomes me.

At the end of the hall that stretched, light from the window delineated a cross.

...Stiffly, I spoke to the back walking in front of me.

“Erio.”

“Mm?”

“You got a little tanned.”

The Earth rotated on, and noon was once again upon us.

Jump up↑ Dragon Ball Z"s SaiyansJump up↑ Common Buddhist chant. In this case could be likened to the phrase "Have mercy on one"s soul."Jump up↑ Originally a joke that recombines the j.a.panese word for eave 軒下　のきした　with 木下　きのしたJump up↑ Translator noted this as surprise attack; looking for the original proverbJump up↑ A pun on the word 進めforward and なす eggplant. A reference to Crayon Shin-chanJump up↑ b.u.t.terfly Fly effect, the idea that small changes in a large, complex system could have a significant result in its entiretyJump up↑ Dragon Ball ZJump up↑ Anpan man reference

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