Chapter 3 – A Girl Falls from the Sky

“All right, shall we head home, Fushimi-kun?”

Classes were over and everyone was heading back. At least, those in the go-home club were. Some students had club activities, so I was a little jealous of anyone with plans. I had been thinking about joining the literature club or something, but today I had business. I was heading straight home. Sabakutani-san, the bunny girl who had been sitting next to me, picked up her bag and spoke.

“By the way, do you commute in the bunny outfit?”

“No way.”

Yeah, figured.

“It depends on the day. I cosplay every day, so it’s not always a bunny suit on the way to and from school, you know?”

In other words, commuting in cosplay was a fact. It sounded like a nightmare to me, but she didn’t mind in the slightest.

“Is that okay? Won’t you get yelled at?”

“Kuroko camouflage, remember? With that, it’s totally fine. At this point I could probably commit murder and never get caught.”

“Have you ever stabbed anyone?”

“Nope.”

Well, yeah.

“I do pay for stuff when I shop, and lately everything is automatic checkout, so I don’t even have to talk to the cashier.”

“Who scans the barcode for you?”

“I just set the items on the counter. Even if they can’t register me, they can still see the products, so the system handles it.”

Basically, they were ignoring her but still seeing and hearing, so minimum interaction worked. She was physically there even if they couldn’t focus on her. Humans swallow bacteria without noticing, and their bodies still sneeze automatically. Reflexes alone could handle Sabakutani-san even if people couldn’t consciously acknowledge her. The school had her paperwork, and her test sheets were processed just fine. In the same way, registers and transactions still went through.

“How do you deal with your family?”

“They are currently ignoring me at full power. They still make dinner and pay my tuition, but they treat me like I don’t exist.”

Sabakutani-san flashed a peace sign.

“I see.”

I grabbed my bag and left the school. Sabakutani-san followed me. Huh, she was going this way too.

“Wait, this isn’t the route to your house.”

“Detour?”

“You could call it that.”

I pointed at Tokoyami Akira-san walking ahead of us. She was the Moonshadow Goddess, the cutest second-year girl in school.

“Stalking?”

“Not wrong.”

The Moonshadow Goddess kept giving off a gloomy aura as she entered a building. The moment I realized it was a slightly run-down place, my Culling Sight… side-seeing told me exactly how this would end.

“You okay? Should I call the police?”

“No, it’s not like a crime has been decided yet…”

“No, I mean you’re the one stalking her.”

You’re reporting me!? Sure, I was stalking her, but still.

“By the way.”

I stood at the entrance of the building Tokoyami-san had entered, resting right beside the front wall, and asked a question.

“It would be fine if Sabakutani-san stripped naked right here, right?”

“I don’t think anyone would care?”

Got it.

“Want to try?”

“Please don’t.”

“Ehh, but don’t you dream of showing off your breasts in public?”

“You actually have that kind of hobby? Wandering around naked every night?”

“Reason is still winning for now.”

I felt a little relieved. We stood by the side of the building from the street, waiting for what was about to happen.

“It’s not going to rain.”

“I know. Something else is going to fall.”

“What’s going to… …eh?”

I was looking up. From the ground, I could see the edge of the building’s roof, and something came falling from there. If it had been a flowerpot dropped by mistake, it would have been cute. But what fell was a human. Specifically, the Moonshadow Goddess… Tokoyami Akira. The building was dozens of meters tall. At terminal velocity, that was over twenty meters per second. It was half the human terminal velocity, but more than enough for a fatal impact. The Moonshadow Goddess had casually stepped over the edge and jumped to her death. I caught her lightly.

“Yo… tt.”

My arms tingled a bit, but whatever. My Culling Sight side-seeing had already read this development. It was that vague future-sight where I could somehow sense the answer. The follow-up was basically inevitable.

“Why did you save me?”

“Harassment.”

Of course I’m not that honest of a guy, so I answered with a big smile.

“Harassment…”

“Keeping someone who wants to die alive. Is there any greater harassment? Nope.”

“I… want to die…”

“Then at least do it somewhere out of my sight.”

“Did you just happen to be here?”

“I knew you were going to fall.”

I didn’t know the reason, though.

“Wow. Fushimi-kun really can see the future…”

Sabakutani-san looked genuinely impressed.

“Well, that’s that.”

As if to say the rest wasn’t my problem, I set down the Moonshadow Goddess I had caught in a princess carry and waved my hand dismissively. But she grabbed the hem of my uniform tightly. Apparently, she didn’t want me to leave.

“You can send the thank-you as cash registered mail.”

“My legs gave out. Please help me.”

“Then don’t jump in the first place… though I guess saying that doesn’t help. Is your house close?”

“I have to get to the station first.”

“Got it.”

And so I princess-carried the Moonshadow Goddess again.

“Muu. No fair, Tokoyami-san.”

Sabakutani-san looked jealous. Did she want a princess carry from me that badly?

“All right, I’ll take you home then. Give me directions. Assuming you’re okay with giving me your personal info.”

“Um… then… well…”

“I’m Fushimi. Fushimi Nevada.”

“Going to Fushimi-kun’s house or something…”

“You look like you want someone to listen.”

“P… please…”

Still in my princess carry, Tokoyami-san tugged at my shirt collar with a heartbreakingly sad face. I could have cut her off and left. But if I did, she would probably just jump again. Namu.