After I Picked up a Notebook Filled With Intense Emotions, the Girls Started Acting Strange - SS3 Award Commemoration

After seeing Mizuki off, I stayed at the café, Knot, and thought about what to do next. Then, someone called out to me from behind.

The voice was bright and familiar. I turned around to see who it was.

“Hey! Yuu-kun! What a coincidence!”

“Yeah, what a coincidence.”

I was starting to get used to this kind of coincidence.

The girl standing there, Orihara Yukina, had bright blonde hair that shone in the sunlight.

It sparkled like golden threads. The tips of her hair had a slight red tint and curled softly.

For this season, her outfit was pretty bold.

She wore a beige off-shoulder top that showed most of her shoulders, and a denim mini skirt to match. Both showed a lot of skin.

It was a perfect gal-style. It was honestly a bit too eye-catching.

“What’s wrong? Are you staring at my outfit?”

“Gasp.”

“Ahaha, you don’t have to panic like that.”

She suddenly moved really close to me and left almost no space between us.

I stepped back without thinking. She laughed happily and was clearly teasing me.

But I didn’t want to just take it.

“Well, I was staring.”

“Eh!?”

“You’ve got a great figure, Setsuna. And that outfit really suits you.”

“~~~Gasp.”

She probably didn’t expect me to say that. Her face turned bright red in an instant.

I thought she would be used to compliments like that, but her reaction was surprisingly innocent.

Then she noticed me smiling at her and glared at me.

“H-Hey! Are you making fun of me!?”

“You started it.”

“Ugh… Anyway, what were you doing here?”

“Oh, I was just here with Mizuki a moment ago. She had something to do, so she went home.”

“With Mizuki-chan?”

Her eyes widened. It seemed she didn’t expect that.

“…We were supposed to hang out today.”

Her tone suddenly dropped. It was completely different from before.

Wait, this isn’t the time to think about that.

“…No, we didn’t plan it. We just ran into each other and decided to come here.”

“…Was it really just a coincidence?”

“Yeah. It was totally a coincidence.”

“Hmm.”

What is this feeling? It’s like I just got caught cheating or something.

Setsuna clearly looked jealous. She puffed her cheeks and still looked upset.

“So you won’t hang out with me.”

Setsuna glanced at me again and again.

It was very obvious what she wanted.

I couldn’t decide what to do, and her face slowly grew darker.

“I knew it. I’m just someone like that to you, right? I don’t matter anyway—”

“O-Okay, I get it! I get it!? Let’s go hang out somewhere!”

“Really!? Then let’s go now!”

“…Do you have anywhere you want to go?”

Honestly, this was sudden and not part of my plan.

But Setsuna was one of the people who could be the sender of those letters I’ve been looking into.

If I stay with her, I might find a clue. It was a reasonable choice.

Yeah, that’s the only reason.

“Hm~? Where should we go? Oh, I know! Let’s go to that place!”

“!?”

The gloomy look she had just now was gone. She was bright again, and before I could say anything, she grabbed me and pulled me along.

◆

The place was filled with electronic sounds, sound effects, music, and loud cheers. All of it mixed together into one big noise.

It was a game center inside a building near the station.

The place was called “Spiral.” Just like the name, the inside was a bit special. From the first floor, the stairs went up in a spiral shape. The center was open, and the stairs went around it as they went higher.

It was already close to noon because I had been at the café with Mizuki.

The place was crowded with young people, and loud voices could be heard everywhere.

So this is the place she meant?

“Do you come to arcades often?”

“Hmm, sometimes. I come with friends to take photos and stuff! But I get hit on a lot, and it’s pretty annoying.”

I see. Well, Setsuna is really pretty. It makes sense that she gets a lot of attention with her looks.

“I’ve always wanted to come to a place like this with you, Yuu-kun! Come on, this way.”

Saying that, Setsuna grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper inside.

At the back, there were several fighting game machines lined up.

“Here, sit! Let’s play.”

“Alright, but I’m not that good.”

“That’s fine. I haven’t played much either.”

We sat next to each other and put in coins.

We chose versus mode and picked our characters.

I chose a cool-looking male fighter who used martial arts.

Setsuna chose a girl who used kicks.

“Hey, since we’re here, do you want to make a bet?”

“A bet?”

“That’s right. The loser has to give something important to the winner. Sounds fun, right?”

“S-Something important?”

That sounded familiar somehow.

“Yeah. Something you have right now that you think is important.”

Do I even have something like that on me? The only things I have are my wallet and phone.

“Oh, it’s starting!”

“Wait!?”

Before I could answer, the countdown ended.

Right as the match started, I heard crazy fast button mashing and loud joystick movements from Setsuna.

“Hey, wait, wait! Hold on!?”

Her character attacked nonstop on the screen. I didn’t even have time to guard, and my health bar quickly dropped.

“Take this!”

“Too slow!”

I somehow tried to fight back, but she blocked every attack at the perfect time.

Then she hit me with a counterattack.

Round 1 ended. I got completely beaten.

“…”

“Ahaha, this is so fun!! Yuu-kun, you won’t beat me like that!?”

She said she didn’t play much, but that was clearly a lie!!

After that, I lost Round 2 just as badly, with no mercy.

Even she seemed to think that was a bit unfair, so we changed the bet.

We decided to play a few more rounds, and if I could win even once, then I would be the winner.

If that’s the case, then I should still have a chance─.

“I win. A perfect victory for me~”

There wasn’t any chance at all. Not even a little.

“Ahh~, that was so fun!!”

Well, as long as she enjoyed it, that’s fine. I had fun too. I didn’t win in the end, but near the last match, I got her health bar down to red. I was so close. But right at the end, she used a special move and turned it around.

“…I really want days like this with you to last forever. I want them to keep going…”

“…”

Her mood suddenly changed.

Just a moment ago, she was cheerful. But now, her uneasy feelings were showing clearly.

“A-Anyway, I lost the bet. What do you want?”

“Eh? Ehh~?”

“I’m telling you now, I don’t have anything that important on me. At least not my wallet or phone.”

“I know that. Then…”

“Setsuna!?”

“How about this?”

Before I could react, Setsuna lightly touched my back pocket and pulled out my handkerchief.

It was nothing special. Not a brand item and just a cheap one someone could buy anywhere.

This is what she wants?

“It’s not really important.”

“I wanted a new one anyway. I’ll take this.”

“If that’s fine, then alright.”

“Yay!”

I thought it was a simple thing, but when she held the handkerchief, she looked at it with a loving expression.

…Was it really okay to give that to her?

“I’m sorry, can I go to the restroom for a bit?”

“Yeah, yeah…”

She’s just going to the restroom, right?

…Why do I feel like I’m overthinking this?

I saw Setsuna off to the restroom, then went to use the bathroom myself and entered the men’s restroom.

But there was a sign saying it was out of order.

I had no choice but to go to another floor. But the nearest one was two floors up, and it was crowded, so it took longer than I expected.

After I finished and checked my phone, there were an unbelievable number of missed calls and messages.

“…”

◇

14:32 — Hey, where are you?

14:33 — Are you in the bathroom?

14:33 — Come back soon, please~ (crying)

14:34 — Not yet?

14:34 — Isn’t this a bit late? lol

14:35 — Hey

14:35 — You’re still here, right?

14:35 — Hey, I’m talking to you

14:36 — Please reply

14:36 — Why hasn’t it been seen?

14:36 — Did you go home?

14:37 — You didn’t leave me, right?

14:37 — Hey

14:37 — Hey

14:37 — Hey

14:37 — Hey

14:38 — Where are you?

14:38 — Did you throw me away?

14:38 — I knew it

14:38 — That’s so cruel

14:38 — So cruel

14:39 — Then don’t be kind to me from the start

14:39 — Please

14:39 — I’m scared

14:39 — I’m really scared

◇

“…Ah.”

This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad.

Cold sweat started pouring down my face. I was only gone for a few minutes!

I didn’t think it would turn out like this.

“I’m sorry, the restroom was broken, so I had to go to another floor. I’ll be right back.”

I quickly typed that and ran down the stairs as fast as I could.

When I got back to where we were—.

“I got another one. You won’t throw me away, right? I’ll make you part of my family, too. Okay?”

“…”

She was standing there while playing a crane game and talking to herself. Her eyes looked empty, with no light in them.

At her feet were a lot of stuffed toys she had won.

“S-Setsuna? I’m sorry, I’m late…”

“…Ah.”

When I spoke carefully, she slowly turned her head toward me.

“Yuu-kun.”

“Setsuna!?”

The moment she said my name, she suddenly hugged me tightly.

“Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun, Yuu-kun…kuuuuuuuuuuun…Haa…”

“…Gasp.”

She kept repeating my name over and over, then took a deep breath like she was trying to calm down, and finally let go.

The light had returned to her eyes.

“You’re too late.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. But I wasn’t gone that long, right?”

“I waited. I waited like a hundred thousand years.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Then come on. Stay with me over here.”

“Before that… what are you going to do with all those?”

I pointed at the large number of bags at her feet.

Inside were many stuffed toys from the crane games, all packed together.

“Of course I’m taking them home.”

“I-I see?”

◆

“Ahhh~, that was so fun!!! Yuu-kun, thank you for today!”

“Yeah, you’re welcome.”

It was evening.

After that, we kept playing different games while carrying all those big bags on both sides.

She dragged me around to many places, and in the end, we took photo booth pictures together. She stayed really close to me while we took them.

Seeing Setsuna carefully keep those photos as if they were very precious, I felt glad I came today.

Well, her smile was a little strange, though.

To be honest, maybe this wasn’t the time to be doing things like this.

If I didn’t meet the sender of the letter today, I might lose something important.

But if my guess was right, then it should be fine.

We left the building and went back near the station. Setsuna walked ahead, toward the setting sun.

I stopped walking.

Setsuna noticed that, so she turned back.

“Yuu-kun? What’s wrong?”

“Setsuna. Can I ask you one thing?”

“One thing? Yeah, you can ask anything.”

She smiled brightly as the red sunset light shone on her.

My throat felt a little dry.

“Did you put a letter in my shoe locker yesterday?”

“A letter? Oh, maybe I did.”

What kind of answer is that?

Maybe? What does that even mean?

“So, what about it?”

“No… It’s nothing.”

“Okay then, I’m going home. Thank you for the handkerchief. I’ll treasure it.”

“Y-Yeah.”

While holding all the stuffed toys in both arms, Setsuna skillfully took out the handkerchief I gave her.

It was inside a ziplock bag. She carries that around?

After watching her go through the ticket gate, I let out a small sigh.

“Was it really Setsuna…?”

Well, that’s fine then if it was her. I met her today, after all. I probably won’t lose anything important.

Though she did take my handkerchief.

“Yuu-chaaaan.”

Yeah, I knew it.

◇◇◇

Afterword

This was the SS3 chapter. A date with Setsuna.

Compared to the main story, I feel like I was able to show a bit more of her character here.

I want to get better at mixing her yandere side with her normal side.

Please continue to enjoy the SS series.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback!