Translator: Lilo
Editor: Ryuubii

Chapter 1: Makabe Shizuru’s New Daily Life

Act 4(2)

“Now, then.”

I let out a voice and looked at the reading table.

There is one student left on the table. ―It was Kanata-senpai.

She usually leaves the library exactly on time, but today she is still in the process of packing up her belongings after six o’clock.

“Kanata-senpai.”

I went to her side and spoke.

Mibu Kanata is a special being in Akanedai High School.

With her sharp features and supernatural demeanor, she is an object of awe and is treated as untouchable, and was called ‘Empress’ by others. She is no less beautiful than Takinami Ruika and Hasumi Shion, but for the aforementioned reasons above, she was never mentioned alongside them.

And she and I were from the same junior high school. We have known each other longer than I have Takinami-senpai and Hasumi-senpai.

“I’ll be out in a moment.”

“There’s no need to rush.”

I said, since she’s already packing her belongings, meaning not rushing wouldn’t make much difference. But if she was just about to pack her things up, I would have rushed her as a library committee.

“Aren’t you making Takinami wait?”

“You were listening?”

I had assumed that she was absorbed in what she wanted to do, and was unconcerned with what was happening in her surroundings.

“I can guess from the situation.”

As expected of Kanata-senpai. I wonder if imagination is the key to finding answers from fragmented information.

“As usual, Takinami really favors you a lot.”

“Is that good or not?”

Of course, it’s better to be liked than hated. However, when it’s Takinami Ruika we’re talking about, it’s a bit unnerving.

“I like her too. If only I could just honestly say that I like her.”

I gave a self-deprecating laugh.

“Makabe Shizuru is not cut out for love.”

“That’s how it is.”

Kanata-senpai stated the reason why, and I nodded in agreement.

“You don’t have to be confident in your feelings to fall in love.”

“That would be insincere, wouldn’t it?”

“You think?”

Kanata senpai curiously tilts her head.

“Knowing what kind of attitude will make the other person happy, and what kind of words will touch their heart, it’s rather great for romance, don’t you think?”

“In that case, you would just be a philosophical zombie.”

Without qualia or subjective will, just analyzing physical phenomena that occur in front of them and responding appropriately – that is a philosophical zombie. It’s said that if such a thing existed, it would be indistinguishable from a human being.

“Use your words properly. Philosophical zombies are hypothetical thought experiments. It’s not a term to ridicule people who are like machines without feelings.”

“I know.”

As expected of a writer. She’s very picky about these things.

“I know it’s wrong, but it’s not sincere to associate with someone with such a philosophical zombie attitude.”

When I argued back, Kanata-senpai stopped putting away her belongings and looked at me intently.

I almost flinch when she gazes at me with her beauty.

“You’re not a philosophical zombie if you can think like that.”

“…..”

“Is what I would like to say, but philosophical zombies can even do that and are indistinguishable from humans.”

“I bet.”

I chuckled.

After all, that’s what it’s all about. We are not talking about human beings because of what they can do, or philosophical zombies because of what they cannot do. After all, it starts from the point where it is defined as indistinguishable from a human being.

“But it’s the same thing. There is no way for sure to know if your feelings are sincere. So you just keep on thinking. And be as honest with your feelings as you are with Takinami.”

“……”

Keep on thinking. Be true to my feelings, huh?

I repeat Kanata-senpai’s words in my mind.

“At present, what you’re thinking about just sounds like an excuse.”

“What?”

“Takinami is glaring at us.”

RIght. I was making Takinami-senpai wait. I looked back at the library doorway, and there she was, arms crossed and mouth agape. I could see that she was visibly irritated.

“Since he couldn’t forget his first woman, so I―”

“Please stop. You’re just gonna complicate things!”

A scream came out of my mouth.

Why does she sometimes actively try to light fires when she’s usually reserved?

“Ah, come on, I’m gonna close the library, so please get the hell out.”

“What a tyrannical librarian.”

Kanata senpai snickered and walked to the doorway with her bag.

“My bad. It took a little time.”

I hurriedly closed the library and headed for Takinami-senpai, who was waiting for me.

“Did Kanata-senpai say something?”

“…Nothing really.”

“Okay.”

I patted my chest in relief. It seems she didn’t say anything unnecessary.

That said, there was a big problem standing in front of me. Takinami-senpai, who had her arms crossed and her mouth tightened into a straight line.

“You sure took your sweet time talking.”

As I was locking the library door, she spoke behind my back.

“We had a little discussion about philosophical zombies.”

“How did it get to that topic when you were just making her leave the room…? Is it true or is it just a terrible excuse?”

Takinami-senpai sighs in dismay.

I finished locking the door and made sure it was properly locked before I started walking away. Takinami-senpai followed after me.

“Hey, Shizuru? What kind of relationship do you really have with Mibu-san?”

“Nothing in particular.”

While heading to the staff room―Takinami-senpai asked me and I gave a vague answer.

“Is it something you can’t tell me?”

“It’s unfair if you say it like that.”

“I’m a woman after all.”

She said without hesitation.

This person is nasty because she uses being a woman as a weapon in a broad sense.

“Kanata-senpai and I went to the same junior high school. We’ve known each other since then. Our relationship is several times longer than the one between me and you.”

If you put it that way, I was compelled to answer.

“Is that the limit of your relationship?”

“Hm?”

“I mean, think about it. If it’s just that, you don’t need to keep it under wraps. Which means there’s something else, am I wrong?”

“…….”

It’s something that’s obvious if you think about it a little. But now I feel as if my heart had been seen through, along with the shallow deception.

“…Correct.”

“I knew it.”

Saying this, Takinami senpai gave a small laugh.

And then, without saying anything or asking more questions, she continued to walk down the corridor in silence.

“You’re not gonna ask?”

“I won’t.”

Takinami-senpai answered my question without hesitation.

“Even if I ask, I don’t think you would answer. Because for you, I’m not someone who you can talk to about such things yet. But―just you wait. You will be mine soon.”

She stated with confidence and smiled.

Takinami Ruika is strong in every way.

Let me be clear, there is no secret between me and Kanata-senpai that I want to take to my grave. If I wanted to say it, I could say it here and now. However, I felt that by doing so, it would be disrespectful to the enthusiasm she showed.

‘Be true to my feelings, huh?’

I recall Kanata-senpai’s words.

I wish I could say I like Takinami Ruika with pride.