Chapter 12

“Here, a parfait. Let’s eat it together! Senpai♡”

“…It’s fine. You ordered it, Sora-chan, so you should eat it.”

The ‘say ahhh’ is canceled.

She seems displeased with my cold attitude.

She pouts a little.

But then she nodded as if something had clicked and continued.

“Oh, right. Is this better?”

Sora-chan cleared her throat with a little cough.

“Here you go, onii-chan, say ‘ahhh’♡”

Her voice was cloying and sweet.

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Don’t treat me like I’ve got a level 100 sister complex.

Rejecting a girl feeding you for a reason like that… I’d have to be a total weirdo.

“…”

Her expression is grim.

“It’s because of that woman, isn’t it?”

Her tone dropped about two octaves.

The temperature around me felt like it dropped two degrees as well.

Stop it! Don’t put this strain on my heart!

“You’ve already fallen out of love with her, haven’t you, senpai?”

“When you’re supposed to be mine.”

“You don’t have to put up with it, you know?”

I felt like the highlights in her eyes were dead.

Her words came in rapid succession, like bullets.

A guy who makes a girl look like this during a date is probably a failure, huh. Haha.

“No, no, no. Haven’t fallen out of love, not at all. We’re super lovey-dovey! No room for anyone else!”

But, this situation is also a chance.

“…You’re being threatened, aren’t you. I will definitely save you, senpai. Fufufu.”

“No, that’s not…”

No, wait a second.

…She’s right. For the most part, that’s exactly it.

But.

It’s just that Sora-chan gives off her own seriously dangerous vibes.

Either way, I’d rather just be left out of it.

…Suddenly. A question popped into my head, and I voiced it.

“Why are you so fixated on me?”

Even if I were someone she liked, you’d think she’d give up after being rejected this hard.

I mean, no offense, but she’s just a girl I met in a college club, you know?

“Fufufu. I wonder why.”

For just a moment, Sora-chan’s eyes became downcast.

The movement was strangely alluring.

“Senpai, you’re from near Habusegawa, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right, but…”

At first glance, nothing seemed out of place.

But, the moment I heard that word, I felt a sense of wrongness I couldn’t put into words.

…That’s right.

Habusegawa is now called the Oomigawa River.

It’s a small local river whose name disappeared when the official names were consolidated.

The only people who know that name are the ones who lived there long ago.

…No way.

Did she used to live in my neighborhood?

I watched her, now eating her strawberry, looking as happy as could be—a complete change from a moment ago.

Her moods seem to swing wildly, too.

But—

Would I really forget a girl this cute? Seriously?

“Senpai. This parfait is really delicious, you know? Aren’t you going to have any?”

As if she’d seen right through my thoughts.

Our eyes met.

“…”

If that’s the case.

If she’s someone I knew when I was a kid, and I’ve completely forgotten about her.

Then maybe I’m the one in the wrong.

We met years ago, yet I forgot her and am treating her so coldly.

That’s still no reason to justify cheating, though.

Still.

Thinking that—I started to feel a little guilty.

“…I’ll have a little.”

“Okay. Say ‘ahhh’♡”

The strawberry-flavored parfait,

somehow, had a nostalgic taste.

Chapter 13

“Senpai! It’s Daikaijuu!”

A costumed monster was wandering the park. It looked like it had nothing to do.

Are you bored?

…No, this is your job.

Props to you for working in this heat.

There was a building on its head.

What’s your deal, pal?

“Since we’re here, senpai, should we get a picture?”

For some reason, Sora-chan had an SLR camera hanging around her neck.

Just what you’d expect from a member of the photography club.

…Though I’m not exactly thrilled that the subjects of the photo will be me and Daikaijuu.

It’s not what you think! It’s not like I’m a fan!

I’d be doing the same thing if Hello Kitty was standing there!

A needlessly high-quality photo of the two of us.

She laughed and said, “I’ll send it to you later,” but I absolutely do not want it.

“Your girlfriend can get in the picture too!”

Tsk. Mind your own business, you damn park employee.

Thanks to this professional, determined to capture evidence with a perfect composition, Sora-chan naturally latched onto my side.

I hugged Daikaijuu. I’m not falling for your tricks.

Normally, you’d get close to Daikaijuu, right?

Let it stand in the middle. Why am I in the center? This composition is all wrong.

Once the picture was taken, Daikaijuu left in search of its next victim.

When I think of it that way, maybe that’s how a monster is supposed to act.

“Alright, how about we ride the roller coaster next?”

Out of all the attractions, roller coasters are my favorite.

“Eh…”

“What, you can’t ride it? You don’t have to force yourself—”

“No, it’s okay! It’s what you want to ride, right, senpai?”

“No, no, I hear this one’s supposed to be pretty scary, so if you’re not good with them, you really don’t have to—”

“There’s no way I could dislike something you like, senpai!

I’ll ride it! In fact, that’s why I came! Let’s go!”

She was acting almost desperate.

Is this girl gonna be okay?

＊

Let’s cut to the chase. She was not okay.

After the ride was over, she was an empty shell.

Guess she really was the type who shouldn’t have ridden it.

“…”

“I’ll go buy us some drinks. You stay here. I’m thirsty too.”

A twitch. Sora-chan, who had been motionless, started to move.

“Senpai, if you want a drink, I brought one.”

What she took out was a water bottle.

A red light flashed in my brain.

—That drinking party the other day.

My memory cuts out right after she gave me that water.

This water bottle is probably bad news too.

“Sorry. For religious reasons, I have a policy of not drinking from other people’s water bottles.”

My denomination is, let’s see… The Sect for the Eradication of Yandere, maybe.

“…It’s okay. There’s nothing bad in it.”

There was a label on it that read, “For Senpai.” It even had a hand-drawn heart mark. What a suspiciously thoughtful gesture.

“In that case, why don’t you drink some first, Sora-chan?”

Sorry, but I’m having you check it for poison.

“…Fufu. Of course.”

Without hesitation, Sora-chan tipped the water bottle back.

Even though it said “For Senpai,” she drank it normally.

…Wait, it’s safe?

“See? It’s fine. You have some too, senpai♡”

The water bottle was offered to me. On the cap was a trace of her lipstick.

I felt like I was being dared to drink it.

I don’t want to drink it.

But it would be rude to refuse at this point.

After I acted so suspicious, I kind of have to…

In the end, I drank it.

I’d been cornered into drinking it.

“Senpai, did you want an indirect kiss that badly?”

Wrong, idiot. I made sure to avoid the part with your lipstick.

—At the time, nothing happened yet.

At least, not on the surface.