《Hiyori-chan no Onegai wa Zettai》 Volume 1 - CH 1.1 Love Story Translated by 64990022 Part 1 [TN: There¡¯s a manga adaptation of the same title, maybe you¡¯d like to check that out too. Even though the manga was dropped halfway, it should provide a good insight of what¡¯s the story¡¯s about.] It all started with¡ª ¡°¨C-I-I like you!¡± This ¡°Request¡± of hers. ¡°Please go out with me!¡± Watery, jewel-like eyes, with cheeks tanned by the Setouchi sun. The hair that didn¡¯t quite well reach her shoulders sparkled in the evening sunlight, her mouth pressed tight nervously. The ribbons of her sailor uniform caught the breeze and fluttered, her hands were held firmly at her chest. Her neck was unbelievably polished and white. [TN: Japanese have a degree of obsession with necks and collars. Their standard of beauty is quite hard to comprehend] I gulped. ¡°S-sorry! I know it was sudden!¡± She quickly added as if worried about my reaction. ¡°B-but, I¡¯m serious. I, Koro, Korohashi-kun, I l-like you¡­Please be my boyfriend¡­ We might not be that close¡­ however¡ª¡± ¡°Ah, no, I¡¯m not surprised in the slightest.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Well, I thought it should be time for you to make your move.¡± ¡°Ehhhhh?!¡± I¡¯m not smug or anything, but, yeah, I can smell this confession coming up. Firstly, she gave me enough signs that even the densest of people could pick up. My gaze slipped past her and fell on the city of Onomichi. [TN: It¡¯s a real town. Really good aesthetics for this LN, I¡¯d say] Far away, the Seto Inland Sea glimmered. Old houses and buildings crept from the sea, clinging more and more to the slope of the mountain as it went inland. White ferries were barely discernible from the distance, I watched as one docked at Mukaishima, green trees on the beyond. I recalled what happened between us¡ª. ¡ªHamure Hiyori. A classmate of mine who sat next to me. I had noted since spring that she was one of the cute girls in my class. Not that she stood out, but her innocent, kind smile was enough. She was cuter than she let on. She had no apparent fans, but I¡¯m sure she had secret admirers here and there. That¡¯s Hamure-san. Our turning point was the seat change in the second semester. The raffle drawing paired us up. ¡°I-I¡¯ll be in this seat,¡± she introduced herself, ¡°Ehehe, I¡¯m a bit nervous. Ehem, please take care of me¡± Contrary to her strangely reserved greeting, she closed the distance between us quickly. We chatted everyday at school. A while later, she even sent me messages via LINE on weekends. And¡ª ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to Hiroshima?!¡± She then quickly went on, ¡°I want to go shopping and¡­ Why don¡¯t we go together?¡± Like that, I realized. Hamure-san was hitting on me?! Either that or she had some agenda with me?! I knew it might be a result of my self-consciousness and presumptions, but this was my first time experiencing something like this. I was genuinely flustered. Then, the heart-pounding Hiroshima date (was that a date?) came and went. I continued to live these eventful days until she finally asked. ¡°It¡¯s¡­I have something important to tell you. Can I¡­ have your time after school? This is it¡­ Is this the confession¡­? It couldn¡¯t be anything else, right? Plus, the meeting place was nowhere other than this spot with a spectacular view, the ¡°Pom-pom Rock¡±. The keywords matched, beautiful view, ¡°something important¡±, nothing but a confession. Please, let it be so. After a few minutes of watching her falter patiently, she finally told me how she felt. As for my impressions¡ªumm, I¡¯m happy. Or rather, I was so happy that I broke a smile, a little though, I can¡¯t afford to let her see that. How could I not, actually. This was my first time being confessed, furthermore, by such a cute girl! Well¡­ A group of occasional tourists walked past. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s with those two?¡± Came a snicker ¡°Local highschooler?¡± said another voice. ¡°Are they in the middle of a confession?!¡± ¡°Hang in there, dude¨C!¡± one of them cheered. This Pom-pom Rock was one of the most popular tourist spots in Onomichi. Hamure-san, you could have selected a more private spot¡­ And that last guy who cheered! I¡¯m not the one confessing, it¡¯s her! Surely, you can see that she¡¯s the one blushing, get your facts straight! I sighed and flipped my switch. Before I give my reply, I wanted to be sure about one thing. ¡°Why me?¡± I asked. Yes, that was the part I could never understand. ¡°I know we¡¯re on good terms lately, but why do you think I¡¯m the one?¡± I knew it was embarrassing, but this couldn¡¯t go unanswered. From what I gathered, she was sweet and poised. She was rather indecisive, even with two choices, she had trouble choosing for minutes. For example: ¡°¡ªHmm, yogurt¡­peach¡­plum¡­¡± ¡°Korohashi-kun, where to have lunch? Eeh¡­ which restaurant¡­¡± ¡°What to have for elective class. Music? No. Home economics should be good¡­ still no¡­¡± On the other hand, I had never bothered thinking. Example: ¡°Coffee.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get a burger there¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with programming. You know, there¡¯s a deadline for that, decide already.¡± Or conversations didn¡¯t exactly match. Even Hamure-san should have felt the same; we don¡¯t exactly fit. That was why I wondered, why me¡­ ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± She took up a troubled expression that I have come to get used to. ¡°You have what I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°What you don¡¯t?¡± I mirrored. ¡°See? I suck at deciding things,¡± she said with a bashful laugh The look on her face¡ªher cuteness touched my heart. ¡°I¡¯m indecisive, and have lost many opportunities because of that. But¡­ Korohashi-kun, you¡¯re my exact opposite, you¡¯re firm, you make choices with confidence¡­¡± She narrowed her eyes as if I was something brilliant. ¡°I admire you for that.¡± My heart skipped a beat. I make choices with confidence, she said¡­ I was glad someone appreciated that side of me. Yes, I¡¯m happy. Some had called me cold and insensitive. Maybe I deserve to be called that way, and yet. And yet this girl praised that side of me and told me that she admired it. She continued glumly, ¡°So¡­ please.¡± she tilted her head pleadingly. ¡°Will you go out with me?¡± I see, I thought silently. She tended to fret and worry, and she could be a bit hesitant at times. But, at the very least, she was good at asking favors. ¡°I want some time to think. I need to clear my thoughts. Can I have a moment alone?¡± ¡°A moment? O-Ok! I¡¯ll wait!¡± She nodded repeatedly. ¡°Of course, I understand you¡­ How much time do you want? A week? A month? A year? No matter how long, I¡¯ll wait!!¡± She leaned forward, breathing hard. ¡°Huh, one night is plenty.¡± ¡°Fast!¡± Volume 1 - CH 1.2 ¨CThere was a time when the word ¡°world¡± was overused. Abused, rather. It was used to refer to small areas around us. Either that or everything beyond our reach. And sometimes, people confused the two and consumed the word. And after a series of abasing, we reached a time when the world was defined as something we can shape with our hand. ¡°¡¯The new virus is spreading, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is asking people to refrain from leaving their homes¡¯, huh?¡± I muttered the news headline. Step by step, I climbed the stairs and thought of the implications. ¡°¡®Situation worsening¡¯¡­ This new virus¡­ Another bad news for the stock market.¡± Before I knew it, checking daily news had become my routine on my way home. News, video reports, columns, comments, commentary, all lined up on my screen. My heart still pounded from Hamure-san¡¯s confession. I could notice the unusual lightness on my steps. At least when browsing familiar forums, I had managed to calm down a notch. ¡°Oh, then there¡¯s that summit meeting.¡± With practiced swipes, I changed the filter to World News. ¡°Hm? Joint declaration¡­ A de facto breakup, figures.¡± Well, just like I thought. No matter what, I couldn¡¯t imagine those two countries working hand in hand anyway. But today, I found that strangely relatable. ¡°Communication¡­¡± Communication, an act of successfully conveying what both sides want¡­ Even myself was troubled by Hamure-san¡¯s confession. The magnitude of complexity required to reconcile interests of two whole countries seemed impossible. I sighed and lifted my eyes to see a narrow, winding road wriggling between old houses. The town of Onomichi was divided into three main areas. The commercial area around Onomichi Station. From there, sprawled old residential areas, time-worned houses and temples rested on the slope of the mountain. Then there was the shipyard and another residential area on Mukaishima across the narrow strip of Seto Inland Sea. My house was in the old residential area¡ªwhich meant walking up the slope of this mountain. I had always thought the steps were annoying, but now that my mind had more urgent matters to attend to, I got more irritated at the endless slope. Seeking solace, my eyes dropped to the World News page again. People in the past used to romanticize the word ¡°world¡±. ¨CA beautiful place out of reach. ¨CSomewhere far, far away, eternally unchanging exquisites. The word ¡°world¡± used to evoke such feelings. But of course, that wasn¡¯t the case. The world was fragile, ready to crumble without proper care. That was what people nowadays think of the word. I reached the familiar entrance of my house. I passed through a small gate like the houses of the dwarfs in picture books, and kicked off my shoes at the front door. ¡°I¡¯m home¨C¡± ¡°Welcome back¨C¡± My mother¡¯s voice came from the kitchen. ¡°Eri-chan¡¯s coming today. I¡¯ve made dinner for her too, ask her to eat with us, will you?¡± ¡°Got it¡­¡± I climbed a set of steep, ladder-like stairs and headed to my room. Three tatami-sized, barely large enough to call it a room. A compact desk, lean bookshelf, a TV connected to game consoles, the rest of the space was for the futon mattress. A space filled to the brim with basic necessities. [TN: 1.76¡Á2.64 m] Since the house was in the middle of the hill, the area available was surprisingly small, when compared to a flat-land house. That was why such a dingy private space was allotted to a highschooler like me. I slump down on the worn tatami, scrolling through more news. Among the seemingly endless titles¡ª ¡°Wow, ¡®The Heavens Council¡¯ has done it again!¡± My body sprang up at the familiar organization name. The news was about the democratization of a dictatorship in the Middle East. Let¡¯s see the details¡­ ¡°¡®Sup!¡± The door slid open. ¡°Could you at least knock first¡­¡± ¡°Why should I? You aren¡¯t doing something weird, right?¡± ¡°Better than stumble into one¡­¡± Ignoring what I said, the intruder went to the TV and snatched the controller without permission. ¡°Miharu, catch.¡± She threw the other controller at me. Her name was Urabe Eri. She lived a few minutes¡¯ walk from here. We had been together since birth. We were in the same class, and she would come to my house to hang out. ¡°Also, you reading news again?¡± I grunted. ¡°Give me a minute.¡± ¡°Make it quick,¡± she said impatiently. ¡°I said a minute.¡± I turn my back to her to stop the coming protests. The democratization of a former dictatorship. With the help of the United Nations, they succeed in suppressing a military coup. Now that both sides appear to be on the right track, The Heavens Council had decided to back out of the situation. The Heavens Council¨C this organization with a fancy name, was an up-and-coming think tank organization. Like this democratization, they led the seemingly impossible negotiations with ease. But upon following their movements made me think that their ideals were different from my own. If anything, they weren¡¯t exactly thorough. However, if they intervene, the situation does change for the better. So, I had no choice but to admit their capability. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration if I were to say that they were changing this world. On the side note, many of their natures were unknown. Establishment date, members, country they belong to, and so on were all unknown. There were even rumors that the organization was formed by a group of civilians. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± I took my eyes off my phone and took a deep breath. ¡°If they are really civilians, how amazing must they be¡­¡± Of course, there was a probability for a hoax. For example, a cover up for some country that owns the organization. After all, the organization was shroud in secrets. Still, I hoped against everything that The Heavens Council were a group of ordinary people. ¡ªOrdinary people shaping the world. That may have sounded like a dream, but in this day and age, such a thing may be possible, and I hoped so. ¡°What¡¯s so amazing to have you freaking out¡­¡± ¡°Listen, this world has an amazing organization,¡± I began. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Her face told me she regretted asking. She rolled her eyes once and started the TV. However, my attention was still on the article. I wished I could influence the world like this one day. To me someone who could male important decisions for the world. Well, I have to study, learn things, get out of this town, go to university¨CI have to have such a future. That was why I couldn¡¯t stay in this three-tatami room forever. Urabe¡¯s nudging brought me to reality. ¡°Finished? Get on with it.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± I tucked my phone away and picked up the controller. ¡°What¡¯s the plan? We¡¯re playing MagiGame?¡± ¡°Yeah, that. I found a defense method I wanted to try yesterday.¡± ¡°Oh, really¨C¡± Urabe fixed her hair as she said that. The soft smell of shampoo waffled. I wriggled uncomfortably. An uncouth bumpkin I had known as a kid had been refined into a young lady in the last few years. Her sharp face was even more defined than before. With the touch of makeup and cosmetics, her long, slitted eyes became even more piercing. Her glossy black hair flowed beautifully. Her uniform was also immaculately kept. In no time, she had become a central figure of the main clique in the class. To be honest¡­ as someone who doesn¡¯t like boisterous people, I have mixed feelings about that. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like it if even Urabe turned out to be one of them¡­ But, putting those worries aside, she still interacts with me the same way. Maybe that was all that mattered. ¡°I¡¯m breaking in¡ª. I¡¯ve got enough gauges.¡± ¡°¡®Kay, I¡¯ll take care of Mikoshi.¡± ¡°Thanks. The others should be there too.¡± This has been our custom since elementary school. Every now and then, Urabe would come here to play games. Everything was the same, down to her sitting posture¨Ceven though her skirts are getting shorter lately. Well, for my part, I can¡¯t help but catch glances of her underwear¡­ Can¡¯t she pay more attention to herself¡­ ¡°Ah, Miharu, the sniper slipped your way. Be on guard¡± ¡°Really? Huh, you¡¯re right!¡± ¡°They¡¯re shooting.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t hit them at all. Damn it, I won¡¯t die here¡­Aaaah!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ they got you already?¡± ¡°Sorry, do a follow-up for me.¡± Urabe met up with the rest of the team and managed to set up a defensive perimeter. Learn more But¡­ for some reason, I can¡¯t seem to get into my usual rhythm. My aim was all over the place, movements sluggish. I even drag the team down by my opening shots. The other team went on offensive, gaining more and more foothold. ¡°Ahhh, we¡¯ve lost¨C!¡± Game over. The judge character, Tori, declared the other team¡¯s victory with cheery effects. ¡°Screw this¨C, what went wrong¨C!¡± Much to my chagrin, Urabe explained our loss calmly. ¡°Hmm? Well, we¡¯ve been losing since the first stages. The second half was just defensive too.¡± She could have at least consoled me a little. Then again, I liked her frankness. ¡°Well, to the next game¨C. This time around, I won¡¯t mess up again¨C¡± ¡°¨CI mean.¡± She looked at me. ¡°What happened, Miharu?¡± ¡°Huh? What happened?¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting strange.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Everything. You¡¯ve been fidgety since a while ago. You¡¯re crappy in the last game.¡± She scrunched her face a little as she inspected me. ¡°What happened?¡± My shoulders jumped. Just when I thought I had gained my sense of normalcy. Just when news check and games with Urabe have put down the uneasiness of Hamure-san¡¯s confession. But¡­ ¡°Hmph, I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± She narrowed her eyes and frowned like an annoyed detective. ¡°Miharu, you¡¯re on pins and needles.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡± She peered even closer. I backed away nervously. ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°You were confessed?¡± she asked My expression probably told her everything. With such precise accosting, I could only keep my expression neutral for so far. How much to speak, how much to hide¡­ I quickly search for an excuse, but, ¡°Well, whatever.¡± She returned to the game. ¡°Whether you¡¯re confessed or dating someone, it¡¯s not my problem.¡± What¡­ Then don¡¯t do that in the first place. I thought I was having a heart attack! But, yeah. I sighed. That¡¯s a relief. Our relationship was ten thousands lightyears away from being a romantic one. Childhood friend romances were like stories from another world to us. That was also why this relationship was comfortable and had lasted this long. ¡°Aight, I¡¯ll win this time.¡± With that, I picked the controller just as the screen loaded the next match. Volume 1 - CH 1.3 Love Story Translated by 64990022 Part 3 The next morning, Hamure-san made her way to her seat. ¡°Morning. About the reply¡­¡± ¡°G-good morning!¡± she jolted , her body suddenly tense. ¡°S-So!? As you are, Korohashi-kun, you have the answer already?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°What¡¯s with that tone? A reaction vlog? And this is no place to talk about that.¡± To admit, I was also nervous. But with this little joke, I relaxed a little. ¡°R-right¡­ yes, not here¡­¡± ¡°Yeah, so, after school, can I have your time?¡± I spared a glance at Urabe¡¯s seat. Somehow, I don¡¯t want her to see this. Awkward, embarrassing, and she would probably read my thoughts like a book. But my worries were unwanted; Urabe didn¡¯t even look this way. ¡°¨CHeh, Eri, don¡¯t you look tired?¡± [TN: Urabe Eri.] ¡°Really? I thought the concealer was enough. It¡¯s that obvious?¡± ¡°If you look. What¡¯s up, sleep deprived?¡± She grunted, ¡°Was up playing games.¡± Still engrossed in conversation with those glitzy girls¡­ Well, what else would she be doing? I turn away from her. She could do whatever she likes, not that I¡¯m concerned. Besides, everything was normal this morning when we walked to school, nothing of me being confessed. Hamure-san¡¯s voice pulled me back. ¡°Hmm, after school¡­ yeah, I¡¯m free! Where to?¡± ¡°Rooftop. There usually aren¡¯t any people around once past lunch.¡± Strange enough, this highschool allowed access to the rooftop. Perhaps it was to make up for the cramped school grounds. Plus, the rooftop boasts a beautiful view of the Setouchi Sea and Mukaishima on the other side. The school must have considered this as an appealing point and decided to go with it. ¡°O-okay¡­¡± She nodded stutteringly. ¡°So I¡¯ll get my reply then¡­¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± She dropped dead on her chair¡ª only to panic again. ¡°Wha¡­ I¡¯m on duty today!?¡± I followed her gaze and saw the name ¡°Hamure¡± on the bottom right corner of the blackboard. ¡°It seems like that.¡± She stood up. ¡°Oh no¡­ I completely forgot!¡± ¡°Get to the staff room quick, you could still make it now.¡± With a nod, she dropped her bag on the table and scurried off. She stopped at the door. ¡°Korohashi-kun, later!¡± ¡°Later. And don¡¯t trip on your way.¡± She disappeared behind the corner. I smiled wryly when she was gone. She really was careless¡­ Won¡¯t she get tired from the morning like this¡­ Then, her carelessly dropped bag lost its balance and fell. ¡°Oof¡± I reached out and caught it mid-air. That said, something managed to pop out of the side pocket and tumble on the floor. A notepad. It was small, palm-sized, the kind that sold everywhere. But the cover was written in her hand writing: Request Note. Uhh, a note for communication between family members? Maybe I could put it back, but that would require rummaging through her bag. ¡°I¡¯ll give this to her later¡­¡± I muttered as I shoved it into my pocket. ** I waited for Hamure-san alone on the rooftop. She had apologized in advance that she might be late due to class duty errands. That was just fine by me, there were thoughts that needed sorting. I leaned on the fence, sweeping my eyes over the scene¨C. Onomichi was sunny again today, the town was small and compact as ever, and the Seto Inland sea reflected the evening sun. Tanking in the salty breeze, I sighed. I had planned to reject her. Today, I am going to turn down her request to be her boyfriend. I was certainly happy when she confessed. I also think of her affectionately. Even now, a part of me felt that I should go out with her. Or if I were to ask someone for advice, surely, anyone would recommend dating her. However, when standing in this position, it was much more complicated. For context, I have no experience dating. If I said ok, then this would be my first, and I want that person to be someone whom I really liked. It might sound silly, but this is where I stand. I am sorry for Hamure-san, but I couldn¡¯t go out with her just because she was cute; that just felt wrong. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± I sighed. Turning down someone sure is hard. Well, this was my first time, but it was quite painful when you can¡¯t reciprocate someone¡¯s feelings. Imagining her disappointed expression made my heart ache like it was being jabbed by needles. As I curled my lips in guilt, I noticed something in my blazer¡¯s pocket. ¡°Hn?¡± Palm-sized, with the texture of paper, small cold rings¡­ ¡°Oh, almost forgot¡­¡± Hamure-san¡¯s ¡°Request Note.¡± Before I could think better of it, before any thought could cross my mind¨C I involuntarily flipped the note open. My head was at max capacity with the confession, I had no time to consider privacy nor discretion. There, in Hamure-san¡¯s drooping, absent-minded scrawl, were short sentences in bullet points. -I Requested big sis to buy me pinot. -I Requested Saike to give me a spoiler commentary on Karekoy. -I Requested the teacher to forgive me for my late submission. ¡°What¡­¡± Apparently, this was a note where Hamure-san wrote down her daily requests to those around her. Perhaps this ¡°big sis¡± was her sister. Sakie, our classmate. Karekoy was a popular manga that could now be read digitally. So this was what ¡°Request Book¡± is¡­? But, why would she bother to keep such a record? As some sort of memento? As the page progressed, I started to see my own name. -I Requested the teacher to change my seat to next to Korohashi-kun. -I Requested Korohashi-kun to have lunch together. -I Requested that Korohashi-kun wants to go on a date with me. ¡°Eh?¡± Requested teacher? Seat change? That was rarely possible, or so I thought¡­how? My heart started to beat nervously. Somehow, this didn¡¯t feel like a normal memmo, rather, a record of something critical. An unsettling feeling ooze from the pages, but I only turn the pages faster. ¡°¨C!¡± I gulped. The next page was crammed with letters. Tiny characters fitted the lines, like ants swarming a candy bar, like writings in cult rituals. My eyes caught the keywords¨C ¨COrdnance¨Csafety¨Ctroops¨Cescape¨Csect¨Cno witnesses¨Creject¨Cleader. I rubbed my eyes, feeling the disquiet with my skin. For a moment I convinced myself this was a poem or something. But this was no work of poetry, not the result of creativity. The writing was driven and desperate, as if something was boiling inside her when she wrote this. It smelled of searing urgency. Something was going on. My interest in the note doubled. The almost-black page, there was something more to Hamure Hiyori. There was something irresistible and alluring about it, and I couldn¡¯t help but keep reading. ¡°Ah!!¡± Startled by the voice, I looked up. Learn more Hamure-san was standing at the rooftop entrance, her eyes wide and fixed at the notepad in my hand. ¡°M-my ¡®Request Note¡¯!¡± Crap! She saw! The realization of what I had done finally took in. What to do? Apologize? Or was there any excuse I could use¡­?! She took a quick breath and walked toward me, her expression taunt. And then, with a strangely clear voice¨C as if she was speaking right next to me, said, ¡°G-give it back¡­¡± Yeah, I should give it to her The memo, to her¡­ ¡°Here¡­¡± I walked to her and bowed in remorse before returning the notepad. What were I even doing, taking a peek like that? ¡°Sorry. You dropped it, I meant to return it but didn¡¯t get the chance to.¡± ¡°O-oh, okay¡­¡± She briskly took the note and held it tight at her chest. ¡°Thank you for picking it up¡­ Have you looked¡ªwhat have you seen?¡± She eyed me anxiously. ¡°A variety of requests. That¡¯s it, the latter half¡¯s kinda incomprehensible.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± She dropped her gaze and fell into a trance, with a perplexed face and constant muttering. I wondered what it was about. ¡°I¡­ see¡­Keeping secrets is unfaithful¡­ yes!¡± She looked up¨Cat me. And with the same resolution she had yesterday, when she confessed me, ¡°See, Korohashi-kun! Actually¡­ I am hiding something¡­¡± ¡°Hiding something?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ you see¨C¡± ¡°¨CMy Request is absolute.¡± [TN: ¡°Only a Sith deals in absolutes!¡±] ¡°Huh?¡± Her request is¡­ absolute? I don¡¯t understand¡­ What¡¯s happening? ¡°W-when I was little! I tried many things!¡± Seeing my dubious expression or not, she hurried on. ¡°My parents, they are quite strict, and won¡¯t listen to what I ask for that much¡­ Then I found out that if I cleared a ¡®certain condition,¡¯ they would definitely listen to me¡­¡± ¡°¡®Certain condition¡¯?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Ah! I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s the most I can tell you! But while I do that, everyone will definitely follow my Request¡­ Not just my family, classmates, strangers¡­ and if they understand the meaning, foreigners too¡­¡± ¡°Ehh¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve used it all this time, to ask people around me for help¡­ I do feel guilty about it¡­ so I record my Requests in this notepad as a reminder¡­¡± ¡°I, see¡­¡± ¡°So, we are on the same page¡­?¡± Yeah, now I know¡­ Hamure-san knew how to make people do absolutely everything she requested. She sometimes uses it to manipulate people at will¡­ I see¡­ I see¡­ ¨CHamure-san is a wacko who can¡¯t tell the difference between wild fantasies and reality. There was no such thing as a condition for an absolute request. If such a thing even existed, the one who discovered such a method wouldn¡¯t be a random highschool girl from this countryside, but by the world¡¯s top research institute, university, hospital, or billionaire company. In other words, Hamure-san was a wacko who believed in wild fantasies. That was a close call. If I had found out after I had inadvertently given her the ok to her confession, that could have been disastrous¡­ ¡°Hn?¡± She stared at me. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°No, no, I completely get it. Each person sees reality differently. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s your reality, Hamure-san.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t¡­¡± She pouted. ¡°Fine. See for yourself.¡± She turned to face me. ¡°Korohashi-kun, dance.¡± ¡°¡®Kay, got it.¡± Dance, huh¡­ There was hardly any choreography that I knew. That left me with¡­ the half gymnastic dance I was forced to remember in the middle school cultural festival¡ª. ¡°Thank you¡­ that was a.. strange dance, but it¡¯s cute as it is. Next, a musical please.¡± ¡°Ok¡± Musical¡­ the one I know was the famous one from Shiki Theater. I¡¯ll go with that¨C. It came out unexpectedly loud, loud enough to echo across the school yard. [TN: TA KU NA MA TA TA!!] Hamure-san guffawed. ¡°Ahaha! That¡¯s pretty good! Korohashi-kun¡­ I never knew you have talent. Then, lastly¡­ An impersonation of a famous person please.¡± ¡°W-wait! Oi, wait, really!¡± [TN: Not sure whose impersonation this is either.] ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at this too! I thought you wouldn¡¯t be good, turns out you¡¯re better than I thought¡­¡± she wiped¡­ tears from her eyes. ¡°So, Korohashi-kun.¡± She smiled amiably and cocked her head. ¡°Now that you have experienced my ¡®Request,¡¯ how was it? Will you trust me now?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± That was when I realized the absurdity of my actions for the first time. ¡°I-it¡¯s real?!¡± Dance, musical, impersonation, nothing I would have done on a normal basis, things that I only do when absolutely necessary. But apparently, I gave it my all without any hesitation just because she ¡°Requested¡± me. Nothing could describe my shock. It was embarrassing, but the shock was far greater. I really was¡ªat her will. ¡°This isn¡¯t real, right..? But I¡­¡± Now that I think about it, it was like this. When she came for a talk, I went on with the suggestion without any doubts. When she asked for a date, I accepted her invitation without a moment¡¯s delay. And when I included this ¡®Request¡¯ of hers into the picture, everything now makes sense. ¡°Something like that exists? This is not some supernatural manga, you know¡­¡± ¡°Come on¨C, you still don¡¯t believe me?! You¡¯re saying you dance, sing and did the impersonation by your own will?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s impossible¡­¡± Then, there¡¯s no choice but to accept it, ¨CHamure-san¡¯s Request is indeed absolute. ¡°Hm? But that means¡­¡± Realization set in. Considering her ability, that was a logical choice¡­ Considering how powerful she was, it was only natural, yet¡­ ¡°The confession yesterday¡­ you could have used Request and get an absolute yes¡­¡± If she could take someone¡¯s will as easily as that, then she could have made me say yes. Yet. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that!¡± she said as if pleading for her innocence. ¡°I don¡¯t want to distort the feelings of the one I like. How could I be happy like that?! That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t use Request yesterday!¡± I believed her. Why? Because I planned to turn her down. Then, I realized how mistaken I was. I had thought she was a simple-minded girl, timid and weak-willed, that she had lived her live leisurely without any care. That was still true. But¡­ that was not all to her. She had strong self-discipline when the situation demanded. She could be strong willed and ready to make hard choices¡ª ¡°S-so¡­ Let me say it again!¡± Her face crumpled as if she was about to cry. At the top of her lungs, she ¡°Requested¡± me. ¡°I like you! Please go out with meeee!¡± ¡°Ahaha¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back the laughter. After all this time, I think I finally understand a bit. About the love of this girl called Hamure Hiyori. A girl who was stronger than she looked¨C. Then I noticed another thing. Her hands balled into fists, biting her lips, two dams of tears ready to burst any moment. She looked so anxious and defenseless that she might break from the slightest touch. I found myself wanting to know more about her, to be close to her, to experience her emotions, her joys, her anger, her sorrows, her happiness, together with her¡­ Then, it was probably time to revise my judgment. I don¡¯t like thinking twice on a decision,, but for once, I might just as well step out of the box. ¡°Yeah, got it.¡± I nodded for her to see. ¡°Let¡¯s go out. Please take care of me¨C¡± A drop of tears rolled down her cheek. Volume 1 - CH 1.4 Love Story Translated by 64990022 Chapter 1: love story Part 4 Once the decision making has passed, what awaited me was the simple happiness of dating. After we became boyfriend and girlfriend, I walked Hamure-san to the ferry pier. We talked about each other idly as we walked down the slope. ¡°¨COh, your family is a line of shipwrights?¡± ¡°Yes, since like, great-grandfather¡¯s time¡­ How about your house? Yours is around Higashitsuchidou, right?¡± ¡°Yup, we do an izakaya, mostly towards the tourists. My father¡¯s the manager. I think you must have been there once or twice. Does ¡®Shubou Korohashi¡¯ ring any bells¡­¡± Like that, we had a rather fluffy conversation, like we were on cloud nine. I had wracked my brain thinking of the right choice, and yet, when the choice was made, it was unexpectedly blissful. It was funny how cheap I was. Stranger still, now that we got to open up and talk like this, my fondness for her doubled. More than once, I had mused how precious her smile was. I just want to treasure my first girlfriend, Hamure-san, as much as I can. I stole a glance and our eyes met. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her eyes darted away. ¡°Um¡­ Korohashi-kun.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯m your girlfriend¡­¡± She looked up with that determined look again. ¡°I want you to stop calling me ¡®Hamure-san¡¯¡­¡± ¡°Ahh¡± Yeah, she¡¯s right, the surname-san format sounded strange among lovers¡­ ¡°So¡­ what should I call you¡­?¡± She wriggled her mouth a little. ¡°Hiyori¡­ is fine. I will call you Miharu-kun too¡­¡± That¡¯s¡­ not unreasonable. That was probably what normal couples do when dating. But, ¡°Hn¨C, It¡¯s kinda embarrassing. Can¡¯t I call you ¡®Hamure-san¡¯ like I always have?¡± ¡°Eh! Then I¡¯d be no different from other classmates!¡± she yapped. ¡°But even if you tell me to change so suddenly¨C¡± ¡°¨CPlease call me ¡®Hiyori¡¯¡± ¡°Even if you say so. Hiyori can call me Miharu, I¡¯ll stick wit¡ªtheh?! Didn¡¯t I call Hiyori as Hiyori¡­ Hn?! Hmmm?! Hiyori¡­ did you just Requesteeeeed?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re being stubborn, Miharu-kun!¡± ¡°What! Hiyori¡­ Hiyori¡­¡± I tested, ¡°Ah! I can¡¯t go back!¡± What¡¯s with this power?! Hey, wait, this is kinda scary¡­ I¡¯m at her whim, she can make me do anything?! ¡°Please don¡¯t abuse your Request¡­¡± I begged. She pouted like a scolded kid. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to rely on it too much either¡­¡± She felt guilty, but still chooses to use the alluring power, it seemed. ¡°Then, for example¡­¡± she tested, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be okay if I ask my sister to buy sweets for me? She¡¯s a working adult.¡± ¡°If in moderation.¡± Although the other party wouldn¡¯t be pleased about it, it was a pretty harmless Request. ¡°If I ask my mom to make my favorite dish?¡± ¡°That depends on how many times.¡± Even I myself did that sometimes. ¡°T-then!¡± Hiyori¡¯s eyes lit up with sudden eagerness. ¡°How about asking what question will be on the test?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s an out!¡± ¡°Ehh¨C¡­ then a hint! Hints should be fine!¡± ¡°Another no! The exam is your grade, and your grade is your future, so you can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Then scope of the exam?!¡± ¡°That¡¯s already given!¡± ¡°T-that¡¯s right!¡± She looked so genuinely shocked that it felt like she only knew it just now. How much of an airhead is she¡­ And to think that the power of Request is in her hands¡­ Like that, we reached the ferry pier. There were three piers like this in Onomichi, piers exclusive to the trip to Mukaishima on the other side of the Seto Inland Sea. The distance may seem great to naked eye, it was, in fact, two hundred meters apart. Before the ferries, it was said that people had swum across the narrow strait. With the ferry, it only took five minutes. And by ferry, no, not those luxurious vessels millionaires use, but the smaller version that can hold a few cars and a few dozen people. By the way, the fare was only sixty yen. When the next ferry began to dock¨C ¡°S-see you tomorrow, Miharu-kun!¡± ¡°Sure, see you, Hiyori¡­¡± While my cheeks became hot with embarrassment, Hiyori just smiled calmly. ¡°By the way, one last question!¡± she then asked, ¡°For example, is it okay to have five kidnappers dead in order to save one innocent hostage?¡± I was flabbergasted. That was a completely different question from the ones before; it was too serious a question for Hiyori. For a moment, I thought she was joking. Maybe it was one of her twisted humor. However, even though she had the same carefree air about her¡­ I could still tell she wasn¡¯t joking. ¡°Yes.¡± After a slight pause, I answered, ¡°Rather, if possible, you¡¯d better do so. The hostage is only one person right then, but it¡¯s bound to increase otherwise. Besides, one innocent¡¯s life is far more valuable than five kidnappers.¡± I really thought so. Right, in the short term, more people ended up dying. But the recent news made me wonder why the innocents were sacrificed, and why did the guilty get off with light punishments. So, I hoped that the innocent could be saved, no matter how many kidnappers had to die. I hope that my answer wasn¡¯t wrong. ¡°I see¡­ Yup, thank you!¡± She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s Korohashi-kun for you! I feel so refreshed!¡± She was so ¡°normal¡± that I felt distinct uneasiness. It was as if this kind of dilemma was a part of her life. But, ¡°Well, for real this time, see you tomorrow!¡± With that, Hiyori rushes toward the ferry. She quickly whisked away before I could ask what she meant by the question. Volume 1 - CH 1.5 [Breaking News] United Nation Forces bombed ¡ö¡ö holdout, killing 150 people Wednesday, July 7, before dawn, Japan time. UN forces carried out an airstrike against the said extremist holdout. An estimation of 150 people died in the attack, the leader, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, was also presumed dead. The casualties also included a group of civilians, but miraculously, all 34 students who were being held hostage have been extracted safely. The attack had significantly weakened ¡ö¡ö extremists greatly. The Heavens Council was believed to be involved in the incident and an official statement will be out shortly. Year ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, month ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö th. ¡ö¡ö:¡ö¡ö (¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö channel) ** ¡°¡®Vitamin for The Day¡¯¡­ ¡®Soy Milk Latte¡¯¡­ ¡®Chia Seed¡¯¡­Hmm¡± ¡°How long are you gonna be here?¡± ¡°Ah, s-sorry! Just a bit more, be there in a sec!¡± I reminded her, ¡°You¡¯ve been here for almost ten minutes¡­¡± Even though I was grumbling, I was struggling to keep myself from laughing in the inside. Normally, I would hate wasting time like this, but I enjoyed it if it was with Hiyori. Deep down, I was just gloating about having a girlfriend. It was a week after we went out. During the week, it had become our routine for us to leave school together. If we had time, then we would sometimes stroll the Onomichi station area. Like today, we were buying some drinks to enjoy at the beach afterwards. ¡°Umm¡­ what¡¯s yours, Miharu-kun?¡± ¡°Coffee. I can¡¯t get bored of it, so it became my go-to choice.¡± ¡°Hmm, is that so? If you have a usual, choosing would be faster¡­ Coffee¡¯s very Miharu-kun like too¡­ Ah, what should I have¡«¡± ¡°Even so, what are you even worrying about? There¡¯s not much of a difference between these beverages, won¡¯t anything do?¡± ¡°Eh! That¡¯s not true!¡± Her expression might as well be screaming, ¡°unbelievable!¡±. ¡°See, this would be what I drink when I talk with you¡­ I want something that tastes good and puts me in a pleasant mood. If I choose the wrong one, I¡¯d be all iffy¡­¡± ¡°Appreciate your concern. But on the contrary, if you got a bad one, that could be the topic for the conversation instead, no?¡± ¡°Huh! Right! That¡¯s it! B-but¡­ that would leave me with even more choices¡­?!¡± Looking even more flustered, she turned her attention back to the shelf, then to the maniac¡¯s drinks. ¡°Then, what should I have¡­? Miso drink¡­Carbonated Coffee¡­?¡± Ah, she¡¯s even worse than before¡­ ¡°Take your time¡­ I¡¯ll wait.¡± Seeing no other choice, I let her be, no need to get worked up. But just waiting would be unproductive¡­ Might just as well check the manga section, the new issue might be out already. Then, from the cashier, ¡°S-sir! Is there anything?!¡± A shout disrupted the calm of the dingy convenience store. What could it be, a complaint? I turned my head and saw an elderly man standing in front of the cash register. ¡°R-real knife?! Wha-what are you trying to do?!¡± ¡°Sh-shut up! Give me the money and nobody gets hurt!!¡± A shiver ran down my spine. By quick assessment, the clerk, a man in his thirties, was facing an old man, perhaps fifty. The old man looked pale and haggard. In his hand, he held a kitchen knife, the tip towards the clerk. For a moment, my mind was in denial. A youtuber or some over-the-top surprise filming, like a variety show or TV drama. Someone must have laughed while watching this¡­ No one would have robbed a store in broad daylight, right? But a glance at the clerk changed everything. The man with the knife was trembling, the clerk had pure terror on his face. This was real¨C a real convenience store robbery. My heart raced. My body burned hot, sweat poured out of every pore of my body. The gray-haired man lifted a knapsack on the cashier. ¡°G-get to it! Get it in the bag!¡± But his hand was shaking so hard it fell off. I took a step back and thought. He wasn¡¯t hiding his face with anything. The knife was worn from daily use, obviously not one specifically for this robbery. He had never robbed before. To begin with, Onomichi was a quiet, peaceful country town with a crime rate of practically zero. It wouldn¡¯t be bold at all to claim that the perpetrator had no choice but to commit this robbery out of financial hardship. Crime was just that out of place here in Onomichi. Nonetheless, the clerk must have been terrified. The younger man drew the cash register open and began to draw out money. ¡°You have money at the back too, don¡¯t you?! We¡¯re not finished here!¡± Color drained from his face. ¡°Y-yes!¡± I half prayed for the clerk to do as he said. This was a sloppy robbery, the culprit would be caught soon enough anyway, better come out safe. In the meantime, I will just hide with Hiyori. He won¡¯t come here, the door to the storage of the store was the other way around. This was an unorganized crime, no one will get hurt if no one does anything silly¡ª Just when I thought so, my brain stumbled on the worst case scenario. And what if the culprit came this way and found us¡­ My back soaked with perspiration. I needed to save her, then. I was her boyfriend. With an airhead like her¡­ I had to see her through, no matter the cost¡­ I gripped my school bag tight, feeling the tension rising in me. Then¨C ¡°¡­?!¡± Hiyori briskly walked toward the cashier. With her usual somewhat fluffy, seemingly out-of-this-world gait, she walked toward the cash register. ¡°H-hey! What are you thinking!?¡± I screamed a whisper. ¡°Come back!¡± What is she even doing?! Didn¡¯t she notice the robbery? She was going to continue shopping like nothing happened? Are you in a daze or something?! ¡°I¡¯ll be fine¡± She looked back at me and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll Request and clear this up¡­¡± Request¡­ Then I remembered what she was capable of. If she Requested, then things might end on a better note..! ¡°Wait here, Korohashi-kun.¡± But, could Request be used in a situation like this? What if she failed? I couldn¡¯t move, even though the anxiety was eating me out. It was as if I was held by metal wire, I couldn¡¯t even breathe. ¡°Um¡­¡± she began calmly. ¡°Drop the weapon imme¨C¡± ¡°Who are you?!!¡± the robber¡¯s voice drowned out Hiyori¡¯s Request. ¡°Please, stop¨C¡± ¡°¨CD-don¡¯t lecture me! What do you understand?! Shut up!!¡± The tip of the trembling knife turned to her. ¡°Put the knife down¡ª¡± ¡°Shut! Your! Trap!!¡± The man walked up to her hastily and held her from the back. ¡°E-enough¡­! You¡¯re my hostage!¡± The edge of the knife was fixed perilously at her throat. A numb sensation ran through my head That¡¯s no good¡ª one move and she will¡ª ¡°Hey, clerk there! Make it quick¡­ if you don¡¯t want her to get hurt! ¡°R-right away!¡± Something¡ª anything to help her. How do I¡ª ¡°Tch¡­!¡± I was frozen to the spot, even my fingers refused to twitch. Why? Why did I have to freeze now, of all time? ¡°Goddamn, you¡¯re slow!¡± The old man yelled in frustration before snatching the bag and staggered toward the exit. ¡°Youre comin¡¯ with me!¡± Ah, he¡¯s getting away¡­ Did he have a car parked? What would he do to Hiyori after? ¡°Hiyori!¡± I stood up from my hiding spot and followed them ¡°Stay where you are!!¡± He pointed the knife at me, then back at Hiyori. ¡°G-get any closer! And I¡¯ll kill her!!¡± I stopped in my tracks. I can¡¯t¡­ Chasing them would be counterproductive. The two of them slowly pull away, through the automatic door and to a weather worned car. The man fumbled his pockets for the key but dropped the blade instead. ¡°Damnit!¡± He bends down. ¡°Listen.¡± Seizing the opportunity, Hiyori Requested, ¡°Throw away the knife.¡± She did it. She Requested in time. ¡°R-right¡± The man threw away the knife just as he got his hand on it. She didn¡¯t look pretubed by being held hostage in the slightest. She continued her request nonchalantly, ¡°Let¡¯s stop doing this. Release me, please, then go with the police quietly.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± He released his grip on her and she sprung away from him. The man muttered somberly, ¡°Right¡­ yes. Sealing isn¡¯t good¡­¡± All the tension melted from his body, as if he had completely forgotten about the robbery. The Request was in full effect. Learn more It took me a few more moments to register¨C it was all right now. Hiyori is safe. ¡°H-Hiyori!¡± I found my voice again. I flexed my frozen limbs before rushing toward her. The sky outside was already setting, a complex marble of blue and orange. Mukaishima began to glow with pinpricks of household lights, Seto Inland Sea glinted in the reflections of the dots. Against this backdrop, Hiyori gave me a soft smile. I wanted to touch her¡ª to take her hand and confirm her presence. I was so happy that I couldn¡¯t help but smile. I didn¡¯t like smiling, smiles don¡¯t fit well on my face. But for once, I didn¡¯t want to hide it, not from her. Hiyori must have been scared. It must have been terrifying being caught like that. That was why I wanted to pick her up with the biggest smile I could muster. I wanted to reassure her, even if only a little¡­ ¨CBang Followed by a squishy sound. And a spray of red¡­ Then a heavy thud. The culprit lay on the ground. ¡°Huh?¡± What once was the culprit¡¯s head exploded to bits of red, pink, and yellow, like a smashed fruit. That said, red dominated all other colors. Next to him, Hiyori¡­ My girlfriend raised her eyebrows and looked down at the culprit with pity. ¡°I thought I was on time¡­¡± I don¡¯t understand. What was happening? The usual scenery, a familiar girl, in the Onomichi salty breeze. And yet¡­ What the hell is this? It didn¡¯t feel real at all, as if I was watching a movie or playing a video game. Even the grotesque state of the robber¡¯s body before my eyes I still felt devoid of any emotion. My brain had refused this was real. It got even wilder from here. A chapony of engines surround the area. I looked up, the parking lot was now filled with a dozen of black cars. Black vans, to be precise, of the exact same model and color. People in black riot police-like outfits sprang from the vans and scattered around the perimeter. Some of them rushed to the corpse and pulled it away, leaving a trail of red. Others call off the gathering neighbors who began to gather. One of them, a frail-looking elderly man in a suit, fell beside Hiyori. ¡°Why did you shoot?¡± Hiyori asked the man hoarsely, ¡°I got the Request in time, you don¡¯t need to kill him¡­¡± It felt like an argument they were used to having, and yet, somewhere, business-like. Hiyori touched her cheek, and her hand came back red. She wiped, brain, blood, whatever that was. ¡°Better be cautious, miss.¡± He replied tartly, ¡°Please keep in mind how much your life is worth¡­ ¡° Hiyori fell silent, a silent agreement passed between them. The man politely wiped her cheek with a handkerchief then continued. ¡°We will require a few Requests from you. The prefectural police, hospital, as well as witnesses. It would be about covering up and erasing memories, if you would.¡± She sighed tiredly. ¡°Yeah, okay.¡± She glanced at me. ¡°And what if my boyfriend gets to keep his memory? ¡°Anything you say, miss. My objections won¡¯t matter much if you Request of me.¡± ¡°If I may, then.¡± She smiled wistfully and she strode. She stopped a few paces before me and said, ¡°Sorry. This must be a bit hard to take in all of the sudden.¡± I saw an overlapping image of that day she confessed to me. However, as that was just as I expected, what happened this time around was a complete shock. ¡°W-what was that? Tell me, what¡¯s happening¡­?¡± She gave me a wry smile and said, ¡°You know, in the beginning, I only asked for small favors. A little selfishness here and there, Requesting for forgiveness once in a while¡­ but then I saw the terrible things on TV and thought, what can I do to help? That was probably the most exact beginning.¡± Now that I look, her clothes were splattered with blood in various places, like a deliberate design, a red decorative paint on a denim. ¡°It didn¡¯t take long after that. From people around me to notorious criminals, from criminals to politicians, from Japanese to foreigners¡­The scale of operation grew, so did the number of people backing us. The organization got bigger, we got request from the Ministry, UN, to NGO¨C¡± ¡°¨CWha- wait!¡± I exclaimed. Coincidentally, I said the same line as when I did the impersonation she Requested. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡­ I have no idea. Ministry? Organization? Hiyori¡­ what? What are you¡­?¡± ¡°Oh, right¡­ sorry.¡± She chose her words for a moment. ¡°Have you heard about ¡®The Heavens Council¡¯? We are doing a democratization as of late¡­¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± An organization that I could not deny my admiration and respect for, even though their way of doing things wasn¡¯t exactly what I wanted. And then, Hiyori¨C She smiled wryly. ¡°People here are members of The Heavens Council¨C¡± ¡°¡ªand I¡¯m its founder and leader¨C¡± ¡°¡ªThis is our secret, ¡®kay?¡± [End of chapter 1] Volume 1 - CH 2.1 Hiyori-chan no Onegai wa Zettai Volume 1 - CH 2.2 Weekend Lovers Translated by 64990022 Chapter 2: Weekend Lovers Part 2 ¡±Hehe, morning, Miharu-kun.¡± After a five-minute boat ride, I get off the ferry. When I hopped down, Hiyori greeted me with her bright angelic smile. ¡°O-oh, mornin¡¯¡± I scratched my chin, pretending to be casual. She was dressed in a white cut-and-sewn top, with over-the-knee pants to match. I noted that she wore sneakers, presumably for the hike today. Against the October early afternoon backdrop, she looked like an impressionist painting from where I stood. Then, with a proud smile on her face, she announced, ¡°Welcome to Mukaishima! I¡¯ll be your guide for today¡«!¡± It all began when I spoke up about wanting to go to Mukaishima. We had gone out last week, so I figured that it would be time to get to know her more. With what happened the other day, I felt like I should know more about her. So, I suggested this sightseeing trip. As far as memory serves, the number of times I had been here was so few that I could count on two hands. I had no business on this island and none of my friends lived here. So, I thought that I could get a better insight about her if I could experience her hometown. Perhaps by seeing the town where she lived, I might understand her better, like how that little exchange between her and the ferry ticketer did. Besides, I just want to see her vibing in her hometown. ¡°Today, I¡¯m going to show you my neighborhood, the schools I went to, and some popular tourist spots in Mukaishima!¡± she beamed. ¡°Yeah, I will be in your care,¡± I returned her a thin smile and walked after her. Hmm¡­ Up until now, I don¡¯t think we have been on a date before. That other time we went was before the confession too¡­ A short walk from the pier led us to a residential neighborhood, with small alleyways criss-crossing. Houses here were as weathered as in Onomichi, but they stood on flat ground. I rarely venture out of Onomichi, so houses lined up on flat land exist only on TVs and on my infrequent vacation. Every time I walked past each house, I was reminded yet again that I was in a foreign land. ¡°Miharu-kun, you haven¡¯t been here a lot, have you?¡± ¡°Yeah, all my friends live on the other side. I don¡¯t have any errands here either¡­¡± ¡°I figure¨C. We¡¯d be the only ones to go to the mainland. There isn¡¯t much to do here for mainlanders¨C.¡± ¡°You even have a school district here?¡± ¡°Yep, yep. We¡¯ll take a look there and move on to tourist spots. Actually, I have never been to some of them¡­ knowing that you¡¯d be here, I decided to give them a try,¡± Hiyori said, returning her sight forward. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s my middle school and my house¡¯s at the far corner there!¡± She pointed to the places respectively. What to say¡­ They were ordinary buildings. An ordinary public middle school and weather-beaten two-story house that looked identical to any of the other houses in the block. It would be a view that would not even register in my memory if she hadn¡¯t told me otherwise. However, picturing Hiyori going there, imagining Hiyori living in that house suddenly made me think the world of these ordinary buildings. ¡°Sorry¡­ actually, I¡¯d like to show you around the inside too¡­¡± she looked down and said apologetically, ¡°But it¡¯s Sunday and my whole family¡¯s here. I don¡¯t want them to find out just yet¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what we agreed upon? I don¡¯t mind.¡± Then I stumbled upon a thought: I wished I was born in this town too. If I could live in this neighborhood, go to the same school with her¨C No, if that happened, I might not have this relationship with Hiyori. I shook the thought away and followed her to the next spot. ** ¡°Here! Ramune factory!¡± [TN: Ramune, Japanese version of soda] Deeper inside Mukaishima. She brought me to a miniature factory within a residential area. ¡°Ever since I was in elementary school, I¡¯ve always loved the ramune here. This is the only real ramune in the world!¡± She proudly led me inside and made me buy one. We rested at the bench outside. I popped the cap and took a sip¨C ¡°That¡¯s unexpectedly good. I¡¯m refreshed.¡± ¡°Right? This is the best thing you can have after walking around¨C!¡± I see, this might be just as good after a long exercise. In my mind¡¯s eye, I pictured little Hiyori drinking this on her way home from the park. That instant, the ramune tasted much better. She tittered, ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it too¡­¡± She happily took another swig. Yep, coming here was well worth it. ¡°Right!¡± she suddenly said, ¡°I want to ask you this now that we¡¯re officially dating.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Like¡­ what to call each other, to whom do we reveal our relationship. Or a promise only between us¡­ what usual couples do.¡± Promise¡­hmm, better decide on things now than worry later. Besides, she seemed to look forward to this. I¡¯ll go with her. ¡°So, what first?¡± ¡°Er, walk to and from school! I already have you after school¡­ before it was with Urabe-san, right? Is she okay with this?¡± ¡°Yup, nothing to worry about.¡± Seeing her beginning to fret, I assured firmly. Urabe was the leader of the central group in the class, so it would be normal for Hiyori to worry. ¡°On the flip side, sorry for taking the morning walk. She rarely wakes up on time. And I¡¯m the only thing keeping her from being late. So it¡¯s my duty as her childhood friend.¡± ¡°Hm?! No, no! Not at all! Both in the morning and evening, that¡¯s too much of a luxury!¡± She had the expression of an apologizing employee. ¡°There¡¯s only one of you, Miharu-kun! I need to share you with the world too¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the treatment¡­¡± How could she say that with a straight face¡­ Besides, Urabe isn¡¯t grateful for my existence in the least. She probably thought of me as either a bot player or an NPC. ¡°Next, as you already know, I can¡¯t answer you messages when I¡¯m out for ¡®work.¡¯¡± Badum. Here it is¨C The Heavens Council. That topic¡­ she hasn¡¯t touched it since ¡°that day¡±, so now she would finally¡­? Nope, I was wrong. ¡°And then¨C I can¡¯t do LINE when in the living room¡­¡± She downed her ramune and leaned back against the bench while grumbling. ¡°My dad lives in the Showa era. He¡¯s overprotective of me and hates smartphones with passion. He¡¯d get real grumpy the moment I pulled out my phone¡­ So, sowie, if my dad¡¯s a normal man, I would have introduced you long ago. Ah, right, I also considered Request once, but¡ª¡± [TN: Showa era, 1926-1989] And she went on. Perhaps urged on by the familiarity of the surroundings, she continued ceaselessly. ¡°¨C in the end, he was only worried about me. I¡¯m usually absent-minded, a little clumsy and get hurt often in elementary school. Ah, I even broke a bone at the time, too. Because of that my dad became overprotective. So, I thought it would be selfish of me to Request that.¡± Saying that, she bent down and gently dropped the empty ramune into the nearby bin. My gaze innocently followed her and ended up on¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± I hurriedly turned away. But it was too late, my brain had already processed the image of a pink bra glaring out from under her cut-and-sewn top. Urabe was right, it was huge. It was plump, white, soft, and¡­ no good, I had burned this image into my mind already. At the same time, I did feel guilty¡­ the fact that she was completely unaware of it¡­ if she were to be this defenseless, it made sense her dad would be overprotective¡­. ¡­No! This is not it! About The Heavens Council! She was just carried away by the topic about her dad, right? Then I have to bring it up again¡­ ¡°Then, can I ask you too?¡± ¡°Yup! What is it?¡± ¡°Ahem¡­ About your Request.¡± I figured that mentioning the name directly was boorish, so I brought up a topic that could steer into that way instead. ¡°You must have some troubling matters about Requests, right? If so then talk to me anytime. I don¡¯t mind how trivial it is¡­ if possible, I want to be your strength¡­¡± Even though I said that myself, I was nervous. What would happen? Would she confide with me from now on? Or she would just continue the way things are? The answer I am waiting for might just as well change my life forever. If she trusts me with this, I might end up working around the globe, helping her make extremely impactful decisions. The shock of seeing death with my own eyes on that day still left me shaken. However, I couldn¡¯t help but expect her to take me into the world she lived in. I could feel myself sweating, but I kept playing cool. Then¨C ¡°Eh¨C!! Really¨C?!¡± Hiyori¡¯s reaction was unexpectedly high-spirited. ¡°That would really help me out¨C!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ O-of course.¡± In my mind, I let my thoughts race: are we talking about the same thing? ¡°I¡¯m glad I could be of service¡­¡± ¡°Of course, of course! If you say so, then won¡¯t hold myself back anymore¨C¡± Hm? At this point I was sure we weren¡¯t talking about the same thing, but what was it? ¡°You see, yesterday¡­¡± Her gaze dropped in embarrassment. ¡°I Requested for teppanyaki. Now that I have somber up, I might have eaten too much meat¡­¡± [TN: Teppanyaki: Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food (mostly meat)] ¡°Meat¡­?¡± ¡°Yup. See? I like meat. Yesterday and the day before, I Requested karaage and tonkatsu¡­ honestly, they weren¡¯t kind to my weight¡­¡± [TN: I don¡¯t need to explain these two, right?] She studied her stomach then dropped her shoulders, defeated. ¡°So, I want your opinion on this. Like I should go on low calories or not¡­¡± ¡°Huh¡­ ¡° Meat, weight¡­ So that¡¯s what she considered to be her ¡°troubling matters.¡± ¡°Restricting calories once in a while wouldn¡¯t hurt,¡± I answered disinterestedly. Learn more Pause Unmute That wasn¡¯t the answer I anticipated at all. Whether intentionally or subconsciously, she managed to avoid The Heavens Council yet again. ¡°¡®Aight! Got it.¡± No matter what, I still felt unsettled. Volume 1 - CH 2.3 weekend Lovers Translated by 64990022 Chapter 2: Weekend Lovers Part 3 Afterwards, Hiyori and I continued to explore Mukaishima¡¯s tourist attractions. Since some places were far apart, we rented bicycles and went to the far side of the island. There were a few places that she hadn¡¯t been to yet since it was quite far to the southern side. Climbing the mountain slopes on bike was demanding, but pedaling until we were out of breath was fun in its own way. [TN: Onomichi is in the north of Mukaishima, so Hiyori live on Onomichi side of Mukaishima, or the northern side of the island] Through the process, I managed to shake off the hazy feeling in my chest. We rode on through the afternoon and finally reached our last destination at sunset: a chocolate factory with an accompanying cafe. ¡°Phew¡­ Why would someone choose to be this far on a mountain¡­¡± I wondered. If anything, the factory strangely resembled a school building. ¡°This feels more like a campground for a school event than a factory¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either¡­ But from what I heard, it¡¯s pretty popular though!¡± We parked our bike nearby, caught our breath, and entered. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about coming for a while. Haven¡¯t got a chance to come¡­ anyway, let¡¯s get going!¡± ** ¡°W-woah¡­!¡± ¡°D-delicious!¡± I eyed her overly dramatic exclamations, but it wasn¡¯t long before I joined her with my own. ¡°Amazing! I could still smell the beans! I thought it would be the creamy, sugary type but this exceeded my expectations¡­this is totally to my tastes!¡± Apparently, the chocolate sold here accentuates the true flavor of the cacao bean. No cream, just the beans and sugar. Hence, the chocolate here lets you savor the untouched natural flavor of cacao. As a black coffee lover, this was incredible. The bitterness and tartness spread across my palate. What¡¯s more was that it fit in with an orange juice in the set perfectly. While my reaction was admiration, Hiyori¡¯s was more of a surprise. ¡°T-there¡¯s a chocolate like this?! Hmm¡­ bitter chocolate to contrast with the bracing orange juice!¡± She then looked up and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m glad you like it too, Miharu-kun!¡± ¡°Yeah, this is great. I think I¡¯m gonna buy some more before we go.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯ll too!¡± Our conversation died down, so I absent-mindedly cast my eyes over the window wall. From the vantage point, houses sprawled on flat ground and beyond wasa the deep blue of the sea. The Islands of Innoshima and Yugeshima rose out from the sea like a mountaintop above the fog. This island was Hiyori¡¯s home. These were the views she saw. Even now that I had known a lot more about her, why did I feel like the distance between our hearts hadn¡¯t shortened at all? No, I have found that there was a wall between us precisely because I had known more about her. And then, after she examined my expression, Hiyori asked. ¡°Is there anything you want to do?¡± ¡°Anything I want to do?¡± ¡°Um, like¡­ where you want to go or things you want to do with me,¡± she gabbled on quickly, ¡°It could be sometime later¡­ Since I¡¯ve got to welcome you to my neighborhood, what about yours¡­ or we could go to Hiroshima city center¡­¡± [TN: Onomichi and Mukaishima are on the outer reaches of Hiroshima Prefecture] ¡°What I want¡­¡± While I turned the word over in my head, a thought crossed my mind. I suddenly remembered what Urabe said the other day. ¨C¡°Just ask her, ¡®I want to do erotic things, how ¡®bout you?¡¯¡± The sudden lewd thoughts left me with guilt. Yes, it was what I wanted, but this doesn¡¯t seem like the place to say it. I couldn¡¯t afford to be a downer here and ruin our first date as a couple. I washed down the bitterness of chocolate and guilt with the orange juice. The sweet and sour of the orange brought clarity to my head. Only then, I trust myself to say it. There was one thing I wanted to do with her. Like Urabe said, I needed to clearly express what I want. So, today will be the day I step forward in our relationship. ¡°About The Heavens Council¨C¡± Hiyori¡¯s head snapped up. ¡°¨CI want you to tell me about it. What are you doing right now, what do you think about it? And if you like, I want you to confide with me. If you have any doubts, please talk to me.¡± A short pause before I decided to add. ¡°I¡¯m your boyfriend, Hiyori¡­¡± That might be unfair of me, forcing her to talk about a topic she clearly didn¡¯t want to talk about. But that was what I wanted. She drank the orange juice and leaned back. I disinterestedly noted that the background music changed from female vocal bossa nova to minimal techno. ¡°Sorry¡­ there¡¯s a lot I can¡¯t say,¡± she said with a rueful, apologetic smile, ¡°It¡¯s not just about me. There¡¯re many things that are confidential matters¡­ In the first place, it would be enough to destabilize the organization if word goes out that I¡¯m the founder¡­ Besides, I also want to live a normal life too.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± That¡¯s a valid point. She had information that could affect the lives of millions, not something that she could easily tell her boyfriend. Especially when we might not live to see another day if someone overheard. ¡°So, for now, it would be helpful if you could just think of it as a¡­ demanding part-time job.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± I waved my hand side to side ¡°It¡¯s not something you can just talk about, I get it. Sorry for prying.¡± [TN: waving hand side to side is a Japanese body language for ¡°no.¡± You can look up ¡°iya iya hand wave¡± on Google.] In retrospect, it was the other way around. Why did I even think she would include me in this world-wide organization of hers. We¡¯ve dated for like, what? Two weeks? It was a miracle that she revealed this much to me. ¡°Ah! But!¡± she said abruptly, ¡°If it¡¯s something that concerns you directly, then I¡¯ll tell you anything!¡± ¡°¡®Concern me directly¡¯?¡± ¡°Um, like, for example¡­¡± Her lips twitched, abashed. ¡°Before I confessed, I reported to my assistant¡­ It might be unpleasant, but¡­¡± Hmm¡­ was it that unpleasant? Something like embarrassment from telling about your romantic affairs? I drained the orange juice and put a cup of chilled water in my mouth. ¡°The organization did a thorough investigation of your family.¡± I spewed out the entire cup. ¡°I-investigation?! The Heavens Council did that?! W-why?¡± ¡°We need to rule out the possibility that you¡¯re a spy, check your ideological background¡­ There were cases where I was approached due to an intel leak¡­¡± ¡°R-really¡­¡± Right, they could do that. In the battle over information nowadays, having the power of Request certainly was a cheat. Why wouldn¡¯t they do an investigation on me when they could have just have Hiyori do a few requests and be done with it. ¡°B-but, wait, ¡®intel leak¡¯? Someone find out who you are?¡± ¡°I used some Requests to trace back and deal with them already, no worries. Ah, and your investigation, you¡¯re clear, Miharu-kun. You and your family are not spies nor any extremist.¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± We¡¯re just ordinary citizens! How can we be agents?! ¡°Then, there¡¯d be bodyguards escorting me almost all the time. That goes for school and our way home too.¡± ¡°Then¡­ today too?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± W-where?! I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Hmph, they¡¯re watching from a distance, you dummy. It¡¯s no fun when you notice staff following you around¡­¡± Even from a distance, it was enough to take the fun out of me though¡­ More importantly, where?! Wouldn¡¯t they be laughing over this exchange?! And¡­ that¡¯s dangerous! If I had inadvertently done what Urabe told me to do¨C if I asked her what she thinks on lewd things¡­ that would have been disastrous. I can¡¯t imagine how I would be if a third party overheard that¡­ ¡°But, that¡¯s it,¡± she said nonchalantly, ¡°That¡¯s the extent of the organization¡¯s involvement with you¡­ I asked them to let me have a normal life, so, let¡¯s make this relationship normal, shall we?¡± At this point, I wouldn¡¯t call this ¡°normal¡±¡­ Honestly, that was quite scary, being pre-screened like that. Never once had I thought that my first girlfriend would have this many circumstances. Anyway, ¡°Thank you¡± I made a smile. ¡°For telling me. I¡¯m a little relieved, it¡¯s been bugging me ever since.¡± ¡°No, thank you for letting me talk. I¡¯m afraid of you thinking things like, ¡®ahh, this girl¡¯s a pain.¡¯ I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t mind¡­¡± ¡°Uh, I do mind being monitored like that though.¡± ¡°Ehh?! I promise they won¡¯t bother you though¨C!¡± We then laughed at each other. ¨CI¡¯m glad we could have this talk. I felt like a load was taken off my shoulders¡­ Although there were still many concerns left. Can this relationship ever be ¡°normal¡±? How should I feel about this? How do I reduce her burden? How could I give ehr respite? How could I make her laugh without reservation? I checked the clock ¡°And, is it time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is. We should get going.¡± As I was finalizing the bill, I asked her, ¡°by the way, is it fine talking in public like this?¡± ¡°Hm? What?¡± ¡°About The Heavens Council¡­ the waiter might have heard us¡­?¡± I couldn¡¯t be sure if the cafe was empty of other customers by coincidence or by the organization¡¯s hands. But that aside, the waiters were still present and could have possibly heard us. ¡°Thaaatt! It¡¯s alright,¡± she said calmly, ¡°I already Requested them when I went to order.¡± Learn more Pause Unmute ¡°O-oh¡­¡± That¡¯s unexpectedly shrewd of her. And it reminded me yet again of that this rift between us wouldn¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon. Volume 1 - CH 2.4 Weekend Lovers Translated by 64990022 Chapter 2: Weekend Lovers Part 4 ¡°The president of the Republic of ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö has made an unusual comment against The Heavens Council.¡± My chopsticks froze at the TV news. I set down my bowl and turned to the TV. The screen cut to President ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö commenting. ¡°¡®The organization had failed to come up with required information about their organization, including their affiliated country. The United States hereby denounces The Heavens Council.¡¯¡± ¡°Many countries felt indignation at the Council¡¯s conference.¡± ¡°The republic strongly disagree on the Council¡¯s interference in ¡ö¡ö¡ö civil war.¡± ¡°The president has request for The Heavens Council¡¯s withdrawal from the ¡ö¡ö¡ö civil war.¡± President ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, known for being a fearsome authoritarian. Although he was infamous on the internet, his domestic support was unignorable. The military might at his hand was not something to be trifled with, his position of power was rather problematic for the rest of the world. ¡ªThat was too surreal. Such a big figure like that¡­ condemning The Heavens Council. My girlfriend¡¯s organization got the ire of President ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. Would she be ok¡­? ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö wasn¡¯t a country you¡¯d toy with¡­ Could she and the organization get away safe? But she has Request¡­ ¡°This ¡®Heaven¡¯s Council¡¯ is certainly a mystery, don¡¯t you think, Agata-san?¡± The first reporter asked solemnly.. ¡°Yes, the scale of the said organization has indeed increased over the recent years. All we know of its structure is that it was a think-tank-like organization, other than that it is a mystery.¡± The middle-aged man pointed to the screen. ¡°Regardless, they have brought remarkable results in the international sphere. Whether it would be the recent democratization of ¡ö¡ö¡ö or spearheading of the air raid on ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö airbase. These events have greatly affected the political balance internationally. And, surprisingly¨C¡± The reporter, Agata-san, turned to another slide. ¡°¨C-There was a high probability that the Heaven¡¯s Council originated in Japan.¡± I gulped. ¡°J-Japan?! Why would that be?¡± said the other reporter. How could they know? And since when? To think that information like this would be broadcasted on domestic TV news, not the special intelligence of some country¡­ ¡°The reason we think so is due to the amount of their movement in Japan in their early days,¡± he readily answered, ¡°And the problems were quite domestic problems, postponement of entrance examination nationwide, revision of penalties for traffic accidents. It was believed that budget allocations and organizational reforms of the Children¡¯s Ministry may have also been initiated by the Council. In addition, Japan is exposed to relatively less terrorist attacks on global scale.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Until recently, the frequency of attacks were increasing, presumably, the main problem of Japan a few years back. If we are to say that the Council has a hand in this, then it might make sense.¡± ¡°Yes, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch if we are talking about the organization¡¯s capabilities. To conclude, Japan held an unknown significance to The Heavens Council and might relate to the Japanese government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It would certainly be interesting to see how the Japanese government react to President ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡¯s comments.¡± ¡°Right, thank you very much, Agata-san. Next, the following is the weather forecast for the prefecture. Let¡¯s hear from our meteorologist, Morisawa-san. If you would¡ª¡± I see¡­ I let out a long sigh and resumed eating. A lot of movements in Japan in their early days¡­ that sounds just like Hiyori. Afterall, it¡¯s her organization¡­ As I thought to myself, and gazed absentmindedly at the weather forecast section, I felt my phone tremble in the pocket Incoming call: Rinta Urabe. ¡ªRinta. Urabe¡¯s younger brother, elementary school, grade five. But, why? At this hour? ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± I apologized to my mother across the table and left the living room. ¡°Hello? What¡¯s up?¡± ¨C¡°Miharu? Sorry for the late night call,¡± Rinta¡¯s teenage voice cracked a little over the phone, ¡°About my sister¡­¡± ¡°Yep, what¡¯s up?¡± ¨C¡°Miharu, didn¡¯t you two¡­¡± Rinta stammered a little as if choosing his words. ¡°Did you have a fight with my sis?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I froze in my tracks. A fight? With Urabe? ¡°No, I don¡¯t remember doing so?¡± Excluding yesterday where I went on a date with Hiyori, we¡¯re together as usual. We didn¡¯t so much as got into an argument. ¨C¡°Hm? Then I was wrong?¡± ¡°Firstly, what happened?¡± I lie down on the tatami mat in my room. ¨C¡°My sis¡­ she¡¯s strange lately, like she¡¯s not getting enough sleep. The eye bags are gettin¡¯ worse too. ¡®Did she have a fight with you?¡¯ Or so I thought.¡± ¡°Not just games like usual?¡± If I was correct, I heard one of her friends saying that. But I just couldn¡¯t think there would be a complicated reason as to why she couldn¡¯t get sleep. ¨C-¡°No, not games, the lights were out.¡± ¡°She could still play with her phone, no?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think so. She isn¡¯t really into smartphone games or social media.¡± Then, what is it? To begin with, I had never heard about Urab having sleeping problems. I couldn¡¯t even imagine even if I tried to. She was the type of person that takes pressure and stress with a stride. Not even when she got really, really bad grades did she seem worried. ¨C¡°You¡¯re the last probability,¡± insisted Rinta, ¡°I know her, she¡¯s my sis. It¡¯s gotta be you¡± ¡°Really¡­?¡± ¨C¡°Miharu, if possible, take care of her. She¡¯s having a hard time with something, that¡¯s all I know. Help her whenever you can,¡± he said sincerely. ¡°O-oh, will do.¡± ¨C¡°Then, that¡¯s all. Take care of her! Byee!¡± ¡°Um, bye¡­¡± Then the call ended abruptly. Urabe sleep deprived¡­ To tell the truth, I have a guess. She has an obsession over me, and she was shaken that I got a girlfriend. She might even be aware of me a member of opposite sex, no matter how slightly. But¡­ ¡°No, no, no ,no. Of course not, impossible¡­¡± No matter how I think it, it was impossible. For certain, what existed between me and Hiyori was certainly romantic feelings. The pressure, the anxiety, and happiness were all profound yet fleeting. On the contrary, with Urabe, it was more stable than that. Simple, unchanging platonic friendship. If that was so¡­ Then what exactly happened to her? Emotions that could not be named? Why would she do that, I had no guess. I spoke to the dark smartphone screen. ¡°Girls are a mystery¡­¡± ** And then, a while after that day. Hiyori stopped coming to school. ¡°Hamure-san isn¡¯t here today, hmmm¡± More precisely, two weeks after our date. Homeroom teacher looked at the empty seat worriedly. ¡°She still hasn¡¯t recovered from the cold¡­ This time of the year would be when you get sick often. The new virus is also spreading. So everyone, be careful, and don¡¯t force yourself if you¡¯re ill¡­ The mid term examination is also close by¡ª¡± The word ¡°midterm examination¡± brought a few flinches to the students, I noted to myself. For me¡­ I was more concerned about Hiyori not being here for almost a full week. At first, I thought it was really a cold. The season where catching a cold is normal has come, it seemed like it. Until I noticed that she had read none of my LINE messages. After a few day, I was convinced what was wrong. Something happened. Something at The Heavens Council¡­ ¡°¡ªFor the test, we teachers will be announcing test scope next week. Be sure to prepare accordingly so you won¡¯t panic at the last minute¡ª¡± But¡­ I had no idea what happened. Nothing. Nothing on the date or the day after, no signs of her having trouble, not even news of the Council¡¯s movements. All I was left with was peaceful, uneventful days. ¡°¨COur student had helped a tourist out a few days before. The school has received a thank you email and small compensation. If the said student is in our class¡ª¡± I listened to the teacher with one ear, while thinking back on what I knew. The Heavens Council was a secretive organization, there was no way an ordinary student like me could know their whereabouts. Especially when it concerns their leader, Hiyori. They wouldn¡¯t make movements in broad daylight, news wouldn¡¯t get me anywhere closer to her. On to the next point, when news does not report something, it is usually something big, a bombshell that might trigger outrage¡­ Suddenly, the worst scenario popped into my mind. What if they got hold of Hiyori? If it was President ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, then it was possible. She might already be dead as we speak¡­ Learn more Pause Unmute My hand curled up into a fist. Thud. Thud. My heartbeat picked up pace. Right, that happening was completely possible, wasn¡¯t it? Just like that, her absences went on and on until the police categorized her as a missing person. While I could only sit and wait¡­ ¡°Today¡¯s leader, Nokishita, if you please¨C¡± ¡°Yessir! Staaand! Bowww!¡± ¡°Thank you very muuchhh,¡± other student said in a languish unison. Even then, I was busy trying to gulp down the rising unease that my voice came out as a mumble.