Published at 26th of March 2019 12:07 am

Volume 2, Part 1

I am surrounded by scenery that I can only remember in my dreams.

I already know who the person facing me is, but without a box, I cannot deliberately recall this place except in my dreams. For that matter, I can't remember when this conversation occurred.

"Do you remember that I told you that I can see you as an individual even though your kind doesn't have any distinguishing features?"

I don't know. It feels like I have heard this before, but it also feels like I haven't.

"Thanks to what happened this time around, I am beginning to recognize why I can distinguish you from the others. It might be that, while rejecting nothing, you also don't accept anything."

This all sounds like mere semantics to me.

"First off, the everyday life that you never tire of mentioning is different from the everyday life perceived by others. You include the loss of things in your perception of everyday life, am I right? This is, in fact, different from the common definition of everyday life. Other humans are unable to take things as they come," he says with a smile. "All humans are distorted, and their everyday lives are twisted by their individual values. You could say that a box forces such distortion upon others. You are sensitive to these intentional distortions of everyday life by others' boxes—and you find them repulsive. Am I wrong?"

I really haven't the slightest idea of what he's talking about. Leave me alone already...

"This time around, your body was attacked directly, but even so, you managed to retain your 'self' without being affected by the values of the owner. That is because you intuitively recognize the distortions of others. And when you know that something is distorted, you naturally wouldn't accept it, would you? However, your ability to detect those distortions is orders of magnitude greater than that of an ordinary person, and because of that—you cannot accept anything."

I can't help but frown, but he insistently continues.

"Your field of vision is terribly small compared to mine. But those abilities... Aah, I see. You might... resemble me."

Please stop.

You are disgusting.

When I say that to him, he laughs and changes his ever-malleable appearance to that of someone quite familiar.

Mirroring my very own appearance, O says:

"May I interpret this as distaste for the same thing?"

That's not it!

We don't resemble each other at all!

April 29th

April 29th (Wednesday) 00:02

The first day begins.

April 29th (Wednesday) 23:57

The first day ends.

April 30th

April 30th (Thursday) 00:00

The second day begins.

April 30th (Thursday) 12:37

Lunch break has started.

My yawn just now might have been caused by the mysterious call I received at six o'clock this morning:

"I'll make you a boxed lunch today."

The call was terminated, however, before I could even respond.

What is she up to now...?

It's the last day of April, and that means Golden Week—our long vacation—will soon begin. I am currently waiting for Otonashi-san in the corridor like I do every day. We normally eat lunch together in the school cafeteria; she has never made me a boxed lunch before.

"Kazu-kun! Did I hear Haru right?! A home-made lunch à deux with Maria is waiting for you?!"

It's getting noisy. Kokone steps in front of me, followed by a grinning Haruaki.

"...Haruaki, didn't I tell you to keep quiet about it to spare me all this trouble?"

"You did, but I'm free to obey or not!"

What an awful friend.

"Kazu-kun, what's the deal with that exciting special event?! Details, please!"

"...well, don't ask me why, but I got a call this morn―"

"A wake-up call?! All lovey-dovey, aren't ya!"

Please let me finish.

"A wake-up call..." someone murmurs behind me, causing me to spin around.

...Oh no, another bothersome girl has arrived.

"Ah, Rikorin. 'Sup." Kokone says.

"Good morning..."

The girl with that strange nickname is Riko Asami, a short freshman with a short haircut. She is a classmate of Otonashi-san's and a member of the Maria Otonashi fan club that has been flourishing ever since the school entrance ceremony. The two of them usually come here together, but it seems like Asami-san came ahead of time today. Maybe it's just me, but her expression and voice seem even gloomier than normal.

Asami-san is absent-mindedly gazing at me.

"...Um?"

Or is she scowling at me?

"You're getting a boxed lunch from Maria-san, I heard?"

"Y-Yeah, I guess so."

Asami-san doesn't say anything in response and keeps staring at me.

"......If only the batteries in your cell would explode... if only you were using batteries that were as obviously dubious as those cheap ones from overseas... burst, batteries, burst...!"

Her mumbled curses give me the creeps.

"B-But why did she choose Kazu-kun of all people, right?" Kokone cuts in with a smile in an attempt to ease the rapidly spreading tension. "'cuz of that, Kazu-kun's been getting really scary looks from the guys, right? I heard he's topping the list of 'People I'd Love to Kill by Faking an Accident!'"

"What's with that deranged list... who on earth would come up with something like that...?"

"I did!" Haruaki raises his hand. "Of course I handed in a vote! I can't stand how you're all lovey-dovey with Maria-chan!!"

I almost fall over in shock.

I'm sure Haruaki is just joking, but lately, the looks I've been getting have certainly gotten scary. Although I don't think Otonashi-san is the only reason this has been—

"Mh? Why are you looking at me?" Kokone asks.

"......It's nothing."

I bet she has no idea that my being so friendly with her is probably a factor as well...

Kokone just cocks her head. After the eternity we spent within that unchanging classroom, she's finally switched her hairdo to a ponytail bound on one side. A "side-ponytail," I suppose?

"Say say, I've been wondering: How did you tame Otonashi-san?!"

"Now, 'tame' is really not the right word..."

"Otonashi-san must be used to being hit on, so you didn't use any typical run-of-the-mill methods, right? Ah, I got it! You somehow made her believe that you were her special, fated love!" Kokone says triumphantly and starts to make some wacky comments. "Let's see... you might have saved her from some pervert who attacked her... Oh, doesn't that sound plausible?! The pervert was like, 'Hey sweety, your navel fluff must smell terrific... Wha! Now if that's not a scab down there! B-But I don't care!!' and right when he was about to charge at her as he murmured those words, you swooped in to save her from his evil clutches, right!?"

"I wouldn't have the guts to fight off a true pervert... wait a sec, we aren't even dating!"

That's just the plain truth, but Kokone's grin just gets broader.

"Sooo, how do you explain that incident at the opening ceremony, mm? Mm? Mmmm?"

"We—I—"

I know only too well how everyone has misunderstood that declaration of war during our school's opening ceremony. I absolutely have to come up with an explanation and wipe that giant grin off Kokone's face.

"That's just, you see, because Otonashi-san happens to be a peculiar—"

"—I'm a peculiar person, you say?" A familiar voice rings out behind me, and I reluctantly turn around.

Maria Otonashi.

Upon seeing her face, my body immediately grows stiff—not because her accusatory words made me break out in a cold sweat, but simply because I was unprepared for the sight of her incredibly pretty face.

I have yet to get used to her unyielding personality and stunning looks. I can't help getting flustered. I count up to three in my head as I always do when I prepare to talk to her.

I was together with Otonashi-san for the equivalent of an entire lifetime. I'm aware of that. But I don't feel like I spent all that time with her anymore.

"Why are you so stiff? Do you think I'm angry? I wouldn't get angry because of that, would I?"

"R-Right."

While my bewilderment keeps me paralyzed, Asami-san wordlessly toddles toward Otonashi-san and positions herself behind her.

"...Mm? What is it, Asami?"

Asami-san doesn't answer and just continues to stare at me. Haruaki opens his mouth instead.

"She's acting a little bit strange today. Maybe she's afraid that Hoshii is stealing you from her, Maria-chan! Because of that momentous Boxed Lunch."

"......How dare you call her 'Maria-chan'. You're obliged to append a '-sama'..." Asami-san mumbles once more, almost without opening her mouth while her eyes remain cast downward.

"Anyway, let's go, Kazuki."

"Um, to the cafeteria?"

Otonashi-san utters an exaggerated sigh.

"Is it really so hard to guess my intentions after I informed you that I made you lunch? I want to avoid the school cafeteria, of course."

Avoid the school cafeteria?

We meet there every day during lunch to discuss issues involving the boxes and O. That being said, it's hard to get any new information and we hardly ever discuss anything that must be kept secret from others. In fact, nothing like that's come up since Maria transferred here. Therefore, the school cafeteria has served us perfectly well.

But she wants to avoid the cafeteria today.

"So that's why you made a boxed lunch... But couldn't you just have bought a sandwich?" I mutter.

Otonashi-san suddenly brings her head near my face and whispers into my ear: "...I got fed up with the cafeteria sandwiches during the 'Rejecting Classroom,' if you know what I mean..."

Um... it's perfectly understandable that she doesn't want anyone to hear the term Rejecting Classroom, but if she draws so near my face right before Asami-san's eyes, Asami-san might get the wrong idea, no?

I sneak a peek at Asami-san, and as I expected, her gaze seems even more pointed.

"Um, Maria-san. May I join you...?" Asami-san asks.

"Sorry, Asami. I want to be alone with Kazuki today."

"Just the two of you..."

"Well, Kazuki, shall we get going?"

Otonashi-san grabs my arm and starts walking. Haruaki lets out an uncalled-for whistle.

...I wonder how Asami-san is taking this turn of events?

I turn around anxiously and hear her muttering something while gazing toward her feet.

"......If only a female cockroach with a swollen abdomen would enter your mouth, lay her eggs inside your stomach, those eggs would hatch, and your guts would get mangled...!"

She's really creeping me out!

April 30th (Thursday) 12:43

"Being here almost makes me feel nostalgic," I say once we're behind the school building.

We spoke here quite a bit while trapped within the 'Rejecting Classroom'.

However, Otonashi-san doesn't seem inclined to indulge in reminiscence: after giving me a sharp glance, she quickly takes a boxed lunch wrapped in cloth out of her bag and hands it to me.

"...T-Thanks."

"You're welcome."

I untie the cloth and open the lid. The contents look rather bland, which is a bit unexpected.

I start by popping one of the pieces of bacon-wrapped asparagus into my mouth.

....Mhm, the taste's rather bland as well.

"Um... I really like this bacon-wrapped asparagus."

"It's from the supermarket."

........Aah, I see. Yeah, it's no surprise that it tastes so bland.

Next, I take a bite of the hamburger steak. As with the asparagus, it looks and tastes completely generic.

"......Um, I really like this hamb—"

"That's also from the supermarket."

...I knew it!

I look over the rest of the boxed lunch. It seems like the potatoes, meatballs, dumplings and vegetables were all store-bought items.

"Don't make a fuss—there's no need to praise me so desperately."

"...Otonashi-san, didn't you cook at all while we were trapped inside the Rejecting Classroom?"

She previously told me that she practiced countless skills during those endless recurrences, such as martial arts.

"Oho? It looks like you're keen to criticize my cooking, doesn't it?"

"N-No, that's not what I meant..."

"Oh please, don't even try to deny it...Well, I'm not actually offended. I did learn to cook, and I was talented enough to prepare some fairly refined dishes, but I just never really got into it. I can't take pleasure in honing my cooking skills."

"So that's why you skimped on my lunch..."

"Now we're speaking plainly."

Whoops.

I sneak a peek at Otonashi-san's expression. ...She doesn't look offended…I think.

"...Um, on a related note, does that mean that you don't care about the taste of food in general, either?"

"That's incorrect. It's a pleasure to eat something delicious."

"So what's your favorite food, if I may ask?"

"Strawberry tarts. Basically, any confection that contains strawberry—hey, why'd you freeze in the middle of chewing that meatball?"

"Ah, no―"

Such a cute favorite dish? I could see you liking something like sweet-potato paste, but I don't think strawberries suit you at all. That's what I was about say out loud, but I somehow barely held back. That was a close one.

"Hohoo, denying other people's favorite foods—you've got some nerve, eh?"

"......You're putting words in my mouth."

"Sweet-potato paste would suit whom, you said?"

...why is it that I'm like an open book to you, Otonashi-san?

"So you like eating, but you don't like cooking," I summarize, deflecting her attention from my missteps.

"It's not really enjoyable to cook for myself. The whole process feels like nothing but pointless labor."

I see. Naturally, she had no one else to cook for inside the Rejecting Classroom. I've hardly ever cooked myself, but I know that one of the pleasures of cooking is to watch others enjoy what you've prepared for them. So if there's no one else to cook for, perhaps cooking would just become fruitless.

"...But none of that matters right now. It's not like I called you out here just for some chit-chat."

"Y-Yeah."

"Let's get down to business," Otonashi-san says, after which she searches through her bag and takes out her cell phone. "I received an e-mail yesterday, late at night."

"An e-mail?" I ask in response.

Without a word, she holds out the cell phone.

"My deepest desire has been granted. Now we can be together forever."

Those were the words displayed on the screen.

Um... what's this? It reads like... an excerpt from the sappy messages of a couple who just fell in love? Huh? In other words, Otonashi-san is going out with someone? The Otonashi-san that I know?

I look at her. She is smiling wryly at my reaction.

"Oh well, this is hardly unexpected after seeing you earlier today. ...Kazuki, take a look at who sent that message."

I do as told. The name in the 'From' field reads―

"Huh?"

―"Kazuki Hoshino"

I'm the sender of this e-mail? ...No no no, that's impossible. I don't remember writing any such message. But the proof is right before my eyes...

"At first I thought it was a scam of some kind, but my spam filter makes that pretty unlikely. It's safe to assume that this e-mail was sent from your cell phone."

"But Otonashi-san, I don't remember sending this―"

"How about checking your Sent Mail folder then? Unless someone emptied it, the e-mail should still be in there."

I nod and take out my cell phone. Much to my dismay…

"My deepest desire has been granted. Now we can be together forever."

…I see the same message in my Sent Mail folder.

"T-That's―" I sputter as I turn pale.

"Relax, Kazuki. I can tell from the look on your face that you didn't send this message because you were feeling amorous. But if it really were sent by someone else, then he must have used your cell phone sometime after two in the morning to do so."

The e-mail is dated April 30th, so that means it was sent at 2:23 A.M. this morning.

At that time, my cell phone was resting beside my pillow. I woke up because of Otonashi-san's call, so that's undoubtedly correct. Does that mean someone broke into my room late at night? Seriously? Why would someone go to such lengths...? "Kazuki," Otonashi-san says while I'm lost in thought. " Do you know how I was able to slip into the box we call the Rejecting Classroom?"

"...?"

I fail to see where she's going with this.

"It's related to what we're talking about right now. I told you that I was able to enter the Rejecting Classroom because I'm a box myself, but that doesn't really explain how I did it, does it?"

"...Now that you mention it…"

"In addition to slipping into boxes, I am able to detect and locate them as well."

"...Yeah."

"How would someone send an e-mail from your cell phone to mine sometime after two in the morning? Alternatively, how would someone make us believe that it happened? There must be multiple ways to do so, but I'm considering the following possibility."

She continues.

"It's the power of a box."

―a box?

"Well... I don't know how you can so easily come to such a conclusion. I mean, why would someone resort to a box just for―"

"Kazuki, weren't you listening to me? I am able to detect boxes. ...Ah, but you're right: this e-mail might be totally unrelated. But there is one thing that I can say for sure."

Otonashi-san fixes her determined gaze upon me.

"Someone is using a box nearby."

It's her serious look, and not her words, that gets through to me. I finally realize what's about to begin.

It's happening again.

Once again a box is about to destroy my everyday life.

"Okay Kazuki, let's get back to that e-mail. Assuming that a box is involved, what might be the significance of that message? It's a bit too optimistic to think that the owner just wanted to play a prank on us after acquiring special powers, isn't it?"

"...What do you think?"

"It's a declaration of war against us, or it might be a simple factual observation."

"A factual observation...?"

What does she mean by that? Otonashi-san obviously hasn't started dating the owner.

"It might be some kind of metaphor. Or the box was used to change the future this way... but we know one thing for sure." Otonashi-san breathes out lightly and continues where she left off. "The owner is trying to interfere with us directly by using his box."

Right, that's what it boils down to. Otherwise, there would be no reason for the owner to send such an e-mail from my cell phone to Otonashi-san.

"...What should I do?"

"That a box was used is beyond doubt. I need to find out how this box is used and grasp its essence, and I want you to help me do that. You're sensitive to slight changes to your everyday life, aren't you? You might notice some abnormalities that I wouldn't pick up on."

"Okay, got it. I'll keep my eyes open."

"Great. I'll be sure to get in touch with you once I've learned something new."

Since the discussion seems to have come to an end, I turn back to my lunch. However, Otonashi-san's chopsticks are frozen in place, so I also stop eating.

"Is there anything else, Otonashi-san?"

"Mmm... yeah, sort of," Otonashi-san says in a strangely vague manner. "It's no big deal, really, but it's been bothering me, and I don't like that, so let me be frank."

"...Okay, go ahead."

"What's with the way you've been addressing me?"

"Eh?"

She posed an unexpected question.

"...If there's no particular reason, never mind," she says and returns to her meal.

Despite the urge to probe further, I decide to ignore it and continue eating as well.

April 30th (Thursday) 22:38

Slight changes to my everyday life... I try to come up with some while sitting at my writing desk, which I have been using since primary school, but nothing comes to mind. Changes. We're surrounded by all kinds of changes.

Unable to come up with anything, I open my cell phone on a whim.

A picture of Mogi-san in pajamas is displayed on the screen.

While she does look a bit skinnier than usual, she doesn't look pitiful at all. The photo was taken at the hospital, and there's a beaming smile on her face as she makes a peace sign.

"Kazu-chan's grinning! Looking at lewd pictures!"

I quickly flip my cell phone shut when I hear my sis' voice.

"I-I'm not!"

"You're all flustered~ Something's fishy here~"

My sister Luka Hoshino is three years older than I am. She climbs onto the upper bunk of our bed with a broad grin on her face... as always, she's only wearing underwear. Geez, Luu-chan... she never listens to me and keeps walking around in that outfit all the time even though she's almost twenty. Your brother's a teenager, Luu-chan, for crying out loud!

"Aah, let me guess: You were looking at a picture of Kasumi Mogi-san, weren't ya~?"

"Wha―!"

How did she...?!

"Uwa, bull's eye? Uhehe..."

"H-Hold on! Why do you know about Mogi-san anyway...? Ah! Don't tell me you played around with my cell phone without permission?!"

"'Course not~ I only saw her name once when she called you, 'kay? That was a wild guess~... ah, but aren't you quite the lech? Having fun while looking at a picture of a girl?"

This is exactly why I want my own room!

To hide my bashfulness, I tightly grip my cell phone and dive into the lower bunk.

"Hey, Kazu-chan, is that Kasumi Mogi-san your girlfriend?"

"N-No, she isn't!"

"So what's your relationship, then? Or more importantly: How do you feel about her?"

"......uh..."

Our relationship... I wonder? How do I feel about her?

Well, she did confess to me inside the Rejecting Classroom, and sending me this picture means that she feels something for me... probably.

I certainly don't find her feelings toward me disagreeable.

But honestly speaking... I don't know if there's anything more to that. All the feelings I used to possess while inside the Rejecting Classroom are gone now. I have certain memories that imply that it's likely that I had similar feelings for Mogi-san. But because of those memories, I find it hard to think about her objectively. I have no idea how much I can trust my feelings any more.

"Well... we're friends, that's for sure!"

My sister doesn't reply even though I've racked my brain to answer her question. But when I perk up my ears in bemusement, I hear her breathing in a calm and steady rhythm.

...The speed with which she can fall asleep never ceases to amaze me.

That's when I notice that I haven't yet replied to the e-mail I was looking at, so I begin to type a reply.

I look at the time displayed in the corner of the screen.

22:59

I'm in the midst of typing my response when my stream of consciousness suddenly goes blank.

April 30th (Thursday) 23:18

Well then, time to make a call.

May 1st

May 1st (Friday) 08:14

Kokone ignored my casual "Good morning" today.

She's acting strangely distant. She's still talking to our other classmates even though she would normally pop in arbitrarily into my conversations. At the same time, she's sneaking peeks at me from time to time, while glaring at me with a pretty scary look on top of that.

I don't know what's going on—I have no idea why she would suddenly start acting like this. Since I don't really feel like talking to my other friends when Kokone's behaving so oddly, I try to remain on the sidelines by focusing instead on munching on a cheese-flavored Umaibō.

"Did you do anything to Kiri?"

As expected of Daiya. He completely ignores my subtle signals and asks me point-blank.

"...I have no idea what's wrong."

"I see... Okay, let me tell you something good."

"Something good?"

Does he know the reason for Kokone's strange attitude?

"You know, when Kiri had her first midterm in middle school, she was so eager to get good marks that she almost ended up pulling an all-nighter on the eve of the exam. Because of that, she fell asleep during the third exam. It wouldn't have been that remarkable if she had just slept silently, but that didn't happen: Her babbling filled that dead-silent classroom even while she was sound asleep. If I remember correctly, she was saying something along the lines of 'This plug suit is too tight, I'll never fit in...'"

"Daiya... What on earth are you talking about?"

"Mm? About her weak point, of course. It takes a lot for her to dislike someone, so now's your chance to get on her bad side and banish her from your life. If you remind her of that story now, it'll be a walk in the park!"

"Uhm, why would I want to do that..? Besides, isn't that story pretty cute, actually?"

"No, this is where it stops being cute and starts getting funny. Listen up as I regale you with the Legend of Kokone and her Drool!"

Since I've got a bad feeling about Daiya's yarn, I wordlessly cover my ears, but Daiya just grabs my arms.

"Stop, I've had enough!"

"No man, forget that story for now—look over there!"

I look in the direction Daiya is pointing. Otonashi-san and a male student are engaged in a conversation by the door. They both look very serious.

The student she is talking to is Ryuu Miyazaki, a classmate of mine who happens to be the class president. His black-framed glasses are perched above his intellectual-looking, almond-shaped eyes. Unlike Daiya, who was elected to the presidency in his first year solely because of his superior grades, Miyazaki-kun fulfills his duties with great responsibility. But while he may be a model student, he isn't painfully rigid, and that's why he's still popular.

I reluctantly approach them; to be honest, I happen to have some trouble dealing with Miyazaki-kun's self-confident attitude.

"...What's wrong?" I ask. They turn around to face me.

"Oh, Kazuki. This guy stopped me when I wanted to enter the classroom."

"Of course! What's wrong with you, moseying into a classroom of your seniors? Heck, it's not even lunchtime!"

Now that he mentions it, Otonashi-san doesn't usually come here except during our lunch breaks. Maybe it's because she at least pays lip service to the school rules, rather than ignoring them outright.

"Planning to carry Hoshino off somewhere again, right?"

"What I do with Kazuki is none of your business."

"But it is. I'm the class president here, whether you like it or not. That means that I have to keep an eye on my classmates, got it? The first period is about to start; if you take him away now, he won't make it back in time."

"I couldn't care less. We have something much more important to take care of."

For a second there, I don't know what she's referring to, but on second thought, there's only one thing that comes to mind.

—It has to be about the box.

That's a task of great importance for me too.

"Um... I'm sorry, Miyazaki-kun, but I'll go with her," I say, causing him to stare closely at me with a frown on his face. I reflexively step back, intimidated by his piercing gaze.

"So you do whatever she tells you to?"

"T-That's not what I'm saying."

"You sure are a wimp, aren't you? Ever thought about having your own thoughts instead of playing a girl's poodle?"

"Hey, watch your mouth. It's like you're saying Kazuki doesn't have any will of his own," Otonashi-san interrupts.

Miyazaki-kun grins in response. "Ah, please forgive me. Did you take offense because I insulted your sweetheart? Ah, or did it bother you because I implied that you're ordering Hoshino around?"

"Miyazaki—" Otonashi-san scowls coldly at him.

He chuckles, "What? If you want to object—"

"You're acting suspicious."

Otonashi-san's words silence Miyazaki-kun.

"Your position as class president is too weak a pretext for meddling in our affairs. You didn't seem to care a bit until now, right? Why did you change your mind all of a sudden? What are you trying to achieve by approaching us so frantically? Is this an attempt to find an excuse that would allow you to meddle in our affairs?"

"...What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Fine then. Your behavior just caught my eye because I'm very sensitive to my environment at the moment. One can never be too careful, and even if you are really up to something, then this speech should put you on notice."

I watched their verbal sparring in mute amazement. Why is she talking like that all of a sudden?

"Kazuki, let's go," Otonashi-san says as she grabs my hand.

"Ah, yeah..."

Miyazaki-kun gazes at my arm with a slightly strained face as I am dragged away. Indeed, his approach was a bit more aggressive than normal.

As I am pulled out of the classroom, we come across Haruaki and Asami-san. Haruaki is returning from the restroom and Asami-san starts chasing after Otonashi-san.

"Oh, what's up Hoshii? On the run?"

"...On the run..."

Upon hearing Haruaki's unnecessary remark, Asami-san's gaze fixes upon our joined hands. She then raises her gaze slightly and looks at me with narrowed eyes. ...I'm scared.

"Oh, what's wrong Rikochii? You're acting strange today."

She keeps staring at me without appearing to be annoyed by that nickname, which she usually would.

"A-Asami-san has been acting a bit odd since yesterday... right, Haruaki?"

"Mm? Really?"

Haruaki, how air-headed do you have to be to forget about what happened one day ago?

"...Maria-san."

"Sorry, but we're in a hurry," Otonashi-san says to Asami-san while glancing at her quickly, and turns around.

Shocked by Otonashi-san's attitude, Asami-san casts down her eyes and murmurs...

"......if only the underground board of the school would get spammed with libelous comments and humiliating pictures that thoroughly ruin Kazuki Hoshino's dignity..."

Don't take it out on me!

May 1st (Friday) 08:31

Just like yesterday, our meeting takes place behind the school building.

"You know what this is about, right?" she asks while leaning against the wall.

I gulp as I nod. I suppose she has collected new information about the box that's currently in play.

"There are several things I'll have to ask you."

"Okay."

"Why do you think we are often together? Like right now, for example."

"Why? Because it benefits you. It increases the chance that you come across O again."

"...Exactly."

I'm pretty sure that was a perfectly good answer, but Otonashi-san wrinkles her brow.

"Hang on: So you are aware of the position you are in and haven't gotten the wrong idea, is that correct?"

"...? What are you talking about?"

"Come on! ...No, never mind. Of course you wouldn't say such a thing if you hadn't thought it through; I owe you a sincere answer. I mustn't run away. Kazuki, my answer to your feelings is—"

"Hold on!" I quickly interrupt her, causing her to yell out.

"Why do you interrupt me?!"

"S-Sorry... but what on earth are you getting at? Aren't we talking about the box?"

"About the box...? What's with that? Of course, the box is important, but isn't it obvious that I've brought you here because of the call you made yesterday?"

"My call?"

"Yes, yesterday's—" she breaks off in mid-sentence, her eyes wide-open, and holds her breath. "...I see. That e-mail... No, no way... I've spent so much time together with Kazuki, phone or not, this can't be..."

"Otonashi-san...?"

"Kazuki, I'm going to check something now," she says in a loud and clear voice. Then, she begins to mumble. "You... confessed to me over the phone yesterday, right?"

Confessed?

Does she mean confess as in please go out with me?

"You also told me that you would confess again face to face the next day—in other words, today."

"I...I wouldn't—"

"Right, you wouldn't say that, now that I think about it..."

"Of course I wouldn't! W-What makes you think that I said something like that...?"

"Well, take a look at your cell phone," she calmly suggests.

I nod, take out my phone, and check my call history.

The name I find at the top of the list is:

"Maria Otonashi"

The call was supposedly made on May 1st, at 1:49am.

That's impossible. I was asleep at that time, so I naturally can't remember calling her.

"Yesterday—no, strictly speaking, today—at two o'clock in the morning, you rudely roused me from slumber by calling and confessing to me. That is my understanding of what happened."

There's no way I'd do that. But on the other hand, Otonashi-san wouldn't make up something like this just to tease me.

However, as a matter of fact, I didn't call her.

"Did someone play a prank on you? I have no idea how they'd pull it off..."

"A prank...huh? So you're suggesting that someone used your cell phone and confessed to me because that person was clowning around?"

As unreasonable as it sounds, that's the only thing I can think of. But the moment before I nod:

"With the exact same voice as you?"

"—Huh?" I utter, leaving my mouth open like an idiot.

"Unless you have a twin brother from whom you were separated at birth, let me assure you of one thing, Kazuki: There was no doubt that it was your voice."

"You, you must have been hearing things! You just saw my number and thought it was me... probably..."

"Kazuki. I have spent a human lifetime together with you. I would never confuse your voice with someone else's."

She looks at me with utter conviction. I can't believe that she confused me with someone else, either.

Which means that I'm the only one under suspicion? No, that's just as absurd. Otonashi-san is convinced that it was my voice, but I'm convinced that I didn't confess to her. But it's a fact that I called her.

"That doesn't add up..."

"Yeah, it's contradictory, however you look at it. Which means that—"

Right.

A contradiction like this couldn't occur normally. Which means that—

"We are dealing with—a box."

I unwittingly press my fist against my chest, which already throbs with fear even though I'm still at a loss as to what's going on.

"We have to hurry up and come up with a countermeasure. The owner is obviously targeting us, and with ill will as well."

"What can I do...?"

"Let me think... I need some time to sort things out. For the time being, just make sure you're ready. I'll determine how we're going to proceed."

I nod wordlessly.

"We're done here then. I'm returning to my classroom."

With these words, she turns around and walks away.

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