"......There.

You're all done."

Irie withdrew the needle from Satoko's arm.

It must not have hurt much for the needle to be pulled out.

Satoko kept her eyes closed in fear, thinking that the needle was still inside her arm.

"......Satoko, you're all done, you know...?"

"What?

O-Oh... It's finally over?"

As Satoko opened her eyes,

she found that Irie was no longer sitting in front of her. Takano was wiping her arm with rubbing alcohol instead.

"That's right. You're all done now.

Dr. Irie is good with needles, unlike me.

You didn't even notice he was finished.

Don't touch that part of your arm for a while, okay?

Also, try not to carry anything heavy."

"Of course. I know that by now."

"......Good for you, Satoko.

I'll pat your head for you."

"Tch, it was nothing!

There's nothing I did that would require you to pat my head!"

Not long ago, she would go into a panic when it was time for her to get her shot.

The way she behaved today in itself is worthy of praise.

Everyone in the room smiled, aware of that growth.

"Please give her the usual test.

Will you, Takano-san?"

"Sure.

All right, Satoko-chan. It's time for the quiz we always do."

"Your quiz is always quite difficult for me..."

"Take it easy.

If it's too difficult, you can just tell me that you don't know the answer.

You don't have to think too hard. Just tell me whatever comes to mind at the moment."

Takano smiled at Satoko to ease her tension.

Then she led Satoko to a desk in the back of the examination room.

"......I hope...

Satoko gets better soon..."

"............"

I don't know if it's because of the heat, but Satoko has been showing negative symptoms since last month.

The change of the seasons can affect her physically and emotionally.

It's not a surprise that this is happening to her.

"I'm going to see Irie and ask him how Satoko is doing.

What are you going to do, Hanyuu...?"

"I'm... going to stay with Satoko."

"Thank you.

I'll leave it to you."

Hanyuu went over to where Satoko was.

Fortunately, I'm the only one who can see Hanyuu.

She won't be a distraction if she goes and observes Satoko's test.

I, of course, would be a distraction like that.

This is supposed to be a routine exam, but it seems like Takano is teasing her by giving her difficult questions.

...It would be pretty funny to observe how Satoko reacts to them.

I'm a little jealous that Hanyuu gets to watch everything without being a bother to Satoko.

Hee hee...

Irie was talking with two other staff members about Satoko's exam results.

I walked up and joined them.

"Thank goodness.

She seems to be improving."

From what Irie was saying, her results must have turned out well.

"......Irie.

How is she...?"

"Don't worry.

The results were good.

...I'll discuss this more with you two later."

After ordering his staff to continue their work,

Irie showed me some difficult paperwork and started explaining it to me.

"I guess we overreacted to the test results from last week.

Her condition shifted dramatically because of the change in climate.

Did she have a cold, by any chance?"

There was one night recently that was fairly hot...

Satoko was sleeping without her blanket, and her stomach was exposed.

She might have caught a cold that night.

"...She was sleeping with her belly exposed.

I poked her belly button, but she didn't wake up at all."

"Ha ha ha ha! That sounds like fun!

Please call me if that happens again.

I would love to poke Satoko-chan's belly button too!"

"It's so soft.

Her belly is chunky, too.

It was so cute that I didn't want to cover it with a blanket."

"Ah ha ha ha. That's why she caught a cold, huh?"

"Rika!!

I can hear you!!

You had better put a blanket on me next time!!"

"You're in the middle of a quiz, Satoko-chan.

You need to concentrate."

Irie, Hanyuu, and I all laughed.

Satoko went back to her test with a bitter look on her face.

Irie began speaking to me in a softer voice.

"She's in remission...... but her level is still L3 negative.

She was and will continue to be in a critical condition."

"......She's never ever going to get better?"

"Just like with anaphylaxis, her body will be conditioned to react severely even after the foreign chemical is out of her system.

In other words..."

"......She'll never move below the Level 3 stage."

"............Yes, that's right.

But it's not the end of the world.

She can control it by maintaining a proper lifestyle,

as well as taking some medication."

"But it'll never be cured... in her whole lifetime."

I looked at Satoko as she enjoyed taking her test.

...She seemed to be having fun, even while being teased by Takano.

I can't believe that she's suffering from an incurable disease...

"...If you think of it in a negative way, you're right.

But many people in the world are coping with incurable illnesses.

Diabetes is a good example.

The condition itself can never be cured, but the symptoms can be controlled."

I know that very well.

...There are many worse diseases in the world.

Satoko might be in a relatively good situation compared to many other sick people.

"......Of course, I'm not giving up on her...

I'll make sure that I'll cure her disease someday.

...I promise."

"......I trust you."

"Yes.

Trust me."

Irie spoke to me with a serious look on his face.

As Satoko's best friend, I felt relieved to hear his words.

I'm sure he'll do his best to save Satoko's life.

I have no doubt that he'll do so.

I've seen him act like this in every life I've lived.

I also know why he's so passionate to save her... but I'm not supposed to know about it in this life.

That's why I always pretend not to see his sad smile...

"By the way, Rika-san.

We'll be conducting another big test at the end of the month."

"......Am I going to be the guinea pig this time?"

"It's not like that...

You're only helping our studies, which will save many people's lives."

Irie's guinea pig is not just Satoko.

I'm also one of them.

...Although, "guinea pig" is probably not the right term.

Without Irie's efforts, Satoko would not be here today.

For that reason, I should be showing respect to this man.

I smiled at him, since my choice of words had hurt his feelings.

"......Meep...

If testing me can save Satoko's life, I don't mind being a guinea pig..."

"Thank you for your support.

I wouldn't be causing you so much trouble if I had more money and equipment..."

The next moment, the phone rang.

Irie answered it in his usual businesslike tone.

"Hello? This is Irie."

"You have a call on the line from Tokyo.

I'll transfer it to the other phone."

I could hear the voice from the phone.

"Ahh, that must be Risa-san, then.

Is it that time of the year already?

I'm going to pick it up at the office. Will you transfer it there?"

"Absolutely.

Please hang up on this line, in that case."

"Okay.

...I'm sorry, Rika-san.

I got a call from Tokyo."

"......Don't mind me."

As soon as Irie hung up the phone, the phone in the other room started ringing.

He left the examination room and headed toward the office.

Hanyuu returned to my side as soon as Irie left.

Hanyuu doesn't like to be around me when I'm talking with Irie.

I don't think she dislikes him...

...It's just that she doesn't really want to hear what he has to say.

Irie doesn't mean any harm, but Hanyuu is often hurt by the things that come out of his mouth.

"How's Satoko doing?"

"She's not good at Spot the Difference, like usual.

I was able to find more differences than her."

"...I don't care how well you did.

What about Satoko?"

"Au au au..."

I thought she was there to check on Satoko,

but she was taking the quiz alongside her instead.

That's so typical of Hanyuu...

She was treating it almost like a game, but Satoko was tired after taking the same quiz every week.

She seemed sleepy, especially after waking up so early this morning.

The quiz in this case wasn't about a right or wrong answer.

It was about timing, in minutes, how long it took her to answer the question, and observing how she acted during the quiz.

Not all of the questions would be simple ones, so Satoko often got headaches, moreso than even the spelling tests we'd take at school.

"Is it almost over...?"

"...Yes, it is.

The book Takano has right now is the last one."

Takano was showing a book to Satoko with abstract pictures inside.

I couldn't even tell if that was supposed to be a picture.

It was just a symmetrical ink stain.

"This is the last one.

What do you think this is...?"

Both Hanyuu and I looked at the picture over Satoko's shoulders.

......Even I didn't know what to answer when looking at that strange ink stain.

"

...

...

...

...

...

Umm

......

umm

......"

Satoko continued to think.

Takano observed her, taking notes while Satoko struggled.

She was also timing how long it took her to answer, holding a stopwatch under the table.

I spoke to Hanyuu so only she could hear me.

"...What do you think it looks like,

Hanyuu?"

"Au......

Well...

...Oh!

It's soft serve ice cream! It fell onto the ground and ended up like this...

Au au au... it's been wasted..."

"I see. This is a good test for understanding a person's mind.

Hee hee hee."

To me, it looked like a horse mackerel that had been cut open and its guts pulled out...

......I was thinking of food too.

...It was rather shocking to learn that my thought processes are the same as Hanyuu's.

"What does it look like to you?

You don't have to think too hard."

Satoko must not be very good at this test.

She always takes a long time to answer questions like this.

She finally opened her mouth to speak.

"It's like...

two butterflies are...

on top of each other..."

"Two butterflies on top of each other...

Tell me more about it.

Why are they on top of each other?"

Takano continued to take notes as Satoko spoke.

Curious about what she was writing, I looked, but...

...Is that German?

I can't read it at all.

Takano is so mean.

"Umm.

.........They were apart for quite some time...

but having finally reunited, they're excited to see each other again...

Aha ha... I apologize.

I don't even know what I'm trying to say...!"

"No, you're doing just fine.

You can just tell me whatever's on your mind.

That's the whole point of this test."

"Are you certain even such a strange answer is serving a purpose...?"

"Of course.

For example, take this picture.

You gave me a totally different answer last year.

I can tell how you've changed just by comparing how you respond."

"Really, I don't like this test...

What did I even say last year?"

Takano smiled and took a note without answering her question.

I tried to remember what her answer was... but I have more than a hundred years' worth of memories in my head.

Hanyuu might remember better than I do.

As I looked at Hanyuu, I realized that she was standing there with a sad expression.

I decided not to ask her. I could tell what kind of answer Satoko gave back then just by looking at Hanyuu's face.

Last year...

June 1982... That was when Satoko was being abused by her cruel aunt.

Recalling that, I didn't even want to know what Satoko answered.

But just a year later, the Satoko who was so worn down could no longer be seen.

She became so strong...

I know how difficult it was for her to stay tough and strong like this.

Her growth over the past year is overwhelming to me.

"Are you done with the test?"

Irie returned from his office.

"Yes, we are finished."

"Satoko-chan is handling it a lot better now.

We were done pretty quick today."

"Ho ho ho!

I did my best to ensure it was done with quickly.

I have plans after this, so I can't stay here too long!"

"You have something after this?

Today is Sunday, right?"

"......We're doing a club activity at Mii's uncle's toy store today."

"Ha ha ha. No wonder you were so obedient with the test today.

It was because you have plans.

Sorry we held you so long.

Well, here's your stuff, Satoko-chan."

Irie put a big paper bag on the table.

He opened it up and gave her instructions about the medications.

Satoko had heard the same instructions over and over before, but Irie still continued to talk just the same.

"Since you're doing better, you can go back to two shots per day.

Please give yourself a shot before lunch and before you go to bed.

Make sure you change the needle every time.

Don't ever use the same one twice.

I'm prescribing this one in case you really need it when you're feeling sick..."

"Yeah, yeah... Same as usual... I know!"

Satoko couldn't wait to meet our friends for the club activity.

It made me feel happy to see her as excited as this.

"...She only has to take two shots per day now.

...I'm glad."

The number of shots she has to take each day represents how well she's doing.

So it's a good thing that she has to take fewer shots.

"It's tough for her to give herself a shot two times a day..."

"Au au..."

Hanyuu grew quiet after hearing my comment.

Irie handed her the paper bag after he finished his instructions.

"Rika!

At last, it's over!"

"Good job.

You seemed anxious during the test today.

Have fun with your friends!"

"I-I'm sorry I was so tense...

You have my thanks for all that you've done for me..."

"Hee hee...

Are you going to make it on time?

I can give you a ride there.

Oh, I also bought a new stuffed animal. It's in my car.

You can give it a name if you like."

"Oh my!

What sort of creature could it be!?

I wonder what I should name it...

Well, what is it, exactly?"

"Heh heh... it's a cat again.

One with tiger stripes this time.

I think you'll like it a lot."

Satoko and Takano are good friends.

They're both fond of stuffed animals.

Every time Takano gets a new one, she brags about it to Satoko.

That's all they have in common, but...

Having a friend like Takano is a special thing for Satoko. She's part of the Houjou family, who tried to betray the village.

People at the clinic are the only adults who will even talk to Satoko...

"Ha ha ha ha.

Have fun at the club!

You should suggest wearing maid uniforms for the punishment game!

I have every kind in every size☆!

Either way, I'll see you next week."

"...No, thank you☆.

See you next week."

"Well, let's be going!

Our battle today is not only against the club members!

I'm itching to put my skills to the test!"

I bowed slightly and made to leave the examination room...

But I soon realized something.

Irie was looking at me with a sad expression on his face.

...Just with that look, I could tell what he wanted to say.

Please take care of Satoko-chan if something happens to her...

I nodded at him and stepped out into the hallway with Satoko.

"My goodness...

I'm used to these tests and quizzes, but they always leave me exhausted!"

"......You don't like taking the tests?"

"Well... I don't, but they are my job...

There's nothing I can do about that."

Satoko is supporting Irie's research.

She gets financial support by helping him out...

or at least, that's what Satoko thinks she's doing...

Satoko was bursting with enthusiasm, so we headed to Okinomiya at full speed.

We wound up waiting for Keiichi and the other club members for a long time.

We got here early, but they were late.

I think they were late the last time we did this too...

Did it mean that this was something that was meant to happen...?

It's unpleasant that I can't even change the most minor of fates.

I finally saw them coming toward us on their bikes.

"Hello, everyone!

How utterly slow all of you are!"

Satoko acted like she was upset, but I could tell that she was pleased to see them just the same.

"Au au... Satoko is so cute."

"That's why I'll never tire of her.

Hee hee, she's adorable."

Satoko's behavior soothes my feelings of frustration.

This is why I love Satoko.

If she was a small fluffy animal, I would definitely keep her in a cage...

"Good morning, Satoko-chan and Rika-chan!"

"...Good morning..."

"Hey!

Good morning, Rika-chan!

Satoko, think fast! We've gotta do this quick before the cops get here!

Our goal is 1 billion yen!"

"Huh?? Keiichi-san, what in the world are you talking about?"

"Are we late?

When did you guys get here?"

"......It didn't take too long, so we've been waiting here a while."

Mion and Rena know that Satoko gets a check-up every Sunday at the clinic.

"Sorry about that.

Kei-chan didn't show up on time, so that's why we're late!"

...That Keiichi.

So he's the reason they're always late.

"......That's not really surprising.

Nipah~☆"

"Wait a minute.

Am I the bad guy here?"

"Of course!

Of all the club members, you're the only one who can play the villain!

Oh ho ho!"

"What's that supposed to mean?

You better watch your mouth!"

Keiichi and Satoko messed around with each other.

Satoko acted like she was crying, and Rena punched Keiichi, knocking him out cold.

It was the same old situation they always got into.

I can watch this sort of thing forever.

It's like having a glass of cold milk after taking a hot bath.

"H-Huh...

I can never win against her..."

"...You should get up and move before she cracks your front teeth."

We all laughed at him and finished greeting each other.

"They're as lively as always."

"Nothing's more precious than one's health."

"You're sounding like an old lady, Rika."

"Shut up, who cares what you think!?

I'm not going to eat any sweets if you keep on saying things like that."

"A...Au au au au au au...!"

Hanyuu seemed to be getting more depressed than usual.

...I should stop teasing her so much.

"It was a joke.

Will you get off of me?"

"Au au au...

I'm sorry... au au au."

Hanyuu loves sweet treats.

She especially loves cake and ice cream.

Since she can't eat anything, she has to depend on me when it comes to that.

In other words, whatever I eat, Hanyuu can taste too.

Even if Hanyuu craves something, it doesn't mean anything if I don't eat it.

In other words, I have total control of what she eats.

That's why it's fun to tease her with saying what I'll eat and what I won't.

It's almost as fun as teasing Satoko.

"Hau, you seem to be in good mood today, Rika-chan!

I want to take you home!!"

"You'll be arrested if you do that, you know?!"

"Hey, Mion, the store owner is calling you."

"Rika, did you hear?

There's to be a prize for the club activity today!"

I remember...

Mion was going to be paying 50,000 yen out of her pocket as a prize.

I couldn't believe she could just afford that.

Therefore, I have to assume that she has some kind of guarantee that she won't lose.

"And do you know what it is? It's 50,000 yen!

50,000 yennn~!!"

......

Satoko stared at me.

Oh no......

She was expecting me to be surprised to hear that the prize was 50,000 yen.

...It's natural to be surprised after hearing that sum.

But I didn't react because I already 'knew' it.

Perhaps I gave the impression that I've 'known' it for a long time...

"...K-Keiichi-san... Isn't it amazing that the prize is 50,000 yen?"

"50,000 yen?!?!

What the heck is that?

That's like five years' worth of the Keiichi GNP!!"

Satoko said the same thing to Keiichi.

She probably assumed that I wasn't listening to her.

So she decided to talk to Keiichi instead...

.........

"Au au..."

"......That was just a small mistake.

I'm fine."

"......If I get 50,000 yen, I can get a lifetime supply of soy sauce."

"Wait, whyever would you buy soy sauce with a prize like that?"

"Because a certain someone always gives me a dirty look when I ask her to go and get soy sauce from the store...

Nipah~☆"

"You're so mean, Rika..."

"How much soy sauce do you think you can even get for 50,000 yen?

Man, I wanna see!"

Keiichi joined the conversation, which finally brought us back to our normal pace.

......In order to pursue a greater happiness, I need to sacrifice a smaller one.

In a perfect world, Rika Furude was supposed to be surprised to hear from her best friend that the prize was 50,000 yen.

But I already knew that.

I knew it from my previous lives, so all I could do was give her a boring reaction.

I can't be surprised at the big prize of 50,000 yen.

I can't give her the reaction that she expects from me...

I am losing the ability to be surprised by life...

And after the continual repetition of small incidents like this...

there will be nothing left that I can find interesting.

I'll have nothing to be surprised about.

I'll never be impressed with anything.

Eventually, I'll lose my emotions entirely.

That's why I'm always trying to be careful.

...I make sure I act like the Rika Furude who doesn't know anything.

Even though I may not be impressed, as a young girl, Rika Furude should be impressed with many things.

Rika Furude is supposed to act excited when she encounters something for the first time.

......I try to, at least.

But the more and more I try,

the more I feel like Rika Furude is someone very distant...

"Rika..."

"I'm sorry...

I know I'm only wasting my life span by feeling depressed like this...

I should enjoy this life."

I don't mean my life span literally.

I'm not referring to my physical life span, but my mental one...

The more and more I repeat the same days,

the more I lose,

from wonder to passion,

and eventually my life will become like an overplayed video tape...

If I'm tired of that tape, I have a choice to close my eyes and sleep.

By the time I wake up, the video should be over.

But in reality, my life is not a beat-up old video tape.

If I close my eyes and sleep...... that would be my death.

When my mental life span is over...

Rika Furude will turn into a doll who can't even move a finger by her own will...

When that happens, my pursuit of happiness will be over.

.........I don't want that to happen.

It's been at least a hundred years, if not more...

I've been stuck in this living hell for so long...

I don't want my life to end here...

"......Sorry, I'm fine now.

You must find it funny that I'm complaining about only a century."

"Au au...

I've grown used to this fate by now..."

"Huh...

Alright.

I'm fine...

I'm Rika Furude... I'm Rika Furude..."

If I don't stay focused on being Rika Furude, I'm afraid I might end up showing my true self inside of that shell.

Rika Furude is supposed to be a cute and innocent little girl, after all...

"...Meep.

What would you buy if you got 50,000 yen, Rena?"

"Ummm...

I wonder if I can buy the Kenta-kun doll.

Do you think they'll sell it to me if I give 50,000 yen to the fried chicken store?

Hau."

"......I think it'd be easier for you to buy the tools and wheelbarrow to steal the doll."

"I bet Rena-san could break the chain with her bare hands if she wanted to!"

"Wa ha ha ha!

I agree on that one!"

"Hauu... you're all so mean!"

Thus we rejoined the typical flow of conversation naturally.

...Once I enter that flow, it's not hard for me to continue as Rika Furude.

Being Rika Furude is like flying a kite for me.

Once it's up in the air, it can stay in the sky for a while.

But if something happens and it loses control, it's one heck of a challenge to get it back on track.

Every time it tries to get back up in the air, the kite gets dragged on the ground and wears out. I'm exactly like that.

Finally, Mion started clapping her hands to get everyone's attention.

I already knew the rules.

The members will be broken into five different groups, and each group plays a game that they choose together.

......I was secretly hoping that Mion would change the rules for some reason...

There's nothing more boring than to already know what was going to happen.

"Mion can be very capricious.

......She really might change the rules."

"Yeah, but it seems like she's been planning this game for several days already..."

"A strong will can be fated too, huh...?"

Normally when we're doing club activities, Mion decides what to play at the last minute.

She opens her locker and randomly decides what game to play.

For that reason, our club activities are rarely repeated throughout my lives.

That's why I'm never bored with them.

But just as Hanyuu said, today's event was something that Mion had been planning for a while.

I was certain she wouldn't suggest anything spontaneously today.

In that case, this won't be up to random chance.

Mion had only one idea in her mind.

Therefore, it was equivalent to destiny.

...Although, her idea of having this event in the toy store is actually a spontaneous one.

In all the lives I've repeated, there's a very low chance for this event to occur.

"You shouldn't expect anything to be different..."

"I'm not expecting it."

Of course, I was lying just now.

I was hoping that Mion would suggest a new rule for this game.

If it was the same rules again...

...I'd be suffering for a few minutes while I listened to her instructions...

Nothing is more frustrating than walking the same path over and over again.

Please...

Mion...

Please change my fate...

please...

"First, we're going to be divided into five different groups.

The winner from each table..."

............

It was the same rules after all.

"............Sorry. I was holding onto a small hope..."

"Small hopes will hurt you, Rika..."

"You're right...

You've told me so many times, but I never learn..."

Hanyuu has taught me so many times...

She taught me the trick to swimming in the flow of destiny.

The flow of destiny is just like a river's.

By going with the flow, I can swim the direction I want to some extent, but of course, trying to swim against the flow requires great effort.

Allowing myself to drift causes the least amount of strain.

Of course, some strong currents are impossible to resist, even with great effort.

If I recklessly try to resist without realizing it's impossible, then I'll only wear myself out needlessly, just as if fighting a river's current.

So Hanyuu taught me to read those currents.

Which is why I should've easily imagined that the rules would be the same the moment I learned Mion had planned today's event in advance.

Yet I still wished the rules would be different-- a completely wasteful action.

In the end my hopes were betrayed, only leaving my heart worn out...

And things like that cause "me" to separate further from Rika Furude.

Eventually I'll grow tired of everything, lose all interest... and die.

"A fate which can't be fought... must be accepted."

"...I know you can read the flow of destiny, Rika."

"You're right.

...My lifespan's already growing short ...I should treasure what I have left."

I sighed, and pretended as though I was listening to what Mion was explaining.

"What's wrong Rika-chan?

Are you bored...?"

Keiichi surprised me all of a sudden.

"Are you talking to me...?"

This had never happened before, so I thought he was talking to someone else.

But it seemed like Keiichi really was talking to me.

"Yeah.

You've looked bored ever since this morning...

Are you sleepy from waking up too early?

Hahaha."

"I was just thinking that I've already done this before."

No one would understand what I mean anyway...

But Keiichi might.

And so, I told him how I honestly felt.

"Huh?

Are you serious?

No wonder Mion seems so used to this.

I'm looking forward to it since it's my first time, though!"

I envied him for feeling that way.

I sighed, knowing that I never will.

"I understand how frustrating it is to hear the same instructions over and over again!

I went to cram school once and studied ahead a lot there...

I remember how much I hated hearing the same lectures in school."

Keiichi didn't understand me...

but I'm glad that at least he understood how frustrating it was to repeat the same situation.

"......I'm the same.

I'm frustrated at school too."

"What?

Are you really?

You always seem so happy."

Rika Furude is supposed to be happy at school.

That's why I act that way.

"......Hearing the same things over and over again is like torture."

It's easy for me to change what Satoko cooks for dinner.

I can simply volunteer to cook instead of her.

But I can't change what the teacher teaches at school every day.

I have no choice but to be quiet and listen to her lecture.

"Yeah, there's nothing you can really do.

You can't just tell the teacher to move on because you already know what she's teaching you.

But this... is a different story.

It's a game!"

"......It is a game, but it's already predetermined."

"You don't know that!

After all, we're being split into five tables by drawing lots, right?

Plus, each group gets to choose what game their table plays.

There's no way to predict what games we'll do battle over, or what exciting turnabouts await us today!"

".........But I can make a good guess."

"No you can't!"

Keiichi smiled as he contradicted me.

That smile seemed so ignorant to me.

"While the groups will be decided by drawing lots, each club member will be in a different group.

Keiichi, you will be sitting over there.

My table will be right there.

I'll be playing a fishing game.

You'll be playing a game called 'Billionaire'."

I don't know how, but last time we were broken into five separate groups.

It couldn't have been a coincidence.

I'm sure Mion did something to ensure it would end up like that.

I'm a hundred percent sure.

As for the games we play, I'm not totally sure, but...

If each member in the group follows the same thinking patterns, they'll probably end up making the same choices.

If you roll dice many times, you begin to approach the average...

One person's spontaneous act can be random, but multiple people's thoughts can be averaged out, for the most part.

The more people that are involved, the more difficult it is to alter the path of fate.

That's why I'm pretty sure that we'll end up playing the same games.

Keiichi seemed surprised to hear my prediction.

"What the hell?

Is that like, a premonition?

How can you be so sure?"

"That's what fate is all about..."

"Heh heh... fate, huh?

That makes me want to smash that fate into pieces!"

He smiled at me again.

I knew that he was just smiling without reason

but I felt a small hope from him.

After all, Keiichi really did shatter fate before...

But that was just a miracle that happened in my previous life...

I couldn't expect him to do the same thing in this one.

Otherwise, I would be worn down by my high expectations again...

"All right. We're going to decide our groups by drawing lots from this box.

The club members go first!"

Mion drew first, then Satoko followed.

The results were the same as the last time...

"I really don't want to fight against a club member at the very start...

I'm sorry if we get the same group, Rika-chan!"

"......Don't worry...

Your table is over there.

Mine is right there."

"Whatever you say.

You watch!

...

...

...

...

...

...

ugh..."

Keiichi looked upset.

"......See?

My predictions are always right."

"It was a twenty percent chance.

Anyone can make a random guess!"

Keiichi told me that it was just a coincidence.

"......Then what if I predicted my seat right too? What's the percentage for that?"

"Umm... it's twenty of twenty so... four percent.

I'll believe you if you get it right with a percent that low."

Keiichi grinned at me, believing such a chance was impossible.

"It's your turn now, Rika-chan."

Mion handed me the box of slips.

No matter what I did, I'd be getting that table.

There was a reason behind it.

Mion was doing something to make sure that we all get a different table.

I thought about why Mion would do that.

With the information I've gathered about Mion over many years, I could see her reasoning...

"She probably thinks that she'll feel bad if a member loses in the first stage..."

"You're right.

If the club members are in the same group, someone will have to lose."

If everyone was in a different group, we'd all have a chance to move on to the second stage.

That's why she was controlling this draw.

I put my hand inside of the box.

I could feel several folded pieces of paper inside it.

But if you thought for a moment, it was odd...

No matter which one I chose, I'd never get any other table.

"I wonder how she's making it so you sit at that last table..."

"Me too...

Only Mion knows.

All I know is that no matter which paper I choose, I'll be sitting at that last table."

Ah, I got it.

"All the papers in this box are same...?"

"They must be.

I bet Mion set some kind of trap on this box."

It was probably a box for a magic show or something.

There could be some kind of gimmick inside the box, and she can switch what's inside of it.

Depending on who's drawing the paper, she'd change out the lots and control the result.

I didn't know exactly how, but I was sure she was doing something.

I didn't even need to know how she was doing it.

The most important thing was why.

"...Meep~.

I don't know which one to pick..."

"No matter which one you pick, your fate is already decided!"

She was admitting it herself...

I was certain, then.

Based on what I felt inside, there were less than ten pieces of paper inside of this box.

In other words, there were hidden pieces of paper that I couldn't touch somewhere inside the box.

I smiled at Mion as I figured out her trick, but she had no clue why I was smiling.

"I'm taking this one."

"Sure... Let me see...

A-ha!!

Wow, the club members are all divided into separate groups!"

Mion behaved as though this was news to her.

She's such an actress.

The other contestants made a dissatisfied noise.

They'd have to face a club member no matter which table they got.

Keiichi was surprised too.

And not only because we were divided...

"See?

Our fate is already decided."

I smiled at him in return.

Keiichi was in denial for a moment, but then he smiled back at me.

"The possibility was one in twenty-five...

I'm impressed."

It was not.

I predicted that Mion and Satoko would be at a different table, so the possibility was even lower than that.

Keiichi understood that.

But normal people like him can't understand that meaning of fate.

That's why he put it off as a coincidence.

But Keiichi...

What if my prediction is right about what game you'll be playing? The possibility will be one in billions...

There are a lot of games in this store. What if that prediction is right too?

Will he still believe it's just a coincidence?

I stayed quiet in my seat and waited to see what game my group was going to decide on.

......They were going to choose the fishing game.

...I can't expect them to choose anything other than that.

"I can't have high expectations...

Otherwise I'll be hurt again..."

"............"

One of the boys stood up.

He walked toward the shelf full of games, and picked up one box.

He lifted the box above his head and turned around so he could show it to us.

I closed my eyes as he did so...

But I could still hear what he was saying.

"Check this out!

Do you guys remember this?

We should play this one!"

"Yeah!

It's the one with the spinning fish, right?"

................

I could taste the bitter chemicals from my brain in my mouth.

I clenched my lips and tried to endure the numbing feeling...

"......Au au..."

"......I'm sorry.

I guess I'm not doing well today.

...For some reason, I can't just accept this flow."

...It wasn't because I wasn't feeling well, of course.

It was because of my emotions.

Our powers are getting weaker, and we can only rewind about 2 weeks of our lives.

I was feeling that the end was near for us...

In order for me to change my tragic fate, I need more time to prepare.

But I can only go back two weeks...

That means my power to resist my fate has significantly weakened.

Even if I become as weak as a small leaf in the river, I should be able to do something in order to change my path.

But if I can only go back to the point where I'm getting ready to be swallowed into the whirlpool...

there's no chance for me to escape it.

I lived for so long, believing that I could eventually escape my fate and survive.

I believed that I had a chance in every moment of every life I lived.

But there are limits to those chances.

There are so many limits in my repeated lives...

and perhaps...

this might be my last chance.

That may be why I'm feeling so restless...

"Stop it, Rika...

The harder you think about it, the worse it'll be on your mind."

"I know...

Just be quiet already!"

"Au au au au au..."

My brain was numb, as if surrounded by a grey mist.

...I was inside the crowded toy store, but felt very far away from everyone else.

The tighter I closed my eyes and the harder I clenched my teeth, the emptier my head became...

No no no no....

"Rika...

Rika...

Are you okay...?"

"Huh.........

huh...

Ummm..."

As I tried to focus, I became conscious again.

Hanyuu looked at me with concern.

I tend to lose my mind easily right after coming back from death.

I usually have more time to relax and get used to my new life...

But I have no time for that now.

The Watanagashi festival is only two weeks away.

...I can't just relax and wait for myself to get used to things!

Don't be a wimp, Rika. Don't be a wimp.

Fight against fate.

But even if I do, that fate always betrays me, and I grieve.

What if I did the opposite?

What if I didn't fight against fate?

A few weeks after the Watanagashi festival of 1983...

I will die, because I am fated to do so.

Fight,

don't fight,

fight,

don't fight,

fight,

don't fight,

fight,

don't fight,

fight,

don't fight,

fight,

don't fight,

fight,

don't fight,

fight,

don't fight.

As I repeat the same words, they started to lose all meaning. I felt like I was chanting something.

I bit my tongue in my mind and forced myself to stop thinking about it.

I was calming down a little bit...

When I opened my eyes, I saw the fishing game right in front of me, as well as my pole.

Someone placed it there while I had my eyes closed.

It was as if I was seeing the immovable reality of fate right in front of me.

It felt like a final verdict to me.

What do you think...

Keiichi...?

This is what fate is all about.

Do I want to earn his agreement, or his sympathy?

I stood up and walked toward Keiichi's table.

His group couldn't decide on a game, so the store owner was deciding for them.

Just like the last time...

The store owner will pick the Game of Life.

"Ahaha... it's kind of unfair to play a game that your opponent chooses.

We couldn't decide on anything because we kept refusing each other's suggestions.

Has your table decided on what to play?"

"You can see it for yourself..."

He looked at my table and saw the fishing game there.

Keiichi was surprised to see that my prediction was right again.

...He also remembered that I predicted his game, too.

"So you're saying that the owner is going to bring out the Game of Life, just as you predicted...?"

"......I'm pretty good at predicting things.

Nipah~."

"Are you serious?

All right. I'll believe you if he really brings us the Game of Life."

"You bet.

Your group is going to play the Game of Life."

"Fine! I'm willing to bet you!

Don't you cheat and talk him into it!"

"He wants you to play a game he has a lot of, so he'll be bringing that one out."

I remember it was covered by dust when he gave it to them last time.

Since we had to buy the game if we lost, he was trying to sell products he had a surplus of.

Therefore, he won't be choosing any game at random.

He'll be looking for one with bad sales.

With a strong will to do so.

...That will of his is going to make the pull of fate all the stronger.

In that sense, there's no guarantee that he'd be choosing the Game of Life specifically.

He might choose something else that's also overstocked.

The owner finally reappeared with a box covered in dust.

"......Whoa...!"

"See?

I told you so."

He has a Game of Life box in his hands.

...The part of me that hoped it wouldn't be the Game of Life tasted bitterness at the betrayal, but the cynical part of me that expected it to happen found it amusing in a way.

......I felt like my personality was twisting more and more.

"Why did you pick that game?"

"Huh?

Aha ha ha,

well...

I just picked it at random.

I found it in the pile of inventory I have in the back.

It's not like I brought the most beat-up one."

When he heard that the owner chose the game randomly, Keiichi shrugged his shoulders in confusion.

...That must be his way of surrendering.

"......Hey, Rika-chan...

Is... this really a prediction??"

"...Nipah~☆"

"Well, some old people from the village once told me that you're the reincarnation of Oyashiro-sama... They told me that you have special powers...

They said your predictions are always accurate...

Is that really true...?"

I was surprised that Keiichi actually believed the superstitious stories he heard from the elderly villagers.

"......I just know that which is destined to happen.

...To make it clearer, it's because I've already witnessed this world once before."

"Damn...

I can't even make fun of you."

Keiichi seemed like he was just fooling around.

He probably only thinks I'm goofing around and acting haughty because my random predictions all came true.

I had hope for him...

I thought the owner might bring a different game, because Keiichi once had the power to change fate...

But...

that didn't happen.

I'm not surprised...

but I felt betrayed again......

Huh......

It hurts...

"......I won the bet."

I speak to Keiichi sarcastically.

I wanted him to understand that no one can change the path of fate.

However...... Keiichi did nothing but smile.

"Pff, hahahahahaha!

Don't get carried away, Rika-chan!

Don't just say that you can read the future!

For a guy, words like 'destiny' and 'fate' mean a lot more than you think.

They're not things you can figure out that easily!"

".............Meep?"

I had no idea what he was trying to say, but he made me nervous...

It wasn't a scary feeling.

...No, it was closer to hope.

"You said it was fate that the owner would choose the Game of Life.

I have to admit that your prediction was correct.

But you also said something else..."

"......What did I say?"

"You said I was fated to play it!"

Yes.

It was indeed his fate.

Fate can change sometimes, with uncertainty and time.

But the possibility that it would change in this situation was very slight.

I doubted that anything would turn out differently...

"In that case, I'll change that fate!"

"......Eh?"

Keiichi stood up in a hurry.

Then he started talking to Tomita and Okamura, his group members.

"Sorry, but I own that game at home.

I know every little rule about it."

"What?

Is that true?"

"Yup.

So that's won't be a fair game for us to play.

Sir, I'm sorry, but can you give us a different game?"

"Sure.

I'll bring you guys a different one."

The owner picked up the Game of Life again and took it back into storage.

As I remained there in shock, he returned with a game called "Pop-up Pirate".

"How about this one?"

"Oh!

That's the one where we stab a knife inside the barrel!"

"What do you think, guys?

This is a fair game, isn't it?!"

"Yeah. The rules are simple enough.

Let's play that one!"

"We got a deal now!

We're going to play Pop-up Pirate!!"

Keiichi winked at me as I stood there with my mouth open.

It looked like he had just forcefully changed my prediction.

But... for me,

it's not that simple.

It was supposed to be fate.

That's why the owner brought the Game of Life to their table.

They were supposed to play that game.

That's what happened the last time...!

That's what was supposed to happen!

But he just changed that fate in front of my eyes like it was nothing.

It's as if someone asked me to stand an egg on its end...

and as I struggled to do so, Keiichi forcefully cracked the egg and made it stand up in front of me.

I should have had a far greater power than Keiichi, but why was I feeling so weak?

Was it because I wasn't trying to fight against fate so I wouldn't get hurt...?

Because I was going with the flow without trying too hard?

What was I thinking?

"You looked so bored just a few minutes ago...

I know why.

You didn't want to play the fishing game, did you?"

"Yeah......

I'm not going to hide it anymore..."

"Then that's easy!"

So I'm a witch who's been living for more than a hundred years?

So I thought I was better than everyone, just because I can see the paths of fate?

That's stupid! I really am so stupid!

Keiichi tapped me on the back.

He was urging me to return to my table.

The sensation of his touch filled up my heart with emotion.

I wasn't going to stand idly by anymore.

I thought I couldn't cheat fate.

I thought two weeks wasn't enough.

But Keiichi just defied his fate in a matter of five minutes!

"......I feel bad for the fishies when I play the fishing game. I want to play something else."

The other people at my table looked at me with confused expressions.

Their reactions were scaring me.

Right at that moment, I could really feel that I was facing the impenetrable wall of fate...

Even so, I have nothing to be scared of.

"Sure.

What game do you want to play?

We'll play whatever you want!"

They accepted my suggestion and gave up on the fishing game so easily!

That's right, I used to be much more aggressive before.

But I became so tired...

and bitter...

and mean...

I gave in to fate...

But I'm not going to yield anymore.

Keiichi taught me that.

He didn't have any memories from his previous life, but Keiichi was still Keiichi.

He'd never give in to fate...!

"...For the first time in a long while, I feel motivated to fight.

If I want to, I can change destiny in five minutes.

And I have two whole weeks to work with.

I'm different now.

I'm going to fight against fate!"

"........Let's do our best."

In contrast to my motivation, Hanyuu was wearing a sad expression...

"I see...

We can't hold you here if you have to go help your uncle..."

"Yeah, it's a pretty small store, after all.

But you know...

Couldn't he have guessed that if he did a bargain sale, his place would be packed!?

I can't believe he's selling a carton of eggs for only 10 yen!!"

As we were getting ready to move on to the next stage, Mion got a call from work.

This was fated to happen, too.

If I was still feeling depressed, I would've been disgusted with this situation.

But after learning what it felt like to change fate, I was in a good mood.

Keiichi and Mion seemed like they kept regretting that they were unable to settle the match.

They really are such good friends.

"They're so close!

I feel kind of jealous, hau!"

"We really do not have any other boys his age in our class, do we?

I suppose Mion-san is something like a male friend to Keiichi-san."

"Ahahahahaha.

But Mii-chan is a girl...!

She can't be another guy for him."

"Of course I know that.

But when they are together, they look like two boys hanging out."

Rena and Satoko enjoyed the lingering excitement of the day as they watched Mion and Keiichi happily goof off.

The next moment, the owner came out from the store.

"Thank you for today, everyone!

You brought me a lot of customers!"

He was holding four paper bags in his hands.

I remember... He gave us gifts as a reward for today...

I think there were dolls inside.

"Here are your rewards for today!"

"Hey, Uncle Yoshirou!

Don't I get one?"

He was giving them only to us.

Mion didn't get anything because she's a family member.

That's what happened last time too.

"Oh look, look!

Something cute is inside!"

Satoko let out a cheer of joy as she saw a cute doll inside of her bag.

Rena reacted the same way.

"Wah!

This is sho kyuute!

I can take it home with me?

Really...?"

"Did I get one, too...?

Wow...

Look at this cute doll..."

Keiichi got a gorgeous, expensive-looking doll.

...It was by far the best one.

It was adorable even to my eyes.

Satoko, Rena and Mion were feeling the same way.

"Ah ha ha ha!

Kei-chan got the one that fits him the least!"

Mion started making fun of him right away.

She was only saying that because she was jealous that Keiichi got a doll that she really wanted.

"This is pretty and cute...

I can admit that... but it's not really my type of toy..."

"Yeah. People will think you're a pervert if you carry that thing around."

Mion just can't be honest with herself.

It was obvious that she was just trying to make him give up the doll so she could have it herself...

She should just admit that and ask Keiichi for it.

But that's the cute side of Mion... I bet Keiichi can never understand that.

Hee hee...

Keiichi can't keep the doll after receiving that much bullying from Mion.

He was thinking about who he should give it to.

...He probably didn't want to give it to Mion.

Time froze for a moment.

Hanyuu whispers something in my ear...

"Rika...

Do you remember......?"

"Yes......."