When I woke up, the first things I saw were Satoko and the calendar.

The first one to wake up is supposed to tear yesterday's date off the calendar.

Sometimes, we both tear the calendar by mistake, so the date ends up two days ahead.

Satoko likes to tear the calendar, and that makes her wake up early every morning.

That would usually make me smile, but I felt devastated as soon as I saw the 22 on the calendar.

It's going to happen today...

June 22nd.

The day I die.

"......Good morning..."

"Good morning, Rika."

".........Hm.

...Morning, you two..."

"You two??

Are you still asleep?"

"......Meep.

There's someone else living in this house other than you and I.

I just said good morning to that person as well."

"H-Hey!!

Do not try and spook me like that!"

"...Hee hee... Satoko won't be able to sleep without holding my hand tonight.

......Hee hee hee hee."

Sometimes I feel like Satoko can see Hanyuu, and it's as if the three of us are living together.

...That would be a lot of fun.

It was time to go to school, but my body felt heavy.

Today,

I was going to die.

Knowing that, I didn't even feel like going to school.

The more I've repeated the same life, the more precisely I can detect my day of death.

...I always die on the day I feel this way.

"Rika.

We ought to get going soon."

".........

I'm

taking the day off today."

".........Rika...

...I heard from Keiichi-san... Are you troubled by something?"

"......Kind of, but not really."

".........??"

What else is there left to do?

Today is the day. It's too late now.

But part of me still feels like doing something.

I've been in this world only a few days.

My emotions went up and down like a rollercoaster.

Sometimes I felt motivated to fight,

and other times I felt desperate and gave up.

Even though Keiichi and everyone else showed me such strength,

I lacked the iron will to fight against my fate.

The most confidence I ever felt was when the dice all came up six, a fortunate coincidence that was just handed to me.

I was hoping to gain the courage to fight against my fate,

but here I am today, conceding to destiny.

Keiichi told me that we can make a miracle happen if we work together...

but there was something he didn't teach me.

He didn't teach me how to believe in that.

If I don't believe that I can make a miracle happen, I won't be able to make even a crack in the wall of fate.

It seems so simple, yet it's so difficult.

I couldn't even decide whether I should be on the stage, or stay off it and remain as a spectator.

I told Hanyuu that I haven't decided what to do after this world is over.

But that's the spectator's point of view.

For the people on the stage, this world is the only one.

For them, the end of the world means the end of their lives.

That's why they'd do anything to change their fate.

That's why they can make a miracle happen.

I never worked hard enough, because I always knew that I could reset my life.

I thought I was just one pathetic girl who couldn't change her own fate.

...That's why I ended up here again today.

It's as if I slacked off on my summer homework, and woke up on the last day of vacation with nothing completed.

What should I do?

Should I not work on my assignment, knowing that I'm not going to make it on time anyway?

Or should I do whatever I can, even though I may still get in big trouble...?

.........Perhaps,

a miracle will happen.

Perhaps the homework will be done overnight.

......Miracles don't happen to homework.

I have to do the homework on my own.

Without effort, nothing will ever get done.

Without effort, not even one question will be solved.

"......Rika, I think you should spend your day doing what you want to.

You can drink by the window all day, just the way you like doing."

"You're suggesting that I shouldn't do anything since I know I'll get in trouble anyway?"

For Hanyuu, it's not about the homework. It's more about the vacation itself.

The vacation will be over, no matter how much I want it to continue.

In her eyes, it's pathetic for me to make a big deal out of not completing my homework,

and contemplating whether I should still work on it or not.

On top of that, I'm saying that I might as well die if my vacation is going to be over.

If I was in her situation, I'd be laughing hysterically.

Keiichi told me to seek everyone's help in order to finish my homework.

But I'm not taking that offer, not only because I don't want to cause them trouble, but also because I don't want the teacher to know that I got help from them.

If I was going to have regrets, I should've worked on it from the beginning.

If I had no intention of working on it, I should've just relaxed without stressing so much.

If I didn't care what other people thought, I should've asked for their help in the first place.

Those are the three options I talked about with Hanyuu yesterday.

I didn't choose any of them.

I've been living for over a hundred years, but I still can't decide.

My hundred years were wasted...

"......Satoko.

I'm not going to school today, because I have a cold."

"I-Is that so?

Do you want me to take your temperature?"

"......I need to rest today.

Could you tell Chie that I'm not coming because I'm sick?"

"Rika...

Are you really sick?

Keiichi-san told me that you're worried someone is trying to kill you... I'm very concerned, you realize?"

"......Thank you.

You should go now. You'll be late."

Satoko looked at the clock, then looked back at me again.

"I'm...

very happy right now.

I'm happy that I'm back with everyone, and that I'm living with you again.

.........So...

if I lose you... I'll be living in a very sad world... ...Just think about that."

".........The world

without me."

"Yes.

...The world without you... would be a very sad world."

I've never thought about that.

I thought that the world ended when I died.

I've never thought about the world after my death.

That was never my concern...

"So please... take care of yourself.

It isn't just me.

...If anything happens to you, everyone will be sad."

"............Satoko..."

"Rika...

I'll leave you alone for today, but please talk to me if you have something on your mind.

It's kind of upsetting how you won't talk to me..."

Satoko seemed like she wanted to say more,

but she looked at the floor instead.

I know what she's trying to say.

...I realize how selfishly I've been living.

It was wrong for me to look at this world as a stage play.

But it's too late...

It's too late now.

Satoko left the house in a hurry.

Hanyuu and I were left alone inside the house.

"...I can tell you want to be alone. I'll disappear until you call for me."

".........Thank you."

"You're still yourself, even after a hundred years.

You're not a hundred-year-old transcendent.

You deserve to think about your life as a young girl.

I don't want to force you to think like a grownup."

"It's not your fault, Hanyuu.

...I was just being arrogant."

"...Call me if you want to talk."

"You're not crying anymore?

You're not going to beg me not to give up on my life?"

"You're a stubborn person...

I know it's better to not be too persistent with you."

"Hee hee.

...After all these years, you know me very well."

"......I know you're already aware, but let me say this.

Today is the day.

Do your best."

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

"No matter what you do or don't do, this world is going to end today.

But if you wish for it, you'll see a brand new day, just like when morning comes.

You might find yourself back in June of this year again... but it'll still be a brand new day."

"......When I was younger,

every day seemed so boring. Every morning, I thought the same things would happen again after I woke up.

...This just means that'll end up being true."

"Let me just tell you to live this day productively.

I'm not going to say anything else to you."

"I knew today was the day... ......But it's still difficult to hear that from you.

...It's going to come to an end again, huh?"

"Yes.

It's going to end again.

Just like always."

Hanyuu disappeared, and it went completely quiet inside the house.

How should I spend my day?

How should I end this day?

Should I work on my homework, knowing that I'm not going to make it on time?

I only have half a day left.

I have to do my best.

I should think about what I can do.

This world is supposed to be a happy place.

People are enjoying their lives.

I should've enjoyed my life more, too.

I don't mean in that I should've lived my life in blind optimism.

It means that I should've enjoyed my life by fully experiencing both happiness and sadness.

If I did that, I wouldn't be as worried about what to do after my death.

I should've simply lived with all my might.

When the time comes, it'll be over.

"...Today,

I will live."

That's a very important phrase.

...But it sounds meaningless when I say it, because I can repeat this meaningless life as many times as I wish...

While Satoko was at school, I washed the dishes.

Hanyuu would usually stay with me when Satoko wasn't around.

But she's not here right now.

It's been a while since I was all by myself.

I never thought anyone could feel so lonely while washing the dishes.

I'm going to die today anyway.

This world is ending today.

Why should I wash these dishes?

......That's because I'm thinking about Satoko, who will have to move on with her life after tomorrow...

I will encounter a new Satoko in the next world.

But I realized something after hearing what Satoko told me earlier.

After I'm dead...

I wonder how Satoko will move on with her life.

The worlds that I've left in the past all went on without me.

I wonder if Satoko will be able to cook without me.

I wonder if she can go shopping on her own.

I wonder if she can wash her clothes by herself.

I've been avoiding thinking about this,

but Satoko and my other friends must've been overcome by sadness.

It's too late for me to think about this,

but I started feeling like I want to cry...

I'm feeling like this...

because I don't want to leave this world.

This is the world that I've always wanted.

It's my hope that I can continue to live in this world beyond June 1983.

After a long journey, I finally ended up in this world.

But I was able to truly live in this ideal world for only one night.

The night of Watanagashi...

This world will be shattered again after I die tonight.

We finally saved Satoko, and all our friends assume that our happy life has returned.

However...

I'm going to die

tonight.

They will mourn for me.

We worked so hard to make a miracle happen, but they're going to lose their happy world in just one day.

Am I going to start a new life in the next world, as if nothing happened...?

I'd live three days in my new world,

but three sad days were going to pass in this world...

...That's no good.

...I can't think straight anymore.

I couldn't stop the tears from flowing from my eyes.

I hugged Satoko's pillow and cried...

I could smell her scent.

......After I die, Satoko will probably hug my pillow and cry just like this.

Is everyone else going to cry for me too...?

I'm sure they will...

And...

...And?

They'll be sad.

Not about my death.

They'll be sad, not because I'm dead,

but because I never told them about what was troubling me so much.

I wonder if they're going to feel regret.

Will they wonder what they could've done to open up my heart,

what they could've done to help me in my time of trouble?

Will they wonder what they could've done to save me...?

I felt miserable and frustrated.

I held Satoko's pillow and continued to cry...

And the next moment, I heard the phone ringing.

I tried to ignore it, but it wouldn't stop ringing.

...I picked up the phone, hoping that my friends would call to check on me.

However, I heard a weird guy's voice coming from the receiver.

"Hello.

This is Okonogi Gardeners. Is this the Furude residence?"

"Okonogi......"

It was Okonogi from the Mountain Dogs.

...It was the first time I'd received a phone call from him.

"I'm calling because I have something urgent to ask you.

I called the school, but they told me that you're sick today.

Are you feeling alright?"

I'm not alright. This is the day I die.

I knew he had no idea, but I still couldn't help but feel upset.

"......It's only a cold.

I just want to rest today."

"Really?

Well, that's a very fortunate coincidence."

"...What?"

I had no idea what made him say that he was glad I was sick...

"Why is it a fortunate for you if I'm home?"

"Well.

We got a tip from Tokyo that someone is planning to murder you."

"What do you mean?"

"Tokyo was investigating the murder of Tomitake-san and Takano-san.

Their investigation concluded that there's a high possibility Dr. Irie is pulling the strings."

".........Irie is behind everything?"

This is the first time I've heard something like this.

This isn't something that happens at random. It's the very first time.

...That means it's not just a coincidence.

I'm hearing this now because of something that I did differently in this world.

I've done many things differently in this world, though.

I can't tell which decision led me to this result.

However, maybe this is something that could change my life drastically...

Okonogi continued to explain to me.

There had been budget cuts to their research, and they were scheduled to be shut down within a few years.

Irie was strongly against that, because he was embezzling their research money by requesting bigger and bigger budgets.

Because they were going to cancel their research, he tried to sell the research data and make a lot money off of it...

"......Is that...

really true...?"

"I know it's hard to believe, but it is.

I always thought that he was kind of suspicious myself."

I think I can say with certainty that Irie is not that type of person.

I've been around him for years, and as far as I know, he's not a bad guy.

He doesn't even have the guts to be one.

He pretends to be cold-hearted for the sake of his research, but he can't shake his regrets.

...He's simply a nice person.

It's hard to believe that he was embezzling money from Tokyo.

...I'm starting to be suspicious of Takano, but she's actually a nice person too.

She seemed mean at times, but she could also act as innocent as a child.

However, I'm starting to suspect her because Ooishi told me that the body they found in Gifu might not be Takano's body.

Okonogi works for Takano.

That means I can't trust Okonogi.

In other words, I can trust Irie, because Okonogi is clearly just trying to set him up.

On the other hand, if Takano isn't guilty, I could be making a huge mistake.

Yet, it always seemed to me as though Tomitake and Irie were good friends.

If Tokyo had suspected that Irie was embezzling money from them, Tomitake would've treated him far more coldly.

Anyway, at the very least, Tomitake of Tokyo didn't have such a bad impression of Irie...

......The Irie of the Irie Institute and Tomitake of Tokyo were good friends.

...Tomitake of Tokyo and Takano of Tokyo were good friends.

...Takano of Tokyo and Okonogi of Tokyo were superior and subordinate.

...But Okonogi of Tokyo says that Tokyo

is suspicious of Irie.

This doesn't make sense.

Everyone seems to be good friends at first glance...

...but the links don't connect from start to finish.

Irie thinks he has a positive relationship with Tokyo, but Tokyo is suspicious of Irie...?

That's just odd.

The chain should be connected, but one of the links is twisted out of order.

...It's breaking the loop.

"Tokyo is conducting further investigations at the moment.

We also have information that Irie is trying to use you as a bargaining chip. For that reason, we've been told to tighten up your security, starting today.

That's why I'm glad that you're at home right now.

There are twenty security guards patrolling the Furude shrine in three shifts.

You may not notice, but they're there for you."

"......That's a lot of security.

How long are you going to guard me like that...?"

"Until Tokyo feels you're no longer in danger.

Until this whole case is resolved."

That should have been good news for me, since today was the day I was supposed to die.

This is exactly the kind of security I wanted. That's why I let Takano into the ritual storehouse.

...However,

I have a bad feeling about this.

Tokyo should be my ally.

But that arrangement is just like Irie's relationship with Tokyo--

everything seems in order from my end,

...But when you trace it the other way, it feels like something's off at some point.

I have this uncomfortable feeling because I have a few uncertainties about Tokyo.

Tokyo and Irie have strong ties...

but they're suspicious of him?

...Is Irie actually a bad guy?

...Is Takano still alive, and is she the one who killed Tomitake?

...Those questions and more made me uncertain about accepting help from Tokyo.

I'd thought Tokyo, as a single organization, would move with a single intention.

...But in reality...

they have multiple, different intentions.

In other words, there must be multiple... what's the word...?

I see it in the political section of newspapers all the time...

...Ah, right. Factions.

Are there two factions in Tokyo? One that wants to remain friendly with Irie, and one that looks down on him...?

That would explain the irregularities I'm sensing.

...Maybe I've been talking to Ooishi too much?

If he hadn't told me that he was suspicious of Takano, would I have believed Okonogi without a doubt...?

Well, maybe not.

Even without Ooishi's theory, Okonogi still sounded very suspicious.

Irie was loyal to his research on Hinamizawa Syndrome.

Tokyo understood this, so his relationship with Tomitake wasn't particularly strained.

Plus, Irie isn't the type of person who would commit embezzlement.

He's a law-abiding citizen with a good moral character.

...Of course he has some ambition as a researcher.

But that only goes as far as common sense expects any researcher to. It's nothing like the criminal aspirations that would lead to major embezzlement.

A great number of the Mountain Dogs were going to be guarding me.

This is what I'd been wanting in my previous lives.

But...

for some reason, I couldn't be happy about it.

I couldn't help but feel depressed.

If this house is like an empty birdcage,

then they'd be the fox with feathers stuck to its face.

I don't know if I can really trust the people who are protecting me.

...I tried to recall more about Okonogi.

The Mountain Dogs have been protecting me for years.

Okonogi proved his skills in many of my other lives.

To them, I'm something of a special existence.

If something happens to me, it would be a disaster.

The Irie Institute is there to keep Hinamizawa Syndrome under control,

and the Mountain Dogs are there to protect me from evildoers.

So why would they try to betray me now...?

......I thought about it for a while, but I had no idea......

I just know one thing for sure.

I can't feel comfortable with the protection of the Mountain Dogs alone...

I want someone other than Tokyo protecting me.

...But I bet such a person wouldn't believe me.

...Wait...

...what about Ooishi?

I've been keeping in touch with Ooishi since the other day.

He still thinks that the mysterious deaths in Hinamizawa are all plotted by the village authorities.

If he believes that, then he might believe that my life is in danger...

For him, I'm a special person with lots of useful information.

The Mountain Dogs hate the police, though...

When I asked them to assassinate Satoko's uncle, they refused because he was being watched by the police.

I would feel relieved if the police were guarding me along with the Mountain Dogs.

That way, the Dogs wouldn't be able to harm me, even if they were working for an evil faction of Tokyo.

Besides that, if my suspicions toward them turned out to be baseless, more protection couldn't hurt.

I'm sure that double security will keep me safe.

"......I understand.

I'll stay home for today."

"Yes, please do.

And please don't go out into the city and try to pick a fight with delinquents..."

"......Meep.

Sorry about that..."

"Ha ha ha ha...

Anyway,

please take care of yourself."

"I have a cold, so may I at least go to the clinic...?"

"You never know what might happen, so please don't go near there for a while.

I don't want them to inject you with anything suspicious."

".........Irie would never do anything like that."

"That's what we want to believe...

But you need to be careful of him until things are cleared up.

......So, I have no choice, huh...?"

"No?

Hahahahaha...

...You've totally picked up the local dialect, Okonogi."

"I used to have a normal Tokyo accent.

I like to think I can fix it when asked, though.

After all, it's my job to blend in with the local culture."

I finished speaking with him.

As soon as I hung up the phone, I opened my phone book and looked for the number to the Okinomiya police department.

It was nearly noon.

...It felt like the pages of the phone book were sticking to my skin.

I must have been in a hurry.

I really don't want to die...

I want to stay in this world.

I don't want to leave this perfect world.

I'm trying to do something, because I don't want to die.

I'm trying to live with all my might.

I'm trying to enjoy my life.

.........For the first time, I was spending my last day positively, without drinking wine until I was drunk.

"Hello, it's Ooishi.

Sorry for the wait.

I was getting ready to leave for Gifu prefecture.

I was going to browbeat them until they owned up to botching the case."

"......Gifu.

You're talking about Takano's body?"

"Yeah.

My colleagues are convinced that the body is Takano, but I'm still not satisfied.

That's why I'm going there myself.

If that body isn't Takano, this is going to be a whole different story.

We can put out a search for her as a material witness, see.

Fortunately, I have a lots of connections in the Gifu police department.

I'll go have a nice, long talk with them.

Nfu fu fu!"

It looked like Ooishi was proactively moving forward with the investigation.

If that body is really is Takano, that would be sad for her, but it would give me reason to trust the Mountain Dogs.

If that's not Takano, then it would tell me that she's part of this whole incident...

No matter what the result is, it will give me some kind of hint.

But only if I'm still alive...

...But really, it's unfortunate...

Ooishi is leaving for Gifu.

He can't be around to protect me.

"......Ooishi.

Some stranger called me today.

I don't know who it was, but he said he's one of the villagers."

"He didn't tell you who he was...?

Hmm, I see.

Please, go on.

What did he tell you?"

"He told me that someone is going to kill me.

He said they'd kill me tonight at the earliest."

"Is that true...?!

I see. That's not outside the realm of possibility...

Hmmmm!

...I see.

I have to leave soon, but I'll send some officers over there.

I'll tell them to keep you safe.

You're home right now, right?

Do you have a cold or something?"

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

"Just stay home and lock your doors and windows.

I'll send someone over immediately."

"What's wrong, Ooishi-san?

You'll be late for your appointment."

".......I just got a call from Rika Furude.

Someone called to warn her that she was going to be murdered."

"Someone is trying kill Rika Furude?!

But why?!

I thought she was like the village mascot?"

"It might be a warning for contacting me about the incidents in the village.

I don't know if they're really trying to kill her, but she's just a young girl.

I'm sure she's very frightened right about now.

Plus, if we lose her trust now, that might hurt our relationship in the future.

Two or three officers are enough, but please send them over at once.

Also, get a hold of her local officer and have them reassure her some."

"Yes sir!!"

Rika Furude might have some kind of hint regarding the mysterious deaths in Hinamizawa.

Ooishi couldn't let her die.

"We should head back to Hinamizawa as soon as we get the Gifu police department to spill the beans.

This is going to be a pretty tight schedule for our business trip."

"Hahahaha, this'll be a piece of cake!"

"This is Skylark.

A local police officer is on the shrine property.

He's heading toward R's house."

"Roger.

Continue observation."

"Encountering R.

She let the officer inside."

"R called the Okinomiya police department.

She requested protection on her own."

"Did she tell them about us...?"

"She told them that she got an anonymous call.

I'm sure that's made up.

The Okinomiya police department is sending a few more officers to her location."

"What?

Doesn't she trust the Mountain Dogs...?"

"This is trouble.

it's going to prove more difficult to continue the mission."

"...Is it possible... that she somehow found out?

Well, we're probably safe.

Just tell the team to be aware of the officers.

We don't want them to become suspicious of us."

"Roger.

HQ to all units.

There are police officers around the Furude shrine.

Please be mindful of them.

We may have to postpone tonight's mission..."

"I'll call her, but I'm sure the major will order a go anyway.

Everything's already set up for R to be discovered dead tomorrow morning so we can move to the next stage.

But we don't want the police to suspect us.

If they start suspecting you, just leave quietly."

Ooishi had called the officers pretty quickly.

The officer who was in the area arrived within ten minutes after I spoke with him.

He asked me what kind of phone call I received today.

...I decided to make up a whole story.

It'll all be over if they check my call history, but I'm sure Ooishi won't bother doing anything like that.

He thinks I'm worth protecting, because I have information about the incidents in Hinamizawa.

The policeman is one of the villagers, so I know him very well.

More officers are coming here from the Okinomiya department.

The officer told me to relax, because he'd stay with me until then.

Ooishi must have thought I was frightened half to death after getting a threatening phone call.

After about thirty minutes, four officers in plain clothes arrived at the shrine.

The local officer returned to his police box.

"We've heard the whole story.

We'll guard the shrine, so please call us if something happens.

Detective Ooishi will be here this evening."

I was relieved to learn that Ooishi would be coming here.

"......Thank you very much."

"At least one person will be downstairs.

I'm sorry, but is it okay if we use your restroom?

Also, will you give us one of your spare keys, just in case?"

"......Sure. You can use the restroom too."

My house is on the second floor of a storage building.

The first floor contains emergency supplies for the village.

I'm happy to know that at least one police officer will be there for me.

The officers confirmed their positions on the map of the shrine.

One will be in the storage building, and two more will walk around the shrine property.

Also, one more officer will be standing in front of the stairs that lead to the shrine.

......This world's Ooishi is certainly reliable.

In my other lives, Ooishi tended to look at me as his enemy.

However, in this world, he thinks I'm on his side.

......I'm sure it's because we all became friendly with him around the time we saved Satoko.

It was unfortunate at the time, but perhaps the return of Satoko's uncle was a necessary event.

If Okonogi was right about Irie, he wouldn't be able to come near me with twenty Mountain Dogs and four police officers protecting me.

If Okonogi is the bad guy, they'd be discouraged from acting by the presence of the police.

...Not too different from giving garlic to a vampire.

This is the best protection I've had in a hundred years.

...Even so, am I still going to be killed tonight...?

I need to do whatever I can.

I should struggle,

as hard as possible.

I won't give up.

I won't even think about my next life.

This is what enjoying life is all about.

This is what living seriously is all about.

"......Hanyuu, are you there?"

"...I'm here."

"What do you think?

About all this."

"......I have to admit, I've never seen anything like this before."

"Is it still wrong... for me to expect something different this time?"

".........I'm not going to hope for anything.

I'll just have to accept whatever the result is."

Hanyuu is still acting like a bystander.

I knew she was going to say something like that,

but part of me was hoping she would say something more positive.

Upon hearing her say what she did, I felt a little disappointed,

and wondered why Hanyuu refused to be anything but an onlooker.

I always thought it was normal for her to be that way, because she's a special existence.

I also convinced myself I had to be an onlooker too, since I was a similar being.

However, I can't just let go of everything and become a bystander.

I can't become like her.

I can't stop hoping for a better life for Rika Furude.

That hope was betrayed so many times, and my heart was crushed countless more.

That's why I stopped expecting anything to turn out the way I wanted.

So, is Hanyuu the same way...?

"......Are you also afraid of being hurt....?"

I've only lived for one hundred years, but I know how frightening it is to have high expectations.

Hanyuu should also be aware of that, since she's lived far longer than me.

I always thought that Hanyuu was a special existence.

But, except for the fact that she's invisible, everything about us is the same.

She has the same thoughts and feelings as everyone else, yet I still saw her as a special existence.

That's why I just assumed that her mind worked in a different way.

"I've been living for longer than you.

I know that there are more sad things than happy things in this world, and that your hopes will always be betrayed.

That's why I don't want to be hurt anymore."

"So you're not expecting anything from this world either...?

I still have hope that this world might be different...

....But you think I'll just be killed again?"

"...Au...

That's not what I'm thinking..."

Hanyuu looked uncomfortable.

She had no doubts that I'd be killed again that night.

That's what it means to not have hope.

But she just can't own up to it, because she doesn't want to hurt my feelings.

"You're the same as Satoko..."

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

"You're waiting for some stroke of luck or some miracle to come and help you.

You're afraid of fighting.

You think that being patient is the same as being strong.

.........That's how I was until just a little while ago."

Hanyuu looked down and bit her lip.

She couldn't deny what I said.

"I know that you've heard it over and over.

Miracles will not happen unless everyone works together.

That means you have to believe, too.

A miracle will never happen unless everyone believes in it."

What I just said sounded as though I was blaming her for the miracle not happening.

Maybe I was too harsh to her.

I stayed quiet, and Hanyuu continued to look at the floor, shaking.

Then she looked up at me and spoke.

I noticed sadness, but also a little bit of anger in her eyes.

"I can't even touch people

or talk to them.

You think I'm just like everyone else, even though all I can do is watch...?

Do you understand how it feels not to be involved in anything...?"

There was a slight severity in the tail end of Hanyuu's speech.

Except for me, she can't communicate with anyone in this world.

She hates to be reminded of that.

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

Let's stop this. I don't want to have a fight with you.

I don't want to spend the rest of the time I'm alive in an argument..."

"...I don't want to argue with you, either."

"But let me just say one thing.

You're my friend...

I don't want my friend to tell me not to expect too much out of my life."

"..........I'll apologize for that.

But you should try respecting my opinions, too."

She can be very stubborn sometimes.

Hanyuu seems weak on the outside,

but she actually has a very strong moral code, one that she wouldn't bend for anything.

She apologized to me, but she wasn't being honest.

She still wasn't expecting anything good to come from this world.

She still thinks that I'm going to die pitifully.

That's why she refuses to believe in miracles.

......I've been living with her long enough to read her mind...

I feel bad for her in a sense.

She's been living too long, and lost all of her hope...

Hanyuu told me to call her if anything else happened, and soon disappeared.

...I'm sure she's still around.

She's probably still watching me, as if she's watching a TV show.

The time of my death is slowly approaching.

Will I be able to survive this time?

It's been a long time since I faced this fear without drinking wine......