“….Heavy.”
Yukimichi murmured that as
he feels his body is bellow Amane’s.
This is the result after
they flew through the window to the outside.
It’s a miracle that he got
no injury. But the pain when he fall, and the Amane on top of him with her
weight and tender body, also the faint
sweet smell like flower from her hair, is informing him that this is reality.
“I-I’m not heavy!”
“Even how slender you are, a
human’s weight is basically heavy! Hurry up and get up!”
Before he knew it, he
replied back to her casually.
The Amane on top of him is
not scary.
She has weird way of
talking, but he sure that this one is a human.
The hollow-eyed [Amane] is
there on the broken window.
Same hair style, face, and
attire with Amane—but she is different with Amane, she has a blue-colored
hollow eyes.
The air which filled with
lukewarm moisture and the earth scent, along with the moonlight, [Amane]
laughed just like a broken musical instrument.
“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA—!”
Bending her throat and
shouted to the sky, that high-pitch laugh is just like the sound of metal that
rubbed together.
*Crunch—crunch, crunch*
Unable to withstand that sound,
the windows are broken one by one.
The glass shards are
fluttering like snow crystal in the night.
Yukimichi feel his chest is
filled with fear when he was stared by that [Amane].
“Don’t mess with me!”
He pushed the Amane on top
of him, and then grasped her hand and start running.
What on his mind is how to
run as far as possible from that [Amane].
“Damn! What the hell with
this horror movie-like development!”
He turned to the left after
passed the shoe rack, turn left and running again in a passage. And suddenly
they stopped.
Amane who pulled by
Yukimichi crashed into his back because of his sudden halt and moaned.
Yukimichi loosened his hand
that continuously grasped Amane’s hand and then start tilting his head.
“Huh? Did my run away
direction, wrong?”
Correct.
They were running straight
back to the classroom where [Amane] is.
“……..late.”
Hearing Amane’s trembling
voice, Yukimichi turned around.
“Too late to noticed it, you
idiooooooot!”
Amane focused her body
strength on her right feet and then start rotating.
Not long after Yukimichi
fascinated by what she did, he realized a left roundhouse kick already sink
into his abdomen.
“Ughaa—” An anguish groan.
He completely received that
fast kick.
Yukimichi who his body hit
the wall, sink down to the floor.
Tried to bear the pain after
kicked by Amane, he raised his face and glanced to the one who kicked him.
It’s Amakawa Amane.
Making an imposing stance.
That golden-colored eye is
mixed with her anger.
“You stupid! idiot! Why did
you run into the opposite direction? If you want to run away, at least try to
leave the school building first! Also, don’t pull my hand as you wish, you
idiot!”
Word abuse with all her
might.
“Wait—wait, wait, wait! It’s
my mistake for running to the opposite direction, but there is no way I will
run away from that place by my own right!”
“Why?”
“It’s normal isn’t it!
There’s no way I will do something cool like….”
Like leaving behind my
classmate to death.
“….it’s a bit abrupt but, did
you have twins or something like that?”
“What? I don’t have
something like that.”
“……..Amakawa Amane?”
“What is it?”
While saying that, Amane
stared at Yukimichi’s figure and said,
“……Huh? Are you this
school’s—“
Too slow to notice it.
“……Yes, and also, I’m your
classmate. My name is Ashihara Yukimichi.”
“…..Eh?”
Amami’s face is frozen.
Sweat flow from her
forehead, maybe, the reason is not only because of the temperature.
“What a surprise, to think
that I will meet someone in a time like this.”
“To think that you didn’t
realize it until now……you are a bit fall out aren’t you Amakawa.”
A bit late but, he tried to
see the unrefined sword that grasped by Amane again.
There are pattern that give
magical-like impression, but when seen once again, there’s actually no edge on
this sword.
Or is this actually a sword
for ritual use?
And also as he thought
before, that cute strap is unsuitable.
“Well, pardon me Yukimichi,
but please forgive me, I’m weak at remembering people’s face after all.”
“Er, it’s already too late
though, wait, why are you call me using my given name again.”
“Damn, well, if it needed I
can just seal his mouth.”
“S-Sealing my mouth?”
“…….N-Nothing. Please don’t
think of it too much, I’m just talking to myself.”
A splendid smile floated
from her face to cover something, for some reason inside that smile actually
something dark can be felt, or is it just his misunderstanding?
“What a loud monologue, oi!
Or should I mention it, where’s that [Nice to meet you] lady-like girl went!?
No, in the first place, I don’t know what is really going on here. Please don’t
destroy my ordinary life!”
“Don’t worry, it’s
unexpectedly that non-ordinary is not that bad.”
“Why did you treated it, as
if it was other people’s problem!?”
For some reason I feel
completely exhausted as I respond her.
“For now, let’s run away,
and this time to outside school.”
“Run away?”
“Yes, run away. No matter
how is it, that thing is really dangerous.”
Just recalled that
blue-colored hollow eye, already made gooseflesh on spine.
“What…..is that thing
anyway?”
Why did [Amane] called
Yukimichi’s name.
“Do you want to know about
it?”
She spoke using non-serious
tone, but that golden-colored eye of her is serious.
“That thing is called
Doppelganger.”
Amane said it with a
peaceful voice.
“Doppelganger…..ah, that is
another person who has same face as our self?”
A story where one met with
another oneself.
Amane extended her left hand
and put her index finger on Yukimichi’s lip.
“My purpose of coming here
is to hunt that thing. That’s why, please run away by yourself.”
“You know, Amane. Please
think about it a little. If I’m a person that goes ‘Ah, is that so, then I will
run by my self’ like that, I’ll already run away by myself from the beginning.”
“Then, what? Are you going
to defeat that? That type of supernatural phenomenon if leave it alone, there’s
high chance that people around us will got involved.”
“Just leave it alone, I’m
sure that an ally of justice somewhere in this world will take care of that
scary and tiresome thing, that’s why for now let’s run away.”
“You’re really idiot aren’t
you?”
She rotated that unrefined
sword with her little hand.
“The reason is because—that
‘Ally of Justice’ is me after all.”
That moment, the thin clouds
cleared up, and the moonlight shined on Amane.
“…Did I got a fever, hmm,
seems not.”
“What with that reaction.”
“No, it’s just that I’ve
seen something really…..unbelievable.”
“Well, normally people will
think like that.”
After sighing, Amane shrug
her shoulder.
“But—”
A Caesar cat-like evil smile
floated from her face.
“You will change your opinion
soon I think.”
She raised her sword.
“O-Oi?”
“I will swing it down on the
count of three, so please avoid it.”
“W-Wait! What do you think
you are going to do!?”
Something cold is touching
his back.
“Three!”
A white hand stretched and
brushed Yukimichi’s cheek.
“Two!”
He was too scared to turn
around.
“One!”
“I caught you~”
“Uooooooooooooooooooo!”
Yukimichi rolled on the
floor to escape.
The Doppelganger is stand
there, on the ceiling.
Also, just a moment ago he
was about to be slashed by Amane’s sword.
The [Amane]—Doppelganger
behind him bend its body in reflex to avoid the sword, and now stand on the
ceiling.
“…..Huh?”
Amane clicked her tongue.
“What a nimble fellow.”
“…..A ghost?”
“No, this fellow is a
supernatural phenomenon.”
Amane denied it.
“What is the different
between those two?”
“Ghost is just a fairy-tale,
while supernatural phenomenon is—”
Amane pull back the sword
that she swung just now.
“For us is something that
can be considered real.”
Doppelganger raised its head
as it recognized Amane.
“So you are still here,
Amakawa Amane.”
“Of course I am.”
“Actually it’s okay for you
to not here, at least that was better for me.”
It looked at Yukimichi, with
a child-like innocence face—but on the contrary, it’s really frightening.
“I don’t have any business
other than with Ashikara Yukimichi.”
“M-Me?”
“Yes, you.”
Yukimichi’s face became
stiff and his voice fall into disarray, and ignored by Doppelganger that have
bell-like voice.
“Sing, 『Kazenaki』”
With an ear-splitting sound,
the sword (Most likely, this is what she call『Kazenaki』just
now) rang and a delayed sound that resemble with activation of computer can be
heard.
The sword’s handle giving
off pale radiance.
In the same time, metal part
of tip of the handle, a gap is appeared as it operated, and from there come out
steam. With a sound of *click*, the cylinder is moving and it was surrounded
with blue light.
The surface of『Kazenaki』now
painted with complicated words.
“Negation Formula: 2.0.8.2—”
Negation Formula? What Formula?
Is it about that pattern?
Staring at the pattern that brimming
in blue light, there seems like a lot of symbol.
No letter, no numeral, only
the assembly of the symbols which called『Formula』.
Just like a magic square.
Amane hang up the sword that
she already set before, high on the air.
“Cut the phenomenon—”
Both from bellow and above
of Amane’s body is surrounded with wind.
“『Kamaitachi』!”
Amane swung downward the
sword as she shouted that.
The winds ringing with sound
like someone sobbing. She touched the bluish magic square on the sword, and the
magic square disappeared which indicate that the ceremony is over.
The wind edge, Kamaitachi is
released.
[Amane] who feel the fear of
the wind, looked at Yukimichi and giving him a smile,
“See you later, Ashihara
Yukimichi.”
She start disappeared as if
sucked into the ceiling.
Just before the edge of the
Kamaitachi touched, Doppelganger already disappeared and the Kamaitachi crashed
to the ceiling.
“It escaped. This is bad. I
don’t know that thing’s existence flow, so, how should I chase that thing from
this point.”
“…..Why me?”
“Who knows? Rather, it was
me who want to know.”
Amane take out a cloth bag
from the pocket of her blazer and put it on 『Kazenaki』.
“Hey, don’t continue to
stand there, let’s get out from school.”
This time it was Yukimichi’s
hand that being pulled as he walked.
“O-Okay.”
Yukimichi who still feel
dizzy, answered back with random word that come up to his mind.
What appeared on Yukimichi’s
vision is only that swaying pink-colored hair.
Nagatsuki High School was
build on mountain side, during the day time there are bus that pass this way,
but there’s even no single that come out in this time.
It’s inevitable, but they
must walk through that mountain road to descend from there.
Before they know it, the
mountain road is already over, and before them is residential area.
“In the end, just what is
going on?”
Amane stopped her leg, and
then turned around. The sword that right now covered with cloth, is hugged by
Amane near her chest. And a refined smile floated.
“Yukimichi-san, there are
things that better left unknown in this world.”
For example, Doppelganger.
For example, Kamaitachi. For example, about Amane’s personal matter.
“……No, please talk
normally.”
“Speaking like this is
considered normal for me though.”
Absolutely a lie.
“Amakawa….do you know word
[useless resistance]? This is what happened to you right now.”
“But for me this is my
normal way of talking though.”
Yukimichi staring at Amane’s
face. Amane elegantly smiled, received that stare, and finally it was Yukimichi
that the one averting his eyes first, and sighing.
“Hee, it seems you got some fixation
huh, with that fake personality.
“I’m sorry, I don’t
understand what’s the meaning of your words.”
There will be no meaning to continue
stick with this topic.
“Well, whatever. So, can you
tell me? About all thing that was happened this night.”
“If you want to spend your
life peaceful from now on, I think it’s better for you to forget all that
happened, and I can tell you one thing—that thing is a [Supernatural
Phenomenon].”
“……Supernatural Phenomenon
is, something like UFO or Poltergeist?”
“Yes. Can be explained by
science, and can be reproduction with
science, however only the phenomenon with good matter, material existence and everything,
that able to be reproduction”
“Even so, like hell I can
forget it!”
The hollow-eye of [Amane]—Doppelganger, can’t
go away from his mind.
Unable to erase that hollow
eye from his mind. The time he remember it again, the feeling of fear brushed
to his back.
“You don’t have the courage,
to forget it?”
Amane’s voice are so gentle,
and then she wrapped both her hand on Yukimichi’s shaking hand to comfort him.
“……Sorry. It seems I’m
unable to hold my anger just now.”
“It’s okay. Something
unexpected like that is happened after all.”
Amane who smiled gently,
staring at Yukimichi’s eye.
“I have one suggestion.”
“Suggestion?”
“Yes. I don’t know for what
reason, but it seems Doppelganger is showing some kind of attachment toward
you.”
“Y-Yeah, seems so.”
“I will protect you. I will
hunt the Doppelganger for your sake. That’s why, from now on, you have to spend
your time every night together with me.”
Amane said that with
sincerity.
“You are going to, protect
me?”
“I’m an ally of justice
after all.”
With that words, Yukimichi’s
tension now ease a bit, but now he have a stiff expression.
“I will protect you.”
She said it once more to
shown her sincerity, but she actually has real intention at mind.
(As already I planned
before! With this situation and timing! Just waiting for confirmation from him
and it will be perfect. Now, Ashihara Yukimichi! Become bait for my purpose!)
“…..Amakawa, you.”
(Fufu, just like taking a
candy from a baby. As expected of me! I’m the best!)
“Of course I will refuse it,
you idiot!”
Yukimichi shouted, betraying
the expectation.
Amane who feels already on
triumph now frozen.
“Your real intention is
‘let’s use this guy as bait to lure out Doppelganger’, isn’t it?!”
Amane’s motive is exposed.
“Wh, wh, wh…..”
“Just by looking at the mood
it’s already exposed! With that kind of fake face and smile, no matter how much
I think about it, it’s really suspicious! Don’t make light of suspicion sense
of normal people, you bastard!”
Amane who still disturbed,
talk back to Yukimichi,
“What with that reaction!
The lovely situation where this beautiful girl sticking her body close to you
for your sake, and you refuse it? Are you stupid or what!”
“In which part of this
situation is lovely!? And to think that you will said ‘beautiful girl’ to
yourself, how shameless!”
“It’s okay isn’t it, and the
thing about Doppelganger that have an eye on you is the truth. See, let’s try
it for now, whether it was good or bad. Having soul to challenge something is
important too.”
“Don’t exhibit that soul of
challenge of yours to my world! And if you want to do it, please don’t involve
me too!”
“No way! Someone like me who
cute, smart, and lovely beautiful girl are going to protect you, you know! You
can even take a pride on me as friend!”
“Oh my, how shameless. This
girl is increased the self-praise. And wait, there’s no one that take a pride
on his own friend!”
“Umm, er…..I’m sorry, it
seems I touched on a subject where I shouldn’t touch.”
“Please don’t suddenly feel
pity toward me, I will feel down for real. It’s okay, I’m the type of person
that have a small and deep kind of association with other people. And it’s not
like I’m lonely or something like that!”
“Inferiority complex of a
guy who don’t have friend?”
“None of your business, damn
it!”
After that, Yukimichi thrust
his finger at Amane.
“Anyway, I refuse it. I
don’t want to associate with someone who has bad personality like you by any
means! Also, from now on I will never approach school again on night time!”
“W-What a rude guy! I’m just
a person who think about logic first! In the first place, what are you
dissatisfied with! Just become bait for a while is not that bad!”
“I dissatisfied with
everything!”
“Y-You idiot!”
Amane chased Yukimichi as
she shouted with bright red face.
“I will surely, surely,
surely make you become bait!”
“I will absolutely,
absolutely, absolutely decline that! Don’t make light of my hetare (tl:
good-for-nothing) trait! I will not facing danger just for sake of someone like
you!”
“Hetare is not something you
can boast on!
“I can’t hear you! I who
have self-consciousness as a hetare will not hear anything that you said!”
“You hetare! hetare!
hetare!”
“I can’t hear it! I can’t
hear it! I can’t hear it!”
Without aware that they
already on residential area, they continued to insult each other, and suddenly
they stopped their foot with same timing.
“Well then, I will go on my
own from here on”
“Well then, I will go on my
own from here on”
They look at each other face
in the same time.
What stand before them is a
fairly wide frontage, a two-storied building with wooden construction and on
the first floor is an antique bookshop named [Akane Dou]. Since it’s already close
time, only the entrance for resident use that still open and there is a paper
there.
[Information There is available room. Taika]
In other word, the second floor part is rent
for use.
“Hahaha, now I recall it, I
got some call that there will be a new tenant here, is that you Amakawa?”
In front of entrance,
Yukimichi hit his own face in despair and laughed.
“What’s that? How stupid!”
Both of them sighed.
After that, they entered the
entrance for residence, and then they put their shoes on shoe shelf, and then
they go up the stairs to the second floor.
There are two rooms on the
second floor that lined near each other. Amane stopped her feet in front of
door beside Yukimichi’s room.
“Somehow I feel so worn-out.
Later then Amane, please don’t involve me anymore.”
“Good night, Yukimichi-san.”
A splendid fake face, and
completely sneering.
Only a brief moment, the
surrounding feels become spring, a hallucination of the smell of sakura’s
petals.
After that, Amane entered
her own room.
“It seems I have been
completely deceived by her.”
As he already entered his
room, Yukimichi heard the sound of something fallen to the floor. The source is
must be from the Amane’s room which on the opposite of his room. He knocked
lightly the door, but there’s no answer.
“…..I will open it you
know?”
He gripped the doorknob and
then opened the door.
The room has the same
structure with another room, the size is around eight mats and also there’s
small kitchen there. The toilet and bathroom are combined. Well, let’s leave
those thing alone for now.
Amane’s figure can’t be seen
inside the room.
Instead…….Yes, for now let’s
use a moderate expression for this one.
It’s full of trash.
How marvelous to be able made
this room full of trash in just few days.
Convenient store’s boxed
lunch wreckage, empty box of nutrition block, empty bottle and paper pack of
juice, magazines, scrap paper, clothes scattered anywhere, Amane who dived to
the mountain of trash, and even her underwear are scattered around.
“What a dirty room.”
Yukimichi is astonishment by
the appearance of the room.
“Uuu, my nyose ih huut…..”
Amane raised her face from
inside that mountain of trash with her nose in pain. She realized that
Yukimichi is standing there and then she noticed her own appearance, that big
golden-colored eyes are now become bigger than before,
“Unyaaaaaaaaa!”
She screamed.
Yukimichi finally come to
his senses after heard that high-pitched scream.
“S, Sorr—” He tried to
apologize to her but,
“You idiooooooooooooot!”
Amane quickly stand up and
land a knee kick. Yukimichi’s body is bended and become likeくcharacter.
“Forget it, forget it,
forget iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!”
The collapsed Yukimichi was
kicked by that golden-colored eye girl that now seems in tear.
He was kicked many times.
And each time, that
pink-colored tail is also bounced.
“You idiot! You idiot! You
idiot!”
Now, Yukimichi already
half-prepared to die.
After 15 minutes passed, Amane
feels tired kicking continuously, thus his life is saved.
And then both of them pushed
the mountain of trash to the corner of the room, and talk face to face in the
centre of the room.
“…..What a dirty room.”
“…..It’s not like someone
going to see it anyway.”
“…..Well, I saw it though.”
“…..Don’t!”
“…..too late.”
“You are the type of person
that slacked around when no one see you huh.”
“T-That’s not right! It just
that I’m a little bit weak at doing chores!”
“This already more than ‘A
little bit weak at doing chores’ you know! Please at least do some chores
little by little!”
“I do! It’s just because I
fall down, make the a little bit trash is scattered around!”
“ ‘a little bit’ again! In
what part of this is ‘a little bit’! At least make it so there will be a place
to stand for your foot!”
“Uuu, you idiot!”
“Unable to answer back and
that was the response huh, you fool. And it’s not written in hiragana as ばか or in
katakana バカ like this, but I will speak ill of you using kanji 馬鹿 , you fool. In the first place, that room almost
unable to be used as sleeping place.”
“I-I already arrange it
properly! Pushed the trash to the corner and voila, I get a place for sleep.”
“Don’t be proud of it! That’s not called ‘arrange’
but that’s what people call ‘running away from reality’. Useless girl!”
“U-Uuuuuuuuseless girl, you said!”
“Useless girl! Useless girl!
Useless girl! Unparalleled useless girl!”
“Uuuuu—”
Amane in front of him seems
to be stricken with grief with pose like word ‘OTL’.
“Oi, useless girl over there.”
Amane’s shoulders shaking.
“Let’s start cleaning this
room.”
“…..What?” Amane lifted her
face in puzzlement.
Yukimichi’s face is serious.
Entered some kind of switch,
and his sense of duty are get fired up.
“I have three things that I
can’t approve. One, hurting my friend, two, not completely finish the food, and
three, a room full of trash and clothes. Okay, time to clean this room then.”
In reality, Yukimichi’s
skill is fairly good. The time they finished it, they feel really exhausted
(For Yukimichi mainly for his body and now sleeping. As for Amane, mainly her
mental), and with the sound of sparrow outside and the sound of a curtain he
wake up, and then he checked his mobile
phone beside him. The alarm is set 5 minutes ago.
Heated the hot bath and then
washing his face, after that he made a food for breakfast and boxed lunch.
Because he do it everyday,
his skill is splendid.
After he finish prepared it,
he packed it into the lunch box, and for breakfast, he made sandwich, and last
he make a black tea.
When he ate his sandwich,
Yukimichi vaguely recall what happened yesterday.
The come of the beautiful
transfer student.
The transfer student have a
splendid fake face, and have a bad personality.
He didn’t know the detailed
situation but, Yukimichi is made become bait for defeating Doppelganger.
And her private life, is
fairly useless girl.
After seen the dirty room,
his tension suddenly upped and cleaned the room on 3 o’clock in the morning.
“……..Like a roller coaster.
I wonder to where do my life will continue?”
There’s a paper on the door.
“Info The lover’s quarrel yesterday are really
interesting. Do more. Taika”
Yukimichi rip off the paper
and thrust it into his pocket.
“A weird person as usual.”
Today the dazzling sun
shined like usual, and Yukimichi start walking.
Arrived to the classroom,
Yukimichi look bored with the scene before him.
Amane who stand out is being
surrounded by many students.
Maybe ‘A jewel in a
dunghill’ is overstatement, but Amane’s figure sure can make one fascinated.
That pink-colored hair that almost transparent, deep golden-colored eyes, and
pure white skin.
Shrugged his shoulder,
Yukimichi sat on his seat, and a voice can be heard from seat next to him.
“Good morning, Ashihara.
Having face like if you’re tired with life as usual huh.”
The girl next seat—Nagatsuki
Eiko smiled.
That black hair are tied
splendidly to ponytail, good thing that he didn’t pull it by mistake.
“My name is Ashihara
Yukimichi, the boy that even after five year passed still not has the
motivation on livi—wait, it’s none of your business! Just leave me alone.”
After responded to her joke,
Yukimichi continued to talk to her.
“Hmm, to think Eiko will have
free time in the morning, how unusual. Aren’t you usually stayed at the Student
Council room until the last minute?”
“I have finished what I
should do, so I come to the classroom early.”
“Still second-year, and also
a secretary, yet you have it hard.”
“That just how reliable,
popular, and nice virtue I am. Unlike Ashihara.”
“Now you mention it, I don’t
have any of that. Should I show my concern by massaging your shoulder?”
“Please massage me gently
and firmly. Afterward, I will sue you for sexual harassment.”
Unable to retort back,
Yukimichi raised both his hand and surrender.
“It seems this morning is my
loss then.”
“This morning too is my win
huh. One beverage and it’s Ashihara’s treat. With this, it was my 620 win and
17 lose.
Eiko make a triumphant pose
at Yukimichi.
Maybe, she is pleased and
enjoyed it. The proof is, that cat-like eyes now slightly loose.
“…..you can remember it
properly, every time we do that.”
“Of course, I remember
everything that related with Ashihara. And now, it as if you are within my
palm.”
“Well, losing more than six
hundred after all.”
“How poor, Ashihara, he keep
loosing at me eternally.”
Yukimichi do an exaggerated
shrug.
The conversation is paused.
Eiko turned her glance at Amane. After that, the ponytail is swaying and then
her glance back to Yukimichi.
“Amakawa-san is so amazing,
she even become rumor for other grade too.”
“Well, yeah, she surely is
beautiful, really beautiful. She even decided to use old style of ‘nice to meet
you’ as her greeting.”
Her personality is the worst
though.
Eiko leaked a small sigh,
and once more opened her mouth.
“By the way Ashihara, could
you—”
“Could you spare your time a
little for me?”
No footstep and presence,
before they know it, Amane already stand there.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Amakawa-san.
Did you have some business with me?”
“No, not with Nagatsuki-san,
but—” Amane nod a little as if to apologize, and smile can be seen from her
face.
“Could you spare your time a
little, Yukimichi? If can, let’s talk outside.”
“Hmm? Why not here?”
Amane who her smile is
disturbed, stepped at Yukimichi’s feet with all her might.
“….I will lead the way.”
“Tha, nk, you, ve, ry,
much.”
The surrounding people
didn’t realize it that the reason why Yukimichi’s words are cut off is because
his feet were trampled by Amane.
Amane naturally take
Yukimichi’s hand and pulled him from his chair.
“Sorry, Eiko. I’m off for a
while.”
“……See you later.”
Eiko’s black-cat like eyes
are now raised more, and staring at Yukimichi.
Amane released Yukimichi’s
hand after they arrived at the special classroom where people rarely come
there, and then she facing Yukimichi.
“Can you guess, what I’m
going to say, Yukimichi?”
“As I already expected, that
fake-face of yours are so gre—”
Before he finish it, his
mouth already caught by Amane.
“Even if you have loose
tongue, you should have some limit you know! Damn, it seems brought a nail
sharpener here is a right choice!”
“Nail sharpener?”
“About what happened
yesterday, or about me, well I’m sure that you will not spread the rumor on
purpose but, please be careful not to carelessly slip your tongue.”
“About 『Kamaitachi』, or about Doppelganger, and also about Amakawa who
have really bad fake-face too?”
“Yes, all of them. And if
you say something, a terrible thing will happen to you, okay?”
“I will not say anything. In
the first place, I will be treated as weirdo if I say about it anyway.”
“SHUT UP! Listen, you have
to remember what I just say!”
“…….Roger that, Boss.”
“Good if you understand.
Then, please make it that your after school time for today is empty.”
“Oka—Wait! I will decline
for that one!”
“Hee, so you said that huh.
If you rejected me like that, I will cry you know? I will cry while coming to
the class, I wonder, what will happen then?”
“You demon!”
“Call it logic. I will use
anything that useful, and of course I will use
Yukimichi too. A really beautiful symbiosis relationship isn’t it?”
“…..rather than symbiosis,
it’s more like a threat.”
“Well, you see, I will still
protect you from doppelganger as long as you are useful for me.”
Amane giggling as she waving
her hand and leave.
“The worst, she truly is the
worst girl…..”
Why did he be involved with
that girl, once again he shakes his head, and then he looked at the other side
of the window.
It was exactly the chime is
ringing when he back to the class. Good thing that the homeroom teacher still
not come yet, but for exchange, he was stared by some male student (and also
some female student).
Eiko who sat beside him
didn’t say anything, instead, that black cat-like face are staring Yukimichi
closely.
“…..What is it, Eiko?”
She is staring at him.
“Um, Eiko-san?”
She is staring at him.
“Err, I wonder what is going
on, can you tell me?”
She is staring at him.
He can feel sweat flowing
from his back.
“Please, at least say something….”
“Go to hell.”
This is bad, she is
seriously angry at him.
He can see a hallucination
of black cat that have its hair stand, from her back.
Now, Yukimichi’s temperature
dropped ten-fold.
He wondered why did she
angry, and start working his brain but—
“Hey, sit on your seat,
students. The homeroom time is going to start.”
The homeroom teacher came.
At that time, he saw that homeroom teacher as an angel. For now, the angry Eiko
can be avoided for a while.
The homeroom teacher stood
on the podium as usual. Her appearance is just like a career woman, but her
face is not close at all.
She put a cigarette on her
mouth.
Some students call her
‘Anego’, but mostly call her ‘Kudou-sensei’ normally.
In charge for modern
language, just exactly that was the first lesson for this class. The lesson is
begin, and immediately Kidou-sensei call a name to read the book aloud.
“Then, read it aloud, please
Amakawa.”
Amane read the book—or not,
she read the copy of text that distributed to every student.
Kudou-sensei have a
characteristic ignoring with all her might all syllabus that already designed
by the educational guidance, so she use some text that she choose randomly
instead of textbook. And the difficulty is usually harder than normal textbook.
“After lunch, father—“
Bathed in summer sunlight,
Amane’s pink-colored hair are glittering and shining. The golden-colored eyes
that like suck up the one who see it. Her voice when reading is so fluent like
if she was sing and the class is her stage.
Even seen from far away, Amane
sure is beautiful.
“That’s enough.”
Inform Kudou-sensei and
Amane’s recitation is over.
“Good. The headmaster
old-man said that you’re a returnee from foreign country, so I want to see your
japanese skill but,”
A superb bad tasted speech,
but Amane ward it off with smile.
“I’m sorry to betray your
expectation.”
“…..a—, no, don’t worry. It’s
a splendid recitation.”
After that, Kudou-sensei
began to call the next person.
Yukimichi suddenly looked to
the outside of the window.
There’s no one there, but he
can feel a glance of someone from the outside.
“Just my imagination huh.”
said Yukimichi as he tilted his head. And on the same time, a small pain can be
felt from his shoulder.
Eiko is thrusting her
mechanical pencil at his shoulder.
“What you should see while
in class is not Amakawa-san, but the blackboard.”
“No, it’s not like I gazing
at Amakawa though.”
A frown can be seen as Eiko
staring at Yukimichi.
“An excuse?”
“Not an excuse, I just said
the truth.”
As he thought of it again,
what he just said is really sounds like an excuse.
“…..I’m sorry. I will listen
to the lesson seriously.”
After heard that, Eiko
facing the black board.
Only around Eiko that have
its temperature fall down, and the anger seems still continued even till now.
Somewhat, Eiko is in a bad
mood today.
Yukimichi looked at the
window opposite of Amane.
And that girl is looked at Yukimichi again.
“Hee….to think that he able
to notice me, Midou Kanaru….”
The owner of that glance
that Yukimichi feel is stand on the rooftop of the building, far away from
Nagatsuki High School.
She is a short woman with a
white robe and glasses.
Underneath the white robe
she wore a cut-jeans and asymmetry shirt, on the exposure leg, a picture of
snake is painted there
.
Uninterested with make-up,
she casually tied her hair using rubber.
Midou Kanaru, that was her
name.
“Optic correction, off.”
With a small beeping sound,
the glasses from an ultra long distance that supported with a system become
normal glasses.
It was a super technology
item, that make use of the same technique as『Formula』that used for Amane’s 『Kazenaki』.
Kanaru recalled the face of
the boy that noticed her presence from a really long distance.
“Well, whatever.”
Let’s forget it for now.
“Mizuka.”
She called a name to change
her mood.
“What is it, Nee-sama.”
The one who answered was a
shadow-like girl.
She wore an emerald
green-colored maid uniform. And for some reason the front part of her skirt has
a large rip.
To match the remodeling maid
uniform, she also wore stockings. And her long hair is covered her bangs to the
point that it also covered both her eyes.
Even with that stand out
outfit, she has thin presence like ghost. Even that girl called Kanaru with
‘Nee-sama’, they were not resemble each other.
“Amakawa Amane is confirmed
in Nagatsuki High. How about the result with 『Haitenshi』?”
“Okay, Nee-sama. Today a
supernatural phenomenon at Nagatsuki High on seven o’clock is confirmed. Has
ram fixation existence flow, the number of fixation is seventy two, the
revelation of the remaining traces of supernatural phenomenon, shown that
there’s seventy six percent of probability that this one has 『Imaginary
Formula』fragment・type 『Doppelganger』.”
“Good.”
*Clap*, Kanaru clapped her
hand with an exaggerated gesture.
“What do you think, Mizuka?”
“Yes, Nee-sama.” Mizuka, the
little sister who wore maid uniform is asked but she didn’t answer her.
“Yeah, as Mizuka already
thought before.”
But Kanaru nodded as if she
was heard a reply from her little sister.
“There’s an effect when
Amakawa Amane let that thing run away. Hmm, with this, it’s settled then.”
Kanaru laughed while spread both
hands.
“Let’s shake it first then.”
“But, Nee-sama.”
“I know. I, Midou Kanaru
understand it very well.”
“But, Nee-sama.”
“As I said, there’s no
problem. The other party is most likely the command of disposal assignment of
Amakawa Amane. We, the great 『Domain』will not say anything.”
“I will let Mizuka to shake Amakawa Amane. I, Midou Kanaru
will make sure whether the enemy before me is appropriate for me or not.”
“Of course, Nee-sama.”
Mizuka who like shadow,
smiled lightly.
“Then, as Nee-sama wish.”
“Aa. Torment her but don’t
let her die. That girl who have pathetic head and said something like ‘Ally of
justice’, let’s beat her down and make her cry!”
“Are you having fun, Nee-sama?”
“Not really but, more or
less I expect something fun from her.”
“Then, since we also got
preparation to hunt Doppelganger, let’s finish it first. Just you see, Amakawa
Amane, we will show you how powerless you are.”
She walked to the exit of the
rooftop as she laughing like a wicked snake.
“Regret! Cry! But if you
broken just by this degree, this also become a sign that the sworn enemy that
Midou Kanaru seek is still far to be realized.”
“You’re right, Nee-sama.”
Mizuka followed Kanaru
quietly and exited from the rooftop.
“……It’s hurt.”
It’s been five times that
Yukimichi’s shoulder being poked by Eika’s mechanical pencil.
“You are staring at
Amakawa-san too much.”
Eiko say it short.
“It’s not like I……..no, it’s
nothing.”
It was the lunch time,
“Um, Yukimichi-san—”
“Sorry, leave it for next
time.”
Being called by Amane, he
only replied to her shortly and then went out the classroom right away.
“Hee, so you using that kind
of attitude at me huh.”
Amane who left behind by
Yukimichi leaked dark aura, but he didn’t know about that. He bought two beverages
and put it on a paper pack with a boxed lunch on other hand, and after that he
went to the special classroom on fourth floor, the Student Council room.
He knocked the door, waiting
for reply and then opened the door.
On the centre of the Student
Council room, there is a table that can be used by four people. There are also
bookshelves that stored files and also a personal computer.
Rather than Student Council
room, it’s more like an office that used for small company.
Eiko placed her lunch box
which covered with deep blue cloth on top of desk, while she herself was
reading some documents.
“Thanks for waiting, here,
the thing that you asked on my loss.”
Sit facing each other, and
then he slide one beverage to Eiko’s direction.
Eiko receive it perfectly.
“Hmm….”
Only answered with that, and
then she stared again at Yukimichi with black cat-like eyes.
“Am I okay to eat my lunch
here?”
“Hmm…”
As already expected before,
she still staring at him. It’s not like he resentful or condemn about it, it’s
just that somehow he feel uncomfortable.
“Say, Eiko, since this
morning what are you angry at?”
“I’m not angry at all. I’m
really not angry at all. I’m really completely not angry at all.”
No matter he hear it, he sure
that she is angry at him. A black cat illusion can be seen from her back.
There’s an air conditioner
in Student Council room, yet, Yukimichi sweated from his back.
“Um.”
“…..This morning, you’re
called by Amakawa-san.”
“Hmm, what’s happened with
Amane?”
After heard that, Eiko sink
into silence again.
Yukimichi unable to taste
the flavor of his boxed lunch because he desperately using his brain to search
for the answer.
She was on bad mood since
morning, and for some reason now accelerated.
“Mu.”
Let’s think of it for a
while…..as it was approaching the lunch time, her mood was growing worse. One
of possible reason is because of——hunger!
The time he got the
conclusion, Yukimichi began to act.
“Eiko, if I’m not mistaken,
you like fried-egg aren’t you?”
“I don’t hate it.”
“Good.”
Yukimichi take one fried-egg
with his chopsticks and then he face toward Eiko who is in bad mood.
“Here, say a~n.”
Secret plan, using food to
fix her mood.
But, Eiko seems stiffened.
“….Huh?”
Eiko is stiffened.
Her face from bottom to the
upper part is reddening.
Eiko suddenly leave from her
seat, closed the curtain of the window, and than locked the door.
“Why are you locking the
door?”
Ignoring him, Eiko sit on
her seat again and then cleared her throat, and after that she stroked her
chest three times, then she strike her cheek to motivate herself, and then she
looked at the chopsticks that hold a fried-egg and she closed her eyes.
“A-A~n.”
She opened her mouth with
her face that reddening until her nape of the neck.
Yukimichi that strangely as
if he was used to it, put the fried-egg on her mouth, Eiko then eat the
fried-egg while closed her eyes, and seems so happy with it.
“…..Delicious.”
“I’m glad.”
When Eiko saw Yukimichi’s
face that glad with his cooking, she averted that black cat-like eyes.
“Your cooking are always
delicious as usual, Ashihara.”
“Well, I’m doing it everyday
after all. With this, I’m now qualified become a bride huh.”
“In Ashihara’s case it
should be groom though……Darn. Just now, I’m imaginating Ashihara in wedding
dress. And it was really disgusting.”
Eiko laughed because of that
silly joke, and then put the green tea pack on her mouth.
It seems her mood are
improved a bit, feels relief, and he become carried away and said,
“No, no. Maybe it was fit
for me, that wedding dress…..well, before that, there’s no one who will take—”
He then continued the joke.
“Eiko, would you like to
take me in?”
In that instant, Eiko seems
surprised and then put too much on the paper pack thus making it flooded.
Eiko choked intensely
because of the tremendous force of the green tea that drive into her throat.
“A-Are you okay?”
As if matching with her
cough, Eiko’s ponytail is swaying in a rhythm.
Yukimichi who stand up,
stroked Eiko’s back gently.
“Please don’t say a weird
joke like that…..”
“My bad. Well, it surely
that I’m not someone that will be able to reach Eiko’s level though.”
Yukimichi shrugged his
shoulder, back to his seat and then put his chopstick back to the box. For now,
it seems Eiko’s mood already fixed so it’s okay.
“…..That’s not right, if
you, I’m sure…”
Eiko seems murmuring
something with low voice, and then she pick the documents.
After that, he back to the
class and the lesson are started. There’s no big problem, and now it was after
school.
Since Yukimichi didn’t have
any business, he left the school quickly.
Amane is surrounded by the
students, and Eiko is busy with her Student Council task.
On his way back, he went to
the shopping district first to buy the ingredients for dinner.
Since vegetable was cheap, he
decided to make a stew.
Back to his room, he put an
apron on top of his uniform, put the water and vegetables to the pot—and set
the fire on medium level.
A really simple cooking, as
long as you have the ingredients, you just need to cut it and then boil it.
Put some suitable amount of
roux, and then stir it and let it boil.
The time when sky was
colored with sunset color, the stew’s delicious scent are filled Yukimichi’s
room, Yukimichi eat that stew alone and there still some remain there.
“….Hmm, should I put it in
the refrigerator?”
When he saw the stew that he
made too much, for somehow he remembered about Amane. He left his room, and
then knocked the door of the neighbor room, but there’s no reply.
“ Is she not back yet?”
He back to his room again and
then read an old-book that pressed to him by Taika to kill the time.
But, when it already reached
the end of the book, outside already become dark, and he can hear crow singing.
And of course, the stew is already become chilled. He then put the novel behind
and then slowly approaching his room’s door and then opened it.
“You Idioooooooooot!”
A kick sink into his abdomen
just like the previous time.
“Ugaaaaaa!”
He answered her while he was
collapsed on the floor like く
character.
“What are you doing!”
“Shut up, you idiot! I said
to leave your time after school open isn’t it?”
“I do and waited for you,
you know!”
“Why did you not wait in the
classroom!”
They shouted in the same
time, tilted their heat in the same time and then understand what happened in
the same time.
“It was a loss for me since
I already waited and in the end I still kicked by you isn’t it?”
“Um, it seems for this time,
it was my fault.”
『Please
make your after school time empty, and wait for me』is what her real intention is.
“…..Also, if I think about
it again, I actually planned to take『Kazenaki』first and then back to school again, so there’s not
much problem I think.”
“Oi! Something that crucial,
no, a really basic thing like that, please think of it from the beginning!”
“Well, it’s good thing that
you were kicked by a beautiful girl like me isn’t it. Wow, how lucky you are.”
“As I said before, I’m not
someone like that! Not even a little! I will not be deceived so easily you
know!”
Yukimichi sighed after his
rough breath calmer, and then start talking seriously.
“Then, are you going to
defeat that Doppelganger?”
“Yup, and the place is the
school.”
“No way, I will not go there
again in the night time. Why did it was school in the first place? Is that
place cursed or something?"
“In some meaning maybe
‘cursed’ is a right word~ the detailed theory is school is a place where
supernatural phenomenon easily gathered.”
“Okay, time to drop out from
school then……wait, that was impossible to do.”
“By the way, if you refused
more than this, start from tomorrow, your school life will become really interesting you know.”
“….Understood. I just have
to go with you isn’t it?”
He gave up and then
reluctantly followed Amane to school.
She than brought the『Kazenaki』that
wrapped up in a cloth from her room, and that time a question come to him ‘Is
it possible that this girl are actually more wicked than the Doppelganger
itself?’.
Amane and Yukimichi who
walked in the night to the school overlooked them.
They who disregard laws of
physics, standing in the night sky.
The two who different with
each other.
One is 『Amakawa Amane』, Doppelganger who have same appearance and attire
with Amane.
She was behaving like a lover
with the one beside her.
And the other one is the
mysterious man who embraced by Doppelganger.
He have bandages all over
his body like an invisible man, wore a tuxedo, and silk hat plus a staff on his
hand.
His gender actually still
unknown.
He theatrically spread his
hand in the sky.
“Thus, begin the first
recalculation!”
Even he know that no one
that saw and heard him, he still perform like an actor and shouted.
“Oh the sad nigh, the
suffering dawn, and the hellish noon! How many times did you repeat it! Please
give your blessing on this recalculation!”
And then,
“Prepare yourself,
Doppelganger. With the fragments of 『Imaginary Formula』and also the soul of the silver, the hollow vessel—”
Doppelganger looked at him
with a gaze like little cat.
“Your desire is to fulfill
the first recalculation, your existence is because of Ashihara Yukimichi, your
real meaning is to complete the 『Imaginary Formula』.”
Doppelganger who don’t
understand with with the meaning of his words tilted it’s head.
“Ojii-sama’s words are
really difficult to understand. For now, I am okay to eat Ashihara Yukimichi
isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right
Doppelganger. But, please wait for a moment.”
“Why?”
“All of the symbols are
still not complete yet. Just that.”
Gripped the silk hat, he slightly
hide his face.
“You seems having fun,
Ojii-sama.”
“Yes.”
He lower his silk hat more,
and hide his face.
The man who wrapped in
bandage has countless names but, if one should say, one of them is『Epimetheus』, a name that he prefer to be called with.
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