---

---

They lacked the resolve to speak their minds about their lives, and besides, they were trusting the words of the person who said, "I won't inflict unnecessary harm." Nipping resistance in the bud is always beneficial for the one in charge, after all.

"I don't want you to misunderstand, but violence isn't my primary objective. Resorting to violence is merely a means, and its value doesn't exceed that of the goal......"

His grand speech echoed across the basketball court, but midway through, an intangible interruption forced my ears to change their focus.

"Hey, hey, Mii-kun." Mayu's breath tickled as she pinched my earlobe and deliberately blew into the opening.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Can I make a request to increase the number of requests from thirty to fifty?"

"Yeah, ah, sure."

Distracted, I brushed her off lightly. ...However, a bad feeling based on past experiences swelled within me, so I turned around.

Mayu wore a glare that looked ready to explode with stress.

"Heyyy, what have you been doing all this time? Mii-kun is supposed to look at Maa-chan. Play with Maa-chan. Ignoring Maa-chan iiiis— Mmphhff!" I clamped my hand over her mouth. A chill ran through me, accompanied by cold sweat and goosebumps. Ahh, my heart is pounding violently. The pain feels like it's spreading to my lungs.

"You can't shout, okay?" I checked that the shooter and the roughly half of the students visible in the front rows hadn't turned around before letting out a sigh that felt like it might make more hair fall out.

"Will you be quiet if I let go? I'll grant you even more requests." I dangled the bait before the struggling Mayu. She nodded obediently with a "Mmph," so I let go, though I didn't entirely trust her. The first thing she did was bite my finger, then show off her puffy-cheeked pout.

"Mmph, mmph-mmph, mmph."

She seemed to be pouting quite cheerfully as she snuggled up against me. We bumped cheeks playfully, bash bash, and then, realizing what held my interest, Mayu finally managed to look down at the situation herself.

"What's that?"

"Hmm... A real-life survival game?" A made-up term, and nonsensical besides.

"Is that going to be over by lunch break?" Mayu asked, focusing only on the part that concerned her, as if questioning the turn of events.

I gazed at the countless heads lined up, unable to even doze off, listened to the shooter's loud voice, and thought. It would be perfect as a man-made disaster drill, but it certainly wasn't part of the school curriculum. "Doesn't look likely," I replied. It was doubtful anyone outside would notice anytime soon.

Due to the rain, it was hard to see into the gym from outside, and the gunshots would also be muffled.

He must have chosen a day like this specifically to become the attacker.

"Then, what about our bentos?" Mayu grabbed the scruff of my neck. Her tone grew a little rougher, her volume increasing.

"Maa-chan made bentos to eat with Mii-kun during lunch break! Otherwise, there's no point coming to this stupid school!"

"Hmmm…………" Believing in the miracle that the curry might turn mild if we waited, maybe I could get away with just letting things be.

If I could avoid having to take action, then that would be fine. That’s my true desire, to just let time pass. No, that's a lie, though it doesn't really matter if that's the reason.

Even if the situation itself is demanding that we make a move.

This isn't a situation where I should be running around trying to solve things, right?

If I butt in and things somehow end up resolved safely as a result, Natsuki-san will probably get mad at me next time. *'Treating your life carelessly when you're indebted to me is an insult, wouldn't you say?'* she might incoherently lecture me, and I wouldn't put it past her to pull my lower lip. Last time it was my upper lip, so I'm predicting based on that experience.

"Mii-kun!" Mayu tugged dramatically at the sleeve of my gym uniform, her voice reproachful. Her volume was nearing normal levels; it was lucky the shooter was in the middle of his speech. But sensing this was the limit, I said, "......Roger that, wait a sec." "Mmph!" I clamped my hand over Mayu's mouth again and looked up at the ceiling.

Time for a multiple-choice question. Personally, I question the very fact that things have devolved into this format, but I suppose this is telling me to appreciate anew the meaning of coexisting with Mayu.

*Where's the lie?* I searched within my eyeballs.

I formulate an answer that stinks of stomach acid.

① Cute Mayu suddenly uses me—less than Suke-san, more than Kaku-san, yet not quite either¹—as a weapon to punish the culprit.
② Evade the shooter's eyes (possibly in the literal sense) and attempt to escape through the window.
③ Continue playing hide-and-seek, without the 'oni'² knowing we're here. Reality is peaceful.

First off, the ② refers to windows on the second floor. So the choice of jumping down is actually questionably effective. Besides, I've already witnessed plenty of people getting shot in the arms or legs attempting just that.

Even if we reached one, the gym's second floor is easily as high as, if not higher than, the third floor of a house. It's quite a drop. Landing feet first would likely mean broken bones. Landing head first means a broken neck. Or your skull caves in. Or your brains go splat.

Therefore, ② is rejected. It'd be a different story if a magic broom or a flight stone³ happened to be lying around backstage.

Which means my top recommendation is ③. The path likely chosen by anyone who isn't a hero of justice capable of blocking the villain's last-ditch bullet with a charm in their breast pocket. It’s self-defense rooted in safety and common sense, the kind of choice Koibi-sensei or Natsuki-san would probably grill me for *not* making.

But Mayu won't allow it. She probably wouldn't stay quiet for even five minutes. For the sake of her bento.

...Essentially, ③ requires the two of us to spend time together without making a sound for our safety to be guaranteed.

In other words, it's a safety plan visibly doomed to fail.

This leads straight to the hidden answer: Mayu makes noise, and we both get slaughtered.

However, if that's the case...

...then ① is really the only option left. Not that there's any kind of teeth-gritting, firm resolve welling up inside me.

Reality is heartless, and so our actions must also be extreme.

That's a lie, though.

My breath, reading the room, escapes my body on its own. I run down a path of oxygen deprivation, worrying so much about when to stop breathing that my stomach surges up, a painful lump like a stick lodged in my throat gnawing at me.

After my breathing finally settles, I awkwardly hang my head. I feel like I can hear the rain drumming on the back of my neck.

As I lift my face, I brush back the bangs covering my eyes.

That gesture naturally brings memories of when I kept my hair long dancing into my mind.

Instantly, I stomp them down.

"Okay... let's do something about this." Shaving off my motivation like discarding unwanted fat, I flatly announce the start of our action.

"Mmph!" Mayu's raised right hand whirls around, mocking the spurring on of "our" daily life.

That's a lie, though.

"...Same as always."

The culprit-busting show...

...is about to begin.

***

**(Part 4 - Sakashita Koibi's Narration)**

"Thirties - Job A + Job B ="⁴
"Saying you can't play horror games alone... Shouldn't you be more scared of your own reality?"
*Friend's Attack! Brain capacity absorbed!*
"Hey! Don't just grab my lunch without hesitation!"
*Brother's Attack! Failed to steal it.*
"This month's allowance is 5,000 yen. You hardly go out, so what would you even spend it on?"
*Mother's Attack! Strategy Change: "Conserve Funds"*
"You never should have become a doctor."
*Sister's Attack! Stopped thinking!*
*I ran away!*
......Reality didn't manage to corner me, so it feels a bit empty.

"Get up already."

My mother’s voice doesn’t try to gently coax me awake with the quilt still over me; instead, it sounds like sheet music performed by rustling paper and shuffling feet.

Even when I was a student, I was never woken up like that.

My report cards used to say I was a reliable person. ......Wait, was that back in elementary school?

The quilt was ripped off, and I got a kick to the butt.

"I'm awake," I mumbled, curling into a ball, hugging my knees.

"You really grew up to be all talk......... honestly."

She grabbed the bottom of my pajamas and pulled, taking a chunk of my butt flesh with it.

"Kyaa, perv!" I protested weakly. I expected to be comfortingly ignored, but she let go abruptly. The stretched elastic snapped against my waist, leaving a dull, numb feeling.

"Show a little shame."

"Mmm, family seeing me naked is no big deal."

"I'm talking about this lifestyle of yours."

My mother's harsh words struck me. They resonated deeper than pinching my butt, at least.

Somehow, even her footsteps sounded heavier than usual as she walked away.

"I'm getting up, getting up, I told you I'm up!" I excused myself to no one in particular, fumbling for my glasses. "Oof!" My hand karate-chopped a stack of manga I'd piled up. Paper rustled noisily, like the flutter of birds' wings.

"Hmph, anyone felled by an attack of this level is the weakest mook among the Four Heavenly Kings..." I muttered, finally waking up enough to put on my glasses. My eyesight has taken a sharp dive recently, making these corrective tools indispensable.

Natsuki sometimes used to say, "Games, one hour a day," but was that a slogan for eye health? Wouldn't the Japan Eyeglass Association (or whatever it's called, if it exists) have a problem with that?

Postponing the manga cleanup, I picked up the clock by my pillow.

The digital display announced today's date: June 2nd. The short hand had just passed ten AM.

Incidentally, it was decidedly a weekday.

"Huh?" When did I even fall asleep?

I put a hand to the back of my head, which felt numb from oversleeping, and tried to recall last night and the early morning.

Ah, right. I'd set up auto-leveling with a turbo controller and scotch tape, then taken a nap.

I wonder how many levels I gained overnight. I felt a thrill, strangely intense even to myself. Like remembering a donut saved for the next day, a truly frivolous sense of excitement.

Right then! I lifted my head and stared at the neglected screen—

"Nyaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

It was pitch black. I patted the TV screen, but there were no scorch marks smeared on it.

"Aaaargh!" The plug's been pulled! The power's gone, they starved to death!⁵

"Mom! What did you do with my fifteen hours!"

I burst out of my room in my loungewear and confronted my mother in the hallway about her crime.

"The cat must have pulled it out," she replied coolly, unfazed.

"Oh, come on! We don't have a cat living here!" My hands gestured obsequiously, Echigoya-style⁶.

At that, my mother, hand on the staircase railing, turned back with a blank look.

"We do have one, you know. It's been in E Sora's room for a week now. You didn't know?"

"Hmm, well, I haven't seen my sister in like ten days. Heh, so she started living with a cat, huh."

*Hyu, hyu, ugh.* I couldn't manage a whistle. And for some reason, my mother was staring at me pitifully. I feel like faking a苦笑い (wry smile) would be easier to pass off than this lack of breath, but this is awkward.

"Your cold breakfast is ready, so hurry up and eat, Koibi."

"Yes, yes." Wow, she's bullying me a little. Or rather, just treating me like a freeloader.

"Also, you're slouching. Straighten up."

My mother's back looked sturdy as she headed downstairs ahead of me. She possessed a strength that wouldn't bend even supporting a useless daughter who hadn't worked for over half a year. Hmm, hard to believe she's my mother.

Having been warned, I straightened my posture and tucked my chin, causing a bone in my lower back to pop.

"Oh right, a cat, huh?" Slapping a fist into my palm felt a bit crude, even for my sleep-addled brain. No, wait, let's think about this rationally.

I didn't know about the cat.

My sister E Sora dislikes me, so I doubt she'd let a cute little kitty into my room.

"......... Er, so,"

The conclusion is, she tricked me.

"Aren't you going to fix your bedhead?"

"This hairstyle is trendy right now. It's called the 'Yokai Approach Style'."

"I could have sworn your hair was all down yesterday?"

"Just striving daily to be the epicenter of trends."

".........And you're slouching again."

After being met with exasperation, I was urged to sit down. Maybe I overdid the imitation of *that* girl a bit.

I sat down at my designated seat in the kitchen, where a single plate covered in plastic wrap awaited me. Its contents: two onigiri rice balls and scrambled eggs. Wieners. ...... Kinda like a sports day bento box.

"Itadakimasu." Before my mother, who is strict about manners, I put my hands together, partly as practice for being a borrowed cat⁷.

Then, I removed the wrap. The onigiri I picked up was cold, just as declared. Having a mother who practices what she preaches makes life hard for her daughter. And following her mother's example, the daughter practiced what was preached and stuffed the onigiri into her cheek.

"Ohh. ...... Ohh, salty." There was no filling.

Somehow, even the saltiness was faint, like it was seasoned with tears shed over worries about me.

Well, I guess luxury is unnecessary. After all, I have no income.

"Ah, it's raining today."
"Today too."
"........."
"........."
"........."

Being stared at so intently makes it hard to swallow my rice.

"Which is why I'd like some tea, please."
"Self-service." She pointed sharply at the fridge. I obediently slid my chair across the floor, opened the fridge, and took out the bottle of barley tea. Clutching my spoils of war, I dragged myself back with a discordant scraping sound, returning to my dining seat.

"What were you doing last night?" Mom attempted communication, timing it with my return.

"Playing games," I mumbled through my food. Honest me.

"........." Mom put her hand to her forehead. My fault probably added five or six wrinkles. *'You can use me as an excuse for your advancing years,'* I thought, but suggesting it seemed likely to get my food supply cut off, so I restrained myself.

Honestly, even though it's the clinic's day off, Mom doesn't seem to get much peace of mind.

"........." *Gulp, gulp.* "........."

"Mom?" She had her eyes closed, so I checked if she was awake.

"What is it?" Oh, she was awake.

"I won't ask for much, just buy me a PS2— Ow!"

My foot under the table got kicked. My, my, Mother, you're so knowledgeable, even about game consoles.

"You know... Every time I see you, you seem to be in your room playing games. Are you actually taking baths and stuff?"
"Mhm, like four times a day." Because I'm a girl (with way too much time on her hands).

Getting a glimpse into my daily life, a shadow crossed Mom's face. Maybe calling myself a "girl" at this age was pushing it. Hmm, but what am I then? A heroine? Or maybe she can't read my mind? Was that pushing it? Hmm, but what am I?

"Koibi, you're the eldest daughter, right?"

"Unless Dad and Mom each have a secret love child," I replied, biting into a wiener.

"You know, lately I've been thinking. If you were the youngest daughter, maybe there'd still be room to educate you... Right now, you're like the child who needs the most looking after."

"No, no, Mom, it's the opposite. I'm sacrificing myself as a negative example, you see, so that my foolish younger brother and sister don't turn out like me and become somewhat decent human beings, y'know!"

*Nuhaha ha,* I shoveled scrambled eggs into my mouth. Yep, Mom's cold gaze cuts through the humidity.

"............Koibi."

"Yes, yes."

"How about getting married?"

*Pfft!* I almost spat out just the egg white. That's a lie, though... Ugh, that's *that* girl's catchphrase.

"What are you flustered about?" My ever-so-gentle Mother tilted her head slightly. If she'd said that while I was sipping tea, her face might have ascended from serene Buddha to仏頂面 (sullen mask) right then and there.

"Um, you see, Mom..."

"Yes, yes." Drat, she copied my line like some pink creature⁸.

"Marriage is like, when two people go *smooch*? Or like, *combine*? That kind of thing?"

"Why are you acting embarrassed? You're so naive about the strangest things." She sipped her tea nonchalantly. Shut up.

"And, to be blunt, I don't have anyone. How many years do you think it's been since I had a boyfriend?"

"I can find you plenty of candidates for an *omiai*⁹, you know."

She made the practical suggestion with a calm face. My parents have wide connections, you see.

"If you can manage to hide your true personality to some extent, we can definitely find someone to take you."

"............I can't tell if you're praising me or insulting me."

"I'm praising you, in my own way. So, what about it? Why not try an *omiai* at least once?"

"Hah, marriage, huh..."

"(Despite being a freeloader? Despite being thirty?)" I could practically see through her thoughts, having dabbled a bit in psychology myself. Although, with that lying boy, it's obvious to anyone nearby. That kid is terrible at lying.

"Well, I'm not aiming too high, but... maybe two people."

"Huh?"

"Someone to do the housework, and someone to go out and work. You need two, right?"

"........." Whoops, Mom slumped onto the table. A doctor neglecting her own health?

"This is an emergency! Bring the Yomeishu¹⁰!" I tried sending a distress signal to my brother, who had just entered the kitchen. Instead of just looking like "Oh, she's messing around again, huh," my brother, true to recent young people, actually voiced it. While smiling wryly, he chugged the barley tea I had poured into my cup.

"Ah, indirect kiss!"

A fountain worthy of a whale erupted from my brother's mouth. That's what happens when you drink like you just got out of the bath, hands on hips (meaning unclear).

"Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?" My brother sputtered, soaking the table and his clothes in tea, residue dripping from his nose.

"It only works as a joke because I say it occasionally. Besides, you're overreacting."

"I just didn't expect my thirty-year-old sister to point something like that out!"

My brother, ten years younger, grabbed a nearby dishcloth and wiped the table. Then wiped his face with it too. Is that okay?

"Anyway, Sis," my brother started, sounding venomous as he sat down next to me.

"What is it?"

"You talk to yourself way too loudly in your room. I can hear it in my room too."

My brother lodged his complaint directly, wearing a wry smile that suggested he wasn't *that* bothered.

"It's like you're shouting, or making weird cries. Did you join a cult?"

"I told you I'm an atheist. Ahh, shouting... When that happens, just assume a hero, or a plumber, or an old guy in his underwear¹¹ is in a pinch, and watch over me warmly."

Last night, I spent the whole night fighting off thieves with the hero's party¹². But someone erased them.

I really wanted to point my finger and yell, "The culprit is you!" But that finger seemed likely to be hop-step-jumped into a hospital visit, so I restrained myself.

"You get way too emotionally invested," my brother sighed, looking at me with half-lidded eyes.

"Shut up, you killjoy with no imagination."

I stuffed a wiener into an onigiri and popped the whole thing into my mouth. ...... Oh, actually pretty tasty. I chewed, my mouth full of rice. *Munch munch.* "Are you a squirrel?" I ignored the potential jibe and considered the complaint that had been lodged.

Emotional investment.

Hmm, well, yeah.

That's partly why I quit my job. Maybe it's just my nature.

Unless that changes, I'll probably just keep on being this useless woman.

"You know, Koibi," my revived mother interjected in a hoarse voice.

"Yes?" I straightened my posture before she could point out my slouching again. Seeing this, my brother sitting next to me inexplicably started laughing.

"The problem is, our family has the means to let you keep freeloading indefinitely."

"Ooh,さすが (as expected of) a family of doctors!" Family bonds are warm, mainly their wallets! That's just a joke.

"........."

"That's why you need to draw the line somewhere yourself. Do you have any intention of working?"

Mother's blade struck at the heart of the matter. My heart felt like it was about to be hacked to pieces.

"I'm not angry at you, really. There must have been various reasons why you quit your job. But, you need to put a fold in that chapter too. You can't keep dragging it around forever."

"........."

Coming from me, someone who has seen many people forced to carry their burdens forever, living each day weighed down, my mother's words sounded like correct, yet naive, sleep-talk.

Well, it's not really my place to say, though.

"I can introduce you to jobs, too. How about it? Think about it for once. You seemed to be going out quite a bit for various things in April, so it's not like you *can't* go outside, right?"

My mother addressed me sincerely. Since quitting my job, we'd had this exchange about once every two months.

Besides, that stuff in April wasn't really work, more like aftercare.

Perhaps I should revisit the dream I wrote in my elementary school essay collection... Hmm, what was it again? Ugh, first things first, best hit the 'No' button repeatedly.

"What would happen if I bravely declared, 'I'll never work here again!'?"

"What do you think would happen?" Mom quietly set down her teacup.

"Hmm, hmm... 'Never cross the threshold of this house again,' or something?"

"And if that happened, what would you do?" Mom's teacup quietly creaked.

"That sounds pretty good too."
" "Huh?" " Both my mother's and brother's eyes widened.

Their reaction was so strong, it caught me off guard. I straightened my posture and sat up properly so my words wouldn't slip out.

"Well, you know, never crossing the threshold means I wouldn't have to go outside... right? Maybe?"

Judging by the way they were both recoiling, I hastily changed my conclusion.

"........." x 3. Before two of them bared their fangs.

*I ran away!* "Thank you for the meal!!"

***

I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and went upstairs (fled), debating whether to change clothes.

"Hmm..." I glanced sideways, somewhat intentionally.

My sister's door was ajar. So I went in. I'd probably be treated like a trespasser, but I didn't care.

"Hey!" I raised a hand in a friendly gesture.

"........................What?"

"Wasn't that silence a bit long?"

I barged into my sullen sister's room. Hmm, even the room's color scheme is sullen. Makes no sense.

I glanced at the clock; it was past ten-thirty.

"E Sora, you going out somewhere?"

"University. Unlike *some people* around here, I'm not free."

My sister, busy sitting at her dressing table having a staring contest with the mirror, was dismissive even with her sarcasm. "Tough life," I replied noncommittally, then sat on the bed covered with an indigo blanket.

"Don't just sit there without asking."

"Well, you wouldn't give permission, right?"
"No."
"Then, I have no choice but to sit without mutual understanding." I grinned, and then realized I'd left my glasses in the washroom. And I couldn't read the expression on my sister's face, which was surely frowning.

My sister spent a good five minutes meticulously applying makeup, showing it off to her reflection. I used to do that a lot when I was younger.

Natsuki, who I used to live with, was more particular about her hair, though.

"You know, watching other people put on makeup kinda reminds me of cement work."

"What's that supposed to mean? Makes no sense."

"Like filling the cracks in your heart with cement?"

"Then maybe you should fill up your own insensitivity or the holes in your brain?"

Such a wonderfully sharp-tongued sister; I quite like her. Well, she hates me one-sidedly like this. Lately, anyway.

Things used to be better back in the day.

"If you stare too much at the mirror, you'll get pulled into the mirror world, you know."

"Huh? Are you crazy?" My lovely sister casually dismisses her elder as an idiot.

Hm, something alive just popped out from under the bed.

"So this is the rumored kitty-cat, eh?"

It was about to walk right between my feet, so I pinched its neck and lifted it. A white cat possessing pale blue eyes like glass beads; it was remarkably calm. I could only assume it was love at first sight—for me.

"Does this little one have a name? Or is it, y'know, 'I Am a Cat, Still Nameless'?"¹³

"It doesn't have one," my sister replied without turning around. Is she embarrassed (about having a loser older sister)?

"I see, I see. Then I shall be its godparent and name it! ... Hmm, Santana."

"That cat's female, you know." My sister's beautiful voice, as she arranged her hair, was cold to the core. *Let me go home and cool off,* I thought, but attacking her would definitely make her angry, wouldn't it? Maybe even get me sued?

"Eh? Is Santana a boy's name?" Does it even have a gender?

"Beats me, I don't know," she replied curtly. Is she embarrassed (by her sister's existence)?

"Okay, then Tonnuura¹⁴... Wait, that's a boy's name too, right? Alright, let's go with Miya."

"Miya? ...... Sounds like a meow. You probably got it from some manga, didn't you?"

"How rude. I think it was a novel. The origin doesn't matter; look at the essence! Which means, from today onwards, your professional name¹⁵ is Miya."

I held up the cat, whose name bestowed by humans was now Miya, and we looked at each other. "Miya," I called out, and it let out a tiny meow. I don't really get it, but I lifted it high, as if saying, "Grow up big and strong!"