Seishun Buta Yarou Series - Volume 13 - Chapter 3.4

4

Sakuta’s feet took him to Kanazawa-hakkei Station, but instead of heading through the gates, he turned to the pay phones. He took all the change out of his pocket and stacked it on top of the phone. Receiver in hand, he dropped in the first ten-yen coin and punched in eleven digits he used a lot.

The sound of a phone ringing assured him he’d got it right.

The call connected after the third ring.

“Futaba? You got time?” he asked, speaking first.

“I’ve got class with Himeji, so make it quick.”

Rio did not seem surprised, and her answer wasted no time.

He heard another voice behind her.

“Is that Sakuta-sensei? I don’t mind waiting for him.”

That was Sara’s voice.

If she was with Rio, they must be at the cram school, possibly discussing the direction of her lessons in the free area.

“I don’t wanna disrupt Himeji’s lessons, so I’ll keep it short.”

Reining in his emotions, he gave Rio a rundown of the day’s events.

When he finished, Rio’s first response was a long, drawn-out sigh.

“Well, this just keeps getting weirder,” she said.

“That’s why I’m calling you, Futaba.”

“Let’s start with the Santa room.”

“It was very unnerving.”

“Sounds like that’s a Touko Kirishima thing.”

“How so?”

And why was her response phrased like this was secondhand information?

“I’ll let her explain.”

“Her?”

Even as he asked, a different voice cut in.

“Me, Sakuta-sensei!”

“Himeji, you’re still there? You shouldn’t sneak around listening to other people talk.”

“I was listening in plain sight!”

Her penchant for eavesdropping had clearly not gone away with her Adolescence Syndrome.

“Being cute about it doesn’t help.”

“I bet you stop griping once you hear what I have to say.”

Sara sounded supremely confident.

“Then lay it on me.”

“Touko Kirishima’s videos always have something Christmassy in them. Santa, reindeer, trees, you name it. You should really know this, Sensei.”

There was a laugh in her voice, like everyone else knew that.

“……”

Come to think of it, the tin reindeer had been in the video he watched with Miori at the tonkatsu shop. If Sara was right, and the other videos also had Christmas stuff, then…what did that mean?

“I didn’t know that, but thanks for telling me. Can you put Futaba back on the line?”

He kept his tone professional.

“Not until you do a better job praising me.”

“Next time there’s a new donut at the station café, I’ll buy you one.”

“Really? Rad! Okay, switching you to Rio-sensei.”

Sara’s cheery voice vanished from the line.

“That’s about it for the Santa room,” “Rio-sensei” said. Her voice was much calmer.

“But what does it mean?”

“Exactly what you think, Azusagawa. Nene Iwamizawa picked up on the trend in her videos and started buying up everything that appeared in them. You said she made you help her shop.”

“Yeah, but…what for?”

“So she could become Touko Kirishima.”

Rio made that sound all too obvious.

So obvious he found it hard to follow.

His brain wasn’t keeping up here.

What conclusion was Rio trying to make?

“When you first told me about her, I just assumed no one else could perceive her,” Rio said.

“Given Mai’s case, we had precedent.”

But that wasn’t actually true. Their cases were different. Today the girl herself could no longer remember her original name—which had not happened with Mai.

“It’s not that Nene Iwamizawa is disappearing—it’s that she’s becoming Touko Kirishima.”

“Back up, Futaba. If Nene Iwamizawa was Touko Kirishima, why would she need to eliminate Nene Iwamizawa? They’re both her.”

“I’m saying your potential friend’s theory is right.”

“……”

Only now did he remember Miori’s words.

She’d argued Nene Iwamizawa wasn’t actually Touko Kirishima.

And Rio was saying that same thing. With all the confidence of someone completing a proof. Sakuta attempted to catch up.

“Since she’s not real, she had to go buy all the Santas and reindeer that were in the real Touko Kirishima’s videos?”

“That’s what I think. If she was actually Touko Kirishima, why didn’t she already have that stuff?”

“I get your point, just…”

He was still balking at the idea. Just a whole new concept rearing up before him.

“Is that a thing?”

Those words sprang from a feeling he could not put a name to.

“I’m not sure, so I can’t speak for her. It’s possible she’s not even aware of it.”

“I guess, yeah.”

People often didn’t understand themselves. Probably most people didn’t.

“What we know right now is that the world does not yet perceive her as Touko Kirishima.”

“Agreed.”

“And if she’s really that obsessed with becoming Touko Kirishima, Sakurajima might actually be in danger.”

The introduction of Mai’s name into the conversation made his heart skip a beat.

“What does that mean, Futaba?”

What was Rio trying to say?

“The Coming-of-Age Day broadcast stopped the media from pursuing that story, but online, Mai Sakurajima is still the leading candidate for Touko Kirishima’s secret identity.”

“……I’m aware.”

“And if that doesn’t change, the world at large will think she is Touko Kirishima.”

He was finally catching up to her.

“So Mai’s preventing Nene Iwamizawa from becoming Touko Kirishima.”

“At the moment, yes. Azusagawa, you said Sakurajima will have an accident tomorrow, while she’s police chief for a day?”

“Yeah, in Koga’s dream…which was likely a future simulation.”

“I might be overthinking it, but any chance Nene Iwamizawa’s involved?”

“……”

He couldn’t dismiss the notion.

“She’s invisible,” Rio said. “Arguably, she can do whatever she wants.”

“I sure didn’t read any threats from her today.”

But Sakuta couldn’t completely rule them out, either. There was a lot about her he didn’t get, which made it hard to make any declarations. He didn’t know her well enough to trust her, or enough to be suspicious.

“I’m planning on attending the event tomorrow,” Rio said. “I can’t see her, though, so I doubt I’ll be much help.”

“At least we know what’ll happen then—it’s what comes after that’s really worrying.”

Even if they averted this specific threat, the real problem was ongoing.

No one could perceive Nene.

She could commit a crime and not get caught.

No one could see what she’d done.

“Yeah.”

“So we’ve gotta settle this for good. And to do that…”

“I’ve gotta cure her Adolescence Syndrome.”

Back to that.

Their first solution remained the best one.

They were running out of time.

They had until tomorrow afternoon, when Mai arrived at the police event. Less than twenty-four hours remained.

And only one real move to make.

He had to bet on Takumi.

Sakuta’s words would never reach her.

He could try force, but that would only be a temporary measure.

“Futaba…”

“What?”

“Can you buy airplane tickets the day of the flight?”

“I never have, but I think you can.”

With that, Sakuta ended his call to Rio.

He still had a couple of coins left.

He looked up, and it was already getting dark. The wind getting chilly. His hands numb, he dialed another number—not the same one, but his home phone.

The moment it picked up, he said, “Kaede? It’s me.”

“What?”

“Sorry, won’t be back tonight. Look after Nasuno.”

“What? Why? Where are you going?”

“Hokkaido.”

“What? Why?”

The exact same response two times running.

“Well, fine, just buy me something. Wait, no! Mai’s here making dinner! I’ll put her on. Mai, it’s Sakuta!”

Kaede was gone before he could answer.

Two, three seconds later…

“Sakuta?” Mai’s voice on the line.

“Sorry, Mai. Gotta go meet Fukuyama in Hokkaido. Look after Kaede. I’ll be back before the event tomorrow.”

“Okay. I’ll be staying here tonight.”

“Now I wanna come home.”

“If you do, I won’t be staying.”

“Aww.”

“Take care. Call me when you get there.”

“I will. Oh, and, Mai…”

“Mm?”

“I love you.”

“The hamburg steaks are burning, so here’s Kaede.”

There was laughter in her voice, and a moment later Kaede was back on the line. She grumbled a bit more, urged him to buy something again, and then hung up.

He put the phone down.

But kept his hand on it.

He had one last place to call.

But here his hands froze.

The stack of coins on the green box was gone. He’d used his last ten-yen coin.

His gaze turned toward the vending machines. They might let him make change.

But then a voice called his name.

“Azusagawa?”

Surprised, he swung around—and found Ikumi, frowning at him.

“There’s no classes,” she said. “Why are you here?”

“Running an errand.”

She glanced at the phone behind him.

“You doing the volunteer thing?” he asked.

“Yep. Setsubun, too.”

Likely involving an oni mask and thrown beans. Ikumi took these things seriously. He could see her going all out.

“Akagi, I hate to impose, but can I borrow your phone or some change?”

She raised an eyebrow but held out her phone without asking why.

He called Takumi in Hokkaido.