Chapter 9: In Love and Death

Monday morning rolled around.

“What’s the story with you and Iori these days, anyway?!”

It seemed Inaba had made a full recovery over the weekend. Possibly more than that. She was distressingly enthusiastic.

“Wh-What do you mean? There’s nothing to tell!”

Even after Inaba’s admission, nothing of note had changed in the CRC. At this point, the five of them had built up such a tolerance to the body-swap that it seemed nothing was liable to shake them anymore. They were still on edge, of course, as the situation was still unpredictably volatile, but lately they’d made their peace with it somewhat.

Was this what «Heartseed» was hoping to see? If so, did that mean this would never end? And if not... what would befall them next?

Meanwhile, there was one lingering concern on Taichi’s mind: Nagase.

“Look, I know you two had some kind of deep conversation after you walked me home the other day. So I figured I’d just wait and see what developed from there, and sure enough, here we are, right back at square one! Goddamnit... What, you’ve got a sex drive but no spine? Is that it?!”

“Could we please not talk about my sex drive first thing in the morning? Knowing you, you’ll take any opportunity to bring up that one secret, and frankly I don’t want to risk it!”

Honestly, there was no stopping her—but damn it, he had to try.

“I should think you understand at this point just how fragile she is.”

“Well... yeah, I guess... How did you find out about it, anyway?”

“You’d be surprised. Our friendship goes way back, actually. Maybe someday we’ll tell you about it... But that’s not important right now! Tch... I didn’t want to have to do this, but you give me no choice. Drastic times call for drastic measures!”

Whatever it was, it must’ve been pretty drastic indeed if even Inaba was hesitant to pull the trigger... and Taichi wasn’t sure he wanted to find out what it was.

□■□■□

There was a quiet little nook out behind the East Wing building—a relatively secluded spot often utilized as a convenient place for love confessions, or so the rumor mill liked to claim.

It was lunch period, and currently there were five people present at the scene: Kiriyama Yui and Aoki Yoshifumi, who were in the middle of a private conversation, and Taichi, Inaba, and Nagase, who were spying on them from behind the hedges.

“Inaba... How the hell did you find out about this...?” Taichi asked the dark-haired girl crouching next to him.

“Just the other day, when me and Yui switched bodies. And before you ask, no, I wasn’t trying to snoop around on her phone on purpose, okay? The email popped up right after we switched. It was purely coincidence.”

“Then why would you take advantage of it?! Couldn’t you have, I don’t know, pretended not to see it or something?!”

“Any knowledge I gain is mine to use as I see fit... though obviously I exercise moral judgment when it comes to these things. But this doesn’t cross the line, so it’s fine. More or less.”

“What do you mean, ‘more or less’?! If this doesn’t count as crossing the line, I’d love to hear your idea of what does!”

“Shhhh! They’re talking!” Nagase cut in sharply.

Inaba had practically dragged the two of them out here, but now that it was happening right in front of them, Nagase appeared to be rather invested in the outcome.

“Jeez... Why’d you have to drag me all the way out here? Not only are we in the same class, but we’re in the same club, too! We can ‘talk’ like whenever! And I’m hungry!” Kiriyama complained, though her voice was laced with tension. While there was a fair bit of distance between her and the other three, the area was quiet enough to allow for easy eavesdropping.

“I wanted to have, like, a for-real conversation, though.” Aoki’s tone was unusually firm.

“Wh-What is it...?” Kiriyama asked, fidgeting and shifting her weight like she was tempted to bolt out of there.

Aoki seemed to sense this, as he promptly cut to the chase without a second’s delay: “I know at this point I’m basically just stating the obvious, but I’m gonna say it anyway. Kiriyama Yui-san, I’m in love with you. Will you be my girlfriend?”

“Whoa... Even with all his usual skirt chasing, it still takes a lot of guts to say that to someone... Kudos,” Inaba muttered, impressed. Meanwhile, on either side of her, Taichi and Nagase were utterly speechless.

Taichi wasn’t even a part of it, and he was nervous as hell just watching it unfold. He could only imagine how Kiriyama must have felt to be on the receiving end of it.

“Wh-Whuh...? Wait... what...? I... You... Whawhawhawha?!” Instantly, her face flushed bright red, and she began to babble incoherently. “UGGGHHH! God! What the heck is your problem?!”

“What? Just wanted t’ confess my feelings, that’s all.”

“It’s hardly a ‘confession’ when I’ve already known since like, forever ago! I mean, you never shut up about it! And besides, you already tried this a while back, remember?! And I turned you down!”

“Yeah, but my feelings for you aren’t gonna change. ‘Sides, at this point, I feel like you might be comin’ around—”

“No! I can’t! ...Not yet.” Her voice faltered, and she hung her head.

“I know. I just figured we could take it slow, y’know?” At this point, Aoki was a total enigma. Was he actually suave or totally tactless? A sharp cookie, or a witless buffoon?

“W-Well... Okay, but I’m just wondering, like... why me? Iori’s way prettier than me, and she’s got curves, and she’s funny and energetic... And Inaba’s drop-dead gorgeous with a model body... Plus she’s really smart... And then there’s me. I’m just this shrimpy little girl with no looks, no brains, and a flat chest... Although, Taichi told me that some guys like their women a little underdeveloped, so I guess there’s that...”

Next to him, Inaba and Nagase whipped their heads around and skewered him with dissecting stares.

“Hey, c’mon... I didn’t say I’m one of those guys, okay?! I was just stating facts!”

They didn’t look too convinced.

“Don’t be silly! There’s so much to like about you, Yui! You’re cute, and sweet, and pure, and innocent... I could go on and on! But the biggest thing for me is just... it’s my gut. From the first moment I saw you, I knew I’d fall in love with you. And I did. And I still am.”

“Nnn... I... Wha...?”

Serious Mode Aoki had Kiriyama at a total loss for words.

Kiriyama straightened herself up and took a deep breath, then a second, willing herself to calm down. “Okay... So why bother bringing it up now?”

“Well... How do you feel about Taichi?”

“Wh—mmmph!” Taichi nearly yelped in surprise, but Inaba quickly clapped a hand over his mouth.

“This is insane... It’s like something out of a movie...! Oops, sorry.” She pulled her hand away, and Taichi gasped for air.

“Y-You don’t need to clamp down that hard, you idiot! Were you trying to smother me to death?!” he hissed at her as loudly as he could get away with.

“Quiet! They’ll hear you!” Nagase snapped. She was proving to be the most rational observer of the three.

“What do you mean, how do I feel about him? Why should I tell you?”

“You know why. I know you’re not that dense, Yui... unlike him.”

“Starting to feel kind of attacked right now...” Taichi muttered to himself.

Kiriyama twirled and untwirled a strand of her chestnut hair around her finger. Then, after a moment of silence, she lowered her hand and stood up straight, as though she’d made up her mind.

“I love Taichi.”

“Wh—mmmph!”

“Wha—mmggh!”

This time Inaba was forced to reach out and press both hands over Taichi’s and Nagase’s mouths.

“As a friend.”

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah, really! You got a problem with that?!”

“Sheesh, Yui. Had me scared there for a minute. What was with that big long pause?” Inaba had an awful lot of complaints for someone who decided it was okay to spy on her friends.

“Wh-What about me...? You know... just wondering...”

“I hate you. As a friend.”

“What, for real?!”

“Just kidding, dummy. I know I get on your case a lot, but I get that you care about me, and I can’t really hate you for that.” Having regained control of the conversation, Kiriyama’s voice steadily grew more confident. “Anyway, obviously I like you too... A-As a friend, though! Just as a friend!” She gestured dramatically, her entire body bobbing up and down. “But that’s... all I really have to say at this point. Sorry. I can’t be your girlfriend, Aoki... At least, not right now. I can’t date anyone right now.” Even from a distance, her sincerity was clear.

“Gotcha. Alright. Thanks for givin’ it to me straight, at least. I needed to hear it. If anything, I’m just happy to know I’ve got a chance, at least!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatevs! Just so you know, in terms of my personal Best Guy Friend rankings, Taichi’s got you beat by like, a long shot!”

“Say what?! I knew it! Taichi’s my biggest rival! ...Actually, you know somethin’, Yui? You’ve really changed lately. Normally you never woulda said somethin’ like that.”

“Well, I can’t just let it get me down forever, you know? I gotta start trying to move past it... Anyway, we’re done here, right? Back to the classroom! It’s time for lunch!” Kiriyama spun neatly on her heel and started to head back into the school building. Her stride was large, with solid, confident steps—though considering her short stature, it ultimately wasn’t all that impressive.

“Wait, what?! Did you just invite me to eat with you?!”

“No, idiot! My friends are waiting for me!”

Their voices grew more and more faint until, finally, they were gone.

Inaba was the first to push herself to her feet. “Good thing we didn’t end up spying on anything too personal. I mean, I figured we’d be safe, but there was always a possibility.”

Yeah, no kidding.

Taichi stood up next. “Well, that certainly was... something...”

But Nagase continued to sit there, unmoving.

“Let’s go, Nagase.” He extended a hand to her, and she stared at it, blinking. After a pause, she smiled softly... and he got the sense that something was beginning to thaw beneath the chill.

Then she got to her feet, unassisted.

“I’m okay.”

□■□■□

After school, Taichi found himself alone in the clubroom.

According to Aoki and Kiriyama, homeroom had been extended for Class 1-A. Meanwhile, as CRC president and vice-president respectively, Nagase and Inaba had been summoned to the staff room for something or other.

Taichi had taken his homework out in a nominal attempt to study, but his mind was elsewhere. Admittedly, he was too busy thinking about—

The door opened.

It was Nagase. She peered around the room. “Just you in here, Taichi?”

“Yep, just me.”

She was acting a little... different.

“Guess I should’ve expected it, seeing as 1-A’s still stuck in homeroom.” As she spoke, she plunked herself down on the sofa, her posture perfectly straight.

“...Is that you, Inaba?”

[Nagase] quirked a brow. “Yep... It’s me, alright.”

“Gotcha. So where’s [your body]? Is Nagase in there right now?”

“Yeah, I got switched with Nag—er, Iori. They gave [me] a little task back at the staff room, actually. Nothing she can’t handle, though. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

“The CRC may not be much of a club, but still, it can’t be easy to manage. I really appreciate all the work you guys put in for our sake.”

“Eh, it’s no big deal. So... So,” she repeated. There was a long, hesitant pause. “What did you think about the thing with Yui and Aoki at lunch?”

“What? Why do you want to know?”

“Don’t worry about it. Look, surely you have some sort of opinion about it, yeah?”

“Nngh... I mean, yeah... It’s just, well... Obviously I’d never experienced anything like that before, so it struck me as kind of surreal, in a way... Honestly, I can’t really offer much of an opinion beyond that. I remember feeling really blown away—but by what, I couldn’t tell you.”

Frankly, it had been downright overwhelming to witness. There’d been something almost too perfect about it, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on what.

“Hmmm...” [Nagase] stared at him for a moment.

“Why’d you want us to see that, anyway?” Taichi asked.

[Nagase]’s eyes widened like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Taichi... Do you seriously not understand what I was getting at, you... dumb nimrod?”

“Huh...?”

At this, Taichi’s thoughts turned inward. Did he honestly not see it? Or was there some part of him that actually did understand her intentions, but was just playing dumb? And if so... why?

“Well... whatever. I’ll just ask you flat-out. Totally flat-out,” she repeated again, and there was another long, hesitant pause. “How do you actually feel about Iori, when it comes down to it?”

The question hit him like a semi-truck. “Man, you never pull any punches, do you, Inaba... And it’s even worse when you say it wearing [Nagase]’s face, too...” He tried to play it off a bit in his response, though he wasn’t confident he succeeded... but he hoped it would conceal at least a bit of his pain.

“I’d say the timing has worked out great so far,” [Nagase] replied with a smirk. For some reason, it felt more stiff and awkward than usual.

“What part of this is ‘great,’ exactly? Well, anyway...” For a moment, he asked himself why he was forced to answer this—but the next moment, the words tumbled from his lips regardless. “I love the friendship we have right now... and... part of me doesn’t want to ruin that... but... well—”

Once again... the door opened.

And [Inaba] walked in.

“Hey, Iori, about that errand... The goddamn teacher wasn’t around, so I’m gonna have to take care of it next ti—Wait, what’s going on?”

“You weren’t supposed to be back yet, Inaban,” the girl on the couch responded. She looked at Taichi, her eyes wide with shock.

...What?

He didn’t understand.

He thought [the person piloting Nagase’s body] was Inaba. She’d claimed as much herself. And that meant [the person piloting Inaba’s body] ought to have been Nagase.

But [the person piloting Inaba’s body] was acting an awful lot like Inaba herself. She’d referred to [the person piloting Nagase’s body] as “Iori”... and in turn, [the person piloting Nagase’s body] had called her “Inaban,” a nickname only Nagase used...

Altogether, this could only mean one thing—

“Fooled you.”

[Nagase]—the real, actual Nagase Iori—stood up from the couch and headed for the door... but before she could get there, Inaba reached out and grabbed her by the arm.

“What’s the matter with you, Iori?!”

“Let me go, Inaban!”

“Like hell! I’m not gonna abandon you when you’re crying—Hey!”

Nagase wrested herself from Inaba’s grip and dashed out of the room. Inaba ran after her... only to return half a minute later.

“Damn it! There’s no way I can catch up to her when she’s running at full speed... Why does she have to be so goddamn athletic?! Now then, as for you! What the FUCK did you do to her?!” Inaba stormed over and seized Taichi by the collar.

“Gah... H-How should I know...?! She was pretending to be body-swapped with you, and then—”

“What? She was pretending to be me?”

“Yeah... She was acting dead-on exactly like you, and I totally fell for it! And then you walked in, and here we are!”

It made no sense.

...Wait. Yes it did.

He had made a promise.

He’d promised he could do it.

He’d even told her to trust him.

—No matter what happens, in the end, I’ll always know it’s you.

Had she been testing him?

No, that was stupid.

Why was he trying to make himself into the victim right now?

“Nagase was... trying to trust me...!”

But he betrayed that trust. And now he hated himself so much he wished he was dead.

He was always so scared to ruin their friendship... scared to take that next step. Instead, he went out of his way to avoid ever having to think about it. Nagase had understood that, and so had taken the initiative herself.

Inaba relinquished her grip on his collar.

“Sounds like you’ve had an epiphany of some sort.”

“Yeah... An epiphany that I’m a lowlife piece of trash.”

“Hmm... Well then, want me to smack you one?”

“Why would I want th—No, you don’t have to—Bwaggh!” Before he could finish, he felt the impact of her palm against his left cheek. “Owww... How could you—Actually, you know what? Thanks. I think that was just the push I needed.”

Don’t be afraid. Don’t run away. Face it. Confront it. Move past it.

Nagase was kind enough to trust him, and if he was going to honor that with the respect it deserved, then it was his turn to move forward.

Maybe people would laugh at him for thinking that, considering he had already failed once.

He didn’t care.

They could scoff at him all they liked, but the fact of the matter was, that initial failure was precisely the reason he needed to take action.

“God, you two are so freakin’ awkward. It’s exhausting just to watch,” Inaba muttered as she flung herself down on the sofa. “Go on, now. Get going. I doubt either of you need me to chaperone you.” She waved her hand in his direction without so much as a glance, as though she were shooing a dog.

“...Okay.”

He had messed up so badly, he’d hurt Nagase in the process. He needed to face that reality, face himself, face his feelings. And so, with that resolve, Taichi left the clubroom.

On his way out, he shot one final glance back at Inaba, but she continued to avoid his gaze.

After dashing down all three flights of stairs, Taichi discovered a critical problem.

“Where did she even go...?”

For now, he decided to check the rest of the school—

But before he could, he noticed someone staring at him, hands on her hips, hair tied back, glasses glinting, radiating an air of utter superiority. It was the president of Class 1-C, Fujishima Maiko. She moved to block his path.

Personally, Taichi was in no mood to waste time dealing with her—

“Yaegashi-kun!”

—but now that she was screaming his name, he couldn’t very well ignore her.

“What do... you want... Fuji...shima...?” he asked between gasps of breath. “I’m kinda... in a rush...”

“Are you the one who made Nagase-san cry?”

Bullseye.

“Y-Yeah...”

Fujishima took a step closer. “Well, I’m not privy to the details, but as we all know, any man who tramples on a delicate flower deserves one good slap to the face,” she stated matter-of-factly. “Are you prepared to face your punishment?”

Taichi had never heard of this rule. “What are you t—No, forget it. I humbly resign myself to my fate.” After what he’d done, he deserved that much, at least. Plus, maybe it was the fastest way to get her out of his hair.

“What have we here? Your left cheek’s looking a bit swollen. I’m guessing you’ve already been punished on that side, then.”

“Y-Yeah... That was from—Gwaagh?!” Once again, he felt a red-hot impact against his left cheek. “Owww... Weren’t you supposed to slap the other side?! That hurt so bad, it actually looped back around and started to feel kind of good!”

Breaking news: Fujishima Maiko was a sadist.

“Listen... Do you really think men and women are meant to pair off with each other? Tell me your thoughts, Yaegashi-kun.”

Taichi wasn’t sure he understood what she was getting at with that question. “Look, Fujishima, I don’t really have time to talk right now.”

He moved one step to the right—and she did the same, blocking his path once again.

“That’s not important. Don’t you think it makes more sense to share the person you love with the rest of the world?”

This time he moved two steps to the left—but she followed suit, her expression perfectly blank.

“But it’s not good to leave things one-sided, I guess. You’re not truly fit to love a person unless that person loves you in return. Remember that. It’s important.” She tossed him a key with a red strap attached—a bike key, judging from its size and shape. “You don’t bring your bike to school, right? Use mine.”

“What?”

“Turns out I wasn’t good enough for her. And I’m guessing the one she wants is you... So you’d better get going. She ran through the gates and to the left.”

Baffled by this unexpected gesture, Taichi stared down at the key in his palm. “Fujishima... Are you sure?”

“Of course I’m sure. It’s what Nagase-san needs, after all. What could possibly be more important in this world than soothing her pain and drying her tears?” With that, Fujishima strode off towards the bike lot, willing him to follow her.

Who told her she was allowed to kick so much ass?

He could have kissed her right then and there.

“Oh yeah, and one last thing. Just so we’re clear... I like boys, too.”

Correction: Apparently she was a bisexual sadist.

Taichi raced through town astride Fujishima’s commuter bike. He’d called Nagase dozens of times, but she never picked up. Evidently either her phone was dead, or she’d turned it off on purpose.

An hour flew by. As it turned out, trying to find a single person in an entire town was akin to digging for a needle in a haystack.

“You were on foot, so you can’t have gone far... And you left your stuff in the clubroom, so I doubt you went home... Maybe I should swing back by the school...”

As he contemplated his next move, he rode past the large river that neatly bisected the city into eastern and western halves.

And that was when he caught sight of a silhouette sitting atop the fence lining the river, facing the water, dyed red beneath the glitter of the sunset. Her presence there was so undeniably striking, the melancholy of twilight seemed to exist solely to bring her into sharp relief.

Nagase Iori.

Her ponytail swayed gently in the breeze, brushing against her slight shoulders—so perfect and picturesque, it felt like a scene from a movie... and she was the star.

The breeze picked up just then, and she turned her face away. That took her sight straight to Taichi. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“T-Taichi—Whoa!”

“Careful!”

She lost her balance—and narrowly managed to right herself at the last second.

Taichi heaved a sigh of relief. The fence was a wall of solid concrete that wasn’t meant to be climbed. Granted, a fall from that height wouldn’t kill her, but still.

“Whew... That almost gave me a heart attack... Anyway, Taichi, what are you doing here?”

She spun around and hopped down off the fence. As she approached, he could see streaks of dried tears on her cheeks, and his heart ached. He parked the bike on the side of the road and bowed his head.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t figure it out... after everything I said... everything I promised... I failed you in the most pathetic way possible.”

“I wonder what it means to be human... To be ‘oneself,’ you know? As long as your body stays the same, you could be an entirely different person on the inside and no one would ever notice... or so you’d think. Turns out, the second I pretend to be someone else, I really do stop being me... Oh, but I’m not blaming you or anything! Seriously, you didn’t do anything wrong here! It’s totally my fault... Obviously you were just going to take whatever I said at face value. We’ve all established a mutual trust between us, after all... Look, um, I’m really sorry for what I did. And I won’t ever do it again. Honest... I’m really, really sorry.” She hung her head guiltily.

“You were just trying to work through your issues and move forward. I appreciate that. And now it’s my turn.”

He’d never tried to face it, never paused to reflect on it. So naturally, he hadn’t been able to push past it. Why hesitate? What was he so afraid of? Was it just his lack of prior experience? Surely anyone would fear the unknown.

And the more perfect something seemed, the scarier it became... and the harder it was to know how to handle it.

But it didn’t pay to be a coward forever. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Admittedly, there was no guarantee he could truly move forward in the first place. There was a chance his dreams would be dashed. Maybe he would get hurt.

But what he stood to gain offered him limitless potential.

Why hadn’t he realized?

Accept it, confront it, reflect on it, move past it.

“You know... There’s been a lot going on lately. Like, seriously, a lot,” he continued.

He thought back on everything that had happened with Aoki, with Kiriyama, with Inaba... and with Nagase. By accepting it, confronting it, and reflecting on it, he had gained the strength to move forward.

“Honestly, I learned a lot. And I realized that when it comes down to it...”

He could see himself reflected in her eyes.

“...it turns out I’m actually the deadpan idiot of the group!”

“I know.”

...He’d intended for it to be more of a revelatory statement.

“Okay, well... The point is, I really look up to you!”

“What? You look up to me?”

“Yeah! I wish I could be more expressive like you. You know, laughing, yelling, smiling, frowning... Feeling down, then cheering myself back up again... Joking around, then getting all serious... The list goes on and on, really.”

He sincerely admired all the joy and color Nagase brought into their lives.

“B-But... that was all just... me acting out... all my different personas... I’m no role model, okay? I... I can’t even tell you who the real ‘me’ is. I’m just... damaged goods.”

Again, she revealed her darkness... but this time, Taichi had something of a solution.

Was he sure he wanted to go through with it? It was a gamble. There was no telling whether his estimate was accurate or off the mark. And after messing up once already, chances of recovery were fairly low.

But if there was even a chance it could help Nagase, then he would push forward.

“Are you really, though?” he mused.

Nagase’s jaw dropped, and she stared at him blankly. Then, slowly, her expression hardened... into icy steel.

“Excuse me? What are you trying to say, Taichi? Whatever you think you know about me, you’re sorely mistaken.”

Her stoic, unfeeling aggression threatened to make him recoil... but he would not be cowed.

“Messing around. Being a ditz. Getting embarrassed. Making dirty jokes. Going overboard. Causing trouble. Getting caught up in the moment. Secretly scheming. Losing control. Having a strong sense of intuition. Failing to think ahead, or overthinking completely. Being optimistic sometimes and pessimistic other times. Purposely goofing off right before having a serious talk to hide your awkwardness. Making stupid comments one minute, then launching into a deep conversation the next. Letting all your darkness show. Cheering yourself up. Suddenly going numb and cold. Being childish. Being mature. Being sweet. Being mischievous. Secretly paying attention when it seems like you’re not—”

“Uhhh... What are you talking about right now...?”

“I’m talking about you. Nagase Iori.”

Nagase froze in shock. For a moment she pursed her lips together as if to contemplate this information, then opened her mouth to speak. “Yeah, I know, right? Who knows which one is the real ‘me’... Actually, probably none of them—”

“All of them.”

“......What?”

“They’re all you.”

“...No, seriously... what...?”

“All of them! Every last one of them is Nagase Iori, damn it!”

Maybe that was all there was to it, really.

“Uh, hang on a minute... That’s not humanly possible! Nobody could possibly be all those things at once!”

“Sure they can. Everybody has different sides to them. It’s just a matter of degrees. In your case, you have a lot. In my case, not so much. End of story.”

“But... I’ve been purposely changing myself based on each person I—”

“Everybody does that! You just happen to do it a lot more than most. Besides, didn’t you say you’ve been starting to lose control of it lately?”

“Yeah, but... but that’s because... I don’t know how to interact with anyone unless I take a minute to choose a persona beforehand...!”

“And? Everybody needs a minute to warm up to someone before they can be themselves.”

“B-But... I don’t even have preferences... I just pick whatever...”

“Okay, and? Maybe you just like a lot of stuff equally, and certain things jump up the rankings in certain situations.”

“But... but I couldn’t even choose a club for myself...!”

“How is that really any different from all the people who pick a club because it seems low-effort, or because their friends are joining?”

“...Have you just been playing devil’s advocate with me this whole time?”

“...Pretty much.”

“At least pretend to deny it, you dip!”

Nagase burst into a giggle fit that had her clutching at her sides. Her laughter was infectious, and Taichi started laughing too—which made her laugh harder—which made him laugh harder in kind—and together they quickly spiraled out of control. It was so much fun, it felt like all the joy in the world had gathered there specifically for that moment.

Some time later, Nagase finally caught her breath. “Hahaha... Whew... I’m so tired... Anyway, when you put it like that, I look up to you, too. Nothing ever gets to you, no matter what happens... You have this strong sense of self, and you don’t let anyone else change that. I feel like no matter what version of me I throw at you, you’ll always stay the same, and it’s just... really reassuring... I admire people like that. People who can offer that sense of stability to others.”

Oh.

This was the moment Taichi realized that, though at first glance they seemed like total opposites, they were actually just two sides of the same coin. He was less outwardly emotive than most; she was more outwardly emotive than most. But it wasn’t by a wide margin, and ultimately it didn’t really matter. It wouldn’t ruin their lives. Taichi himself hadn’t agonized over it at all. But after everything she’d been through, Nagase had ensconced herself in a deep and critical misconception.

That was all there was to it.

Compared to a total loss of emotion, or an emotional rampage—the sort of thing a fictional protagonist would endure—their problems seemed pretty insignificant in the long run. But even insignificant problems could still take their toll. A single person could easily be crushed under its weight. And the number of so-called “insignificant” problems in the world far outweighed the significant ones.

But again, this wasn’t a critical issue. It was just how the world worked... and he was just one insignificant person with insignificant troubles, trying to survive.

There was one thing he needed to do right now—and not because he was a martyr, that much he could say for certain. It was just as much for his sake as it was for hers.

So he decided to ask.

“Nagase Iori, I’m in love with you. Will you be my girlfriend?”

Maybe two broken people could walk hand in hand, fill each other’s gaps, make all the problems feel small.

For a moment, Nagase opened and shut her mouth a few times like she was struggling to find the words. Her face was so red, he could tell it wasn’t just the light of the sunset.

After a few blinks, she hung her head, slumping her shoulders... as though she were clinging to something, feeling her way blindly through it, cherishing the moment.

And then she looked up...

And when she did...

The look on her face was—perfectly blank.

All at once, the color drained from her cheeks.

The light left her eyes.

The energy drained from her very being.

Like a version of [Gotou Ryuuzen] they’d once encountered.

And then... it spoke.

“Hellooo... Long time no see... I apologize... Oh, right... This is «Heartseed»... But I’m guessing you could already tell...”

...Taichi had forgotten that the five of them were currently at «Heartseed»’s mercy, and that meant anything was possible, no matter how far-fetched.

If «Heartseed» could possess [Gotou’s body], there was nothing preventing it from doing the same with [Nagase’s body].

“Oh, right... First things first, let me apologize... I’m sorry... Apologize to Nagase-san for me later, please... I’m sincerely sorry, from the... well... let’s say the middle of my heart... Oh, right... I should have said ‘from the bottom of my heart’... Still, you five brought this upon yourselves. You’re all just a bit too interesting, you see...” [Nagase] «Heartseed» pulled [her] cell phone and wallet out of [her] pockets and tossed them at Taichi. Then, in a startlingly fluid motion, [she] hopped up onto the riverside fence, facing Taichi below on the street.

The wind blew. [Her] school uniform fluttered.

Taichi’s heartbeat jolted so hard, he half-expected it to come bursting out of his ribcage.

In all his life, he’d never sensed impending despair quite this viscerally before.

And then, the next instant, he saw it—the mere shadow of his sparkling [Nagase], reduced to a listless husk.

“Wait... What are you doing...?” he croaked, his throat already bone-dry, edging toward «Heartseed» to avoid provoking any drastic moves.

But «Heartseed» neither noticed nor cared. “...I said I’m sorry, didn’t I...?”

[Nagase’s body] tilted backwards atop the narrow, unsteady footing... and then [she]—«Heartseed»—plummeted headfirst into the water’s depths.

“No... This can’t be happening!”

But right as he bolted to the fence—everything went dark.

Then his senses returned.

He was seated on something firm.

Surrounded by the familiar scenery of the clubroom.

And Inaba and Aoki were staring back at him.

□■□■□

Four members of the CRC sat in a deserted waiting room on the second floor of the local general hospital, surrounded by benches and vending machines and not much else.

As for the sole missing member, Nagase... she was currently in the ICU.

Aoki, Kiriyama, and Inaba were all pale as ghosts, and Taichi had a feeling he was, too. His mind was strangely clear and rational.

“Goddamnit! Iori-chan’s hangin’ by a thread in there an’ we can’t do a damn thing for her!” Aoki slammed his fists down on his thighs, his voice raw and nasal.

“Don’t blame yourself, Aoki. It won’t change anything. We’re all powerless either way,” said Inaba quietly. She was curt, and yet there was a note of compassion in her tone.

“Guys... I’m so sorry... If only I’d tried harder... Back when I switched into [Taichi]... maybe I should’ve just... jumped in after her... But I heard somewhere... that like, trying to rescue someone can put you in danger yourself... and that the ‘correct’ thing to do is to call for help or find a flotation device... so I...” Kiriyama choked out between sobs. She looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

Inaba pulled her into a tight hug, pressing her face to her chest and gently stroking her long chestnut hair. “You did the right thing, Yui. Think about it—you kept a level head and took action to save her. If you hadn’t made the right choice back there, things could’ve turned out so much worse... I’m proud of you.”

The last part made Kiriyama sob even harder. But Inaba didn’t stop her. Maybe she wanted her to let it all out.

“Maybe I should’ve—Ow!”

Before Taichi could finish, Inaba kicked him hard in the shin. Tears welled in his eyes, and he shot her a look—to find that she was grimacing in pain.

She drew her lips to his ear. “For the love of god, don’t you start whining too... Just... Just suck it up. I can’t take much more than this... My heart feels like it’s going to shatter... I need you to stay strong for the rest of us... Please...” Her voice was faint and hoarse.

The fall. The rescue. The ride to the hospital. The statement from the nurse lady: “critical condition.” Every moment was a rollercoaster of stress, and Taichi realized the only reason they’d survived it intact was thanks to Inaba, taking it all in stride.

Taichi looked into her eyes and nodded firmly, and she nodded back, looking ever-so-faintly relieved.

None of this was their fault. It was all «Heartseed»’s doing. They knew that... and yet still they couldn’t help but blame themselves. They needed to pretend. They needed an outlet for their emotions.

The four of them were alone in the waiting room. The hospital had yet to get in touch with Nagase’s mother; apparently she wasn’t at home. Gotou, however, was supposed to be on his way from the school.

Taichi stared up at the dark, drab ceiling. One of the fluorescent bulbs overhead was dying, its glow weak and unsteady.

Then he heard it.

Footsteps.

Someone was headed their way.

An eerie silence filled the room as the four of them tensed up. They had no way of knowing who was about to arrive... but they had a feeling it was «Heartseed».

Try not to worry about it, it had told them. I’m not trying to pick a fight with you, it had said. I would greatly appreciate it if you could forget I ever existed.

True to its word, it had kept its distance—but after everything it had done, Taichi strongly doubted it would just sit there on the sidelines and do nothing.

And then it walked into the waiting room.

As with their first meeting back in the clubroom nearly a month ago, it was piloting [Gotou Ryuuzen]. But they could tell at a glance it was «Heartseed». No living human could possibly imitate its lifelessness.

“Hey there... Oh... You all look rather furious, I see... Please don’t make this complicated... I beg of you from the bottom of my heart,” [Gotou] «Heartseed» stated blankly, showing no trace of remorse for what it had done. In fact, its utter lack of interest in the current circumstances was downright alarming.

What were they supposed to do now? What was the correct option? Get angry? Tremble in fear? Curse it out? Demand an explanation for its actions? Confront it? Run away? Punch it? Mourn?

The more he gazed into the abyss that was «Heartseed», the more uncertain he became. He was sinking ever deeper into a sea of swirling emotion... and he couldn’t see a way out.

Meanwhile, as everyone else struggled to find an answer, Inaba chose anger.

“What are you doing here? What the fuck do you want?” Her voice was frighteningly quiet, hinting at an impending explosion bubbling beneath the surface.

“...Thank you for asking, Inaba-san... That saves us some time... Oh, perhaps Yaegashi-san went ahead and told you everything I did... Oh, right... I should have cut to the chase, but instead I went off on another tangent... And now I’m on a tangent about my tangents... Forget it. Where was I... Let’s see... 30 minutes from now, with a marginal degree of error... [Nagase Iori-san’s body] will perish,” «Heartseed» stated matter-of-factly, as though this were already established.

If that’s your idea of a joke, it isn’t fucking funny, Taichi thought.

“The hell are you talking about, you son of a bitch?! You decide who lives or dies?! Is that it?!” Inaba roared.

“Don’t be silly, Inaba-san... Of course I can’t... I’m just a nobody named «Heartseed»... But even I can see the truth when it’s right in front of me... So anyway... [Nagase’s body] is going to die. Are you with me so far?”

“As if! Why should we believe a word you say?!” Kiriyama shot back, her voice still wobbly with emotion.

She was right. They had no obligation to take its word at face value.

“Well, ultimately you’re all free to believe whatever you want... but ideally I’d like you to believe me on this... If it turns out I came all this way for nothing, I’ll lose motivation completely... Oh, but... I didn’t really have any to begin with... Truth be told, though, I do have a tiny bit right now... since you’re all so fascinating... Oh, I’m wasting time rambling again when I still have more to tell you... Okay, are you ready...? Inaba-san... Please remember this... I have neither the energy nor the will to repeat myself.” It paused, then carried on in its usual monotone drawl. “As of now, your souls are all freely possessing [each other’s bodies]... And, naturally, each [body] can host one soul... This means, of course, that if one [body] dies, one soul must ‘go down with the ship,’ yes? But... the important thing to remember here is that the soul who dies doesn’t necessarily have to match the [body]... After all... You’ve already proven you can manage yourselves in [other people’s bodies] just fine... So, I have a proposal for you. Why don’t the four of you decide which soul will die with [Nagase-san’s body]? As an added bonus... For the next 30 minutes, I’ll allow you to swap bodies at will... Just say the word and I’ll make it so... And that’s the gist of it.”

It was clearly out of its mind.

“Wait... So you can control who we swap with...? I thought... I thought it was s’posed to be totally random...!” Aoki muttered, utterly aghast.

“Don’t be silly... If I can set it so that you all swap at random... do you really think I somehow wouldn’t be able to control specific swaps? Oh, but... just to clarify, all of your swaps thus far have been completely, one-hundred-percent random... It would have been way too much work otherwise...” [Gotou] «Heartseed» commented lethargically.

Inaba leapt to her feet and lunged at [Gotou]. “Go fuck yourself!”

“Ugh... You’re so short-tempered...” As «Heartseed» spoke, Inaba suddenly stopped short. Then, the next moment, she looked around the room.

“Huh...? Did we switch...?”

Judging from her confusion, Taichi knew—Inaba must have switched with Nagase. And that meant Nagase was now standing right in front of them, piloting [Inaba’s body].

She backed away from [Gotou] a few steps, then turned to look at the others. “Uhh... Taichi, what are you doing here...? Weren’t we just over by the river...?”

After being possessed by «Heartseed», then losing consciousness, time must have stopped for her right at the moment of his confession.

What kind of monster would toy with them like this?

All at once, rage swelled up in his chest. He rounded on [Gotou] «Heartseed» and reached for [his] collar. “Just leave us the f—Huh?”

The next instant, his body was floating in mid-air... and the world flipped upside-down. For the briefest of moments, he saw «Heartseed»’s dull, dark, empty eyes—and then his back slammed hard into something. “Guh!”

The next thing he knew, he was staring at the ceiling. His back didn’t hurt... but his spirit was in tatters, knowing they were powerless to stop this unknowable being known as «Heartseed» from crushing them underfoot.

They were just insignificant humans. They couldn’t stand up against such a terrifying enemy.

Taichi couldn’t even protect the girl he claimed to love.

“Like I said... You all have more important business to be dealing with... Now then... I’ll be back when it’s time... Please be sure to make your decision by then.”

With that, «Heartseed» wandered off, and they were powerless to stop it. All they could do was watch it go.

“T-Taichi! You okay?! What the heck is Gossan doing here?!” [Inaba] (Nagase) dashed over. He took her hand, and she helped him to his feet... but meanwhile he couldn’t bear to look at her anxious, panicked face.

He didn’t want to believe it.

So instead he whispered, “Switch Nagase and Inaba... please.”

It shouldn’t have been possible, despite «Heartseed» claiming it would “allow it.”

And yet—

“Huh...? Why am I holding hands with you...? And where the fuck is «Heartseed»?!”

Sure enough, Inaba switched back into [her body], right before his very eyes... which meant Nagase had probably gone back to [her body] in the ICU.

With this, he was forced to accept the truth.

“So basically, we have to choose its victim? Why?! Why are we doing this...?! What the hell does it want from us...?!” Inaba spat, her voice dripping with venom.

“Iori’s gonna die...? No... There’s just no way... The doctors have gotta be doing their best in there...!” Kiriyama whimpered.

“Yeah... Maybe «Heartseed»’s just talking out of its ass. But we have to be prepared for the possibility that it isn’t. As long as there’s even a tiny chance, we have to take it into consideration... no matter how cruel and unfair it may be. If it’s telling the truth, then this is our only chance, and... I really hate that I have to say this, but... we have to do as it says.”

Inaba was right. They couldn’t run from it even if they wanted to... because they had no way of knowing whether «Heartseed» was lying.

“...God fucking DAMN IT! How could I let this happen?!” Inaba slammed her fist down on the thin leather of the bench cushion.

“Someone’s gotta die... to save the rest of us...” Aoki mumbled to himself, clutching his head.

Supposing «Heartseed» was telling the truth... That meant [Nagase Iori’s body] would perish, and with it, one of five possible souls. Obviously, none of them wanted to die... and that meant, as Aoki said, that someone would have to sacrifice themselves to protect the others.

Death. The ultimate pain. He couldn’t even imagine it... but he knew he didn’t want anyone else to have to bear that burden.

And that meant—

“If one of us has to sacrifice themselves, let it be me.”

I want to do this. Please.

“Yui... Punch him in the face as hard as you can,” said Inaba.

“Roger that. I’ll deck him good,” answered Kiriyama.

“Uh, guys? Do you know how hard she can hit? That’s not—” Aoki cut in, but before he could finish, Kiriyama was already closing in on Taichi with bloodshot eyes, her expression vicious, and reddish-brown hair flying in every direction like a raging tiger.

He only saw her fist after it had already collided with his skull. He heard his bones creak, and for a moment he thought his head had been knocked clean off his neck. His body flew backwards, and he hit the floor hard. It felt like a bomb had detonated against his left cheek. He put a hand to it and groaned in agony.

“Don’t even JOKE about that! YOU HEAR ME?!” Inaba crouched down and grabbed Taichi by the collar with her fists, yanking him upright. “What the FUCK is your problem?! You think you want to be our sacrifice?! Have you stopped to think about the people you’d leave behind?! How WE feel?! You act like you care about the rest of us, but really you only ever think about yourself, you goddamn narcissist!” she roared, right up in his face.

Kiriyama had punched him with all her sincerity. Inaba was screaming at him from the bottom of her heart. It struck a chord... and something inside him broke down.

“Yeah?! And?! So what?! I... I just hate seeing people suffer right in front of me, okay?! Whenever someone’s hurting, I can imagine how they must be feeling... and then my imagination keeps going and going and going until it’s pure agony! I HATE it! So I tell myself it’s just easier if I bear the brunt of the pain myself! At least that way it’s bearable! That way my imagination can’t blow it out of proportion! So yeah, I’m not doing it for anyone else... I’m being a martyr for myself!”

It was the first time Taichi had ever tried to express the ambiguous feelings lurking in the back of his mind... and he succeeded. His cheek felt like it was on fire, but the warmth wasn’t just from the pain. He was crying, too.

Beyond his blurry vision, Inaba stared back at him in shock. Then her expression softened into affection, and she let go of his collar. “Alright... I think I understand you now. God, you’re such a freak... and I mean that in the best way possible. You empathize with other people so much, you feel their pain, and it makes you want to suffer it yourself instead... You’re so goddamn sweet and awkward and stupid, you know that? If you know what it’s like to empathize with other people’s pain, then surely you realize we feel the same way about you, right? Even if it’s what you want... When you suffer, we suffer too... Especially anyone who might think of you as more than a friend.” She paused to roughly wipe away his tears. “Forgive my lack of tact, but... thank you for being honest with me.”

“Taichi, I’m so sorry!” Kiriyama collapsed to her knees next to him, tears in her eyes. “I know I really hurt you... I’m sorry... I’m sorry I hurt you... I’m so sorry...!”

“It’s okay, Kiriyama. Thank you. I know you were just trying to knock some sense into me. And I’m sorry, too. I’m sure it must have hurt you to do that... both physically and emotionally.”

“The one thing I want you to get is... if you died... it would hurt the rest of us worse than a thousand of those punches! So please... please don’t talk like that!” she wailed.

“Maybe now he actually understands,” Inaba muttered beside her.

Their kindness and love seeped into his heart, and he realized just how selfish he’d been all this time. Maybe sometimes he had taken action purely out of a desire to help others... but there were times in which he had been motivated solely by his own self-interest. And if it hadn’t been for the body-swap, it was possible he never would have stopped to think critically about his behavior.

But now he had learned a bit about himself and a lot about the others—and if he kept on accepting and reflecting and moving forward, he had a feeling he stood a lot more to gain.

The rest of their lives were waiting for them. Maybe it wouldn’t all be perfect, but it would still be a blast. And it really, really sucked that one of them wouldn’t be there to see it.

It was so hopeless, words like “cruel” or “grim” or “tragic” all felt like an understatement.

“What are we supposed to do now...?!” It was all Taichi could think to say.

Then Aoki piped up.

“I... I think Iori-chan’s gotta die with [her body].”

Time froze for a moment.

He didn’t want to consider it. He couldn’t.

“Wh... Are you hearing yourself right now?! ‘Iori’s gotta die’?! Don’t even say that!” Kiriyama hissed like a wildcat.

“You think I want to say it?! Of course I don’t! But someone’s gotta, don’t they?!” His voice fell to a tiny, almost inaudible whisper. “We can’t make Inabacchan do all the heavy lifting around here.”

“Hah... You people... You’re all too nice for your own good...” Inaba muttered with a tremor in her voice.

Deep down, everyone understood. To spare Nagase from death meant forcing her to live on in [someone else’s body]. She would have to inhabit someone else’s empty shell and pretend to be them forever... and there was simply no reframing that into an option that made sense. Nevertheless, Taichi’s train of thought continued to run around in circles.

“Anyway, we can’t just decide this without her... I think we gotta tell Iori-chan what’s goin’ on, yeah?”

“Good point... I guess we have to tell her... God, I’m so pathetic, couching my words with shit like ‘I guess’...!”

“Well, since I’m the one who suggested it, I’ll do the switch,” Aoki replied. “Please switch me, Aoki Yoshifumi, with Nagase Iori.”

A split-second later, [Aoki] blinked. [He] stared down in puzzlement at the other three sitting on the ground, then spoke. “Uhhh... Okay, now I really don’t understand what’s going on...”

Inaba had taken up the mantle of explaining everything to [Aoki] (Nagase).

“This is going to be hard for you to hear, so I’m just going to say it,” Inaba said, her voice firm, looking straight into [Aoki’s] eyes. “Iori... you’re... possibly... going to die.” It must have hurt just to say the words, but Inaba didn’t let it show.

[Aoki’s] face tensed. Evidently Nagase could tell from Inaba’s tone that she wasn’t joking around. [He] shifted [his] gaze around, eyes wide like a scared puppy, until [he] settled on Taichi. For the briefest of moments, [his] expression softened, and Taichi gazed back, hoping to offer Nagase the slightest bit of reassurance in her hour of despair... though it frustrated him to no end that he couldn’t do anything more.

Next, [Aoki] (Nagase) looked over at Kiriyama. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she bit down on her lip to keep herself quiet. Not a single sob slipped past.

[Aoki] (Nagase) turned back to Taichi, then closed [his] eyes and pursed [his] lips together. After a few seconds of silence, [he] opened [his] eyes once more.

“Okay, continue,” she said, with a determined expression that nearly gave him goosebumps. He’d never seen anyone look quite so... resigned.

Nagase remained quiet for Inaba’s entire explanation, nodding occasionally as she listened—and the silence persisted even after Inaba was finished. Taichi couldn’t begin to imagine what sort of emotions were swirling in her heart after all that.

But right as everyone started to figure she needed some time to process... she smiled. “Guess I’ll just have to die, then, won’t I?” Her voice was sunny, without a trace of grief. “Aw, man... I’m gonna die, huh? Hehe... Feels weird to be standing here talking to everybody, knowing it’s my last moments and all.”

“It’s not a for-sure thing yet...” Kiriyama replied in a tiny, feeble voice.

“Yeah, I know. But it’s probably better to assume it is. Don’t wanna leave the world with any regrets, y’know?”

She sounded so... normal. Taichi’s eyes grew hot. “Nagase, listen... Like Inaba explained earlier... It doesn’t have to be you who—”

“Yes it does,” Nagase answered firmly. Though she wore Aoki’s face, the smile on [his] lips was unmistakably hers. “I’m not letting anyone switch with me. That’s not okay.” The words pierced him right down to his core. “My identity is based on both my personality and my appearance. Without one or the other, it’s not really ‘me’ anymore. I have to have both. I almost lost sight of who I am once before... but then a certain someone helped me find myself again, and now I’m proud to be the person I am.” She let the words hang in the air for a moment as she looked around at each of them... as though she were about to reveal the trump card that would settle the score once and for all. “Besides, I could never live with the guilt of killing someone’s soul and taking over their [body]! That’s way too heavy.”

No one could argue with that.

Then she asked them to grant her one last wish: “Could I talk to each of you, one on one?”

It would be her final moments with each of them.

Nobody wanted to accept it... but as the clock ticked on, they had no choice. «Heartseed» had given them just 30 short minutes, and time was running out.

First, Nagase switched out of [Aoki’s body] into her own, then switched into [Kiriyama’s body] in order to speak with him. Afterwards, she asked to speak to Inaba, and as they passed each other in the hall, Inaba saw tears running down Aoki’s cheeks.

Then, after talking with Inaba, Nagase swapped bodies with her in order to talk to Kiriyama.

Taichi and Aoki sat on a bench in the hall, a short distance from the waiting room. They didn’t speak.

Out of the corner of his eye, Taichi could see the door to the ICU where [Nagase’s body] lay unconscious, inhabited by Inaba. Was she just floating in an empty void somewhere?

Then he heard footsteps down the hall, accompanied by sniffling.

“T-Taichi... Iori’s... asking for you...” Kiriyama called in a wavery voice.

Taichi nodded silently and headed down the hallway to the waiting room.

Glossy, jet-black hair that hung straight to her shoulders... a slim and angular body... and a sweet smile that looked decidedly out of place. She was [Inaba], but she wasn’t Inaba. Everything about her screamed Nagase.

“Sup, Taichi?” [Inaba] (Nagase) called out, like it was any other day.

“Hey there, Nagase,” he answered in kind. He felt strangely at peace. Somehow, mourning their impending loss didn’t seem nearly as important as savoring these precious final moments.

“That’s weird... Why is it you’re the only one acting normal? Everyone else had this look on their face like they were already on their way to my funeral.”

“...Should I put on my funeral face, too?”

“Noooo, no, no! Please don’t! Seriously, it makes it harder to talk... and this is our super-special ‘final conversation’ or whatever, so I’ve got a lot of important stuff to say. First things first... I wanted to thank you. After everything you said, all my worries... well, they didn’t magically go away, but they definitely got a whole lot smaller. So... thank you, Taichi. All things considered, I think maybe I could learn to love myself now.”

Evidently it was safe to say she had come to accept herself for who she was. It would take time to move past it entirely, but she could just take it slow—baby steps.

Except... there was no time left for her.

“Also, afterwards... you confessed that you’re in love with me... and I haven’t given you an answer yet, so let me do that now.”

[Inaba]’s expression was tense, yet resolute, and Taichi waited intently for her to continue.

“...But first, I bet you’re hoping I’ll start with a joke!”

“Hoping? No, but I had a feeling you were going to!”

Of course.

She was nothing if not consistent, right to the very end.

[Inaba] giggled mischievously. Then, out of nowhere, the laughter stopped, and [her] expression crumpled. “Nngh... Why...? Why the heck are you acting so normal? Everybody else... looked way sadder...”

Obviously Taichi wanted to cry his eyes out like everyone else, but that simply wouldn’t do. He needed to be her rock so she could take a break from trying to hold it together.

“Trust me, it’s tearing me apart inside... but I know you’ve got it way worse.”

With that, the dam burst, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

She was dying; it would have been far weirder to leave the world with dry eyes, considering all the anguish she must have felt. And yet Nagase had maintained her composure in front of the others—likely a considerate gesture to keep them from hurting any more than they already did.

In her position, Taichi knew he probably would have done the same... but she’d endured it long enough now.

Taichi stepped forward and pulled Nagase—well, more accurately, [Inaba]—into a hug. She was so soft... and warm... and sad.

“Ugh... I really don’t wanna die... I wanna keep on living... My life barely even started, you know? Why...? Why do I have to die...? What did I do to deserve this...?”

Nagase’s bitter anguish flowed with her tears. Meanwhile, Taichi held his own sadness back to make room for hers.

Maybe it was the sort of thing a “martyr” would do... No, that wasn’t it. He wasn’t doing this to stroke his own ego—but he wasn’t sacrificing himself purely for her benefit, either. The line was blurry... Still, a tiny part of him understood.

“You only just confessed your love to me, too...”

A hot lump of emotion welled up in his chest, and he fought it back into a single tear that he refused to let fall. At the same time, his bubbling hatred for «Heartseed» withdrew deep into his heart. He didn’t want to let those dark thoughts taint the most precious moment of his life.

After a long moment, [Inaba] (Nagase) pulled out of the embrace, wiping [her] tears.

“Well... This is the end, so... I’d better go ahead and say it.” She took a deep breath, then exhaled. Then, once she was ready, she looked up at him and smiled, eyes pink and puffy.

He saw the future in that smile. A bright, shining future. An eleventh hour miracle.

“Yaegashi Taichi... I’m in love with you, too. So please... don’t be my boyfriend.”

“Sounds g—Wait, what?”

What was that supposed to mean?

“Hehehe! Well, I’m dying, silly! Ideally you should date someone who... y’know... stays alive.”

“As if I—Mmph?!”

[Inaba] (Nagase) clapped a hand over his mouth to silence his protests.

His heart was being torn in half, bit by bit, slowly, sweetly, gently.

“Instead, I want something to remember you by,” she whispered. “So get over here and kiss me, pal. I’m sure Inaban will understand.”

“Okay then... So... Who will it be?”

For someone who was asking them to decide the ultimate fate for one of their friends, «Heartseed» sure looked bored. The four of them—[Inaba] (Nagase), Taichi, Kiriyama, and Aoki—sat silently on a bench, facing it.

[Inaba] (Nagase) got to her feet. “Me. I, Nagase Iori, will die alongside [my body],” she stated without a trace of hesitation. In that moment, she looked so powerful, and the rest of them could only watch.

“Ah... Well then... That’s certainly a valid option... Oh, but... Is it too late to hope for a miraculous recovery...?”

“Can I just ask you one last thing?” [Inaba] (Nagase) asked, staring down the thing that currently held her life in its clutches. She showed no fear; judging from the look on her face, she had accepted it all and was now choosing to confront it head-on. “What was the point of all this, in the end?”

What was the point of making the five of them switch bodies at random for nearly a solid month, only to kill one of them off?

“...Good question... Regardless... It’s nothing any of you need to concern yourselves with going forward...” «Heartseed» dismissed her question offhand, looking mildly annoyed.

Kiriyama leapt to her feet. “How can we accept th—” she began, but [Inaba] (Nagase) held out a hand to stop her.

“I see. So you’re not going to answer that, huh? Okay, fine. Then let me ask something else. And no, I won’t accept any vague non-answers for this one.” Her bravery was breathtakingly beautiful. “You won’t be doing this to anyone else, right?”

Evidently that was the one thing she wanted to be sure of more than anything else. It was certainly a valid question. A vitally important question, really. Would these awful predicaments just keep happening to them?

But at the same time... why did she care? How could she possibly have the mental bandwidth to care about that when she was knocking on death’s door herself?

[Gotou] «Heartseed» froze for a moment. Its expression didn’t change, but somehow Taichi got the sense that it was a little caught off-guard by this.

“Of course not.” Its words seemed reasonably sincere. “Oop... I guess it’s time.”

They weren’t given even a moment to prepare.

The next instant, [Inaba’s body] froze, and then a moment later [she] shook her head. “What the—” she began, but then she caught sight of [Gotou] «Heartseed». “You bastard! Wait... Where’s Iori...?!”

With that, Taichi knew that «Heartseed» must have quietly swapped them back.

Right as Inaba began to shout, however, the door to the ICU swung open.

The timing was too perfect. Had «Heartseed» been telling the truth all along?

The four of them gasped and looked through the open door, praying it was all a lie.

Please don’t let it be over. Not now. Not like this.

If this is reality, please just let me sleep.

Let me stay in a world where Nagase still exists.

They were desperate.

But the passage of time was unfeeling.

The doctor walked up to them and said—

“Good news: she’s through the worst of it now. She’s going to be fine.”

□■□■□

Taichi and the others stared blankly as the doctor explained that she’d been very lucky, that she most likely wouldn’t suffer any subsequent complications, and that she would soon be moved to a hospital room where they could speak to her. Their reactions to this were so muted, the doctor found it a little strange, but evidently decided they must have been too relieved for words, and so finished with a quick “Congrats!” and walked off.

As they all struggled to process this, Inaba was the first to speak.

“What the fuck...?”

“Yes, yes... Good work, everyone,” [Gotou] «Heartseed» responded idly, as though nothing particularly noteworthy had happened. “Oh, right... Here, have this... Snack cakes, as a token of my apology... Oh, but... If you’d rather give it to Nagase-san as a get-well gift, that would be even more ideal... for me, anyway.” It held up the paper bag it was carrying.

Meanwhile, Inaba staggered backwards into the wall, slamming the back of her head with a loud thud.

“You got us good... I mean, there was always a chance... Hell, I suspected you might pull something like this... but... GAAAHHH! It’s just... AAARGH! What the fuck, man?!”

“Wait... what...? So... Iori’s... fine...? She’s... gonna live...?” Kiriyama breathed the words slowly, like she was savoring each one. Then she buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

“Yeah... She’s gonna live... Th-Thank god... Oh man... It’s kinda hard to stay upright...” Aoki murmured as his body slowly collapsed into a sitting position on the floor.

As for Taichi... he still hadn’t quite processed it. What just happened? If she isn’t going to die, then how will things work out between the two of us? Do we just... take it slow...?

“Sorry, Inaba.” All he could do was apologize... and pray that it hadn’t been her first kiss.

“Hey, fucker... How much of this was planned in advance?” an exhausted Inaba asked «Heartseed».

“Well... If I had to say, I suppose... all of it...? I don’t think you people realize just how much I’m truly capable of... I mean, think about it... I can shuffle your souls around... Can you wrap your head around that...? Oh, right... I guess it doesn’t really matter if you can or not...”

“So you were never planning to hurt Nagase?” asked Taichi.

Come to think of it, «Heartseed» had gone out of its way to ensure her phone and wallet were in safe hands before it plunged her body into the river.

“...Of course not... I would never do something to ruin an upstanding citizen’s life... though obviously I’m not above causing a bit of trouble... but hopefully my gift of snack cakes makes up for it... Wait... ‘Cakes makes’... That rhymes... Oh, wait... That doesn’t matter literally at all... Anyway, I have no intention of asking for your forgiveness, but I do hope you won’t hold this against me... In the end, it was kind of a good thing, don’t you agree...?”

For the first time since meeting «Heartseed», Taichi sensed a trace of emotion in that last sentence—so faint, he wasn’t entirely sure he hadn’t simply imagined it.

“Okay then... I’ll be going on home now... Oh, right... I think you all understand this by now, but please don’t bother [this fellow] after I’m gone... Wouldn’t want to risk further complications going forward... Actually, if you could just cut me a break... or if you could just not think too deeply about any of it... or if you could just completely forget everything... That would be great... Might be asking too much, though... Oh... I went on another pointlessly long tangent... Alright... See you again.”

With that, [Gotou’s] head slumped to [his] chest, just as theirs often did when switching bodies, and the next moment [he] looked up once more, eyes wide in surprise.

Just like that, the curtain closed on the whirlwind of events that had shaken the foundations of their very lives.

“Huh...? Where am I...? I remember hearing Nagase was in the hospital after falling into the river, so I rushed here in a taxi... Wait, what? I’m already at the hospital? Oh, and here’s the rest of the CRC! I guess I must have blacked out on my way here... Maybe I was just that desperate to arrive as soon as possible... Holy crap... I’m totally Teacher of the Year material... And what’s with this paper bag I’m holding...? Oh, hey, it’s strawberry mochi cakes! Wait... Why do I have these...? Oh well. Can’t complain about mochi cakes! Oh, right. So anyway, what’s Nagase’s current conditi—OWWW! Inaba-san! That hurts!”

Inaba had put Gotou in a vicious Cobra Twist.

“Shut the fuck up! This is what you get when you don’t think critically, you goddamn shit-for-brains!”

As she spoke, she transitioned to a Goumon Cobra Twist—a much more intense Cobra Twist that involved pressing down on the opponent’s head from behind.

Suffice it to say... it wasn’t pretty.