Chapter 5: The Catalyst

The CRC clubroom was so gloomy, it was practically a black hole. All seven of them sat in their seats, hanging their heads in defeat.

“Maybe we should’ve been honest and told them we don’t have a phenomenon,” Nagase muttered.

“They would’ve found us suspicious either way,” Taichi replied.

“It’s my fault,” Kiriyama sniffled, her eyes red. “When Katori-kun called on me to answer... I couldn’t think of what to say...”

“It’s alright, Yui. Anyone would’ve blanked in your shoes,” Aoki reassured her.

But she just shook her head. “I doubt it.”

Katori had probably sensed that Kiriyama was the worst at lying and subsequently targeted her on purpose. It was far from the most noble method, but in terms of efficiency, it certainly worked.

“Even if you hadn’t frozen up, we were screwed the moment «The Third» walked in the door,” said Inaba, and the room fell silent once more.

After those final words, the male student who was being piloted by the entity snapped back to his senses. Judging from this, they were convinced it was «The Third» who had addressed them, although they didn’t know for sure.

“About that... So «The Third» knew we were in here, and went out of its way to brag to us about it, but... do you think it knows about our pact with «Heartseed»?” Nagase whispered, as though that would keep the entity in question from overhearing her.

“Frankly, it’s hard to say. All we know is that things will get complicated if it does.”

«The Third» had waltzed in at the worst possible moment. One little comment, and all the trust they’d built up with the other students was utterly destroyed.

After «The Third» made its exit, no one in the room raised their voice against the CRC. Instead, the students all simply stared at them—fearfully, scornfully, reproachfully.

Then Katori asked the room: “Is anyone interested in trying out a fistfight with their group members? The choice is yours.”

After a small pause, several people spoke up:

“Me!”

“M-Me, too!”

“No, pick me!”

“What should we do?”

“Well, it’s better than sitting around, don’t you think?”

“I guess there’s some small chance it’ll work.”

When the CRC tried to dissuade them, their response was:

“If you’re just going to complain, then get out.”

And since no one spoke up to vouch for them, their only choice was to leave. So they retreated to the clubroom, their hearts full of despair.

“...That said, we can’t just throw in the towel,” Taichi muttered, his chest tight, as he thought back to the bleak scene they had just witnessed.

“B-But Taichi-senpai... no one’s going to listen to us anymore,” said Enjouji.

“There may be some who haven’t yet heard the President’s proposal, but word travels fast... At this point, I get the feeling we’ll be fighting an uphill battle,” said Chihiro.

Honestly, Taichi could understand why they weren’t eager to get back out there. Frankly, he didn’t care if the other students chose not to listen—he just didn’t want to have to endure having everyone look at him with such contempt ever again. Please, no. The mere memory was enough to sap him of his courage.

Honestly, a coward like him had no business saying this, but he chose to say it nonetheless:

“Enjouji. Chihiro. I know it’s hard to stay positive when it seems like no one will take our side. But although they may seem like the enemy, when it comes down to it, they’re our friends.”

The people around them weren’t puppets to be controlled. They each had a will of their own, and there was no guarantee their interests would line up with the CRC’s.

“We gotta just keep following our own path. As long as we believe in what we think is right, I’m sure the tides will turn in our favor.”

And so he patched up his holes with flimsy styrofoam. Anything to keep from falling apart.

“That’s kind of a tall order right now, when it feels fucking hopeless,” Inaba replied, laying her emotions bare. “But you’re not wrong. The second we give up, it’s all over... so as long as we keep trying, there’s still a chance.”

Styrofoam or not, she was doing her best to support him.

This was something they needed to keep in mind. Even if the rest of the world turned on them, they still had friends they could believe in. And as long as they had each other, they could keep each other propped up.

■□■□■

The CRC decided to focus on rebuilding the trust they’d lost. At this point, they were in no position to suggest a new management system... but if they turned a blind eye to the situation at hand, it would only fester.

If they could just get a small number of people to stay calm and listen to them, they might be able to convince them. All they needed was a few. Just one or two people to give them the hope they needed to keep going.

To maximize their reach, they split into teams of two. This time, Taichi was partnered with Aoki. Just two bros, wandering across campus together.

“Feels like we hardly ever get teamed up, huh?”

“I’m sure there’s folks I talked to that you never got the chance to, and vice versa. But now we can cover all our bases!”

The school was still quiet, but not quite as deserted as it was this morning. Their first stop: the classrooms on the third floor of the North Wing.

“This is where some girls from my class’re holed up,” Aoki explained. “They’ve got a phenomenon where they, uh... they basically turn invisible to the rest of their group.”

“Oh, them? Yeah, I’ve met them.”

They were among the first people Taichi encountered back when he first arrived in the Isolation Zone, and they were present for the Katori-CRC argument earlier.

They could hear cheerful voices coming from inside the classroom. Aoki paused to knock, then opened the door. “I’m comin’ in!” he declared in his usual carefree tone, and Taichi followed him in.

“Aoki... Yaegashi...”

Instantly, the room fell completely silent.

“What do you want?” asked a hard voice.

The five girls were clearly on edge, but evidently not to the point that they refused to have a conversation at all.

“Oh, we were just wonderin’ if we could talk to you. Like, what are your thoughts on the President’s idea? Are you on board, or—”

“I think it’s worth considering.”

“...For real?”

“Yes, for real.”

“Setting aside whatever issues you may have with our club, don’t you think it’s dangerous to go around punching each other?”

“Just stop, Yaegashi. What do you two actually want?”

“To talk, that’s all! Is that cool?” Aoki asked, his laid-back attitude unwavering. In normal circumstances, he was probably good friends with all of them.

“Frankly, no. I don’t want to talk to you,” said one, explicitly rejecting them.

“It’s your fault this is happening to us, isn’t it?” said another.

“No! You really think we’re this omnipotent?” Taichi argued, though it was a shaky excuse.

“But... you lied to us. You don’t really have a phenomenon.”

“How are we supposed to trust you now?”

“You’re trying to drag this out.”

“If you want to stay here longer, knock yourselves out. I don’t know what you’re after, but we want no part of it. We’re getting out of here.”

“Even if you don’t agree with us, that doesn’t mean Katori is right.”

“Ugh... We get it, okay? Now go away. We’re busy.”

“I guess that’s the most we can reasonably expect from people right now,” Taichi muttered as they walked down the hall.

No matter how badly they wanted to undo the damage, perhaps this was the only outcome they would achieve... barring some kind of dramatic counter-strategy, anyway.

“Those girls especially... They were having a rough time yesterday,” Aoki explained slowly, his expression muted.

Even on day one, Taichi had noticed little seeds of discontent planted among them.

“But today, it feels like they’re completely united.”

Probably because, for the first time, they’d found a ray of hope. Taichi could understand that. But things were progressing in a direction the CRC didn’t want.

They arrived outside another classroom.

“This one is home to that one group—the one who sees the people around them as enemies,” Aoki explained. “Two guys, three girls, and they’re all on the swim team. Out of the five, three are in my class, and we’re pretty close pals.”

But when they entered the room, the response was far from welcoming.

“Aoki...”

“Aoki-kun...”

First, they asked the group if they could clear the air about the recent misinformation.

“Isn’t there something else you should explain first?” said one of the girls.

“They say you’re manipulating things behind the scenes. That you’re in cahoots with the mastermind,” said another.

“Now hold on a minute. That’s completely absurd,” Taichi replied, flustered.

“Well, that’s what we were told.”

“C’mon, Kubozuka, don’t buy into these wacky rumors. Hear us out, man.”

“You betrayed us. You lied. How could we possibly trust you?”

Aoki reeled from the impact. His friend had labeled him a traitor, and it clearly stung.

“What about you, Katsuragi?”

“I know you’re a good dude and all, but... I can’t. Sorry.”

Katsuragi seemed apologetic, but rejected them nonetheless.

“Matsui-san...?”

“Ever since we got here, I know you’ve been looking out for us and helping us. And I’m pretty sure you did it out of the kindness of your heart.”

Finally, someone who understood them.

“But right now... I can’t just believe you without the promise of something in return, you know?”

These three students were probably the “close pals” Aoki referred to. They certainly seemed to have an understanding of who he was as a person. But even then, they refused to budge.

“If a fistfight is what it takes to get out of here, then I’m willing to test it out. What about you guys?”

“A fistfight isn’t something you test out, Kubozuka! It’s dangerous, man!” Aoki pleaded.

But his feelings fell on deaf ears.

“The only advice we need is from the student council. Not the CRC.”

As they headed down the North Wing staircase, they encountered two girls. On a whim, Taichi called out to them.

“Hey, uh...”

“...Let’s go!”

“Right!”

But they dodged around him and ran up the stairs, as if to put as much distance between themselves and the CRC as possible. They had flat-out ignored him.

“Taichi, let’s...!” Aoki turned around, but swiftly came to a stop. “Nah, there’s no point in goin’ after ’em, I guess.”

The girls had made their answer clear. Giving chase would only serve to remind them of their powerlessness.

And so Taichi and Aoki continued down the stairs, their legs more leaden than ever. As they walked, they eventually encountered a pair of guys, wandering aimlessly through the darkened halls like a couple of ghosts.

That was when Taichi noticed that the sun was setting. Night was falling.

As he attempted to place where he recognized them from, he realized that they were the two remaining first-years in the Liberation group. There used to be four in total, but two of them vanished shortly after they got here.

Back then, the CRC had asked a lot of them. Please don’t tell anyone they vanished; please don’t tell anyone we have experience with the phenomena. But nevertheless, the boys readily agreed. Chihiro and Enjouji had been checking in with them regularly, but Taichi hadn’t seen them in a while.

“Long time no see, I think. You doing alright?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

The two boys smiled faintly. Frankly, it was a relief that they were still around.

“It’s gotta be hard, stuck in here with the Liberation phenomenon. Especially after two of your friends disappeared and all. I’m really impressed you two are stickin’ it out,” Aoki told them. He sounded relieved, too.

“We heard you guys have been pulling the strings behind the scenes,” one of them said suddenly.

Taichi swallowed.

“And then it all clicked. That’s why you asked us to keep quiet about that stuff, right? To keep it all going to plan?”

“Hold on a minute. That’s not true.”

And yet they couldn’t deny that they’d been trying to control the flow of information.

“...And yet, it really does feel like you guys were doing your best to help us.”

At least it seemed like the boys had picked up on their sincerity, at least. Thank god.

“Not that it matters anymore either way.”

“Say goodbye to Uwa and Enjouji-san for us, okay?”

Something wasn’t right.

“What’s the matter with you guys? You’re givin’ up?” Aoki asked, his voice trembling.

“We’re on our way to talk to the student council.”

“About what?” Taichi asked reflexively.

“We’re going to ask for permission to have a fistfight so we can get out of here.”

“Wha...?! Hold the phone! Where’d this come from all of a sudden?!” Aoki yelped.

“Wh-When the other two disappeared, surely you saw... You saw what happened to Kanda-kun and Horiguchi-kun, right? You really think it’s a good thing that they vanished in that condition?” Taichi stammered.

“I dunno, but... it doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“If it means we can get out of here...”

“You shouldn’t be willing to punch your friends to escape. That’s messed up,” Taichi declared.

But their hearts had frozen over.

“I just can’t take it anymore... Eating other people’s food... Touching girls without their permission... Breaking windows...”

Taichi thought back to when Chihiro and Enjouji had mentioned that the Liberation boys “weren’t doing well.” They knew the boys were struggling, and yet they hadn’t done a thing.

“I already get in enough fights with this dude as it is,” one of the boys continued, pointing at the other. “If all it takes is one final fistfight to make it stop, then it’s worth it.”

Wham. Out of nowhere, the second boy threw a punch at the first. He stared blankly down at his fist for a moment; then his eyes flew open.

“...Huh?! Oh... The phenomenon triggered, didn’t it? Y’know, I’ve been so eager to hurry up and get it over with, but now that I think about it...”

“We might as well save ourselves the trouble and start now.”

Bam. The first boy punched back.

“Good point.” With a grin, the second boy threw another punch.

This gruesome scene continued for a few more minutes until at last, the two boys vanished.

■□■□■

It wasn’t long before the CRC started to notice an increase in the number of people who outright refused to speak to them. Deep down, they had a feeling it was too late to fix the damage, but they couldn’t bear to give up, so they kept trying. And trying. And trying.

Perhaps they were acting purely out of compulsion. They were desperate. They couldn’t stop, lest it all come to an end, so they had to keep going.

And yet, tragically, the negative rumors about the CRC continued to spread.

“It’s all their fault.”

“They refuse to take the hint.”

“They’re so annoying.”

“Being around them just makes everything worse.”

Sometimes the other students said these things right to their faces, and other times they simply overheard them talking to others. And given what these people were comfortable saying in their presence, they could only imagine what sorts of things were being said behind their backs. Everyone in the Isolation Zone was talking about the CRC.

But the hottest topic by far was, of course, the student council president’s proposed escape method.

“I heard they actually disappeared.”

“Yeah, I kinda feel like Katori’s idea is more credible somehow.”

“Why won’t you do it? It’s the only way to make the phenomenon end!”

“Let’s just get out of here already! I’m serious! I can’t take it anymore!”

“Obviously I’m not excited about it, but... who else is doing it?”

“Somebody do it already!”

And so the negative spiral continued.

Before they knew it, night had fallen, enshrouding the building in darkness. Compared to the previous night, there were far fewer lights on.

Since everyone was going to bed, the CRC was left with nothing else to do... and so they went to bed, too.

It wasn’t until much later that they realized no rations had been distributed for dinner that night.

■□■□■

Night turned to day, and the sun rose.

How many people had disappeared over the past two days? Now that the student council was no longer exchanging information with them, the CRC had no way of knowing what the current headcount was... and they didn’t have any sources outside the student council, either.

According to one broken-hearted Kiriyama, any time she asked a group about their missing members, she was accused of “plotting something.” At this point, it was hard to say whether anyone still liked the CRC at all.

That morning, they held a club meeting.

“This is major bad news. Remember what «Heartseed» said? We have to unite them or else we’re totally screwed,” Nagase muttered, her voice full of despair.

“What if we’ve already let too many people vanish...?” Chihiro mused quietly.

That was the worst possible outcome. If they were already past the point of no return, then all hope was gone, and they were doomed to lose everything.

“What if we play the villain? They already think we’re monsters, so let’s terrorize them until they band together against us. We’ll be their common enemy,” Inaba suggested offhandedly.

But as tempting as it sounded...

“We’re supposed to unite everyone. That includes us,” Taichi pointed out.

“How could it possibly include us when we basically had to smuggle ourselves in here? I mean, sure, «The Third» seems to know we’re in here, but... Damn it, «Heartseed»! We need answers! Send «The Second» if you have to!” Inaba roared up at the ceiling... and for a moment, Taichi got his hopes up.

Sure, they were nearing the point of despair, but they’d managed to avoid the worst-case scenario each time thus far, hadn’t they? Surely they’d find a ray of hope this time, too.

As Inaba’s voice echoed off the walls, Taichi gazed at the clubroom door.

But no one came.

They could stay cooped up in the clubroom and argue themselves hoarse, but it wouldn’t change anything. And so the CRC wandered across campus.

Taichi spurred himself on with all his might. Can’t give up. Can’t give up. Can’t give up. Gotta move forward. Gotta fight.

This time, they had a new plan. Instead of trying to make everyone listen to them, they were willing to settle for everyone listening to Katori instead. Obviously they were still completely opposed to his methods, but if they could get him to compromise and put the coordinated fistfights on hold for even a short time, then the CRC was more than happy to let him take the lead.

This was all Inaba’s idea. She was now so desperate, she was willing to sacrifice her dignity... and this gesture helped boost Taichi’s morale.

Each of them had their own role to play, and so they split off. Taichi’s task: to travel around campus with Nagase.

They needed to protect as many people as possible from the emergency shutdown. Even just one would do. Anything to cling to the faint hope that «Heartseed» would fix it all in the end.

“Reminds me of our first day here, y’know? At first I was all alone, but then I found you, and then we met up with the others, and then we vowed to unite everyone in the Isolation Zone... Almost like an adventure story!”

“Except we’re apparently the villains.”

“Villains who fight for world peace, I guess! Haha!”

They knew they were in the right, but they were forbidden from explaining themselves, and so others misinterpreted them. And those misinterpretations had become the dominant narrative.

None of the people here were evil by intention, but once feelings of doubt and resentment cropped up, those feelings would then seek an outlet. Sometimes the outlet was healthy, and other times it wasn’t.

They traveled from the clubroom to the West Wing to the North Wing, moving from room to room to room... but no one was willing to speak with them.

“Sorry, no.”

“Go away.”

“Just stop.”

Again and again, Taichi and Nagase were shot down. It struck them hard, and it stung, but eventually the pain faded, and their only response was a stoic “Okay then.”

Slowly but surely, they were... dying inside?

“Moving on... to the East Wing, I guess.”

“Right.”

And so they cut across the courtyard in the direction of the East Wing. As irony would have it, the sky was bright and clear.

Little was said between them as they carried on with their thankless journey. Taichi knew it would be better for morale if they could talk about something, but his heart was empty, and he didn’t have the energy for anything outside of walking to their next destination.

They could hear loud, speedy footsteps in the distance. Someone was running in their direction. Was it one of the other club members? They turned to look.

It was a tall girl with bleached hair—Kurihara Yukina. She looked so teary and panicked, Taichi half-wondered if she was running from someone.

“Y-Yukina-chan?!”

Stunned, Nagase hastily blocked Kurihara’s path, and in response, she slowed to a stop, swallowing her saliva and gasping for breath.

“What’s wrong?”

“Two of them vanished.”

Goosebumps shot up Taichi’s arms. The look on Kurihara’s face—her pain, disappointment, grief, and anger—said it all.

“Sakura and Ayane... They got in a big fight over the body-swap. Then they started acting like they’d never met each other, and then they disappeared. No punching or anything—they just vanished. Misaki vanished, too, didn’t she? I’m ready to accept it now.”

Once a friendship was lost, the result was an emergency shutdown. Physical fighting wasn’t a hard requirement. Now three of the five body-swap girls had vanished, leaving only two.

“And then... Akemi started telling me to punch her...” As she spoke, Kurihara stared vacantly into space like a broken doll. “She wanted us to punch each other so we could disappear... so we could stop being here... so we could forget... so we could go back to normal...”

“Yukina!” a voice called. It was Akemi, the girl with the ponytail. “Let’s just do it already! Aren’t you tired of all this?”

Her voice was calm, but she had a deranged smile on her face.

“I don’t want to punch you, Akemi... We’re friends... We’re friends...!”

Kurihara shook her head like she was snapping herself out of a nightmare... then took off running.

But then, someone else called out: “Over here!”

It was the student council president, Katori Jouji. Drawn in by his voice, Kurihara made a hard left and ran into the school building.

“We need to get you away from her, right?”

He grabbed her by the hand and ran off with her. Meanwhile, Akemi gave chase into the school building... and as for Taichi and Nagase, they could only stare dumbfounded as the events unfolded right in front of them.

They had failed to say or do anything to help; instead, Katori swooped in like some kind of superhero to save the day. Was he truly the only person who could save these people? If so, then there was no point in them walking around campus anymore.

They were trying to prevent situations like that one from happening. They wanted to protect people. They thought they were strong enough to save the world... and yet—

Clack!

“Whoa!” Nagase jumped back a couple steps.

Something had landed next to them on the ground—an empty water bottle. They looked up just in time to see a window on the third floor slide shut as a shadowy figure retreated.

Oh. It was on purpose.

But Taichi felt no anger; he simply noted that the harassment was ramping up. He felt vaguely disconnected from the people around him, but this thought evoked no pain. He was putting in so much effort, and yet...

“Why can’t you people just understand?!”

His voice echoed and echoed until all was quiet... and no anger remained.

■□■□■

In a world like this one, perhaps it simply wasn’t possible to bring everyone together.

“We’re united, right?” Taichi asked Nagase.

“Don’t worry... We’re rock-solid,” Nagase declared. At first her tone was uncertain, but by the end, it transformed into her usual reassuring confidence.

As they entered the East Wing, their feet instinctively carried them to 2-B, the classroom they called home. Surely Watase, Nakayama, and their other close friends would be willing to hear them out. Surely they would understand. Even Miyagami and Sone could probably keep their composure for that long.

With a cloud of despair looming over them and a tiny ray of hope ahead, they stood at the door to the classroom. Promising himself it would all work out, Taichi forced himself to knock.

Inside the room were just four people: Nakayama Mariko, Watase Shingo, Setouchi Kaoru, and Ishikawa Daiki. They didn’t shout at Taichi or Nagase to leave; instead, they reacted with “Oh” and “Hey.”

Not that there was anything wrong with that, but...

“Are you guys... okay?” Nagase asked timidly.

The mood in the room was utterly miserable. For some reason, each group member was sitting by themselves in a separate corner. This added a great deal of tension to the room, so Taichi decided to ask about it.

There was a pause. But right as he started to think they were ignoring him...

“...Whenever the phenomenon strikes, we’re forced to act on it. But if we put enough distance between ourselves, the rest of the group can intervene in time to stop the victim,” Watase explained.

Their phenomenon randomly intensified (or diminished) their fondness for each other. And those feelings made them do things they otherwise wouldn’t.

“You’d think we’d all split up to different parts of the building or something, but... the phenomenon doesn’t go away until it’s resolved. Like, if you suddenly hate someone so much you want to punch them, those feelings will be there until you get the chance to act on them in person.”

So there was no escaping it. A terrifying phenomenon, indeed.

“...Well, first things first, let’s get some air in here!” Nagase exclaimed, and threw open a window. A cold gust rushed into the room. “Now let’s all go for a walk! Okay?”

At her suggestion, they all stepped out into the hall—not just Taichi, but Nakayama, Watase, Setouchi, and Ishikawa, too.

“Whoa... I feel a lot better out here for some reason! You guys feel that?” Nagase remarked cheerfully.

“The environment you put yourself in actually has a huge effect on your mental health. If that environment is toxic, it really takes a toll on you,” Taichi replied.

But no one else joined the conversation—not even Nakayama, who was usually a good sport about these things. Instead, she stared sadly out the window.

This group hadn’t rejected the CRC, and since they were still in their assigned classroom, they hadn’t taken Katori up on his suggestion, either. They were trying their hardest to stick it out.

“Okay, let’s get serious for a minute,” Nagase continued as the cheer left her voice.

The four group members lined up, albeit unevenly. Likewise, Taichi and Nagase stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the other side of the hall, facing them. Nagase looked at Watase, Setouchi, Ishikawa, and Nakayama in turn, but none of them were willing to meet her gaze. Almost like they didn’t care... like they weren’t really present. Or were they suppressing their emotions on purpose?

“Thus far, we haven’t been as honest as we could have been,” Nagase began, adding weight to her words as she tried desperately to reach out. “We lied about having a phenomenon... and we didn’t tell anyone we were being targeted by a supernatural being. And yeah, I understand why everyone wants to get out of here and get away from their phenomena as soon as possible! But we shouldn’t have to hurt each other to do that. We shouldn’t have to lose our memories, even for a second.”

It was obvious Nagase genuinely cared for them. She was doing her best to change the world. To protect it.

“We’re not trying to boss people around, and we’re not trying to rebel against the student council. We just don’t think anyone should hurt their friends in order to escape... and we hope you can agree with that.”

And yet, for some reason, the words just didn’t land. No one moved a muscle.

It wasn’t Nagase’s fault; the outcome wouldn’t have changed if Taichi was the one to speak. Something was missing.

But then, slowly, Nakayama started to move. She walked past her boyfriend, Ishikawa, her pigtails bouncing. Then she walked past Setouchi. Was her expression feverish, or... lustful? The others all looked at her in confusion as she came to a stop in front of Watase.

Then she reached up—he was a good twenty centimeters taller than her, after all—cupped his cheeks in her hands, and pulled him close. Their lips met.

Everyone froze as if time itself had stopped. Then the clock started ticking once more.

“...Huh?”

The first person to react was none other than the culprit, Nakayama.

“Wait... Wait, wait, wait, wait! WAIT!” she screamed, panicked. She stumbled backwards on legs so shaky, they threatened to give out. “Wait! I take it back! I... uh... Ishikawa-kun...?”

Timidly, she looked up at her boyfriend. Likewise, he turned and looked down at her.

From where Taichi was standing, he couldn’t see Ishikawa’s expression. He could, however, see Nakayama’s... and hers was etched with despair.

“It’s not what you think! I didn’t want to do it! I didn’t enjoy it! But my body wouldn’t stop!”

“Uh, hello? You kissed me against my will! Don’t you think maybe you should apologize?” Watase growled angrily.

Surely he understood it was the phenomenon at work... didn’t he?

“But I... I mean, that was my first...!” Nakayama broke down sobbing.

“Oh my god, she’s so annoying. Right, Ishikawa-kun?” Setouchi scoffed, pressing her body against his.

What was happening? Obviously the phenomenon had struck again, but in what way? Which of Setouchi’s feelings had been altered? And why now, of all times? Was it truly random chance, or... had something decided to go on the offensive?

A disgruntled Watase stood with his arms folded. Setouchi and Ishikawa were snuggled against each other. And as for Nakayama... her legs looked like they might give out at any moment.

“I didn’t want to do it! Honest! Just forget what happened... please...” she whimpered down at the floor. “I’m so sick of being here... I just want to forget it all and go back to normal...”

“Well then, want me to punch you? That’ll make it end, right?” Setouchi offered.

Not even Nakayama’s group was immune to despair.

Just then, someone came down the stairs.

“Uhh... what’s going on?” It was Shiroyama Shouto, from the jazz band. “I heard shouting, so I... Huh?”

His eyes widened, and Taichi realized he was probably... no, definitely looking at Setouchi. After all, she was his girlfriend... and right now, she was hanging all over Ishikawa.

“...No! It’s not what you think!”

She snapped back to her senses and stepped away from Ishikawa. Likewise, Ishikawa did the same. That would indicate he’d been affected by the phenomenon, too.

“L-Look, Shiroyama-kun, don’t jump to any weird conclusions, okay? This is just how our phenomenon works! I mean, I’m sure you understand, and I know you wouldn’t get mad at me over it—”

“Y-Yeah, of course not. I hate your guts.” A few seconds passed, and then Shiroyama realized what he’d said. “Th-That was my phenomenon! Okay, uh, let’s both agree not to take it personally!”

Shiroyama’s phenomenon: lying at random.

“...Yeah, I know. You told me about how your phenomenon works. And I know you didn’t mean it, but I just... really can’t take it right now.”

A tear rolled down her cheek... and a moment later, she took off running.

“S-Setouchi-san?!”

Shiroyama went after her. Meanwhile, Nakayama staggered off in the opposite direction.

“N-Nakayama-chan! Hold up!” Nagase called after her. But Nakayama broke into a run and didn’t look back.

They were falling apart.

Looking at this scene in a vacuum, it might look like a minor argument. But those “minor” incidents had the potential to be permanently damaging. And here in the Isolation Zone, each individual lost friendship pushed everything further towards destruction.

But honestly, maybe the real world worked like that, too. Maybe everything was built on a foundation of minor incidents. And if even one of those tiny pieces went missing, cracks would start to form, until eventually...

“Let’s just end it already,” Watase sighed, slumping his shoulders.

“If we punch each other, we’ll disappear, correct?” Ishikawa asked, staring down at his clenched fist.

“Guys, c’mon, stop!” Nagase called out in a shaky voice.

The world was barreling toward destruction. Its foundation was breaking down. And there was nothing they could do to stop it. Why couldn’t they solve the problems happening right in front of their faces? Why didn’t anyone understand? Why couldn’t they change people?

Taichi had vowed to change the world. To unite the world.

And he would start with Watase Shingo and Ishikawa Daiki.

Who said they couldn’t solve this problem? Sure they could. Surely Taichi was capable of stopping one measly fight between two of his friends, wasn’t he? He could start by talking them down, or if worse came to worst, he could stop them by force.

It felt like something was just barely within his reach. Something critical to changing the world. All he needed now was a flash of inspiration, a gut feeling, anything. He just needed to follow his heart. And in doing so, he could touch someone else’s heart. He could move people. He could change people.

But how exactly could he achieve that effect in a situation like this one? He could pause to think about it, but that would take time. Time he didn’t have. All he could do was... be himself. Because that was something no one else could do.

Then an idea hit him.

Would it work out? Probably. After all, it wasn’t the action itself, but the feelings behind it that mattered. And he knew that for a fact, thanks to one little moment he’d witnessed.

Hadn’t Inaba kicked Aoki on their first day here?

“Nagase! Punch me!”

“Okay! Wait, WHAT?! Why would I do that?!”

He didn’t blame her for being confused. He sent her a look—a look that spoke louder than words.

“...Well, okay then!”

He somehow doubted she truly understood his intentions. She was probably just playing along for the hell of it. But she would never agree to something like this unless she trusted him completely.

“Watase-kun! Ishikawa-kun! Watch closely, now! Hi-yah!”

And then—Nagase—hit Taichi—as hard as she could—with a palm thrust—to the face.

“Guh!”

He stumbled backwards and slammed full-force into the wall.

“...Damn it, that freaking HURTS! You really need to learn how to rein it in, Nagase! This same thing happened when you hit Setouchi, too! It’s not a slap if you put your hips into it!”

“Well, I’ve never been in a real fight before, so I didn’t know!”

Considering she had no experience, her form was superb. Clearly she had some latent talent for it.

“Ow, my back... Other than that, I think I’m okay, though.”

His face and lower back still ached, but the pain was quickly receding. This was perhaps the only upside to being in the Isolation Zone.

“...The hell are you doing?” Watase and Ishikawa asked in perfect unison. Judging from the looks on their faces, they were both utterly flabbergasted.

Looks like I got them on the same page after all... Okay, maybe not. Still, the fact remained that they had stopped fighting. And who could blame them, after the spectacle they just witnessed?

There was no persuasion or debate required. Just two friends taking action.

Now began the next battle: Yaegashi Taichi versus Watase Shingo and Ishikawa Daiki. He was done making careful, calculated moves. He didn’t need them.

“What I’m asking is—do you really think you’d be happy, escaping from your troubles by slapping your friends around?”

“You literally just did the same thing,” Watase promptly pointed out.

“No, that... that was just a little performance piece to get you to stop.”

“Aren’t you both going to disappear, now that Nagase hit you?” Ishikawa asked.

“Hell no. We’re not going anywhere,” Nagase declared firmly. “You know why? Because one little smack isn’t enough to break our bond.”

When it came down to it, all that mattered here in the Isolation Zone was the connection of hearts. Ishikawa and Watase had no way of knowing the exact rules behind it, but surely they must have sensed it somehow.

Watase scratched his head. “I don’t even know what to say to that... What are you guys trying to do, anyway? If you wanna talk to me, I’m willing to hear you out.”

“We want everyone to band together and support their friends. In your case, not just Nakayama and Setouchi, but everyone around you. Miyagami, Sone, Fujishima... and the whole student council, too.”

“How come?”

He could always give a rational answer to this question. He’d have to be careful about not saying too much, of course, but now that «The Third» had actively interfered, maybe it was high time they fired back. And a rational answer was the sort of answer he could give to anyone.

But would a boilerplate response mean anything to Watase Shingo and Ishikawa Daiki?

“Watase... please just do as we ask, okay?”

“Okay, but how come?”

Having settled on his answer, Taichi looked Watase dead in the eyes and said: “Once we go back to the real world, I’ll go all-out and play Cupid for you and Fujishima.”

There was an absurdly long pause—the kind of pause that hadn’t really happened much here in the Isolation Zone. It wasn’t awkward, but it wasn’t peaceful, either. The mood in the air was... oddly tense.

Ten seconds went by, then twenty, then thirty... Okay, maybe it wasn’t that long. Watase took a long, slow breath, then asked:

“You, the guy who’s really stupidly ridiculously close to her for no reason?”

“Wow, three whole adverbs. Anyway, yeah.”

“You, the same guy who sat on the sidelines like an asshole and told me there was ‘basically nothing you could do’?”

“You seriously thought I was being an asshole? Okay, well, yeah.”

“...Do you have a specific plan in mind?”

“Not right this second, no. But I promise I’ll come up with something awesome. Hell, I’ll ask Inaba to help out.”

“I-Inaba’s gonna help, too?!”

Watase folded his arms in contemplation and closed his eyes. There was another long pause. And then...

“Alright, I’m in.”

“Excellent.”

And so a deal was struck with Watase.

“...Are you sure about this, Watase? I thought you wanted to disappear.”

“What? The hell are you talking about, Ishikawa? Yaegashi’s support is the missing link I need to make Fujishima-san mine, and now I finally have a shot at getting it! What kind of moron would say no?”

“I feel like you’re really overestimating what it is you’re missing... I understand how serious you are about her, but are you really going to let that influence your decision...?”

“Whoa, so Watase-kun’s actually serious about Fujishima-san?” Nagase asked.

“You didn’t know?” Taichi replied, surprised. After all, she seemed like the type to have a sixth sense for crushes.

“Well, I didn’t think anyone saw her as... you know... a normal person.”

“I admit, she does seem kind of superhuman...”

“You’re all blind. She may be brilliant, but she clearly wants to be treated like any other girl... I think!”

“You wish, more like.”

“Oh, suddenly this is a joke to you?!”

“What about you, Ishikawa?” Taichi asked, turning to Ishikawa.

If they thought this was over, they were sorely mistaken.

“Back in the early days of your relationship, when things were still awkward, we helped you and Nakayama go on a date, didn’t we? I mean, it was originally Kurihara’s idea, but Inaba and I went out of our way to pitch in.”

Taichi chose his words carefully to appeal to Ishikawa’s strong sense of integrity.

“I remember you thanked me, but you never actually repaid the favor, now did you?”

Strong as in really strong.

“...What would you have me do?”

Really, really strong.

“Just trust us.”

Really, really, really strong.

“...Fine, I’ll trust you.”

And so a pact was formed with Ishikawa(’s guilty conscience).

After that, Taichi was repeatedly accused of “bribery,” a charge he couldn’t exactly deny, since... you know... it was essentially true. All he could say in response was “Don’t forget our agreement!”

But this request had no real weight behind it. There was no guarantee that they would hold up their end of the bargain... and if they didn’t, he was in no position to complain. Nevertheless, Taichi chose to have faith in his friends, even if they weren’t completely convinced. This was Watase Shingo and Ishikawa Daiki, after all. Taichi was confident that they’d keep their word.

“Y’know, after everything that’s been said and done, this is the first time since we got here that I’ve actually felt like it’s safe to get my hopes up.”

“Hmm... If it doesn’t work out this time, it’ll be devastating.”

As Watase and Ishikawa mused to themselves, Taichi felt the pressure sink in.

“Anyways, we need to find Setouchi and Nakayama. Real men don’t sit around and wait!”

“So far I haven’t been a very good boyfriend, but I plan to change that.”

With that, the two guys set off down the hall.

“You know what to do once you find them, right? I’m counting on you!” Nagase called after them.

“Of course,” Ishikawa replied.

“Oh, right. One last thing, Yaegashi,” Watase said suddenly, his back still turned. “Considering what we’re dealing with here, there’s no guarantee I can keep my word. Our agreement might get flushed down the drain.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“But I swear I’ll try my best... Hey! I get that you’re worried about your girlfriend, but don’t just walk off without me, Ishikawa!”

And so the two friends disappeared down the stairs.

“...Taichi, I think you’re on to something. Y’know, it’s funny... I know for a fact that we’ve been going about this the wrong way, but I can’t really find the words to explain how.”

“Yeah, it’s hard to explain. It’s like, who were we trying to convince?”

They wanted everyone to understand them. Again and again, they put this thought into words. But looking back... who did they mean by “everyone”?

In this case, “everyone” meant Watase, Ishikawa, Nakayama, and Setouchi.

Up until now, the CRC was so preoccupied with “saving the world” that they had thought of “everyone” as the entire population. But the population of the Isolation Zone was not a single monolithic entity. It was made up of individuals — people with their own thoughts and opinions. So it was really no wonder that their strategy didn’t work when it was predicated upon painting everyone with the same brush. If they weren’t paying attention to each individual they spoke to, then they weren’t paying attention at all.

Sure, perhaps it was possible to forcibly take control of a monolith... but with broad, sweeping platitudes, very few would actually care about their message. In what world would a generic, boilerplate response have an emotional impact? They couldn’t connect to people’s hearts with that. No one would unite around it.

How could they have deluded themselves into thinking they understood everyone’s feelings when “everyone” was an unidentified mass? There was no “one size fits all” solution. They needed to connect with each person on an individual level. Otherwise they would never be able to bring everyone together, change minds, and unite the world.

Hadn’t he only just come to terms with the importance of individual connections? It wasn’t enough to simply tell himself he understood; he needed to reach out and make sure that understanding was mutual. He needed to connect with the person right in front of him.

Maybe he couldn’t unite the entire world population, but surely he could get through to one person, right? Not like any of these people were strangers, after all. He had an established rapport with each of them. To the rest of the world, it might look like nothing, but what they had built between them was irreplaceable.

In focusing on the abstract, he had lost sight of the tangible.

Changing the world meant changing society. Changing society meant changing minds. And changing minds couldn’t happen without an emotional connection. Reaching out. Resonating with them. Hadn’t the phenomena taught them just how unshakeable those bonds could be?

As Taichi stumbled his way through his thoughts, Nagase listened intently. She really seemed to understand.

“Yeah... It’s not about literally everyone, when you think about it. Really, it’s about Nakayama-chan and Kaoru-chan.” She looked back at him, her eyes full of quiet determination. “The problem is, we’re only close with a handful of these people. I’m not sure how we can really approach the ones we don’t know too well, y’know?”

“Oh... Good question...”

“Er, sorry to be a buzzkill! Anyway, I’m sure this is exactly what we need to make a comeback! Now then, we should let everyone know!”

This time, “everyone” meant the CRC; it was obvious from context and the way she said it.

And deep down, Taichi hoped more people would find strength in their “everyone” the same way Nagase did.

+++

Talking with Taichi just now was like a punch in the face. Not that I’d given up or anything, but man, I was really starting to think this was impossible. Turns out, no, it wasn’t. We were only just getting started.

Taichi and I had agreed to gather the whole CRC together for a discussion, but there was something I needed to take care of first. Assuming Watase-kun and Ishikawa-kun hadn’t already handled it, of course.

Where? Where are they? I ran around the whole school, all the way to the back of the North Wing.

“AHA! Found you! Wait... Nakayama-chan, Kaoru-chan, and Shiroyama-kun?! What are you three doing together?!”

Worse still, Watase-kun and Ishikawa-kun were nowhere to be seen. I guess they were out searching somewhere else.

The three of them were standing in a triangle formation, and as I barged in on them, they all looked at me in alarm.

“...What are you doing?”

Their little triangle was a little too perfectly spaced. It looked like they were planning to... do something... involving their fists... I shuddered at the thought.

I didn’t know how they’d arrived at this conclusion, but one thing was for sure: Nakayama-chan, Kaoru-chan, and Shiroyama-kun were all kind-hearted people. None of them truly wanted to hurt each other. I knew that for a fact.

“Iori... I...” Nakayama-chan looked at me, terrified.

“Guys, c’mon! Don’t give up! I’m begging you, please, stay here and fight your phenomena as a group. And here’s why I think you should listen to me.”

None of them seemed to know how to respond to this. Now’s my chance.

First up, Nakayama. Back when the Sentiment Transmission had completely destroyed my mental health, she never stopped reaching out to me. She was a total extrovert who could get along with anyone, male or female, but when it came to dating, she was super shy.

“I get it, Nakayama-chan. Not only are you trapped here, but some jerk is playing around with your feelings. I’d be sick of it, too, if I were in your shoes. But...”

Honestly, I should’ve spent more time thinking this through, but oh well. I’ll just have to wing it!

“You can’t find true love unless you overcome its trials! Your love is being tested!”

“M-My love...?”

Nakayama-chan was a pure-hearted, sappy romantic... just like Setouchi Kaoru.

Kaoru-chan had the tendency to be easily influenced by her crush. But she wasn’t good at expressing her feelings, and because of that, her emotions would sometimes get the better of her. She was a sweet, selfless girl who would do anything to help the person she loved, even if that person didn’t love her back.

“I’m talking to you, too, Kaoru-chan!”

“C-Come again?!”

Lastly, Shiroyama-kun. He used to have a crush on me—until I shot him down like a complete monster. But once I apologized for my attitude, he was somehow willing to forgive me and accept my friendship. That was proof of just how big-hearted he was. In all my life, I would probably never meet a guy as kind and earnest as the Little Prince.

“You, too, Shiroyama-kun!”

“M-Me?!”

“Guys, don’t let this break you! Remember when Shiroyama-kun asked me out, and I said no? Kaoru-chan got so mad, she tried to wreck my whole club!”

“Wha...?! I... I’m sorry, okay?! It was the worst mistake of my life, I swear!”

“And that ‘mistake’ brought you and Shiroyama-kun together. But if you want this relationship, then you’re going to have to work for it! Being trapped here is no excuse! You still have to put the effort in!”

“Uhh... well, okay... I mean, you’re not wrong...”

“And you, Shiroyama-kun! The second Kaoru cut and dyed her hair, you were ready to drop me like a hot potato!”

“Urk...!”

“If you truly have feelings for her, then prove it!”

Not that I have any room to talk, but I digress!

“I love you guys, and I know you can do this! Nakayama-chan, you’re my best friend! Kaoru-chan, I’m amazed at what good friends we’ve become! And Shiroyama-kun, I feel like we’ve gotten to know each other a lot better, too!”

I poured my heart out to them.

“I love you, so I need you to stay here! Please, help me believe in the power of love! It’s the only thing that will get us through this! Wouldn’t that be totally dreamy?! Let me see your fairytale romance!”

I blurted it all out without letting them get a word in edgewise.

Nakayama-chan stared at me for a moment.

“Iori... what’s gotten into you?”

Noooo! C’mon, don’t take it seriously! I’m gonna die of embarrassment!

“So basically, you want us to band together and endure the phenomena. That’s no different from everything you said before.”

She was right, of course. Nothing I said was groundbreaking. I changed up the words, but not the underlying message.

“But for some reason, it feels... different,” Shiroyama murmured, puzzled. “Like it’s really hit me this time.”

“Yeah... I’m starting to think I should actually try,” Kaoru-chan nodded.

“You wanna see the power of love?! Because ol’ Mariko-san will show you the burning flames of passion!” Nakayama-chan declared.

I had followed my heart, and now my friends were inspired to follow theirs.

+++

I made a beeline straight to the swim team — the same folks who wouldn’t give me the time of day yesterday.

“Honey, I’m home!”

No more Mr. Nice Guy. I threw open the door and barged right in.

Back at the CRC clubroom, after listening to Taichi and Iori-chan, it woke me up. They were right — I was starting to think maybe getting everyone on board with us was just a pipe dream. In a situation as serious as this one, there was simply no way that my unfailing optimism would solve everything.

But if it was just a few people, maybe my “don’t think; feel” schtick could actually work!

Inside the clubroom, I found Kubozuka, Katsuragi, Matsui, and the other two girls. First off, it was a relief to see that nobody had vanished. Then I asked them to believe in us one more time.

But of course, it would’ve been silly to expect different results by doing the exact same thing.

“We already had this conversation with you yesterday,” snapped Matsui. Last time she tried to be nice about it, but today she didn’t bother hiding her anger. Wait, c’mon, don’t get mad at me!

“Yesterday, you said you needed ‘the promise of something in return’ before you could believe me. So that’s just what I’ll do!”

Please just smile. Things’ll be so much easier that way.

“You guys wanted to hear the juicy details about my relationship with Yui, right?!” I shouted, and in my mind, I added a BOOM sound effect in the background.

“Most days I’m everyone’s favorite punching bag, but when push comes to shove, I know how to man up! Aren’t you curious what it must be like for Yui, havin’ to date me and all?!”

Real talk, I got this question all the time. But you see, I’d decided I wouldn’t answer it without Yui present. She was a super private person about that sorta stuff, and I didn’t want to embarrass her.

“...That’s what you’re offering us in exchange?”

Uh oh. Katsuragi’s rolling his eyes.

“That’s right! I remember both you and Kubozuka asked me for deets at one point!”

“I mean, yeah, but...”

“Is Kiriyama-san okay with it?” Matsui asked.

Technically... no, I hadn’t asked Yui for permission, but...

“Don’t worry! She’ll understand that I didn’t have a choice. That’s just the kinda girl she is!”

I was fully confident in that statement. Our relationship was so magical, even our friends drew strength from it!

“So, will you trust us? I’ll even swear on my love for Yui!”

“What? No, seriously... what does that have to do with literally anything?”

“I don’t know... I think it carries a lot of weight, coming from Aoki of all people...”

“Yeahhhh... This is the same guy who hasn’t shut up about Kiriyama-san since the first day of high school!”

Am I doing the right thing here? Well, if it’s getting through to them, then I guess so!

“So you’re saying you’ll trust me?!”

“Welllll... I mean...”

One more push! I got this!

“Come to think of it, Kubozuka, I heard you got a girlfriend these days! Is she in here with us?!”

“No, which is why I wanna get out of here. Well, that, and other reasons too, obviously...”

“Then why take the coward’s way out?! Why not fight your way through it like a badass and make her swoon?!”

See that? The thing about love is, it can brighten up even the darkest days!

+++

Man, a guy like me doesn’t belong up here.

I stood at the teacher’s lectern, getting ready to address my peers for the first time since... the Sports Festival, I think? Looking back, I think that was the one and only time I ever put myself in the spotlight. And I wouldn’t say it was a roaring success.

There were fourteen people in the room, all of them fellow classmates in 1-B. This included Kimura, Shimono, Tada, and two other girls who comprised the “giving orders at random” phenomenon group. In the wrong hands, that kind of power could be downright terrifying.

Incidentally, I was joined by one Enjouji Shino, though there was no telling whether she’d actually be of any use to me up here. I admit, Taichi-san’s idea made some amount of sense, but I wasn’t sure whether we could make it happen.

“...Basically, we came by to say that we really think we should all band together and stick it out to the bitter end,” I told them, repeating the same talking points everyone else had made thus far.

“...Okay, but seriously, how the hell are you people so calm right now?” Shimono demanded. Then he backed away slightly, as if he wasn’t already standing on the opposite side of the room. Coward.

“Is it true you guys are pulling the strings behind the scenes?” Tada asked.

I would’ve thought these people would understand by now, seeing as we’d come to this classroom multiple times in the past, but apparently the student council’s rumor had flushed all our hard work down the crapper.

But this was my chance to try again. To look at each person, at the connections we’d built together, and truly talk to them. I was no social butterfly, but after the Sports Festival, I’d gotten to know quite a few of my classmates. In fact, it was safe to say that Shimono and Tada (and Kimura?) and I were officially friends now. Surely we... Surely I...

Wait, so what am I supposed to say?

I was so sure I’d think of something. That I’d find my words naturally. After all, it’d worked for the rest of the CRC, hadn’t it? I was convinced I could do it, too. And yet... it just wasn’t that easy to come up with a good idea.

Fuck.

I looked at Enjouji.

“We’re not doing anything bad,” she whimpered weakly.

God, you’re so useless. Almost as useless as me.

“Your whole club is really weird, actually. Is that just what happens when you join the CRC? Because you two never used to be this weird!” Kimura complained.

Because we were in the CRC, we were treated as outsiders. So... what if we weren’t in the CRC? If our affiliation was making this complicated, then we could simply discard it. But... I was scared to pull the trigger. I was only here as a CRC representative — a stand-in for my senpai. Could I really stand before them as Uwa Chihiro instead?

Then it hit me. Even now, I still hadn’t come to terms with who I was as a person. Instead, I was trying to make the CRC my entire identity. How could I ever understand other people when I couldn’t even face myself? A real confrontation couldn’t happen unless both parties let themselves be vulnerable. Could I do that? If I let my walls come down, I could get a better look at them, too... right?

I snuck another glance at Enjouji. She looked helpless and scared... in other words, a perfect mirror of myself. But did I really need to hide it?

“Guys, do you seriously think this wimp could pull any kind of strings? Seriously, look at her. It’s Enjouji. Forget about all the CRC stuff and just look at her.”

As I spoke, I patted her on the back.

“Huh?! Uhhh... ummm... Y-Yeah, I really don’t think I could manage something that complicated, to be honest!”

“I think that’s the most confident you’ve ever sounded in your life.”

At that, someone let out a chuckle, and it occurred to me: Wasn’t this how we convinced them last time, too? Not by acting suave, but by screwing up and making fools of ourselves. In which case, maybe this was the perfect opportunity.

“O-Oh yeah? Well, what about you? You’re so clueless, you couldn’t find your way out of a paper bag, Chihiro-kun!” Enjouji shot back.

“Yeah... I just can’t picture it,” someone muttered.

Damn it, Enjouji, you always have to steal my thunder.

“When you think about it, we’re not talking about ‘the CRC.’ We’re talking about Enjouji-san and Uwa-kun, you know?”

“Yes, exactly! Thank you, Tomomi-chan and Higashino-san!”

“Yeahhhh... There’s no way they’re the secret masterminds behind all this...”

“Enjouji-san’s too nice, and Uwa-kun’s a hapless buffoon.”

“Looks like they’ve realized you’re nowhere near as cunning as you look! This is great news, Chihiro-kun!”

“Ladies, come on, cut me some slack! You too, Enjouji!”

What are you harpies squealing about? Not that I’m complaining, but... okay, I’m complaining a little!

Meanwhile, Shimono and Tada were talking amongst themselves:

“Yeah, when you think about what these two are capable of...”

“...It doesn’t really click, does it?”

“I know I just got done saying ‘they never used to be this weird,’ but now that you mention it... maybe they really were this weird the whole time?! Why didn’t anybody tell me?!”

“Kimura, I need you to put a sock in it, pronto.”

But I didn’t feel the need to put on an act. Forget all my aspirations about catching up to my senpai and “earning” my place in the CRC — I could just be myself. I was nobody special, but... apparently I didn’t need to be.

“Okay, so we’re all in agreement that there’s no way Enjouji and I could’ve actually arranged all that stuff the student council president was talking about, right?! Now then, don’t you think maybe you could hear us out?!” I shouted.

Everyone in the room nodded — even Enjouji.

...Well, everyone thinks I’m a moron, but at least this is a start... I guess.

+++

Everyone had gone off on their own to talk to their friends. Functionally it was no different from yesterday’s activities, but this time it carried a new significance. Our new plan: to capitalize on our interpersonal relationships. This was the strategy we’d discussed and agreed upon after Taichi had told us his idea.

Honestly, I should have known he’d think of something like this... and I couldn’t be prouder to call myself his girlfriend.

We wanted everyone to understand us, and we took action to try to make it happen. In my opinion, that was still ultimately the right move. Our problem was that we lacked the charisma necessary to connect with an entire population. However...

“When you set your sights on just one person, it suddenly gets a lot easier,” I muttered to myself as I looked my target in the eye.

“...What are you talking about?” asked the leader of the student council outreach committee, Fujishima Maiko, her expression dubious.

If there was one person who stood a chance of helping us change the world, it was her.

“Aren’t you paying attention, Fujishima Maiko?”

“First you ask to speak with me in private, and now you’re accusing me of not paying attention? Do you realize what lengths I went to to sneak out here behind the school without the President noticing?”

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about, Fujishima Maiko. Why the hell have you turned into Katori’s little sheep?”

Granted, Katori Jouji was unquestionably a key player here in the Isolation Zone. He had won support from a majority of the population, and his words carried weight. But as much as I would’ve liked to put him to work for us, he was now fully convinced we were the enemy. That made him very difficult to manipulate.

No matter what we said to other people, Katori would come along and turn the whole thing on its head. And since our extremely public defeat the other day, no amount of “he said, she said” would work out in our favor; most people would believe him over us.

So, in order to make a comeback, we’d need help from someone outside the club. Someone who could easily go toe-to-toe with Katori. And who better than the hyper-competent superwoman standing right in front of me? I was confident that she could take him down. All I needed was to win her over.

“His sheep? Well, he is the leader around here, so in that sense, yes, I am his follower. What of it?”

“You’re just going to accept it? You don’t have any issues with how Katori’s choosing to run things?”

For a split-second, her smile stiffened.

“The fact is, the President’s found a way out of here. He’s done exactly what everyone else expected of him. It’s impressive, really.”

“This situation is extremely fucking precarious, Fujishima. And I know you see it, too. You saw those boys punch each other. They broke down completely, and at the very end, they lost their memories of each other. The student council is supposed to protect these people! Are you really going to sit back and let them do this to each other?”

She averted her eyes without protest.

“You know we wouldn’t push back against it without good reason, right?”

“It seems you all have a very high opinion of yourselves.”

“Oh yeah? Then why is your voice shaking?”

She pursed her lips together. Her widened eyes looked rather damp. Where was her backbone, damn it? Why had she turned into some helpless damsel, right when her people needed her more than ever?

Looking back, however... Brilliant, charismatic negotiator though she was, whenever a problem arose that mere negotiation couldn’t solve, she stayed out of it completely. I’d assumed she simply wasn’t involved, but... maybe she was avoiding those conflicts on purpose. Maybe that was as far as Fujishima Maiko was willing to go.

There was no point to dancing around the issue.

“You like to stick your head in the sand whenever there’s a big problem, don’t you?”

“Excuse me? I... I simply prefer to focus on areas where I can get results. If I can’t be completely certain I can manage something, then I’d rather leave it to someone more fitting for the role.”

“Great. Don’t tell me you’re a perfectionist, too.”

“In addition to whom, pray tell?”

Nagase Iori, I replied silently.

“You could afford to take center stage more often, you know. It’s okay to make mistakes.”

“Not right now, it isn’t.”

I was right. They’re identical.

“You’re just trying to minimize your personal responsibility by reducing yourself to a bit part. Knock it off.”

“...You certainly don’t mince words, do you?”

Her expression was tinged with anger. Perhaps I’d pushed her a little too far. In all sincerity, I didn’t come here to pick a fight with her, but I needed her to wake up.

“We can’t do this on our own. We can’t stop Katori, and we can’t change their minds,” I told her. I hadn’t given up completely, mind you, but I was out of ideas. “You’re our only hope, Fujishima. Please. Put an end to Katori’s risky experiments and knock some sense back into everyone.”

The two of us had a mutual respect for one another, but we weren’t exactly friends... and yet our bond was too deep for mere classmates, either.

“I... I’m not superhuman, you know.”

It wasn’t an outright no; it was an admission of weakness.

“...Alright.”

Maybe this wasn’t going to work. Even if I did get through to her, it would be incredibly irresponsible of me to dump the work entirely on her shoulders.

“Just give it some thought.”

Is this where our luck runs out?

+++

Up ahead, I spotted someone sitting on the edge of the planter box, slumped over like a wilted flower, staring blankly at nothing. The blood drained from my face, and I totally thought I was going to pass out.

“Yukina!”

I ran right over to her. Even though she treated me like a little kid from time to time, she was my best friend, and I loved her with all my heart.

“...Yui...”

She looked up at me lifelessly. Her tears had long since dried.

It tore me apart to see her so defeated.

“...They told me Akemi vanished,” she muttered in a quiet, monotone voice.

“Akemi-chan? Wasn’t she the only other track girl left...?”

The track girls had been dealing with the body-swap phenomenon since before we came to the Isolation Zone... and now Yukina was the only one left?

“She asked me to punch her. To make her disappear. But I couldn’t do it.”

“...Then how did she vanish?”

“She got in a fistfight with someone else, apparently. I guess it doesn’t have to be with a friend.”

I got the sense that the actual trigger behind the emergency shutdown was the emotional breakdown part, and/or the friendship-ending part. But physical fighting probably led to those things regardless.

“I tried to stop her, you know? I ran from her... Oh, but now that she’s gone, I’m free from the body-swap. After all, there’s no one left to switch with.” She let out a self-deprecating laugh and smiled sadly. “Maybe I should vanish, too. Once I wrap up all my loose ends.”

“No, you shouldn’t! You have to hang in there, Yukina! I... I’m too scared... I don’t want you to lose all your memories...”

“What’s the point of me ‘hanging in there’ all by myself? What’s the point of me keeping my memories when everyone else has already forgotten me?”

I had to admit, she had a point. If she lost her memories of me, then it wouldn’t matter if I kept my memories of her. Either way, we wouldn’t be friends anymore.

I paused to imagine what it would be like if Aoki forgot all about me. If he stopped telling me he loved me, would we still be together? If my feelings were there, but his were gone, what would we have left?

But there were no mysterious enemies here — just my best friend who I knew better than anyone. Nothing could come between us.

In my mind, I thought about the CRC. With their help, I could believe in the power of friendship.

“Listen to me, Yukina. Are you sure you want to sacrifice your memories of your friends just so you can disappear? Are you really okay with losing those friendships?”

“What friendships? Like I said, there’s no point in me remembering when they don’t! But... at least I still have you, so I guess it doesn’t really—”

WHAP. The light, airy sound echoed louder than I was expecting.

For what was probably the first time in my life, not including karate matches, I had struck one of my female friends.

For a second Yukina looked shocked, but then she laughed. “What was that for? Are you going to erase me yourself? I’d appreciate it, actu—”

“Is that really all they ever meant to you, Yukina?!” I roared, letting out all my feelings.

Honestly, it was a pretty risky move, since emergency shutdowns were so closely tied to emotional distress and all that. But I felt certain that nothing bad would happen.

“Once someone forgets you, you think that makes it okay to toss them away?!”

I thought back to the past. Dozens of memories sprang up in my mind like daisies.

“You and I would always eat lunch together, but sometimes Misaki-chan would join us. And sometimes, like, we even hung out with the rest of the track team, whenever we could fit it in around their busy schedules! We went to karaoke, we went shopping, we went out for ice cream... Without you and Misaki-chan, I never could’ve made friends with them! Do you know how grateful I am?!”

I couldn’t stop myself.

“We had so much fun together! I was never any good at gossiping about boys, and talking about love stuff was always, like, so awkward for me, but looking back, I really enjoyed it! And... there’s still so much I want to do! I want to spend the whole next year hanging out with all of you, right up until we graduate! But if you forget everyone, then we can’t! So is that actually what you want, Yukina?!”

I watched as her emotions slowly rose to the surface, and tears filled her eyes.

“...No, of course it isn’t. But they’re all gone now... They’ve forgotten me...”

“But you remember, don’t you?!”

“...Huh?”

“As long as you remember, then that makes it real!”

It didn’t matter if one half of a connection was erased as long as the other half was still around. Even if someone important to you lost their memories of you, you could still cherish that person anyway.

By this point, I was getting so emotional, I was on the verge of tears myself.

“I know how it feels, Yukina. I don’t want you to forget me, either. And I don’t want you to forget Misaki-chan, or anyone else on the track team — not when I know just how much they mean to you. But you? You still remember. You still have the precious memories that everyone else had to lose. So why would you throw that away? Please, don’t give up.”

Yukina hung her head. Her shoulders were trembling.

Would my feelings get through to her? I chose to believe that the answer was yes. I mean, think about it. If I didn’t believe in my friendship with Yukina, then who the heck would?

As she sat there and shook, my chest ached at the thought that I was the one who made her feel this way.

But then...

“...Yeah... You’re right... You’re completely right,” she choked in a watery voice punctuated with sobs. “I still remember... and that means... it’s still real...”

Her voice was full of love and pain as she tried to reassure herself. I reached out and stroked her hair. Normally this was the kind of thing she would do for me, since she loved to act like my big sister, but this time the tables were turned. Maybe that was just how friendship worked.

As long as one single piece remained in existence, it wasn’t truly gone. There was still a chance to get it back. Looking at it that way, it was kind of impossible for anything to get 100 percent erased. No matter what happened, it would always leave traces behind.

But then, there was a loudspeaker announcement, and President Katori summoned everyone to the gym. This time, the assembly was mandatory... and supposedly it was “the last one.”

Once it was finished, Yukina murmured:

“Oh... Guess I gotta go.”