Chapter 8: Nagase Iori Settles the Score

[They couldn’t have managed to carry me very far on foot, which means this abandoned factory they’ve got me tied up in must be somewhere near the school—]

Curled up in the fetal position under my blanket, I receive yet another Transmission from Inaban. Considering everything else she’s Transmitted today, it’s obvious she’s in danger. So what do I do about it?

The best me would go in and heroically rescue her, the worst me would sit around and wait for someone else to do it, and a normal person would probably just call the cops.

Then again, the cops probably wouldn’t take action without a specific location... so in that case, ask a friend...? Oh, right, there’s always Fujishima Maiko. I could have her get in touch with her dad, maybe...

On and on, I mull over the many options available to me... but I can’t bring myself to commit to one. And in my indecision, I essentially choose the worst option—to do nothing.

Just goes to show what a piece of shit I am. How pathetic.

I know I need to confront it, and yet I keep running away.

How did you get yourself kidnapped, you idiot? What turn of events could possibly lead to that? Is your life a movie now? Stupid. Everything about this is so stupid. I’m stupid. My whole life is stupid.

Yeah... stupid’s one way to put it, I guess. Not to act like I’m some kind of victim, but I’ve always had a less than ordinary life. And then «Heartseed» came along. Icing on top of the cake, really. What a mess... Thanks to its supernatural phenomena, my world has turned upside-down.

I can’t change history, nor can I go back. I know that. If anything, I was going to accept my past as the lived experience that it was and keep pushing forward...

But I don’t think I can handle any more of this torment or else I’m going to break.

I’m sick of it. I’m exhausted. Screw it. I’m done. I don’t want to do it anymore. Just let me go—

[I’m coming to save you!]

[We gotta get her out of there!]

[To the rescue!]

Then I get three new Transmissions—from Taichi, Yui, and Aoki, in that order. It’s the first time I’ve ever gotten three at the same time. I guess the desire to save Inaban struck them all simultaneously.

I can feel their passion—warm and bright and pure and beautiful, all to an agonizing degree. Filled with all their emotions at once, I feel like I’m going to burst. It’s a strange sensation, to say the least.

I wrap my arms around myself, willing myself to keep it together. Under my blanket, shrouded in darkness, I feel like I’m starting to see the light.

—I’ll admit, we probably put some unreasonable expectations on you! But you’re the one who felt overly obligated to live up to them, damn it! You’re an idiot, that’s what you are!

When the Sentiment Transmission was first foisted on us, I told myself I was probably in for another hellish trial, but I needed to survive it. Not only that, but I was scared that all the worst parts of me—the less-than-ideal me—would be put on display for the world to see.

And then I lost my way.

—Why do things have to be so black and white?!

All this time, I did my best to make it work. I told myself I couldn’t screw this up. After all the failures I’d experienced in the past, I became obsessed with the perfect persona. Maybe that’s why I kept telling myself to choose one or the other. Maybe I wanted my perfectionist tendencies to help keep me my very best self.

—Seriously, who do you think you are? The romantic lead in a movie?

She’s right. I’m so ridiculously self-centered, it’s not even funny. Look at me, everyone! Unlike the rest of you chumps, I’m a fragile flower who can’t handle «Heartseed» and its phenomena!

In other words, I used my lack of identity to throw myself a pity party.

—No one is as obsessed with you as you are, you FUCKING MORON!

I can’t even deny it at this point. They weren’t the ones with high expectations—it was me. I had those expectations for myself. And when I failed to live up to them, I took it out on everyone around me. Extremely mature of me, I know.

I suck at this. I’m trash. So why are my standards so high?

It’s because I never had confidence in the real me. I didn’t know who she even was, really. But the uncertainty drove me crazy, so instead I labeled myself with a black and white dichotomy I could readily understand: success or failure, ideals or reality, fact or fiction.

—It’s your life, so live it however you want! Focus on what really matters, for fuck’s sake!

I kept overthinking and overthinking until I turned the whole thing into a bigger deal than it actually was. All the important stuff stopped mattering, and soon all I cared about was whether I could perform to my own satisfaction. What a self-centered loser... I’m nowhere close to my idea of perfection, and yet...

—I still love you, Nagase.

...they accepted me regardless. And it gave me the kick in the ass I needed to finally confront myself.

Where did I go wrong? What was it I failed to see?

Is the point of life to be perfect? No, of course not. Perfection is subjective. It never hurts to strive for it, but perfection itself is not the end goal.

No... The point of life is simply to live the way you choose. What do I want to do? Who do I want to become? These are the questions I should be focusing on.

Who cares about past failures or potential future failures? I still need to keep living my own life. Otherwise, what am I even living for in the first place?

Why didn’t I understand this until just now? Am I braindead? I must be. I’m the biggest moron ever.

But that doesn’t matter anymore. I’m done overthinking.

So what is it I really want to do?

I take a hard look deep inside myself—and the next thing I know, I’m on my feet.

Sunshine streams in, lighting up my whole world... Squinting, I find I can still make out all the colors.

My feet carry me to the front door, and I step outside with nothing but the clothes on my back. Inaban’s Transmissions are all I have to go on, so I unlock my bike and hop on.

I’m done with logic. I’m done with common sense. No more normal or abnormal. No more dichotomies. No more perfection.

None of it matters anymore. I won’t let it chain me down. I’m going to be the real Nagase Iori—I’m going to follow my heart.

—Choose your own path.

It feels like I finally understand what my dad—my fifth dad—meant by those words back in the spring of ninth grade.

□■□■□

I had a feeling my call wouldn’t go through, but I tried it anyway, just in case. Sure enough, no dice. So, my only option was to bike around and hunt for the place myself.

People on the street looked at me in alarm as I flew past at full speed. Not to make light of the crisis, but... it felt amazing.

After a long search, I finally came across a building that seemed to fit the bill. Instantly, I was convinced this had to be the place. Not like there were a ton of other abandoned factories within walking distance of Yamaboshi school grounds.

I hopped off so fast, I didn’t even bother with the kickstand—just let my bike fall to the ground. Wiping my pouring sweat, my first move was to find some way to see inside.

Soon, I spotted an old, beat-up locker positioned directly beneath a shattered window. Perfect. I carefully climbed up onto it and slowly peered inside.

From there, I could see a handful of people on the right-hand side of the interior. Fortunately, they were close enough that I could easily make out their features.

Bingo.

There she was, lying on her side, arms and legs bound, duct tape over her mouth. Congrats, Inaban. Looks like you’re living in a shoujo manga now, I snarked silently. The sight was so surreal, it took considerable effort to convince my brain that this was reality.

I continued to scan around inside the building. Aside from Inaban, I could make out five shady-looking guys... and Setouchi Kaoru.

My mind went blank. Setouchi’s involved in this? I knew she had a grudge against me, of course, but I couldn’t imagine she conveniently had an entirely unrelated grudge against Inaban as well... which meant she was almost certainly doing this to get back at me.

I turned away from the window and slumped against the wall. My first reaction wasn’t anger—it was nausea. I could feel a pressure in my throat, like a pent-up scream. Desperate to hold it all in, I pressed a hand to my mouth, willing myself to endure it.

This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening! This can’t be happening!

What could have possibly led to this? I didn’t know for sure, but I was certain I was the root cause.

A tear slid down my cheek. Instantly, my determination plummeted, and my legs turned to lead. Me and my stupid mood swings, I thought bitterly. As my ragged breathing began to settle, I overheard a conversation taking place inside.

“Seriously, guys, this is going way too far... We’re gonna get in huge trouble...” said Setouchi.

“And like I told you, it’s not our fault this bitch picked a fight with us first!” one of the guys replied. “Besides, you’re the one who wanted us to rip up their giant poster thing in the first place! This is on you!”

Aha. So she was behind the clubroom vandalism—not that there was ever any room for doubt.

“But... I had to... The girls told me to ask you... so I didn’t have a choice...”

I knew it. She’s not what she seems... but that’ll have to wait.

“Quit playing innocent!”

I heard an impact, and Setouchi let out a shriek. Hastily, I peeked back through the window to find her lying on the floor.

“Get a load of Mr. Domestic Violence over here,” one of the other guys joked.

So far, it sounded like they had kidnapped Inaban in the heat of the moment, and it wasn’t part of their original plan. For a moment, I was relieved to learn that she hadn’t been targeted specifically to mess with me, as I’d originally thought... Then I cursed myself for prioritizing my own interests in the middle of a literal hostage situation—especially considering the culprits seemed highly volatile and unpredictable.

So what do I do?

I was up against five guys and technically one girl, though I wasn’t sure how much of a threat she would be at this point. Meanwhile, I had no one but myself. No weapon, no combat training, and absolutely no confidence.

What do I do? What CAN I do? I can’t think of anything!

Suddenly, a loud, metallic CLANG made me nearly jump out of my skin. It sounded like someone kicked a wall or something. Reflexively, I shrank down under the window, clutching my chest as I gasped for breath. Relax... They haven’t found me... probably, my rational brain reassured me.

With my composure regained, I peered back through the window. My gaze wandered to the entrance.

There stood Taichi, Yui, and Aoki, all wearing their school uniforms, all completely unarmed, and with no clear plan (that I could tell, anyway).

“Why would you just barge in without scoping the place out first, you moron?!” Yui shouted, promptly kicking Taichi in the shin.

Called it.

Meanwhile, the kidnappers clearly hadn’t anticipated these surprise visitors.

“Who the hell are you?!”

“Who said you could come in here?! Get out!”

Uh, you know you guys are trespassing too, right?

Meanwhile, Setouchi had fled to the corner.

Despite their total lack of planning, the CRC stormed boldly into the factory building to save Inaban—except for me. Maybe if I ran around... No, I wouldn’t make it in time. All I can do now is watch.

The five thugs quickly recovered once they realized their opponents were merely three high school students. One of them stepped forward. “Look, folks, we’re in the middle of something here. How about you get lost before I make you wish you’d never been born?” he sneered.

Taichi and Aoki promptly sent him flying with a perfectly-timed double punch—and the blows landed in such a way that he passed out instantly.

It was so sudden, so drastic, I couldn’t help but stare. Never before had I even imagined that the boys of the CRC would actually punch someone. Clearly they were furious... but more than that, they were desperate to save Inaban. And thanks to the Sentiment Transmission, I knew just how strong and pure that desire was.

To them, there was no logic or reasoning behind it. They didn’t care what the odds were... They just wanted to do it anyway.

I balled my hands into fists. Surely I could be like that, too...

But thanks to my own cowardice, it was too late for me to join them. Now I was left with nothing but despair.

Apparently the other thugs were as shocked as I was. After a moment, they finally snapped to their senses.

“The fuck you think you’re doing?!”

“You wanna go, punks?!”

Enraged, they slowly closed in on Taichi and the others. Then one of them picked up what appeared to be a steel pipe—but by then the battle had already essentially been won. Yui had infiltrated their half of the factory. With my bird’s-eye view of the entire area, I had a front-row seat to the whole thing, but to them, she must have been moving at the speed of light.

Her long chestnut hair swirled behind her as the thugs collapsed, one by one. Her performance was so beautiful, it captivated the room.

One of the guys punched at Yui, but missed. Another swung with the steel pipe. It didn’t connect. They, too, fell victim to her dance... and just like that, she had trounced all four of them.

There was no room for debate—she was insanely strong. At this point, maybe they didn’t need me after all.

I wasn’t the hero. I wasn’t the sidekick. I was just a bystander. The CRC didn’t need me—

“They won’t stay down for long. Now hurry!” Yui shouted at the boys.

“Awesome...!” the two of them murmured in admiration.

“Save it for later, would you?!” Yui hurried over to their captive comrade. “Inaba!”

Unfortunately, the sheer spectacle of it all must’ve caused the three of them to let their guards down.

One of the thugs got to his feet. Oh no. I knew I should warn her, but I couldn’t find my voice. I had become a total bystander in body and mind.

He reached into his pocket.

“Huh?!”

Yui noticed a moment too late.

The guy ran over to Inaban and put a Swiss army knife to her throat. Furious, he growled something I couldn’t quite hear. Then I caught sight of Inaban’s eyes—dilated in fear.

“What are you doing?!” shrieked Yui.

“Th-That’s extremely dangerous!” stammered Taichi.

“Don’t be stupid! Now drop the weapon!” shouted Aoki.

But the thug showed no signs of listening. “Cram it! Nobody move or she gets it!” he screamed, a deranged look in his eye.

“A-Alright. We hear you. Now let’s all calm down, okay?” Taichi answered gently, clearly trying his best not to set the guy off. The three of them stood rooted to the spot.

Meanwhile, I began to tremble. What am I looking at right now? A life-or-death crisis? And it’s up to me, Nagase Iori, to save the day? I couldn’t think of a more convenient twist of fate. Just like that, I had gone from idle onlooker to sole savior.

The best me would take action to rescue them, the worst me would run away like a coward, and a normal person would... just call the cops, right? But once the cops show up, wouldn’t that just push the guy over the edge?

Just then, it hit me—the perfect plan suited to my perfect self. It was stupid, and totally cliché, and it would take a lot of courage to pull off... but if I could manage it, then I could rescue Inaban.

The question then became: now that I’d lost all confidence and thrown everything away, could I still manage it? Could I do it? Could I make it work?

Stupid fucking twat, I thought to myself, cursing myself with the most vulgar insult I could think of in the moment. There I go, thinking in absolutes again. It’s not about whether I “can” or “can’t.” It’s about what I WANT to do. And if I want to do this, then I just gotta fight through my failures, make a total ass of myself, then pick myself back up again and push onwards! No “best,” “worst,” or “normal” necessary!

The next thing I knew, I had hopped down from the locker, run around to the entrance, and rushed inside...

“Great, who the fuck is it this time?!” the thug yelled. Calmly, I approached him.

“Nagase!”

“Iori!”

“Iori-chan!”

I could hear my friends all shouting my name. Even Inaban was looking at me.

“What do you want?! Are you with them?!”

“Oh... uh...”

That was when I realized something critical: While it was admirable of me to find the courage to pursue what really matters, I had forgotten to look before I leapt, and now I had skipped a step in my plan.

How could I have screwed this up already? What a joke. Was I getting rusty already?

Regardless, I couldn’t back down now.

I put on a cold, condescending smile... and pulled the trigger.

“I just thought you look like you’ve got a lot on your plate, that’s all.” I said to the thug.

I should’ve planned my entrance better. I should’ve come up with a script. What was I thinking?

Unsurprisingly, the others stared at me in confusion.

“You’ve got your hands full in here, huh? Want some help?” I asked again.

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, you can wave that little knife around all you want, but are you actually going to do anything with it? I doubt it.”

Meanwhile, I silently begged for the Sentiment Transmission to strike. At this stage I no longer had the option of using my phone, so my only choice was to take a gamble. God, what am I even doing?

“So, like I said, I’ll help you out. Give you some ideas to work with.” I tilted my head to create the perfect air of mystery... and prayed that it was working. My acting ability was a double-edged sword, but today it was my lifeline.

“Come again?” The guy looked at me dubiously.

“What are you doing, Nagase...?” Taichi asked feebly.

Look, don’t freak out, okay?! I just screwed up the order of operations, that’s all!

I glanced around. Setouchi was still curled up in the corner; I could tell she was frozen in shock. Guess I can safely ignore her. I lowered my voice and put on a dramatic affectation.

“See, I’ve got a score to settle with these losers. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend, as they say. So that means I’m on your side.”

My sense of intuition had grown dull, but right now it was telling me he’d like the sound of that.

Sure enough, he smirked. “So we have a common interest, then.”

Perfect. He’s falling for it. Holy cow, I can’t believe we’re acting out a scene from a manga... Now put the knife away, you amateur.

“Iori... What’s gotten into you?!” Yui shouted.

Just stay out of it, will you? Although I appreciate the confirmation that everyone’s buying into my little act!

I wanted to try to make eye contact with her, but I couldn’t. Not while this dudebro was looking at me.

Transmit! Transmit! Transmit! Transmit!

“So, what’s your plan? Real talk, this whole thing has gotten way out of hand... though I imagine my friends will wake up sooner or later... Oh, I know. Why don’t you go wake them?”

He had made a request, and I was in no position to say no. I’m running out of time! Transmit! Please!

My acting was perfect. Now I just needed to play my last card, and then the actual heroes could handle the rest.

“Iori-chan, quit screwing around!” Aoki yelled.

“Don’t call me that. We’re not friends,” I replied flatly, my tone colder than the North Pole. Stop that! Don’t give me that abandoned puppy look!

I approached one of the unconscious thugs... and came to a stop right beside him. I was out of time.

Please trigger! Trigger! Trigger! Trigger! Damn it, «Heartseed», would it kill you to help me for once in your life?!

[Now’s your chance to save Inaban!]

Finally! Thank you!

According to my plan, I would’ve liked to Transmit that ages ago, but whatever. At least it happened. Plus, all four of them received it, so I couldn’t complain.

Instantly, everyone’s expressions shifted. Glad we’re on the same page, but you people really need to practice your poker faces! Now that they were clued in to my real intentions, all I needed to do was make a diversion.

My friends were standing stock-still diagonally to my left. Behind them, near the wall, stood Knife Guy and Inaban. Our positions were perfectly triangulated.

Knife Guy’s focus was on me, but he could likely still see Taichi, Yui, and Aoki out of the corner of his eye, so this wasn’t enough to create an opening for someone to disarm him. I needed to really get his attention. But how?

“C’mon! Hurry it up!” the guy snapped. My slow pace was starting to make him suspicious of me.

I crouched down and peered at the unconscious guy’s face. Something told me he’d wake up any second now. I moved to slap his cheeks—and was struck with a good idea.

I’d only get one shot at this, but that would have to do. It was my only option if I wanted to achieve my ends.

Slowly but surely, I drew my face close to the unconscious guy’s—carefully angled so our lips were lined up.

If this didn’t get Knife Guy’s attention, nothing would.

Sure enough, I felt his gaze boring into me. I tucked my hair behind my ear seductively.

Hurry up! Crap, I’m running out of time! Any longer and our lips might actually touch! Crap, I might actually give this trash mob my first kiss! Should I look up? Will he start to suspect me? Oh god, oh god—

“GAH!”

Reflexively, I jerked back.

Yui had kicked the pocketknife from the guy’s hand, then swung a roundhouse kick into his face while she was at it. One-hit knockout!

The knife clattered to the floor; Taichi grabbed it and used it to cut Inaban free. Then he pulled the duct tape off of her mouth.

What incredible teamwork. The Yamaboshi High School Cultural Research Club was not to be underestimated.

“Taichi!” Free at last, Inaban clung to Taichi. He looked a little alarmed, but otherwise happy, and he put his arms around her in kind—a touching moment befitting the happy ending. To me, they looked truly perfect for each other.

Thank god... I’m so glad nothing bad happened...

In an instant, the tension drained from my body. Tears rolling down my cheeks, I staggered away from the still-unconscious thug and collapsed to the ground, sobbing. “God... I can’t keep dealing with all this crap! I’m sick of it! I don’t want to! I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared!” To hell with perfection and my best self—I was throwing a bona fide tantrum. “I thought I was gonna die!”

It felt so good to put all my emotions on display in front of them. I should’ve been embarrassed, and yet I was completely invigorated.

I sniffed and wiped my tears. Thinking back, I never really complained much as a child; I was always trying my best to be a “good girl.” Maybe I’d been wrestling with perfection for longer than I realized...

“Iori!” Coming out of nowhere, Yui threw her arms around me in a tight, warm hug. “Inaba told us a bit about what’s going on... how like our high opinions of you put pressure on you to be perfect. I’m so sorry...”

“It’s not your fault, Yui. I put that pressure on myself.”

“I still want to apologize... and just so you know, I still love you, no matter who you are! Don’t ask why—I just love you! Like, lots and lots! I know you’re not a bad person... Besides... Nnnn, I just love you soooo much!” She nuzzled her face against mine.

“Thanks... I love you too, Yui... ...Alright, that’s enough! I can’t breathe!” Gently, I pushed her off.

“Iori-chan!” Aoki called. “I dunno what to say, ‘cept... You’re just fine the way you are, girl!”

He gave me a thumbs-up, and I thought to myself, He really does have it all figured out better than the rest of us.

Then I heard the electronic click of a cell phone camera going off, and I turned to find Inaban documenting the whole scene. What was she planning to do with those pictures?

Once she was done, Taichi turned to the others. “Let’s get out of here. I’d rather be anywhere else... and Setouchi, you’re coming with us.”

□■□■□

We needed a safe place to talk, but neither I nor Setouchi were wearing our uniforms, so going into the school building was out of the question. Instead, we ended up on the riverside promenade in a little resting nook with benches and a water fountain.

“I feel like we’re still too close... Then again, we went in the opposite direction of the park, so maybe we’re fine...” Inaban muttered.

And so there we were, interrogating Setouchi Kaoru about her involvement. She looked utterly exhausted, her long hair frizzy and unkempt, dark circles under her eyes. We had her sit on a bench while the five of us stood around her, and Inaban started making veiled threats, but I got the sense she would’ve told us everything either way.

Sure enough, her story was pretty much exactly what I’d figured. She had a crush on Shiroyama Shouto, a jazz band member in Class 1-C. On Valentine’s Day she’d tried to work up the courage to ask him out, but then she heard that I’d shot him down, and that pissed her off. Naturally, my drastic change in attitude only served to exacerbate things, which led to her bullying me, spurred on further by her rebel-clique friends. Then, ultimately, she’d asked those guys to vandalize the CRC clubroom, both to get back at me and to help Shiroyama’s club.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled weakly at the end of her long confession, shrinking into herself like she was trying to disappear.

“So, what now?” Inaban asked me. Evidently she wanted to hear my thoughts first.

I walked over and stood directly in front of Setouchi. I couldn’t exactly blame it all on her, considering at least part of it was my fault... but she had undeniably crossed a line. It all started when she picked a fight with me because I refused to date the boy she liked, and now it had escalated to the point that innocent people got hurt—including my best friend. Plus, she had destroyed our presentation map beyond repair.

How could she have been so selfish, all in the name of a stupid petty grudge? I didn’t care if she hurt me, but my friends? Unacceptable. My anger raged inside me, yearning to break free and make her wish she’d never been born. I wanted to punish her—wanted to hurt her the way she hurt me. I’d never been so furious in all my life.

Meanwhile, the rest of the club silently watched me, waiting to see what I would do. What was I planning to do, anyway?

My best self would let bygones be bygones, my worst self would rip her a new one, and a normal person...

Just then, Inaban’s voice replayed in my mind.

—Why do things have to be so black and white?!

Normally there were more than just two choices.

—No one is as obsessed with you as you are, you FUCKING MORON!

Anything that deviated from the norm would draw attention.

—It’s your life, so live it however you want!

But normally...

Wait... What is “normal,” anyway? Oh... I get it now...

Just like that, I was on the verge of tears—partially out of happiness and partially out of regret for my own utter blindness.

All my life, I had chained myself down for no reason. I spent every day obsessing over what was normal; anything better than normal was ideal, and anything worse than normal was trash. Those were the standards by which I made every decision... No wonder I always felt like I was putting on an act.

The first time my mom got remarried, it was to a violent alcoholic. I didn’t want to set him off, so I tried my best to be a “good girl”—be the sort of daughter he wanted. Then they got divorced, and my mom remarried again. My kid self felt pressured to make it work this time, so I tried my best to fit my second stepfather’s ideals. And then they got divorced... and so on.

All this time, I had tried to be a “good girl” for everyone. That was the root of all my stupid problems. And as I grew older, that latent fear turned outward to the social groups around me. I started to obsessively compare myself with others; “normalcy” became the framework with which to judge my own actions.

Don’t be worse; be better. Always be better. Without that mindset, I was afraid I wouldn’t live up to their ideals. I had no confidence in my real self, so I built up an ideal self based on the standard of normalcy presented to me by my peers. And although I loved to act like I didn’t care what anyone else thought of me, that couldn’t possibly be less true. Everything I said to Inaban could apply to me, too. We were both hung up on other people’s opinions, just in different ways.

God, how cringey. Who cares about any of that?

—It’s your life, so live it however you want!

Yeah... You were right, Inaban.

Then I noticed Setouchi staring dubiously at me and realized I’d been lost in thought for a little too long. Suddenly the weight was gone, and my anger with it.

...Well, now what? I gotta put an end to this charade somehow... Do I just wing it?

You sure you want to play it like that? my rational brain cautioned me.

My response? Hell yeah! Nothing’s gonna chain me down! Not now, not ever!

“Grit your teeeeth!” I shouted in a playful, singsong voice that hadn’t seen much use as of late, and I felt everyone look at me in surprise.

Weird... Why am I having so much fun right now? Er, not that I’m going to enjoy this next part, obviously! Seriously, though, why am I so hyped up? Man, this is why everyone calls me unstable... Oh well! I used to be in a bad mood, and now I’m in a good mood! That’s Nagase Iori for you! Got a problem with that?!

“You ready?!”

“Uh... wha...?” Confused, Setouchi hastily shut her eyes and pursed her lips together.

“HERE WE GOOOOO!”

And with that, I slapped her in the face as hard as I could!

My palm stung like it was on fire. Meanwhile, Setouchi tumbled from the bench to the ground, rolled a few feet and stopped, motionless.

“Uhhh... Did I overdo it...?”

Behind me, my four friends sounded more than a little alarmed.

“Wow... That was less of a slap and more of a palm thrust...”

“Yeah, that was a straight-up palm heel strike.”

“She really put her hips into it...”

“Poor girl might have a concussion...”

It’s not my fault, okay?! I’ve never slapped anybody before, so I didn’t know how hard to do it! Damn, it stings!

Then Setouchi began to twitch.

“A-Are you okay?!” I asked as I dashed over to her and crouched down beside her. “I’m so sorry! I hit you way too hard!”

“Nnngh... It hurts... Nnnn...” Setouchi whimpered, clutching her cheek. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry... I’m really, really sorry...”

I was scared she would get (rightfully) pissed at me, but as it turned out, that fear was groundless. She knew what she did was wrong, and she regretted her actions. That much I understood—no need for any Sentiment Transmission nonsense.

“I’m sorry too,” I whispered, looking her in the eye. “Anyway... Consider that slap your punishment from everyone else. As for me, I’m just gonna let it go.”

“Huh?” She looked at me in surprise.

I laughed. “Bet you weren’t expecting that, were you? Eh, I forgive you. I mean, I’m not exactly innocent myself, so let’s just call it even, okay? Will you forgive me?”

But Setouchi shook her head. “You did nothing wrong... It was all me,” she muttered in a weak, watery voice.

It was then that I decided to tell her what I’d learned about her over the course of all this drama—the real Setouchi Kaoru beneath the bad attitude and bleached hair and piercings.

“Truth is, I’ve got a little hypothesis about you, judging from the way you’ve been acting... You’re secretly a good girl, aren’t you?”

“What?” She froze.

“Why are you trying so hard to act like some sort of rebel?”

At this, Setouchi began to cry even harder. “W-Well... b-because... an old crush of mine would hang with the rebel clique... so I wanted to fit in, and...”

Yeahhh... I feel you there. You change yourself for someone else, and then one day you find that you can’t go back.

The two of us were birds of a feather, caged by our own misconceptions, unable to fly freely. And familiarity breeds contempt, as the saying went. But we never should have been enemies. We should’ve walked the same path hand in hand, helping each other to be our true selves, fighting through our failures, making total asses of ourselves, then picking ourselves back up again and pushing onwards.

It’s hard to be that strong on your own, after all.

But maybe there was still time. Maybe I could still make it work.

“Tell me, Setouchi-san... What sort of person do you really want to be? What sort of life do you want to live?”

“What? Um...”

“Oh, sorry... Probably should’ve warned you before I started dropping the deep questions on you, huh? Basically, the way I see it, you’re trying too hard. Forcing yourself to do stuff you don’t actually want to be doing. So I’m just wondering what it is you’d rather be doing instead.”

She stared back at me in damp-eyed bewilderment. She’s spent a large chunk of today being totally baffled, hasn’t she? I mused idly to myself. Admittedly, it was kind of cute.

“I... No, I... I don’t deserve...” she mumbled in a shaky voice, then hung her head in shame.

Bored, I put on my best hillbilly accent. “Cain’t ya tell me, sugar? Don’t be shy, now! I knows ya got it in ya!”

“Wha?!”

Worth it to see that look on yer face, darlin’.

“...The truth is... I want to do more with my club... and maybe join the student council... just to see what it’s like... and then... maybe Shiroyama-kun...”

Yep, she’s a good girl, alright. A girl empowered by romance. Personally, I could never hope to be like that—but I didn’t have to. I had my own way of living, just as she had hers.

“So do it! Maybe you won’t be perfect, but so what?! Don’t throw a fit and take it out on other people! ...Also, full disclosure, I’m a total hypocrite and I really need to learn to take my own advice!”

Yeahhh... I’m the last person who should be acting like I’ve got it all figured out. Sorry about that. I’m basically just talking to myself at this point.

Setouchi was so surprised, she had stopped crying entirely.

“While we’re at it, Setouchi-san... I think we should be friends.”

It was what my heart wanted. Together, the two of us could make it work.

I got to my feet and turned around to find Inaba Himeko, Kiriyama Yui, Aoki Yoshifumi, and Yaegashi Taichi... all grinning at me from ear to ear.

Good grief, these idiots... They’re the best friends a girl could ask for.

I was so happy, I felt like I was going to cry. What could I say now? How was I supposed to act around them?

Goodbye, “best self.” Farewell, “worst self.” So long, “normal person.” I don’t need those labels anymore.

“It’s official! Nagase Iori is back in business! Sorry for everything I put you guys through!”

I dropped to my knees and prostrated myself, right there in front of them... because I felt I needed to, but mostly because I wanted to.

There was still a lot of damage control to take care of, but for now, the dramatic finale had reached its conclusion... or so I thought.

See, I never anticipated that one of the thugs would find us by chance.

Or that he’d be carrying the steel pipe from the factory.

I had let my guard down entirely.

The man let out a roar as he lunged at Inaba.

Taichi dove in to protect her.

And then there was a loud, sickening THUD.