Chapter 3: Playing Cupid

Chapter 3: Playing Cupid

The next morning, the five second-years gathered in the clubroom to talk about the Dream Visions. As it turned out, all of them had experienced it at least twice thus far, be it fellow classmates, acquaintances at other grade levels, or even total strangers. And Taichi wasn’t the only one who had inadvertently tested the validity of the phenomenon.

“Damn it, guys... Well, I guess we’re all bound to slip up in the beginning. So, how did it make each of you feel? Queasy?” Inaba asked.

“Yeah... Me personally, I actually got a little dizzy. Fortunately I had a wall I could lean against,” Nagase answered.

“Oh, I got dizzy, too. But it went away pretty quickly,” Taichi chimed in, and the others agreed.

“I gotta say, I don’t know how «Heartseed» expects us to react to these,” Aoki remarked. “Like, I get a Vision of a guy I don’t know playing baseball—so what? I guess he wants to be a pro athlete...? Oh, but then again, it kinda looked like he was playing on campus. Maybe he really just wanted to play baseball...”

“Stop talking, Aoki. We’re done here.” And with that, Inaba rose from her seat.

“What? Already? Isn’t it, like, a little early?” Kiriyama protested, giving voice to the question that was surely on everyone else’s mind.

“The Dream Vision is just that: it shows us visions of other people’s dreams. Nothing more, nothing less. So there’s nothing to debate.”

“But just to be safe—” Nagase began.

“We’re already safe,” Inaba cut in. “Did it cause any problems for you? No? So all you had to do was stay quiet. The end. And Aoki, don’t go blabbing about the details of your Visions anymore. This is a massive invasion of people’s privacy as it is, so let’s not make it worse, capiche? ”

“Oh... okay... if you say so...”

“Alright, now let’s head back to—” Just then, she stumbled and lost her balance.

“Inaba!”

“Inaban?!”

Everyone jumped to action, but this proved unnecessary, as Inaba managed to right herself.

“Inaban, are you not feeling well?”

“No, that’s not it. I got hit with a damn Vision, that’s all. Caught me off guard... Eh, I’m sure I’ll be used to it by the end of the day,” Inaba sighed. “Anyway, isn’t it a little early to be thinking about—whoops. Now I’m about to blab.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh and headed for the door.

“W-Wait! Inaban, are you sure you’re not—”

“If I was, I’d tell you, okay?! I’ve learned from my past mistakes... Look, people, no more talking about the Dream Visions. We’re done.”

Inaba sped from the room, and Nagase followed after her. Taichi decided to let them have a moment alone together.

“Hmmm... Kinda feels like Inabacchan’s puttin’ on a show, am I right, Taichi?” Aoki asked.

“She’s got a lot of anxiety right now, but she’s doing her best to look out for us,” he replied. “She’s found the ideal solution.”

This time around, her rationale was absolutely bulletproof. It was clearly the “right” answer.

“Yeah... As long as we can keep our opinions to ourselves, it’ll be like the Dream Vision never happened at all,” Aoki mused. “Welp, guess I’d better get to class!”

But right as he stood from his chair—

“H-Hey, um, Aoki!” Kiriyama called.

“Mmm? Whassup?” he asked. It was obvious she was nervous about something.

“Um... well... I was just wondering if you’re doing okay... you know, since you’ve kinda got a lot on your plate right now... and also... there’s a bump on your cheek.”

At this, Taichi scrutinized Aoki’s face. She was right—his left cheek was looking a little puffy.

Aoki didn’t immediately react to this comment. Instead, he froze.

“Uh... Aoki?” Kiriyama asked nervously.

“...Aw crap, is it obvious?! Gah!” Aoki shouted after a moment, almost like he’d only just remembered... but more like he was covering for something. Taichi debated whether to point this out, but ultimately decided to play along out of respect for his wishes.

“No, I wouldn’t say it’s obvious,” he answered. “I didn’t even notice until Kiriyama pointed it out. Good eye, Kiriyama.”

“I... I... I wasn’t looking on purpose!” she shouted back, flustered. “I just... I have a keen eye for this sort of thing! All those years of karate, you know! Anyway, what happened?! Tell us, Aoki!”

“Oh, well... my sis kinda slapped me this morning. Over the whole... college money thing.”

Taichi fell silent. This felt distinctly like a question they shouldn’t have asked him.

“See, I was like ‘Don’t worry about me, sis! Just focus on your own life!’ and she was like ‘Right back at you! I’m not gonna throw my little brother under the bus!’ and then pow! ”

“She sounds very... spirited ,” Taichi commented carefully.

“And kinda badass,” Kiriyama chimed in.

“No, think about it! First she says something nice, and then she hits me?! It doesn’t add up, yo!”

His usual jokey slang had returned to his speech, but even that couldn’t lighten the gravity of the conversation.

At this point, Taichi couldn’t help but start to worry about Aoki’s emotional well-being.

“Like seriously, it’s totes depressing the way these career planning surveys have thrown reality in our faces. I’m not done being a kid! Y’know what I mean, Yaegashi-kun?” asked Nakayama Mariko, Calligraphy Club member and fellow classmate, idly twirling her pigtails as they chatted in the classroom during lunch.

“For sure.”

“Yeah, I’m not ready to grow up! I just wanna have fun! Right, Taichi?” asked Nagase. She and Nakayama were close friends right from the start of high school, and as usual, the two were in perfect sync.

“For sure.”

“You’re giving me the same answer you gave Nakayama-chan?! That’s cold!”

“Yeah! Be nice to us!”

“But if I’d given you both different answers, you would’ve complained about that, too!”

“Yep,” they answered in unison without missing a beat.

By this point, they’d teased Taichi so much that they were completely predictable.

“Aww, c’mon, Yaegashi-kun! Lighten up and goof off with us! Don’t let the career planning survey get to you!”

“You can goof off all you want, but try to turn those surveys in early, alright?” cautioned class president Setouchi Kaoru as she passed by, her cartilage piercings gleaming through strands of chin-length hair.

“What about you? What’d you put on your survey?” Nakayama asked, clearly trying to get her to join the party.

“Sociology, education, something along those lines. That sort of stuff has always interested me.”

“Wow, you’re a nerd! And to think at one point you were trying to be a rebel girl!” Nagase exclaimed.

“Oh god, please don’t bring that up!” Setouchi grimaced sheepishly, but otherwise didn’t seem all that upset.

As she walked away, as if on cue, Kiriyama and her best friend Kurihara Yukina walked up in her place. With short, feisty Kiriyama contrasted against tall, laid-back Kurihara, the two of them made quite a pair. As with Nagase and Nakayama, the two of them had been good friends dating back to their first year of high school.

“What’s up, guys?” asked Kiriyama.

“Oh, we were just talking about the career surveys,” Nagase replied.

“Ugh ,” Kurihara groaned, clutching her wavy, bleached hair. “I get that it’s important and all, but right now I need to talk about something fun, like the school trip! Please?”

“What’s going on with her?” Taichi asked Kiriyama under his breath.

“Boy problems,” she shrugged.

“Oh yeah, the school trip! The biggest event of our high school careers!” Nakayama shouted.

“I hear the weather in Hokkaido has been pretty mild this year, so that’s good. Plus, I’m looking forward to going on an airplane for the first time ever!” Nagase chimed in.

In mid-October, the second-years of Yamaboshi High School would be spending four days and three nights in the northern Hokkaido Prefecture.

“I’m glad we all get to go together,” Taichi murmured to himself. Instantly, the four others turned to look at him. “Wh... What?”

“Oh, nothing. Just kind of surprised at how dorky you can be,” Nagase answered.

“Says the biggest dork here,” Taichi shot back.

“I’m actually, like, suuuper excited to go somewhere new with all of you,” Kiriyama gushed.

“Yeah, same,” Kurihara replied. “This is the perfect opportunity for people to get to know their crush, too... Too bad I don’t have my eye on anyone in our grade...”

“Oh my god, Yukina, are you already looking for a new man? You move, like, way too fast!”

“No I don’t. You’re just slower than molasses, that’s all. You need to hurry up and ask someone out before the trip!”

“I’m not asking anyone out! Or asking anything , for that matter! I’m just... giving someone my answer.”

“Wait... Is it finally happening?!” Kurihara’s eyes lit up. “Man, Aoki’s one hella patient guy! This has been a year and a half in the making—that’s eighteen months! Most guys would’ve totally moved on by now. I like that sort of dedication in a man... Not that he’s my type, of course.”

“Well... it’ll happen soon, but... not right now. It’s, um... not a good time.”

“Oh, for crying out loud, girl...” Kurihara slumped her shoulders.

Looking at Kiriyama’s strained smile reminded Taichi of her tiny whisper from a few days ago: I wanted to tell him how I feel and lay this whole thing to rest... but I guess it’ll have to wait.

“Good grief. You’re in high school, Yui! Now’s the time to mess around and fall in love once or twice!” Kurihara scolded.

“Yeah, I know...” Kiriyama nodded.

Then Kurihara turned to Nagase and Nakayama. “What about you two? Anything new to report? We just got done with the Culture Festival, and now the school trip’s coming up... You never know! Everyone might start pairing off!”

“I’m not in the right headspace for that kinda stuff... Not yet, anyway,” Nagase explained.

“Aww, c’mon, Iori,” Kurihara sighed. “I know tons of guys have asked you out, and you keep shooting them all down—which means you’ve gotta have your eye on someone special!”

“Noooope! I really don’t! I guess I’m just waiting for the right person to come along.” She looked away, and her eyes met Taichi’s. Somehow he was never quite sure how he was supposed to react in this situation.

“I’m telling you, your standards are too high. Guys our age are all practically overgrown children, so you’re gonna have to make compromises.”

“Hear that, Yaegashi-kun?! She’s talking smack! You gotta speak up, pal! Use that sultry voice of yours and tell her you’re the exception to the rule!”

“You’re not trying to get out of answering my question, are you, Nakayama-chan?”

“Ouch... I swear, you have no faith in me, Yukina-chan! Okay, let’s see... Well... My love life’s looking pretty DOA, if you ask me. Got any pointers?”

“Hmmm... You’ve got lots of energy and spunk, so I imagine at least one of these guys is interested in you. Oh, but then again, you might have inadvertently friendzoned yourself with your ‘one of the guys’ schtick...”

“Yeah, maybe... I gotta figure that out.”

Nakayama was rarely one to talk about romance, but evidently she still thought about it, no different from any other teenage girl. Maybe she just didn’t want to talk about it around Taichi specifically, since he was a guy. But who would Nakayama of all people be interested in?

Without warning, his sight blurred—duplicated itself—and the next thing he knew, he was looking at something else entirely.

[There’s a girl. It’s Nakayama. She looks giddy. Someone’s next to her, holding hands with her. It’s a guy. His features come into focus. He’s tall, with a stocky body and shaved head. It’s Ishikawa, the baseball player. They’re on a date.]

At first Taichi panicked—but then he understood. It was a Vision.

From what he’d seen, Nakayama wanted to go on a date with Ishikawa... allegedly. He couldn’t be certain based on imagery alone. Sure, there was some accompanying dialogue, but like in a regular dream, it was too fuzzy to comprehend clearly.

Taichi began to think. If Nakayama was holding hands with Ishikawa, and she looked happy about it in her Dream, then... that meant she wanted to hold hands with him in real life, right? And that would mean...

He blinked his eyes a few times. It felt like an afterimage of the Vision was clinging to his retinas. Then he noticed Kiriyama clutching her head and blinking, too. Their eyes met, and after a long moment of sustained eye contact, she stepped closer.

“Did you see it, too?” she whispered.

“Nakayama, right?” he whispered back.

Apparently Kiriyama had seen the same Vision he had... and yet Nagase seemingly hadn’t, even though she was right there with them.

“Can you believe it? I mean, this means she likes him, right?”

Unlike Nakayama, who was a total social butterfly, Ishikawa was a man of few words.

“Probably... Okay, we gotta stop. We’re already prying into people’s minds, so we shouldn’t gossip about their secrets.”

And so Taichi vowed to never speak of it again.

But that vow only lasted until the end of the school day.

“Tai... T-T-Taichi!”

A flustered Kiriyama dashed over at the speed of light and slammed her hands on his desk.

“Whoa there, calm down. What’s up?”

“Listen, um... No, we can’t talk here! Come with me!”

And so he was unceremoniously dragged all the way to the corner of the hallway, where no one else was around.

“I... I saw something,” Kiriyama stammered.

She was physically shaking. What on earth could she have seen?

“I had a Vision showing that Ishikawa-kun likes Nakayama-chan back!”

“Wait, what?! That’s... a good thing, actually, now that I think about it. Nice.”

Nothing more heartwarming than mutual feelings, after all.

“But the thing is... as much as he wants to go out with her, he doesn’t intend to act on his feelings at all! At least, not for the time being!”

“You figured out all that from one Vision?”

“Oh, um, a lot of it’s just my own guesswork. The Vision itself was like a ‘I want to tell her how I feel’ kinda thing, but there was no real urgency, just kinda like ‘someday,’ you know? Does that make sense?”

“I guess...?”

Taichi had only experienced a handful of these Dream Visions, but he seemed to recall at least one other similar case. Then he realized—

“Okay, let’s think about this. We know these Dream Visions are images of what people want to see happen in the future. If we turn that on its head, doesn’t that mean all Dream Visions are things they don’t plan on acting on just yet? They’re wishes, not prophecies.”

Maybe that was a bit too far-fetched.

“Holy crap, Taichi! You sounded just like Inaba!”

“I guess she’s rubbing off on me... Hahaha...” Oof, that was cheesy. Shouldn’t have said that.

But Kiriyama didn’t laugh along with him.

“Dating is... pretty important, right?” she asked him quietly.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“Then maybe...”

She paused, hesitant. Then, after a moment, she closed her eyes and exhaled—and when she opened them again, they were brimming with determination.

“Maybe we should give them a little push.”

Instantly, the air between them grew tense. So tense that Taichi forgot to breathe. In any other situation, the idea of playing Cupid would have been perfectly innocuous... but right now, there was a certain significance behind it. This was a weighty choice, and one they both knew they couldn’t easily backpedal from.

“When it comes to love... timing really matters, you know?” She ran a hand through her long tawny strands. “I really wanted to talk to Aoki about my decision, like, lay this whole thing to rest. But over the summer I was off on a trip with the rest of my dojo, so I didn’t really have time... No, I guess that’s just me making excuses. The truth is, now that I have my answer, somehow I just don’t have the courage to say it out loud. Pretty pathetic, huh?” She laughed weakly. “I just... I felt like I needed to talk to him, so I made up my mind to do it... and then he told us about his whole family situation, and I was like, so much for that, I guess .”

She was right; this definitely didn’t feel like the right time for that sort of conversation. This made him think...

“Come to think of it, if our timing had been a little different, I might’ve actually dated Nagase.” That much was fact, plain and simple.

“Right?! ” Kiriyama exclaimed, her emotions inadvertently escalating her volume. “If they both like each other, and they’re only holding back ‘cause they’re scared of rejection, then I think we should give them a little encouragement, that’s all. It’ll be their choice in the end, obviously.”

After all, they had knowledge that the pair in question did not—irrefutable proof that their pining was mutual. But did Kiriyama have the right idea? Taichi contemplated this in silence.

Then, after a moment, she straightened up suddenly, eyes wide. “Oh, but... this is just an idea, you know? I know Inaba wouldn’t want us to actually do it... and I bet she’d be pissed if she found out, so please don’t tell her I suggested it, okay?”

With a grin, she pressed her index finger to her lips.

□■□■□

Following their conversation, Taichi and Kiriyama arrived at the clubroom a little late.

“Alright, now that we’re all here, let’s begin. Shino! Chihiro!” Inaba called.

The CRC second-years had all unanimously agreed on having this conversation with their kouhai.

“Yes?” Uwa Chihiro responded, lifting his chin from its resting place on his hand and leaning back in his chair.

“Y-Yes?!” Enjouji Shino shrieked, bolting upright.

“I’m just gonna be honest with you. «Heartseed» showed up again.”

And so Inaba explained the details of the phenomenon, as well as their chosen method of handling it.

“Oh... okay... So «Heartseed»’s back...” The color drained from Enjouji’s complexion.

“Don’t worry, Shino-chan!” Nagase replied hastily. “It sounds like it won’t affect you this time!”

“Hell, in a certain sense, it barely affects us ,” Inaba added.

“Oh! R-Right! Of course! I’m sorry... I have no right to be sad... You’re the ones who have to suffer, not me... I’m sorry...”

“Seriously, don’t worry about it!” Nagase insisted.

“You okay, Chihiro-kun?” Kiriyama asked. Like Enjouji, Chihiro was looking a little green around the gills.

“Yeah... I’m fine.”

To the two first-years, the return of «Heartseed» was likely akin to their worst fears made manifest. Taichi remembered the traumatic shock he’d felt back when he realized there was going to be a second time.

Inaba cleared her throat. “Just so we’re clear, I don’t think it’ll try to fuck with either of you this time around... but if it does, don’t take the bait,” she cautioned them firmly.

The two of them shrank in their seats like scolded children. It was a mistake they had already made once before.

“Don’t let it tempt you. Don’t let it threaten you. And don’t worry about the phenomenon—we’ll handle our shit. Just forget about it. Supposedly, we won’t have any Visions of you, so you have nothing to be afraid of. Don’t do anything you’ll regret .”

It was a long and menacing warning, and Taichi felt the need to step in and lighten things up before the two first-years melted from the heat. “That said, if you ever need to talk to us for any reason, please feel free.”

“Yeah, what Taichi said! As long as we put our heads together, we can solve just about anything!” Aoki declared cheerfully.

“Okay... um... Sure thing... I’ll try not to stick my nose into your business...” Enjouji began hesitantly, staring down at her hands. “B-But... if there’s ever anything I can help with... anything at all... please let me know and I’ll do my very best! N-Not that my best is anything special... but I want to help, so...!”

In spite of her paralyzing fear, Enjouji still wanted to offer them her support.

“Oh, Shino-chan! You’re such a good girl!” Kiriyama squealed, throwing her arms around Enjouji.

“Mmmphggh...! That hurts, Yui-senpai...!”

“What about you, Chee-hee?” Nagase asked, grinning as though she were deliberately challenging him.

Chihiro let out a long breath and yanked his uniform tie loose. “Yeah... I feel like I still haven’t made up for the trouble I caused, so... if ever there’s an opportunity for me to do that, then by all means.”

“You’re so stiff and formal , Chee-hee! Not that I was expecting anything different!” Nagase exclaimed, thrusting her fist into the air.

Meanwhile, Enjouji clasped her hands together at chest height and looked at him, her eyes sparkling. “Oh, Chihiro-kun! You’re a no-good coward who falls short in all the most critical areas, but with you on board, we’re invincible!”

“Uh, Shino-chan?! You do realize you just decimated him with the first half of that, right?!”

Meanwhile, Inaba snorted to herself—out of amusement, not condescension. “Alright, I’ll hold you both to that. Anyway, moving on. Second-years! Nobody’s done any crazy shit, right?”

At this, Kiriyama flinched. Noticeably.

“Yui? Have you gotten yourself into trouble already?” Inaba asked, her tone laced with anger.

Kiriyama hastily shook her head. “N-No! I haven’t done anything yet! Honest!”

“Yet? ”

“No! I mean... well... technically...”

“Excuse me?”

Taichi quickly cut in. “She and I were talking earlier, and we were wondering if it might be okay to take action as long as we know we’re helping someone.”

For the briefest of moments, Inaba’s eyes filled with hesitation—but then it was gone again, like a phantom.

“We had this conversation. There’s no room for debate.” Her burning gaze bored a hole right through his skull.

“Shouldn’t we at least talk about it?”

“No. End of discussion.”

“Look, will you quit rushing to a conclusion?”

“Guys! Stop! Enough!” Nagase cut in.

Taichi awkwardly averted his gaze.

“Inaban, I think we all understand the point you’re trying to make, but you’re coming across a little too heavy-handed. I’ll take over from here, alright? I am club president, in case anyone forgot!”

“Oh, right! Iori-senpai’s the president! I did forget that, actually!”

“...Shino-chan, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

But though her moment as a respectable club president was short-lived, Nagase pressed on regardless.

“We’ve all heard Inaban’s opinion on the matter, so let’s hear what everyone else has to say! Inaban, it’s your turn to listen! At the end, you’ll have your chance to refute their points!”

“Okay, I’ll go first,” said Taichi, raising his hand. “I agree that ignoring the Visions seems like the safest option. I just think it’s a little early to jump to that conclusion, that’s all. And I know ‘carrying on like normal’ has pretty much been our go-to response for all these phenomena, but I feel like the circumstances are different this time around.”

“Hmm. A fair point. Next up... How about you, Yui?”

“W-Well... If we’re like, totally one hundred percent sure we can make something good happen, or protect someone from a bad outcome, then I think we should consider using the Visions to our advantage. Not in a weird way or anything.”

“You want to... use your power?” asked Chihiro. And considering how much trouble he’d caused in doing that very same thing, Kiriyama couldn’t help but hesitate.

“I’m not saying we go all-out. Just... I think we should consider the possibility, like, in case of an emergency where we really, really need to.”

“Okay, any other opinions? If not, I’ll give Inaban her chance to refute your points...”

Unfortunately, the discussion went nowhere. In spite of their best attempts, Inaba refused to change her stance even slightly. After that, it was time to head home.

Taichi, Kiriyama, and Aoki were at the train station, standing on the platform. The three of them took the same train home, though their final stops were different.

“Rrgh... Obviously I get that we shouldn’t act on every single Vision ...” Kiriyama grumbled, unhappy with the outcome of the debate.

“It just doesn’t make sense that we’re barred from reacting to any of them,” Taichi replied. “Every now and then, we’re going to find out that someone needs our help. Maybe they’ll have nowhere else to turn. You had one like that, didn’t you, Aoki?”

“Yep... I don’t wanna invade their privacy, so I won’t go deep into it, but they were wishing for a way to fix one big problem.”

“Hmmm...” Kiriyama frowned. “Honestly, who cares if we’re using some supernatural power? If someone’s in trouble, then don’t you think we ought to help them? Aoki, you didn’t have a lot to say back in the clubroom—what do you think?”

“I mean, not like anyone gives a crap about my opinions,” he joked. “But alright, let’s see...” He knitted his brows. “I think maybe we shouldn’t use our power. So I guess I’m on Inaba’s side.”

Kiriyama looked utterly scandalized. “What? Seriously? Why? ”

“Well... because ‘helping someone’ is a point of view, y’know? Everyone’s got a different way of looking at it. If we do something about Visions without the person having anything to say about it, it’s just kinda arrogant , right? Like, who are we to decide what’s best for them? That’s why we shouldn’t bother.”

In response, Kiriyama pouted her lips. Maybe she was hoping he would side with her. As for Taichi, he admired his friend’s conviction. In a sense, Aoki had them both beat.

“You’re pretty cool, you know that? You always put yourself in other people’s shoes.” Even if he couldn’t agree with Aoki’s position, he could still respect it.

“Nah, I’m a loser. Only reason I didn’t say anything in the clubroom’s ‘cuz I didn’t want Yui to get mad at me,” Aoki muttered so only Taichi could hear.

“Okay, let me ask you this,” Kiriyama began again, and Aoki quickly fell silent. “Let’s say... and this is purely hypothetical... but you know how you’ve got a kinda serious family situation going on right now? Well, let’s say you had a Vision that showed you the perfect solution. Would you still not do anything?”

It was a rather straightforward hypothetical, to say the least... but internally, Taichi was worried that Kiriyama was crossing a line by bringing it up at all.

This was followed by a lingering, nerve-wracking silence... until finally...

“Yep. I wouldn’t do a thing.”

“What?! How come?! Isn’t that kind of stupid?! You’re literally going to let the perfect opportunity slip through your fingers over some stupid sense of pride?!”

“Some things just aren’t okay, and this is one of them.”

“I... I don’t get you at all!”

“It’s fine , Yui. I’ll figure somethin’ out on my own.”

“Why can’t you just tell us what’s going on so we can help you?!”

At this point, both Kiriyama and Aoki were getting heated. Their frustration was palpable.

“I know it’s gotta be hard to talk about, but we’re your friends, and we’re here for you! If your dad’s worried about losing his job... I mean, obviously it won’t be easy, but maybe we could help him find a new one! And for that matter, you never even told us what exactly he—”

“Molestation.”

Taichi had been meaning to intervene, but now there was no need. Just like that, the air between them froze over.

“He... He molested—?”

“Victim was a girl our age, supposedly. But he swears he didn’t do it, and we all choose to believe him. So far, they haven’t arrested him... but eh, who knows what’ll happen.”

“But... Wha... That’s...” Kiriyama faltered. Naturally, this bombshell had decimated her will to argue. Instead, tears now welled in her eyes. “I’m... sorry...”

“Nah, c’mon, you have nothing to be sorry for,” Aoki replied, his voice pained. Then he realized his folly. “Seriously, c’mon!” he insisted, his smile noticeably forced.

In that moment, Taichi realized that Aoki was doing everything in his power to keep his emotions in check... and it wasn’t going well. This was clearly not a conversation he could have unless he detached himself from it.

“Molested... a girl our age... but he claims he’s innocent...” Kiriyama mumbled to herself almost deliriously, and it was obvious she didn’t have the first clue how to react.

“I’m not an expert, but... I’ve heard in passing that... people can be wrongfully convicted for that kind of thing,” said Taichi, hesitantly.

“As if! The idea that women make false claims about sexual assault is what keeps so many of them suffering in silence! ...I mean, not to suggest your dad actually did it! Of course he wouldn’t!” Kiriyama hastily corrected herself. “I’ve talked to him myself, you know... Well, technically I was stuck in [your body] at the time, but still, I could tell he’s not that kind of person. You know, from his general vibe.”

“Same here, actually. Your dad’s a good guy,” Taichi chimed in. “I’m convinced it has to be some kind of misunderstanding.”

“Thanks, guys. The problem is... it happened in an empty train car, and there were no witnesses.” Aoki hung his head, concealing his expression.

Taichi hadn’t realized just how critical Aoki’s father’s situation had become. Frankly, were he in a similar situation, he strongly doubted he could maintain Aoki’s level of composure.

Then the train slowed to a halt as the loudspeaker informed them of the next stop.

“It’s just not fair to help some people and not others,” Aoki muttered to himself. “If you’re going to be a superhero, you can’t pick and choose. It’s all or nothing... but at the same time, helping everyone just doesn’t feel right...” He balled his hands into tight fists.

All or nothing.

Truth be told, it did feel like Aoki was being unnecessarily stubborn... but at the same time, Taichi was impressed by his firm dedication to his beliefs.

At home, Taichi couldn’t will himself to do much of anything except lie in bed. His mind was a jumbled mess, and storm clouds rumbled in his heart. A high schooler like him had no hope of fixing a situation like Aoki’s.

“I guess I should be thinking about the Dream Vision...”

He understood the other side’s reasoning fully well... but was it right to ignore Kiriyama’s points entirely? Did they really have to turn a blind eye to people they knew were in trouble?

A moment later, his vision blurred slightly. Images and sound filled his mind.

[There’s a girl. She’s from another class. She’s walking down the hallway at school, scanning the floor. Then she gasps, and her gaze fixes on one point. There’s a cell phone strap on the floor—a blue bear. The girl’s face lights up, and she whispers, “Oh, thank god!”]

A Vision of a girl finding a phone strap. Evidently, she must have lost it recently... Her voice had come through loud and clear, and now her words lingered in his mind. It was a tiny, mundane Dream, and yet it clearly meant a lot to her.

Tomorrow I’ll keep an eye out for any dropped items on the floor. Surely that wouldn’t count as a flagrant misuse of the Dream Vision... or would Inaba disagree?

Inaba and Aoki versus Kiriyama. Two ideas of “the right thing to do,” completely at odds with one another. Then Taichi realized: Emotionally speaking, he was inclined to side with Kiriyama, but at no point had he made his own opinion known. He’d only expressed a desire to talk it over without rushing to a conclusion.

Essentially just like Nagase, who served as mediator between the two sides, he was more or less still on the fence.

Then, out of nowhere, Inaba’s past comments revived in his mind:

—So tell me, are you really 100% undecided?

—We’re already more than halfway through our second year. Surely you have at least SOME idea of what you want to do.

He shook them away. They had nothing to do with this.

Think! What do I believe is the right thing to do?

Inaba was the first to analyze the functions of the Dream Vision and decide on an approach to take. But Kiriyama was brave enough to disagree with their de facto “leader” and make her own feelings known. Meanwhile, Aoki held fast to his own beliefs, even if they put him in opposition with the girl he claimed to love... and Nagase stood in the middle, watching.

So where did Taichi stand?

□■□■□

The weekend came and went, and on Monday morning, Taichi went straight to Kiriyama.

“I’m going to do whatever I can. Help whoever I can. But only within reason. Nothing big enough to cause a scene.”

“Uhhh, what?” It was the first thing out of his mouth, right there in the middle of the hallway, and so it took her a minute to realize what he was talking about. “Oh, right, the Dream Vision thing. You’re gonna start acting on them?”

“I think it’s the right thing to do.” After thinking it over, at long last, Taichi had found a conclusion of his own.

“R-Right. I mean, I totally agree and stuff... It’s just, the more I think about it, like, the more risky it feels... Almost like this is what «Heartseed» wants us to do.”

Naturally, Taichi had considered this angle as well. “I can’t rule it out completely... but either way, if the end result is a net positive, then I think it’s worth it.”

Over the weekend, he’d seen dozens of Visions from as many people. If he had the ability to help them... then what was stopping him from lending a hand?

“Net positive... Right ,” Kiriyama replied slowly, her eyes gazing firmly into his.

His heart skipped a beat... and for some reason, his chest ached. But why?

“Okay then. Next question is: do you really think we can convince Inaba?”

“Well... do we really need her permission?”

“What?!” Kiriyama looked at him in shock. “Taichi! We can’t do it behind her back!”

“Why not?”

Of course, he trusted and respected Inaba a great deal. But he was under no obligation to take her opinions as gospel.

“...I really think we should clear it with the others first.”

“There’s no way Inaba will give us the green light. You know that.”

“Okay, but that doesn’t mean—”

“I’m actually not one hundred percent sure about this myself,” Taichi explained.

He’d been expecting her to be completely on board with this idea. Now that she was hesitating, he could feel self-doubt creeping up on him all over again. Is this why Inaba says I’m so indecisive?

A string of supernatural phenomena. An otherworldly entity with the ultimate goal of using them to create “entertaining” situations. And now, here at “the end,” it had changed the rules.

Chihiro had once been endowed with a power like this... but in the end, he failed to control it. And his failure nearly ruined two people’s lives.

Taichi could think of countless reasons to hesitate... which, in a sense, meant he was fully aware of the risks involved. As long as they didn’t get too carried away, and made sure to back off if things got out of hand, they could keep any danger to a minimum. And in return, they would gain what was quite potentially unlimited power.

“Anyway, I’m not saying we should take action right this second. Why don’t we test it out first before we decide? Let’s see what happens if we play Cupid for Nakayama and Ishikawa.”

If he needed to find his own path in life, then perhaps this was it.

Naturally, by “playing Cupid,” Taichi didn’t mean anything drastic. He knew that uninvolved third parties were better off staying out of other people’s romantic affairs. Instead, he and Kiriyama decided that they would simply offer a tiny bit of encouragement.

“Hey, Ishikawa? This is just a stray observation, but... are you into Nakayama?” Taichi asked Ishikawa between classes when no one else was around. Fortunately, he and Ishikawa were already on good terms, so he could ask without it seeming random.

“Wh... What?! N-No, I... I... I’m not...!” Ishikawa was so overly flustered, his deep voice went up several octaves. This was the same guy who was ordinarily so solemn and steadfast, one could mistake him for a monk-in-training.

“Relax! It was just a question.”

“D-Did you mention it to anyone else? What made you think that, anyway?”

Big, burly Ishikawa was now trembling like a leaf. It was downright adorable.

“I haven’t told anyone, I swear. It was just a feeling I got from watching you, that’s all.”

“I thought I was hiding it exceptionally well... Well, now I’ve just admitted to it. Oh well... I know you’re good friends with her...”

“You know, I’m kinda surprised. You guys don’t really talk all that much.”

“Mmrgh... Well, I’m not exactly the energetic type, but I do enjoy being around those with unbounded enthusiasm. That, and... well, I may be reading into it, but... I feel as though she treats me a bit differently than everyone else.”

“Sounds like she might be into you, too.”

“Either that, or it’s the opposite, and she doesn’t like me... or some other emotion altogether. It’s hard to say.”

Aha . That would certainly explain why he hadn’t made any moves.

These two were dying to be together—they just needed a little push. A small, careful nudge in the right direction. From there, the two of them could decide for themselves.

“Now that I think about it... based on some things I’ve noticed about her, I think she might actually be into you, too.”

Meanwhile, as with Taichi and Ishikawa, Kiriyama had approached Nakayama.

This was their chosen method of “helping”: no suggesting, no demanding, just talking. As such, they didn’t expect any new developments to happen right away; they simply hoped that the two would work it out sometime in the future.

But oh, how wrong they were.

The next morning, Nakayama was more energetic than Taichi had ever seen her. She stormed over and seized him and Kiriyama both by the arm. “Y-Y-Y-Yui-chan! Y-Y-Y-Yaegashi! This way!” she shouted, dragging them both all the way out to the end of the hall.

“Wh-What’s wrong, Nakayama-chan?!”

“What’s up, Nakayama?!”

With Taichi and Kiriyama now standing side by side, Nakayama put her arms around each of their shoulders.

“I... I’m... M-Me and Ishikawa-kun are dating now! Thank you guys!” She pulled them both into a group hug.

“N-Nakayama-chan! Mmmph!” Kiriyama politely extricated herself and Taichi from Nakayama’s grasp. “What are you... Wait, what?! You?! And Ishikawa-kun?! Are dating now?!”

“I know, right?! But try to keep your voice down! It’s a secret!”

“If it’s a secret, then you should probably take your own advice. You’re the loudest person in class,” Taichi retorted.

...Wait, what?

“Awww, thanks for the sick burn, Yaegashi-kun! Oh man, I don’t know how I can even sit still , y’know?! I just wanna scream!” She was flailing her arms so hard, Taichi imagined she might just achieve liftoff.

“How’d it happen? Give us the details!”

“Oh, right. So he asked to meet with me after school, and then he asked me out, and I kinda freaked out, but then I said yes! Pretty normal, huh? Just your run-of-the-mill confession story! But that’s okay! So yeah!”

The two of them had made things official? Already?

“Yeah, that’s pretty normal, alright,” Taichi replied. “I get why you’d want to thank Kiriyama, but why me?”

“Ishikawa-kun told me it’s all thanks to you that he found the courage to tell me how he felt! Oh yeah, and Yui-chan, thanks for telling me Ishikawa-kun seemed like he was into me! You two are both super observant, huh? Reminds me of the Love Guru!”

It was all thanks to him? That was... wonderful to hear, actually.

“Honestly, it was no big deal, but yeah, congratulations! I’m, like, sooo happy for you!” Kiriyama beamed as though Nakayama’s good fortune was her own.

“Congrats,” Taichi chimed in.

“Thank you, guys. Man, I can’t believe Ishikawa-kun was secretly hot for me this whole time! What a twist!”

“I would say the same about you, personally,” Taichi retorted. “What made you fall for him?”

“Oh gosh... Fall for him? That’s so cheesy, Yaegashi-kun! But to answer your question, well... he’s just so stoic and old-fashioned, like a soldier! Gosh, he’s so manly... I bet his ancestors were all upper-middle-tier samurai!”

“That’s... oddly specific, but okay.”

“Now I’m like two... four... EIGHT times as excited for the school trip! Wahaha! Maybe we’ll have a romantic night alone together... Oh god, what am I babbling about?!”

And so Nakayama continued to gush at them with her energy levels cranked up to 11.

When Nagase arrived at school, Nakayama shouted “I gotta tell Iori! But you guys have to keep it a secret, okay? Bye!” and promptly dashed off.

Alone, Taichi and Kiriyama exchanged a glance... and burst out laughing.

“This is such a weird feeling! It’s great to see Nakayama so happy, though!” Kiriyama exclaimed.

“I’m happy for them. And I’m glad we did this,” Taichi replied.

At this, her smile clouded over with the tiniest trace of hesitation. “This is the right thing to do, right?”

Taichi stared back at her.

“Since we have this power, it’s only right that we use it to help people, right? As long as it’s nothing weird?” she continued.

Life didn’t come with a strategy guide. It was up to each person to decide for themselves what was right and what was wrong. And this was Taichi’s decision:

“If I have the power to make people’s Dreams come true, then that’s exactly what I want to do—what I ought to do.”

Meanwhile, he realized something: in helping to answer other people’s prayers, were they not akin to gods?