Chapter 20: Michikusa Inori Can't Find Her Way

「...Hm?」

Two days later, after finishing examinations and interviews, having unexpectedly received early permission to walk around, I was wandering the hospital.

Being cooped up in the hospital room was too boring.

Until recently, visitors would come, so I was stuck waiting in the hospital room.

But no one showed up.

(...There she is.)

When I was buying drinks from the vending machine near the entrance, I spotted familiar sleepy eyes.

She was moving her gaze around restlessly.

Her orange yukata should attract everyone's attention, yet only she was cut out from the space.

「Hey, Michikusa.」

Michikusa Inori. Classmate and same class.

But our connection was thin, originally just the framework of a beautiful girl belonging to Sera's group and a general high school student observing from the sidelines. To think that would change.

She's Orimoto Suzuka's best friend, and before I knew it I'd become more than acquaintances with Michikusa.

Close enough to receive visit notifications.

We exchanged contact information the other day.

As expected, Michikusa's smartphone also doesn't lose battery charge──differing from Orimoto in the initial battery level.

It might be a trivial difference.

Probably, though.

Orimoto's smartphone was at 100% when she disappeared. Michikusa disappeared while it was decreased.

I saw that as the difference.

「Ah, Kasugai. Found you.」

「...It's been quite a while since you contacted me, I was wondering if you got in an accident.」

While flowing the drink into my stomach, I focus on Michikusa's story. Acting entirely like I'm alone.

The entrance has somewhat poor air conditioning.

The moisture was seeping through my entire body.

「Hospital, just arrived.」

I see, she had some business.

That's why she left late.

Michikusa prefers concise speech, but conversely, some inferential ability is occasionally required.

「If you had business, you should have told me.」

「Business? There's nothing like that.」

Michikusa shows denial contrary to expectation.

「Just Inori, bad with directions. Takes time.」

「...Ohh. ...Huh?」

I'm at a loss for words. That's new information.

If she got lost even on the route to the city hospital, Michikusa's directional sense must be quite something.

「You could have looked at a map on your smartphone.」

「If that would solve it, I wouldn't raise the problem.」

「I'm convinced.」

Certainly, if smartphones could solve it, directional blindness would have disappeared from the world.

「Couldn't reach the hospital room. Troubling.」

「...You could have come with Orimoto.」

「Suzuka said she had plans today.」

Well, Michikusa is a high school student too. Even if others can't see her, she should defend herself before getting in accidents.

I turn my gaze to the vending machine.

「Want a drink?」

「Is it okay?」

「...Well, you came all this way for me. I don't have a spirit of hospitality, but this much at least.」

It's probably blazing hot outside.

The temperature that keeps rising every year. I could easily imagine the heat shimmer and felt depressed.

I hate the heat. And the cold too.

In such conditions, for Michikusa who wandered around and finally arrived, I could spare a drink.

I'm technically the one being visited.

Though like Orimoto, she won't starve.

It's purely my emotional problem.

「Then, this one.」

Her small finger points.

Looking, it's a fruit juice with "Ultra Sweet!" written on the package. As I suspected, Michikusa seems to have an extreme sweet tooth.

「You really like sweet things.」

「The sweeter──the better.」

Michikusa nodded somewhat proudly.

For me with no particular taste preferences, it's a sensation I can't quite understand. But there's no need to pour cold water on it.

I insert coins and press the button.

When the juice comes out and I hand it over, Michikusa catches it with both hands. ──This should be invisible now.

Now she can sip it slowly.

(...Ah, I forgot.)

I suddenly realized I'd forgotten to say something. I tell Michikusa, who's walking slightly behind me.

That girl has tiny steps.

「Michikusa, there was something I wanted to say.」

Michikusa blinks several times.

「? What?」

「That bread you gave me before. The name...what was it, something like drown in ultra-sweet fruit.」

「Deluxe Extra-Large Fruit Fresh Cream Drown In It? Ah, I didn't ask for your thoughts.」

「That's it.」

Did she really memorize it?

She said it from memory without hesitation.

While surprised, I give Michikusa my thoughts on Deluxe Extra-Large Fruit Fresh Cream Drown In It.

「...It wasn't as bad as I thought.」

「Right? Well, it's a calorie bomb though.」

「Hah, it was too sweet for me.」

The geta makes a clacking sound.

It was an unexpectedly pleasant sound and I listened through the break in conversation. Unlike Orimoto's noisiness, Michikusa doesn't talk much to begin with.

I'm also reserved with the amount of words.

Eventually, in front of my hospital room. A private room. The reason it's not for many people is because my parents paid some money.

I've already received that contact.

The reason and circumstances for being brought to the hospital probably don't matter to them. That's their norm.

「Kasugai, when can you be discharged?」

「I didn't even break any bones. Since it also serves as observation hospitalization, tomorrow or the day after.」

「I see. Early is good.」

I lie down on the hospital room bed, and Michikusa sits in the visitor's chair. She really is delicate.

A refreshing breeze, rare for summer.

Her golden hair reaching to her waist sways.

Rather than just having long golden hair, Michikusa's short stature seemed to stand out.

「Inori wants to solve this quickly.」

「...Well, until we find a clue.」

「Sweets, can't buy myself.」

「That's your reason?!」

Being invisible to others is extremely inconvenient.

For the sweet-loving Michikusa, not being able to freely eat sweets might be a matter of life and death.

「Money? If you have any, I could buy instead.」

「Impossible. Used it all at the festival. Have wallet though.」

「You have a wallet but no contents, right?」

At the time of disappearance, clothing and accessories worn remain. This was the same with Orimoto.

That's why they're in uniform and yukata.

When you wake up, it resets.

「Convenience store new cake. Good reputation.」

「...Hey, what am I supposed to do hearing that?」

「Hope. Suzuka said this would be fine.」

So if Michikusa had financial leeway, I expected a cycle of consumption and reset.

But reality is barren. That figures.

「That bastard, saying irresponsible things again...」

It's pitiful, but she'll have to reduce the amount of sweets for a while. I'm also a student with no financial leeway.

There's a solution──but I don't want to use it.

I refuse to bow my head to those parents.

「Also, want to talk with Keiichi.」

「Sera, huh.」

Michikusa nods.

「Inori played with Keiichi when little. Liked him since then. ...Different from childhood friend though.」

「Then we need to do something.」

「Want leader to work hard.」

「...Are you serious about that?」

I let out the breath accumulated in my chest.

I was already thrown off by the partner declaration, and now with Michikusa joining it became a party.

「Suzuka trusts Kasugai.」

「That's just convenient exploitation.」

「Really? Maybe so.」

It was a dizzying development. No thank you. I'm not aware of being excellent at leadership.

「Said you'd help.」

「Exaggerated expression. I'm only doing what I can.」

I'll do what I can.

Sera and the others still show no signs of movement regarding Orimoto and Michikusa, so at this rate it's parallel lines. It's also true that only I know the details for now.

Neither Orimoto nor Michikusa are villains.

They're people who should return to reality.

Even though I loved peace and declared it wasn't my concern...here we are.

Am I influenced? Don't be ridiculous.

「Kasugai, really jumped off a cliff?」

「That's sudden.」

At the unexpected question, I freeze up. What intention is contained in it?

「Ah, well. Just got carried away.」

「Even though you might die.」

「I don't know the reason even if you ask me.」

At my unfriendly rebuttal, Michikusa responded with a "Hmm" in a tone that seemed uninterested.

「──Going home soon.」

Michikusa's stay wasn't very long.

But she's definitely my-pace.

This girl is troublesome in a different direction from Orimoto with her excessively free personality.

「Mood gets better when eating sweet things. So Kasugai should eat too, always making difficult face.」

「This is my natural face unfortunately.」

「Sweets heal you.」

My statement goes in one ear and out the other.

Michikusa continued the conversation at her own pace with scattered words, then stood up smoothly.

「Kasugai. Get better soon.」

「Tell my body that. Tell it to work hard.」

「Work hard, Kasugai's body.」

「......Right.」

I didn't expect her to actually say it.

The rough tone didn't suit her at all, and I involuntarily laughed through my nose. Michikusa opened the door roughly.

「Does it look like it opened by itself? This.」

「How should I know? I can see you.」

「True.」

Does it look like it opened by itself?

Or does it appear differently?

「Well then, see you. When you're discharged, tell me, I'll meet you with Suzuka. Ah, treat me to sweets.」

「That's your real motive! That is!」

Michikusa doesn't change expression──and turns right.

Idiot, that's wrong. It's the other way.

「Hey, not that way. Left.」

When I stop her, Michikusa walks backward like rewinding, then looks back halfway.

She tilts her head.

「Left, then what?」

「Get on the elevator.」

「Yeah. Then what?」

「Then turn right and......sigh, I'll come with you, you're too directionally-challenged.」

「Guide me to the exit please.」

Am I a taxi?

Why must the one being visited worry about the way home? ...I should contact her just in case.

I sent the details to Orimoto.

──Michikusa Inori can't find her way.