Chapter 5 - Diverging of fate

A dark room. My room. The room in my grandfather's house, where I moved a year ago to attend that girls' academy.

It's just a spacious tatami-floored Japanese-style room. Grandfather offered to renovate it into something more fitting for a girl, but I didn't want to damage this old house for my sake.

Even though I don't desire anything, the Fukami family keeps sending me many gifts. But rather than feeling happy, I end up feeling sorry about it.

If only I could smile, even just a little.

A room overflowing with everyone's kindness. Being in such a room made me feel like the coldness inside me was slightly soothed.

“...Huh?

I felt a strong “sense of loss” and opened my eyes.

"…Huh?"

In my own room, I awoke feeling a strong sense of "loss."

"……Ah… what…?"

My mind was in turmoil. Nothing should have changed, yet I was deeply unsettled by the feeling that the warmth I once held had vanished.

Why am I still in my uniform? Why was I sleeping outside the futon, even though it was laid out? Who placed the cotton throw over my shoulders…?

"That girl!?"

I should have brought back the girl I found in that place.

But how did I manage to bring along a girl only slightly smaller than me?

My memories are muddled. But I'm certain she was there. I insisted on taking care of her, even having Grandfather's doctor come over. And then… what happened?

Since that day three years ago, there's been nothing… I've felt a sense of loss, as if something was missing.

To avert that pain, I avoided the affection of others. I was afraid of losing again.

When I met that girl, I couldn't stop crying. From the moment I met her, it felt like the void in my heart was filled.

I don't know why, even to myself. But I strongly felt that I didn't want to lose her.

Emotions I had forgotten made a crack in the wall in my heart and were now overflowing in it.

I don't want to lose anything. Not ever again.

I left my room and dashed through the house.

That girl isn't a dream. She's not an illusion. Until now, I had no reason to run, but now—

“So, Tsubaki is like the flower Camellia, right? It’s a flower name, just like mine.”

“Y-Yeah… H-Hana-chan.”

The day after it was decided I’d be staying with the Fukami family, Tsubaki and I went shopping in the city center from the morning.

Tsubaki’s school? She’s skipping. Well, her grandfather helped out by telling the school she was doing social studies, guiding a relative visiting from abroad. Apparently, that excuse got her permission.

Oh, and by the way, Tsubaki used to call me Nanohana-san, which I didn’t like much, so I forced her to call me Hana-chan instead. I succeeded—kind of.

She still won’t drop the honorifics, though.

Last night, we had a long talk in Tsubaki’s room.

Of course, I didn’t tell her that I suddenly appeared three years ago, but I did tell her stories from my travels. Tsubaki also mentioned she has no memories of her past, which made me feel like we were somehow similar.

They had a guest room ready for me, but Tsubaki looked so lonely that I gave in and ended up sleeping in her room.

She’s kind of like a puppy, you know? When I asked her older brother Akino if he agreed with me, he gave me a weird half-smile for some reason.

Since we were going out, I borrowed clothes from Tsubaki. She has a ton of outfits—many with the tags still on. Turns out her cousins from the main family send her loads of clothes each season.

Only the shoes were provided by Akino-san. I have no idea how he managed to find a perfect fit for me so early in the morning.

Tsubaki doesn’t like dressing up much and prefers plain clothes, but she made me wear a frilly mini skirt today. …I’m not complaining, though.

As for herself, she’s wearing a spare of her school uniform. All black again, which she says makes her feel calm. I told her, “You’re tall and pretty, you should try wearing different styles.”

“It’s social studies, so the uniform is fine!” she replied.

Tsubaki’s really earnest…

As Tsubaki and I walk together, people keep glancing at us.

I guess I look like a foreigner with my red eyes, and Tsubaki’s got that elegant, not-so-typical-Japanese look too. We totally stand out, but Tsubaki’s too caught up in chatting to notice how much attention she’s drawing.

Honestly, I worry she might get tricked by some shady guy one day.

Anyway, today’s shopping is for my personal essentials.

Since I lost my luggage and have no money, I was wondering what to do. But then, that kind, smiling grandpa gave me some spending money.

Ugh… Is it really okay? Well, I was reluctant to even borrow unused underwear, so this really helps.

“H-Hana-chan, what should we buy first?”

“Hmm, probably underwear. What about you, Tsubaki? Anything you want?”

“I… I’m fine. Today’s s-supposed to be about your shopping, Hana-chan…”

Watching the elegant Tsubaki stammer my name in embarrassment kind of awakened something… potentially dangerous in me.

“Well then… how about that store?”

“…A general store? Looks new. Seems to cater to girls, maybe they have clothes too.”

We wandered into a super fancy-looking shop that caught our eye. The staff greeted us warmly, despite us looking like middle schoolers wandering around on a weekday. Definitely a pro.

“They’ve got a lot! Oh, and clothes too! Hey Tsubaki, over there—”

I saw what looked like the underwear section in the back and turned around, only to find Tsubaki standing frozen at another display.

“Did something catch your eye?”

“Uh… yeah. Just a little.”

It was a section with hair ties and ribbons.

Though Tsubaki wears her hair down today, she usually braids it for school. She must be looking for something to tie it with.

But the one she was eyeing was incredibly plain. I bet she’d look great in something cuter, though…

And then, something caught my eye.

Looking back, that was the turning point. If I hadn’t seen that, maybe Tsubaki could’ve remained an ordinary girl.

But—I saw it.

“Tsubaki, how about that ribbon?”

“…A ribbon?”

She looked hesitant. I guess she thinks ribbons wouldn’t suit her.

“Ones with patterns are a bit flashy, but don’t you think this one would look good on you?”

I pointed at a beautiful dark crimson ribbon, slightly wide, with a gently serrated trim along the edges.

“You think… this would suit me?”

“I do. I really do.”

Tsubaki gazed at the ribbon, seeming to like it, and with a small smile, she ended up buying it.

We bought a few more things we needed and wandered around other shops to make sure we didn’t forget anything. Before we knew it, time had slipped by and the restaurants around us had started to come alive.

“What should we do for lunch? Just grab something quick? Or go home and eat?”

“Um, actually…”

“Yeah?”

When I casually replied, Tsubaki blushed and clutched her bag tightly.

“I… made a lunch…”

“...”

What a maiden!

And so, we left the shopping area and headed to a park to eat our lunch.

It’s been a while since I had a lunch box. The last one I had was fried rice and spring rolls from a Vietnamese lady. Huh… that wasn’t even a month ago.

…Wait a second?

“Ah!”

“What’s wrong?”

On the roadside near the park, I saw a very familiar bag.

“My luggage!”

“Ehhh?!”

Was she surprised that we found it, or because it looked like trash? As I stared at the dirtied bag, Tsubaki quietly averted her gaze.

Anyway, I was just glad I found it. In other countries, if you left your stuff lying around, it’d be gone for sure.

I checked the contents—old clothes, hidden money—everything was still there. …Wonder if Vietnamese dong is usable in Japan? Oh, and I had some money from the captain too.

And most importantly, the handwritten book I wanted to recover was safe and without a wrinkle.

“What’s that book?”

“Oh, this? It’s full of handwritten stories from different countries. I’ll read you one later.”

“Thanks.”

Seeing her happy smile made me smile too. Even though she’s more mature than me, Tsubaki feels like a cute little sister.

At the park, we sat down and I enjoyed Tsubaki's homemade lunch. Sweet rolled omelets, bacon-wrapped asparagus, fried chicken, cherry tomatoes, and tri-color rice balls. It was delicious.

And, just because, I took the ribbon we bought earlier and tied it in her hair. Not a braid, but one of those styles where you pull part of the hair back and tie it behind.

The subdued tone of the ribbon matched her hair perfectly.

She smiled bashfully. Adorable. Everything was absolutely delicious.

…It’s strange. I’ve known Tsubaki for less than a day, and yet it feels like we’ve been friends forever. She gives me energy. Even the power that had completely dried up inside me seem to be returning, little by little.

While resting with a full stomach, I flipped through that book again to check the contents.

“Hana-chan, what language is that?”

“This? Bengali. This one’s Spanish, and this… Dutch.”

“...”

S-Sorry. When it comes to information stuff, I’m kinda OP.

“W-What kind of stories are in there?”

“Hmm… Oh, right. There was a story with the name Tsubaki in it.”

“Tsubaki…?”

“Ah, here it is. It’s in slightly old-style Latin. The title would be something like…”

That was the second turning point. A crossroads of fate.

Not just for me and Tsubaki—but for everyone in this country.

“…Maybe, Princess Tsubakiri…?”

At that moment—It felt like the sun dimmed just a little. The air chilled slightly. And although only by a little, the air seemed to grow heavy with unease.

“...”

“...”

Both Tsubaki and I fell silent and rubbed our suddenly goosebumped arms.

“…What… was that?”

“…I don’t know.”

I really didn’t know. What just happened? Although I had no idea, I had a bad feeling. And my gut is never wrong when I get this kind of vibe.

We should stop shopping and go home.

I lifted my head—and saw three college-aged guys walking slowly through the entrance of the park.

“…Tsubaki, run.”

“…Huh?”

I grabbed her hand and bolted. The moment I saw that on those three, I knew, even without powers, I understood instantly.

Those people… are possessed.