Wind blew across the rooftop. As if the battle moments ago had been a lie, the gentle April sunlight warmed the concrete. "Ahaha... haa, man, my stomach hurts..." Wiping away tears, Anko unwrapped the bundle of rice balls. Her fluffy peach-colored bob cut still swayed with the lingering laughter. Youou's shoulders were still shaking, and Kyouka had her hand pressed over her mouth. The fear and tension that had bound the three of them just moments ago was slowly melting away in the sound of their laughter. Watching them, Kakeru let out a relieved breath. *(Good. They're all able to laugh properly.)* He picked up a rice ball that had rolled onto the waterproof sheet. The one Anko had made was still faintly warm, the nori just starting to soften. He popped it into his mouth. The salt level was perfect. "[gentle]It's good..." Anko murmured in a hoarse voice. Holding the rice ball she'd made herself in both hands, she took a tiny bite. Her large amber eyes were still wet with tears. "[gentle]Yeah. It's good." "[gentle]...It's warm." Kyouka, hugging her knees on the sheet, accepted a rice ball. Her fingertips were still trembling slightly. Her deep green eyes narrowed gently. "It's not... this much is normal." Only Youou was still putting up a bit of a front. But sprawled out using her shinai bag as a pillow, munching on a rice ball, she lacked her usual sharpness. That was when it happened. —Creeeak. The rusted iron door opened one more time. "My, my. Quite lively, aren't we?" School counselor Kanae Himuro stood on the rooftop. She wore a light beige suit, her usual gentle smile on her face. But in her hand, she held a small radio transceiver. "H-Himuro-sensei...!?" Kakeru jumped to his feet. The three of them also looked at Himuro with surprise. "[gentle]Sorry. I've been watching the whole time." Himuro approached the four of them, smiling apologetically. Her pumps clicked against the concrete. "Watching...? This is the rooftop! How did you even..." "[gentle]There are several surveillance cameras inside the school building. And small sensors that track the wavelength of your abilities." Himuro said it as if it were nothing. "Surveillance...?" Youou slowly sat up. Her sharp, narrow eyes fixed on Himuro. "[serious]I'm with the Cabinet Office's Twilight Desk—an agency responsible for monitoring and protecting Resonance Awakened. The counselor position is a cover for my infiltration. We had intel that there were Awakened at this academy." "Twilight Desk..." Kakeru recalled the words he'd heard before. The Echo Control Ordinance—commonly known as the Seiha Act. A government law prohibiting the use of Awakened abilities in public spaces. "[cold]So, from the very beginning, you were..." "[serious]Yes. I've known you were Awakened for quite some time. But I hadn't determined whether you were a threat. So I came to observe today." "Wait a second! Back then, the one who warned me about the Seiha Act was—" "[gentle]At that point, I hadn't decided whether to protect you or track you." Himuro stated it plainly. Kakeru was at a loss for words. *(This woman says the most outrageous things with a smile on her face!)* The retort in his mind was about to burst out. But this wasn't the time for that. Himuro raised the transceiver to her ear. "[serious]...Right. Understood. Bring her up to the rooftop." She spoke briefly with someone, then cut the transmission. "[serious]Another agent has secured the girl named Shino inside the school building." "Secured...!?" Anko nearly dropped her rice ball. "[serious]She's a member of an anti-government organization—the Echo Amplification Mechanism. They were trying to forcibly amplify the emotions of Awakened individuals to collect data on full awakening." Anti-government organization. Those words made the air on the rooftop tense. "Then... Shino was after that from the very beginning..." "[serious]Yes. You were about to become test subjects for her experiments." —*Step, step.* Multiple footsteps climbed the stairs. The iron door opened, and Shino appeared, her arm held by a man in a black suit. Her long silver hair swayed gently, despite the lack of wind. And then, expressionless, Shino looked straight at Kakeru. "..." Their eyes met. Just for an instant. But in that instant, Shino's lips moved slightly. —*You will become the core. The organization knows this.* No sound reached him. But the movement of her mouth definitely said that. "Huh...?" Before Kakeru could ask again, Shino was taken away. The men in black suits silently dragged her toward the stairs. Her silver hair fluttered, and she vanished beyond the iron door. "[serious]...Did she say something to you?" Himuro asked sharply. "N-no... nothing." He lied on the spot. For some reason, he felt he had to. *Core. Organization.* The words spun around and around in his head. But he had absolutely no idea what they meant. "[serious]I see. Well, never mind. In any case, regarding today's events—" Himuro looked over the four of them. "[gentle]I'll include it in my report, but you'll all be treated as victims, so don't worry. The public use of your abilities will also be overlooked this time, as an act of emergency evacuation." "[surprised]...Huh? Is that okay!?" "[gentle]In exchange—" Himuro's smile deepened in an instant. "[cold]If the same thing happens again, all of you will be enrolled in the Ability Suppression Program. It's a six-month residential program." All four of their faces went pale at once. *(I knew it! This woman says the scariest things with a smile!!)* Kakeru screamed internally. Himuro gave a small wave and left the rooftop, her pumps clicking. —*Slam.* The iron door closed. Once again, the rooftop belonged to just the four of them. "...What was that all about?" Youou sighed. "Twilight Desk... So we were being watched the whole time." Kyouka also dropped her usual smile, her expression turning serious. "But still! Darling, you were so cool at the end!" Anko, trying to change the atmosphere, spoke up brightly. "[excited]In front of that Shino girl, you said, 'Stop it'! That was definitely your voice that saved us, Darling!" "I-it was just a coincidence...!" "[gentle]No. Thank you, Kakeru-kun. You saved us." Kyouka said it with a genuine smile this time. "...Hmph." Youou turned away. But her ears were bright red. Kakeru looked at each of their faces, one by one. A burning heat spread deep in his chest. *(Ah, jeez—)* "...Hey." His voice trembled. The three of them focused their gazes on Kakeru. "I... all of you, every single one of you, is important to me." Kakeru clenched both hands into tight fists. His nails dug into his palms. "I can't choose someone. But—" He took a breath. The sea breeze filled his lungs. "I absolutely hate the idea of everyone getting hurt like this. I don't have any power, and I can't do anything... but I don't want to see you all suffering in front of me anymore." The rooftop fell completely silent. From far away, only the sound of the waves in Misora Bay could be heard. *Swoosh, swoosh.* The first to open her mouth was Youou. "[angry]Wh-what...! That's not a confession, and it's not a rejection, so basically you're saying nothing at all...!?" Youou stood up. Her face was bright red, and her hand unconsciously formed the shape of a blade. —*Crackle.* Her palm began to glow faintly purple. "Oh crap." But the light vanished immediately. After exhausting her ability, it seemed she couldn't produce it properly anymore. Youou shook her hand in frustration and plopped back down. "[laughing]Ahaha! Youou, you're trying to make it glow again! Even though you can't~!" "[angry]Sh-shut up! Anko, you can't use your wind anymore either, can you!" "[excited]That's not true! My wind of love for Darling is still— huh...?" Anko flapped her hands. But no wind came at all. Her fluffy bob cut swayed dejectedly. "[excited]Huh~? Even though I have so much desire to hug Darling~!" "[sad]Ugh... it's all because of that woman...!" Youou pounded the ground. "[gentle]Hehe. There's no need to rush. I'll wait for you." Kyouka approached Kakeru with an elegant smile. "[gentle]But—you know I'm not very good at waiting, right?" Her deep green eyes narrowed slightly. At the same time, Kakeru's body felt heavy for just a moment— —*Squish.* Kyouka collapsed onto the spot, sitting down as if her legs had given out. "[surprised]...Oh my. Did I fail?" "S-Senpai, what were you trying to do!?" "[gentle]I thought I'd monopolize you, just a little. But it seems my power hasn't returned yet." Kyouka smiled without a trace of guilt. —*Crackle.* —*Whoosh.* —*Thud.* None of the three's abilities were working properly, and that in itself was strangely hilarious. Youou's hand flickered purple like a lighter flame, Anko's gentle breeze only slightly ruffled Kakeru's bangs, and Kyouka's gravity was no heavier than a hand lightly resting on his shoulder. "[laughing]Pfft... ahahaha!" Kakeru finally couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing. "[excited]Darling! You laughed!" "[embarrassed]I-it's not something to laugh about... pfft." Youou also couldn't keep her angry face and cracked up. "[gentle]Oh my." Kyouka also laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. The sound of the four of them laughing echoed across the rooftop. At that moment, Kakeru thought to himself. *(Ah, when I'm around these guys, I feel strangely at ease.)* Was it like that in his previous life too? It's still like that now. But whether that was romantic love, or a sense of camaraderie—he still didn't know. And the most important thing right now wasn't rushing to find that answer. "[serious]...Hey, I have a proposal." When Kakeru spoke, the three of them focused on him again. "How about a temporary truce?" "A truce...?" "Yeah. Right now, none of you can use your abilities, right? And from what Himuro-sensei just said... if the government finds us, we're in trouble. So, for the time being—" "[angry]You mean, until you choose someone, we don't try to check each other!?" "Th-that's about the size of it... I guess." Silence. The three of them glanced at each other. "[angry]...It's not like I'm convinced or anything." Youou turned away, her face bright red. "[excited]I'm definitely going to make you like me the most! Be prepared, Darling!" Anko declared energetically. "[gentle]There's no need to rush. I'll wait for you." Kyouka repeated the same words. But this time, it was a truly gentle smile. The three of them piled on their assertions one after another. But it wasn't a fight anymore. "...Okay. Thank you." Kakeru bowed his head slightly. —And so, reluctantly, a temporary truce was established. The sun was beginning to set. The four of them, having polished off all of Anko's remaining rice balls, sat exhausted in a row, gazing out at Misora Bay. The sunset dyed the sea's surface orange, and the lighthouse floated small in the distance. "[gentle]...I'll thank you, just for today. Next time, I won't accept it." Youou murmured quietly. "[sad]Darling, you really are an idiot, you know. But I love you." Anko leaned gently against Kakeru's shoulder. Her warm body heat came through his shirt. "[gentle]Kakeru-kun, you protected us again." For the first time, Kyouka showed a smile without calculation. Her black hair, illuminated by the setting sun, sparkled. Kakeru said nothing, just watched the scene. *(How should I put it...)* He couldn't put it into words well. But it wasn't bad. —That's what he thought. The next day, Monday. Sitting at his desk in the classroom, Kakeru slumped over it. "[tired]A peaceful school life... it's definitely impossible now, isn't it..." He muttered to no one in particular. —*Buzz.* His smartphone vibrated three times simultaneously. *'I'm making your lunch tomorrow (I