A rascal, a board game, and a game night that was supposed to be simple.
Azusagawa Sakuta just wanted a quiet summer. Instead, he found an old board game left behind at his part-time job—"Youth Sugoroku: Musubi Dice"—and brought it home as a souvenir for his little sister. But the moment Kaede saw the box, her smile flickered, and something dark surfaced in her eyes.
No rulebook. No numbers on the die. Just strange symbols, and a board that looks suspiciously like their own neighborhood—Minega
Rascal Does Not Dream of Everyone Playing Games - Game Clear and the Hidden Die
Sunday evening.
The living room curtains glowed with orange light.
Azusagawa Sakuta stood looking down at the old board game spread across the low table: *Youth Sugoroku — Musubi Dice*. Minegahara High's school building, the shores of Shichirigahama — all of it sat quietly bathed in the sunset on the board.
The power had come back on, and the refrigerator's low hum had returned.
"Big brother, everyone's here."
Kaede tugged at the sleeve of her panda-patterned pajamas. Her bright hair, bouncing at her shoulders, caught the sunset and glowed softly.
"Don't greet guests in your pajamas."
Sakuta turned, pushing back his sleep-tousled black hair.
"But today we're playing games at home. Kaede feels most comfortable in these."
"Yeah, whatever."
Lively voices approached from the entryway.
"Thanks for having us! Sakuta-kun, today my piece is going to be the star!"
Toyohama Nodoka burst into the living room in a pale pink knit and white skirt, her shoulder-length hair curled softly inward at the ends. She was carrying a convenience store bag.
"You're loud every single time you come over."
"So what? Oh — I brought these for everyone. Cream puffs."
Nodoka pulled a box from the bag and set it at the edge of the table.
"Nodoka-san, thank you. Kaede loves cream puffs."
Kaede smiled brightly.
Seeing that smile, Sakuta thought:
(Kaede's smile... it's different from yesterday.)
Not a forced smile. A face that was genuinely, from the bottom of her heart, happy.
"Hello. ...Lively as ever, I see."
Sakurajima Mai entered the living room quietly. Her long black hair flowed lustrously in the sunset. A rabbit-shaped hair clip glinted. White blouse, navy long skirt. A small paper bag dangled from her hand.
"Mai-san, you brought something too."
"I baked cookies to go with tea. ...Though it seems I overlapped with Nodoka."
"Haha, we're going to be drowning in sweets! But that's totally fine!"
"...Weren't you all supposed to be playing a game today? This isn't a dessert party."
Futaba Rio shuffled into the living room, hands shoved in the pockets of her lab coat. Her slightly wavy long hair hung carelessly over her shoulders. Behind her glasses, her dark eyes fixed on the board on the table.
"Futaba, you came in your lab coat? It's Sunday."
"The lab coat is basically my formal wear. ...More importantly, let's get started. I need to collect data."
Rio sat down in front of the low table.
"Rio-san, you seem awfully motivated today."
Kaede tilted her head.
"Not really. ...I'm just curious how yesterday's game continues."
Rio pushed her glasses up with a finger.
Last night.
In the blackout, the five of them had spoken their true feelings.
Kaede had cried, saying she was happy to be connected to everyone.
Nodoka had confessed she was tired of hiding her real self.
Rio had taken off her glasses and admitted she wasn't alone.
Mai had shown her vulnerability for the first time, telling Sakuta to rely on her.
And Sakuta—
"...Alright, let's begin."
Sakuta lined up the five pieces at the starting point.
Kaede's piece was a tiny panda.
Mai's piece was a rabbit.
Rio's piece was an owl wearing glasses.
Nodoka's piece was a star.
And Sakuta's piece — was a stray cat.
"Big brother's piece is a kitty. It's cute."
"I didn't pick it. It just turned out that way."
"This game reflects the players' psychological states in their pieces. The reason you're a stray cat is probably because no one can tame you."
"That's a harsh way to put it."
"But it might be accurate. Sakuta-kun is kind of cat-like."
"Hehe, true. Free-spirited, doesn't warm up to people, but occasionally comes rubbing against you."
"Mai-san, you're enjoying treating me like a cat, aren't you."
"Oh, you noticed?"
Mai smiled mischievously.
Seeing that smile, something deep in Sakuta's chest warmed.
(...This atmosphere isn't bad at all.)
The tension that had hung in the air until yesterday was gone.
"Alright, Kaede goes first. Roll the die."
Sakuta held out the die carved with symbols to Kaede.
"Okay. ...Here goes!"
Kaede rolled the die.
*Rattle, rattle, rattle...*
The die tumbled across the board.
It stopped.
The result — the symbol for "Connect with People."
"Wow! It's the connect space!"
Kaede's face lit up.
Then—
The board gave off a soft, gentle light.
Not the eerie glow from before.
A warm orange light, like the sunset.
Kaede's panda piece slid smoothly across the board.
It came to a stop, right on the "Connect with Everyone" space.
"...It moved. Kaede's piece moved!"
Kaede's eyes went wide.
Until yesterday, Kaede's piece had been stuck, caught by the rule that she didn't have a smartphone.
But now—
"Good for you, Kaede-chan."
Mai smiled gently.
"Yes! ...Um, Kaede can be connected to everyone even without a smartphone."
Kaede's voice trembled slightly.
She was about to cry from happiness.
Sakuta could tell.
"Of course you can. You don't need a smartphone — you're right here."
Sakuta ruffled Kaede's hair.
"Big brother... yes. Kaede is happy."
Kaede smiled through her tears.
"Alright, my turn! I'm definitely landing on a good space!"
Nodoka grabbed the die.
"Yeah, yeah, go ahead. ...Your piece is a star, huh. Flashy. Fitting."
"Right, right?! It's perfect for me!"
Nodoka rolled.
*Rattle, rattle, rattle...*
The result — the symbol for "Show Your True Self."
"Eh, show my true self? ...What is that, that's embarrassing."
Nodoka's star piece slid across the board.
It stopped right on the "Show Your True Self" space.
Then, an image flickered to life above the board.
It was Nodoka, wearing the costume of the idol group "Sweet Bullet," smiling on stage.
Dazzling lights.
The roar of a huge crowd.
"Whoa, footage from my live show! Nostalgic!"
But the image changed quickly.
Now it was Nodoka, alone in the dressing room, sitting before a mirror.
Still in her flashy costume, but not smiling.
Staring at herself with a tired face.
"...What is this."
Nodoka's voice went quiet.
"That's your 'true self,' isn't it. ...Not the idol Toyohama Nodoka — just an ordinary girl named Toyohama Nodoka."
Rio spoke flatly.
"...Maybe so."
Nodoka stared at the image for a while.
But then, eventually—
"...But you know what, this is me too! The tired me, the smiling me — all of it together, that's me!"
Nodoka lifted her head and laughed.
"Nodoka-san, that's so cool."
"Hehe, right? I'm an idol, after all!"
"That had nothing to do with being an idol."
"Don't sweat the details! Next up, Rio-chan!"
Nodoka shoved the die at Rio.
"...My piece is an owl. Why an owl, I wonder."
Rio took the die, staring at her own piece.
"Nocturnal, sharp-eyed, and full of knowledge."
"...Well, not bad."
Rio rolled.
*Rattle, rattle, rattle...*
The result — the symbol for "Realize You're Not Alone."
"...What kind of symbol is that."
Rio's owl piece slid across the board.
It stopped right on the "Realize You're Not Alone" space.
An image rose above the board.
It was Minegahara High's physics lab.
Rio, alone in her lab coat, fiddling with lab equipment.
"...My lab."
The Rio in the image worked silently, expressionless.
But beside her—
"Oh, big brother's in it!"
Sakuta was in the image.
Sitting next to Rio, lounging, fiddling with his phone.
"...Why am I in this."
"You used to come to the lab all the time and bother me. ...This footage is from back then."
The image continued.
Sakuta was saying something to Rio.
Rio, still expressionless, but occasionally her lips softening just slightly.
"Rio-san, when you're talking to big brother, you're smiling a little."
"...I am not smiling."
Rio pushed up her glasses and turned her face away.
"Rio-chan's embarrassed! Cute!"
"Oh, shut up. ...Leave me alone."
"But isn't it nice? Rio-san, you clearly know you're not alone."
Mai said calmly.
"...Well, yes. ...You're all here, so I'm not alone — that's what this means, right."
Rio's voice was as flat as ever.
But her cheeks were just slightly red.
"...Next is Mai-san."
Sakuta held out the die to Mai.
"Yes. ...My piece is a rabbit. Somehow, that makes me a little happy."
Mai touched the rabbit piece gently with her fingertip.
"You do love rabbits. Your phone case has rabbit ears too."
"I do. ...Rabbits are lonely creatures, but they act tough. Just like me, don't you think?"
Mai rolled.
*Rattle, rattle, rattle...*
The result — the symbol for "Show Your True Self."
"Oh my, same as Nodoka."
Mai's rabbit piece slid across the board.
It stopped right on the "Show Your True Self" space.
An image rose above the board.
It was—
"...This is."
Mai caught her breath.
The Mai in the image was answering a TV interview as a national actress.
A perfect smile.
Perfect answers.
The perfect Sakurajima Mai that everyone admired.
But the image changed quickly.
Now it was Mai, standing alone by the seaside.
The Shichirigahama coast.
As the sun set, Mai stood barefoot at the water's edge in her school uniform.
And—she was smiling.
A smile completely different from her TV smile.
An innocent, artless, slightly shy smile — an ordinary girl's smile.
"...When was this even taken."
Mai's voice was trembling.
"...Mai-san, this is Shichirigahama. From when we went together."
Sakuta spoke while gazing at the image.
"...Yes. That's right. ...So that's the face I was making back then."
Mai stared at herself in the image.
"...Hey, Mai-san."
"What?"
"I like this version better. ...More than the perfect Sakurajima Mai on TV — I like the Mai-san who smiles naturally like this."
Sakuta looked straight into Mai's eyes.
Mai's lips softened for just a moment.
But she quickly looked away.
"...That's what's unfair about you."
Mai's voice wasn't her usual teasing tone.
There was definite embarrassment mixed in.
"Mai-san, your face is red! Cute!"
"Nodoka, could you not make a fuss about every little thing?"
"But it really is red! Right, Kaede-chan?"
"Hehe, Mai-san is embarrassed. Kaede feels kind of happy."
"...Honestly, all of you, stop teasing me."
Mai swept her hair back and turned away.
That gesture was so utterly like an ordinary girl.
Sakuta felt a ticklish warmth deep in his chest.
"...Then I'm last."
Sakuta picked up the die.
"Your piece is a stray cat. What space will you land on, I wonder."
"Who knows. ...I'll just wander along, like a stray cat."
Sakuta rolled.
*Rattle, rattle, rattle...*
The result — the symbol for "Protect the People You Care About."
"...Protect the people I care about, huh."
Sakuta's stray cat piece slid across the board.
It stopped right on the "Protect the People You Care About" space.
An image rose above the board.
It was the five of them, all their interactions up to now.
Mai offering Sakuta a slice of cake.
Rio pushing up her glasses, analyzing the game.
Kaede hugging a panda plush and laughing.
Nodoka laughing in her loud voice.
And—Sakuta, desperately trying to protect Kaede.
"...What the hell is this."
Sakuta stared at the image.
The Sakuta in the image was always trying to protect someone.
Trying to protect Kaede from social media bullying.
Trying to protect Mai from the shackles of the entertainment industry.
Trying to protect Rio from loneliness.
But—
"...I always thought I had to protect everyone. ...But that wasn't it."
Sakuta murmured quietly.
"...What wasn't it?"
"...I was being protected by everyone. ...By Kaede, by Mai-san, by Futaba, by Nodoka. ...I thought I was protecting them all by myself, but really, everyone was supporting me."
At Sakuta's words, everyone fell silent.
"...So you finally realized it, you rascal."
Rio delivered her usual sharp remark.
But her tone was somehow gentle.
"...Futaba, you're properly protected too. ...Not just by me — by everyone."
Sakuta said it looking into Rio's eyes.
Rio pushed up her glasses and went quiet.
Her cheeks were just slightly red again.
"Hey hey, isn't this
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