A dream that ends in light. A friend who always walks ahead. And a message that changes everything.
Ichinose Taichi has had the same dream three times now—Touma turning back to smile at him on the road to school, then a blinding flash, then nothing. He tells himself it's just a dream. But when a message from his quiet classmate Kuze Futaba arrives out of nowhere, asking to talk, Taichi feels it: something is about to change.
In a fading seaside town where the shipyard closed and the young peop
Blue Flag: To Change the Lost Future - Blue Flag: The Night Fate Was Changed, and the Real Conversation That Begins
Night on Hell Hill.
The streetlights cast a pale blue glow on the asphalt. Taichi couldn't move, his forehead pressed against the railing. The tears wouldn't stop. A salty taste lingered at the corner of his lips.
(No one believes me.)
(I can't do this alone anymore.)
He cried in silence. His shoulders shook. The iron railing stole his body heat, cold and unyielding.
Then it happened. Behind him — the sound of gravel crunching underfoot. Slow. Steady. The footsteps stopped right behind him.
"...You made Futaba cry."
A low voice. Quiet, yet it cut like a blade wiped clean with cloth. Taichi couldn't turn around. He didn't want anyone to see his tear-streaked face.
"Well? Say something. Because of you, Futaba's been crying in the nurse's office this whole time."
Taichi gripped the railing. His knuckles went white. His nails dug into his palms.
"...I'm sorry."
His voice cracked. It was all he could manage.
"You think 'sorry' fixes this? You were using Futaba, weren't you."
One step closer. The sound of her sole crushing gravel seemed absurdly loud. The air went taut.
"You used Futaba's feelings as a stepping stone to get close to Touma. That's what you did. You're the worst."
Taichi bit his lip. The taste of blood spread like rust.
"...That's not it."
"Then what is?"
"That's not it... I just — I wanted to protect Touma."
His voice trembled. Tears rolled down his cheeks again. The hand gripping the railing was going numb, cold from the fingertips down.
"Protect? From what? What are you even talking about?"
For the first time, confusion bled into Masumi's voice. Taichi let go of the railing. Slowly, he turned around. He faced her with his tear-soaked face.
"...I have a dream."
"A dream?"
"A dream where Touma dies. Hit by a car. Over and over and over."
Masumi's brow twitched.
"...You're joking."
She snorted. But the laugh died quickly. Because she saw his eyes. His fists were shaking. His lips were pale. His eyes were bloodshot — and utterly serious.
"...You're actually serious."
Her voice dropped.
"A precognitive dream? Nobody in their right mind would believe something that absurd."
"I know. But I'm certain. The things I see in the dream — they're starting to overlap with reality."
"...Since when?"
"Since the end of summer break. I keep having the same dream. Touma turns around, smiles, and then—"
His throat closed up. The rest of the sentence caught in the back of his throat.
"So that's why you were clinging to Touma like that."
She let out a small breath.
"...It all makes sense now. Your bizarre behavior. The way you treated Futaba. All of it."
Masumi grabbed Taichi's arm. Her fingers dug through his uniform sleeve.
"Come with me."
"Wha— where?"
"The greenhouse. I'm calling Futaba. She needs to hear this too."
It wasn't a request. Taichi let himself be dragged along.
The greenhouse behind the school building. At night, it wore a different face than in daytime. Moonlight filtered through the glass. Shadows of plants swayed across the floor. The smell of soil and leaves hung thick in the air. Masumi called Futaba on her phone.
Minutes later, the greenhouse door opened.
"Masumi-chan... what's going on? Why so sudden?"
Futaba stepped in, anxious. Her eyes were red. Swollen from crying. She saw Taichi and stopped dead.
"...Taichi-kun."
Her voice was shaking.
"Futaba, sit down. This one says he has something to tell us."
Masumi pointed to a chair by the workbench. Futaba sat down hesitantly. Taichi stayed standing, eyes down. The grout lines between the floor tiles looked impossibly fine.
"Taichi. You tell her yourself. Everything."
A light push on his back. Taichi took a deep breath. The damp smell of soil filled his lungs.
"...Futaba. There's something I have to tell you."
Futaba looked up. Her anxious eyes fixed on him.
"I was using you."
Her eyes went wide.
"I used your feelings to get close to Touma."
Futaba's lips trembled.
"...I knew it. I knew that was it."
Her voice was wet with tears.
"I had a feeling. You were always so focused on Touma-kun. You said you'd help me, but really, Touma-kun was the whole point."
Tears dripped onto her lap, one after another.
"But even so... I was happy. Just having you there with me made me happy."
Futaba covered her face and broke down. Choked sobs leaked through her fingers.
"...I'm sorry."
He could only apologize.
"It's too early to apologize."
Masumi glared at him.
"You haven't told her the important part yet."
Taichi clenched his fists. His nails dug into his palms again.
"...Touma is going to die."
Futaba's crying stopped cold. Only the hiccups of breath remained in the greenhouse.
"I saw it in a dream. Touma gets hit by a car and dies. Over and over and over."
Futaba raised her head. With tear-soaked eyes, she looked straight at him.
"...Touma-kun is going to die?"
"Yeah. That's why I have to protect him. And that's why I used you."
His voice was shaking, but he didn't look away.
"...I can't believe it."
Futaba murmured softly.
"I know. I can't believe it either. But the dream is starting to overlap with reality."
Taichi described the dream in detail. Touma walks down the slope and turns around. In that instant, headlights surge forward. A blinding light. And Touma is swallowed by it.
"...When and where?"
"I don't know. But lately the dream's been getting clearer and clearer. The place is near Café Minato, by the station. The time is dusk."
"Café Minato... the one in the shopping district?"
"Yeah. That's why I was trying to keep Touma away from that place."
Masumi crossed her arms and thought.
"...Suppose your dream really does show the future. How do you plan to stop it?"
"I don't know. But if I stay close to Touma, maybe I can do something."
"...You idiot."
Masumi sighed.
"What can you do on your own? You'll just spin your wheels and hurt the people around you again."
Taichi had no answer. His throat was dry.
"...Masumi-chan, that's too harsh."
Futaba chided her.
"Taichi-kun was desperate to protect Touma-kun. He wasn't trying to cause trouble for us."
Futaba turned toward Taichi.
"Taichi-kun, I believe you. About your dream."
Something warm spread through his chest.
"...You do?"
"Yeah. Because you look so serious right now. That's not the face of someone lying."
Futaba smiled faintly. Her lips softened over the tear tracks.
"...If Futaba believes you, then I will too."
Masumi let out a small breath.
"But I have conditions."
"...What?"
"From now on, no carrying this alone. You tell us everything."
Masumi looked him straight in the eye.
"...Yeah. Understood."
Taichi nodded.
"I'll help too. Protecting Touma-kun."
Futaba stepped closer to him.
"I like Touma-kun. I don't want him to die."
Her voice trembled. But her eyes were steady.
"...Thank you, Futaba. And Masumi."
His voice shook.
The three of them stood in silence for a while. Moonlight poured through the glass, bathing them all. The plant leaves caught the light, edged in silver.
"So. What's the concrete plan?"
Masumi spoke up.
"In the dream, Touma walks down the slope and the car comes the moment he turns around. So if I'm beside him when he goes down that slope, that should work."
"But you don't know when Touma will go down that slope."
"...Right. That's why I stayed by his side every day."
"And that's how you got branded a stalker."
Masumi said it with heavy sarcasm.
"...Exactly."
Taichi smiled wryly.
"Taichi-kun, that must have been so hard."
Futaba gently took his hand. It was small and warm.
"From now on, I'll watch over Touma-kun with you."
"...Thank you."
Taichi squeezed her hand back.
"I'll cooperate too. But I'll be monitoring your every move."
Masumi pointed at him.
"...Got it."
He nodded without protest.
That night, the three of them talked late into the evening. Concrete ways to protect Touma. Taichi described the accident from his dream in detail. Masumi analyzed it coolly. Futaba recalled Touma's daily habits.
"After baseball practice, Touma often stops by the shopping district near the station."
"He does?"
"Yeah. Apparently he drinks coffee at Café Minato."
"Oh, I know that place. Touma-kun loves their milkshakes."
Futaba chimed in.
"...I see. That might be why Café Minato showed up in your dream."
Masumi rested her chin on her hand.
"In any case, whenever Touma goes to the shopping district, someone stays with him. No exceptions."
"Yeah, let's do that."
"...Agreed."
The three of them made a firm promise.
The next day. After school, Taichi secretly went to check on Touma. Touma was on the field for baseball practice. Bright and energetic, as always. Every swing of the bat sent the white ball arcing into the sky.
(Touma still doesn't know anything.)
(I have to protect him.)
He watched from the shadow of the school building.
"...Watching him again?"
A voice came from behind him, out of nowhere.
"...Masumi."
He turned. Masumi stood there in her track uniform, breathing hard.
"You really do lose all sense of your surroundings when it comes to Touma."
"...My bad."
"I'm not blaming you. I'm just worried you'll spin your wheels again."
Masumi stood beside him.
"...I still don't completely believe your dream, you know."
"...I know."
"But Futaba said she believes you, so I'll help. That's all."
Masumi stared out at the field.
"...You really care about Futaba, don't you."
"...Obviously. Futaba is my best friend."
Her voice softened, just slightly.
"...I see."
Taichi looked at her profile. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead on the field. The wind stirred her bangs.
(Masumi treasures Futaba as a best friend.)
(But maybe... more than that.)
He thought it. But he didn't say it.
"...You look like you want to say something."
Masumi noticed his gaze.
"...No, it's nothing."
He looked away.
"Hm. So that's how it is."
She smiled, a little meanly.
"...What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. I can more or less guess what you're thinking."
Masumi looked away from him.
"...I'm going to protect Futaba. That's all."
Her voice was quiet.
"...Yeah."
He didn't ask anything more.
From that day on, the three of them took turns watching over Touma. Taichi waited in front of Touma's house in the mornings. Futaba passed by his classroom during breaks. Masumi watched his club activities from a distance after school.
Touma didn't notice what they were doing. Or rather, he noticed but didn't seem to mind.
"Taichi, you've been around me a lot lately."
Touma said to him one day.
"...Have I?"
"Yeah. And Futaba-chan keeps walking past my classroom. And Masumi-chan's been watching the field."
Touma said it with a laugh.
"...You noticed?"
"Of course I did. I'm the baseball team captain. I'm sensitive to people's eyes on me."
Touma slung an arm around Taichi's shoulders.
"Hey, Taichi. You guys are hiding something, aren't you?"
His voice went serious, suddenly.
"...Hiding what?"
"I don't know. But you've all been watching me constantly. Like you're keeping an eye on me in case I do something wrong."
Touma's eyes fixed on him.
"...You're imagining things."
"Am I? Really?"
His grip on Taichi's shoulder tightened.
"...Touma, that hurts."
"Oh — sorry."
He let go.
"...Hey, Taichi. Does it look like I'm hiding something from you?"
"...What?"
"I'm not hiding anything from you. So if you're hiding something from me, I want you to tell me."
His voice was earnest.
"...Touma."
The words caught in his throat.
(I want to tell him.)
(I want to tell him everything, right here, right now.)
(But if I do — what will he think?)
(If I tell him he dies in my dream...)
(Will he believe me?)
"...Taichi. You're carrying something, aren't you?"
Touma peered into his face.
"...Yeah."
He nodded slightly.
"...Figures. But you don't want to talk about it right now, do you?"
"...Sorry."
"Don't apologi
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