During a regular practice session for her beloved music circle, "Wonderlands×Showtime," AIchin HIBIYA feels a strange pang of sadness. She thinks, "Maybe... they'd be better off without me?" It's a tiny, prickly feeling of being left behind while her friends shine brightly.
Noticing her gloom, a quirky upperclassman from her school, Arata JOZAKI, calls out to her. Arata is a brilliant hacker with an obsession for the "Sekai" system. He has a secret—he can access "Minor Sekai," unstable worlds b
In a Corner of Sekai, You Wait for the Stars - The Liar's Tea Party and True Feelings
In Phoenix Hall's Studio B, the light sound of a piano echoed.
But the notes were just a little more scattered than usual.
"Aichin, let's try that part one more time."
Misaki's voice was gentle. But to Hibiya Aichin, that gentleness stabbed into her chest like a knife right now.
"……I'm sorry."
Her voice grew small. She twirled the ends of her black hair, which fell over her shoulders, around her finger. Her long bangs hid her downcast face.
Three days since the Vigilnet warning. Her head was a mess. The secret exploration with Arata, Sekai, that warning message, and—the usual dark thought that she was useless.
Her rhythm slipped. Her pitch wavered. She was dragging down everyone in the circle.
(Ah, here it is again.)
The depths of her chest went cold, tight.
"You seem a little tired, don't you? You can head home early today."
At the leader's words, Aichin just said "I'm sorry" once more and left the studio.
― ― ―
The emergency staircase of Phoenix Hall. Leaning against the cold concrete wall, Aichin was huddled up.
A single tear fell onto her skirt.
(In the circle, in Sekai, I'm useless.)
Arata's face came to mind. In the Sekai where rainbow-colored rain fell, they had played hide-and-seek together. That time had been fun. But now, she was scared. Something bad might happen because of her. Yukito's warning clung to her ears and wouldn't leave.
Just then, the smartphone in her pocket vibrated.
*Found an even more amazing Sekai today. Wanna come?*
It was a LINE message from Arata. His usual curt, casual phrasing.
Aichin hesitated. But her fingers moved on their own.
*I'll go.*
After she pressed send, she realized.
(Maybe I just want to run away from reality.)
She was trying to compensate for her self-denial with adventures with Arata. But even knowing that, she found herself wanting to see him.
― ― ―
After school.
Under the clock tower in Kamihara Central Park, Arata was waiting with his usual sleepy face.
His unruly silver hair was tied back in a single bunch, his long bangs hiding his left eye. Large headphones hung around his neck. Cords were wrapped around and around his wrist.
"You're late."
"I'm sorry……"
Arata took out his modified tablet. On the screen, an unfamiliar, distorted point of light was displayed.
"Today's Sekai is here. Tea Party Reverse. There are some unusual rules, so be careful."
"Rules……?"
"Every resident in this Sekai absolutely only tells lies. So if you take what they say in reverse, you'll understand their true feelings."
A Sekai where they only tell lies.
Aichin felt that was somehow just like her own heart.
"Let's go."
When Arata operated the tablet, the shadow of the clock tower appeared doubled, distorted.
The air crackled.
And then—the world flipped.
― ― ―
When they came to, the two of them were in a deep forest.
The trees were a deep green, the air was humid, and there was a somehow sweet scent of flowers. Through the gaps in the leaves, fine particles of light sparkled down.
"Wow……"
In the center of the forest was a large, circular table. A pure white tablecloth. On top of it, pretty teacups and sweets on a three-tiered tray were arranged.
But something was strange. The table was there, but no one was sitting at it.
"They're coming."
The moment Arata spoke, the bushes rustled.
"Oh my, I absolutely hate guests."
The first to appear was a large white rabbit. It stood on two legs, a small top hat on its head. Its mouth was curved in a smile, but its eyes weren't smiling at all.
"I really didn't want you to come."
Next, a pitch-black crow swooped down from a branch.
"Someone like you is better off not being here."
A shiver ran down Aichin's spine.
(This is all lies, right?)
Arata muttered quietly.
"Which means the rabbit is happy you came. And the crow wants you to be here."
Hearing that, the rabbit shook its head exaggeratedly.
"Wrooong! I said I hate you! Are your ears bad?"
"Are those ears just for show?"
At Arata's deadpan retort, the rabbit, fuming with anger, began pouring tea into a teacup.
"Drink up plenty of this disgusting tea!"
Aichin timidly accepted the cup. She took a sip.
"……It's delicious."
"That's a lie! Say it's disgusting!"
Arata let out a small laugh.
"Must be nice to be honestly told it's good."
"Sh-shut up! I hate all customers!"
Just then, a chameleon slowly crawled across the table. The creature, whose colors shifted constantly, turned its face toward Aichin and spoke clearly.
"No one needs you."
Thump.
Aichin's heart gave an unpleasant jolt.
(It's a lie. I know it's a lie. But……)
The faces of everyone in the circle came to mind. In today's practice, she alone had fallen out of rhythm, and everyone had gently pointed it out. That gentleness—didn't it mean "you're a nuisance"?
(I really am……)
The fingers playing with her bangs trembled.
"Hibiya."
Arata's voice pulled Aichin back to reality.
"That chameleon said, 'No one needs you.' So the truth is—someone does need you."
That was when it happened.
The crow spread its wings with a flap and landed on Arata's shoulder.
"You're better off not being here."
For an instant, the smile vanished from Arata's face.
He usually showed only an expressionless or sleepy face, but for the first time, she could see his emotions clearly shift.
"……Me?"
His voice dropped low.
"That's right. You're in the way. You're not needed."
It's a lie. So the truth is—.
Arata's hand clenched into a tight fist.
"……Don't screw with me."
His voice was shaking.
"What's wrong……?"
When Aichin asked anxiously, Arata, for the first time, looked straight at her with his deep blue right eye.
"I can't do this without you."
The words were swallowed up by the forest.
No one said anything. Even the animals just silently watched the two of them.
Aichin couldn't believe her ears.
That Jozaki-senpai, who never interfered with anyone and never let anyone interfere with him. Whose catchphrase was always "what a pain."
"Huh……"
Arata started, then immediately turned red.
"Ah, no, that's not what I meant! I just got caught up in the Sekai's lies!"
Saying that, he turned his face away from Aichin. But the fact that even the tips of his ears were bright red told the whole story.
Aichin's heart began to pound loudly.
Her face felt hot.
(He…… needs me.)
The depths of her chest grew warm, spreading slowly.
An awkward silence.
Surprisingly, it was the rabbit who broke that silence.
"Here, have some disgusting reconciliation tea!"
The rabbit held out the teapot. Since its words were lies, it wasn't really "disgusting tea" but "delicious tea," and it wasn't "reconciliation" but—.
Aichin and Arata burst out laughing at the same time.
"Hehe."
Their laughter echoed through the forest.
"What's with that tea."
"Hehe, but it's warm."
The two of them naturally sat down next to each other and drank their tea.
Aichin felt like she understood this Sekai a little.
(The owner of this Sekai really wanted to be needed by everyone.)
All the animals tell lies. They say mean things. But that means they actually want to say kind words, they just can't be honest.
That was far too similar to Aichin herself.
"……Let's go."
After a long silence, Arata stood up.
Aichin nodded quietly.
Just before they left the Sekai, the crow spoke to Arata one more time.
"Goodbye. Don't ever come back."
Arata didn't turn around. He just answered quietly.
"……Yeah. I'll come again."
― ― ―
When they returned to reality, the sky was already dyed a crimson color.
The shadow of the clock tower in Kamihara Central Park stretched long.
Without a word, the two of them began walking toward Hanamichi Street.
They passed under the arcade and opened the door to their usual coffee shop, "Lampshade." A bell jingled.
"Welcome."
The master, Ogawa, greeted them quietly as always.
The two sat down at their usual window seats.
For a while, they were silent.
"Man, the lies in that Sekai really got to me."
Arata spoke with a deliberately sleepy attitude. But his ears were still a little red.
Aichin gathered her courage.
Arata's words from earlier still echoed in her chest.
(I have to say it properly too.)
She took a breath.
Her fingers gripped the cup tightly.
"I don't want to be without you either, senpai."
Arata's hand stopped dead.
"Exploring Sekai is fun because you're there, senpai. Until now, I've been a little scared of doing things with someone else. But when I'm with you…… it's fun."
Arata listened in silence.
"So, um…… thank you."
She said it.
She had been able to tell someone her true feelings.
Arata nearly dropped the coffee cup he was holding with a clatter.
"W-whoa, that was close."
Then, in a small voice,
"……I-is that so."
was all he said, looking out the window.
His profile was, as expected, just a little red.
The sweet, bitter scent of coffee slowly drifted between them.
― ― ―
It was when they left the shop.
*Bzzz…… Bzzz……*
Arata's modified tablet began to vibrate violently.
An incoming call. Seeing the caller displayed on the screen, Arata's expression hardened in an instant.
"……Yukito."
Soga Yukito.
After a moment's hesitation, Arata pressed the call button.
'Jozaki, your 48-hour grace period is over.'
A cold voice flowed from the speaker. It was an emotionless, mechanical voice.
"……So what."
'Tomorrow, let's meet and talk face to face. The rooftop of your high school will do, yes? I'll come to you.'
Arata said nothing.
'No answer means you can hear me. Then, tomorrow.'
The call was cut off, one-sided.
Only the mechanical tone, *beep, beep*, echoed hollowly through the twilight shopping district.
Beside him, Aichin had turned pale.
"……It'll be okay."
She murmured in a trembling voice, as if telling herself.
"If you're coming, then come. I won't let you destroy your Sekai."
Arata put on a brave front, but Aichin noticed that the hand holding the tablet was trembling just a little.
― ― ―
That night.
In a room in her apartment. On her bed, Aichin hugged her knees.
Yukito's cold voice wouldn't leave her head. At the same time, Arata's voice saying "I can't do this without you" came back to her, over and over.
"I…… I really want to be with senpai more."
She murmured it aloud.
That was the moment.
The air in a corner of the room distorted.
More clearly than she had ever seen before. A rift of light ran across the wall like a crack. A Sekai Gate.
"This is…… my Sekai……?"
Timidly, she reached her hand out toward the distortion. Her fingertips felt a faint heat.
It was the birth cry of a new Minor Sekai, trying to be born from her intense feelings of love.
But at the same time, fear crossed her heart.
The story of the Sekai Key she had heard from Arata.
(If my feelings of "it's better if I'm not here"…… were to become uncontrollable.)
She pulled her hand back.
Then, picking up her smartphone, she sent a LINE message to Arata.
*Let's definitely meet tomorrow. I have something I want to tell you, senpai.*
It was marked as read immediately.
*I have something I want to say too. I'll be waiting on the rooftop tomorrow.*
Aichin gripped her smartphone with a look of determination.
Outside the window, only the darkness of silence stretched deep and endlessly.
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