Two days had passed since Tanabe said "I'll come again tomorrow" on Tuesday and left. Ren still kept chewing over the graffiti on the rooftop from that day. ——When you find your true self, the curse breaks. (Like hell I understand that.) Furin High School, Year 2 Class 3. Thursday morning. Autumn sunlight streamed through the window, slanting across Ren's desk. It should have been a normal morning. "[excited]Sakuragi-kun!" Long crimson hair swayed. Aoi came hurrying from the hallway side, quick-paced. The morning light caught the freckles on her cheeks, and her soft brown eyes sparkled. "Could we talk just the two of us during lunch today? There's something I've been wanting to ask you the whole time——" "Ah, um," Ren started to say, but Aoi gently grasped both of Ren's hands. Right there in the classroom. Openly. A few classmates glanced over. Ren felt heat rise to their face. The sensation of those slender fingers gripping their hand—it was infuriatingly unsettling. Stop it. Calm down. This is the curse's fault. "[cold]That's unfair, Hinata-san." A voice came from around the corner of the hallway. Mishima Yuki stood at the classroom entrance. Today too, her skirt pleats were perfectly arranged, her black hair neat without a single stray strand. But the expression on her face wasn't her usual cool smile. Her eyebrows were raised, just slightly. "Were you planning this since yesterday?" "[surprised]There's no plan or anything——" Yuki entered the classroom. Straight toward Ren. And grabbed Ren's other arm. "I asked you first, Sakuragi-san." They both pulled at the same time. "[scared]Ow, ow!! My arm's stretching!!" Aoi on the right, Yuki on the left. Both had faces that said "I'm the one who's right." Classmates walking in the hallway stopped and edged nervously toward the wall. Aoi glared at Yuki. "[angry]Yuki-san's charm isn't helping break the curse, is it!? You just want to mess with Sakuragi-kun!" "[sarcastic]Oh, I'm exploring methods that actually work. How does your 'talking slowly together' have anything to do with the curse?" "Th-that's——" "[angry]I'm not luggage!!" It echoed through the classroom. Both of them stopped for a moment. But a second later they started arguing again. They weren't listening at all. "Besides, I was first yesterday too——" "If we're talking about that, I've been here since Monday——" The balance broke. Aoi's foot slipped, and all three of them stumbled. They crashed into the hallway wall with a thud. Ren, both arms still being grabbed, got flattened between the wall, Aoi, and Yuki. "It's your fault!" "It's not my fault!" Their voices matched perfectly again. They glared at each other again. Stifled laughter leaked from the hallway. A male student's voice said, "They do this every day..." Ren, back against the wall, listened to the two of them argue with a distant look. ——Are you guys even talking about me? --- The shouting match was forcibly ended by the homeroom chime. Yasuda-sensei——the Year 2 Class 3 homeroom teacher, a math teacher, a patient man who'd been dealing with the Furin High delinquents for years——opened the door and saw the three of them, pushing his glasses up with his index finger. He didn't say anything. His face said he understood everything without needing to. Ren took a seat and looked up at the ceiling while pretending to look at the blackboard. (Today's the worst morning yet.) By the window on the right, Natsuki was looking outside. Silver hair reflected the light. Eyes of different colors in each socket gazed at something distant. When Natsuki's eyes met Ren's, Natsuki gave a small shrug. A "saw it coming" kind of face. In the front row, Kouta was tracing the edge of the desk with a finger. The deep green bob cut to shoulder length was slightly downturned. Tanabe probably came by yesterday too. Those large golden eyes looked cloudier than usual. Ren tried to call out to Kouta. That's when Yasuda-sensei started homeroom. --- The lunch chime rang. The classroom erupted into motion. Ren stood up from the desk. At least today, I'll buy a Furin anpan from the school store and eat it alone. That's all I need. "Sakuragi-kun——" "Sakuragi-san——" At the same time. Ren stopped moving. Aoi on the right, Yuki on the left. Same position again. In the middle of the classroom, in the midday light, it started again. "[angry]I didn't even get a chance to talk to you this morning, so this time——" "[cold]I'm the one researching Sakuragi-san's curse. The priority is obvious." "[angry]Just because you say 'curse' doesn't mean you get to do whatever you want!?" Their voices got louder. Classmates still at their seats started glancing over. Ren felt those gazes like they were piercing skin. Ren tried to head for the hallway. But the two of them arguing was in the way. "——Hey, look at that." It was a quiet voice. But it reached Ren's ears clearly. Two male students standing near the window. Faces from the back of the class, people Ren had barely ever talked to. "Ren's still making a harem even after becoming a girl, huh." "Seems like they're getting a good deal out of it." They laughed. There didn't seem to be any malice. Just casual conversation. ——That was the worst part. Ren's back turned toward the wall, and Ren almost collapsed right there. Ren put strength in the legs to hold on. Getting a good deal? Every morning waking up, the body doesn't feel like it's mine. Every time going to the bathroom, walking down the hallway, moving even a little, something's wrong. The fitness test, changing clothes, everything—I ask Katase-sensei to handle it. Kouta's getting confessed to and I can't help. Aoi and Yuki fight every day, and I'm the reason. What did I gain? (Nothing. I gained nothing.) Aoi and Yuki were still arguing. A few people around them were holding back laughter. To Ren, it all sounded like a distant conversation. --- Afternoon classes started. Ren looked at the blackboard, but nothing registered. "Making a harem" kept looping in Ren's head. Ren glanced at the seat next to them. Kouta had a hand on the desk, head down. Ren tried to call out. But the mouth wouldn't open. Something churning inside blocked it. What could I even say if I talked to Kouta? I can't solve Kouta's problem. I can't solve my own problem. The final class chime rang. --- A little before homeroom started. A memo fell on Kouta's desk. Kouta reached out and opened it. From Ren's angle, the writing was readable too. 〈I'll be waiting behind the school building after class. Please give me an answer.〉 It was Tanabe's handwriting. Kouta's face went white. Kouta nudged Ren's knee. A poke on the knee of the person sitting next to them. "Help me" signal. The three of Furin High's delinquents had used this silent emergency signal since way back. Ren kept facing the window and didn't move. The word "harem" was still in Ren's head. They're not talking about me. I know that. But the head's blank. Whenever I try to think about something, that voice gets in the way. Kouta poked the knee again. (……Sorry. I can't right now.) Ren pretended not to notice. Homeroom ended. The sound of chairs being pulled. Voices. Movement. "[sad]Ren……" Called out. Ren turned around. Kouta was standing there, memo in hand, with a troubled expression. Ren opened their mouth for a moment. "[whispers]……Sorry. Not today." That's all Ren said, then headed out into the hallway first. Ren could tell Kouta was walking alone toward where Tanabe was waiting. Ren didn't look back. In the distance, Natsuki was looking out the window. Silver hair reflected light. Natsuki just stood there. With a face that couldn't do anything. Ren thought they probably had the same face. Aoi saw Kouta from the hallway and started to say "Kouta-kun, you look pale……" Then Aoi's eyes met Yuki's and stopped. Nobody could help anybody. --- Ren headed for the rooftop of the north building. Ren didn't tell anyone where they were going. Opening the rooftop door, the wind before sunset blew. Ren held down the hem of the skirt with one hand and passed by the water tank. Ren walked to the southwest corner, stepping on the concrete floor. The sun was sinking beyond the buildings. The roofs of Minakaze City were dyed orange. The silhouette of Komachi Hills was sharp and clear. Ren thought it was a nice view. Damn it, Ren thought. I don't want to see a view like this right now. Ren kicked the water tank with the sole of their foot. A dull metallic sound echoed across the rooftop. Ren kicked it again. Ren stood in front of the letters carved into the concrete floor. ——When you find your true self, the curse breaks. "[angry]I'm done with this!!" The voice spread across the entire rooftop. "I'm me!! This stuff about getting a good deal, harems, none of it makes sense!! I just want to go back to being a delinquent!!" Ren screamed. The graffiti didn't answer anything. The concrete letters just sat there. Wind blew. The water tank's outdoor unit hummed low. That was all. Strength drained from Ren's knees. Ren sat down on the concrete. "[sad]I……haven't changed at all." The voice shook. "Why is everything so messed up……" A tear fell on the concrete. The moment Ren realized it was their own tear, Ren hurried to wipe it with the back of a hand. It didn't stop. Another drop, then another. (I'm crying.) For the first time in Ren's life, Ren was crying alone in a place like this. Ren had cried from anger before. But not like this——not understanding what was happening, everything messy, everything out of reach——Ren had never cried like this before. Stop, Ren thought. It didn't stop. The rooftop door opened. Ren looked up. Aoi and Yuki were standing there at the same time. Both of them froze. They saw Ren's face. They saw the tears. Both of them stood there, words lost. Aoi's mouth opened, trying to say something. Yuki, unusually, had lost her expression. "[whispers]……Both of you." Ren spoke, back still turned, voice wrung out. "Just leave me alone……" Ren stood up. Ren slipped between the two of them. Ren went through the door. Ren ran down the stairs. "Sakuragi-ku——" Aoi's voice cut off midway. Only Ren's footsteps echoed down the hallway, fading away. --- On the rooftop, only Aoi and Yuki remained. The sun disappeared beyond the buildings. The orange faded, and the sky took on a blue tint. Aoi stared at the rooftop door. Yuki stared at the concrete graffiti. ——When you find your true self, the curse breaks. Neither of them said anything. But both of them understood the same thing. They had cornered Ren. The next day, Ren didn't come to school.