And then, just like that, the yokai disappeared.

Had it realized something was moving? Maybe it was just a coincidence. Yokai could be meticulous in their actions, but at the same time, they often seemed seriously lacking in some ways.

I wanted to go look for that yokai specifically, but I couldn't find the time.

Yuka knew my personality too well.

I'm not usually the type to frequently get involved in strange situations. But at the same time, I occasionally got caught up in incidents even Yuka couldn't have anticipated, or I became the cause of those incidents.

It was rarely by my own will, though.

Perhaps because of this, since the last incident, Yuka seemed to be watching me more closely.

Since we now lived close to each other, I didn't have the option of doing things without Yuka knowing. Plus, I always had Koko following me around.

A week passed like that. Without any particular results.

...

Well, it's not like I could definitely find anything even if I searched myself. Maybe I just wanted to calm my mind by taking action.

Then, around Thursday of the following week—

"Friends."

Harumi called us together with an innocent expression.

"Why don't we try going on a group date?"

Group date?

For a brief moment, I thought of "meeting" in the sense of a conference. But Harumi wasn't the type to suggest something like that.

Soon, I realized she meant "let's meet some guys."

I stared at Harumi.

Does she want a boyfriend?

Ah, I see. She's at that age. Strangely enough, Harumi doesn't seem to have had a boyfriend until now.

With her looks and personality, it wouldn't be strange if she did.

Is it because of the people around her? Yuu spent a long time being depressed in middle school, and Mako, whom we somehow became friends with, was unstable in many ways.

Harumi seems to have struggled a lot in the middle of all that.

"Count me out."

Yuka responded immediately.

"Eh, why?"

"Not interested."

If Yuka had shown even a tiny bit of interest, Harumi might have tried to persuade her, but Yuka's flat refusal showed no such atmosphere.

This was Yuka's personality. When she thought something wasn't for her, she would flatly say no.

"I'll pass too."

Nanami also declined. She already has someone she likes.

Souta wouldn't want to go either... Well, if we meet like this, having someone of the opposite gender tag along would look a bit strange.

Izumi and Kaoru didn't seem particularly interested either. They were listening, but they probably felt it would be awkward for them to join.

Being in different grades created a slight barrier, even if we got along well in the club. Plus, we hadn't been in the club for very long.

"I also—"

"Come on, Kotone."

As I was about to decline, Harumi grabbed my hand.

"Don't be like that, come with us. If you back out too, we'll be too few in number. Besides, you're popular, Kotone!"

"..."

I didn't ask, "Me?"

I had gotten into fistfights with classmates since the beginning of the semester, but there were still people who showed interest in me.

It seems the kids we fought with didn't have a great reputation to begin with.

Plus, Harumi, Mako, and Yuu originally lived close enough to walk to school, so naturally, they had friends who went to the same school from this neighborhood. They seemed to have an unbreakable network centered around those friends.

"...Does a popular person need to go on group dates?"

Yuu, who was reading a book in the corner, asked.

"That's exactly why I'm asking. Mako and I are too specific in our tastes."

"M-me?!"

Mako suddenly found herself on the list without expecting it.

Harumi didn't say it explicitly, but Yuu was probably already on that list too.

"But Koko is..."

"Ah, yes, that's right."

"Woo?"

When Harumi and I turned to look at Koko simultaneously, she tilted her head.

That's right.

No matter what, introducing Koko to a boyfriend would be a bit much. She looks exactly like me, is the same height as me, and probably has all the same physical specs.

I don't think Koko would be easily... fooled by men.

"Kotone?"

Koko called my name again, looking at me.

"Koko can't go."

"...No, I wasn't planning to invite her."

I was a bit dumbfounded seeing Harumi's serious face. Wait, she looks exactly like me! What's the difference?

"But that's a problem. Koko always follows Kotone around. It would be sad to send her home alone."

"Kotone going somewhere alone?"

"No, that's not it..."

But when I said that to Koko, Harumi's face fell.

"..."

I sighed deeply.

"Hey, Yuka."

"Ah, I get it, I get it."

As if she knew what I was going to say, Yuka waved her hand dismissively.

"Koko, would you like to stay with me for a bit tomorrow?"

"With Yuka?"

"Yeah. I'll buy you something delicious."

"Something delicious?"

Koko had already been lured by Kaoru before coming to the club room today. Of course, she ate the sausage roll that was used as bait with great enjoyment.

Koko looked back and forth between Yuka and me.

Yuka and Koko have known each other for quite a while. Naturally, Koko has almost no wariness toward Yuka.

And it's not like Koko always sticks to me like glue. When I went to catch yokai, I left her with Kagami.

...Still, occasionally, when I got seriously injured, Koko would be there when I came out after finishing the job. Not always, but sometimes.

Somehow, I feel like I can read that thought through Koko's eyes.

In Koko's mind, the times I got seriously hurt were when I was with Yuka. She knows that what I do is something I have to do, and that I would dislike it if she tried to stop me, so she doesn't.

"Will we be apart for long?"

Koko asked.

"It probably won't take long."

"Whether it takes long or not, we'll have to see."

Harumi responded seriously to my words.

"Then, okay."

Koko nodded.

I patted Koko's head.

It might be partly because Yuka offered to buy her something delicious—

But I think Koko believes I'll be much safer than when I'm alone with Yuka.

...I wonder how I should clear up that misunderstanding.

This seems like something I need to think about.

*

The group date was boring.

I sometimes forget because I'm usually around such ordinary kids, but Hanagawa High School has a pretty high deviation score. Many students go on to good universities.

Naturally, the people we were meeting for the group date were from similar schools.

In my case, I had absolutely no interest in men, and among all of us gathered there, only Harumi was sincerely trying to find romance.

We tried to match the atmosphere in our own way, but in the end, all we did was have some wholesome fun.

We did split up into smaller groups during the event.

The glare Yuu gave me as she was being dragged away by Harumi was a bit scary.

"Kotone, how was it?"

After parting ways with the boys in a boring manner, Mako and I headed to where Yuu and Koko were. It seemed Koko was busy enthusiastically eating the steak Yuka was treating her to.

It wasn't very far, but it would take about 15 minutes on foot. On the way, Mako and I had time to talk alone.

"Hmm, well. There wasn't anyone I was particularly attracted to."

Since it would be a bit awkward to openly say I had no interest in men, I just brushed it off like that.

"How about you, Mako?"

"Ah, haha, me too..."

Mako scratched her cheek and answered somewhat embarrassedly.

For a moment, there was silence between us.

Come to think of it, it's been a while since we've been alone like this.

When I was away from Tokyo, Mako often came to visit my house.

"..."

But now that I try to bring up a conversation, all I can think of are situations that were painful for Mako. I can't leave out my story if she asks how I've been doing.

""Um.""

Mako and I opened our mouths at the same time.

We looked at each other and laughed a bit awkwardly.

"You go first."

When I quickly said that, Mako responded with an "Ah," followed by a brief silence.

But that silence didn't last too long.

It seems she had something she wanted to talk about.

"Was it... hard for you?"

The question Mako asked seemed somewhat out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"Well, we couldn't contact you. Your surname changed too. Though your uncle stayed the same."

"Ah..."

Was it hard?

Maybe it was. My body wasn't that tired, but my mind went through some struggles.

I shook my head.

"No, it wasn't that bad. There were various things happening, though."

"I see."

Mako nodded gently.

We fell silent again.

A moment ago, I had also opened my mouth along with Mako, but now that I want to speak again, I don't know what to say.

Maybe I should talk about the Literature Club.

Or perhaps suggest going on another trip together—

"...Kotone?"

When I suddenly stopped walking, Mako turned toward me.

"..."

"K-Kotone, what's wrong? Why are you making such a scary face all of a sudden?"

"Mako."

I said.

"Yes?"

"Go ahead."

"..."

Mako's expression subtly changed.

Her face turned pale.

Was it because I was making too strange of an expression?

But this was troublesome.

Mako shouldn't be here. The goosebumps rising on my back told me so.

I didn't turn my head. She might look in that direction if I did.

Looking at Mako, who was staring at me as I stopped in front of the entrance to a narrow alley, I gave a slight smile.

"No, I just left something behind. I'll go get it quickly, so go ahead to Koko and Yuka. I'll be right there."

I said that and turned my body as if I was really going back to the store we had just been at—

But I had to stop that movement midway.

Mako was holding my hand.

"...Mako?"

I turned to look at Mako with a slightly surprised expression.

Mako was looking up at me with a pale face. She was firmly holding my hand with both of hers.

"...It's the same."

Mako said.

"What's the same?"

I asked, dumbfounded, as Mako roughly pulled me toward her, trying to forcibly drag me away.

Was Mako always like this?

No, that's not it. Mako was definitely not the type to roughly drag others around as she pleased.

So, this current behavior seemed more like she was terrified and in a state of panic.

Mako pulled me strongly toward her again.

Unconsciously, I was dragged a few steps in that direction.

"Mako, wait, what's wrong?!"

I tried to resist by planting my feet firmly, trying to prevent Mako from dragging me away. It would be troublesome to miss this opportunity. More people would die.

And among them might be Mako or my friends—

But that thought froze at Mako's next words.

"It's the same, Kotone. It's exactly the same as that time...!"

...Ah.

I see.

Mako, crying and trembling, yet desperately pulling me toward her.

Mako clearly didn't think our last moment together was just a dream.