“Kazuki? Hey Kazuki! Are you hearing me?!”

“Tch, obviously I'm listening to you Taichi. What is it?”

Did he really have to yell in my ear?

“The game is about to begin! Shouldn't you be more excited? You heard what the director said! Whoever collects at least one of the five golden keys that were hidden in the forest will win three tickets to return to the resort! Isn't that cool??”

“Uh, no.”

Honestly, if I could, I would have already killed this ridiculous game and gone to the Aether to apologize to Loveta. But what a fucking mistake I made yesterday... Since I woke up today, that's the only thing that's been bothering my mind.

It is now eight o'clock at night by the way. To return to the hotel where we are staying, we will have no choice but to find all the five keys that were hidden, or until it hits eleven o'clock. Yeah, we'll have to run this dark forest, next to the resort, for a long time yet.

Taichi lowers his voice and approaches my ear. “Come on man, cooperate with me! Of course I don't care about the tickets either! This is just a hoax to get Hansuke's attention! You see, if Hansuke is inspired to collect one of the keys, he could win the prize for us! Meanwhile, we’ll be hanging out, enjoying this beautiful night forest with our girls! Look at Hana... Isn't she beautiful??

Hana was waving at us.

So that's what you had in mind, Taichi? You sure don’t know who you are trying to deceive...

“Your plan is flawed; Hansuke is not an idiot.”

As soon as I say this to him, Taichi feels someone poking his shoulder. It was the person in question. As the two start to argue, I cast a look at Murakami. She was surrounded by boys and girls as usual. From the looks of it, that desire of hers to be alone had already passed.

...I'm glad she's getting better. Tch, have a harem? Just what was I thinking about? Of course that wouldn't be possible. Murakami is very popular, she would never be with someone dull like me. I sigh. ...And the only girl who truly cared about me, who really liked me, ended up being ‘rejected’ by me yesterday, all because of this clueless desire of mine.

The siren sounds.

“Oops! Looks like the game has started! Huh? Where are you going Kazuki?”

“To the beach. As soon as curfew strikes, I'll be back. Until later.”

So said, I leave them behind, heading for the waters near the forest and sitting by the sea.

On second thought, I think my mistake was that I completely ignored her feelings and only thought about my desires. Was this what Phanta was trying to advise me, somehow? Well, whatever. Now it's a fact that I fucked up yesterday, and that I'm hardly going to be able to get things back to the way they were before...

I sigh once more.

And even if I met her, what would I say? Ah, I said Murakami's name because I thought she had appeared in the room. Oh, did I say her name? Are you sure you didn't hear it wrong? Ah, don't be ridiculous, Murakami has nothing to do with it, it was just a magical dreamian that cast a curse down my throat.

But what idiocy, obviously she wouldn't believe any of that. In fact, would saying things like that actually solve the situation? No, but of course not. With that I would just be lying more and more, deceiving her feelings. All to try to rescue what I’ve lost.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

If that's the case, what should I do? Is there still any way to resolve the situation?

"........."

Really, I think the only thing I could do now is admit my mistake to them. Open the game with both. Tell them what my real intention was, from the start. No, that will not solve the situation by any means, but at least it will allow them to judge me as they wish. I know, this is going to be awful, but as long as I pay the price of my greed, or at least a part...

"So it’s here where you were?"

Wait… this voice...

I turn around to see who had spoken, and, to my surprise, it was her.

“Murakami?! Why—Why did you come over here?!”

Damn it! This was so sudden! Will I have to open the game now? Right now?! Urgh, I'm not ready yet! I still have a lot to think about!

"Oh, hm, I'm not really interested in the prize, to be honest... There's something... much bigger I need to sort out..."

Something bigger? What is she talking about?

"Could I sit here next to you?"

I nod.

Apparently it was a false alarm to think that Murakami was getting better... Asking to sit next to me? This is not something she would do normally. In fact, she would just sit if she wanted to. Well, at least, unlike the other times, she's talking to me now, though she's still avoiding eye contact. She doesn't look very calm. She is flushed and more agitated than usual.

Tch, is now the time? Will I have to tell her about my other side? Was my mistake so disastrous as to influence fate itself to send Murakami right now to listen to my filthy desires?

Sigh. The only thing I know is that this weight inside me is really killing me... I don't know how long I'm going to put up with this state. I need to get it out... I have to do this! That's the least respect I could show them after all, even if I come to look like a fool!

“Murakami!”

“Ryouzen—"

We call each other's names at the same time.

"Oh, uh... you can talk first..."

“No, you first...”

She's not very comfortable talking right now, is she?

Alright, I've already decided what to say, so I better get this over with.

I take a long, deep breath. “Murakami, the truth is… the moon is very beautiful today.”

Shit! As I imagined, I don't have what it takes for it! Saying something like that is much harder than it looks!

Murakami was staring at me deeply, but as soon as she hears my answer, she just smiles.

“It's true... Besides being pretty, she's quite big. Brings back good memories for me to tell the truth. From my childhood with my sister... We liked to collect flowers around our house around this time. According to our mother, the night light enhanced their fragrance, and left them with a special magical touch.”

Murakami faced the moon, with a beautiful smile. She felt much calmer.

“Of course, it was just a little story for children, and we both knew that, but still, the pleasure of collecting them together was enormous. I wonder if the real magic touch that my mother talked about so much wasn't actually in each other's company?”

"...You really like her a lot, don't you? Of your sister? I still remember the concern on your face when she was captured, and the relief you felt after knowing she was okay.”

“Yea. I like her a lot, even though she's not my blood sister...”

"So you have an adopted sister? That’s cool.”

She shakes her head. “Actually, the adopted one is me.”

What?? Calm down! Murakami is adopted?! Wow! This really took me by surprise! But on second thought, it makes sense. Her appearance is unusual around here. Her traits resemble a girl from abroad. No wonder she stands out so much.

“I figured you'd be surprised. After all, it's not for everyone that I tell this.” She laughs once more.

Apparently, she was already feeling more comfortable. That's nice.

“Even though she wasn't of blood, she always treated me like a true sister, always cared for me, and was always by my side on my hardest days. She's a few years younger, but she's always acted like she's my big sister... It's kind of cute.” She smiles. “To be honest, I could say she's the main reason I'm still alive. She is the main reason that makes me want to go further and further, you know?”

“Your main reason…? What do you mean by that?”

As soon as I ask her that, she takes a short breath.

“That's right, I don't think I told you about it yet... Have you ever heard of a rare disease called narcolepsy?”

"Um, if I'm not mistaken, a sleep-related illness?"

“Yea. It is responsible for causing excessive sleepiness during the day. My sister, at the age of seven, developed this chronic illness. It doesn't seem like a very serious thing when compared to other types of evil out there, but a few months ago that changed... What would you do if you spent all day in bed, having nightmares, one after another? Something impossible to escape? It would be a horrible thing, wouldn't it? Well, that's what started to happen to her recently, with the beginning of the nightmare episodes.”

I already knew that these episodes were a bad thing, but to be honest, I've never given it much relevance until now, for precisely being able to go to the Aether and avoid this evil.

But really, I am the exception of the exception. That's not how it works for most people around me. How many times have I heard Taichi and Hansuke comment on their nights, and say they couldn't get any sleep? How many people do I see daily with looks of extreme tiredness? How many times has our own teacher Saori not been able to teach properly because she was extremely tired? ...And the case of Murakami's sister is even more serious than all that, at least they manage to wake up, when it comes to something really bad, she hardly ever does. Not only that, but she also has a lot more nightmares than usual.

It must be really hard for Murakami… to see her dear sister tortured day after day.

“That's why, more than anything, I'm going to finish them off, even at the cost of my own life.”

“…So that's where you get all your determination, Murakami. I have to say, you really are someone who deserves all the admiration. You are strong, and you possess a noble spirit. It inspires me to tell you the truth... I swear I'll do my best to save your sister because after all, I care for her good too.”

Murakami looks at me in amazement, with eyes that reflect the moonlight. Her breathing starts to hitch, and her heartbeats become audible in my ears. Before I knew it, she grabs me, and then... we kiss.

…What will happen next? Only God to know.