CHAPTER 39

The Seduction of Mary Kaneko

“My name is Akane Yuki, nice to meet you or whatever.”

Today is February 2nd. It was the same February 2nd I had grown accustomed to. I can’t bear to look at the transfer student today. Although I had somehow managed to prevent Mary’s death last time, Akane Yuki was willing to resort to any means necessary in order to retain her memories – even if it meant dying for it. She sits down in the empty seat in front of me, her back facing me.

“Don’t worry, that wasn’t the first time I had to do that.” the transfer student mutters.

I spring up from my chair in shock. Akane Yuki was practically mincemeat the last time I saw her, but here she was, alive and well. How could she be so casual about her own death?

“W-What’s wrong with you?!?” I shout at her.

By now the whole class was silent, their leering eyes watching this sudden exchange between us. My teacher wants to speak up, but a part of him wants to see how this plays out.

“Me? Oh where do I even begin?” she sarcastically replies.

A deep sigh escapes her breath. “Do you remember yet?” she asks, not even bothering to turn around.

“Remember what?!?” I yell. “You keep telling me to remember, but won’t even give me a hint of what I’m supposed to do!”

Maybe she was following through with her promise to destroy me. Was making me remember all part of her grand scheme? Was this whole thing to torture me? How could she kill someone innocent like Mary over and over? Did she have no sense of morals?

Akane Yuki scoffs, and finally turns to face me.

“For the record, if I knew what you were supposed to remember, wouldn’t that be the first thing I tell you? But nope! I have no idea what the hell I’m supposed to do to break this loop, but you’re my only lead Kazuki. Obviously, nothing is working.” she sighs.

So then…does that mean she knows as much as I do?

“Why do you keep calling me Kazuki? My name is Kazuhira!”

I couldn’t hold back any longer. The last few days have been traumatizing enough for lifetimes. But yet she can’t give me a straight answer for anything! She stares at me, expressionless, as my fiery eyes tell her my frustration.

“Now, are you done with your little tantrum, idiot?”

Akane Yuki turns around; her head slumped onto her desk.

Why…do I feel sorry for her?

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I meet up with Daisuke, who unsurprisingly accepted everything I had to say without too many questions, just like he said he would yesterday.

“I don’t get it though, why didn’t you remember what happened yesterday Daisuke? You saw the transfer student’s corpse as well didn’t you?”

Just why could I remember?

“Well…” Daisuke pauses to think. “Maybe because you need a strong connection with someone in order to remember?” he suggested.

That sounded too convenient. If anything, it only reinforced Akane Yuki’s theory that I was somehow the key behind everything. I am the only one whose memories pass onwards. At least, except for one other person.

“So you think Mary is somehow a part of this?” Daisuke asks.

“I’m not sure actually. I don’t think she’s even aware of what’s really going on. I still can’t figure out how everything is related to each other, but I can’t shake this weird feeling when I think about her.” I explain.

“You are in love with her dude.” he quips.

“S-Shut up…” as I feel my cheeks getting warmer. “I’m trying to think here.”

Mary wasn’t the one at the site of the accident yesterday – that I can confirm with my very eyes. That means she didn’t die, did she? For the past few loops, Akane Yuki was using Mary’s death as a way to remember, but it turns out she didn’t need her anyways to retain her memories.

It’s unforgivable…

I’m not even sure if it was a good idea on her end. Ever since I realized what was going on, the transfer student had already experienced this February 2nd over 10,501 times already. There’s no way getting killed could keep you at a sane mental state. At this point, Akane Yuki seemed desperate, doing whatever was necessary to make me remember.

But remember what…?

It didn’t matter. I had to break this loop somehow. If I don’t break this loop, then Mary, the girl I love, will keep dying over and over again.

If I have to see her die again, I’m not sure if I can keep it together.

“I can’t think of anything…” I sigh out of frustration.

I just have zero clues of what to do in order to remember. Like Dr. Mori said, if it was possible for me to remember the recent loops, then surely I could remember the day before that, and so on.

“Did you ever watch Groundhog’s Day Kaz?” Daisuke asks me. “Your whole situation is kinda reminding me of that.”

Again with the Groundhog’s Day…

“Listen, Kaz! In the movie, the main dude manages to break the loop. Maybe that method will work here?”

“What did he do?” I ask.

“You’re not going to like this Kaz, but…”

“But…what?” I say, raising an eyebrow.

Daisuke places his hand on my shoulder.

“You’re going to have to seduce Mary.”

“W-What?!?” I scream aloud.

Luckily we were in the secluded part of school, otherwise people might think I was going crazy or something.

“Yeah! The main guy gets with the girl at the end, and they wake up together…in bed…” as a mischievous grin appears on Daisuke’s face. “And it turns out to be the next day, but enough about that part.”

This is crazy.

“Why? There’s no way I can do that!”

Daisuke sighs, and composes himself.

“From what you’ve told me, it seems Mary has something really important she wants to tell you right? She keeps telling you ‘please wait until tomorrow,’ but obviously, tomorrow never comes since we’re in a loop. You’re going to have to do something bold in order to make her tell you immediately instead of making you wait.”

He did have a point. Mary had been telling me to wait for the last three loops, but tomorrow never comes. Maybe that was a clue towards helping me remember something, and maybe that would be my trump card against Akane Yuki.

But there’s still one thing bothering me…

“B-But how is this going to make me remember? If the next day comes, what does that change?”

“Dude, you gotta relax man. Girl’s don’t like it if a man’s freaking out on the details.” he tries to calm me down. “I mean, does it really matter if you can’t remember if you break the loop anyways? Isn’t that the transfer student’s goal as well?”

“I guess…?”

Akane Yuki wanted me to remember something. But the truth is what if I never remember? If that was the case, then this is the only way to break the loop.

And all I have to do is seduce Mary…great.

“So what should I do? I-I just can’t go up to her and seduce her that easily. She’d never buy that!”

Daisuke stares at me, disappointed.

“You’re right Kaz.” he sighs deeply. “You have zero charisma my poor, poor friend.”

I can’t believe my friend felt genuinely sad for me.

I’m not that big of a loser…am I?

“I know! Why don’t you do something bold today? Just take her out on a spontaneous date. Chicks love it when they see a man with a plan.”

“And you’re a man with a plan right Daisuke? It’s because you get all the ‘chicks’ – oh wait, no you don’t!” I reply sarcastically.

Daisuke’s face turns pale, as it seems my words managed to get to him. He quickly recovers.

“It’s easy, you two go have a good time, and then you casually ask her what her secret is. Y’know, something like ‘anything on your mind today Mary?’ or ‘boy do I have something to ask you.’ Just ask her Kaz!”

“I don’t know Daisuke, I-I’ve never even been on a date. Wha-What do I even do or say? How should I act?”

I feel my anxiety going through the roof! The only time I’ve ever been this anxious was when I didn’t study before a big exam in third grade.

“C’mon Kaz, you’re just making excuses! Look, I’ll tail you. I’ll be following you two, acting as back-up if you need it.”

Maybe that would be a good idea. Having Daisuke follow me from behind would make me feel a bit at ease.

Hopefully that knucklehead doesn’t blow my chances.

There was only one problem – we’re in school right now. If I had a little more time, maybe I could have planned everything ahead of time, and probably could’ve asked Dr. Mori about date spots.

Actually…maybe she wasn’t the best person to ask about dates…

Time was of the essence, and there’s no way I could wait until tomorrow for a fresh loop. Waiting until tomorrow meant that Mary would have to die again, and I can’t let that happen.

“Kaz, you’re in a loop. Missing one day of school isn’t going to kill you.”

I stare down Daisuke, barely resisting the urge to snap back at him. Missing a day of school during this loop could actually kill me.

“Haha…” Daisuke laughs uneasily. “Just go ask her and go on a date. Right. Now.”

“I don’t know where she is…”

I haven’t run into Mary all morning. Even though I’ve repeated this loop about three times now, I still held next to no knowledge of everyone’s daily routine.

Akane Yuki probably knows where and what everyone is doing.

“Just text her or something. C’mon, we’re burning daylight here.”

I reluctantly pull out my phone and start to compose a message to Mary.

How should I word this…? Start off with a joke…? Argh! This is so nerve-wracking!

“Gimmie that!” Daisuke swipes my phone out of my hands.

“Hey!”

It was too late – Daisuke taps away on my phone, and hits send. I quickly take it back and see what my self-proclaimed ladies’ man said.

“Hey Mary, are you busy right now?”

That was honestly tamer than I thought it would be. Unfortunately, I don’t get a response. Almost 20 minutes pass by without a single notification. I try calling, but there’s it leads to Mary’s voicemail.

That’s weird…

“Okay, we’re out of options.” Daisuke says with reluctance.

“I know…I’ll have to ask her.”

There’s only one person who knows where Mary is right now – Akane Yuki.

I’m not looking forward to this…

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After a brief moment, the merciless silence was broken only by the uproar of laughter around us. I could hear them enjoying my pain.

“Kaz, it’s okay. They’re totally going to forget this anyways.” Daisuke tries to cheer me up.

What I ended to be a two-on-one situation had somehow became a live event for a small part of the school. I still have my head bowed, waiting for her response. I can’t exactly see her face right now, but I hope she would help – despite everything I said. I suppose embarrassing me publicly was one way to punish me.

Instead, when I finally raised my head, and turned my eyes to hers, her face was completely blank. It was slightly red, but she wasn’t really blushing. I was staring at a terrifying combination of indifference and pity.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” she says, rolling her eyes. “At least you listened to me for once.”

The few people who weren’t covering their faces in cringe were on the verge of tears – out of embarrassment.

“You finally got the guts to confront me, and the first thing you ask is about Mary Kaneko?” as she twirls her long black hair. “10,504 days and this is what you come up with?”

“Hey, are you gonna tell us or not?” Daisuke interjects.

Akane Yuki scoffs. “Like I said, everything you do is useless.”

“It’s not!” I finally speak up.

It catches her off-guard. I don’t think she expected me to be so determined.

“You have your ways of doing things, and I found my way. I need to find Mary. Now.” as I instinctively feel my fists curling.

“You really think this loop can be broken with the power of love? Don’t make me laugh Kazuki.”

I couldn’t think of anything to respond with. It was true, I had no idea if Mary was the key behind breaking this loop. All I had was this gut feeling, something that I felt was the only option left.

“Please?”

For a moment she finally looks into my tired eyes. All I wanted was a normal everyday life. Though I hate to think about it, part of me deep down wondered if it would have been better if I never knew about this loop. I would be blissfully ignorant, and maybe, just maybe, I would have been okay with that. But that’s not the case at hand. Mary Kaneko has been dying repeatedly, and the only way to save her is to break this loop. The transfer student knows I’m not going to take no for an answer. Even if she rejects me, I’ll try the next day, and the next day, and every day until she tells me. Sure, it might be faster for me to run around aimlessly to find Mary myself, but I want to make a point to Akane Yuki – that you can’t give up on something you believe in so easily.

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Akane sighs.

“Fine.” she pulls out her phone and checks the time. “She’s at the home economics room. You better hurry, she’s about to leave.”

Why would she be there…?

Judging by her demeanor, I don’t think she was lying. Come to think of it, there was no reason for me not to trust her. Even though she had threatened me, I don’t think she has ever told me a lie from the very beginning.

Why do I feel this way…?

“Thank you.” I say to her.

Daisuke and I head over.

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“Come on Kaz, we’re almost there!” Daisuke encourages me.

The stairs…are killing me.

For my partner-in-crime, this short jog from one side of the campus to the other was a breeze. For me however, it seemed like I was running a marathon. Clearly I needed to work on my cardio.

We finally arrive at the home economics room, where Akane Yuki said Mary would be at this time. It’s strangely quiet, as most of this building was unkempt, aside from a few rooms specifically used for club activities.

I just hope we aren’t too late.

I place my hand on the sliding door, but then I suddenly stop myself from opening it. I’m quickly reminded of what happened the last time I spontaneously opened a door without knocking.

Better make sure.

“Mary? You in there?” as I knock first.

“Eep!”

Daisuke and I lock eyes to confirm what we heard. We’d recognize that shrill and high-pitched shriek anywhere.

Mary!

“Don’t come it yet…I’m uh…gimme one second!” she shouts through the door.

“Is she changing or something…?” Daisuke asks me, his eyes burning with a mix of lust and curiosity.

“N-No!” I shake my head as my cheeks turn slightly pink.

At least not right now…

Finally, the door slides open. Mary Kaneko appears. Daisuke immediately hides himself beside the door.

“Hey Kaz, what are you doing here…?”

“Are you okay?” I ask her out of concern.

My eyes can’t look away from her pale face, covered in white powder. A logical guess would be flour I suppose, since we were at the home economics room.

“What are you doing here?” I asked her.

“N-Nothing! J-Just uh…doing a favor for one of my track team members! Cleaning this place! Yes! Totally nothing to do with Valentines’ haha…” she trails off.

Mary was always a terrible liar. It didn’t help that she was wearing an apron covered in chocolate stains. Or that part of her blonde hair was covered in white flour as well.

I notice one small chocolate stain right by her lip.

“You missed a spot.”

I extend my hand and wipe it away with my finger.

“W-Whoa K-Kaz!” Mary’s face turns red like a tomato.

I suddenly realize what I just did, almost instinctively.

“S-Sorry!”

What was that about Kazuhira!?!

Finally, Daisuke interjects with a cough.

“Ahem. Now that your comedy routine is over, don’t you have something to say Kaz?” he whispers.

“Y-Yes!” I try to quickly compose myself.

“Are you busy afterschool Mary?”

She nods. “Yeah, that study session with you right?”

“W-Would you…wanna go out afterschool today instead? Just me and you?”

Instead of another study session, Mary and I would hang out afterschool. Doing what? I have no idea. But maybe I could figure something out before school was over.

“W-Whatttt?!?” Mary turns around to cover her face.

“D-Do you mean like a-“ after a brief pause, she turns around back to me. “A-A date…?”

I muster up all my courage. This is my make it or break it moment.

“Yes.” I reply adamantly.

Daisuke and I wait anxiously for her response. There’s no way she would say no right?

Mary pats down her dirty apron. She then rubs her super-rare, limited-edition Masked Avenger pin.

“Okay.” as she smiles to me.

Immediately I feel relief course throughout my body. It was like a weight had been lifted.

“I’ll text you where to meet up later Mary.”

Mary nods, and then closes the sliding door.

“Congrats Kaz, you managed to somehow recover from that. I don’t know if you’re lucky, or if Mary really likes you.” as Daisuke pats me on the back.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

“I guess we’ll find out.”

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I’d better hurry!

School just ended and I rush to the plaza to see someone wearing shades anxiously waiting underneath the large clock. She was tapping her foot repeatedly, with her arms crossed, and looking visibly embarrassed at the random passersby leering at her. Daisuke was trailing behind me, trying his best to blend in with the crowd. I look around to find Mary, but I don’t see her anywhere.

Where is she…? I should text her-

“Ahem…”

I hear an annoyed sigh from someone behind me. I slowly turn around, only to have my breath taken away.

“M-Mary?!?”

Seeing her dressed up like this nearly made my heart stop. She had been waiting here the whole time! I wasn’t used to seeing her without her trademark red track suit. Mary had her blonde hair down, unlike her usual ponytail tied up. She had a casual white smock dress, which exposed her pale shoulders, revealing her subtle tan lines. My eyes gaze lowers towards her slender legs, definitely toned from all her track activities. Of course, she still wore that old and worn Masked Avenger pin.

“Sorry…I’m…late.” as I try to catch my breath,

I wasn’t used to running all over. I had terrible cardio.

“W-Whatever!” Mary raises her sunglasses up. “I-It’s not like I’ve been waiting for you all this time! I-I just didn’t want to be late, th-that’s all.” she pouts.

I’m somewhat surprised that she managed to come home and change out of her school uniform with so little time; I was still dressed in my Kasumigaseki High uniform. But knowing the Roadrunner, Mary probably did it with ease.

Mary fidgets with her hands, her gaze towards the ground.

“W-What do you think…?”

Apparently I must have been staring too long.

“You look c-cute?”

I quickly turn my head around, to see Daisuke hiding behind a large telephone box. He gives me a thumbs up.

Ow!

I was so entranced at her cuteness that my body finally registered that Mary had lightly punched me. I instinctively feel the need to rub my arm up and down.

“S-Stop it…you’re embarrassing me…” she says, her hands covering her face.

“L-Let’s walk around for a bit?” I suggest.

The only thing I really had planned out was seeing the Masked Avenger movie together. We missed the showing since I arrived late, so there was plenty of time to kill until then. I have zero idea of what to do.

Good going Kaz…

As we start to walk around, I hear the distinct sound of someone’s stomach rumbling.

“Eep!”

Mary’s face turns bright pink.

I guess we should probably get something to eat.

I can’t help but feel the urge to chuckle, until I hear my stomach rumbling as well. There were numerous restaurants around here, so we had plenty of options to choose from.

“How about this place?” I pointed out to a family diner.

Mary and I step inside, only to find that the restaurant was packed! Getting a table here would take almost two hours.

No luck here…

“How about that place?”

Mary points her finger towards another restaurant. It had a large sign shaped like a cat.

“The Purrfect Café?”

N-Nope. She’ll think I’m a pervert coming here!

Somehow, I could sense Daisuke was encouraging me to enter.

“I-I don’t know, how about that place down there?”

“Every restaurant is full right now Kaz. C’mon, this place looks interesting!”

She was right. Almost every other place except this was full. It seems we were experiencing prime-time hours for couples and family outings. I just couldn’t believe my luck! I never ever wanted to come back there again after my encounter with Yuki-san.

Speaking of Yuki-san…where is she?

My train of thought is interrupted when Mary insistently drags me inside the restaurant.

“C’mon, I like kitty cats. P-Plus there’s a sign for a Valentines’ Day special. I-I’m only here because I’m broke for the month Kaz!”

A few steps into the restaurant I see the small sign Mary was talking about. If Mary never mentioned it I doubt I would have noticed it. As we enter, we’re greeted by the loud meow of a rather pudgy black cat, sporting a red collar with a small bell.

“You two look like you know each other.” Mary jokes.

The feline and I exchange funny looks at each other.

Nope.

We finally get seated at a small table for two, decorated with pictures of cats and cat-girls galore.

Will I see a cat maid today…?

Mary and I were absorbing the atmosphere of the café. It felt different from yesterday when I was with Daisuke. I scan my eyes around quickly to see that we were one of the few people in the restaurant, aside from Daisuke with his face buried in a menu at a table across from us. I think this place was empty since it wasn’t exactly “family friendly.” I’d imagine most people would feel embarrassed to be in here.

“Hello master-nyan! My name is Neko-nee! How are you?”

A wild maid appears! Mary’s face begins to turn slightly pink at the sight of this exceptionally well-dressed waitress.

Woah!

Our waitress for today was dressed in a very provocative cat/maid hybrid costume. Neko-nee’s tied her hair up into a bun with a white ribbon. Her tight black pantyhose wrapped around her supple legs, with my view being cut off by the white frills of her short dress. As my eyes continue upwards from her thin waist, I’m immediately drawn to her voluptuous chest, exposed by a small window in the shape of a cat’s face. She must have had special contacts on, since her eye color was a bright ruby-red, in addition to her large. black-rimmed and over-sized glasses. Finally, she had a pair of black cat ears on her head, along with a matching tail sticking out behind her.

Why does she look strangely familiar…?

There was something I couldn’t shake about Neko-nee. It felt like I had met her somewhere else before, but I can’t remember where.

I’m probably just overthinking things again. Focus on Mary!

“W-What would you like master-nyans?”

I may have been staring too intently, as I could see Neko-nee’s glasses were getting foggy. Mary was trying her best to stay composed, since it was starting to look like she got more than she bargained for.

“Might I suggest the couples’ special-nyan?” our waitress suggests.

“Eep!” the both of us let out.

Oh my god this is…

I take a look at what the couples’ special was. The only thing that stuck out with me was that it was cheaper compared to getting something individually.

“M-Maybe…we should?” Mary whispers.

“W-We’ll get the couple special.” I meekly let out.

“W-We are?!?” Mary’s face was turning bright red like the ketchup bottle on our table.

Neko-nee turns her attention towards Mary, who then quickly nods her head up and down in agreement. Our waitress scribbles on her notepad, and then leaves to take our order. It was just Mary and I. I can’t believe I’m sitting across from her, as my heart can’t stop racing.

“Are you okay Kaz.” You look like you’re spacing off again. You’ve been doing that almost every day.” Mary says with concern. “Did something happen with that new transfer student?”

Well given I’m stuck in a time loop, not really.

“I just have a lot on my mind Mary.” I reluctantly tell.

“About what?”

“It’s mostly that…the transfer student. She keeps telling me to remember something.”

“Remember what?”

“I don’t know. If I knew I would have told her ages ago.”

“She seems like a weirdo.” Mary comments.

“Yeah.” I chuckle.

It doesn’t help that she keeps calling me Kazuki for some reason too.

It’s bad to keep thinking about Akane Yuki, but I can’t help it.

“But enough about her Mary, let’s enjoy our date.”

Remember your goal Kaz, you need Mary to tell her secret!

I needed to focus on making sure I could naturally ask Mary’s secret. If I kept things going well like they are, there’s no doubt she’ll tell me immediately.

Maybe some conversation will work?

“Hey Mary-“

I’m interrupted by our waitress Neko-nee, who brings out two omelet rice for us with a smile on her face.

“Here ya go my masters-nyan!”

She takes the ketchup bottle on the table and begins to draw a heart on Mary’s omelet rice with ease. Then, she did the same on mine. I looked down at her work, and noticed that on the center of it, she had written something: “Mary-chan!”

Wait…how does she know Mary’s name?

I quickly glanced over to Mary’ omelet rice, which had my name written on it like I expected.

“Please call me over if you need any help! Enjoy-nyan!” as Neko-nee runs over towards Daisuke’s direction.

“Psst!” I whisper to Mary.

Mary was already chomping down on the omelet rice, leaving a single grain stuck near her lips.

“What?”

“How did Neko-nee know our names? I don’t think we ever introduced ourselves.”

Mary shrugs apathetically.

“Dunno. Maybe she overheard us talking? I’m pretty loud if I say so myself.” Mary said proudly.

Ignoring Mary’s confirmation of being an airhead, that was probably the most logical reason. But given what’s been going on, it seemed too convenient.

“C’mon Kaz, your food’s getting cold. If we miss the movie time again I’ll never forgive you!”

I take a bite of the omelet and my taste buds are met with an explosion of flavor! The fluffy eggs melt in my mouth, and I feel a malaise course throughout my body. I look to Mary and it seemed she was enjoying it as well, her smile bright from how delicious this was!

Why does this taste so familiar though…?

Maybe it just reminded me of something I had when I was a kid? The taste of the omelet felt like it was homemade, made with a pinch of love.

I better hurry or else we might be late…

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Mary and I quickly pay our bill and get out of the Purrfect Café, with Daisuke exiting out once he got a few selfies with the maids. I wanted to pay for her since I was the one asking her out, but she insisted. We would have to hurry to the theater, since the movie was about to start soon.

“I’ve been avoiding spoilers of the movie everywhere!” Mary says.

A part of me dreaded to see what they would change in the remake of the Masked Avenger. I had second thoughts since there was also a horror movie coming out at the same time, It Came From Below, which probably had better opportunities for physical contact. But if I made a move, Mary would be scarier than the movie itself.

Yeah, Masked Avenger it is.

It was a better idea to watch the Masked Avenger movie since both of us are huge fans. I’ve read reviews from fan sites that it was a dramatic step away from the source material that I loved. Although I’m curious to see what happens, I just hope it’s different.

B-But I hope they play the theme song!

Mary and I enter the old theater. I could see that certain sections of it were closed off, since they were in the process of updating it. Since we just ate, Mary and decide to skip the busy snack bar and head towards the line.

“Woah! Look at the size of the popcorn buckets!” Mary points with her finger.

Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the snack bar was selling these “Kaiju-sized!” popcorn buckets. I wondered what kind of person would even buy something of that size.

They must be a real glutton I guess.

As we’re waiting in line, I notice that Mary and I are the only teenagers here. Most of the people in line were kids who dragged their mothers, who were bored out of their minds. It feels a bit embarrassing to be surrounded by children, but I appreciated their enthusiasm for the movie.

“W-Woah! I-Is that?!?”

Mary and I turn our attention to some kids in front of us. Their eyes were lit-up.

“Free masks for attendees!” said a theater worker. “Exclusive to today’s premier!”

As we slowly entered the viewing room, a worker was handing out Masked Avenger masks to the kids as they went in.

N-Nah, I’m too old for that-

I notice Mary had entered a trance-like state, her attention affixed on a cheap paper mask.

“Do you want one?” I asked.

Mary finally snaps out of her state, and looks around erratically.

“N-No! I-I’m not a kid anymore!” she pouts to me.

It was obvious she was trying to act mature. Within a few steps we would be inside the viewing room.

“Your loss!” I tease her as I take a paper mask.

“W-Wait!” as Mary pulls my shirt back.

Mary relents and extends her hands to which the confused theater worker gives her a mask. Of course, she immediately puts it on as we try to find some decent seats.

“I can’t see!” Mary lifts the mask up.

The room was packed! My eyes were still adjusting to the dimly lit room, and I suddenly feel Mary grabbing my hand. She tightly squeezes it, as I feel my right hand getting numb. I couldn’t tell if she did it because she was afraid of the dark, or because she didn’t want to get lost in the crowd of children. Mary’s short stature made it easy for her to blend in with the rest of the kids.

“There!”

I spotted two open seats near the center of the middle aisle, and lead the way. After maneuvering through kids running around, we finally sit down.

I look over to Mary to notice she was fidgeting in her seat, seemingly on edge. She was twiddling with her thumbs, looking towards the ground.

“Are you okay…?” I ask Mary.

She takes a deep breath. “It just feels weird to have th-that thing between us!”

Mary pushes my left arm off the armrest, and pulls it up, clearing the barrier between us.

“W-Woah!”

I was glad the theater lights were starting to dim, since I could feel my face getting warmer. That was a bold move by Mary, which I guess was a good thing? The rowdy kids running around in the front return to their seats, and as I hear the projector turning on, the movie starts.

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That was so much fun!

“It was amazing! The villain had the Masked Avenger by the ropes, but justice always prevails!” cheered Mary.

“Yeah! It really lived up to all the hype. I can’t believe you started cheering with the kids at the battle scene.” I laughed.

Even Daisuke nearly blew his cover.

Mary lightly punches me on the shoulder. “So were you idiot Kaz.”

We both smile at each other.

I really felt like a kid again.

Overall, the movie was faithful to the source material. Although they took some creative liberties like changing the costumes and aesthetics, I enjoyed it immensely. The only thing that bothered me was the movie kinda ended on a cliff-hanger. The after-credits scene was hinting towards a major character that would be introduced in the sequel.

It was getting late now, as the street lights were on now. It was the same peaceful night sky that I’ve become used to, but today it felt different. I’m walking Mary home, making sure I could save her again.

I still haven’t asked her about her secret…

“Hey Kaz?”

Mary interrupts my thinking.

“What is it Mary?”

“D-Did you have fun today?” she asks, averting her gaze away from me.

“I should be asking you that.” I smile. “But yes, I had lots of fun.”

“Yeah! Me too.”

Mary and I laugh together. Somehow for a moment, the airheaded Roadrunner of Kasumigaseki High looked graceful with her smile. But suddenly, we both became awkwardly quiet. I had this feeling that we both wanted to say more, but we were just waiting for the right opportunity.

Remember Kazuhira, figure out what Mary wanted to tell you.

“Say Mary…”

“E-Eep! W-What?” Mary is caught off-guard.

“Is something on your mind? You look like you have something to say…”

I couldn’t just straight up ask her “what was that thing you were going to tell me, but waited until tomorrow?” I think after today I managed to gain Mary’s trust to confine in me.

Mary musters up the rest of her courage, and finally confirms my suspicions.

“Yes.” she admits. “I was actually going to wait until tomorrow at school to tell you this, but it feels right to tell you now.”

This is it!

What has Mary been hiding from me for the last few loops? Could this finally be the break I needed to get an edge against Akane Yuki?

“I need to tell you the truth Kaz.”

The truth?

Mary’s poppy and cheerful demeanor changed. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her like this. Suddenly I felt this pressure in the air; she’s serious. Whatever she says next could potentially shatter everything I knew.

Mary takes a deep breath.

“I actually change out of my clothes inside our study room before every lesson.”

What.

“That’s…all?”

I howl into the night from laughter. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed this hard before.

“I-I’m not some exhibitionist!” she blushes. “Why are you laughing so hard?” Mary pouts.

“It’s just…” I wipe away a tear. “It’s just…I expected something completely different.”

Mary calms down, though her face was still visibly pink from embarrassment.

“But…there’s one more thing I need to tell you.” as she rubs her worn Masked Avenger pin.

Mary leans close to my ear, and whispers something.

“Do you remember a little girl when you were younger?”

A little girl…?

Suddenly I feel a sharp pain race through my head. I struggled to deal with the pain! It feels like my skull was getting cracked open by a sledgehammer! I scream, but I do not know if anything audibly even came out of my mouth.

“There was a little girl that was weak, timid, and nearly spent her whole childhood in a hospital bed. All day she would talk to doctors and nurses, and see her parents argue about the future of this little girl. One day, that little girl decided to sneak out, to finally explore the world outside the confines of her hospital room. Of course, this naïve girl got lost, and screamed for help. A boy appeared, one that she would remember forever. The girl strived to be strong, so maybe one day, she could be like him. It’s a pretty stupid story, isn’t it Kaz?”

Hospital?

Mary takes a deep breath, and turns around to face me. She turns her head upwards, and finally looks at me in the eyes.

“Kaz----…I love you.”

I feel warm. I am so nervous all I could make out was “I love you.” This is exactly what I wanted right? Mary felt the same way I did with her, so why can’t I shake this uneasy feeling? Her confession only made me feel one feeling – guilt. I just suddenly feel so disgusted with myself. Why? Why? Why?

“AHHHHHHHH!!!”

I feel another sharp pain race through my head, that I almost faint. My head feels like it’s about to explode, but I manage to try to stay conscious, if only for a few seconds. My mind couldn’t handle it much longer, and it resets.

The next thing I knew, I was on the ground, looking up at the new transfer student, Akane Yuki.

Was she following me this whole time?

I could also see Daisuke Akatsuka was on his knees, pounding his fists on the ground in frustration. He seems sad for some reason.

Tears were forming from Akane’s hazel eyes. I look to my side, and notice Mary Kaneko was on the ground as well, though she seemed unharmed, but unconscious.

Why does Akane look so sad?

I can taste what seems to be blood inside my mouth. I’m pretty sure it is mine. I feel my consciousness slowly fade away, as my eyelids begin to get heavier and heavier. I don’t think I’m even breathing right now either, as my lungs seem to punctured by my broken ribcage. Akane Yuki appears to be shouting my name, but I can no longer hear her. In fact, I can’t hear anything anymore except my own heartbeat, which was getting fainter and fainter. My eyelids decide to close after what feels like an eternity. I kinda want to sleep right now.

Akane…? Why am I thinking of her?

Kazuhira Kaneshiro was struck and killed by a truck.