“Hecate?” Laying down on the couch, Narumi called out the name of the passing girl. “Are you going to Carol again?” Her mind was filled to the brim with her friend’s condition. She had been tapping away at her phone for hours, unable to properly think or relax.

“That’s right. I can’t allow her condition to worsen during her slumber.”

“Wait! I’ll come with you.” Narumi got up from the couch and joined up with Hecate. The two girls passed through the dorm’s front door and headed towards the House of Imaginary Boundaries’s main building. “How is Carol? Is she feeling better?”

“I have no clue. Her condition hasn’t changed. There are no signs of her possibly waking up soon, but she’s not getting worse.”

“Oh… I see…” Narumi looked at the floor with a painful expression, and the two girls walked side by side in silence. “Are you still mad at Iroha, Hecate? Katja had a point yesterday. I really don’t think she would be able to wake Carol.”

“I’m aware… I just find it uncanny how Carol entered into this deep slumber at roughly the same time Iroha stopped showing up. I can’t help but think something cursed Carol during her disappearance. If Iroha could give us even the slightest hint, we may be able to figure something out. I’ll go to her house myself if she doesn’t show up by tomorrow.” Hecate clutched the bag of supplies tightly in her hand.

“You really think we’d be able to find a way to wake her up? I didn’t think that far ahead, but if you say so, it must be true.”

“Don’t take my word at face value. What about you, Narumi? What do you think about Iroha?”

“Ahahaha… That’s a complicated question… I thought she was gonna quit at first, so I never gave it much thought. But she’s still with us. Or was? I’m not sure at this point… But she got much better. She improved a lot. I’m not sure about trust, but that’s a good thing, I think. Oh, she’s also fun to have around.”

“Hmm… ’Not sure about trust’ you say… Bonds are all we have in this reality. Trust is all that matters. If she really cared about Carol, she would have come to check up on her. Even if she can’t do anything.”

“But she doesn’t even know that Carol’s not waking up, does she?”

“It doesn’t matter, Narumi. After Carol’s disappearance, she should have come regularly for a while to ensure there was nothing wrong with her. The fact that she doesn’t shows how much she really cares.”

“You know Carol hates it when people fuss over her. Now that I think about it, she actually talked to Carol after rescuing her. Carol must have told Iroha not to worry about her. I think you’re being overprotective again, Hecate.”

“Overprotective?” The two girls arrived in front of the infirmary. “How am I overprotective for wanting to wake Carol up from her coma?” Hecate opened the door, and both of them went inside.

Narumi entered after Hecate, and the two stood side by side. Both their faces froze with shock when they saw all the infirmary beds empty. “D- did Carol wake up?”

“Maybe…” Hecate looked around the room, but she didn’t find Carol anywhere. “Where did she go? We need to find her and tell Katja!” Hecate ran out in a hurry, and Narumi followed her lead. Room after room, they didn’t find her anywhere. Carol wasn’t in the main building, and she would have passed by them if she had gone to the dorm. Where could she have gone? They were leaving the building when they found Katja, who was in as much of a rush as them.

“There you are. I’ve been looking for you. We’ve got an emergency.” The three girls almost ran into each other, but they all came to a halt before anything happened.

“Yeah, we do!” Narumi spoke up, barely allowing Katja to finish her sentence.

“We got information that a portal appeared near the harbor.”

“Carol woke up and left the infirmary.”

Both of them spoke at the same time, leaving the whole group stunned. “A portal appeared…?” Hecate thought before speaking up. “If Carol’s not in the House, then…”

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Wait… Did you look for her everywhere? Are you suggesting Carol went off on her own? Are you sure?” Katja put Hecate’s thoughts into words.

“Hmm… Maybe… The only thing I’m sure about is that we have to hurry!”

----------------------------------------

The sun is setting down. Its warm glow paints the sky with a comforting orange. Me and Miyuki walk through the empty streets of Three Records City. It’s always such a mystery. How does a city as big as ours have so few people walking around in the streets? One look at any of the stores on either side of the street immediately reveals the answer. Every day, everyone always has something to do and somewhere to go. That’s the solution to the mystery. Me and Miyuki are the only ones left. We’re the only ones left walking. We might join them soon, though. I don’t know. I don’t know where we’re going. I’m just following her.

I spent my whole day in my room up until now. I was feeling down and couldn’t bring myself to do anything. Truth be told, I still don’t feel like doing anything. Miyuki suddenly showed up and dragged me outside. She’s not the type of person I can say no to, so I ended up coming with her outside. “Where are we going? Why did you just show up at my home?” When I tried asking earlier, she just brushed it off.

“Nowhere in particular. As for why I decided to pay you a visit, let’s just say that there’s something wrong with you, and I felt like helping you.” Miyuki glanced at me over her shoulder with a subtle smile.

Ehh? My legs stopped when I heard Miyuki’s words. There’s something wrong with me? I mean, I haven’t been feeling great with everything that’s been going on, but how would she know? And why is she offering to help me? This is my problem. She can’t help me with anything. I didn’t even ask her to. “You’re saying I have a problem right now? What would that problem be? Why would you even think that?”

“Why are you asking me? Don’t you already know what’s bothering you? In fact, I should be the one asking you about the problem.”

But you’re not, and that’s what bothers me. You’re the one who just showed up, acting like you know what’s going on in my life. Why did she show up today? It’s not a coincidence… She must have known that I was feeling down, but how? There is something wrong… She’s right about that… Ririna abandoned me, I haven’t learned anything new to tell Carol… I’m constantly getting stuck in these positions where nothing I can do will lead anywhere. How am I supposed to not feel down?

“I’m right, aren’t I? There is something bothering you. I think you’re not gonna tell me, so how about I take a guess? Your problem is related to people. You… have someone waiting for you. And… Oh, it’s not just one person either, is it?” Miyuki touched her cheek, pointing to herself in an exaggeratedly cutesy manner.

Someone waiting… Ririna?! Carol? Who’s she actually referring to? They’re waiting for me? Wait… More importantly… How does she know? I- is this really Miyuki? Her mannerisms and devil may care nature are still the same, but the way she’s talking and acting are different somehow. What’s going?

My words got stuck in my mouth, and I froze in place. I’m scared. Miyuki turned around to face me with a mysterious smile. The two of us stared at each other in the middle of the empty street. The sounds of the occasional car passing by cutting through the monotony of the gentle wind. “Uh- uhh- Uhmm… How do you know that?”

“So you’re not denying it? That must mean my guess was right!” Grrr… Was that her game? Miyuki… “Hey, don’t glare at me like that… I get that you’re confused and not feeling great, but I’m on your side. I said so at the beginning, remember? We’re friends, aren’t we? Friends help each other out, right?”

Even if she does want to help, it’s still weird. Was that really just a guess? “Was that actually a trick? I- it’s too suspicious! How? How did you know?”

“You don’t have time for that right now. Just trust me, okay?” Miyuki slowly approached me and grabbed my shoulders. She pulled me in close for a half hug. I would be jumping with joy if I wasn’t so utterly terrified. Who is this? Is this really Miyuki? Is this the Miyuki I know, or is this the one who pushed me into the portal? It feels like everything I knew about her was a lie… Can I really trust her? “I promise, I’m really just trying to help you. Answer my questions, okay? If you knew there were people waiting for you, how come you didn’t try to meet them?”

“N- no… You’re wrong… They abandoned me… They don’t want to meet me. What can I do about that? No matter what I try or how much I do, something’s gonna go wrong anyway…”

“You’re overthinking it. You’re hesitating because you’re overthinking it. Have they clearly told you that they didn’t want to meet? Did they do anything that irrefutably meant that? Think about it… Are you absolutely sure?”

“…” No… Ririna may not have shown up, but her letter said she wanted to see me. And Carol, for how harsh she can be at times, has been my ally ever since we got back… Was I really just overthinking it?

“You’ve been doing well. You’ve changed a lot since we first met. You’re no longer the same Iroha you were. Think about what went well for you, and just repeat that. No need to hesitate.”

Think about what went well? What even went well? I got lucky getting the VISS Driver, managed to help Ririna with the monsters, and found Carol when she got lost in the other world. But all that was just luck, wasn’t it? How am I going to repeat that? I just happened to try doing something, and everything just worked out… Would I have met Ririna if I had kept trying? Wait… Is Miyuki… actually trying to help me?

“I don’t get it! Why are you telling me all this?” Don’t buy it… This whole conversation is too weird… How is she helping me? For what purpose? I don’t feel as bad anymore… But I don’t have any clue what to think anymore!

“Didn’t you hear me earlier? There’s no time for that right now.” No time? Why? What’s so urgent? “*Sigh…* I was trying to be subtle, but maybe that was too much for you.” Miyuki squeezed my shoulders tightly and looked at me with a serious face. “Listen closely. One of your friends is in danger. You need to act quickly. A portal appeared near the harbor, but don’t go directly there. Meet up with your allies first. Got all that?” Miyuki let go of my shoulders with a smile.

Wh- what? My allies? Portals? D- did she just admit she knew about the portals? “Mi- Miyuki… You…” She knew… She knew all along, didn’t she? “Did you lie to me?” A friend is in danger? Who? My allies? Does that mean the girls from the House of Imaginary Boundaries? How deep does this go? “How much do you know?”

“Honestly, if you want me to explain everything right now, I don’t mind. But you’re gonna regret it. Focus, Iroha. Is that really your priority right now?”

My priority? Someone’s in danger! Who is it? If it’s one of the girls from the House, I’ve gotta save them, but… Miyuki knows so much! I need to ask her more! Has she been lying to me this whole time? No way… Is this really Miyuki? What should I do?

“Go.” Miyuki pushed me from behind in the direction of the House of Imaginary Boundaries. “Run. Or you’ll regret it. I’ll answer all your questions later. When the time is right. Just go.” I look back at Miyuki, conflicted… We can always talk later, but is she gonna tell me anything? She’s right, though… If something happens to one of the girls, I will regret it. But if I lose the opportunity to hear her explanation, I’ll also regret it!

Dammit… Dammit dammit dammit… “Dammit!” I turned my back on Miyuki and ran off towards the House. If I’m going to regret something either way, I’d rather save the life of someone I care about!