Chapter 1 (1/2)

Day 1: A Call from Mary-san[1]

A college student's summer break is the best

Thole months' worth of time you can use however you want You're free to enjoy your youth in a sports club You're free to slack off in a student organization You're free to go to the ocean with friends Of course, you're free to work part-ti out a chance for life, you're free to dejectedly turn back when you see the sheer voluht[2], you're free to ride the rails aio to India to endow some exotic ancient power into your body

Everyone has their oay of enjoying summer, and everyone spends their ti one must always be wary of: just because you have the ti with it Paradoxically, while it , it is also a ti at all To suhtenment

Therefore, at this veryaround an airconditioned rooht but never read

The room's around ten square meters, plus full bath In such a perfect environe student like me to laze around, no one colass, the cicadas cry out, anddin The crack ofice in my barley tea is my only refreshment

Sea, mountain, river

They're all splendid places to enjoy the summer- I've no lorious room Even if the wallpaper is a little ripped, even if one of the bulbs is out, and even if the ventilation fan reeks of oil, it's exceedingly difficult to replace this absolute space for one No matter how small it is, a man's home is his domain and his castle

Now then it happened early afternoon, on a day where I was singing such praise of summer vacation

It ca

The call sound ringing through the space where I was supposed to be alone A ht not have heard before, but as I thought about it carefully, I got the feeling I really had never heard it in all my life

Right, it all pointed to a single truth

… My s

”… Earthquake!”

Hitting on that possibility in an instant, I braced my body

I ht my phone, it's only ever ency alerts I set a distinct ringtone for my family, therefore, this unfaency earthquake report

Swiftly acting on ical decision, I hid under the bed at a speed that would a at the screen of my phone while I was at it

And yet It was there that I found myself enveloped in shock

”This can't be! A phone call, you say…!?”

Right… it was of all things, a phone call

Of course, so what, you h the lenses of co Whether it be smart or not, the phone part has yet to cast down the telephone's legacy

But that is only a take that lies within the category of sense you call common When it co the bounds of such a petty common sense, this phenomenon was practically impossible

”I-impossible…! Someone out there actually knows my phone number…!?”

Imy number to anyone If you want to make it sound cool, my smartphone held a true isolation from all communication devices outside of the family, it lay on essentially its own private network… I can only say it is inept as a phone

For now, it looks like it's not an earthquake, so I crawl out from under the bed and tap the 'Answer' button The voice I hear froirl

'… hello… hello!?'

The voice of a young girl I don't know… , this is a miscall

I give a slight nod A miscall, it's just a miscall… I mean yeah, it did exist as a possibility Even if no one knows my phone nue if soht call it by mistake

… Then whatever the case, for now, is it not ive a kind correspondence to this young girl flustered over a entle setting before answering

”hello, who is this?”

'Um! I'm called Mary-san'

”Oh my”

Beep

When I hit the hang-up button, a light sound chimes out

This is theat someone's face, you can iet the feelinglike that No, she probably didn't

Tossing the phone to the side, I spit out my held breathe

I know This is that, she's pretending to be that Mary-san froend

I presuirl with too much free summer break time on her hands tried to input some random number to committhe nuer than ht have a cute loli voice, but I'h to earnestly answer a prank call

That's how it is, so I retrievedwhen the sain The display showed the same number as before

After a prompt press of the 'Decline' button, the phone went silent

I read , a s out

Looking at the screen, a freeapp had popped up

After unsteadily inputting soroups around my enrollle exchange Was there any real point in it exerting its existence this late in the game

My interest piqued, I opened it up to find an exceedingly long e printed out

'The su up? It is a pleasure to end in training I understand that I a a sudden, discourteous request, but if you would be so kind, could you please answer the phone? Of course, I have no intention of using up your ti you to play the part of a conversation partner That being said- mind you- if you refuse to hear out my initial utterance, then to someone who aims to be Mary-san such as myself, it is a considerable jolt to my mentality and…

(Omitted)

… So you see, I thought I would try o! When it coend with a bit of a name in this industry So personally, I'd rather not remain a trainee; I think I'd quite like to beco, could you please answer the phone…?'

… The hell, was ht

This was quite out there I don't knohat to think of someone who tries so hard to push their oorldview onto another, and when it was this elaborate, it was too high up to be a game

As I thought over that, ain

When I tried answering for once, the words started rolling out like waves

'… Ah, it got through! U-u me the opportunity to na It was al shaved away, or should I say, I experienced a sense of loss as if the world didn't needwhere the voice itself is practically the legend's true essence! I' up!'

The eled around the end

I offered the girl some earnest words in return

”The receptionup”

'H-he can't hear me!? W-why…!? Ah, it can't be, the phone bill is…!? That… that can't be…!'

”Kuh… I think Iout So this is a netic storm! … As a recall, a recent theory holds that the voice frequency that travels best through a netic storm is the tone of a Kuudere little sister-in-laho's e brother…?”

'What!? U-uo out today, why don't you spend so with me… I want to know more about you'

”80 points Splendid performance”

'Ehehe, thank you… no, you were definitely hearing ht? And wait, before that even co it a sister-in-law…?'

”Are you crazy? If it's a real sister, I can't get heated up over it So who are you?”

When I asked, the girl answered in a pensive voice

'… M-Mary-san won't be broken U-u, and my name is Mary On this occasion, you have been deter with you'

”H”

'I'!'

Hehe, the supposed Mary laughed

I don't think that's so to be that proud about

”I see, I see, you're in training… and so?”

'H the matter?'

”No, even if you tell , what's supposed to happen next?”

… It is here that I must make a confession

To be perfectly honest, at that irl At irl had tooto use her phone to conductwith her delusions and tease her down

However In the next instant, my condescension was completely crumbled

'…? Why isn't that obvious? I' to imura Akira'

”Wha…!?”

I couldn't say a word… naturally I mean, that was my name

While the nah, uess Then do I know her? Have I siirl? … No, there's no way Froet such an intense young girl

Did she get my number out of one of my friends… yeah, no I don't have any friends

'Can I call you Akira?'

”No, wait! … How do you know my name?”

'Eh? … I '

”So like that is…”

Iht? I tried to say, when my words were cut off

'Ah, could it be you don't believe me? … Fufufu, in that case, I'll show you the power of Mary-san! Irregularity of the order ghost story, faenus Mary-san, the power of Mary, forh a person's background!'

Irregularities have that sort of taxological classification? Without giving an to speak

'I see, I see Akira, you were born in Hokkaido, eh? I've never been there before, but as Mary-san, I really should make the trip at least once… and, uer sister Ah, I see That's why you didn't want a real sister…?'

”It's been a while since I've felt such an urge to say 'none of your business'!”

”You achieved excellent grades throughout h school, and are currently enrolled in a public university in the Aomori Prefecture… Aomori, is it”

There, Mary's voice went just a little stiff

It irritated me somewhat, so I offered a rebuttal

”Soood place you know Not too many people, lots of land, the rent is cheap, and the apples and cherries are real tasty It's ridiculously easy to live here”

'Ah! T-that's not what I was trying to… no, let's just put that off for now Anyways, right now, you are… p-pervert! Pervert, pervert, pervert!'

”!?”

She suddenly started shouting

I have no idea what's going on

”… What's wrong, did a pervert show up? Then for now, run away NoConcentrate all your thoughts on ets to everyone's heads and the loonies multiply in numbers For now, cut the line and call 110[4]…”

”W-wrong! I' about you, pervert!”

… Hmm? I tilt my head

Is she perhaps talking to me? Have I just been called a pervert

This sincere and honest gentlerief, your jokes are harsh, little lady