Vol 1 Chapter 7 (1/2)

Chapter 7

So I continued to live on hopelessly

Our resilience is just too less, and cause us to be unable to escape fro hand

Actually, the police had already grasped the clue about Toshi+ and Hakaot from Ayaka’s body, it’s just because of the fact that Hakamizaka is the son of a politician, they’ve handled the evidence that they collected very carefully They never would’ve thought that a large group of NEETs would barge in, and even turned the whole ated me seemed to know Tetsu-senpai as well, and he told me the whole truth dolefully

I was let go after just being interrogated once, while quite a few people froumi, led by Yondaime, were arrested The reason that Alice and I were immediately released was probably because Yondaime hid a part of the truth, because he said to me e separated: “You owe me one”

Hakamizaka shi+rou was dead even when the ambulance arrived at the scene; the other five who took part in , and died in the hospital

Just like that, the angels’ wings disappeared from the streets

A typical ending

I’m not sure of the details of what occurred after that, because I didn’t show up at Hanamaru Ramen Shop anymore

January ended, and February passed gradually After a festorms, I failed in three more subjects in the end of semester test at the end of February

I kept avoiding the Gardening Club, as I would think of Ayaka and get depressed there Why was I depressed? I looked at the barren garden from theof the classroom It’s just that I’ve returned to the days before I met Ayaka, the me at that time didn’t feel painful when I was alone

The reason that I changed was of course, because I started to understand the warht of ways to forget about it, and avoid talking to the others To my classmates orried aboutto say anything Right after theto school

It’s just that I’ve gone back to the days before I met her— those are just lies

Ayaka’s disappearance was like the wound of a scratch, deeply etched into my heart

Sos about Ayaka Especially duringat the pitch black skies at the other side of the glass

Next, I would think of Alice’s cold hands, Min-san’s ice crea a bowl, playing a game of dices

But that did not exist solely for me If I firmly deem that they exist solely for me, when I discover the truth, all of this would be taken away, defiled, vanish, leaving my own pitiful self

If the ending is like this, it’s better if I don’t get closer from the start

Those are my conclusions Even if I would be alone like this, and nobody would ever speak to ain

But one night,school, and just like that, the spring holidays arrived On the first day of the spring holidays,around on hts on, that I subconsciously picked up the phone

‘It’sfor you in front of the entrance’

It was Alice It was indeed Alice’s voice

I couldn’t believe it, and was dumbstruck, my phone pressed to

‘What’s with you? Are you trying to tell ht is the ti ht now? Hurry up and make preparations to come out’

“Wh…” Unable to speak properly, I choked “Wh- Why? The school?”

Does Alice knohat time it is?

‘It is now three thirty five at night Come here in thirty minutes You are absolutely not allowed to let me wait for you outside’

“Why do I……:”

‘You just have to ask about everything, such an annoyance You’re et about our e that I need you to see, so don’t ask anymore, hurry up and come’

I flipped over reat detail I just have this feeling that the phone call was just ination, but the liquid plas

So for me to see?

As I was deternore Alice’s phone call and sleep But even when I closed my eyes and lied down on the bed to sleep, Alice’s words still lingered in my mind

School So that I have to see

Would it be so about Ayaka?

I got up fro my sister, and walked out of the entrance Probably because it’s already springti a sweater

I got onto ht

“You’re late by twelve minutes”

Alice was mad Just like that day, she wore a black, western dress, a bonnet with a veil on it, held a plushi+e of a baby bear in her hands, and was squatting down on the pillar in front of the school gate

It was the first tiht, white fluorescent lights on the walls surrounding the school faintly illulasson the third floor reflected the moon There wasn’t anyone in there

“Because you have this look of incomprehension on your face, I’ll just tell you first I’ outside is like extending an exponential function Youdeal, but forhere from my room”

“Sorry, but since it’s already late at night, it’s better not to make a fuss out here”

Alice’s shut ht hold ofhands

“Take me to the place where the few potted plants are placed on the rooftop”

“Rooftop……? But……”

“I’m a NEET detective The alarms have already been switched off, and I have the keys as well”

How did she get the keys?

“If you want to know, just ask Major I’ot that”

Major…… I had this feeling from before that he had criht that it was true But why are we going to the rooftop anyways?

Alice stopped answering my questions, showed me a ‘you’ll knohen you see it’ expression and pushed on hed and accepted the keys

After I opened the door, I stepped onto the nostalgic uneven ground of cement As it was unlit, it was pitch black at the rooftop The streetlights were too low after all, while the brightness of the stars was too far away

The indistinct view of the night could be seen at the other side of the railings Through the river, gazing at the direction of the station, the brightness of that area was like a desecration of the night With its back to the station, the aht sky and the earth were scattered with headlahts that seeped out of the s of the buildings

My thanks to the night sky If it was daytiht?

“Ahhhh, there’s so helpful here Could we climb up there from here?”

Alice said while tightly holding ontoht sky and a huge, black hole— no, the shadow of the water tower

“…… are you cli?”

“Being higher is better”

I had wanted to say that it’s too dangerous cli up in the dark, but was deterred by Alice’s determined eyes But even if I cliy to drag the helpless Alice up

“What is with this ladder, not even thinking for users who are my size, really!”

Alice cla close to the surface that was uneven due to being slightly raised, and co

“You could just put the plushi+e at the bottom…”

“Do you think I can stand the horrors of being outside without Lyril? I know that you’re both cold and insensitive, but I didn’t know that you’re that over!”

“Okay, I get it, I get it, sorry”

Alice soared angrily while clutching on eous

“So what are we going to do next? Summon a UFO?”

“We wait till dawn”

“…… Eh?”

“We’re waiting here until dawn”

I couldn’t say anything for a moment

I had wanted to co her chin in her teddy bear while with her eyes glued to the floor of ce

Alice said that she had so for me to see She did this for me, and only me, and for that reason she came out from her shell— the room that was full of machines, to wait for me, didn’t she?

I squatted down beside Alice, feeling the warmth of her body beside me

There was only the slight sounds of the wind, faraway exhaust pipes of cars, and the sound of Alice’s breathing

Not knowing for how long, as if pure, clear water seeped into the bottohts of the streetlights started to fade, while the darkness of the night gradually faded from the floors of the rooftop Bunches of weeds could be seen on the cement floor

“Ayaka……”

Alice said in a small voice

“Did she really go aithout telling you a thing?”

I bit my lips and nodded

“Really? Then I will tell you the words that have faded away in place of the deceased”

“…… Eh?”

“That would be the reason why Ayaka chose to ju to be daybreak soon”

Alice said that it was the sole mystery

The mystery that connected me to Alice

“…… Do you understand now?”

“Ayaka jumped down from the rooftop so that the rooftop would be sealed off”

“…… Wh……What?”

“Don’t you understand? This is the sacred place where you and Ayaka spent your tiether So that no other people would trespass in here, she chose to juht? But if someone committed suicide here, the school must seal off all the entrances to the rooftop because of safety reasons— you see, it has started”

Started? What started?

Following Alice’s gaze, I looked at the floor of the rooftop

In the long, extended period of tiently blended together light and darkness, cold air filled s, and I realized at that moment

At the start, I thought that sorassy land on the ce in the rays of sunlight, and a vivid red spread throughout the surrounding as if they were dyed

Flowers

In the dense grassy land on the rooftop,sun

I al reenery clearly drew out a picture

“The flowers are planted in a circle…… No, a double circle…… or triple……?”

Alice said in a small voice that wasn’t htly clenched my knees, and shook my head No, that’s not a circle The letter G was inside of C, while the letter M was engulfed by the letter G

It was our flag

It’s the symbol that connects Ayaka and I

In the light of dawn, it was as though the flowers used their faces to greet joy, bloo did Alice and I stare silently at the flowers?

“Long-headed poppy”

Alice stared at our flag while

“They bloom as soon as day breaks, and withers after a day”

I couldn’t shi+ft reehtly, and heat rose in my body I’m the only one left, and there’s nobody besideme remember this?

“Ayaka , but she remembered this place in the end, and jumped down to protect this place”

Alice said with a small but determined voice

“I know” My voice that came from my throat et

“Ayaka kept thinking for you”

“I know!”

So what? I don’t need this thing, I only wish that Ayaka would continue to be healthy My wish is so small, it’s just that small……

“Of course all of this is only ing out the words of the deceased froraves—“

“Shut up!”

“—anyways, it is just a consolation for the living What Ayaka was really thinking of, I don’t understand too But……”

Alice stacked her hand on my hand that was on my knee

“This beautiful scene is real, only this is a fact So you ht?”

The flag of flowers in my eyes started to blur, and the rooftopThe first teardrop trickled down from my cheeks, and they couldn’t be stopped anymore, and filled my whole world That was the first time I cried after Ayaka’s suicide

Why do people only leave memories? Isn’t it better if they rook away the memories about them with their death? Memories can’t be erased, my whole life before e in this beautiful scene

“Naru you here?”

Facing Alice’s question, I shookdown my face How could I hate you?

“Then it’s better if you just hate me I’ve told you before, Ayaka’s suicide, your sadness, all of them are my fault”

“Stop talking”

“I can only use this method to connect with the world, so it’s better if you hate me or reprimand me”

“STOP TALKING!”

I shouted harshly, turning around to face Alice Her large eyes seeht just be my own tears

“Is there any ry like the others, and laugh when you’re happy like the others, speak your , why can’t you even do such a si?”

“Because I’m that kind of person, didn’t you know?”

“I don’t know!”

I flung away Alice’s hand that was tightly holding on to my shi+rt

“Narumi, wait—”

I ju fronored Alice’s words, rushed out of the door and down the stairs I, er was neither directed at Ayaka nor Alice, and not myself either

Tears choked s hurting like they were burning When I ran past the bridge, thesun illuminated my face from the side