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"Not relying on machines is the mark of a pro, you see." Just kidding, though.
"A 'pro signal,' huh?"
Fushimi's eyes went wide. I'd rather not guess based on that reaction, but... could it be that such a dangerously obscure term actually gets thrown around normally in the world of radio?
"'Pro Signal, Pro Signal, Pro Signal.'"
Fushimi's mechanical pencil flies across the page. For her to *be* the signal itself... Truly, just what you'd expect from the president of the Radio Club. I've discovered a prodigy who could aim to be, like, an unlicensed charismatic radio technician or something. Just kidding, though. Keep up the good work—
"Ah, speaking of which, about that 'summons' from the other day—"
Fushimi busily flips through her notebook, her eyes darting back and forth like they're doing shuttle runs. She's suddenly acting suspicious. Why, though?
"'The blank page meant 'Come to the club,' right?'"
After a slight hesitation, she indicates the reply "Yep" in her notebook. Why didn't she just use the "Yes" written above it?
"So, what's 'Akechi'?"
She starts searching with enough force to practically rip out the page. Is she confusing this thing with a dictionary?
"...Hey, Yuyu." (Assuming the typo 袖々 was meant to be 柚々/Yuyu)
With one hand, I grabbed both of Fushimi's cheeks, squishing her lips into a fish-face.
Mayu let out a "Fugyuu," while Fushimi groaned, "Ugyuu."
"'Unless you're chatting with the Fiend with Twenty Faces, or maybe have a friend named Akechi-kun, you wouldn't have accumulated any notes related to 'Akechi,' right?'"
"Yuyu," she mumbled.
And what reason did she even have for getting flustered anyway?
Fushimi opened and closed her lips as if trying to catch her breath, letting out a few wheezing "Hyuhyu" sounds, so I let go, figuring she had something she wanted to say.
After rubbing her cheeks, which were red where my fingers had been, Fushimi murmured.
"Hm? Oh, I just... Did that bother you?"
She was an acquaintance from my childhood, someone I only knew by sight. Back then, Fushimi used to hide (she tries to make it sound cool by saying it was behind a telephone pole – it was a tree, alright? Got a problem with that?) and watch from afar as my sister beat the crap out of me. Our houses were relatively close, you see. Ah, a single tear falls for those sepia-toned days when I used to drill false knowledge into people, like claiming 'label' was short for 'light novel.' Just kidding, though.
During that period, Fushimi and I never spoke, not even once. She never tried to close the distance, and I never made any effort to approach her either. Back then, unlike now, I was just completely apathetic.
Fushimi's writing went "Yuyuyu"—or rather, Fushimi Yuyu herself just broke.
Weird signals were buzzing and crackling—"*yunyun bibibi*”—all around her. Did she really hate being called by her first name that much? It was a reaction that could only be described as visceral rejection.
Her notebook, too, was rapidly filling up with a solid page of "Yu." The "Hello" she had stockpiled over sixty times was scribbled over with "Yu," and even the "Why don't you just eat some bread?" that had a single tally mark next to it was being overwritten. Where the heck did she ever plan on using *that* phrase?
"Hey, Fushi—" "Waaaaaahhh!"
Suddenly, abandoning everything she was doing, Fushimi threw her notebook and herself onto the ground, letting out a wail. Just when I was suspiciously wondering if she was practicing her lines for when she inevitably reverted to infancy, her chest—blessed with mountains and valleys—jiggled as her eyes swept towards the sky. Drawn by her gaze, I turned too—」 Leaping back dramatically—rolling around on the sandy ground—because a metallic object had just come flying right towards 「us—」
The grit of sand in my mouth. Followed by an impact sound like an explosion. ・ 」
How many years has it been since my tongue got twisted like this?

-
A metal T-drag, the kind used for groundskeeping—Mayu had utilized centrifugal force to hurl it. The throw, with startlingly good control, scored a direct hit on the spot where Fushimi and I had been sitting just 0.2 seconds before. The drama club equipment behind that spot got spectacularly wrecked in the process. Guess that record was a spare, huh?
"'Something was thrown at me, something was thrown at me, something was thrown at me.'"
Fushimi, who had collapsed in a heap nearby, was already calmly replenishing her notes, even at a time like this. Are you planning on experiencing a scene like this at least twice more in your life, minimum estimate? Just what kind of talent are you for attracting disaster scenes?
A cold sweat broke out, defying the actual temperature. The drama club members were causing a stir, the echoes of their screams still hanging in the air, rubbernecking the unfolding events from a safe distance. Even the faculty advisor was just standing there dumbfounded, reduced to a mere spectator.
And our dear Maa-chan, without even readjusting her throwing stance, was apparently still trying to kill me. Inazawa had also taken a step back from Mayu. *His resolve is still way too naive,* I thought, but I had no time to feel smug about it. The remaining CD audio player was noisily insisting, "Hey, wait up!"
"Your girlfriend looks sleep-deprived," Fushimi observed.
Her analysis was, in a sense, accurate. During class today, Mayu had tearfully (and amidst yawns) fought off her best friend, Sleepiness, even when it beckoned with a siren call of "Let's hang ouuut~". The result: she only managed to stay awake, chin propped on her hand, during first period. One win, five losses. Just getting that single victory was a valiant effort.
However, I couldn't afford to give Fushimi that kind of reply now. If I spoke to Fushimi any more in front of Mayu, I'd climb into a territory from which recovery would be impossible later. Anyway, I needed to talk to Mayu—not play catch—and fast. This was the second time she'd blindsided me, so I was slightly used to it. Gasping from my pounding heart, I stood up and started walking towards Mayu. Before the next T-drag sprouted wings.
"Just die." As I took a step closer, Mayu's voice echoed across the schoolyard. *You got it,* wasn't something I was going to affirm this time. I moved closer still.
"Why are you touching someone other than me?"
Mayu sounded genuinely puzzled rather than angry. Not exactly a question suited for a human being, though.
*Because I'm weaker than you, Maa-chan.*
*Because I'm scared, so damn scared, of living in the tiny little world that contains only you and me.*
That was my justification for cheating.
7
After landing several low kicks on the scar on my right leg, Mayu, exasperated, slipped past me. I should have chased after her, but a sense of desolation stemming from the obligation made me decide my leg hurt, and I froze, a laugh bubbling up inside me. I did gain some small sense of relief seeing Mayu walk back towards the school building without even glancing at Fushimi.
"Or rather..."
The image of Misono Mayu as a quiet, almost coolly intelligent girl had already been shattered in the eyes of her classmates.
Mayu's standing within the school had undergone a remarkable transformation since reuniting with Mii-kun.

Maybe I should take a page from her book and try about seven transformations myself, already.
I tried playing the obvious liar.
Ahaha-hahaha.
The joke hits home with painful clarity.
Me and Mayu.
Trying to blend into a group setting is probably where we go wrong.
Seriously, I don't even have time to think about my sister.
Just then, Biwashima and some female kendo club members, having emerged from the kendo hall, were witnessing this from the curb, frozen like statues. Ah, I spotted Kaneko behind them too. And Nagase had made a trip out from the gym as well. What club was she in again?
Unlike my wandering gaze, Fushimi, who had appeared beside me at some point, was staring directly at Biwashima and the others.
"She looks sleep-deprived too."
Isn't *everyone* sleep-deprived? And who is 'she' referring to?
"...So, does that mean I look sleep-deprived too?"
"You look like death warmed over."
Fushimi's brutally honest assessment.
I couldn't call 'Doubt!' on that, nor could I add a 'Just kidding, though.'
Because to Mayu, I *am* a dead person,
and I am using that dead person for Mayu's sake.
Without offering any explanation to the surrounding onlookers, I cut club activities short and chased after Mayu.
My desk in the classroom had been utterly trashed, and my bag had been sliced up beyond recognition, so cleaning that up delayed me, but I managed to catch sight of Mayu's back halfway down the school route. She hadn't even changed out of her gym clothes and was strolling down the country road.
Her way of walking wasn't much different from usual, but there was a 'something' visible in her posture from behind, an imposing aura distorting the air like heat haze... a manga-esque description felt appropriate. If any animals (or potentially humans, depending) were living their best lives underfoot or in her path right now, trying to be friends with everyone, they'd undoubtedly be massacred. Oh wait, that would make Mayu the culprit in the recent string of incidents. I'd deny that based on her alibi, but honestly, it wouldn't feel out of place if she *was* the culprit.
I felt relieved by that.
Being completely ignored would be the most dangerous and troublesome outcome.
"Maa-chan, you're pretty strong, huh?"
No reply. Just an unwavering stare straight ahead, as if she were contemplating world domination. A rare sullen expression for Mayu when outside.
For now, it seemed I was being treated like part of the scenery, no different from a telephone pole or a small bird. That first punch was likely just releasing pent-up, overflowing anger.
"Can I hold your hand?"
She gave me the 'east wind in a horse's ear' treatment—utterly ignored. This wasn't getting anywhere. If we went home like this, there was a high chance she'd lock me out. I needed to mend things quickly.
Mayu accelerated to a race-walking pace. When I tried to keep up, she threw her bag at me. Blocking it with my face as I caught it, I corrected my assessment. It seemed I *was* regarded as more important than the scenery.
We entered a residential area lined with new houses. Another five minutes and we'd reach the apartment building's lobby. No choice. I reaped what I sowed; this mess was my own making, and I couldn't afford to be picky now.
"I was wrong, but," I began, preluding my point,
"Maa-chan, you were with a boy too, weren't you?"
I let a flicker of shame show in my act. To pull off this deception, projecting an air of innocence was crucial. In that respect, it would only work on Mayu. Sensei or Natsuki-san would see right through me.
Although, Mayu tends to create her own version of my 'true self' anyway.
Mayu showed a minuscule reaction, like a single drop of soy sauce in terms of flavor intensity. Was there hope?
"It wasn't like I was trying to get back at you or anything. It's just, unlike a cheating scumbag like me, Maa-chan, you've always stayed true to Mii-kun. I'm not used to seeing things like that, so... I was bewildered."
Just kidding, though. ...No, really, that's a complete lie.
Mayu finally met my eyes. She slowed down, looking up at me.
"Sorry, I'm being selfish, aren't I?" I bowed my head. As I did, a fist connected with the back of my head with considerable force, but I paid it no mind. I'd deal with the pain once the problem was resolved.
I raised my head, and we looked at each other. No fateful sparks flew, just an exchange of electric signals.
Mayu's trembling lips said nothing, and she averted her gaze.
Then, a beat later, she muttered something, almost like a soliloquy.
"Go back... room... talk."
In slightly broken speech, she conceded. All I could say was, "Thank you."
Because this was the critical point, the limit, of Mayu's kindness.
After that, we walked to the apartment building in silence, not holding hands, but maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
We passed through the automatic doors into the lobby and waited for the elevator.
A whistle echoed from somewhere far off. It was hard to make out the tune, but the pitch was high.
The elevator arrived during the 'chorus' of this performance, interrupting my musical appreciation.
Inside the elevator, a silent space.
Leaning my back against the wall, I looked up at the lit numbers.
Losing shoes, throwing T-drags, destroying drama club equipment, Fushimi also incurring Mayu's wrath...
It suddenly hit me how much harder it had become to go to school.

Then, we entered the apartment, went to the living room, and both sat down on the floor. I turned on the heater with the remote, but the wood-grain floor was so cold-blooded you could accuse it of being frozen solid without issue, making both my feet naturally want to flap. I hoped the environment would quickly improve to one where I could bear to sit or stand still.
And so, while waiting for the temperature to rise, I decided to unilaterally flirt with the pouting Mayu to get warm. I started by trying to hug her.
Mayu, who had sat down right next to me, didn't offer any significant resistance as I embraced her. If anything, she leaned her body weight against me. Poking Mayu's puffed-out cheek, I peered into her face and asked.
"Still mad?" "Stupid Mii-kun." She still seemed quite upset.
I shifted Mayu, placing her between my legs and hugging her again. This was the way of hugging Mayu seemed to prefer most. The runner-up was her sitting on my lap while I was seated, hugging me face-to-face. Though that tended to give *me* major goosebumps.
"Wanna skip school together tomorrow?"
I suggested a delinquent holiday while loosely winding a strand of Mayu's hair around my index finger.
Mayu looked up at me through narrowed eyes, like she was squinting against sunlight.
Since my textbooks had also been courteously destroyed, even if I forced myself to go to school, the nightmare scenario of *Reluctantly letting the girl in the seat to my right share her textbook -> Triggering Maa-chan's imperial wrath too much -> The day desks fly -> Having to appease her, repeat ad infinitum* awaited. I had received that transmission from the editor with glasses. And eventually, the day would come when I myself would plummet from the sky. ...Hm, already experienced that, huh? Wahaha.
"If Maa-chan wants to go out somewhere, I'll go with you, and if you want to lie around the room all day, I'll be your pillow. Basically, I'm trying to get back in your good graces, I guess?"
Here, I had to be honest, trying to wring out some 'refreshing honesty' from the back of my nose. But, alas. What came out felt more like 'Sullivan.'
"But I want to have fun with Maa-chan. That's why I'll resort to underhanded means too."
Like using a fake name, for example. Ufuwahaha.
Just like I did with Fushimi earlier, I pinched Mayu's cheeks. The air, including her anger, seemed to deflate out of her instead of carbon dioxide. Her cheeks sagged, and the upward tilt at the corners of her eyes lessened.
While Mayu wrestled with her thoughts, formulating a reply, I trapped her with my legs, held her tight, and rolled over like a Daruma doll. Rolling back and forth, *goro goro*, I indulged in the intimate thought of how nice it felt to hold her. This sort of thing is collectively known as 'stupid' (no abbreviation necessary).
It won't be on the test, but it appears frequently in the real world, so prepare your countermeasures individually.
*For brave souls unafraid of the police, rocks are recommended ★ Target: Riverbeds*
The imaginary children's show host explaining how she got fired was cut short by Mayu's murmur.
"You absolutely won't cheat again?"
Mayu stared intently enough to gouge out my eyes, seeking confirmation. She had come quite a long way towards meeting me halfway.
"What's Maa-chan's definition of cheating, I wonder?"
"Talking to someone." That difficulty level is... "Touching someone. Laughing with someone. Being nice to someone. Mii-kun belongs to me. Mii-kun's heart and kindness and everything, it's all mine. Giving it to someone else is weird."
"We do not treat people like objects, *tsk tsk*!"
......... Ah, got it backwards. My plan was to say *tsk tsk* and *then* add the 'Just kidding, though' correction. A tiny moment of panic caused a trivial blunder.
"I don't do stuff like that. It's normal for Mii-kun to belong to Maa-chan," Mayu countered with childish logic. Impurely greedy, isn't she, Maa-chan?
Eventually, maybe I'll be the one confined next time.
When I get a chance, I should prepare some toys and books in the Japanese-style room to stave off boredom. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. And I'll need to keep a metal spoon handy for escape purposes. Impossible, though.
"So, how 'bout it? Cheaty Mii-kun—" she added cuttingly in a childish tone.
Maybe Mayu was also trying to move beyond relying solely on instinct in conversation? I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"Of course, this is the last time. You're the one who needs to promise not to tear through men, tossing them aside and swapping them out—"
"Make your vow!"
"Like I'd do that!" she retorted, scratching at me with an overgrown heart(?). Gotta trim that soon. (The phrase 伸びた心/nobita kokoro, "overgrown heart," is strange. Maybe meant 爪/tsume, "nail," or is metaphorical?)
"No matter how much Maa-chan rocks adult charm and pheromones *bashi bashi*, I wouldn't pay any attention to mere humans, riiight~?" She tilted her head, seeking agreement, so I echoed, "Riiight~," while inwardly sighing that 'Mii-kun' was being treated like an extraterrestrial.
Good grief, Mayu is difficult.
She's not complex, so there's no solution.
Regarding my path after high school graduation, perhaps I need to consider a future living as a hermit in a mountain cabin. Rather, the future. My future with Mayu. Even if we grow old together, spending years until we're an old woman and an old man, will it still be 'Mii-kun' and 'Maa-chan'? ...Time is cruel, and youth is above all precious, mused this eighteen-year-old in the twilight of winter.
"Are you in a much better mood now?"
Putting thoughts of the future aside, I asked the present Mayu.
The reply came back, "Noot yeeet~" a cheerful, bright answer, accompanied by her legs, which had been drawn up in a hug-your-knees pose, stretching out straight under the table.
"That's why Mii-kun needs to devote himself much, much more to Maa-chan."
*Nimaa*, the smile of a child heading to the register with a toy in hand.
A variation on the 'If I catch a cold, you'll nurse me forever' theory, huh? This version is more peaceful, though.
"Yes, yes." I rubbed her shoulders and stroked her hair, relieved that, for the time being, the situation had recovered.
Mayu picked up the remote, and the TV flickered back to life. Ostentatious sound effects played, followed by thorny-looking text floating up from the darkness. Oh, it's on, it's on.
This latest murder case, the one that served as the final nail in the coffin, branding our town as Murder Town.
It had now gained nationwide notoriety, and scholars and authorities on statistics and whatnot had taken to eloquently analyzing the state of the town for us. Every time I listened to them, I felt like bursting out laughing, even though I'd done nothing.
The Beautification Committee Chair, Souda Yoshihito, was murdered sometime after 8 PM on February 14th. That coincides exactly with the time Natsuki-san dropped me off and I encountered my sister (presumably). The murder scene was behind the special needs school not far from the shrine, whereas we saw my sister (candidate) on the front side of the school. Given that my sister (suspect) fled at full speed, not even caring if she got run over, there was no way Natsuki-san wouldn't be suspicious. She's become a prime suspect. On top of that, because I let slip that she was my sister (provisional), the situation has descended further into chaos.
However, she was already a dead person. Treated as deceased even on the family register. Natsuki-san, who, like me, saw the bloodstains on my sister's clothes and is growing suspicious, could ask me for her address, but I wouldn't be able to answer. I'd always believed she was residing either up in the sky or down in the earth. Besides, it wasn't even certain yet if that really *was* my sister. Generally, if she had been living in this town, it's strange she never showed herself at all for eight years.
Yoshito's body was found in his school uniform on his way home from school. His face and upper body had burst open, spilling their contents, but his lower body was unharmed, merely dirt-stained. It's slightly half-assed, but because of this particular treatment of the corpse, the vast majority concluded it was the same culprit as the animal killings. Also, some scholars proposed a second-culprit theory, suggesting someone was aroused to murder by viewing the dog carcasses and then killed a human. In other words, they were indirectly pointing out that every single resident of this town is a homicidal maniac.
"Don't like news," Mayu said, changing the channel. The shows this girl likes qualify regardless of genre, as long as they meet the condition of having no people or animals appearing. So, detective dramas featuring majestic shots of Mother Nature, or variety shows that make you contemplate life through the ceaseless flow of water in an irrigation ditch. I fabricated those examples as a joke, but I felt like I wouldn't mind watching them at least once.
Mayu restlessly changed channels, searching for programming to her liking. There was no way she'd find what she wanted at 4 PM, when drama reruns dominate the schedule. Mayu tossed the remote aside with a "Boring," and leaned against me. When I stroked her throat, she let out a bizarre "Ujijijijiji" sound. Couldn't you at least try to make a cat sound, Maa-chan?
...But still.
The day this girl started her night walks, the murderous intent spread to humans.
Can unconscious malice really be contagious?

Same day, 7 PM. Complete night was projected onto the sky, garnished with a crescent moon. This environment wasn't one where you could lose yourself appreciating the fleeting, eye-catching moonlight. Winter nights outside are cold.
Today, like every other day, we diligently went for a walk. So Mayu could lose weight.
"But still..."
Passing through the parking lot of the community center near the murder scene, I sighed at Mayu, who was silently forging ahead.
She doesn't consider the surrounding danger at all, to the point where you'd think *she* might be the culprit. I did try objecting to going out, but naturally, it had no effect. Besides, if pushed too far with denial, Mayu might just devise some kind of crazy "Denpa Diet" involving directly slicing off flesh – I couldn't rule out that possibility. So, in the end, the two of us end up on a walking date under the night sky.
Besides, I was also a little worried about my sister.
"Mii-kun? That's not the way."
Mayu pulled my right hand. My thoughts dissipated then, the dark clouds in my vision scattering. In front of me, in the dim darkness, was the shrine where Sugawara and I fought. I had taken a step from the streetlight-lit intersection towards it.

Our usual route was to turn right here, towards the elementary school, not go straight.
"Sorry, sorry. Was just thinking about something."
"What were you thinking about?" Mayu asked with a blank expression that suggested little interest, after I corrected our course.
"About the murderer and stuff. How it'd be dangerous if we ran into them."
"It's okay," Mayu replied with a mechanical, emotionless line.
"Hm? Okay? What's okay?"
"This."
Mayu effortlessly pulled a kitchen knife wrapped in bleached cotton cloth from her shoulder bag.
"I can protect Mii-kun, so it's okay."
She was so overly reliable it made me dizzy. To think she carried something like that around all the time.
Maybe I should warn her, just this once.
I moved in front of Mayu, put my hands on her shoulders, and stopped her walking. Her eyes widened slightly in a blank stare.
"Because you'll get put in prison?"
"Uh-huh, uh-huh." Wow, she's smart when we're outside, Maa-chan. Good girl, good girl.
"Then, Mii-kun can just come to prison too."
"Ah..." I see. She got me there. The logic of 'it's not scary crossing a red light if everyone does it,' huh? No, that's slightly different.
"But, you see..." I trailed off. How could I convince her? An argument Mayu would accept... the direction is... *that* way, huh? No choice, I'll have to endure the shame.
"In prison, I wouldn't be able to eat Maa-chan's home cooking, so that would be a problem for me. It'd probably be for way longer than being hospitalized, you know. And, well, we wouldn't be able to sleep together or anything, y'know?"
My face felt like it had transformed into a disposable hand warmer. Not just my cheeks, but even my temples and under my chin were flushed with hot blood. This truly was the wisdom of the common folk for surviving winter. That's a lie, though, but the fact that my skin felt uncomfortably itchy was real, which was annoying. I decided to pretend there was a swarm of out-of-season mosquitoes.
Mayu also blushed faintly and responded with a mischievous "Fuuhn." She closed her eyes contentedly, her lips curving into a faint smile. Her public face and her alone-with-me state blended together subtly.
"Mii-kun would be even more wonderful if you were always this honest."
A critique that gave me déjà vu. Was *this* Mayu the adult one, or was the chief the schoolgirl?
"Anyway, carrying knives around or using them on people is forbidden. Can you promise?"
To avoid further teasing, I decided to state it forcefully and conclude the matter.
"Okay, I get it."
The cheerful Mayu readily agreed. Then, she held up her right hand between us, pinky finger extended.
"Pinky swear."
"Okay. But, this is nostalgic, huh?" I preemptively launched a lie. Mayu tilted her chin down with a gentle expression. My pinky was entwined.
"Do you remember the last promise we made?"
"Eh? Uh..." I stammered. I'd be confident if it were a multiple-choice question.
"Did you forget?"
My pinky was squeezed. Her Noh-mask face contorted with enough anger to make the part above my first knuckle look like it might burst from lack of circulation.