Two years ago, on August 8th, Asai Kei met Souma Sumire. It was around 6 PM, and they were both atop the tetrapods.

Two years and 142 days later, they met once again atop the tetrapods. Given the time that was erased due to resetting, it was a few more days in actuality. But regardless, on August 28th, the two met up in that same place.

The circumstances had changed a bit. Souma Sumire was sitting atop the tetrapods, and Asai Kei walked up to her. Were they meeting on the southern school rooftop, Kei would have brought Haruki with him. But instead, she was atop the tetrapods, so Kei came alone.

It was 6 PM, just like the first time they met. But the season was different, so the sky was an entirely different color. By 6 PM on April 8th, the tetrapods were already covered by the sunset’s glow. But on August 28th, though the sun was beginning to set, the sky was still blue. The similarities to that first day had ended.

Souma looked up at Kei as he stood atop the tetrapods. She smiled. “Good afternoon, Kei.”

It was Souma Sumire’s voice, calm and level, just the same as two years prior.

Somewhat taken aback, Kei smiled in return. “Good afternoon. I guess it wouldn’t make sense for you to say, ‘It’s been a while.’”

“You’re right. From my perspective, I just saw you three days ago.”

“When exactly?”

“Last thing I knew, Mari’s mother was trying to leave Sakurada three days ago.”

“Oh, I see.”

Mari’s mother had attempted to leave Sakurada on August 13th. Three days later would have been August 16th, the day that Sasano Hiroyuki took a picture of the sunset with Souma Sumire in it.

Kei set his palms on the ground, sitting down next to Souma. Her eyes chased after him, following his every movement.

“You’re so much taller now. It’s a bit of a shock,” she commented.

“I used to be on the short side. I’m average height in my class now.”

“I see. How have the past two years treated you?”

“Oh, it’s been so-so. A lot of stuff happened. Some sad things, but also some fun things.”

“Have you gotten closer to Haruki?”

“Much closer, compared to two years ago. She’s really changed. She’s become a very normal girl, and I know there’s a lot more in store for her.”

“I see.” Souma Sumire smiled. It didn’t seem to be laced with a good or bad intention. It was just a smile. “Are you okay with that, Kei?”

Kei didn’t even have to hesitate. He nodded. “Of course I am. I think it’s incredible for her.”

But Souma shook her head. “But she’s not the Haruki you grew to like any more, is she? The simple girl with no concept of self is gone. You grew to like the girl that was a pure ideal of goodness, didn’t you?”¹

“Did I? I have a hard time remembering.”

Souma Sumire smiled happily. She had quite a repertoire of smiles. “I’m sure that all the ‘stuff’ you experienced has made you stronger.”

Kei wasn’t sure if strong was the word he would have picked. His prior understanding of strength didn’t pan out very well, despite how bullheaded he had been about it. It was difficult for him to confidently define the concept of being strong. Very difficult.

Since he wasn’t certain, he answered with neither a confirmation nor a denial. “At the very least, I know I’ve changed.”

“How so?”

How so, indeed. After giving the question some thought, he answered, “For one, if a girl invited me to go watch the sunset, I wouldn’t turn her down.”

“Even if you had a novel to finish?”

“Mhm. I could go back home and take my time reading it afterwards.”

He couldn’t help but wonder if things could have been different had he accepted her offer on that rainy day two years ago. If he had gone to watch the sunset with her, would he have been able to understand her just a little more?

“I have two questions for you,” Kei declared.

“Just two? You sure?”

“They’ll do for now. I only need two.”

“Hm. What’s number one?”

“You fell into the river two years ago. But before then, you used Tomoki’s ability to prepare a message for yourself.”

Can you hear my voice?

Two years ago, Souma Sumire had sent herself that simple message.

“That’s right. What about it?”

“Thing is, I never heard the specific time you sent it to. When did you send the message to?”

Souma Sumire turned her attention to her slim wristwatch. “About five minutes from now. I set it for today at 6:30.”

“I see.”

All of her preparations began to make sense.

It was the classic Swampman dilemma. Was the girl in front of him the real Souma Sumire? Or was she perhaps another being entirely that simply looked like her? The message became a means of finding out.

If this girl was the real Souma Sumire, then she would hear the message. If this girl was not Souma Sumire, then the message would remain unheard.

Kei was sure that was her purpose.

“So, what’s the second question?” Souma tilted her head.

Nodding, Kei asked, “Why… did you die?”

Someone with future sight would never die from an accident.

She chose to die. To go cold. Specifically after a reset. Even if Haruki and Kei wanted to work together, she meticulously chose a set of circumstances by which they would be incapable of saving her, and she died.

Even during such a conversation, the blue sky remained calm, deep, and tranquil. Souma’s tone seemed to take on those properties as she answered, “She had a reason worth dying for.”

The girl sitting right next to Kei called her, “she”. Souma Sumire from two years ago… called her “she”.

Kei repeated her line, leaving that part out. “A reason worth dying for?”

“Yes. She died for a reason, quickly and readily, staging it like an accident.”

“But… but you’re here now.”

It was all part of Souma’s plan two years ago. Surely, if someone went to all the trouble of preparing a resurrection for themselves, it couldn’t be counted as a regular suicide. Where did dying possibly play a part?

“All of it is important. Both Souma Sumire’s death, and me, her recreation.”

“But why?”

“That would be a secret. It needs to stay secret for just a little longer.”

He didn’t even want to consider the reasons for a girl having to die. And yet, he had to. After all, Souma Sumire died. Maybe the girl next to him was the real Souma Sumire, and maybe not. But either way, that still meant she had died once.

Loneliness lacing her voice, she whispered, “It’s okay to hate me. Especially after all I’ve done to you.”

Kei found himself unable to answer right away. After all, Souma Sumire’s death hurt Haruki Misora. Well, that’s not an honest way of looking at it.

Souma’s death hurt Kei. As a consequence, Haruki was hurt in her own unique way. Haruki Misora’s own ability was distorted to the point that she couldn’t even activate it on her own.

Souma knew that was going to happen. She knew everything that would happen.

Exhaling, Kei nodded. “You’re right. I really can’t forgive you.” Kei doubted he would be able to offer forgiveness for all that she had done.

Souma’s gaze dropped slightly. “I’m so sorry. Really, I mean it. But there’s something that I have to do. Even if it hurts you. No matter how much more it might hurt you, I can’t stop what I’ve started.”

That made sense. She had allowed herself to die and come back to life. She wouldn’t have pulled such an insane stunt without a well-thought out plan in advance.

Kei looked into her eyes, as if pleading to her in prayer. “What are you trying to accomplish?”

Her eyelids shifted down, and she quietly whispered, “Tell me, Kei. Why do you think I worked to name that black stone the MacGuffin?”

The MacGuffin. That tiny stone had drawn in just the right people with just the right abilities that Kei needed to understand Souma’s plan and enact it. The pebble itself was worthless, nothing more than an exaggerated rumor.

With a sigh, Kei answered, “The MacGuffin is a prop to tie the protagonist into the story.” It was a writing device that specially allowed someone to become a protagonist. A mysterious attaché case or a letter with indecipherable writing forced upon the character.

Souma nodded. “I wanted you to be the main character of the narrative I’m writing. That’s what all my preparation has been for.”

“What do you mean by a narrative?” What could Souma Sumire’s plans be that would be worth a girl dying and coming back to life?

“You already know what it means to hold that stone.” The sky was so blue it hurt to look at. Souma Sumire’s eyes seemed to take on that property as she gazed intently at Asai Kei. “Whoever holds the MacGuffin can control all the abilities in Sakurada.”

It was too far-fetched.

It was simply ridiculous.

Kei sighed once more. In his mind, he grumbled, I find that hard to believe. Out loud, he asked, “Did you hear your voice?”

Souma Sumire’s words from two years ago had already been sent.

Can you hear my voice?

6:30 had come and gone. She would know by now.

She tilted her head ever so slightly. “What would you prefer that I say, Kei?”

The lower sky began bleeding with a red tint.

“I’m sure that whichever answer you choose will be the right one.” Souma Sumire’s voice was quiet, but gilded with a strong conviction.

A Mechanical Decision – END

1. Throughout this volume, the author distinctly switches between the usage of 好き (suki) and 愛 (ai). Suki carries a variable range of affections from having a favorite to feeling romantic attraction, while ai is a specific recognition of the higher, self-giving virtue of love. Suki can be translated many ways, but in order to respect the dichotomy presented to the characters, I have stuck rigidly to translating suki as “like” and ai as “love” in this volume, and will continue to do so for this series. ↩︎