Life has one abiding rule I learned from my observation of life.
If something strange happens once, it's an accident.
If it happens again, it's planned.
And if someone asks you to meet them somewhere and you don't go...
Definitely, you are about to experience consequences.
I, Ren Mizuhara, learned this lesson the hard way.
Today, Airi told me to come to the rooftop.
It was a simple request from her.
But it actually meant it wasn't so simple.
Naturally, I did what a rational person would do.
I went home.
Avoidance is the best way to prevent any danger.
From the Rule of Introverts, Rule No. 101 teaches us that if you don't understand the problem, distance yourself from the problems.
Which is exactly what I did. Or at least I tried.
The moment I entered my house, something felt off.
A normally abnormal atmosphere.
Our house usually contained three people: me, my mother, and my little sister, who hates me for no reason.
Our family loves peace. At least, I believe in that.
I stepped into the living room.
My mother was preparing dinner in the kitchen. The sound of chopping vegetables could be heard throughout the house.
And on the sofa, as expected, sat a human who hates me for no reason.
My little sister, Mei.
She was looking at her phone the moment I walked in.
Her eyes narrowed slightly at me.
"Took you long enough."
"... It's the same time as every day."
She clicked her tongue in anger.
"Idiot."
As usual, her sharp tongue.
Mei stared for a second and stood up. She leaned close to me and sniffed.
I was startled and stepped back.
"What are you doing?"
She crossed her arms.
"You smell weird."
"That's kind of disturbing, don't you think?"
She didn't answer.
She stared at me like she was inspecting something suspicious.
"You look tired."
"No, just school work."
"No," she said bluntly. "You look dumber than usual."
I sighed.
Why do I encounter this type of person in my life?
At school, someone asked me to lick saliva. And at home, my sister started sniffing me.
I am not upset about dumb things.
My sister decided many years ago that insulting me was her fundamental right.
My mother leaned out of the kitchen.
"You two, wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon."
"Okay." She glanced at me again.
"Idiot."
"You've said that three times in one minute."
"Just making sure you understand."
After such beautiful family bonding, what else do you need in life?
Dinner, maybe.
That night was something else.
After dinner, I was in my room, lying on my bed, staring at my ceiling.
I felt something was wrong.
I thought I was stressed.
Everything happening in the past few days made it obvious that it was stressing me out.
But by midnight, my head felt heavy. And by morning, my body started to hurt.
My body was burning like someone had thrown me in boiling water.
"Ren."
My mother's voice.
She touched my forehead.
"You're burning up."
Her voice shifted into concern.
"Mei, bring me a thermometer."
My sister appeared beside the bed. Rather than looking concerned, I felt she looked kind of annoyed.
"Why do you always get sick, dumbass?"
"Why are you blaming me for this?"
She shoved the thermometer in my mouth.
"Shut up and rest, idiot."
And she left for school.
A few seconds later, my mother looked at the thermometer and sighed.
"39°C. High fever."
Which exactly meant what every student in his school life wishes for: no school.
Unfortunately, fevers are less fun than they sound.
Day one passed okay.
Day two was worse.
Day three felt like my brain was about to burst into pieces.
I was barely eating.
Barely moving.
Mei occasionally appeared in the doorway just to stare at me.
"Still alive, huh?" she asked.
"If you can't speak, at least don't speak to me."
"Pathetic," she said and left.
Somewhere in my worst state, I was thinking about Airi.
Did Airi go to the rooftop?
And if she did...
Was she waiting for me?
What is she doing right now?
But that thought kept bothering me more than this fever.
On the fourth day, the doorbell rang.
I heard Mei running down the hallway.
"I'll get it."
Some voices could be heard but not clearly.
Then footsteps approached my door.
The door wasn't locked.
Mei stood in my doorway and said, "There's a weird girl here for you."
"...Weird?"
A moment later, another figure appeared from behind her.
Airi Kurotsuchi.
Same eyes that hid her expression.
Same hair and her scent.
There was a stack of papers in her hand.
"Mei, come into the kitchen," Mom called aloud.
She went downstairs.
Airi stepped into the room, looking everywhere as her eyes followed: ceiling, anime figures, messy clothes, and the PC, anime posters.
She sat on the chair near me.
"You're still alive," she said.