Chapter 19: Make Your Choice!
"Buzz~ Buzz~"
In the noisy classroom, the vibrating phone was almost inaudible, but Shiina Mahiru still felt it. However, just as she was wondering who was calling her, the number displayed on the screen gave her a chilling sensation.
"Isn't this the number I stopped using? Could there be a thief at home?"
Without time for much thought, Shiina Mahiru tapped the answer button, but what came through the phone was a clear, crisp voice.
"Mama! Please help me..."
"Mama..."
Shiina Mahiru was startled by the word. Her first reaction was that it was a prank, but the voice on the phone felt familiar to her.
"Um, excuse me, who is this..."
Shiina Mahiru spoke tentatively, only to hear a tearful voice on the other end.
"Mama, it's me, Kaede! Mama!"
As the name Kaede reached Shiina Mahiru's ears, the girl suddenly seemed to snap awake, abruptly remembering the Little one she had picked up in the rain yesterday.
"Kaede? What on earth happened..."
After remembering Shiina Kaede, a sense of fear suddenly welled up in Shiina Mahiru's heart. Why? Even though it was something she had done, why had it suddenly vanished from her mind?
"I don't know either. Just now, I went out to buy something, but it's like the people around me couldn't see me. Even the shopkeeper ignored me when I tried to pay..."
Perhaps finding comfort from her mother, Shiina Kaede gradually regained her composure, but her tone still betrayed fear and unease. The feeling of being ignored by everyone was an unknown terror to her, as if she didn't exist in this world.
"But why is this happening? Did you do something?"
"No, I just went out to buy something. It must be something on your end, Mama."
Shiina Kaede said over the phone.
"On my end? But I haven't done anything..."
Before she could finish, Shiina Mahiru stopped talking. She suddenly realized that one person cannot have a child alone, so the problem must lie with Shiina Kaede's father.
"Kaede, do you remember your father's name and where he goes to school?"
"I remember. My father's name is Aragaki Takiya, and he goes to... Kyoto High School."
"Kyoto High School? Isn't that the same school as me?"
Listening to Shiina Kaede's answer, Shiina Mahiru fell into silence. However, as she looked out the window, she noticed Aragaki Takiya and Kato Megumi sitting together not far below.
"That's... it must be him."
"Mama, what should I do? I don't want to disappear..."
"Don't worry, I think I've found the cause. Go home first; I'll head back this afternoon..."
After comforting Shiina Kaede, Shiina Mahiru hung up the phone. But when she looked back at the spot she had just seen, the two people who were there had vanished.
"Could it really be because of him that this abnormality is happening to Kaede?"
Shiina Mahiru remained silent, but she felt a bit frustrated. She had wanted to get to know him first, but now this had happened... "It's about time. I should go visit Hachiman..."
In the afternoon, Aragaki Takiya finished his shift at the coffee shop as usual. After sending a message to Aragaki Moeha, he set off to visit Hachiman Hikigaya. On the way to the hospital, he bit the bullet and bought some fruit; after all, it was for Hikigaya. Though it was a bit expensive, it was worth it.
"Let's see... 1009, this should be the room."
Inside the hospital, after turning a corner, Aragaki Takiya finally found the room indicated on the address. Opening the door, he indeed saw Hachiman Hikigaya, though he was currently lying in bed.
"Eh? Brother, Brother Aragaki is here to see you..."
Hikigaya Komachi, who was waiting by Hachiman Hikigaya's side, had received word early on that Aragaki Takiya was coming to visit. Thus, she was constantly watching the door. Since Hachiman Hikigaya was the only one in the ward, she noticed the moment Aragaki Takiya opened the door.
"Huh? But I clearly told him he didn't need to come..."
Hachiman Hikigaya felt a bit uneasy. How should he put it? Logically, being visited by a good friend while injured should be a happy occasion, but due to his own personality, he wasn't quite used to such gestures.
"Sorry, please forgive my uninvited intrusion~"
Looking at the stubborn Hachiman Hikigaya lying on the bed, Aragaki Takiya didn't feel any unhappiness. After all, Hachiman Hikigaya had helped him many times before, and he understood the other's personality well. He wasn't that narrow-minded.
"Not at all! Brother just has this eccentric personality. Don't mind him, Brother Aragaki..."
Hikigaya Komachi naturally understood her brother's personality. At the same time, she was very happy about Aragaki Takiya's visit. After all, since Hachiman Hikigaya had been hospitalized, Aragaki Takiya was the only classmate who had come to visit. She was happy for her brother to have such a good friend.
"Hey, I didn't say anything. I wouldn't call it an 'eccentric personality'..."
Hachiman Hikigaya, lying on the bed, tried his best to explain, but he also realized the ambiguity in what he had just said, so even his explanation sounded a bit weak.
"Don't worry, I've long since gotten used to Hachiman's personality. Besides, I brought a get-well gift for you, Hachiman."
Seeing the weak-sounding Hachiman Hikigaya, Aragaki Takiya handed the fruit he bought to Hikigaya Komachi and pulled a copy of the latest manga from his bag to give to Hachiman Hikigaya.
"Eh? Um... thanks."
Looking at the manga Aragaki Takiya handed him and the fruit placed aside, Hachiman Hikigaya suddenly felt flattered. Perhaps aside from his parents and Komachi, the person in front of him understood him best. Not only was the fruit something both he and Komachi liked, but even the manga was one he was currently following.
"No need for thanks; we're old friends, after all. But Hachiman, you should think about your own health. If it were for saving a person, that would be one thing, but you actually got yourself into this state over a dog..."
Seeing Hachiman Hikigaya like this, Aragaki Takiya couldn't help but complain. He had heard the news of him being hit by a car while saving a dog from Hikigaya Komachi. One could only say that while Classmate Hikigaya was usually somewhat cynical, he could still step up at critical moments.
"Ah... how should I put it... Uh, I guess you could say I was too impulsive at the time."
Facing Aragaki Takiya's questioning, Hachiman Hikigaya naturally knew the other was concerned about him. He also understood that it was indeed his own doing. Yet, for some reason, he had a feeling that if time could be reset, he would still rush forward.
"Brother still has this old problem, even though Komachi has told him before..."
Hikigaya Komachi was also scolding Hachiman Hikigaya, almost bringing up old accounts, but she was stopped by the quick-acting Hachiman Hikigaya. No way—those things should only be known by the two of them. If Aragaki Takiya found out... Hachiman Hikigaya shuddered. That absolutely could not happen.