◆
"I-I'm exhausted..."
The time was past midnight.
I had been playing games with those two until just a moment ago, and I was finally released.
Apparently, they were studying seriously until around 8:00 PM, but it seems they finally reached their limit of patience.
From then on, they played games for four hours straight, and I was dragged into it too.
I understand that everyone needs to blow off some steam once in a while.
If they don't, they can't maintain their concentration.
However, just when I thought they were frolicking energetically a few minutes ago, they fell asleep the next instant as if their batteries had run out.
Seriously, are they kindergarteners?
I lay down on the bed and closed my eyes.
Ah... this is a nice feeling of fatigue.
Drowsiness comes to harvest my consciousness.
Without resisting that sleepiness, I slowly let go of my consciousness—.
............。
……………………。
"Senpai."
"ッ!"
A familiar voice whispered in my ear.
Reflexively opening my eyes, I saw a blurry shadow leaning over me in the dimly lit room.
It wasn't a wall-press, but a floor-press. No, in this case, it's a bed, so a bed-press? That sounds terrible. ...No, that's not it!
"N-Noa... is that you...?"
"Yes. It's Noa-chan, Senpai's precious kouhai."
Perhaps it was a break in the rainy season, as moonlight shone through the window.
Noa's figure floating in the dark night was wearing light blue pajamas, probably borrowed from Kotono, with sleeves that were slightly too long.
It seemed she had unbuttoned down to the third button of her pajamas, and the slight gap was suggestive.
Even for someone like me, when such a beautiful girl comes for a night visit in the middle of the night... I have certain thoughts.
The time on the wall clock was 2:00 AM.
It was the dead of night when even the trees and grass sleep.
I had many things to say, like 'wear your clothes properly' or 'why are you here at this hour,' but for now, just one thing.
"Why are you here?"
"It's a night visit."
"...Are you serious?"
"I wouldn't do something like this as a joke."
Noa, who had been on all fours, slowly raised her upper body.
Sitting down on my lower abdomen, she slowly stroked my pectoral muscles.
"Stop it, you idiot. You're not the type of person who does things like—"
"I am the type of person who does this. I really am."
She cut me off mid-sentence.
Noa's eyes were dead serious. It was a straightforward gaze that brooked no argument.
"Senpai, you said it during the day, didn't you? That you and Kuonji-senpai are connected by a Red Thread of Fate."
"...Yeah, I said that."
"...When I heard that, I thought. Why isn't it me? Just because we're one year apart in age, why can't I be tied to the person I love...?"
Noa gently stroked my cheek.
That face was filled with affection—unlike the usual Noa, she looked beautiful.
"I love you, Senpai. As a member of the opposite sex... ever since that time you saved me."
That time.
The summer three years ago.
I still remember that.
At that time, Noa was even more of a gyaru than she is now, and her personality was slightly twisted.
At first, when Kotono brought Noa over, I wondered what was going on.
Noa was amiable in front of Kotono.
But the moment we were alone.
'Big brother, I heard you do nothing but muscle training? Gross (lol).'
"...You were really cheeky back then, weren't you?"
"Um, please, seriously forget the 'me' from back then..."
Well, even if I wanted to forget, I couldn't.
"Cheeky, looking down on your elders, 'to hell with studying,' thinking the present was the most fun, confident in your own cuteness, believing you could manipulate anything yourself... and as a result, that incident happened."
"────ッ"
It was when she was in her first year of middle school.
She was about to be gang-attacked by five people, including the college student she was dating at the time.
Threatened with a knife, she was taken into a deserted apartment.
The one who saved her just in the nick of time was me.
"You should thank Kotono. If she hadn't accidentally seen you being taken away, by now you would have..."
"I know. That's why I have absolute trust in Kotono... and I fell in love... with Akito-senpai... who saved me back then..."
"...Noa...?"
Tears spilled from Noa's eyes.
They fell onto my cheek and slowly flowed down.
"...Why... why is our age different...? Why, just because our age is different... can't I be connected to the person I love...?"
"…………"
"I love you, Akito-senpai... I love you so much. You're my hero who saved me...!"
...I had no idea she loved me this much.
Thinking about it that way, all her actions until now make sense.
That must have been her way of appealing to me. An appeal saying that she loved me.
And I... I'm the worst.
............。
But, I... .
"Noa, listen. ...Saving you back then was a coincidence. Even if it hadn't been you, I would have gone to help. ...Your feelings are nothing more than a phantom shown to you by the 'me' who saved you back then."
...I will reject her while remaining 'the worst.'
If she continues to feel this way about me, Noa herself will become unhappy.
In this world where the 'Red Thread of Fate' is visible, you can only be tied to one person.
In that case, I have no choice but to make her understand.
That the feelings she directs toward me are nothing more than a phantom from that time.
"You've been misunderstanding me as a human being this whole time. So—"
"Senpai, you don't understand at all, do you?"
"...What?"
Noa, having wiped away her tears, wore a painful smile.
"We are human. We have various emotions. No matter how much logic is in your words, my current feelings won't change. Certainly, in the future, a red thread will appear for me too, and these feelings will probably fade. ...Even so, right now, I love you from the bottom of my heart. 'I'll give up because this feeling is fake.' 'I'll give up because this emotion will fade.' 'I'll give up because these feelings won't reach you.' ...I can't do that. I'm not a doll or a robot. I'm just a girl in love with you. ...So the words I want most right now are your true words, Senpai."
Noa got off me and stood by the bed.
The moonlight shining from behind illuminated Noa as if to envelop her.
...My true words... huh.
I also got up from the bed and looked at Noa.
...The person connected to my red thread is Riran. So... .
...No, that's wrong.
I closed my eyes and took a breath.
"...I like Riran. So, I can't respond to your feelings."
"...I understand. I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
Showing a smile that looked like she was about to cry at any moment, Noa quickly left the room.
...I'm sorry, Noa... .
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"Ah! Senpai, you're late!"
"Why are you here today too?"
After school on Monday.
When I returned home as usual, Noa was in front of the house.
After that night, Noa had gone home without saying a single word.
Well, of course. After spending such an awkward time together, it's natural that it would be hard to face each other.
And yet... why is she here today too?
"Mufufu~. Senpai~, did you think I was hurt? Too bad! I'm Noa-chan, who knows both the sweets and bitters of romance! I'm not adult enough to give up over something like that!"
"No, give up already."
"Boo, Senpai, you're so cold~"
It's not 'so cold~'.
"I looked it up after that. The ratio of people in this world who married their red thread partner versus those who didn't. Then, lo and behold! 90% of people married their red thread partner, but the remaining 10% was marriage between people who weren't connected!"
"Oh, right... wait, marriage?"
Isn't the conversation leaping forward a bit much?
"Most of that 10% had comments like, 'I couldn't give up on the person I liked from the start,' or 'I wanted to marry the person I truly loved!' I gained courage from that! So!"
Noa poked her finger against my chest and gave a cute wink at close range.
"Senpai, I haven't given up yet, okay? ♪"
............。
Anrakuji Noa.
This girl was... a much tougher girl than I thought.