Awareness 2

Kazama being around signifies one of two things: Either he’ll meet Kamishiro and he’ll start trouble, or he’ll start trouble and the commotion will attract the interest of people. Kamishiro included.

I would have relied on Akamine to find Kamishiro but… No. I’m not following her around even with so many people around us. She’s way too suspicious and the only constant I can see between the disappearances. I don’t want to loop like that. I don’t even really know the mechanics behind this. So I’m not risking my neck like that.

Why do I need to look for Kamishiro? Because I am not dumb. That’s why. It all goes back to how things happen around him, how even Akamine changes in a way that is non-threatening. Or that are, depending on what’s happening to him.

The first time I noticed Akamine’s darkness, the point I returned to during the first loop/second round. And now this. It’s as if I’ve been witnessing special events being triggered, trying to tell me that they are important for Kamishiro. And maybe even for everyone else too.

Running around is difficult with the venue so tightly packed, so I just dance around the people. Read the flow and look around, trying to imagine what places I could find Kazama; what trouble looks like when he starts it.

Another reason to follow Kazama instead of Akamine is the exact same that I took space from him to begin with: Wherever he goes, trouble ensues.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that he reacted with annoyance to my crash in this timeline. Kazama takes issue with most things, so it’s kind of difficult to avoid conflict with him around.

Even here, where kids run around and participate in the stands’ games, where couples flirt, and families are having a good time, Kazama will certainly find something to be annoyed by.

And, from personal experience, the most annoying thing that could possibly happen…

“This guy again. You bastard... you never learn, huh? What I’m doing and where I go are none of your business.”

…Is to see a spineless dude be dragged around by a hottie without bringing anything to the table.

Kazama doesn’t hold Kamishiro by the neck of his shirt, thankfully. But he looks all but ready to do exactly that. Except that the girl he’s with has enough braincells to pull back from the half-circle of troublemakers trying to close any escape routes.

“Eh? But…”

“Then stop harassing Touya-kun! We’re having a good time here, get lost!” Ah, sports girl can actually stand her ground very well. This scene feels familiar, but I remember Akamine being the one growing bolder and publicly calling Kazama out as time went by.

Or perhaps this scene has played out before? Even what I consider the first ‘round’ was accompanied by a strange sensation of familiarity. Like I had seen it beforehand. This… This is something similar. But I don’t have any concrete answers yet, so maybe it’s something else too.

Damn it. At these times, it’d be so good to have an instruction manual. Or some kind of mascot/mentor to ask for confirmation. The only thing that these questions do is slow me down.

For now, I see how things happen. I’m pretty sure Akamine is somewhere here, but the current girl is the ‘center’ of this event so to speak. So I have a feeling that Akamine won’t show up.

Not directly anyway.

I move around to avoid becoming an obstacle for the onlookers, and to blend in with the crowd. It also gives me a better picture of who is where, and that gives me enough clue to see someone arrive.

“Leave Rei-chan and Yacchan alone!” Ah… Urara-chan! She looks so lively and lovely. It… Come to think of it, did I see her at all during the previous round? Other than seeing her with Kamishiro, it feels like ages since I last saw her. The energy she brings feels different, more… Mature somehow.

I must remember that I don’t really know her. I only focus so much on her because of the first round’s disappearance. I’m just glad that she’s okay.

“E-Eika-san is right…!” Oh? The curvy girl from the library? She looks like the withdrawn type, so how come she’s outside? Even without a yukata, or perhaps because of its absence, she looks out of place. And it’s obviously taking all of her will to stay here. It feels like a flag is happening here, but I can’t be too sure.

Then, I see her. Akamine sneaks from behind the girls and snatches the sports girl in silence.

I have a bad feeling about this.

“Kamishiro!” I call out and rush behind them. The guy probably won’t help at all since one of his girls just slipped his notice. But Akamine becomes harmless around him. So it’s for the best.

Dodging people while trying to keep two girls in sight is difficult. If you don’t go with the flow, the people become a tide slowing and pushing you around. Forcing you to make roundabout movements and lose track of who you’re looking for.

“Wait!” I call out, and the sports girl does turn around. Flinching despite running away, apparently aware of my voice.

I’m sure she has had bad encounters with me, just as the other girls around Kamishiro had. But now’s not the time for that.

“Don’t get close!” The girl turns around and slows down. I stop because her arms go up, even if she doesn’t seem to be getting in a fighting stance. “Why do you guys hate Touya-kun so much?! We were having a good time!”

“Were you?” It pisses me off that her main worry is Kamishiro. But seeing that my question makes her stop for a moment gives me enough clarity to also slow down and try to keep things civil. “I mean, not to judge people’s tastes. But Kamishiro?”

“He’s… Nice.” Oh? Reine-chan. You sound unsure. Why could that be?

“Not very bright.” I point out, trying not to smirk. “Or with a backbone to speak of.”

“H-He just likes a lot of things without favoring any.” Translation: He doesn’t have any passion or preference, so he drifts along. Yeah, I gathered that much from spying on him on the second round.

“Sounds like a catch.” I scoff. But quickly realize something. “Wait, where’s…?”

I look around when I realize that a very important piece is missing. I don't like how easily she slipped my awareness.

And that was my mistake.

"Huh?!"

Reine-chan's voice cuts through the noise. I snap toward the sound just in time to see her stumble backward, arms flailing. She's at the top of the stairs — the ones leading up to the higher viewing area.

No. Not stumbled — pushed.

"Rei—!"

For half a second, I catch sight of a hand withdrawing into the crowd behind her. Then a pair of cold eyes meets mine from between shifting shoulders.

My body moves before my thoughts can catch up. I throw my weight into the person slipping past me, cutting off her escape, and grab hold of her before she can vanish into the crowd again.

Akamine jerks in surprise and tries to shove me away, the same way she shoved Reine-chan. But I'm bigger and heavier. It only makes me stumble, one foot dropping onto the lower step, but I don't lose my balance.

"Akamine!" I don't know whether I'm furious, scared, or thrilled. This is it. This is my answer. The confirmation I needed. Maybe even the reason I moved through time to begin with. "I knew it!"

"Gah! Let go! Stranger danger! Stranger—!"

"A-Akamine-san…?"

The small, clear voice freezes her cold. I almost jump too.

"T-Touya-kun…" Akamine's face drains of color as Kamishiro stares at her in horror, a finger dumbly raised halfway without pointing at anything in particular. "Wait…"

“A-Akamine-san just… Why…?”

“Kamishiro! This is not the time! Go see if your girl is alright! I didn’t manage to catch her but—!” My voice escapes me as I feel Akamine slip away from my grasp. The stun and distraction made me loosen my grip.

Akamine’s howl is feral. Kamishiro is stunned and doesn’t move from his spot as she grabs him. Of course. He won’t do a single thing until the very end.

The people try to part away; I try to grab Akamine once more.

She spins around and throws Kamishiro the same way that she did with Reine-chan mere seconds ago.

Kamishiro doesn’t have good footing. He won’t save himself, even in this situation. I guess I understand why Kazama resents him so much.

I go back in time once more.