Chapter 20:
Time Traveler Magical Girl Runa: Memories of Romance
“I’m not in love with him!” The two girls yell in unison. It’s probably the first time they’ve agreed on something in ages. By the way, no one mentioned the word “love.”
“S-see? They don’t love me so it’s not like that.” Daisuke seems flustered. “They are just difficult girls, I guess.” They both look a little hurt at that.
“…Whatever, man. Just try to keep your pheromones in check around them.” The boy crosses his arms. “Are we still going on that photo-shoot by the riverside in an hour?”
“Yes. I’ll make sure everyone is ready for that.” Daisuke regains his composure and reassures him.
Ageha walks up to him with the same level of confidence. “That riverside photo-shoot sounds cool. Are you guys going to take pictures at sunset? Can we tag along as camera enthusiasts and not for our project?” She points to my camera.
“Oh, sure. Yeah, it would be nice to see how an instant camera would look in comparison. I think that model is supposed to take good photos at night, too. It’s just a short walk away from the school. I just need to go around and help anyone that doesn’t have their camera settings ready to go.”
Ageha turns to me. She gives me a smile and I give her a thumbs up. She’s so good at this kind of thing. Now we get to hang around the club for more time.
“Oh, I need help with my project before we go, Daisuke.” Mai calls out to him. We try to hang around them without looking too suspicious.
“Sure, Mai. Do you need help knowing the differences in the aperture again?”
“No, I remember how to set that. Thank you for explaining it to me again, though, haha…” She laughs meekly. “I wanted help with my project set up. I tried many different ways of arranging the flowers, but something still feels off.” They walk over to a flower vase with many kinds of fake flowers jutting out.
“Hm, I see. Do you remember us talking about the golden ratio a while ago? You’ll want to divide your shot into two squares, A and B. Square A will be longer than square B. So with flowers…” He picks the longer ones from the vase. They are put so the length goes out the right side and the shorter ones and bunched in the middle. “See? Try it like this.” He smiles at her.
She shyly smiles back. “Yes, it looks much better, thank you. Sorry, I’m always forgetting these things you say to me.”
“It’s no problem. You are our newest member and no one is perfect. You should have a bit more confidence. Your photos are getting better and better.” Does he not realize the effect those kinds of words have on girls? He reminds me of a less self-aware Hayahiko.
Mai shuffles closer to him and digs a small plastic bag out of her satchel. “B-by the way, I learned how to make chocolates recently and made a lot so if you want these…” This girl is bold for how airheaded she seemed!
“Oh, no thank you. Chocolates aren’t my thing. That’s very girly of you though.” Daisuke laughs. He really doesn’t have any self-awareness as a boy.
Kumiko picks up the small bag from her hands. “I happen to love chocolate and if you’re just giving them away…” This girl really doesn’t want Mai to get close to Daisuke.
“O-oh! Sure, Kumiko. They suit you better anyway. I don’t know what I was thinking, ahaha…” She gives another shy laugh.
“I’m glad you guys are getting along now.” Daisuke smiles.
He still doesn’t get it. No, he probably doesn’t want to get it. Dating within your club as the president would be pretty awkward. I think in a lot of schools it’s even not allowed. I feel bad for the girls and Daisuke. Even without the tampering in this world, I bet this love was rocky. Maybe they confessed when Daisuke graduated. I can imagine a sweet picturesque moment now.
“Daisuke, can you come look at my project?” Kumiko leads him away.
“Oh, sure, Kumiko. Did you need help as well?”
“I just wanted you to look at my settings and tell me if everything looks ok.”
Daisuke inspects her camera and her subject. “Mm, everything is perfect as usual. You always ask me to check on your work but nothing is ever wrong. Are you planning on using motion blur with the low shutter speeds?”
“Yes, I was going to set the camera on a timer and move the marbles like so.” She goes over and flicks the small marble across the table where a fake road is set up. There is a picture of a night skyline in the back.
He leans in close to her to get a better view. “Oh, like a set up for a city road at night. That will look great. And the high ISO speeds will make it look more realistic with the grain. You always take wonderful pictures. Keep up the good work.”
Kumiko is understandably flustered. “Oh, no. They are not anywhere as good as yours. I’m still learning.” She says that but I think she’s just wants to show off to him.
We hang around the clubroom for a while, taking pictures of students, before resting in the corner. I look at the photos in my hand. Some made cute poses for us and some let us take a photo of them taking photos. Both make me smile. I love capturing these small fun moments in their lives. The conversations Daisuke was having were really interesting to me as well. Maybe I should consider taking up photography.
“You looked like you had a lot of fun taking photos today. How much film do you have left?” Ageha asks over my shoulder.
“Ah, I should think about conserving what we have left, huh.” I check my pouch, there’s only one extra film pack which means there’s only eight photos left. I’m really looking forward to taking those sunset riverside photos.
Hota quietly speaks from my hands. “You girls thinking about those two girls, Mai and Kumiko? They seem the most suspicious.”
Ageha speaks before me. “Yes. I have a feeling it might be Mai who’s the fake.”
“What? How are you so sure?” I turn in shock.
“I feel like Kumiko would be perfect for Daisuke, don’t you think? She’s also a star photographer like him, and she’s really cute. I feel like they would get along really well.”
“Well, yes, but Mai is cute, too. I think her perseverance is admirable as well. But I’m not sure one way or the other.” I fidget with the camera between my fingers
I’m starting to get a little nervous. Ageha sounds so confident. Am I overthinking things? Or is she not thinking enough? I don’t really have any more evidence to say one way or the other. What do my girly instincts say? Hm. I wish we had more time in this world.
“Well, I’ll definitely wait until later to make a decision but you should make one soon, too. Or else I’ll just pick the one my gut tells me.” She tells me straight out. I make a face and sigh. Why does life push me so?
The time comes and Daisuke leads everyone outside the school without much fuss. He’s a good leader; I can tell why the girls fell for him. There are still some students working hard on their projects in various parts around the school grounds even as the sun begins to set. It’s rather inspiring. Outside, the school looks just as impressive as the inside. It was nice pretending to be a fancy middle schooler even for just a short while.
Ageha and I hang in the back as we try to spy on our suspects. Unsurprisingly, both of the girls stare hard at Daisuke’s back. They look like they really want to talk with him but he’s busy chatting with other members. I notice Kumiko trying to strike up conversation with Mai even though he’s free now. I can’t hear them well from back here, unfortunately. Maybe she’s trying to build a bridge between them.
I look towards Ageha. She’s preoccupied with taking in the sights. I can’t blame her. This is her first adventure into the past. I remember I was also pretty enamored at first. I look around as well. The buildings are starting to look more like from our time. There are still no LED signs, but there are plenty of brightly lit billboards covering the skyscrapers. I even start to see some recognizable fast food and convenience store chains. I can’t help but snap a picture even if I can’t bring it home with me.
After a short walk as promised, we come across a small river with a road bridge above it. The grassy sides have large rocks by the riverbed. It’s very wide across and the sun is setting into the water on the end. As we walk down I can’t help but feel it’s a good spot for photos, very picturesque.
“Everyone remember, a large aperture and high ISO speed is good for taking photos with low lighting. A long exposure will allow more light to come into the shot but be sure to experiment with many different settings to get one you like the best after development.” Daisuke mentions some explanations to the group. I notice he looks to Mai after he speaks. Probably to make sure she doesn’t have any questions. It’s nice of him.
Ageha and I are watching closely. There’s no time for me to take photos. I’ve got to be on alert. Most of the students take shots from the grass but a few try to take photos from the rocks. Daisuke and Kumiko are talking huddled over her camera. They look pretty into it. I admit they do look good together.
Mai climbs onto the one farthest into the water. I see Daisuke casts worrying glances at her. The obvious happens. Mai loses her footing and starts to fall into the river. She lets out a yell. I see Daisuke reach out.
“Watch out!” It’s Kumiko that runs to catch her. They both collide into each other, knocking her camera into the water. “Are you ok, Mai?” She holds her close.
Ageha takes the instant camera from my hands. “Wait, Ageha!”
“Hota, the fake is Mai!” She points the camera at the girl. It starts to glow and sparkle. The world freezes around us, even I feel the effect this time. I feel so powerless.
Hota transforms brilliantly into his watch form on her wrist. Her hair is gracefully moving as the light encompasses her. The uniform grows ruffles in multiple layers at the skirt changing colors from blue to white on the way down. There are beads of pearls flowing out of the blazer and a large ribbon appears in the middle. Watching as a spectator is mesmerizing.
The sparkles reach an apex as Ageha strikes an elegant pose. “Dust Bunny, your time has come to a glorious end by me, Time Traveler Magical Girl Ageha!”
The ball of white light shoots out towards Mai. Something is different this time. She doesn’t move even after the light hits her. It’s wrong. Oh no. It was the wrong choice. I knew it. I wish I had spoken up earlier and trusted my instincts. What were Hayahiko and Hota always trying to tell me? I’ve let both of them down.
Ageha pauses, clearly confused. Her pose slumps and she puts her hand to her face. The world is already fading into darkness this time. We’ve failed. She turns to me with a ghastly expression. This might be the first time her confidence as let her down.
“I had a feeling it was Kumiko but I couldn’t find a way to tell you with assurance. Mai was the one who was trying so hard to improve herself while Kumiko was just trying to keep Daisuke from getting close to her.” My voice is wavering. I had always thought of Ageha as better than me in every way somehow, it wasn’t right. I’m glad Hayahiko isn’t here to see me right now.
There are dark clouds swirling above us now. Kumiko turns to us with red eyes as the world continues to fade. She smiles as her body transforms into the same Dust Bunny I saw last time. It’s that boy’s. “You should listen to that girl, she’s something of a veteran now.” A soft voice comes out from the rabbit. It seems to be absorbing some of the dark light surrounding us.
Ageha falls to her knees, exhausted. Our outfits fade into our normal clothes as our world comes back into focus. I run to comfort her and help her up off the ground. I notice the man on the bench doesn’t have the dark clouds anymore. He sighs, puts his phone away, and starts to leave. Is his love really gone forever? Is it really our fault? I want to cry but I push the feeling away. Ageha doesn’t meet my eyes.
The dust bunny hops away towards Yona and the boy. It hops straight into Yona’s arms and transforms into a watch upon her wrist. The watch has black straps with a red face and silver circles inside it. What? It can’t be. Did Yona make a contract with that Dust Bunny? Both of our noticeable stares catch her attention. She looks just as surprised as we are.
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