"Look at this, sister! It's the Destiny Parade!"
We're watching the parade with churros in hand.
Hizaki-san seems to have grown quite attached to Shinozuka.
"Hizaki-san, let's take pictures! and make lots of memories!"
"Okay! Let's have a monster parade in the next episode! Oh, you should be in the picture, too. ..."
Hizaki-san's attitude toward Shinozuka had changed, but she talked to me in a slightly distant manner.
Well, they are in junior high school. It's a sensitive time.
"I'll take a picture of it for you."
"No! Shinjo-kun should take it with me! " You too…"
They said, as if to cover my voice.
Then I'll take them up in their offer.
It wasn't just the parade.
We went to various places ... in the Destiny World, looking for Mookie, as Shinozuka said.
"This is an attraction where you can beat zombies with guns like in a FPS. Let's aim for a high score with a team of three!"
"... zombies, ..., what an amazing setting, ...."
"It's the latest attraction! I mean, I'll never lose to you onii-san!"
"Sorry, man. I'm not going to lose."
"You two are such good friends. But it's all about teamwork!"
"No, we're not close! My brother calls me Puggy."
"What's wrong with that? I'm a pug."
While making light-hearted remarks like this, I took on the attraction.
I took down the strangely realistic-looking zombies with my gun.
"Hey, Shinjo-kun! Behind! Behind!"
"Shinjo-san!? Look out, sister!
"The ... gun feels strangely comfortable in my hand. –I'll take care of this and you go ahead!"
"Don't raise the death flag, Shinjo-kun! I'm with you!"
When I left the attraction, my score was announced on the monitor.
"I'm in first place! You did it, sister! ... And you too, brother."
"Haha, Shinjo-kun's moves were seamless."
"Yeah, he was struggling to survive."
The attendant came up to us.
"Congratulations! The first place winner will receive this prize."
We were handed a small stuffed Mookie key chain, there were enough for all three of us.
Shinozuka-san spoke up as she looked at it.
"The three of us are all matching! Let's go next!"
Hizaki-san looked happy as she looked at the stuffed animals.
When I'm on a ride with Punta the Bear…
"This bear has a very old man's voice."
"Shinjo! Don't be rude to Punta! Punta's a fairy in Destiny World."
"Oh, wow, he's happy to drown in a sea of honey! Oh, Punta's friends have gathered–and friends , friends. And friends ..., friends ... what ...."
"Hizaki-san, take my picture! Here, smile! smile! Shinjo ..., what are you looking so serious about?"
"No, no, see that black Punta over there? Hey, what's that?"
"Hmm? I don't see anything like that. It's more like a picture."
"Oh, my God, is it my imagination? No, I'm getting a bad vibe from .... Let's get the hell out of here. ...
"Pfft, you're scared of a ride from Punta the Bear? You're older than I am. ..., hahaha!"
I took a lot of pictures.
It was a different kind of fun than when I was alone with Shinozuka.
Hizaki, who was tsun tsun but surprisingly honest, gradually became more and more expressive.
Time seemed to pass quickly.
Hizaki-san looked at the clock again and again.
It was a pity that it was coming to an end. I want it to continue.
I'm sure that's what she's thinking.
You can't forget a wound in this little time.
In the first place, we just met today.
We've only known each other for a few hours, but time doesn't matter.
We were sitting on a bench in the central square near the entrance.
We're looking back at the photos we've taken.
"Ah, we didn't find Mookie after all. I was hoping to find him with Hizaki-san. ..."
"Well, yeah, ..., it's a shame, isn't it?"
I'm replying, but my conscious mind might be imagining the bus ride home.
Maybe she's thinking about school tomorrow.
It's something we can't control.
Still…
"Hizaki-san, it's time to go. We have to go back to the meeting place. ... You're going home, aren't you?
I'll be the one to bring you back to reality.
Mookie and Shinozuka should let Hizaki dream.
"... Uh-huh. That's right! You don't have to tell me that. ... I know. ..."
"Then let's go. ... I can't tell you it's okay. I can't tell you to hang in there. But ...."
I gently stroked Hizaki-san's head..
It reminds me of my stepsister.
"Me and Shinotsuka made a connection with Hizaki. Look, we were able to stay together, even though we didn't trust anyone. It would be sad to say goodbye like this, wouldn't it? Let's ... come here together again."
"...O-onii-san .... I'll be back to play with you. ... Hmm, hmm, okay. Well, I'll play with you again.
"Hee hee, you two are good friends! I'm happy for you, Hizaki-san! I'll be in touch!"
Shinozuka took Hizaki's hand and stood up.
Then we headed out of the park.
Their steps were slow.
Everyone was silent, but the atmosphere was not unpleasant.
The bus for Hizaki-san's school came into view.
When I saw the anxious look on Hizaki-san's face, I wanted to hold her hand.
I took her small hand and she said.
"... O-onii-san, ...."
"—-"
Words are not necessary right now. Just stay next to her.
We walked to the bus.
Hizaki-san took one big deep breath and let go of our ... hands.
"Thank you for today, Shinozuka onee-san, and Shinjo onii-san,.... I've had a lot of fun .... I'll definitely be in touch! Don't ever ignore me! Bye!"
The two of us look at Hizaki with big smiles on our faces.
We leaned on each other as we watched Hizaki run off.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
I was really scared.
I didn't want to go to the bus.
I wanted to stay in Destiny forever.
But then I won't be able move on.
When I looked at the picture of the three of us together, it warmed my heart.
I've never felt like this before. ...
So I need to be okay, when I see you two again.
On the bus, the students were tired and asleep.
Of course, some of the students left me behind, but I don't care anymore.
If I don't get involved, it won't be hard.
I took this picture with my phone, but I've been looking at it for a long time–
Alright~, so that I don't forget how I feel now, I made a note on the site ....
... Huh?
I got a message from the novel site.
"This is Pomeko! It was fun today! Phew, it was nice to meet the lovely Hizaki-san! Let's find Mookie next time! Oh, I've started reading your novel too! I'll write about it next time!
–Shinozuka onee-san? What? Why? Pomeko-san is a ... eeeh, no way?
I'm going to use the experience of Puggs and Destiny as inspiration for my writing. I'm not going to lose the ... ranking. From Nyanta.
–Nyanta is ... your Shinjo onii-san! Eh, no way ...…don't tell me a ranker!?
The boy sitting beside me, surprised, looked at me with a strange look.
Don't worry, I'm ...
"W-What's it to you?"
A boy I've never spoken to before. He had no friends, he was unassuming, and he was kind of like a ... robot.
"…I see, I've never seen that look on Hizaki's face before. I'm sorry to ... startle you, but I felt bad, but I was curious about the website ... Hizaki was looking at.
"What? Are you making fun of me too?
"Making fun of you? I'm sorry, I don't have those feelings. Nevertheless, I was curious about the expression on Hizaki's face as she looked at the site. I'm sorry to say that it's impossible. What's ... that?"
The sober-looking boy looked like he really had no idea what was going on.
He is always alone and acts without reading the atmosphere of the class. His classmates didn't want to take care of him and tried to stay out of his way.
I might have been smiling at their messages ....
"This is a fiction site. It's full of people's stories. Do you know what a ... novel is?"
"I understand the concept of .... I've read about them. But I never understood it."
"What? What? You don't understand the fun of novels? You're losing your life. ... I mean, you know I'm going to publish a book, right?"
"Yeah? A book? I'm not sure. The only thing I understand is that Hizaki-san has been alone lately. ... Hey, can I try and read it?"
"Y-yeah, ...."
He said, "Excuse me," and scrolled down the screen of my phone.
The screen of my novel instantly moved to the bottom.
... Oh, did you read this?
He closed his eyes and said to me.
"I'm sorry ..., I understand the content. I understand that the banished Kyousuke-kun will be awakened. But why was he exiled?"
"What? Why? ..., why don't you get it?
"Yeah, I told you. I don't understand emotions. That stuff disappeared in that elementary school. ..., but that novel has become very interesting to me. It has a lot of human emotions in it. If you can create emotions for me, ..., hey, Hizaki-san, can you explain the novel to me?"
I don't know. My pace is really disturbed.
It's not the same as the Shinjo onii-san, but it's too impersonal.
Even at ..., his eyes were serious. The innocence of his heart is dazzling to me.
"Haha ..., it can't be helped. But everyone's asleep now, so I'll see you next time. You'll stand out if you talk. ..., what's your name again?"
I didn't know the name of the student I was talking to. But there was something about ....
He brushed his hair back and answered with a useless twinkle in his eye.
–What? You're as super duper good looking as Shinjo onii-san? Are you really a middle school student! Huh, aren't you old? –Well, I don't really care about your face.
"Oh, my name's ... Dojima Takeru. Hizaki-san, we're going to Saigeria after we get off the bus. I want to know how you came to have that look on your face.
..., you're still a strange person.
But he's not a bad person. I can feel it. He's a natural!
"Hmm, are you curious? I'll tell you about it later, so let's keep it quiet. Just sleep until we get there."
"Mmm, I can't help it. I'll take care of it."
After that, Dojima-san closed his eyes and became quiet.
... He's a really strange guy. That's a weird, old-fashioned way of putting it.
But I was happy to hear that. I'm glad that there is someone in my class who notices my changes. ...
... Maybe they'll make fun of me or betray me later.
If I hadn't met my onii-san and onee-san, I wouldn't have been able to smile.
I didn't recognize Dojima-kun, who was next to me, as anything but a plain and strange boy.
I don't know if I can really trust him. Maybe I should just tell him it's none of my business and spend the rest of my school life alone and sober.
I've been looking at Dojima-kun's sleeping face for a while now, and I'm starting to feel stupid thinking about it.
... Huh, I'm going to write a novel! I'm sure it'll make a great story! I'm not going to let your Shinjo onii-san beat me!
I'll never forget this day.
I will never, ever forget this day.
It was an important day for me to meet you two.
In order to meet my Shinozuka onee-san and Shinjo onii-san again, I will put my thoughts into my novel.
I hugged Mookie's stuffed animal to my chest.
–I felt a sense of my heart being wrapped in the warmth of the two of them.
[TL Note: Hizaki-san's POV is extremely confusing.. I'm still new to translating and in fact to find a solution to this instead of saying Brother Shinjo or Sister Shinozuka – I directly translated them to Shinjo Onii-san and Shinozuka Onee-san.–]
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~To be continued~