I woke up with a start, gasping for air, my heart pounding. The events of the previous day rushed through my mind—the cryptic messages, Attila's voice, and the strange encounter with what could only be described as my future self. But something within me had shifted.
Attila, the Goddess who gave me this second chance at life, had asked me what I truly wanted. For so long, I had been determined to save Touka and Uguisu-senpai. They were important to me. But now… I wasn't so sure. The weight of my so-called destiny didn't feel like mine to carry anymore.
I stood up from my bed, the early morning sun filtering through my window. The realization came slowly, but it was clear: Hiro was the one meant to save them, not me. Perhaps, all this time, I had been trying to hold onto something that wasn't truly my burden.
Maybe it's time to let go.
…
At school, I noticed the subtle changes around me. Touka, still as radiant as ever, smiled from across the classroom, but I didn't feel the same pull to rush over to her. Instead, I let Hiro take my place. It was clear he had stepped up to the role I had been forcing upon myself. He was the one meant to protect them now.
It felt… liberating.
As lunch rolled around, I wandered through the courtyard, lost in thought, when Yuka approached me. She had been keeping her distance since our rooftop conversation, but now, there was a curiosity in her eyes.
"Himeya, is something going on with you?" she asked, her voice careful.
I smiled faintly, more at peace than I had been in a long time. "Yeah, Yuka. I've just been doing some thinking."
"About Touka?" she pressed.
I shook my head. "No…"
I've decided I'm not the one who should be saving her or Uguisu-senpai. Hiro's got it under control now.
Yuka blinked in surprise. "That doesn't sound like you."
"I guess I've changed," I admitted, looking out at the bustling courtyard. "There's… someone else I'm interested in now."
Yuka frowned slightly. "Someone else?"
I didn't elaborate, partly because I wasn't even sure who I meant. It was more of a feeling than anything. But deep down, I knew that my heart was no longer tethered to the idea of saving Touka.
"Maybe," I said softly, "someone else."
…
That afternoon, I let Hiro take the lead with Touka and Uguisu-senpai. They laughed together in the library, and it was obvious to anyone watching that their fates were entwined. It was their story now, not mine.
I wandered aimlessly through the school until I found myself in a quiet corner of the library. It was peaceful here, a refuge from the chaos of my thoughts. I pulled a random book from the shelf and sat down by the window, letting the world fade away for a while.
But even in the stillness, that feeling of someone waiting for me lingered. I couldn't explain it, but there was a sense of anticipation in the air, like my path was finally beginning to align with what it was supposed to be.
…
Days passed, and the shift in my life felt more real with each one. Hiro had become the hero of the story, as if he'd always been meant to play that role. And me? I was content to watch from the sidelines.
Yuka had been keeping an eye on me since our last conversation, though she hadn't brought up the topic again. But one afternoon, as we walked through the school grounds after class, she couldn't hold back anymore.
"So," she began, her tone casual, "this person you're interested in… who is it?"
I chuckled lightly, shaking my head. "I don't know yet."
Yuka blinked, clearly confused. "What do you mean, you don't know?"
"I just… walk through it and let fate lead me," I explained, trying to put the strange feeling into words.
Yuka looked at me like I was crazy, but there was no malice in her gaze, just curiosity. "You're weird, Himeya."
"Maybe," I agreed, smiling softly, "but it feels right."
…
That evening, I stood on the balcony of my room, staring up at the stars. The quiet hum of the night wrapped around me, and somehow I just felt something was wrong.
The next day unfolded as usual, with nothing out of the ordinary. But then, while I was on the rooftop with Yuka…
"Sis, why…?" A girl standing in front of us looked directly at Yuka, her eyes filled with confusion.
"S-Sumire, wait! I can explain!" Yuka's voice trembled as she tried to calm her down.
When I took a second look at the girl, I realized she was the same person I had bumped into during the opening ceremony…
I stood up from my seat, facing her. "You're… the girl from the ceremony, right? The one I accidentally bumped into?"
She blushed deeply, unable to meet my gaze, and simply nodded.
I turned to Yuka, puzzled. "She's your acquaintance?"
Yuka's expression darkened, her face clouded with sadness. She cast her eyes downward before whispering, "She's my sister… my half-sister…"
"Sister…?" The words hit me hard. "You never mentioned you had a sister."
"Yeah… it's complicated. Shin… can you give us a moment? Please?" Yuka's voice was quiet, almost pleading.
Without a word, I nodded and stepped away, leaving them behind on the rooftop. My thoughts were spinning as I made my way to the library.
…
I sat near the window, lost in thought. What was I supposed to do now? But before I could get too deep into it, I heard a soft tapping sound.
Tap
I glanced behind me to see who it was. Standing there was Uguisu-senpai.
"Senpai?" I blinked, surprised to see her after so long.
"It's been a while," she said, smiling warmly.
I felt my cheeks heat up. Her smile still had that effect on me, even after everything.
"Y-yeah… it has," I stammered. The truth was, I'd been avoiding her and Touka ever since I left them to Hiro. I hadn't been to the library since.
Uguisu-senpai sat down across from me, a stack of papers in her hand. She laid them on the table with a gentle thud.
"What's this?" I asked, eyeing the pages.
"It's something Takamine-kun wrote. Did you know he's been writing?" she asked, her voice soft but curious.
"No, I didn't…" I lied. Of course, I knew.
"The story is about a man who's lost his way," she said, a hint of sadness in her tone.
"That sounds like something he'd write," I replied, managing a faint smile.
A flood of memories washed over me, memories of when things were simpler. We used to talk like this so easily. I missed those days. I missed her.
Suddenly, I felt something warm sliding down my cheek. A tear.
"Shin…?" Senpai's voice was laced with concern as she leaned forward.
I thought I could distance myself from all of this, from her. I had convinced myself that I was just a side character, that I didn't belong in this story. After all, I wasn't even supposed to exist in the original plot.
Was everything I felt for her just admiration for a character in a manga? Or was it something more real?
Before I could delve deeper into my own confusion, Senpai reached out and gently took my hand. I looked up, meeting her soft, caring gaze as sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a golden glow on us.
"I'm still here, you know," she said softly, her hand warm against mine.
"Senpai…"
I remembered the scene from the manga—her lying on that bed, trapped in eternal sleep, leaving the protagonist behind.
It was all supposed to happen just like in the story. Could I really change it? But I'd already given that role to Hiro…
The warmth of Uguisu-senpai's hand lingered as I stared into her eyes, a mix of emotions swirling inside me—regret, hope, and confusion. Her gentle smile stayed steady, but I could feel the weight behind it. She had been through this before, maybe not exactly in this way, but she knew the burden of the roles we played.
"I'm here, you know," she repeated softly, her words breaking through the fog in my mind.
I didn't know what to say. The memories of her fate, her eternal sleep, haunted me. In the original story, there was nothing anyone could do. It was supposed to be tragic, inevitable. But now, I was here, in this version of the world—alive, with her sitting right across from me. Maybe I wasn't the protagonist, but did that mean I had no power to change things?
"Senpai… do you ever feel like you're just playing a part in someone else's story?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The question hung in the air between us, heavy and uncertain.
She blinked, surprised by the question, before tilting her head slightly. "What do you mean?"
I sighed, feeling the weight of everything I had been holding back. "It's like… everything's already written. We're just acting out roles. I've always thought of myself as… as someone standing on the sidelines. Someone who isn't meant to make a difference. And you, Senpai… you were supposed to…"
I couldn't finish the sentence. The image of her lifeless body, frozen in time, flashed in my mind again.
Uguisu-senpai's eyes softened. "Shin-kun, do you really think that's all you are? A side character?" Her grip on my hand tightened, firm but reassuring. "We are all living our stories, and yes, sometimes it feels like things are out of our control, but that doesn't mean we're powerless. I believe we can make choices that matter, even if they seem small."
Her words struck me, cutting through the doubt I'd held onto for so long. Was it really possible for me to change anything? I had let Hiro take the lead because I thought he was meant to. But maybe… maybe I'd been wrong.
"Takamine-kun's story… he's inspired by someone," she continued, her voice quiet but resolute. "It's you who inspired him, your way of getting along with all of us made him write these stories."
I opened my mouth to respond, but my words caught in my throat. A lump of emotion I hadn't realized I was holding back threatened to overwhelm me.
Uguisu-senpai watched me with patient eyes, giving me space to process what she was saying. She wasn't pushing me, wasn't forcing me to be something I wasn't. But there was a warmth in her gaze, a belief that I could be more than I thought I was.
I thought back to all the times I had distanced myself from her, from Touka, from everyone. I thought it was for the best, that I didn't belong in the main story. But sitting here, with her hand still gently holding mine, I realized I'd been running from something more than that.
"I've been thinking," I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. "That maybe… I'm just pretending. That my feelings … for everything. But maybe it was all fake. Maybe it's just admiration. I don't know anymore."
Uguisu-senpai's expression softened even further, her thumb brushing lightly across the back of my hand. "Shin-kun… we're not characters in a story. We're here, right now, and whatever you're feeling—it's real. Whether it's admiration or something deeper, it's yours. Don't deny it."
Her words cut straight to my heart, and suddenly, I felt a warm tear slip down my cheek. It surprised me as much as it seemed to surprise her.
"Shin…?" Her voice was full of concern as she reached out to wipe the tear away, her touch gentle, soothing.
"I've been so afraid of changing anything," I admitted, my voice trembling. "I thought if I let things happen the way they were supposed to, it would be easier. But I don't want to just sit on the sidelines anymore."
Her hand moved from my cheek to my shoulder, her gaze steady as sunlight poured in through the window, bathing us in a warm glow. "You don't have to."
I met her eyes, the weight of her words sinking in. "But what if… what if I fail? What if I can't change anything?"
She smiled softly, the kind of smile that made me feel like everything could be okay. "Then we'll figure it out together. You're not alone, Shin."
Her words, simple and sincere, filled the space between us, and for the first time in a long time, I felt something shift. Maybe I wasn't the main character, but that didn't mean I couldn't take control of my own story. Maybe I didn't have to save everyone or fix everything. Maybe just being there for the people who mattered was enough.
Uguisu-senpai's hand still rested on my shoulder, her presence a quiet reassurance. And in that moment, with her beside me, I felt a spark of hope.
For the first time, I didn't feel like a side character anymore.