[Extra]Gabriella

I followed my sister Rose to Japan, where I met this man again. His name was Nishino Gogo, or something like that, and he was an ordinary Asian boy with an unremarkable face.

On the outside, at least, he is nothing more than an ordinary man. At first sight he is not a very attractive person. But for some reason, my sister seems to be interested in him. 

Naturally, I couldn't leave him alone. So, on my first day at the new school, I immediately decided to get rid of him.

I found out from a classmate that the target commutes to school from home by train. So I waited for a while on the platform of the station, which is often used by students of the school. After sitting on a bench for an hour or so, the man in question appeared.

My buttocks are beginning to ache from sitting on the hard bench for so long. In the meantime, the station's passengers have been glancing at me as if they were looking at something unusual. 

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It wasn't very pleasant. 

As if to vent my frustration, I talk to him. 

"You've finally arrived." 

"Where were you?" 

"...What do you want?" 

"Can I have a word with you?" 

"I'm sorry, but I'm in a hurry."

According to sister, he also works with the same mysterious invisible power that I use to move my artificial arms and legs. However, in the past, when we have fought, he has not shown any signs of it. Perhaps it's not such a big deal.

With this in mind, I decided to take him head on. I moved from the station platform to an abandoned building that stood nearby. The interior had already been removed, as if it was due to be demolished soon. It was dusk and not very popular. 

This is the perfect location to threaten someone who is not in the open air. It's the perfect location to scare someone out of the open air. 

"You must be a very sad person to choose such a lonely place for your last sight." 

I remember hearing something similar a few times...

"No offence, but you might want to reconsider. It's your first day at a new school."

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But it was a foolish decision. While my attack was defended with no success, the blow from the other side cut off my limbs in an instant. It happened in a fraction of a second, before I could even react to the taste.

One moment I heard a high-pitched squeak, the next I was leaning forward.

If the blow had been aimed at the neck and not at the limbs, I would have died in a flash, before I could have regretted my death. No, if it had been a limb as well, I would have bled to death without this crippled body.

As soon as I realised this, I felt a chill run down my spine. My heart started to beat faster and louder because of the trauma.

He, on the other hand, looked at me calmly and unconcernedly. 

"What are you doing?" 

"And I have some advice for you."

"What? What?"

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"The school you've moved to, it's quite a nice place. It's a good place to go, but you need to look around. You will find something that will enrich your life."

He must have decided that I was no threat to him. 

He turns his back on me and walks away. 

I can see him using his strength to support himself as he leaps out of the window frame, which has lost its glass, towards the open air. It seems to me that the blow was struck by the same invisible force that I am dealing with. I was sweating profusely on my forehead

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That was the moment when I properly understood who he was.

◇ ◆ ◇

My contact with him ended in my defeat. From then on I was humiliated. Every time I interacted with my beloved sister, he was there to prevent me from doing so.

It is not hard to see why ym sister is interested in him, after having seen his powers. She may look unassuming, but inside she is terrifying.

The day after the incident in the abandoned building, he convinced me to join a break-dancing club. I decided to join because I could dance with my sister. 

As a result, my contact with him will only increase.

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In the meantime, time passed and progress was made in the club. 

The day of the dance event arrived, which was the reason why I had been invited to join the breakdance club, the original purpose for which he had taken the initiative to gather the members. His aim was to elevate the club's social status.

If my sister wants to join them, I'm sure I'll be there. 

I have been practising every day. It's nice to see that what started out as a struggle to use our strength is gradually taking shape. It was a great experience for me personally. 

But then I kicked him off the stage. I didn't mean to do that. I felt a bit comfortable, and I will keep that in mind.

In the end, however, the audience appreciated it, as did the questions. In the end, however, the audience gave us high praise for these and other questions. We ended the dance with a round of applause. This is what happened just after the end of the performance.

A piece of metal suddenly and noiselessly appeared between my eyes, right in front of me.

It took me a few moments to see the target and realise that it was a bullet that had just been fired.

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The trajectory was right on course for my head. If it hadn't stopped, the next moment it would have pierced my skull and gouged out its contents. 

The fact that I am standing still makes me aware of him. But there was no response from him. He is facing the audience with a pompous look on his face. 

There is no doubt in my mind that the bullet was aimed at my life. At the same time, I am convinced that it was he, right next to me, who prevented it.

But I don't understand. Why did he save me? He has nothing to lose by my death. In fact, it would be a positive thing for him, because he would be rid of an opponent who was nothing but a foreign enemy. I don't see the point of going to the trouble of helping him in public, using a power that he is keeping secret. Other than that, we can still come up with some convincing reasons. He may have been afraid that someone would die on the spot.

According to the story confirmed by the lady who said that she is the boss of my sister, the agent who calls himself [normal] is cherishing his life now.

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They are also mentioned in the book. There is no possibility of this happening. The collapse of the competition could also have implications for the future of the breakdancing club. 

"....." 

But even if that were the case, it would be a risky move. I have to agree. As for the dance event, our team did not win any prizes. I think the stage was outstanding. However, as it was a dance contest for the skills of the competitors, the emphasis was on the technical aspects. It was a bit frustrating.

We went to a nearby restaurant to have a review meeting of the Dansui event. As we have been living in hotels and eating in the facilities, it was refreshing to see a place with a downtown atmosphere.

I took my seat and positioned myself in front of him.

There is something I really need to check. The nabe orders were soon delivered and we all started to eat. 

I ordered soba noodles.

It is a traditional Japanese dish along with Tsukasa and Tempura. It comes with a white, sticky substance called tororo. It is said to be delicious when mixed with noodles.

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On the other hand, he is eating spaghetti. It's irritating to watch him eat. 

I have been educated in good manners by my family. 

I have to admit that I have mixed feelings when I see him eating so beautifully.

"Ah, that..." 

"...what?" 

I'll take the plunge and call out.

Then he looked up with an unnecessarily graceful gesture. He quietly put down his fork and responded with a few words. This drew the attention of the other guests at the table. 

She has a stern look on her face. 

Whenever I speak to him, his face always tenses up, which makes him hesitate to continue. 

"...It's nothing," he says, wondering to himself.

I think I reacted in an uncharacteristic way. 

"If you are curious, why don't you just ask straight away?"

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"Well..." he said, and he quickly returned to his meal. 

There was no mention of the previous incident. 

I wonder if he thinks he's done me a favour. If so, you should pay him back at once. Given his background of hunger for the opposite sex, I don't feel comfortable being in this man's debt. 

I have a lot of sexual experience, but I have never been held by a man. When I was abducted somewhere, I was exposed to some extreme events, such as having my hands and feet cut off and my teeth pulled out, but I have never been raped.

Later, when I was abducted, the filmmaker confirmed that the final act of the film was necrophilia. I thought to myself that I had been caught by a maniac.

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◇ ◆ ◇

My relationship with my sister was not progressing and I was in agony for a while. 

On a holiday morning, I received a phone call from him. I was up late last night and he woke me up when I was asleep. I had been playing an internet game that my classmates had recommended to me, and I had enjoyed it so much that I had stayed up late playing it. 

I went to bed just as the sun was about to rise. My health was at its worst. When I reluctantly received the call, I was told to come to the designated place right away. 

How urgent! Naturally, the option of ignoring the call came to mind. However, I was afraid of what would happen if I did that, so I went to the place that he told me over the phone, just as he instructed. When I got there, I heard the following words.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going on a little date with this girl."

"....Eh?"

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"I'll be back in the evening." 

"Wait, Nishino-kun, what do you mean?"

This woman he is referring to is me. And the person he is talking to is my sister Rose. 

Of course, I am not satisfied. I can say that it is a very good thing that I was able to come to my sister's house. It is a step forward in our relationship. 

"Wait a minute. Why do I have to go on a date with you?" 

"I want to go on a date with my sister." 

"No, a date is not a luxury. I want to take a bath with you and sleep in the same bed."

I would like to spend my days in the same place where my sister lives. There is nothing unusual in the living room, but what about the bedroom?

 I would like to bury my face in the sheets and enjoy deep breathing.

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It will surely have a nice scent. 

"You should shut up" 

" ... ... " 

I don't know what the background is, but she is head over heels in love with the person who called me here. It's called "love at first sight"

Also, for reasons that are not clear, my sister is unpretentious in front of him. Even the most casual conversation is relentless. When she is out of his sight, her face becomes that of a female, and her face shows a flirtatious expression.

He grabbed me by the arm.

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I shoot out my prosthetic hand as quickly as I can. In no time at all, the force of my opponent had me in its grip. I can't even move my fingertips because I am held by something invisible. I tried to fight back with my own strength, but I was completely helpless. 

"No, no, no! I hate men like you!" 

"I love you. Now, let's get going." 

"Ugh!" 

He walked briskly, forcing his way through my body. No matter how much I don't want to, my body won't listen to me.

What a violent person he is!

This is why I hate men.

◇ ◆ ◇

After a few minutes of losing my physical freedom, I gave up trying to escape from him. There is no way I can stand up to him now. And this is a world of the weak and the strong. 

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Once I realised that I was the one being hunted, I had no choice but to protect myself. For this reason, I decided to go along quietly. I felt my knees tremble at the traumatic position. 

"What are we going to do when we get there?" 

"Nothing. We'll go shopping like a date." 

We went to one of Tokyo's most famous shopping malls, where he insisted on a date. The two of us went through a prearranged course of events, arguing and arguing.

The first time we went to the arcade, I discovered that he didn't have his wallet in his pocket. This man may be even worst than I thought. 

Of course, the date was pretty boring. However, there were some things that caught my attention. It was a noodle shop we visited at lunchtime. I have been interested in ramen for a long time, and there are shops selling similar products in the places I have lived. But I wanted to taste the local flavour at least once. 

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After today's disappointing date, I thought it would be nice to at least have some fun. He wanted to go to the kushiage restaurant on the same floor, but I was the one who had to pay. 

I pushed him to go to the ramen shop.

What came out was a black-coloured ramen. 

"What is this? The soup is completely black."

It was so black that I wondered if it had been mixed with squid ink. I was hesitant to try it because of this.But when you take a bite, it's not as salty as it looks. It's what we call a local ramen. 

"What is it?" 

"As the name of the restaurant suggests, it originated in a region called Toyama. I've only read about it on the Internet, but it was originally made for manual labourers who wanted salt in their daily meals during the reconstruction period of the Second World War."

"I see..."

It looks strange, but it's not that bad. It's quite tasty.

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The crunch of the spring onions and bamboo shoots is also a nice touch. The dark broth looks a little eerie when poured into the bowl, but the way it glistens on the noodles as they are pulled out is a mouth-watering sight. 

"Is that the colour of the soy sauce, by any chance?" 

"Yes, apparently."

"...Unless he's lying, that's quite interesting."

In the last few days I've come to fully appreciate this country's love affair with soy sauce. It's not just Japanese restaurants that have it, it's everywhere you go. But to put it in until the soup turns black, even if you're craving salt, is impressive.

"How much do people here love soy sauce?" 

"It's a tourist destination, so the taste is designed to suit everyone. The soup is dark in colour, but probably not too salty. I've heard it's much saltier there."

"I see."

It's not so much that I want to try it myself, but that I'm interested in the scene at the table of the people who eat such food on a daily basis. What is the position of this dish in the region?

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I am also concerned about the incidence of renal damage.

" ... ... " 

"What's wrong ? If you don't like the taste, we can still go to the kushiage restaurant..." 

" I'll add some dumplings. Would you like some?" 

"Yes...."

This means that there are probably other types of ramen in other parts of the world that are different from these popular ones. To be honest, I don't want to find anything too strange, but it might be interesting to do a bit of research. I am now a little more interested in ramen.

◇ ◆ ◇

He tricked me into joining the breakdance club, but once I joined, it wasn't all bad, because I could enjoy watching my sister dance from up close. On one day, I even made up a fake excuse that I hadn't washed my gym clothes in time. 

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I changed into a light shirt and spats which I had brought with me. These are far more flattering than the gym clothes. There is no doubt that this was done with his gaze in mind. I resent that fact. But thanks to him, these days I can't wait for after-school activities. 

"No, Nishino-kun. You have to move your head a bit more."

"....Like this?" 

As he moves, the crotch of his spats creases. The deep, vertical creases show the condition of his body and make my heart pound as I watch. I can't wait to see how his thighs look.

I can't wait to get my hands on him and enjoy her to the full. 

"Why don't you move your hips in more? I can support you in this position" 

"Oh, no," he said, as she slipped her arm between his legs.

She pretends to hold his hips and stimulate his crotch with her arms.

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It's crazy for me.

You may have a serious face when you go to practice, but your mind must be full of dirty thoughts. 

I would like her to direct even a tenth of that sexual harassment towards me. I want to be sucked and squeezed by her too. 

"This is a tough one. It takes a lot of muscle power."

"If you do it with momentum, it's probably not impossible for you."  

"I hope so..." 

I'm dissatisfied with the fact that my sister is all about him. 

The wrinkles in his spats are nice, but his constant interruptions are a distraction. I can't just sit back and watch. I have to be where he can reach out and touch me. 

In the end, I was able to help her and I naturally raised my voice. 

"Sister, please take care of me, too." 

"You are dancing well enough."

"I can't dance any more. It's very difficult."

"Then you should leave the club."

 She's terrible. It's not right. 

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"We don't have much time, do we?" 

"Well..."

The other members of the club look at me and I try to make a good argument. 

It was two boys from the same club. Including them, there are now five of us in the club.

The first person to speak up was the organiser of the club, a man called Kousaka. 

He is a homosexual, like me. His body is small for a man, and his skin is tanned to an impressive wheat colour.

"Um, Takeuchi-senpai."

"What?"

"Would you like me to help you with that" 

The head of the department here often looked at the person called Takeuchi-senpai on a daily basis.

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"It's quite difficult to practice that technique if you're alone." 

"No, you know , let's do our best alone." 

"...Are you sure?" 

"If that doesn't work, I'm sorry, but you'll have to do it for me, Kousaka. " 

"I understand!" 

◇ ◆ ◇

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The initial plan for the breakdancing club was to take part in local competitions for the time being. The ultimate aim of the club was to apply for promotion from a club to a club once this had been successfully achieved.

Before we knew it, we were talking about taking part in a big music festival.

We were told that a video of us dancing in a recent competition had attracted a lot of public attention. Personally, I was not interested in this, but if my sister wanted to participate, I had no reason to refuse. 

But that decision proved fatal for me. On the day of the event, not long after I took the stage, it happened. The bullet that had struck us at the time of the contest had increased its impact on us. It started with a surprise attack with a knife, followed by a clash with an unmanned helicopter and the deployment of an armed group.

The laxative that my sister gave me backstage just before the stage was a lovely touch. The effect of this was overwhelming. I have no doubt that the whole affair was aimed at me. The horror of my family is that with this level of commotion, there is nothing they can't do. I felt that my life was in danger. Even if I had to use force, it would have been too much for me to handle at the moment.

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Naturally, everyone who was present was in a state of shock. However, there are always exceptions to the rule. For some reason, he was the only one who seemed unfazed. 

"Gabriella, you should stay here." 

"What?" 

I looked at him in a panic and saw his usual bashful face. In spite of the fact that he was wearing not only a costume, but also a wig, and was dressed as a woman, I could naturally imagine his original expression underneath the makeup.

The way he talks is no different to the way we see him in the club room. He steps off the stage and walks towards the camouflage group in front of him. The people around him are shouting their concern for him. The class that doesn't like him 

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There is no one more worth worrying about. I walked briskly up to the front of the group and headed straight for them.

Somehow, from one of the armoured vehicles lined up ahead of us, a man I knew appeared. I had not expected to meet him in such a place. It had been so long since we had seen each other. I was filled with anxiety. 

" ...... Father" I muttered.

A dark demon springs up. 

"Is your father trying to kill you?"

Was my father behind everything that had happened? And did he have to go to such great lengths to get it done?

I thought that I had already forgotten the feminine spirit of lamenting and feeling sad about my own misfortunes. But even so, it is a shattering experience to be touched by one's own flesh and blood.

My heart ached as I saw the scene in front of me. 

"What's so important about the girl on the stage?" 

"We are friends who go to the same school. As you can see, we're both in the same club." 

"For a schoolboy, you've got quite a lot on your plate."

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"Isn't that mutual?" 

He and Gab's father exchanged a few words. 

What had been a lively event, full of music and shouting, became quiet when the camouflage group appeared. Their voices barely reach the stage below where we are standing. 

"What's the matter? What's wrong?" 

"She's just a student, isn't she? Again I ask you, is she so important to you?" 

He looked at him and asked with a serious expression, as if he were dealing with a business opponent. He responded with a line of his own. 

"I am prepared to oppose the human race for the next quarter of a century."

However, the words resonated with me more strongly than I expected. 

"What?"

Even if it is only for a moment, you can't trust yourself to let yourself be distracted by a man.

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Shortly afterwards, his arm moved. A finger was raised and snapped. There was a change in the camouflaged group that surrounded us. All the weapons pointed at us, from the machine guns on the helicopters and armoured vehicles to the weapons carried by the infantry, froze. It was a very precise movement, with not a single target in sight. 

We have always felt threatened, but this was unexpected. I didn't think it could be handled so subtly and extensively.

"I was bonded by the statement of the "I am prepared to be hostile to humanity for the next quarter of a century." It's a line you don't usually hear in everyday life." 

"...."

I felt like a character in a film, the heroine of a story, even though the man I was telling it to was the man I loathed. And from there on, things went much more smoothly than I had thought possible. It seemed that my father was not trying to kill me, but rather to protect me, and that he had come to the same place. I felt a warmth in my heart when I heard this.

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Apparently, I still have a place to go.

In the camouflage armoured car, besides my father, there was also Francisca, who had been with my sister some time ago. In the course of the conversation between the three of us, we were able to get a rough idea of the situation. It seemed that from now on we could go about our day without fearing for our lives. 

Then, perhaps because of the loss of tension, her stomach started to feel worse again. It was due to the laxative that her sister had given her.

At the end, my stomach finally gave out of patience and broke down with a loose noise. I'm going to pretend this never happened.

◇ ◆ ◇

In the end the music festival was cancelled after the first day.

The stage was broken, and there was no way around it.

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We were told that it would be treated as a terrorist attack carried out by a group. We were told that local information would be controlled and that we would not be able to go out in the future. Naturally, all our dance footage was also restricted. When I returned to my accommodation, I collapsed into bed, exhausted. 

"....." 

The only person in the spacious room was myself. I parted company with the breakdancing club in the hotel corridor. I'm sure they are relaxing in their individual rooms, just as I am. The silence of the room makes my heart beat strangely loud. 

"...." 

And then I remembered my date from last week.

That's what I thought on stage in the middle of the commotion. When we were dating, he was always trying to overwhelm me with his power. At the time, I thought he was a bad man. A man with a troubled personality.

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But perhaps in his own way he was concerned for my safety.

In the last few weeks of our relationship, I have come to understand that he has a straightforward nature. He is not a person who likes to be domineering or harmful to others, but he is more than willing to be helpful to those he has chosen to be his relatives. He just looks and acts a bit strange.

So I thought it was not a small possibility.

"How could I have become so twisted?" 

When you start to think about it like that, a lot of other things come to mind.

It must have been out of concern for my safety that he summoned me to my sister's room so early in the morning. It is too convenient for me to imagine. It was a matter that I had given up thinking about. 

But then, what a wonder! The more I think about him, the more I want to know about him, even though I'm not interested in men. 

What is his life like at home, what does he eat? 

I began to agonise over such trivial matters, which were not really important, but I wanted to know.

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" ...... Nishino" 

How can I get to know him more? 

As I buried my face in the quilt, my mind began to wander. Before I knew it, I had fallen into a slight sleep and was lying on the bed in a slumped position, drifting off to sleep.

It wasn't long before he started to feel fuzzy. In a dream he had just after his capture, he was being attacked by two owls, struggling with a crane game, and trying to find a way out. 

For some reason, there is a bowl of ramen in black soup inside the game cabinet, which he is desperately trying to catch. The bowl of ramen does not move at all with the poor arm. I stood very close to him and watched him with my wallet in my hand. 

I have been having strange dreams lately. When I woke up, several hours had passed before I knew it. It was already dark outside the window, which had been bright just a few hours before. I must have slept more soundly than I thought. I must have been more tired than I thought. I took a shower to wash off the night sweats and put on my wrinkled clothes. 

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I'm going to change my clothes and make myself presentable

" ....... I'm hungry " 

I left the room and went to the hotel hall. 

I decided to have dinner at one of the restaurants in the hotel. As I walked to my room, I noticed a few tenants. The sun had gone down, but it was still early in the evening and I was sure to find plenty of places open. In the same place I meet a familiar face. He and my sister. 

It seemed that both of them had just visited the hall. They were sitting on a sofa set in a corner of the floor. The hall has rank restrictions and is only open to customers who have secured a certain number of rooms. It is therefore less popular and has a more relaxed atmosphere. F looked at me disapprovingly and said

"So it's all your fault, huh?"

It is true that I was the one who caused the trouble. The music festival was cancelled on the first day because I was there. So the blame from my sister is justified.

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"Apart from the killer, no one was killed. Shouldn't that be a good thing?" 

"Didn't your classmate have a swollen face? Are you still concerned about Mr. Takeuchi, despite everything?" 

"Concerned? What do you mean by that?"

I watch him as he exchanges a few words with my sister. He still has the same unremarkable face.

Until a few days ago, I couldn't even stand to have them in my sight. But now I don't mind so much. In fact, when I look at it, I feel a kind of nervousness.

But at the same time, it's still a bit scary.

"By the way, how quiet have you been since you left the stage?" 

Suddenly his gaze drifted to me. My sister and I are sitting side by side on a sofa. He was sitting in front of us, facing us. 

The two of us are seated together. Thanks to this, the eye movement is instantaneous.

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The first time I saw him, I thought he was moving and our eyes met. 

"What's the matter?" 

I was surprised to hear the object of my observation call out to me. 

In order to disguise this, I hugged the sister sitting next to me. She presses me hard on the cheek and my body is quickly released. Her reaction was the same as before. The old me would have still insisted on it, would have taken the freedom of your body by force, would have twined my arms around her. But now I'm not in the mood, and I've decided to return to my original position.

It's the first time I've ever felt this way about my sister. 

"Is your stomach all right? You look like you're in a lot of pain."

"What are you talking about?" 

"You shitted yourself on stage."

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But then he continued with the same old snide remarks. I think it's only fair to return the sarcasm when it becomes irritating. In fact, that's what I've done so far. But in this moment, I am conscious of something strange. I know it's not natural, but I felt ashamed of him.

"There is one thing I want to ask you." 

"What?" 

"Why did you help me?" 

His manner of answering was consistent. He looked at me and said simply 

"You are already a member of the school."

"What?"

"If you die, Class 2B will be sad." 

" ...... "

"What is "Class 2B"?" It took me a few moments to remember that this was the name of the class at my school. I remembered that his class was one class away, Class 2A.

I'm sure it will be a memory that everyone will remember for the rest of their lives.

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"What I want is the kind of youth that makes you laugh from the bottom of your heart and reminds you that you're having fun. I only have a year and a bit left. I want to have memories that I can look back on with pleasure for the rest of my life, however short it may be."

"....." 

I never thought that such a thing was really important until I talked about it like this.

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"So over the next ten years, I must get to live happily. And when I go to university, or when I get a job, or when I come of age, I don't care. I want them to be the seed for all my friends to get together and talk about the past."

I can't count the number of times in my life that I have been spoken to in such a supercilious manner. None of the tutors I have had in my life have been so arrogant, even more so than my father when he taught me.

"That there was such a lovely girl among our classmates!"

He is proposing to me. Is he interested in me? I don't know. 

I don't know what the man in front of me is thinking, I don't know what he's thinking. 

"You just have to smile and live every day."

The last word was a simple one, and it made my heart pound with excitement.

◇ ◆ ◇

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Dinner that night was served in the hotel's restaurant with a view. At the table were all the members of the break-dancing club. At first we thought it would be just the three of us, but he insisted, so we asked the two remaining boys to join us. The conversation naturally increased and it was a lively affair.

"By the way, Rose, that dress looks great on you!"

"Oh, really? Yes, it's very pretty." 

"Yes, it's very pretty, and you look great too, Gabriella"

The same positive words from the opposite sex that he had just given me, however, did not move me in the same way. I'm not interested, as I've never been before.

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I give him a small bow and turn my attention back to my meal. After all, he seems to be special. It's not that I'm not curious. It's just that I have a very narrow or eclectic range of interests. That's why I feel so excited when I come across a subject like this. I feel an itch in my body and soul.

In the past, I have always managed to get my hands on the one I wanted. The only one outside the ordinary is my sister.

By the way, I want to ask you something. 

"There is one thing I want to ask you by the way." 

"What? sister." 

"Didn't you say yesterday that you were reluctant to stand next to Nishino-kun?"

As she points out, the seating position Gabriella is sitting in is different from yesterday. The arrangement of everyone around the round table with the food is clockwise: Nishino, Rose, Takeuchi, Kousaka, Gabriella. Until yesterday, the arrangement of Nishino, Rose and Gabriella had been fixed as an unspoken agreement. 

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"Oh, is that so?" 

My sister's eyes tense up at my casual comment. It seems that she has noticed a change in my consciousness. I have always sensed that she is very perceptive when it comes to him. Even if I give her a casual glance, she will go into every detail. 

"What changed your mind?"

"..." 

It's a pain in the ass.

I want to know a lot about him right now. I want to ask him. After all the help he has given me, and after all the instruction he has given me about the use of my powers, it is no consolation to my self-respect to go against his wishes.

"Nishino, I have something to tell you."

"...What?" 

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I call out to him as he is munching on his mashed potatoes. His mouth full of food, he swallows it in one gulp and answers. His gaze flickers to his glass of water, which tells of the pungency in his throat. What will he look like when I say "I like you"? It is with this curiosity that I put my thoughts into words.

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