Life In The Reverse World

Buzz. Buzz.

Accompanied by the hum of the engine and the sound of wheels grinding against the rails, the pitch-black tunnel walls outside the window began to slide backward faster and faster.

She, Shihou Chouko, was still leaning against her “usual spot” by the railing, staring blankly out the window. It was as if her body had been carried away by the train, while her soul remained behind in that confused, restless world called Shinjuku.

It really was strange, she thought. She had only ridden the train with Harutaki twice, yet now she instinctively leaned against this spot. The inexplicable sense of security she felt standing here made it seem as though, whenever she needed him, Harutaki would appear by her side to protect her.

“Heh…”

The thought made her want to laugh at herself.

What was Harutaki supposed to be, some kind of superpowered esper?

Able to hear her thoughts in real time and instantly teleport to her side? Even that legendary magical girl couldn’t do that, could she?

And yet, every so-called “miracle” she secretly hoped for from Harutaki always seemed to come true.

“Harutaki…”

Chouko murmured softly, glancing around as she did. Even at night, the train car was just as crowded. Everywhere she looked were unfamiliar faces. The handsome, familiar face she half-expected to see was nowhere in sight.

Of course not… how could that be?

“Idiot Harutaki…”

It was bad enough that Onii was a blockhead, but even Harutaki had just left her behind and gone off with Ayaka without a second thought.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Taking advantage of the roar of the speeding train to mask her voice, she lowered it and vented her frustration on Harutaki.

“Idiot Harutaki idiot Harutaki idiot, ugh…”

Suddenly, someone covered her mouth from behind. Her shoulders were pulled back into a broad chest, yet instead of panic, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

“Hey. Shihou, why are you cursing me out like that? Trying to make sure I can’t sleep tonight?”

“Idiot…”

As she spoke, Chouko lowered her head slightly, then leaned back hard.

Thump.

Her head bumped into Harutaki’s chest with a dull sound.

“Y-you… why are you here? Where’s Ayaka-chan?”

“I wanted to walk you home with her, but Ayaka insisted I come alone…”

Harutaki wasn’t really worried about his sister. On trains, it was usually grown men who feared high school girls, not the other way around. Once you got slapped with an accusation of molestation, that was social death. You could lose your job and even be ostracized by people you knew and your neighbors.

“…Besides, our place is in one of the safest parts of Minato Ward. There’s no way security’s bad. You’re the one living way out here. That’s what makes me worry.”

“Oh…”

How sly.

After replying, Chouko fell silent, quietly leaning against Harutaki as the two of them gazed out the window together, savoring this rare moment of shared silence.

She wasn’t really watching the tunnel or the scenery outside, though. Using the reflection cast by the train’s interior lights, she was secretly watching Harutaki’s blurred face reflected in the glass.

Buzz.

Screech.

Hiss.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Screech.

Hiss.

Buzz…

As they gradually moved farther from Shinjuku, the passengers around them disappeared quickly in the cycle of braking, doors opening, starting, and accelerating. By the time they reached the station near Chouko’s apartment, only a handful of people remained in the car, either scrolling on their phones or dozing against the wall.

“This is our stop.”

“Mm…”

They rode quietly. They got off quietly. Everyone else in the car continued with their own business, completely unaware that anything had changed.

Harutaki simply shifted his left hand a little closer to Chouko. She immediately reached out and held it.

Tap, tap.

Following the exact same route as last time, he walked on the outside while Chouko stayed on the inside. They passed through pools of light cast by streetlamps that drove away the darkness. This time, they reached the apartment building nearly a full minute faster than before.

“You don’t have anything to say?”

Stopping in front of the not-very-tall building, Chouko finally couldn’t hold back and spoke first, breaking the silence that had lasted for about four minutes.

It was the first time she’d ever spent such a long stretch of quiet with Harutaki.

She didn’t find it boring. It just felt oddly out of place.

This really didn’t suit Harutaki’s personality. He was usually the type to chatter endlessly, constantly bringing up new topics. He’d never been this quiet before.

Could it be… because of Onii?

“Beep beep. Shihou Chouko has lost the ‘who speaks first’ contest.”

“Hey! I don’t remember agreeing to a contest like that!”

Chouko stomped her foot, half-annoyed and half-amused as she looked at Harutaki, who was crossing his arms in front of him.

As expected, this guy was never serious.

“I thought you’d keep telling those boring jokes of yours, but you actually held it in the whole way…”

“Huh? You were actually looking forward to my boring jokes?”

“N-no, I wasn’t… I just thought it was too quiet…”

“Don’t you like rare moments of quiet?”

Harutaki could easily have told his “boring jokes” or casually brought up a bunch of topics to chat with her. But he knew that sometimes, silence was the most appropriate form of communication.

What would it mean for him to joke around cheerfully with her right now?

Showing off his normie-level social skills, completely crushing a loner like a victorious rooster?

He wasn’t that tasteless. And he felt that Chouko needed the silence too.

“It’s not that I don’t like it…”

Chouko lowered her head, rummaging through her handbag while muttering softly. If Harutaki hadn’t been listening closely, he might not have heard her at all.

What an infuriatingly sharp guy. He didn’t give her a single opening.

A moment later, she pulled out a palm-sized box from her bag.

“Here… this is for you, Hoshikawa.”

“This delicate size and shape… hmm, a ring? I accept.”

“It’s not!”

Seeing Chouko’s flustered, embarrassed reaction, Harutaki finally chuckled as he took the box from her.

“Can I open it now?”

“I was planning to surprise you, but looking at you, you’ve probably already guessed what’s inside. Just open it…”

“I could also save it for when I get home, then get so surprised I call you in the middle of the night to thank you.”

“Please don’t. Staying up late is terrible for a girl’s skin.”

Chouko complained weakly, then burst out laughing when she saw him put on an exaggerated “surprised” expression.

“Pfft… what is that face, Hoshikawa?! That’s way too funny.”

“Right? Temporarily, I’ll allow Miss Shihou to call me Hoshikawa Carey. When I win my Oscar someday, I’ll definitely mention your name sixth.”

After unwrapping the gift paper, Harutaki took out a box with the CASIO logo on it.

Just as expected. Too expensive would make it hard to accept, too cheap would feel perfunctory and irritating. Considering his needs, if Shihou had really put thought into it, the only thing she could give him was a watch.

And watches had always been a great gift for guys.

“Sixth? Shouldn’t I be first?”

Chouko puffed out her cheeks and poked Harutaki, who was in the middle of opening the second box.

“Don’t be so confident, woman. Dad and Mom, three little sisters, and only after that does it get to you, Shihou.”

“What do you mean ‘woman’? I’m a fresh and youthful pretty girl, you know.”

Chouko walked over to Harutaki and shifted her position so her back was to the streetlight, making sure he couldn’t see her expression.

Sixth, after Dad, Mom, and the three sisters.

Didn’t that basically mean she was the most important person after his family?

Uwah, that was way too cheesy. What a sly guy.

Even though late-spring nights were fairly warm, she still couldn’t help hugging her shoulders and shivering.

“A CASIO G-SHOCK square...”

The watch was entirely matte black. A resin strap paired with a square digital face. A timeless CASIO classic that never went out of style.

Harutaki glanced at the included manual. The latest model, GW-B5600. Exactly the watch he had been wanting to buy.

If he remembered correctly, it cost close to 40,000 yen, a price that made it a perfect fit for a male high school student like him.

“Hmm hmm, well? Do you like it?”

“So much that I want to marry you on the spot.”

“I’ll have to decline…” Chouko paused, then couldn’t help but laugh softly before continuing. “…Pfft. Go on, try it on now. I think black suits you really well, Hoshikawa.”

“Great minds think alike. Then could I trouble you to help me put it on?”

Harutaki extended his left arm toward Chouko, giving it a little shake, and handed her the watch as well.

“Honestly, you can’t even put on a watch by yourself. What are you, a kindergarten kid?”

Even as she complained, Chouko still took the watch and helped him put it on.

She gently tugged on the strap and asked,

“How’s the fit?”

“Like a virgin. Perfect.”

Smack.

“H-H-Hoshikawa, what kind of nonsense are you spouting now?!”

“Shh… don’t bother the other residents.”

Looking at Chouko, who was clearly embarrassed but not disgusted, Harutaki thought to himself how cute this young lady really was. She’d even slipped into a thick Kyoto accent.

Yep. Definitely an old-school Kyoto native.

After teasing her inwardly, he didn’t wait for her to pull away. He shifted his footing and pulled her into his arms.

“W-wait… why are you suddenly hugging me…”

“Is that not allowed?”

“At least… at least give me some warning…”

Chouko lowered her head and muttered softly. Under the white glow of the streetlight overhead, Harutaki could clearly see the blush spreading from her small earlobes all the way to the rims of her ears.

What a bully, taking advantage of the situation. She wanted to resist, but her hands had no strength at all, as if helping him fasten the watch strap earlier had drained all her energy.

“W-what are you doing to my head now…”

Feeling fingers threading through her hair, Chouko got ticklish and stomped her foot back onto the shameless guy behind her.

“Hold on a second.”

As he spoke, Harutaki took out his phone, switched to the front camera, and snapped a selfie of the two of them.

Click.

“Take a look.”

“Huh?”

Chouko took the phone and looked at the slightly grainy night photo.

The girl who had been sulking had rosy cheeks. On top of her glossy black bob, however, was an extremely eye-catching splash of white.

It was a white butterfly bow ribbon, clipped neatly into her hair.

“I noticed the white nail polish you’re wearing, Shihou, so I figured you’d probably like a white hair clip too. What do you think? Chouko wearing a butterfly bow ribbon, suits you right? I didn’t expect you to give me a watch today, though. Compared to that, this hair clip almost feels a bit embarrassing…”

Before Harutaki could get an answer, his arms suddenly felt heavier. A small, kitten-like girl had thrown herself into his embrace.

“I-I don’t care about how much things are worth or anything… um, so you actually noticed my nails, Harutaki-kun…?”

Chouko’s muffled voice drifted up from his chest.

“White symbolizes purity and happiness. It really suits you, Shihou.”

“Mm… thank you…”

“But a hair clip still can’t compare to a watch, so I guess I’ll make a small sacrifice and let you hug me a bit longer this once.”

Harutaki said it jokingly, unable to resist ruffling Chouko’s hair like he was petting a cat.

“You’re clearly the one taking advantage of me, yet you make it sound like I’m the one who gained something. How awful.”

Just as the two of them were about to savor the quiet of the spring night, a sudden vibration and ringtone came from Chouko’s handbag.

“…”

“Go ahead and answer it. It’d be bad if you missed something important.”

Only after Harutaki showed he didn’t mind did Chouko reach for her phone. When she saw the caller ID that read “Onii,” she hesitated for a moment before answering.

“…Hello?”

…

Those two…

Wasn’t Hoshikawa supposed to be going home with his sister?

Sato hid in the corner of a street with no streetlights, staring from afar at Hoshikawa and Chouko standing beneath the apartment building, seemingly deep in conversation.

Earlier, he’d said he was heading straight back to his apartment in Suginami, but curiosity had gotten the better of him. After circling around, he’d boarded the same train car as Chouko and followed her all the way to Minato.

And when he saw Hoshikawa take Chouko by the hand and lead her out of the station, two realizations hit him at once.

The relationship between Hoshikawa and Chouko was nowhere near as simple as they claimed.

Even if it wasn’t on the way, he should have walked Chouko home first.

If he’d offered to escort her himself, would that guy really have had the chance to take up a place by her side…?

So then… should he rush over now and expose Hoshikawa’s true nature? Force that guy to stay away from Chouko?

After weighing it for a while, Sato still couldn’t make up his mind. All he could do was sneak along behind them, watching from afar as they walked hand in hand like a couple, side by side down the quiet street.

If he ran over now, he might not drive Hoshikawa away at all. Worse, there was a good chance he’d end up hurting Chouko.

Even if Chouko had lied before… still… he didn’t believe she’d do anything out of line.

If he charged in like he had at the yakiniku restaurant, without thinking things through, Chouko would definitely be hurt. She’d blame herself for being deceived by a scumbag…

If it’s just holding hands… then maybe it’s not such a big deal.

That was how Sato tried to comfort himself, right up until he saw Chouko take something out of her bag.

It was the watch she’d agonized over for quite a while before buying that afternoon, while shopping together with him at Keio Department Store.

“…A gift to thank a good friend for helping me…”

He clenched his teeth, recalling the explanation Chouko had given him back then.

“Good friend,” huh…?

A sense of despair crept in. He could only hope it really was just “a good friend.”

Then, the moment he saw Hoshikawa seize an opening and pull Chouko into his arms, rage surged through him. But just as he took his first step onto the concrete, the crisp echo of his footfall rang out far too loudly in the still night, like a thunderclap that jolted him awake.

Struggle…

Resist…

Please, Chouko…

Please… just resist, even a little…

Gritting his teeth, he glared with eyes wide open, both hands braced on his knees, his knuckles turning white as deep creases formed in his brand-new black trousers.

Chouko… please, resist!!!

Really…

Really… I’m begging you…

Thump.

Just as Sato finally let out a breath of relief upon seeing Chouko pull away from the embrace, he watched in disbelief as she turned around and hugged Harutaki herself.

It felt as though an invisible pair of hands had seized his heart and squeezed tight. At the same time, it pounded violently, as if what it was pumping out wasn’t blood, but dense waves of despair.

The night air was crisp and refreshing, yet it felt as though he’d been dropped into a vacuum. No matter how hard he tried to inhale, his lungs seemed shriveled, unable to expand.

Right… right!

A phone call… if I just call and warn Chouko…

He froze, then suddenly plunged his hand into his pocket in a frantic, almost pathological motion. A phone he could usually pull out with ease slipped from his grasp again and again for no clear reason.

“Chouko…”

After unlocking the screen, his trembling finger opened his contacts and dialed the pinned number: Chouko.

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.

A sound that normally meant nothing now felt like a countdown to death. Each tone stabbed straight into Sato’s cracked, battered heart.

He’d never felt a phone call take so long. It dragged on like a sleepless night, tossing and turning before checking the clock, only to find that what felt like an hour in his mind was barely a single minute in reality.

“…Hello?”

Finally… finally she answered…

“Onii…?”

“I-It’s me…”

“Why are you calling so late? Didn’t I say I’d call you once I got home? I’m basically at the door already, so I won’t be calling again later.”

“I… I just wanted to hear your voice…”

“Huh?”

“I-I mean… I just wanted to make sure you’re safe…”

“I’m perfectly safe~”

Safe?

How could she be safe when she was with a scumbag like that?

He wanted to scream into the phone, but when the words reached his lips, they refused to come out. In the end, all that escaped was a weak, desperate warning.

“Be sure to… be careful… don’t let anyone into your place… remember to lock the chain…”

“I’m not a kid. I know all that stuff already. You’re way too naggy, Onii.”

Chouko’s sigh pierced his mind like a sharp arrow.

“Do you have anything else to say? If not, I’m going to get ready for bed. School starts tomorrow, after all.”

“B-Be careful… good night…”

“Got it, got it. Honestly, you sound like the one who needs to be careful. Go to bed early and don’t catch a cold! Good night~”

“…Mm…”

She’s still worried about me…

Sato took a deep breath, pushing himself up from the cold ground. He lightly brushed at the dust on his trousers, though no matter how he did it, nothing came off.

He was just repeating the motion without thinking.

She still has me in her heart…

Only after he saw Hoshikawa and Chouko wave goodbye, the two of them not entering the apartment building together, did he finally collapse like a leaking sack, dropping heavily back onto the concrete and slumping against a roadside flowerbed like a drunk.

At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind.

The dirt I just brushed off got back onto my pants again.