[24]

Shizuki Soujuurou was an ordinary boy from the mountains. He remembered his grandfather telling him before he passed away, "If you can't find a way on the mountain in the future, go down to the city. After all, humans don't truly belong to the mountains."

When Soujuurou first arrived in the city, he felt extremely anxious. It wasn't the kind of fear you feel when facing a wild beast. To his eyes, the city had evolved into a kind of magical realm, where a young man like him might be swallowed whole if he wasn't careful.

After a great deal of effort, Soujuurou, a country boy, finally found a place to rent. The owner of his part-time job felt sorry for him and rented out the attic cheaply. Though the environment wasn't great, Soujuurou was grateful and worked very hard. The owner ran a restaurant, which was always busy, even late into the night. Having grown up in the quiet mountains, Soujuurou initially felt out of place, but gradually he got used to the noise. After all, the clamor of people was far more comforting than the howls of beasts at night.

The word "school" was somewhat unfamiliar to Soujuurou. But, following his grandfather's dying wish, he decided to enroll in high school.

The teacher, Yamashiro Kazuki, was a very kind person who reminded Soujuurou of the restaurant owner where he worked. Of course, Soujuurou couldn't tell Yamashiro-sensei that he was secretly working part-time, as Misaki High School didn't allow students to have jobs.

"This is a bit of a headache," Yamashiro-sensei said, rubbing his head.

"I wanted to ask Aozaki from the student council to show you around the school, but unfortunately, she didn't come in today."

"Aozaki?"

Soujuurou was confused, but since it was his first day at school, he didn't know anyone.

"She's the president of the student council, Aozaki Aoko," Yamashiro-sensei explained.

"She's an outstanding person, though she's often hard to find at school."

With this new information, Yamashiro led Soujuurou to the student council office. There, he met the vice president, Tsukiji Tobimaru, and the treasurer, Kumari Kojika. Both of them seemed unique, but they were also kind people who were eager to help him.

"Would you like to join the student council?"

Tsukiji Tobimaru asked a few days later.

"We're short on people. If you join as a clerk, you'll get some extra credit."

"I'm already struggling just to cover my tuition," Soujuurou sighed.

"Sorry, Tsukiji, but to be honest, I'm working two part-time jobs, so I'm a bit overwhelmed."

"Oh, and please don't tell anyone," Soujuurou quickly added, "since our school doesn't allow students to have jobs."

"...You're having a rough time too, huh?"

Tsukiji patted Soujuurou on the back with a sigh. Soujuurou was confused. Tsukiji's family seemed well-off, so why would he say that? But Soujuurou's instincts kept him from voicing his curiosity.

Maybe it had something to do with the student council president, Aozaki, whom he had yet to meet, Soujuurou speculated. But that had nothing to do with him...

One lunch break, Soujuurou sat on a bench in the schoolyard with a cheap bento box the restaurant owner had given him. He mulled over whether he should find a third part-time job, as he was running out of money again.

Soujuurou's grades had been poor since he enrolled. For someone who had grown up in the mountains, Misaki High's curriculum was far too difficult. The subjects he had never encountered before forced him to painstakingly write down every word in his notes to study later in his rented room.

As he started daydreaming, a figure passed in front of him.

Soujuurou looked up. It was a peculiar female high school student, holding a motorcycle helmet in one hand, and wearing a jacket over her school uniform.

She had long, lustrous red hair, and her posture was upright, exuding an indescribable aura.

Soujuurou had never seen anyone so beautiful. She reminded him of the proud, aloof birds perched on treetops in the mountains.

Just as he was about to lower his head and continue eating, the girl spoke. Her voice was slightly husky, but not enough to sound mature.

"Didn't expect to find you here."

Soujuurou was puzzled. He didn't know this girl, but from her words, it seemed like she knew him.

He looked into her eyes and felt like he was being drawn into a whirlpool, gradually feeling drowsy.

When he woke up, the bell signaling the end of lunch break had already rung. Soujuurou hurriedly stuffed the rest of his bento into his mouth and ran toward the school building, completely unaware that he had lost a chunk of his memory.

After finishing his cleanup duties for the day, Soujuurou wearily stretched and prepared to return the cleaning supplies to the second floor.

"Shizuki, there's a customer at machine 40 on the second floor. Go check on them," the owner instructed.

"Something about them seems off."

Soujuurou nodded and carried the supplies upstairs.

This two-story structure was typical of pachinko parlors. Located in a bustling shopping district, the store did good business, which was why the owner paid Soujuurou generously. It was also the main reason he had taken this third job, despite the distance.

The customers at Pachinko parlors varied widely. Besides professional gamblers who made a living off the machines, most people came to play occasionally to relax. However, some shady individuals came with the intent to cheat and make a quick buck.

As Soujuurou reached the second floor, the sound of machines and blaring music combined into a deafening cacophony, and the atmosphere was even more chaotic than on the first floor.

Yet, amidst the chaos, one figure stood out, completely out of place.

It was a young woman who appeared a few years older than Soujuurou.

She wore a form-fitting green trench coat that perfectly complemented her slender figure. Her long legs were elegantly crossed, and the black stockings she wore made her look more glamorous than a magazine model.

Normally, someone like her wouldn't be found in a place like this, Soujuurou thought.

He noticed that her win rate seemed unusually high. In the short time he had observed her, she had already won several times.

Next to her were four large black boxes, whose contents were unknown but looked heavy.

The alluring woman seemed displeased about something, bringing her cigarette to her lips. Suddenly, as if sensing something, she turned her head to look at Soujuurou. Her wine-red eyes scanned him up and down, then locked onto his gaze, as if she had discovered something.

A chill swept over Soujuurou, the kind of fear he hadn't felt since encountering dangerous beasts in the mountains.

His instinct was to flee, but before he could move, the woman's left eye seemed to flicker with a faint blue light. By the time Soujuurou noticed, he was already paralyzed, unable to move even a pinky.

Unbeknownst to him, the second floor of the pachinko parlor had emptied, leaving no other customers.

"So, it's her doing," the woman muttered. Soujuurou knew she wasn't talking to him, just confirming something.

"Are you a student at Misaki High School?" the woman suddenly asked.

"Yes..."

Soujuurou's body responded on its own.

"…I'm a new student."

"I see…" the woman mused.

"Do you know Aozaki Aoko?"

Before Soujuurou could think of an answer, his throat moved on its own, and he spoke in a voice that wasn't his own.

"Long time no see, sister."

Soujuurou's mouth moved, but the voice that came out belonged to a young woman. Strangely, it was a voice Soujuurou felt familiar with.

"…Aoko."

The woman's expression darkened slightly.

"Are you short on money these days?"

Soujuurou's mouth moved again, speaking with the same unfamiliar female voice.

"Has the famous Grand Puppetmaster fallen so low that she has to come to a pachinko parlor to scrape together funds?"

The woman in the green coat looked as if she had swallowed something unpleasant. Soujuurou could feel the weight of her anger, making him shiver in fear, though he still couldn't move.

"This has nothing to do with you!" the green-clad woman snapped.

"I'm just here to reclaim what's rightfully mine!"

"Come back, Touko," Soujuurou's mouth spoke gently in the female voice. "If you admit defeat, I'll even support you financially from now on."

"Hmph," the woman scoffed.

"No matter what you say, I will defeat you. And once I do, everything will be mine."

"Ah, still so stubborn," the voice replied.

"But it doesn't matter. No matter what you've prepared, you won't be able to defeat me now. We'll meet again."

With that, the pressure on Soujuurou suddenly lifted, and he collapsed, coughing as he clutched his throat.

In a daze, he saw the woman in the green trench coat stand up, looking down at him as if confirming something. But after a moment, she lost interest, gathered her belongings, and left.

Soujuurou tried to lift his head to get a better look at her, but his consciousness faded fast. Overwhelmed by fatigue and drowsiness, he quickly passed out on the floor.