Chapter 24: This is her heart… huh?

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Translator: Soafp

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That was the first time she felt a distinctly clear sense of consciousness.

“…Ah… Kai-kun?”

When she suddenly came to, she was giving Kai a lap pillow.

Seeing him relax peacefully on her lap, wearing such a content expression, Mari felt less confusion or surprise than simple, pure happiness.

“…Hehe, you're cute. Hey, Kai-kun—does my lap pillow feel nice?”

It was a question that sounded as though she understood everything.

To avoid misunderstandings, however, she did not clearly remember or comprehend what had happened until just moments ago.

She had merely spent that time in a hazy, floating state, obeying Kai's commands and letting him do as he pleased.

“…I don't understand. But this feeling that matches my vague memories… Hey, Kai-kun. The things you and I did in my dreams—were they really not dreams? When you leaned on me and sought comfort from me… that wasn't a lie, was it?”

Mari gave a small, self-conscious laugh at what she was saying, but she never stopped stroking Kai's hair.

“Hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm.♪”

Wanting him to sleep as soundly as possible, Mari hummed a tune.

Kai's lips twitched slightly, as though her humming had reached him. That made Mari happier still, and she slowly reflected on everything that had happened up to now.

“How have things been lately? Nothing happen?”

There was a phrase that always echoed in her mind.

Of all the words that lingered there, the ones that remained in her memory and supported her heart were those.

“That voice is Kai-kun's. There's no doubt about it.”

There was no longer any room to doubt that the voice belonged to Kai.

But Mari did not know that something called a hypnosis app existed. Since she could not recognize that she had been hypnotized, the sensation remained mysterious to her.

Even so, she instinctively knew that the voice which always worried about her—and always wanted her—was his.

“Kai-kun, who are you? You probably won't tell me. But that's completely fine. As long as I can stay beside you, that's enough… If I'm beside you, I won't hurt myself anymore.”

The connection between dream and reality was still unclear.

Yet the time she remembered spending with Kai, along with their interactions in the real world, held Mari's heart tightly and would not let go.

She did not know the details of what he had done or how he had dealt with things. But there was no question that Kai had done something for her, and his constant concern for her was proof, in Mari's eyes, of his kindness.

“Kai-kun… I'm more interested in you than I've ever been in anyone. No, it's more than being interested. I want to become a part of you.”

Were there things she did not understand? So what?

That was what Mari thought.

The truth was, if she had been only slightly calmer, she might have recognized how strange her situation truly was.

But now, under the influence of the hypnosis app—and because Kai's care had seeped into her everyday reality—her wariness toward him had completely disappeared.

Instead, she had developed an overwhelmingly intense attachment to him.

“Kai-kun, you ran into my father and mother in town before, didn't you?”

It was something Mari had never told Kai.

When she had been out in town with friends, she had seen him encounter her parents, who were also out that day.

They could not possibly have arranged to meet, so it must have been a coincidence. Even so, Mari had wondered what they were talking about.

“How has Mari been lately?”

He had been worrying about her even when she was not there.

That made her unbearably happy.

She did not understand why her parents, who should barely have known him, had answered him so openly. But to Mari, Kai had already become far more important than her parents. That question felt insignificant.

“And it's not just me. You helped Saika and Ema-chan too, right? Kai-kun, you really are like a hero of justice.”

Through Kai, Mari had learned about Saika and Emu and become friends with them.

Naturally, they bonded because both had been helped by him. But more importantly, they had also witnessed strange phenomena similar to Mari's own experiences.

“Um… Senpai's voice makes me feel so safe. And… um, I'm too embarrassed to say any more!”

“For some reason, my heart longs for Masaki-kun. I want to be with him so badly that even I don't understand it.”

They truly did wonder what was happening.

Yet Mari and the others had decided not to dwell on such small questions.

They trusted Kai too deeply, and their feelings for him had become too immense.

“…Hehe.”

Lost in her thoughts, Mari let out a quiet laugh.

Then Kai murmured something that sounded like a dream-talking mumble.

“M-Mari… it feels so good…”

“Ah… honestly, Kai-kun. You could just come to me directly instead of only doing that in your dreams.”

Mari puffed out her cheeks.

Feeling jealous of the version of herself in his dreams was new to her. But it was also proof of just how strongly she was being drawn to him.

“Kai-kun, I truly don't understand what is happening. But as long as you're here, that's enough for me. That's all I need.”

So please, use me whenever you want—that was how Mari concluded her thoughts.

The reason did not matter. As long as the days she spent with Kai continued, that was enough.

If she could drift in that floating feeling, devote herself to him, and make him happy, that was enough.

Mari—and not only Mari, but Saika and Emu as well—had been captured so completely that this was all they wanted.

By now, she had grown used to suddenly finding herself back in the classroom afterward.

Even then, she did not panic. Her heart remained calm—more than calm, fulfilled—because she felt that Kai was involved.

Time passed, and after school the sensation returned once more.

“And with that, hypnosis!”

“…Ah.♪”

Her head became hazy, as if something soft and warm had wrapped around it. Mari was forcibly drawn into a dreamlike state.

Kai, standing before her, took her hand and led her somewhere out of sight. In that strange, dreamlike world, he held her closely and kissed her.

(I love you… I love you… I love you…)

No voice came out, yet she felt as if she were conveying something to him anyway.

Within that sensation, Kai's words reached her. When she understood that he was happy to be close to her, Mari felt nothing but happiness in return.

She would say it again and again: it did not feel real.

Even so, it was Kai standing before her. Kai was the one giving her this happiness.

That single fact made her feel safe and happy.

“I can't resist this comfort. I end up leaning on you like a little kid.”

“Today was amazing too. I seriously never get tired of you. Ah, this is bad—I might not be able to leave you, Mari.”

The words entered Mari's mind smoothly, and her body trembled.

She found Kai unbearably precious. Of course she wanted him to seek her more and more. And, honestly, she wanted to seek him more too.

(After making me this happy, the words you always give me are—)

Yes. There were always words that came afterward.

“I have to protect you, Mari. If anything happens, rely on me immediately, okay? No matter what it takes, I'll protect you. Literally—even if I have to use every kind of devilish power I possess, I'll keep you safe.”

(…Ah. Yes…!)

His words were full of excessive confidence—words that might easily be called cocky.

But Mari could not have been happier to hear them.

Overwhelmed by that happiness, her awareness returned once again—this time, inside her home.

“…Kai-kun?”

She went outside to look for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

She felt lonely—so lonely that it felt as if her heart might break.

“…Hehe. This isn't so bad. This feeling that my heart might break lets me realize that I can no longer leave Kai-kun. It's not just my heart—my whole body wants him. I've become someone who can't live without him.♪”

Anyone who knew Mari normally would likely stare at her expression in confusion and wonder whether she was someone else entirely.

That was how dark her eyes had become—how clearly they showed that something inside her had broken.

And so she—Mari Aisaka—took another step toward the abyss.

But there was no need to be afraid.

After all, she already had two companions at her side.

“Are Saika and Emu-chan feeling like this too, I wonder?”

Thinking of the two girls whose contact information she had already exchanged, and with whom she now happily shared a common topic, Mari gave a quiet little laugh.