Chapter 48: The Day the Bells Disappeared

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Translator: Soafp

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The twilight seeped into the streets of Shinjuku. The western sky was stained orange, and the shadows of the buildings stretched long across the pavement.

As the bustling waves of people crossed each other and the neon lights began to faintly glow, I just kept running.

My breath was starting to give out. I weaved through the crowds, darting between the gaps of passersby.

A few people I almost collided with glared at me, but I had no time to care.

I had to get there as quickly as possible, even a second sooner.

A karaoke place.

That was the only clue I had at the moment. But there were countless karaoke spots in Shinjuku. It was impossible to find them on my own. Thinking that, I pulled out my phone from my pocket.

I scrolled through my contacts. But—nothing.

I was stunned for a moment by how few numbers I had saved.

I had spent most of my school days writing novels. And this was the result.

There were hardly any people I could turn to in times of need.

At times like this, I really cursed my social awkwardness.

Even so, right now, I had to rely on someone else's help.

Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone again and immediately pressed the call button.

After a single ring, the other person picked up right away.

“What's up, Hajime!”

It was my sister Kyoko-nee's voice. Her usual boisterous tone made me feel just a little relieved.

“Thanks, Kyoko-nee, for answering right away.”

“I pick up my little brother's calls on the first ring. That’s just common sense, you know? So, what's up? You've got something you need, don't you?”

No, that's not common sense, I thought to myself, but for once, I was grateful for her unusual behavior.

“Y-yeah! Something’s come up, it’s kind of an emergency! I got a call from Aoi, and—”

I explained the events that had just unfolded, desperately trying to recount the details. My words were choked with anxiety, and I had to stop several times to catch my breath, but I managed to explain it all in order. When I finally finished, Kyoko-nee let out a low groan.

“I see… so one of those sly cats…”

“Hey, stop saying such dangerous stuff! It’s Aoi, Aoi!”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. So, what? You want me to help you find them?”

“Yeah, there are too many karaoke places in Shinjuku for me to search alone… Honestly, you’re the only person I could think of to turn to right now…”

“Don't worry, Hajime. I was just on my way home, so I’ll head over there and help you look.”

I let out a deep sigh of relief at her words.

“Thank you! Thank you, Kyoko—huh? Kyoko-nee? Kyoko-nee!”

No response. Panicking, I looked at my phone, only to see the screen had gone black.

“No way… out of battery!?”

My hands trembled as I held the phone. Of all the times for this to happen…!

“Damn it!!”

I nearly threw my phone to the ground but stopped myself just in time.

I noticed the glances of the people around me, as if they were watching something odd. Cold sweat ran down my back, and suddenly, I felt embarrassed.

Shoving the phone back into my pocket, I tried to act like nothing had happened and started to walk away. Just then—

“Oh, my, Hajime-senpai?”

A cute, bell-like voice called my name.

I looked up, searching for the source of the voice. And there she was—

“Konatsu-chan…?”

It was Aoi's junior from the basketball club, Konatsu-chan.

The girl, who was always friendly with Miyabi and the others, smiled up at me.

And then, Aoi’s words from earlier flashed through my mind.

—So, Konatsu was forced into it as well…

Startled, I looked at Konatsu closely.

I didn't know why she'd told Aoi such things. But my instincts told me I should be cautious around her right now.

With the air tense, I awkwardly opened my mouth.

“Uh, you're Konatsu-chan, right? Do you… need something from me?”

Konatsu suddenly burst into a giggle.

“Oh, no~ I just saw someone acting weird in the middle of the street and thought, ‘Hey, isn't that Senpai?’ It really surprised me~!”

That smile of hers looked twisted somehow.

“Sorry, but I'm in a hurry. If you don't need anything, I'll be going—”

I shot her a glance and tried to walk past her. But just as I did, she whispered in my ear.

“You better hurry, or Miyabi-senpai and the others might find themselves in trouble, right…?”

The blood drained from my face.

“What…?”

I stared wide-eyed at Konatsu.

She smiled wickedly, as if she was enjoying my reaction.

“What's wrong~? Aren't you going to go? Your precious childhood friend is in serious trouble, right~?”

Her taunting words made me bite my lip in frustration.

“…Do you know where they are?”

Konatsu narrowed her eyes for a moment, as if she was thinking about something, then twisted her lips into a smile.

“Hmm, what should I do? I'm not obligated to tell you, but…”

Her eyes gleamed with a playful light.

“Well, whatever. Let's make it a quiz. If you get the answer right, I might just tell you.”

“A… quiz?”

“Yes, you only get one answer. If you get it wrong, even just once, you’ll be joining Miyabi-senpai and the others in hell, okay~?”

I was confused, but I didn’t miss the mischievous glint in Konatsu-chan’s eyes.

My heart made a horrible sound, pounding heavily.

“… Got it.”

When I said that, Konatsu-chan smiled slowly.

“Well then, here’s the question—Who am I?”

I gasped.

Konatsu-chan shrugged, a playful grin spreading across her face.

“I told you before, right? It’s a quiz. Come on, think about it. The answer isn’t going to be something so simple, you know?”

Her eyes narrowed, as if testing me.

The suddenness of her question left me speechless.

Who? What is she talking about? I had no idea what Konatsu-chan was getting at.

Konatsu-chan is Konatsu-chan. She was once called Sasahara, too.

Sasahara Konatsu—that’s her full name…

But it was obvious she wasn’t asking for such a simple answer.

My thoughts began to sink deeper.

There was something nagging at me. No, it had been smoldering deep in my heart for a long time now.

The first time I saw Konatsu-chan in class, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

She reminded me of someone I knew long ago, but I couldn’t be sure, so I tried not to think about it any further.

“Haha, Senpai, you’re thinking too hard and freezing up~?”

Konatsu-chan waved her hands playfully in front of me.

“Of course, you can’t figure it out, huh~? Your head is full of your childhood friend, right?”

There was a slight sense of discomfort behind her teasing tone.

Something was off—the feeling that had been smoldering deep in my chest was slowly taking shape.

And then, before I knew it, that name slipped from my lips.

“…Suz… chan?”

“…Huh?”

Konatsu-chan’s expression wavered for a moment.

Her eyes trembled, and her face looked as though she had been struck by something completely unexpected. It was a mix of shock and confusion—an expression filled with a complex swirl of emotions.

“When I first saw you in class, I thought… you looked like Suz-chan, the girl I used to play with a lot when I was in elementary school. But your name was different, so I thought you were someone else…”

As I spoke, I was cut off.

“Don’t call me by that name!!”

Konatsu-chan shouted as if something inside her had snapped.

Her voice was sharp, laced with barely restrained anger. The surrounding crowd went quiet for a moment, and people turned their heads in surprise.

I gasped.

Konatsu-chan clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. Her shoulders trembled, and with her head bowed, I couldn’t read her expression.

But the emotion pouring out from her entire being was palpable.

Was it anger? Sadness? Or… fear?

“Why… why do you remember…?”

She muttered in a small, strained voice.

“Huh?”

I stared at her, confused.

But Konatsu-chan didn’t answer. She pulled a notebook out of her bag, flipping through the pages roughly and scribbling something down with such force that the paper nearly tore.

I debated whether to say something, but in the end, I just watched her silently.

Eventually, Konatsu-chan ripped the page out carelessly and handed it to me, almost tossing it.

On the paper was a simple map to a karaoke bar.

“Thank you…”

Before I could finish my words, Konatsu-chan, still looking down, spoke.

“Tell Miyabi-senpai and the others not to bother me anymore… They’re annoying…”

Her voice sounded different from usual, stiff and trembling.

As soon as she spoke, she turned on her heel and walked away with determined steps. Her strides were long, as if she wanted to get away from here as quickly as possible.

I stared at her back.

Something tugged at my heart.

An indescribable feeling welled up inside me.

“Thank you, Suz-chan!!”

I shouted impulsively.

In the distance, Konatsu-chan’s shoulders gave a small shudder.

For just a moment, her feet came to a stop.

But she didn’t turn around.

She started walking again, melting into the bustling crowd of Shinjuku.

Her figure slowly disappeared into the sea of people, fading away bit by bit.