Part-2 Ch-03 Ep-04

After finishing our tour of all the exhibits, we decided to browse the museum shop until it was time to gather. Miniature replicas modeled after items from the collection, picture postcards, stationery, and specialized books were neatly lined up.

The selection, with an atmosphere completely different from that of an ordinary general store, naturally stirred a sense of excitement in me. However, even with such an enticing lineup, there was one factor that made it impossible for me to fully concentrate. That factor was my childhood friend clinging tightly to my left arm.

“Um, Maki. I told you earlier, but I’m already fine.”

“But if I take my eyes off you, it feels like you’ll wander off somewhere again.”

“No, I won’t. Besides, no matter where we are, we can just contact each other and find out, right?”

“……………Earlier, I tried contacting Mari, but there was no response. And when I went to look for you, you were with Seishuku-san…… Mari looked like she wasn’t feeling well……….”

At those words, spoken in a voice that seemed about to fade away, I felt guilty and couldn’t bring myself to reply. It seemed that Maki had been worrying about me in her own way.

“Um, then how about we install an app on our phones that lets us know each other’s location?”

“No, what does that even mean?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. From her point of view, it was probably a completely serious suggestion, but wasn’t that going a bit too far?

Well, I can already check Maki’s location using the map function. Wait, but wouldn’t that actually make things unfair?

“For now, can you let go of my arm? Can we separate a little?”

“Why?”

“No, why are you pushing back on that?”

As if deliberately provoking me, Maki hugged my arm even more tightly. With that, various parts of our bodies pressed close together, and at the sensation, I put my hands to my head.

“When Maki clings to me like that, um,”

“?”

“It makes my heart, ……… pound.”

Turning my face away with a slight pout, I muttered those words. I figured I might as well be honest, but even I could tell my face was burning red, which only made it more embarrassing.

Whether she understood my situation or not, Maki replied, “…………Liar. There’s no way Mari’s heart would pound because of me.”

For some reason, she looked a little self-deprecating. Was that just my imagination?

Where had that aggressive attitude from the other day gone, when she said, “Does that mean you get lewd feelings when I touch you?”

“Maki gets emotionally unstable sometimes, huh. Is that puberty?”

“It’s because I’m with a childhood friend who casually says things without any delicacy. ……But fine, I do think it’s hard to walk like this, so I’ll let go. Still, are you really not feeling bad right now? Are you okay?”

She peered into my face with concern, and at that close distance, my face grew hot all over again.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just feel a little feverish, so I think I’ll go straight home today without stopping anywhere.”

“That’s right. I’ll walk you all the way to right in front of your house.”

“Thanks,” I said, picking up a book from the shelf in front of me.

I flipped through the pages, pretending to be interested, but inside, my thoughts were in a mild state of panic. At that moment, I caught sight of Seishuku-san passing in front of the museum shop with what looked like her friends.

I stole a brief glance at her retreating figure.

“If this world were to become exactly as Nagase-san wishes, what is it that Nagase-san truly desires from the bottom of her heart?”

The “this world” she referred to probably meant this game world.

——No way, right. ……But.

I looked at Maki, who was standing right beside me, holding a book and staring at it intently. Keeping her figure in the corner of my vision, I wondered whether it would be all right to make a wish.

I won’t say what that wish is. If I were to make it that clear now, there would be no turning back. Maki has always been my precious childhood friend. The pounding in my heart only started recently.

But I knew better than anyone that my feelings hadn’t changed all of a sudden.

——Ah, this is really troubling.

The emotions I had decided to lock away and seal shut were beginning to smolder, little by little.

If I were to open them even once, I’m sure there would be no return.

If possible, I want to keep them locked away forever. Even so, Seishuku-san’s question feels like it’s about to pry that lock open.

It was as though I had discovered a Pandora’s box within myself.

End of Chapter 3