Kazuma curled up behind the rooftop water tank. Not far ahead, a small black-and-white bird perched on the railing, glanced around, then hopped lightly down onto the ground.
The bird was a sekirei, a very common species in Japan. Kazuma had taken a liking to this black-and-white Japanese wagtail, but he didn't dare show himself, afraid of scaring it away. Not far from the bird, a white Momotaro onigiri lay quietly on the concrete.
"Shhhhhhh—"
Kazuma gently rubbed the head of the black cat poking out from his collar and made a shushing gesture. The obedient cat remained silent. A small green snake also stuck its head out, only to be immediately pressed back down by the cat's paw.
Yes, the kitten wasn't afraid of him at all.
"Just a little more…"
Unaware of the danger, the sekirei took a few steps, then began trotting lightly across the ground. Kazuma's silent prayers worked—the bird noticed the rice ball, walked over, tilted its head curiously, and pecked at it twice.
It ate it! It actually ate it!!
Before Kazuma could celebrate, the rooftop door suddenly clicked open. A tall, elegant girl walked up step by step, her footsteps heavy.
"Uh… Tosaka Fuyuka-senpai?"
Slap. Slap.
Tosaka Fuyuka's sudden appearance startled the sekirei. It flapped its wings and flew into the air, but instead of fleeing, it circled once and accurately locked onto Kazuma. The bird landed on his shoulder and affectionately rubbed its face against him.
"Good boy," Kazuma murmured.
There were only three rice balls left—he had to use them carefully. Ideally, he should find a larger, fiercer beast.
As he gently stroked the sekirei, Kazuma cast a puzzled glance at Tosaka Fuyuka. This self-destructive senior had left a deep impression on him. Her so-called "wish list" was still terrifying, leaving him utterly helpless whenever he thought about it.
By the way… why was she on the rooftop?
Wait a second—
The deaths in the old school building have become the school's biggest news and the hottest topic of student gossip over the past two days, sparking endless discussion. Even the rumors about a first-year boy keeping venomous snakes couldn't overshadow the death of Coach Tougou.
Tosaka Fuyuka was also at a loss. Yesterday, she had planned to end her life in the old school building, but unfortunately, this incident happened first. With the old school building now closed to everyone, she could only come to the rooftop. Watching the number of students below gradually decrease, Tosaka Fuyuka pressed her lips together.
"If someone jumped from here, the impact would be even more outrageous," she thought. Yeah, the school would definitely go completely insane.
However, Tosaka Fuyuka was in no mood to worry about anyone else.
Her father's recent car accident had dealt her an immeasurable blow. The death of her beloved father—who had guided her onto the path of kendo since childhood—completely stole Tosaka Fuyuka's smile.
Relatives were fighting over the inheritance, and the family had also taken on an enormous amount of debt.
The Tosaka family was once a prestigious noble household, but now all that remained was an empty mansion. The crushing debt continued to suffocate both her and her mother. Some people at school who knew about her situation even called her a fallen heiress.
Tosaka Fuyuka didn't think that description was wrong.
Standing on the rooftop railing and looking down, a sense of death washed over her. She felt no fear—only a strange sense of liberation, as if taking that step would finally set her free.
I'll never feel this suffocating pain again.
Just as this impulse took hold of her heart and grew stronger, pushing her toward death, a soft voice came from behind her.
"Tosaka-senpai, what are you doing here?"
"..."
Fuyuka turned around, and for once, her usually expressionless face showed a slight change. When did he get behind her? "It's you."
She was deeply impressed by this junior. Whether it was what happened in the old school building or the things Akane Nanao and the others later said, all of it made Tosaka Fuyuka realize that this junior was far from simple.
Even if he really did kill someone by some means… what does that have to do with me?
Still, a faint ripple stirred in her heart. Why did she always run into him at moments like this?
"Senpai, what are you doing here?" Kazuma forced a smile. "You're not planning on doing some extreme sport like free fall, are you? Don't do anything reckless. You might be free afterward, but I'd be the one taking the blame."
"..."
How did he know? Tosaka Fuyuka's pupils contracted. She had never told anyone—not even her mother. How could this boy, whom she had only met once, possibly know?
She quickly suppressed her emotions. "You're overthinking it. I don't have thoughts like that."
"I trust you," Kazuma replied calmly. "So, senpai, how about we sit over there and talk?"
"..."
After staring at him for a long moment with a complicated expression, Tosaka Fuyuka hesitantly nodded.
She stepped away from the rooftop railing and sat beside the lush green flowerbed. Before Kazuma could even speak, she asked in a calm yet doubtful tone, "Kazuma, who exactly are you?"
"I'm just an ordinary high school student."
"Is that so?" Tosaka Fuyuka's doubts didn't fade.
"Then what kind of person do you think I am?" Kazuma asked with mild amusement.
"I don't know," she admitted, her eyes filled with confusion. When she first met him, she thought he was just an ordinary student. But after hearing things from her junior classmates like Akane Nanao, she realized he was anything but ordinary.
The more she looked at him now, the more mysterious and unsettling he seemed.
"But I feel like you know everything…"
It was as if he could see straight through her.
"How could that be?" Kazuma shook his head. "At the very least, I don't understand why you want to die. Even though Japan has always had a high suicide rate, someone like you—someone people see as a winner in life—should be different from those who've completely lost everything."
Unlike Kanna Hiiragi and Akane Nanao, Kazuma truly didn't understand her.
"A winner in life…"
Tosaka Fuyuka let out a quiet sigh, her emotions tangled. Looking at the boy beside her, she suddenly felt an urge to confide in him—something she had never done before. "I know there are a lot of rumors about me, but it's not what you think…"
Kazuma listened quietly as she told her story, finally understanding why Tosaka Fuyuka had developed such thoughts. Her father's death, the loss of family property, the overwhelming debt—anyone in her position would feel crushed.
It was just like during Japan's bubble economy, when people lined up to jump from buildings.
Seeing the pain etched on Tosaka Fuyuka's face, Kazuma opened his mouth, unsure how to comfort her.
"Still, let others say whatever they want—even slander," Tosaka Fuyuka said softly, as if speaking to Kazuma, or perhaps to herself. The light in her once-bright eyes slowly dimmed.
"Things like that… it doesn't matter how they end."
Hm?
Suddenly, the girl stood up, walked toward Kazuma, and spoke with a solemn expression. "Kazuma, could you do me a favor?"
"???"
"I don't know who you really are," Tosaka Fuyuka said as she approached him, "but you killed someone yesterday at noon. So you can definitely do it."
"Kill me."
"..."
"I didn't kill anyone!" Kazuma grabbed his head in frustration. "And what kind of insane request is that? Are you trying to frame me? I was just a suspect a moment ago, and now you want me to become a real criminal? You might as well just jump down yourself!!"
"You're not a criminal," Tosaka Fuyuka said calmly. "You're a kind person who helped me escape this predicament. I can even write a will."
These women are seriously abnormal.
I really don't understand you at all.
"Even if you write ten wills, it won't help," Kazuma snapped. "I refuse!!"