Volume 3 - CH 17

“I’m sorry……Shinobu san. I have to go now.”

It has been about an hour since then. We just hugged each other, sometimes kissed, and exchanged words in an empty room where no one came, but the time had come. Time to shoot a video with Hikari. Even if I had a promise with her, it is my duty as a working adult to prioritize work.

“Eh~….. But it can’t be helped. ……If it’s what my beloved Kouki kun does. Besides, I’m having a birthday party with everyone later, so we can meet.”

“What’s that, I’ve never heard of it before”

“Ah~ this was supposed to be a secret…… A..and….I’d like to be alone…..with you….. after the party with everyone else…….”

“……Got it.”

After kissing Shinobu san passionately, I parted with her. Maybe the adult shinobu san would also like to see me at night,……if the future that is coming in the past hasn’t changed. If that’s the case, let’s make plans ahead of time.

“Agent, is the adult Shinobu san coming?”

“Yes. I’m sure she’s making a ridiculously large cake at home right now.”

I went back to the empty classroom again and called the agent from the goldfish tank. I see…… the future hasn’t changed…….

“Do you have something on your mind?”

“No, I just thought……if the future hasn’t changed, then I must have made up my mind in my own way.”

“It depends on how you look at it. People say that fate is something that can be changed, but that’s just the nonsense of comic book heroes. If you are satisfied with what you are doing now, that’s fine. We don’t know what the future holds anyway.”

“…You’re right.”

If the past changes, the future will change. But whatever happens in the future, we’re only experiencing the present. It doesn’t matter how much I think about it.

“When I think about it, it’s like I’ve gone back in time…..”

There was nothing special about it. The only thing I did was to look out the window for a moment. He was reflected in my field of vision.

“Daiki……!?”

Outside the window,……,on the edge of the courtyard pond. There was Daiki who was supposed to be missing.

“Agent, can you shift locations !?”

“Yes, no problem.”

“Then move me to the courtyard !”

The moment I asked the agent to do so, my vision shifted from the classroom.

“Daiki ……!”

“……Yo, big bro.”

In front of Daiki, I approached him.

“You……,where have you been all this time……!

“Who knows……I don’t remember. But I lived in the countryside, far from here. I lived there while working part-time.”

Is that why Daiki acts strange? No, it’s different from the Daik I know. He had a tired look on his eyes, and he was wearing clothes that he must’ve chosen randomly. Most of his hair, which used to be a flashy gold color, is now covered in black, and he doesn’t look very clean.

“Well, whatever…….come back. I’m not convinced. It’s like I’m not winning, but protecting you. I can’t say I won with that result ! So come back. Come back and…..let me win.”

I don’t know what I’m saying. But that’s all that matters. Win against Daiki. I’ll do anything for that. Whatever it takes.

“Yeah…you’re right….”

Even though I didn’t understand my own statement. Daiki was surprisingly convinced and laughed.

“You’re always like that….you’re a bug  who can’t compete with me, but you’re always trying to outdo me. You were chasing me everywhere, and when I realized it…..you were out of my reach.”

“Like I said, I haven’t beaten you yet…….”

“I married a woman who never flirted with me no matter how much I tried to touch her, had children, made money as a distributor…… and now we live happily and peacefully as a couple, enjoying the growth of our grandchildren.”

“……? What are you……saying……?”

“I also wondered why. How did someone who can’t beat me no matter what suddenly overtake me? …..I guess that’s what it was all about.”

“Like I said….what are you talking about…!?”

Before I knew it, there was a magnificent sword in Daiki’s right hand that I thought could only be an artifact.

“…..Huh?”

The tip of the sword was piercing through my stomach.

“W……what……?”

This has happened before. It hurt. Even a mere kitchen knife hurt so much that I thought I was going to die. But my body feels no pain. So I didn’t notice for a while. I didn’t realize that I had been stabbed by Daiki.

“……You were lucky. You left me out.”

“Agent ……!”

An agent’s body sticks out of the pond right next to me and extends her arm toward me. Is the agent protecting my life? But I don’t know if I’m aware of that. Because of this situation.

“Daiki,……what the hell are you,……!”

“I’m just like you. No, I’m better than you.”

While holding the sword. While exposing his killing intent. Daiki said,

“I time leaped from the world 50 years later. I’m now the 65-year-old Igarashi Daiki.”