Ch.410IF Side Story: Seems I’ve Arrived a Bit Early (107)

My face turning bright red is, well, a good thing regardless.

Yuka had an expression like she’d found something to tease me about for the next 10 years, and while Shii was laughing at me, we had gathered to discuss the stalker situation anyway.

And that stalker was Souta’s… well, childhood friend. Though for childhood friends, there was quite a gap in the middle.

Did they meet again in middle school in the original work? That part was a bit hazy.

Since it seemed inappropriate to talk about this on the street, we went into a nearby family restaurant and sat down. We ordered some french fries and drink bar tickets, then got back to the serious conversation.

“So… you’re neighbors?”

I nodded at Nakahara’s question.

When I say Nakahara, I mean Nanami sitting in front of me. Nanami Nakahara. That surname I couldn’t remember was “Nakahara.”

Usually, with people who might become friends, I encourage them to call me by my first name from our first meeting. After all, the surname I’m currently using is fake.

I’ve thought about changing it since I’ve re-entered the realm of that Kosuzu person, but unfortunately, I’m already in middle school, and changing it now would look strange. Unless we run away again, there would need to be a valid reason to change my name.

I considered doing the same with Nakahara, but unfortunately, in her current state, it seemed difficult for her to view me favorably.

A childhood first love. After meeting again after so long, there’s another girl by his side.

…Well, that’s how it looks, but…

“You live next door and go to school together?”

Souta and I nodded again.

“And you visit each other often?”

Sometimes I bring my game console over and we play together, or we watch movies. Shii even brings over food she’s made when it turns out well.

We occasionally have family meals together, and on important days like Christmas, they’re invited to our house. So, if I had to be specific, it wasn’t just casual visits.

But if I explained all that in this situation, Nakahara would clearly get angry, so I just nodded vaguely.

“And yet, you’re saying there’s nothing between you two?”

Yeah, it’s understandable to be suspicious.

But if she really misunderstands, it’ll annoy me more. And Souta too.

Let me say it again: we’re like siblings. And sibling relationships are inherently combative. I don’t know what happened during evolution, but human siblings always fight despite considering themselves family.

“And Souta knows all the girls here?”

“…”

Souta made a truly wronged expression at Nakahara’s words. I understand this too. If there were lots of girls openly clinging to him like in the original story, it would be different, but one is me, another is my twin, another is his little sister, and Yuka wasn’t even that close to Souta to begin with.

Anyway, it was true that he knew everyone, so Souta eventually nodded.

Nakahara fell into thought for a moment.

“Is that so? You’re really not dating?”

“That’s right.”

When I finally answered firmly, Nakahara looked straight at me. As I flinched slightly under her gaze, she spoke again as if to confirm.

“So you wouldn’t mind if Souta got a female acquaintance or girlfriend?”

Of course I wouldn’t mind. Thinking about it seriously, Kagami would probably invite Souta’s girlfriend along when inviting him. She might not completely think of him as her son, but she at least puts in that much care.

Kagami had an unfortunate childhood. She probably thinks of her own childhood when she looks at me, Souta, or Shii.

She’s truly an angelic mother.

Seeing me nod without hesitation, Nakahara seemed convinced. After all, there’s no reason to hide it this much.

Her hostility toward me decreased somewhat. It hadn’t completely disappeared, but it seemed to have dropped to a level where rational conversation was possible.

Nakahara stood up and abruptly extended her hand toward me.

I blinked once, stood up, and took her hand.

Nakahara shook my hand vigorously up and down and said:

“I’m Nanami Nakahara.”

“…Kotone Kunimura. Call me Kotone.”

“Really? Then call me Nanami too!”

Judging by her brightening face, she actually has quite a nice personality. Even in the novel, she had a strong image of being popular and sociable.

In these kinds of novels, the protagonist usually has otaku tendencies, but this Nanami had almost no knowledge in that area.

“Let’s be good friends from now on!”

Yet there was still some wariness in her eyes.

Is she saying this to me because she thinks I have a lot of information about Souta?

If that’s the case, it would be more advantageous to stick with Shii. I actually know very little about Souta’s preferences and such.

And as if reflecting my thoughts, Nanami also shook hands with Shii.

And with Yuka and Koko too.

“Woo?”

Koko, who had been eagerly eating the french fries in front of her, tilted her head when her hand was suddenly grabbed.

“She’s so cute!”

But I look exactly the same as her?

Well, I guess I don’t make sounds like that.

“Waa?”

Seeing Nanami gently patting her head, Koko seemed to recognize her as a good person. Since anyone who doesn’t point a knife at Koko is probably a good person in her book, that might not be entirely wrong.

…

Well, it feels a bit complicated that what started as a stalker situation ended like this.

And somehow I feel like the human relationships I knew have gotten tangled. More precisely, the relationships from the novel.

She said they were childhood friends, but in this situation, wouldn’t I also be considered a childhood friend?

…From that young age, I thought about using Souta and the people around him to survive. Now I just think we’ve become friends, but that original purpose hasn’t completely disappeared.

Should I tell them someday?

Souta and Shii still don’t know that such a world exists. They’ll inevitably find out as time passes.

If I tell them after everything is over…

Would I be forgiven?

“…”

Watching the children chattering loudly, I quietly sank into thought.

I used to think it would be enough if just Kagami and I could live together.

Now, my hands are full of people I can’t let go of.

“Kotone.”

“Hm?”

When I turned my head at the sudden call, a french fry entered my mouth. Not just one, but a whole bunch.

“What are you thinking about so seriously? What, is she actually not the stalker?”

“No, it’s not that.”

I mumbled with my mouth full, looking at Yuka who seemed to be teasing me.

“You don’t need to doubt everything in the world. If I did that, I would have had a nervous breakdown long ago.”

To be precise, I’ve overcome that phase. It was a story that appeared in the original work too.

“It’s easiest to live thinking that what isn’t true simply isn’t. Besides, there’s no point in worrying about problems that can’t be solved.”

I know.

I do know.

Thinking about people I couldn’t save won’t bring them back to life. If I thought that way, what I’m doing would be impossible.

But even so, I can’t stop thinking about it.

Yuka doesn’t know that Nanami was originally a person connected to Souta. She doesn’t know about the existence of the original work.

She doesn’t know that she herself is such an existence.

That I am an outside existence, and that we might never have met.

“…Yeah.”

But I didn’t have the courage to explain all of that here.

Someday, someday I’ll tell them.

Preferably when everything is over, when everyone has survived safely and can smile. When I, Kagami, Koko, and Dad are all safe. When I’ve confirmed that all the children here, and my friends like Harumi, Yuu, and Mako are all safe.

…Looking at how I keep adding conditions, I really am petty in many ways.

*

“Koko.”

“Kotone?”

On the way home.

When I called out to Koko, she called my name back.

“…Koko.”

“Kotone?”

Hearing Koko’s response makes me feel good.

They say people don’t like hearing their own voice objectively from a third-person perspective, but Koko offsets that completely with her appearance and attitude.

“I just felt like calling your name.”

“Just because?”

As I said with a smile, Koko tilted her head while walking, then,

“Kotone.”

She called me.

“Koko?”

“Kotone.”

“Koko?”

“I just felt like calling your name too!”

Seeing Koko say that with a bright smile, all the gloomy thoughts I had today seemed to vanish instantly.

I smiled back at Koko and patted her head.

We walked home together. It wasn’t that far.

When we rang the bell, Kagami came out smiling to welcome us.

That’s right.

I’m happy.

For now, let me live wrapped in this happiness.

As Yuka said, there’s no point in worrying about things that can’t be solved right now.

Instead, let me think about the meaningful existences in my life.