Chapter 23: "Blank Past Sketch of the Future"
“Ow… ow… ow… Ah‚ this… is one of those ‘loading screen for the next stage’ types that never ends…”
I was collapsed on the rooftop of the isolated building‚ leaning all my weight on my homemade “Nagisa-style Super Express Crutch (extra duct tape edition).”
The rain was cold‚ and every time my soaked clothes stuck to my skin‚ my brain ran wild with pointless thoughts like‚ “Is this what tofu forgotten in the back of the fridge feels like…?”
My right leg throbbed painfully‚ and my stomach was so empty that it felt like my stomach was about to declare‚ “I’m about to eat myself‚ you know?”
(How many near-“game overs” is my body planning today…?Where’s the save point…?)
But now wasn’t the time for whining.
“…Ah‚ it lit up!”
On the rooftop of a distant building shrouded in fog‚ a small red light burst.
A signal flare.
Proof that Rin-chan was there.
“Rin-chan! I’m here! I’m alive!”
I shouted‚ but the rain swallowed my voice.
This world really has top-tier sound absorption…
So my voice wouldn’t reach her.All I could do was—shine.
I pulled a “secret weapon” from my pocket.
The shard of mirror I’d picked up earlier in the office.Among a pile of junk‚ it was the only small ally capable of reflecting light.
“Here goes…!My exciting mirror beam‚ fire—!!”
The light source was the afterglow of the signal flare Rin-chan had fired.Even through the curtain of rain‚ a faint red streak floated.I caught that light and swung the mirror with all my strength.
(Come through…! Come throughuu…!!Even if it hits Rin-chan’s retina‚ make her notice…!)
On the building across‚ Rin-chan’s drone wobbled for just a moment.That movement looked almost like it was complaining‚ “Too bright‚” and I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You noticed!? You noticed‚ right!? Rin-chan‚ you’re there!!”
But the next moment‚ the red light vanished.The drone stopped moving too.
“…Huh? Why did it stop…? Rin-chan‚ what happened…?”
No radio.No voice could reach.All I could do was stare into the darkness beyond the rain.
(Maybe… the flare got stuck…?No‚ it’s Rin-chan. She wouldn’t have a technical glitch—Wait… actually‚ yeah… totally possible…!)
My chest churned.Not from the cold.Anxiety spread like puddles around my feet.
“Rin-chan… please‚ just stay safe…I haven’t apologized yet…About the sketchbook‚ about the recorder…I have to properly tell her…”
The hand holding the shard of mirror trembled.From the cold? From fear? Or—Because my desire to reunite was too strong.
The rainy world was quiet‚ heavy‚ and cruel.But beyond it‚ Rin-chan was there.
(Absolutely… absolutely‚ I will meet her again…)
How much time had passed?By the time my arm stiffened from swinging the mirror too much‚ almost merging with the crutch to become a “four-legged new monster‚”
—Bang!!
The rooftop door was kicked open like it was angry.
“…Haa… haa… Nagisa!”
Standing there was my best partner‚ covered in mud‚ hood tattered and soaked‚ breathing heavily but staring straight at me—
“Rin-chan…!”
I tried to take a step while gripping the crutch—but at that moment‚ my right leg screamed in pain‚ and my knee buckled.
“Gyaaaaaaaah!?”
The crutch tried desperately to support me‚ but it couldn’t withstand the combination of my weight and the pain‚ and I collapsed.
“Don’t move! What did you do to that leg…? Homemade tourniquet? AC adapter? That’s too illogical.”
“Eh!? We’re finally reunited‚ and you don’t even compliment my ‘Nagisa-style tourniquet’ creativity first!?”
“Where is there anything to praise? You’re only increasing the risk of infection. …More importantly‚ that crutch—what is it? A tool for some ritual?”
“Rude! This is my ‘will to walk’ made tangible—Nagisa-style Super Express Crutch!”
“…Your naming sense is dead. The structure is all off-center. Amazing you even climbed up here.”
“That’s because Rin-chan fired the flare. My ‘hope meter’ maxed out!”
“Hope meter…? No‚ I don’t want to ask‚ seems complicated…”
“Eh‚ listen! Rin-chan’s flare gave me ‘hope points +300’—”
“I said I won’t listen. …I don’t trust your mental stat tracking.”
While bickering‚ Rin-chan crouched at my feet and started checking my wound.Her fingers were calm‚ yet they seemed to tremble a little.
(Rin-chan… she wasn’t angry…She was scared of losing me…)
“…Nagisa.”
Her voice dropped slightly.
“Hm? What? If it’s about my crutch improvements‚ I’m all ears—”
“Not that… …The sketchbook?”
My chest ached sharply.Deeper than the pain in my leg.
“Ah… um… well…”
The words stuck in my throat.The rain sounded so heavy‚ as if it were stealing everything from the world.
Rin-chan stared at the “blank space” on my back.The strap that should have been there.The memories we should have shared.
“…Washed away‚ huh.”
Her voice sounded angry‚ accusatory‚ yet somehow enduring the pain.
“I… couldn’t protect it…I’m sorry…It’s really my fault it got lost…”
The rain fell quietly between us.
“…Sorry. I couldn’t protect that sketchbook…”
I hung my head.The memories I had desperately clutched in the raging current…Gone‚ swallowed by mudwater because of my reckless good intentions.
The rain diluted my voice as it fell.
“…I see… Then we’ll just make a new one. As long as we live‚ we can make as many as we want.”
Rin-chan said curtly.But I could hear a slight tremor hidden in her voice.
(Rin-chan… she was more afraid of losing me than losing the sketchbook…I finally realized it…)
My chest warmed.
“…More importantly‚ let’s fix this junk. If the water rises any further‚ this building won’t hold.”
Rin-chan pulled out a gun-shaped flare launcher.The trigger was stuck.Perhaps the powder residue inside had hardened‚ or the ejection mechanism was jammed.
“Do you want me to fix it by hitting it? It’s Nagisa-style shock therapy!”
“Don’t. It’ll explode and tear the rooftop. …Start with the tools.”
From inside her soaked hood‚ Rin-chan pulled out a small waterproof case.Inside‚ the minimal repair kit was neatly packed.
“We have wire. Thin‚ but strong enough.”
“Wow! Rin-chan‚ over-prepared as always! Truly a ‘walking toolbox’!”
“…Stop calling me that. I’m not a box.”
Just as Rin-chan was about to take the wire—
“Rin-chan! There’s wire over here too!”
I had picked up a piece of fence from the rooftop.A thin wire swaying in the wind had snapped and was dangling.
“…Why do you only find the right thing when you need it?”
“Eh‚ was that praise!? You just praised me‚ right!? Hey‚ one more time—”
“I said no. Not again. …Here‚ give me that wire.”
On the rooftop of a sinking world‚ we gathered around a small machine‚ faces close together.The rain sounded like a metronome counting the world’s remaining time.
Rin-chan removed screws with precise movements‚while I‚ clumsily‚ supported the parts that needed force.
(Rin-chan’s fingers… they were trembling earlier‚ now so stable…The act of ‘fixing’ is supporting her heart…)
“…Alright. The fit is fixed.”
A pleasant metallic click echoed.Rin-chan added a drop of oil and checked the mechanism.
“Fixed…? Rin-chan‚ will this become our ‘light reply’!?”
“…It’s not fireworks. It’s a signal for rescue. …But it’s not bad‚ that sound.”
Rin-chan pointed the repaired launcher at the night sky with a hint of pride.Even wet from the rain‚ her profile seemed warm.
(Rin-chan… thank you.I’ll never let go of your hand again…)
Shuuuuu…!!
The red light soared in a perfect parabolic arc‚ cutting through the night.Reflected in the raindrops‚ it seemed like a thin curtain dropped just around us‚and the rooftops of the sinking city seemed to breathe for a moment.
“Rin-chan… look.My mirror beam… got a proper ‘reply’…”
I gently touched Rin-chan’s arm beside me.  Warm.The cold‚ unreliable fingertips lost in the flood—now were surely here.
“…Of course. There were unforeseen troubles‚ but survival probability was maintained.”
“Geez‚ Rin-chan‚ you lack romance! This isn’t about survival probability‚ it’s the ‘anniversary of successful reunion light communication’!”
“Don’t make up anniversaries. …And it’s not light communication‚ just a signal flare.”
“But Rin-chan‚ your hand… you’re holding mine back properly‚ right?”
“…Not holding back. …No‚ holding‚ but… this is‚ um… fall prevention.”
“Yes‚ yes‚ shy excuse. I know your ‘safety-first love’ by now.”
“…Shut up.”
Though she pushed me away with words‚ Rin-chan gently clasped my trembling fingers.
(Ah… I’m so glad you’re alive…I never want to let go of this hand again…)
“Hey‚ Rin-chan.I… not only lost the sketchbook…The biggest idiot thing I did was leaving you alone…”
Rin-chan’s shoulders twitched slightly.
“…Your stupidity isn’t new.”
“Rude! But correct!”
“But—better than me sinking first.”
Rin-chan looked at me‚ perfectly straight even in the rain.
“As long as you live‚ that’s enough.…We can pick up the book again.…Or maybe I’ll draw it this time?”
“Eh!? I want to see Rin-chan’s drawing!It’ll definitely be super geometric‚ with mysterious formulas in the corner!”
“…Shut up. I’ll throw you into the flood again.”
“Nooo! But I want to see it!”
“…Seriously‚ shut up.”
In the rain‚ we laughed quietly together.Laughing‚ yet my chest ached.What we lost in the flood would surely remain as indelible scars.
But—
Under the light of that signal flare‚we could feel the “now” that was more important than the “past‚”in each other’s hands.
(Rin-chan…I’ll never let go again…)
“…Ssshhh… can you both hear me? Thank goodness… you’ve reunited…”
From the radio in Rin-chan’s waist pouch came Momiji-chan’s relieved voice.Almost drowned out by the rain‚ yet it strangely reached deep into my chest.
“Momiji-chan! Thanks! We’re back as a team!”
I shouted.But the brightness froze like ice the next moment.
“…No time to celebrate. Look at the western sky… the data shows abnormal values.”
“Huh…?”
Rin-chan and I turned to the western sky simultaneously.
There—a “black wall” unlike the previous rain clouds—loomed‚ filling the night sky.
More than clouds‚a massive shadow swallowing the world itself.
“…What is that…? It’s like the ‘bottom of the sky’ is flipping over and rushing at us…”
“…Pressure is dropping rapidly. A magnetic storm… no‚ worse. Beyond observable data.”
Rin-chan’s voice was the lowest‚ hardest yet.The red flare light disappeared as if swallowed by the black cloud.
(No… the light… is being swallowed…The world is seriously ending…)
My chest tightened.But Rin-chan was beside me.
Her hand gripped mine stronger than before.
“…Nagisa. Our ‘technology establishment’ time is over.From now on‚ we face the sinking world itself… to save even more.”
“Rin-chan…”
“Let’s go. I’ll support your leg.”
“Yeah. Together‚ we can pierce through any ‘sky monster’!”
We began walking again toward the ominous black clouds.
—End of Season 1: “Establishment of Technology and Loss of Memories.”
And the story moves on to a new stage of ‘salvation’—into Season 2.
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