Day 3: It wasn't until long after Uehara Emika had left that you finally moved your neck stiffly, letting out a mechanical crackling sound like a robot. You lifted your head, resting your chin in your palm, and stared at the empty seat across from you.
Uehara Emika hadn't acted the way you expected. She didn't attack you. In fact, after revealing the truth about the past, she seemed to fall into a strange state of exhilarated amusement—as if a long-held myth in her heart had been shattered. That alone seemed to satisfy her.
There was no need for you to bait her into prison—murdering her own father was crime enough. In a sense, you both let each other go, believing you had each achieved your respective goals.
Uehara Emika was finally, truly out of Karuizawa Kei's life—at least for the next ten years. But you didn't feel as relieved as you thought you would. Only now did you realize that Karuizawa Kei was the real core behind everything that had happened. Emika was a trigger, a catalyst—but not the one who set the reaction in motion.
As for why Karuizawa Kei chose such extreme actions back then, you could guess some of the reasons—but they chilled you to the bone.
She had never once spoken to you about that scar. It was as though she had prepared a cliff edge for herself long ago, ready to leap at any moment—not to die, but to show someone what she had endured.
Like a final trump card, waiting for its dramatic debut at the most critical moment.
You even bitterly wondered if Karuizawa Kei had suffered so deeply in a past life that she was determined to make you repay it all in this one. You didn't want to see any more of her tricks—the ridiculous, self-effacing lies. It was like she'd forgotten how to walk on her own, choosing instead to forever hide within the time when she was protected. In those days that truly existed, everything felt eternal and incorruptible.
You had already handed her a cat to hold, but Karuizawa Kei seemed to want more—to fold you neatly into a paper crane or a rose and keep you in her palm forever.
You couldn't bear this kind of affection. The truth was right in front of you, close enough to touch. But if you had to confront Karuizawa Kei about it, you'd rather accept a lie full of holes.
Karuizawa Kei had violently sentenced herself to be yours. She had unilaterally declared herself your property.
This was… one of the worst kinds of relationships.
You sat alone in that private room for a long time. Until you had sorted out the tangled weeds of thoughts in your mind, you had no intention of seeing Karuizawa Kei again. Another hour slipped by without you realizing. You ate lunch alone and continued ruminating.
You flipped through your chat history with Karuizawa Kei. It was only a few pages—after all, it had only been three days since you reconnected. She still called you "Ryo," your given name.
She was the only girl who had that right. Among the few girls you knew, Shiina Hiyori always respectfully addressed you as "Kitagawa-kun," and Horikita Suzune just called you "Kitagawa." That simple first-name usage, in a way, belonged to Karuizawa Kei alone.
"Ryo."
You clenched your hand around that single character and didn't want to let go. Like someone warming a coal in their hand before stepping into a warm room from the freezing snow—getting used to the temperature change before continuing to read, word by word.
You wanted to devour each word, each emoji—digest them whole before rereading again. You pieced together an image of Karuizawa Kei from those fragments, slowly, painfully matching it to the memory of who she used to be.
She hadn't messaged or called you once during this long stretch of time. You felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment—not even knowing what exactly you were disappointed about.
At 2:30 PM, just as your early start and lack of a nap were making you drowsy, a video call invitation popped up on your screen.
The avatar was of yourself making a heart gesture. A second later, you realized—it was Shiina Hiyori's new profile picture.
You remembered her saying earlier that morning, "Next time, let's video call when we both have time." You hadn't expected it to come this soon.
Adjusting for time zones, it should be around 7 or 8 AM in London.
You hesitated—should you accept the video call?
[Story Branch Reached – Decision Point based on prior events.]
[Branch One: Accept Shiina Hiyori's video call. Leads to Ending – White Rose. Unlocks CG: "Zhong Wuyan"]
[Branch Two: Decline the call. Leads to Ending – Red Rose. Unlocks CG: "Blood Red"]
[Required conditions met: Karuizawa Kei's solo meeting with Horikita Suzune; Kitagawa Ryo's solo meeting with Uehara Emika.]
[Player has entered Branch One]
[CG Triggered: Zhong Wuyan]
Zhong Wuyan: "We know each other too well. No wonder we're destined to be like siblings."
Would you like to view this CG scene? (This may impact your future progress in the game.)
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Kitagawa Ryo chose to accept Shiina Hiyori's video call invitation—perhaps as a way to escape from facing the truth about Karuizawa Kei, or maybe simply because he wanted to see Hiyori again after so long. After a brief hesitation, he pressed his finger on the green accept button.
In the next instant, both screens lit up with each other's faces. Shiina Hiyori seemed to be sitting at her desk, softly smiling as she greeted him:
"Long time no see, Kitagawa-kun."
It had been almost two weeks since they last met. Given their usual habit of studying together twice a week, that really was a long time.
"Long time no see, Hiyori."
Kitagawa Ryo returned her smile. No matter his earlier emotional turmoil, in front of Shiina Hiyori, he always maintained a calm and composed demeanor. It was something he'd learned over the past six months.
After all, Hiyori might look naïve, but she was surprisingly sharp.
"Just woke up?"
Assuming it was still morning in London, Ryo asked out of habit.
"Mm. But I've been up for a while. Already washed up and had breakfast."
Hiyori answered with a cheerful smile. She was using in-ear headphones, and the black cord stood out against her silver-white hair.
Ryo always liked seeing her smile. Even through a screen and half a world apart, her presence made him feel at ease. It was a very different kind of atmosphere from Horikita Suzune's prideful air or Karuizawa Kei's fragility.
"You mentioned last time that you'd finished reading Eight Million Ways to Die?"
That message had arrived on Ryo's first day in Tokyo. Though it had been two days since, and it felt awkward to bring it up now, Hiyori wouldn't mind—she always lit up when talking about books.
The novel, by hardboiled detective fiction master Lawrence Block, told the story of protagonist Matthew's pursuit of a serial killer targeting sex workers across New York City.
"Yes."
Hiyori smiled brightly, eyes squinting in delight. She reached over and quickly pulled the book from her shelf—it was easy for her, given her habit of keeping things meticulously organized.
"Finished it a couple days ago."
She opened to the first page, where a quote in pale gold script read:
"The death of a beautiful woman is, unquestionably, the most poetical topic in the world." — Edgar Allan Poe.
"What did you think of that line, Hiyori?"
As fellow mystery enthusiasts, they were both familiar with Poe's name. But as Ryo asked, he couldn't help thinking of Karuizawa Kei—and more specifically, her scar.
"I think 'death' is more of a metaphor," Hiyori replied. "It refers to being trapped or oppressed. Death is just the most extreme example."
"Tragic, beautiful deaths of helpless girls have always fascinated literature. Like how Ophelia dies in a sea of flowers in Hamlet. It's all the same idea."
As usual, Hiyori quickly eased into analytical mode.
"But death can also be too bloody. Most authors don't kill their heroines just for drama. They craft a perfect emotional balance—abuse, bullying, isolation, abandonment. The suffering always comes first."
"...Is that so?"
Ryo nodded slowly, fighting off drowsiness as he followed up:
"In the novel, the victims left behind notes like this: 'No one would spend a fortune for me. No one would marry me. No one would save me. I'm tired of smiling. I'm tired of running. The good times are over.'"
"Yes, exactly," Hiyori nodded, her hair gently swaying.
"I remember when I finished reading this, I told you: if New York has eight million ways to die, then Tokyo's thirteen million people must only have six and a half million."
"Because you said half of them would die the same way—by suicide."
"...Yeah. Suicide."
Ryo sighed.
"So many reasons. From kids to the elderly, it feels like everyone has a reason. Like anyone might take their life tomorrow."
"But there are no detectives or unnatural death investigation bureaus in real life. No one cares whether that kid was abused at home or bullied at school. Dead is dead. No revenge. No message left behind."
"Kitagawa-kun... You don't seem like yourself today. Did something happen?"
Ryo saw Hiyori's worried expression on the screen. She clutched the headphone cord near her chest, as if trying to reach through and hold his hand.
"Maybe. But it's not something to do with you."
"Is it about Karuizawa Kei?"
For the first time in a while, Hiyori brought up that name. Normally, she wouldn't mention it unless Ryo did first. But today was different.
"Yes… and no."
Ryo nodded, then shook his head.
"Can you tell me about it?"
Hiyori asked gently, her purple eyes brimming with concern.
"But—"
"But..."
The first word came from Ryo's mouth as a reflexive rejection. The second came from Hiyori's as a gentle interruption.
"But maybe this kind of relationship is exactly the right one to talk about such things."
"Like chatting with someone online. I'm all the way in the UK, after all. I don't know Karuizawa Kei. I won't interfere with anything between you two. So even if I hear it—it won't matter."
"For me, it's just a story. For you, you could even talk as if you're speaking to this."
She pulled a white plush cat from somewhere and raised its tiny paws toward the screen:
"Meow."
She purred playfully.
"..."
Ryo didn't know what to say. But it was true—he needed someone to talk to.
He wasn't some bottomless pit that could swallow all negativity and come out unscathed.
He just didn't know where to begin. Retelling the facts of what happened would be the easy part. But this was something planted years ago—now grown into a poisonous fruit after a long dormancy. If he followed that thread too far, who knew where it would lead.
So he started with a simple question:
"Hiyori, do you have anything important to do today?"
"Until you're done talking, this is the most important thing."
Hiyori peeked her face out from behind the plush cat.
"Alright then... I'll start from when I first met Kei."
One sentence overflowed with emotion—then the rest followed, like a dam bursting.
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By the time Shiina Hiyori noticed, Kitagawa Ryo on the other end had already started breathing steadily in his sleep.
It was a calm, peaceful expression—like a tormented spirit had finally vanished.
A fleeting moment when all his masks had fallen away.
Kitagawa Ryo had fallen asleep mid-sentence, after haltingly spilling everything out.
Given the emotional blows of the past few days and a sleepless night, the exhaustion that surged up from deep within after finally letting down his guard overwhelmed him instantly.
No matter how invincible Kitagawa Ryo might seem as the reliable childhood friend, the one sleeping before Shiina Hiyori now was still just a teenage boy.
Shiina Hiyori slowly reached out her hand, as if trying to touch Ryo's face through the screen.
It was a soft gesture—like a caress.
And yet, it carried the full weight of her emotions.
Come to think of it, this was a first.
Shiina Hiyori let out a sigh—gentle and tinged with helplessness.
Kitagawa Ryo was, without question, an exceptional young man. Among their peers, both in looks and in mind, he was top-tier. Even within their brief time together, she could see that clearly.
But it was precisely because of that, his relationship with Karuizawa Kei had become what it was.
Ryo remained asleep, framed beneath a square window that carved out a piece of sky above his head—crystal blue.
Shiina Hiyori quietly closed her eyes and synced her breathing with his.
This was all she could do.
"Sweet dreams, Ryo."