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The only thing that really changed after starting my second year was that I began working part-time. It felt wrong to keep staying for free, so I decided to start paying Inazuki rent and covering other costs.

Initially, Inazuki tried to refuse, but eventually, my persistence wore her down, and she now accepts the money regularly.

Compared to what Inazuki likely receives as an allowance, what I give her is probably just a drop in the bucket, but it’s my way of showing my sincerity.

I couldn’t possibly repay everything Inazuki has done for me—there are just too many things to count, and even three years of high school wouldn’t be enough. So, at the very least, I wanted to give her something tangible, something that clearly conveyed my gratitude and sincerity through money.

Living with Inazuki has been going well.

Little by little, her cooking has improved, and I think the next version of me will be able to live even more comfortably.

…The next version.

Lately, I’ve become conscious of the “next.” I still don’t understand why time keeps looping, but I doubt it’s something I can stop just by willing it to.

So naturally, by the time my third year of high school ends, time will loop again, and the current version of me will disappear.

It scares me.

I am “me,” but three years in my teens feel like an eternity—enough to completely transform a person.

There’s a me who became friends with Inazuki in my second year. A me who, in my third year, only started talking to her for the first time.

They’re both me, yet they’re not really me.

And the next me, too, will surely be like that.

But.

Even so, maybe that’s okay. I’m used to giving up on things. It’s only natural that the world doesn’t bend to my wishes, and even if I try to gain something, most of it will end up being pointless.

So things like a place that’s special only to me, or a place where I belong—even tomorrow itself—perhaps those aren’t things I should hope for.

It’s fine.

It hurts a little, but if, somewhere in some timeline, there’s a version of me living with Inazuki, then isn’t that enough?

After work, I was wandering around the city, much like I had been just before Inazuki took me in.

Nearly a year has passed since then.

Time flies, truly.

Back then, it was so cold, but now the city is sweltering, and the pastel-checkered scarf has disappeared from around my neck.

Maybe everything will fade away, just like that.

Just as I was lost in thought, my phone vibrated.

A call.

I picked up without really checking, and the voice I heard wasn’t what I expected.

“Hello? It’s me!”
“…A scam?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You know my voice, don’t you?”

It was Chise.

We were in different classes now in our second year, yet we’d somehow continued to stay in touch. It felt strange. The way I used to be, I would have let my relationship with Chise drift apart with the class change and just end it.

In fact, in the previous timeline…

I shook my head. Now was now, and before was before. There was no need to remember anymore.

“Where are you right now?”
“Um…”

Was she planning for us to hang out? It was already past five in the afternoon, and the city was beginning to glow with the soft orange hues of sunset.

A few kids, presumably heading home after playing, dashed past me. Watching them run off, I told Chise my current location.

“Okay, cool. I’ll be there soon.”
“Wait, Chise—”
“Oh, and get yourself a toothbrush. I’m all out of spares.”

With that, she abruptly ended the call.

This was way too sudden. Was she planning a trip or something? Or maybe…?

I tilted my head in confusion but went ahead and bought a toothbrush at a nearby drugstore. As I waited, the sun gradually sank lower, casting the distant sky in deep indigo.

It was summer.

Even just leaning against the building wall felt hot, but this was still better than the bitter winter, the kind that could freeze you to the core.

This past winter had been full of memories. I’d spent Christmas with Inazuki, visited a shrine together, and even exchanged chocolates on Valentine’s Day.

My heart brimmed with memories of Inazuki. I was no longer the person I was before meeting her. My heart, now swollen with warmth from our shared experiences, felt so delicate, as if it might burst at the slightest mistake.

And for now, I wanted to treasure that.

At least for now, as something that belonged solely to me.

“Yo, Amakawa. Kept you waiting?”

Before I knew it, Chise had come up close. Recently, she’d dyed her hair from blond to red. Lit by the setting sun, her bright red hair almost hurt to look at, it was so dazzling.

Maybe I should dye my hair, too. Blue, maybe?

“A little. So, what’s going on today?”
“Huh? Oh, right. Well… let’s see… Anyway, here’s the deal. From today, you’re Haneda.”
“…Huh?”

What was that supposed to mean?

From today, I’m Haneda?

Haneda… like the airport?

Was she actually taking me on a trip? How many kilometers to Haneda again? And what would the travel costs be?

“I’m about to kidnap you, so make sure to let your roommate know.”
“Wait, what?”

Chise grabbed my arm and started walking. I couldn’t quite process what was happening. Kidnap? What did that even mean?

“And what’s this about a roommate?”
“You sure you wanna be asking that?”
“…”

If she asked, I’d be in trouble. But wait, why was she assuming I was living with someone in the first place?

“It’s totally obvious. You barely go home, right? I won’t pry into whose place you’ve been staying at, but still.”

Did I really look like someone who barely went home?

…What exactly does that look like?

How did she find out? Since when? Why?

Did Chise somehow already know I’d been living at Inazuki’s place?

My brain wasn’t working properly. It was all so sudden—everything.

“Anyway, from today, you’re part of our family.”

So that’s what she meant by “starting today, you’re Haneda”?

Still dazed, I let Chise pull me along.

It was kind of like when Inazuki took me in. I really did seem destined to be pulled around by people.

When Chise got like this, there was no stopping her.

Once we reached her place, I’d definitely need to let Inazuki know.

“Welcome back, sis! Oh, is that Iroha-chan?! Long time no see!”

Ayaka-chan came running to the door, looking slightly taller than last time. She practically threw herself into my arms with all her energy.

She’d probably get mad if I mentioned it, but she felt heavier now. A weight that spoke of her growth.

Spinning around with her in my arms, I hugged her close.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing well.”
“Yup! …But you don’t look so well, Iroha-chan.”
“Really?”
“That’s why I brought her here. Be happy, Ayaka. From today, she’s your big sister.”
“Really!?”
“Yep, really. Right, Am—Iroha?”

Though I’d come to Chise’s house more times than I could count, I’d never been told anything like this before. Was she trying to cheer me up because I didn’t seem myself?

Still, things like “kidnapping” me or calling me “Haneda” from now on… wasn’t that going a bit too far?

But I figured there must have been a reason behind it.

With Inazuki and Chise, neither of them would do anything strange without good reason.

Well, Inazuki might, actually—like that time with the throat-touching.

“So should I start calling you ‘big sis Chise’ or something?”

“Ugh, that gave me chills. Just call me like normal.”

“Haha, alright, just Chise, then.”

“Can I call you big sis Iroha?” Ayaka-chan looked up at me with those big, eager eyes.
“…Sure.”
“Yay! Big sis Iroha it is! Let’s play right away!”
“Hold up, Ayaka. I need to have a grown-up talk with Iroha here, so you can play games in the living room for now. Look, I got cream puffs for you.”
“Mmm, okay! Later then!”

Snatching a convenience store bag from Chise’s hand, Ayaka-chan dashed off to the living room.

Just as lively as ever. Even in fifth grade, she hadn’t changed a bit.

Being called “Big Sis”… it had a nice ring to it. Sometimes, I wanted to try acting like an older sister—having people depend on me, stepping in to help smoothly. That would be kind of cool.

If I could manage that, life might be a bit easier, though.

“There, that should keep her busy for a while. Let’s head to my room.”
“…So, what’s this ‘grown-up talk’ about?”
“You’ll just have to find out. Come on, imagine away while you walk.”

Chise took my hand, leading me to her room.

What could this be about? I felt a little uneasy.

Lately, I hadn’t had much mental space to think deeply about things, and my heart was always restless. I didn’t feel ready for any kind of heavy conversation.

But Chise didn’t seem to care and kept walking, leaving me with no choice but to steel myself and follow.

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