"All in all, it's a good thing they made up. Shiki's still a girl, after all—sometimes she just can't bring herself to explain things."
After saying that, Yuuki abruptly changed the subject.
"By the way… why aren't you wearing a kimono today?"
For as long as he'd known her, the kimono had practically been Ryougi Shiki's trademark. Even her choice to attend Kanou High had been influenced by that. The school had uniforms, but it didn't force students to wear them—so Shiki had always been able to show up in a kimono without anyone stopping her.
"Ah! Speaking of that, Yuuki!"
Ryougi Ori—as if she'd just been reminded of something—threw her arms wide and spun in place.
"Look, look—how's this new outfit? Cute? I picked it myself! Shiki didn't want to come, so she sent me instead, and told me to buy something on the way. She said you've already made her ruin two kimonos she really liked. What did you do, Yuuki~?"
Maybe it was because she hadn't been out in so long, but Ori was even chattier than usual. She'd been complaining a moment ago—now she was excited like an elementary school kid. She was absolutely nothing like Shiki.
Yuuki also couldn't ignore the fact that Ori and Shiki were simply… too different right now.
"As for the kimonos, I can only say I'm sorry… They got stained because you helped me, and that's on me. But the ones that got torn up by that guy—I don't think that should be counted against me."
"Shirou… who?"
Ori finished showing off her outfit, took off her jacket, and hung it on the wall hook. Then she sat casually on Yuuki's bed, startling him into immediately pulling his injured leg further in.
So Shiki hadn't told Ori anything. And Ori hadn't watched the news either.
Ori was surprisingly honest. If Shiki told her not to come out while she slept, Ori genuinely wouldn't.
And yet—even so—Shiki still couldn't bring herself to trust Ori completely.
Yuuki shook his head and didn't answer the question. After a moment's thought, he asked instead:
"Let me put it another way. Ori—didn't Shiki tell you not to expose yourself when she lets you out?"
That had been the real reason he asked about the kimono. A change in speech and behavior was one thing, but not even wearing a kimono was far too conspicuous.
Under Ori's open red jacket, her black T-shirt had a single bold, brush-stroke character in white: 'Righteousness.' It looked like something a wannabe chivalrous gangster would wear.
Yuuki could guarantee it—if Shiki ever stopped wearing kimonos, she still would never buy something like this.
"Oh, that? No, she didn't say anything. If anything, she wanted me to come see you."
"…Huh?"
Ori's existence was Shiki's absolute sore spot. Twelve years ago, Ori had warned Yuuki about it, too.
Keeping it hidden from Shiki had also been Ori's way of protecting Yuuki.
When Yuuki first arrived in this world, he'd only spent about ten days really interacting with kids his age before he awakened his system and began the long road of saving himself—after that, he didn't have time to "play" anymore.
But in those mere ten days, he'd met Ori. And Yuuki believed that back then, he and Ori had actually been closer.
"Well… I get why you're confused, but this time it's really not okay anymore."
The bed's creaking stopped. Ori halted her fidgeting and looked at Yuuki with unusual seriousness.
"Shiki was going to leave without saying anything. Looks like she even withdrew from school…"
"Shiki withdrew from school?!"
"Hey, don't interrupt me, Yuuki. Listen. Shiki's emotions have been swinging hard lately—seriously, it's bad."
Ori paused, then continued.
"In the Ryougi bloodline, it's possible for a second personality to be born. And because of that, we're also extremely prone to psychological and mental illness. Honestly, Shiki making it to this age without falling apart is the rare case—most of us break early, go mad, collapse. And Shiki… feels like she's showing signs of it now."
Ori's gaze sharpened.
"And from the way she reacts whenever I mention you… this has something to do with you."
"Me…? You mean… me?"
"Yeah. You."
Ori spoke with certainty.
"I told her I wanted to see you, and she got mad. There's no way she's this irritated just because you ruined a couple kimonos. Tell me the truth—are you and Shiki hiding something from me? What happened recently?"
"…."
"Ori, Shiki allowing me to come see you like this—without hiding it—means she's basically admitting her biggest secret. That isn't 'I trust you completely.' It's a signal. A rejection."
Ori's voice stayed calm, but every word hit like a nail.
"Honestly, unless something changes, Shiki probably won't see you again. That's how serious whatever you're hiding is."
"…So, after all that, you will help me figure out what to do?"
Araya Souren still hadn't been dealt with. Without Touko's involvement—and without Mystic Eyes of Death Perception—Shiki would have a hard time facing that man alone. If Yuuki wanted to protect his childhood friend, then at minimum, before the crisis was resolved, he couldn't let things devolve into never being able to see her again.
He gave himself that excuse—and believed it.
Unfortunately, Ori's answer wasn't good news.
"How could I? If Shiki decides something, there's nothing I can do."
As if she sensed Yuuki didn't want to talk, Ori stood up.
"And from my standpoint, I don't want to do anything, either. Yuuki—I don't want to make things hard for you. But whether you explain the whole story or not, and no matter how much I like how it feels when I'm with you… I will always stand on Shiki's side. You understand that, right?"
With that, Ori started putting her clothes back on, clearly preparing to leave.
But Yuuki stopped her.
"Wait."
…
…
…
In the end, Yuuki explained what happened—leaving out the system and his "foreknowledge," and telling the story as thoroughly as he could.
Ori pulled over a chair, sat down properly, and listened like she was being told a tale, learning the full picture of the serial murder case in Mifune City from Yuuki's perspective.
"So… you went back to inspect the murder scene late at night because you wanted to keep Shiki from being blamed… and on your way back you ran into the killer. And Shiki personally killed him?"
"More or less. But I don't think Shiki knows that. It was dark, and I made sure to do it before she realized—"
The memory of the sword entering flesh flashed through Yuuki's mind, and his fist tightened.
Ori let out a long sigh.
"Yuuki… Shiki is sensitive. Probably even more sensitive than you think."
"What are you saying?"
"She definitely already realized it."
Ori met his eyes.
"She knows she killed someone."
-------
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