Kagerou Daze Anthology Novel Ch. 3 - Goodbye Dreamforest (Part 1)
"Seto, it's been a while"
"Marry......?"
Author: Kazemachi Chitose (éąšèĄăĄăšă) | Illustrators: Ocha (ăè¶), Shichi (ă·ă)
A boy opens his eyes, awakening as a pleasant breeze grazes his face. He looked up absent-mindedly toward the pale blue sky above, where cotton candy clouds floated. The cosmos flowers blanketing the earth grew reaching for the sky, tickling his cheeks. The wooden object his back leaned upon felt a bit strange, but he didnât really mind.
As he was enveloped and began to close his eyes once again, he suddenly noticed something odd.
The cotton candy clouds he was used to were so far away. Not only that, but the cosmos flowers enveloping him seemed so much taller than usual.
His sense of unease swelled up like a cosmos flower trying to unfold its petals.
As the boy tried to stand up, he realized that his legs were shorter than usual. The clothing that caught his eye by chance, he noticed, was a purple polo shirt he used to wear. Not able to believe it, he reached out his arm. As he had thought, his hands were much smaller than usual.
Heâs gone back to his childhood. Around the time when he had met that girl.
The boy was a little surprised by how calm and unafraid he felt. He raised his arm and stretched it out as if to grab a cloud. He was so distracted by the sky he was gazing up at, that he failed to realize he was about to fall backwards.
There was a heavy thud as the back of his head struck something behind him. The boy clutched his head in sudden pain, glanced behind him, and opened his eyes wide.
It was a cross. It was dyed the color of night, covered in cosmos flowers that were arranged in equal intervals. The boy turned to face the cross and stared at it. It seemed out of place here, surrounded by red, white, and pink cosmos flowers. But the boy could only think that maybe these cosmos flowers were blooming here because of the cross.
Suddenly the boy noticed something carved into the center of the cross and focused his eyes there. He stared at the fine, shallow carving and when he finally managed to read the name he couldnât believe his eyes.
âMy⊠graveâŠâŠâ
He canât believe it, as he accidentally reverts to his old tone of voice.
Not having time to worry about such things, the boy staggered to his feet with the gait of a newborn deer. He stumbled back one step, then two, then fell on his bottom.
The impact and pain caused the boy to try to convince himself that he was still alive.
âIâm alive. Alive. It seriously hurts.â
But, no matter how many times he told himself that, the words engraved into the cross in front of him remained the same. Frightened, sorrowful, the wind that had comforted him just a moment ago now felt cold.
Alive, alive. He canât leave that child behind.
The boyâs cheeks streamed with tears. It seemed not only his body, but his heart had become young as well.
Frantically wiping his tears, the boy failed to notice a presence pushing its way through the field of cosmos flowers toward him. When a shadow fell upon him, he finally noticed the presence and looked up in awe.
âSeto. Itâs been a while.â
As the shadow was cast, the boyâs eyes widened.
Coral colored eyes, fluffy hair like cotton candy clouds, and an innocently smiling face. A girl slightly older than his proper self was staring at him.
âMarryâŠâŠ?â
As he saw the unfamiliar sight of a person he should know, the boyâs tears stopped.
It was a rare sunny evening in the middle of the rainy season.
As the sound of the Kaien Panzermast reverberated, children playing at the park in front of the station began to head home. A young man stretched his arms and shook himself awake. Pressing his ear to the wall in the darkness, he confirmed that no one was around and that he was at the destination.
The young man fumbled around, feeling the boxes surrounding him. He selected the sturdiest ones, slowly removed them, stood up from the pile, then returned them to their original position. Next, he located the door and cracked it open just enough to confirm there were no surveillance cameras. Finally, he opened the door as quietly as possible and made his escape from the freight train. After closing the door, he flung himself over the chainlink fence with one hand and fled the scene. The young manâs figure disappeared into the twilight.
âEscape complete.â
The young man whoâd said this jokingly, Seto, had no idea that it was a misdemeanor.
Which coral is genuine?
It all started with an offhand comment from that girl. Her cumulonimbus hair sways in time with the tilt of her head. Marry holds in her hands a magazine feature on coral reefs and a flyer for a jewelry store. Looking closely, she notices a coral pedant on the corner of the flyer.
âTheyâre both real. If someone tampers with this one, it turns into this pendant.â
âThis rugged one, could sparkleâŠ?â
Watching the girl carefully compare the magazine and flyer, Seto smiled. He had probably made the same expression when he was told that coal and diamonds are made of the same thing.
Come to think of it, heâd never been to a sea with coral reefs.
Suddenly, he took his eyes off the girl and looked up at the ceiling. Heâd been to the sea a few times. But, an ocean with coral reefs is a different story. For starters, itâs too far away. Not within walking or cycling distance. But, what if he could get there by taking the freight train? Perhaps itâs not impossible to get there. Although, heâd never been on a freight train before. Well, heâd seen one.
âMaybe Iâll go soon.â
The sooner the better. That evening, Seto set out with only the necessities on a secret roaming journey.
How many weeks have passed since then?
His cell phone died a long time ago. Although, he wasnât sure there was even much battery when he left. Regardless, he could expect a big scolding from Kido.
He walks, avoiding yesterdayâs puddles, until heâs face to face with the hideout door. It felt like the last time he had walked that path was at the end of spring, when new leaves were just beginning to spout. He wondered what point in the rainy season it was now.
Just thinking about it made him feel like he had been doused in winter rain. Just as he hesitated to open the door, the lock was opened from the inside. Suddenly all the blood drained from his face as the image of the jade girlâs dreadful face appeared in his mind.
âAh, Seto!â
But contrary to his expectations, on the other side of the door stood his childhood friend, a cat-eyed young man with a cheerful smile. However, there was an air of impatience not typically present in his voice.
"Youâre finally back, come in quickly!â
âHuh, wait Kano, what happened?â
âJust come here! Things are getting really crazy around here with no Seto around!â
His childhood friend vigorously dragged him along, and before Seto had time to close the exterior door, he was taken to a room. Standing in front of the room was his other childhood friend, a girl with jade-colored hair. There was no look of fear on her face, rather a look of urgency that came over her the moment she saw him.
Ahh, now that he thought about it the room behind her wasâŠ
âKano, get the porridge, fever relief sheets, and medicine! Seto, hurry up and get into Marryâs room!â
Almost simultaneously with Kidoâs shouting, Kano rushed into the kitchen. Realizing why the two were panicking, Seto was half-pushed by Kido and ran into Marryâs room.
The sunset bathing the walls filled with books made the room seem more stale than usual.
On the bed in the center of the room, littered with a white lace and embroidered duvet and surrounded by heavily illustrated books from some other county, a white-haired girl sat up with her eyes downcast. Her eyes, peeking out from between strands of her white hair, were redder than the setting sun.
Seto approached the girl slowly, so as not to scare her. He bent down and placed his hand on her fluffy, cumulonimbus hair.
"I'm home, Marry."
He gave her an out-of-place light smile, and Marry raised her head slightly. There was no smile on her face, but somehow, the air around her felt slightly softer than before.
âWelcome backâ
Her small voice reverberates like a cumulonimbus cloud passing through, as her eyes gradually return to their normal coral color. As if confirming this, a sigh of relief can be heard from behind.
âThese past two days have been really tough. I couldn't nurse her back to health and you wouldnât come back.â
âSorry."
Seto replied as he apologetically lay Marry down beside him.
If she wasnât feeling well, she wouldnât be able to control her abilities.
This wasnât just the case for Marry, but for Seto himself and Kido too. It wasnât so much that she lost control, it was more like she was acting recklessly, and it caused Kano and the others a lot of trouble. In comparison, luckily Seto was able to stop Marry. But abilities are abilities. Imagine how much they suffered for those three days without the guy who could stop it.
âWell, the seasons are changing, so itâs easy to get sick. You too, shouldnât go to the sea or the mountains too much until the rainy season is over. Itâd be a pain if something like this were to happen again.â
âYep.â
âYeahh, it was really tough.â
Kano enters the room with no sense of urgency in his voice. In his hands heâs holding a tray with porridge, a china spoon, medicine, water, and the cooling sheet on it. The porridge bowl and water cup are made of plastic, presumably so they wonât break if Marry drops them.
Kano places the tray next to Seto and sits, back against the leg of the bed.
âAt any rate, we wonât be able to take care of her properly if weâre turned to stone, right? So her fever is just getting higher and higher, and she canât eat properly.â
âFrom now on, with the seasons changing, Iâll try not to go too far away.â
As he stuck a cooling sheet on Marryâs forehead, Seto spoke. Marryâs forehead was hotter than the coming season.
It was clear that her condition had only deteriorated while he was away.
âIâd love that. Ah, and also make sure your phone is properly charged. There are a lot of missed calls from Kido on it. Afterall, she couldnât go to the doctor and couldnât eat and we couldnât take care of her and she was on the verge of crying. Ahh, it brings back memoriiess. Iâm going to disappeeaarr, Iâm feeling so nostalgic. But sorry, sorry, it never happened.â
âNo use in arguing.â
As Kano blurts out something uncalled-for, Kido grabs his arm and twists it the wrong way. Honestly, thereâs nothing nostalgic about this. Itâs almost sad.
âMarry, can you eat some porridge?â
âYeah, I can.â
Leaving the extraordinary scene of Kido, who holds Kano down with a blank look on her face, while Kano never stops smiling despite it, Seto helps Marry sit up.
He plunges the china spoon into the porridge with a plop, and slowly ladles a generous scoop of the rice and brings it to her mouth. Watching her unsteady hands and eyes that look as if they might close at any moment, Seto remembers something and reaches into his bag.
Ahh, it wasnât in such a cluttered spot. He had it wrapped so it wouldnât break and placed it in a small pocket.
Ah, there it is.
âMarry, this is a souvenir.â
After waiting for Marry to finish eating, he handed her a small package in exchange for her bowl.
Marry tilted her head and gently peeled off the wrapping paper. There was a long, thin, wooden box. He cautiously opened the lid of the box to reveal something.
âCoralâŠâŠ?â
Seto nodded at her curious voice as her eyes sparkled.
Inside the box was a pale-colored necklace made out of round, polished pink corals and pure white shells. It had a handmade feel to it.
âThis, I can have it?â
âOf course. A local lady gave it to me after I helped her out with some work. It was handmade by her.â
âWait a minute, coral? Where the hell did you go?â
Kido stopped what she was doing and turned to him with that rough voice, although she was still tightly grabbing Kano with both hands.
âAh, even though itâs coral, I picked the closest place. And, well, the train I took was the freight train soâŠâŠâ
âWeâre nowhere near the reefs so it doesnât matter that it was the closest place. And the freight train?! Thatâs a crime!â
âAhaha, well it doesnât matter. This organization itself is already criminal after all. And, a coral necklace is the perfect choice.â
Kanoâs face and voice didnât match his stance, so Kido shot him a puzzled look. As Seto helped Marry to sleep, he asked Kano,
âWhat do you mean perfect?â
âCoral has the ability to bring vitality. Thatâs perfect right now.â
What a surprise. The hand that had been stroking the cumulonimbus hair halts.
Without noticing Setoâs reaction, Kano opens his mouth,
âWell, I want some vitality too. The other day I snuck a cream puff out of the fridge, and I thought, whatâll happen if I get caughtâŠâŠ Ah.â
âOh, so it was you after all.â
Kidoâs face took on the expression of rage that Seto had been dreading upon his return home.
âK-Kido. Look, Marryâs falling asleep,so we need to be quiet.â
âThatâs right, so letâs move to another spot.â
âNonono, thatâs not what I meant - ouchouchouch!â
Kano raised a cry of resistance as Kido dragged him along. She kept her voice low, likely out of concern for Marry. Of course, regardless of her tone of voice, Kido wouldnât go easy on him.
As she put her hand on the door to leave, Kido turned to look back at him.
âThatâs right, Seto, your punishment for disappearing and not contacting us is cleaning the bathroom for two weeks.â
With that, she closes the door, not waiting for a reply. If he listened carefully, he could hear Kano screaming, but he decided to tune it out.
He joined his hands together in prayer for Kano.
Inhale, exhale. He could hear the soft sound of her breathing.
When he looked over, he could see Marry asleep with a much calmer expression than before.
In her hands she clutched the box containing the necklace as though it were precious. Setoâs eyes slightly clouded.
âVitality, huh?â If that was the case, maybe I didnât need to give her this necklace.
Kano and Kido, those two never change. Maybe theyâd changed just a little bit since the old days, or at least thatâs how it seemed to Seto. Surely, it was because heâd spent so long with them.
Youâve grown taller, youâve been outgrown. You've become cuter, youâre not as cute as you used to be. Youâve gotten smaller, youâve gotten bigger.
Theyâd spent their time saying that sort of thing.
He vaguely thought that somehow, it would continue to be that way from then on.
But, what about the girl right in front of his eyes?
Youâve grown up, youâve become so cool. Those were the kinds of things she told him. She hasnât changed since the time they first met, and heâs forced to face the difference in the amount of time theyâve been given.
Maybe, just maybe, they could stand shoulder-to-shoulder, look at the same view, and laugh together. What if something like that happened?
When was it that he had hopelessly daydreamed of growing up?
âSetoâŠâŠ.â
The sudden voice made him jump.
Looking at the source of the voice, he saw that she was sleeping soundly. There was a soft smile on her lips.
It seemed she was sleep-talking.
âAm I intruding on your dream?â
Heâs glad she seems happy.
He smiles and changes thoughts.
Especially because their time together is limited. He couldnât let her see his face all gloomy like that.
With his usual cheerful smile, Seto stroked Marryâs head.
âGet better soon, Marry.â
The girlâs fluffy hair gave the same feeling as if he was walking in a dream.
Part 2 to come......









