Then, Tama explained everything to Yo. It took her less than a quarter of the time Baka had used. Tama is amazing. Baka was impressed.
“I see… So, I died…”
“Looks like it.”
“Yo, you were so cool! Protecting Tama… But I was sad! And Tama too! She was sad!”
“I, I see. But well, if I died cool, then I guess it’s okay. Haha…”
Yo made an indescribable face, then glanced at Tama. Tama also glanced at Yo… and then, the two of them held hands, as if by mutual agreement.
Seeing their hands gently clasped, Baka felt embarrassed, and at the same time, he realized, “Yo and Tama are lovers.”
…And, he also felt something like a sense of mission, “I have to make them happy…” Baka is a good-natured Baka, after all.
“So, what do we do? According to Kabashima-kun, it seems like a lot of people are going to die.”
“Including me, right. Hmm, what should we do…”
Then, Tama and Yo started thinking.
“…Kabashima-kun. Do you have any idea who the real culprit was?”
“Nope!”
“Yeah, I see…”
They started thinking, but Baka’s opinion was completely useless. Tama and Yo were about to bury their faces in their hands.
“…According to what Kabashima-kun said, the last ones left were me, Yo, Mina-san, Tsuchiya-san, and Kabashima-kun. And Yo apparently died…”
“If we think simply, it would be Tsuchiya-san, whose Unique Ability we didn’t know, but… from what Kabashima-kun said, it doesn’t feel like that…”
“I think so too!”
Baka’s opinion was completely useless, but even so, Baka agreed with Yo’s opinion.
It was hard to believe that Tsuchiya killed Yo. Somehow, that’s what he felt. That old man was a good person. That’s what Baka thought.
“So… hmm, but everyone else was dead, right…?”
“Ah. By the way, what was Tama’s Unique Ability after all?”
“Huh?”
Leaving Yo to his worries, Baka asked Tama, as if saying, “That’s right!” Then, Tama, with a face that seemed to say, “You didn’t know?” told him anyway.
“It’s the ability to copy the Unique Ability of anyone I touch, but…”
…Apparently, that’s what it was. Baka didn’t really understand, but…
“…I think that’s why I understood Kabashima-kun’s Unique Ability.”
“Ah, is that so?”
I see, so in other words, Tama can “know what other people’s Unique Abilities are by copying them.” Baka became a little bit smarter.
“So… what should I do? Should I just copy Kabashima-kun’s ability now?”
“Ah… that’s right. If you do that, we’ll know if what Kabashima-kun said is true, and we’ll have one insurance policy for now… Yeah. I think it’s a good idea. Go for it.”
“Okay. Then, Kabashima-kun. Sorry for a moment.”
“Huh?”
While Baka was tilting his head in confusion, Tama grabbed Baka’s arm, and then let go.
“…It really was a Unique Ability to rewind time.”
“The credibility just went up a lot. This is big.”
Baka was still tilting his head, saying, “Huh?”, but Tama ignored him and continued the conversation.
“…Well, since I have this kind of Unique Ability, it feels strange that Venus-san? has a fortune-telling ability.”
“Huh?”
“Because it’s like a lower-level version of my ability. If anything, I need to touch the person… but that’s not a performance difference that can be bridged.”
Baka had a lot of ‘?’ marks floating above his head, but it seemed that Tama and Yo generally understood each other. Baka was somehow happy, thinking, “They’re such a smart couple… amazing…” Baka didn’t have understanding, but he had empathy.
“…So, as for the Unique Abilities, Venus-san is suspicious. And also Hibana, who might have had her Unique Ability faked…”
“Right. But if we need to be particularly wary, it would be Amagi-san or Kaito. We don’t have any information on them yet. As for Tsuchiya-san, considering that Mina trusted him, we can assume that his Unique Ability might have been known to Mina-san.”
“So, an ability that we can be sure of, huh. I see.”
The brainy couple nodded to each other while talking about things Baka didn’t understand. Baka didn’t understand at all.
“…From what Kabashima-kun said, Amagi-san is obviously suspicious. But that might depend on what he says to me. So, it’s appropriate for me to investigate.”
“…Then, I’ll investigate Venus-san. Maybe I’ll get some information on Hibana too.”
“That’s right. Then, Kabashima-kun…”
“Yes!”
Baka, finally spoken to, raised his face happily, thinking, “It’s my turn!”
And then.
“Kabashima-kun, investigate Kaito.”
Baka tilted his head at Tama’s command.
“Investigate, what am I supposed to do?”
…Tama and Yo looked at each other. …And then.
“…For now, just go and become friends with him.”
“Got it! I’ll become friends with Kaito!”
Baka was overjoyed because they gave him an order that was very easy for him to understand.
“…Well, it looks like someone’s coming, so. Do your best.”
Baka will become friends with Kaito! He will become friends with Kaito! Baka was so enthusiastic!
And just then, luckily or unluckily, Kaito arrived.
And, of course, waiting for him was Baka, who was extremely motivated.
“Uooooooo! I’m gonna rip off my collar!”
“W, what!? H, hey! What are you!? S, stop it! Don’t come near meeeee!”
…As a result of Baka’s enthusiasm, Kaito was frightened.
Baka, who was frightened, was a little hurt. But, in order to fulfill his mission, he grabbed Kaito, hoisted him up, and ripped off Kaito’s collar!
“So, here, I’m returning your collar!”
“E, eh…?”
Kaito was gently lowered from Baka’s shoulder, and then, he was gently handed back his collar, which was now in two pieces, and he was just confused. In addition, he was looking at Baka with fear and caution, which made it difficult for Baka.
“Ah, that person seems to be like that, so it’s okay.”
“Um, you also had your collar ripped off, right? I did too, so it’s okay.”
There, Tama and Yo said “It’s okay” with wry smiles, but Kaito’s caution remained the same.
“Y, you guys are… already, a group? Is that what it is?”
“Yeah! We’re friends!”
“I wouldn’t say we’re friends…”
“Ah, yeah. Well… for now, it’s like, the first person who came, the second person who came, and then me. Haha…”
Furthermore, Kaito became even more cautious after hearing Baka’s words. On the other hand, his fear had subsided a little.
“Um… what should I call you?”
There, Baka asked Kaito that. Yes. Baka had learned from being suspected when he called Tama “Tama”!
“…And you?”
“Ah, me? I’m Kabashima Tsuyoshi!”
“H, his real name…? He gave his real name…? In this situation…?”
“Yeah! Ah, but you can call me Baka-shima, or Baka, whatever you like!”
Baka tried his best to talk to Kaito, but Kaito’s caution only increased. Baka was just troubled, thinking, “What should I do!”
“Ah, um… it seems that Kabashima-kun decided to give his real name like that, but we were talking about using fake names…”
“I had the Earth’s Planetary Symbol on my collar, so I’m ‘Tama’ which means ‘ball’. He had the Sun, so he’s ‘Yo’. What about you?”
There, Yo and Tama came to the rescue. Baka was happy and nodded, saying, “That’s right!”
“Collar… um, this, right…?”
Kaito looked at the ripped collar with trepidation… and then, tilted his head.
“…There doesn’t seem to be a Planetary Symbol on my collar.”
“Eh?”
What does that mean, Baka, of course, and Tama and Yo, froze.
…But.
“…Ah.”
Tama gently pointed to the area near the entrance of the room.
…There, there was a rolling gem. Tama approached it, gently picked it up… and handed it to Kaito.
“Your Planetary Symbol seems to be Neptune. And probably, when Kabashima-kun ripped off the collar, the gem flew off.”
“Ehh, it comes off like that! I have to be careful how I rip them off…”
The gem engraved with the Planetary Symbol seemed to come off the collar easily. Baka, remembered. It’s okay. Baka is a Baka who can remember. Probably. Partially. He forgets sometimes though.
“In the first place, why did you rip off the collar…?”
“I told you about how when I entered this room, something like a needle came out of the collar and pierced me. I think that if you enter this room with the collar on, you’ll get injected.”
Before Baka could explain, Tama explained it. Baka didn’t really understand, but it was probably a good explanation that would convince Kaito more.
“An injection!? W-What if it was some kind of vaccine or antidote?! Because of this guy, I might have missed out on it!”
“It’s okay, probably, it was poison,” Tama said.
“What’s your basis for that!?”
Kaito continued to be confused… but Baka smiled brightly and placed a hand on Kaito’s shoulder with a pat.
“So, nice to meet you! Kaito!”
“K-Kaito!? What’s with Kaito!?”
“Huh!? But you’re Neptune…”
“Don’t just decide that! So, Neptune, huh? As expected, when you say sea, it’s Hemingway’s…”
“I’ve already memorized you as ‘Kaito,’ so don’t change it…”
…Kaito felt like he had started to dislike Baka a little, but Baka didn’t give up.
Baka was determined to become friends with Kaito no matter what!
And Yo would become friends with Amagi, and Tama with Venus! That should be perfect! Probably! Baka didn’t really understand!
…However.
“Freshly caught fish is the best, isn’t it? Kaito, do you like fish?”
Baka continued to try his best to talk to Kaito, but.
“I don’t understand! Please, just don’t come near me!”
Kaito said, and Baka despaired.
…He had already failed to make friends right away!