【Four Beauties】Side 3
The room was enveloped in silence. Each time the white curtains swayed slightly, a warm breeze was invited into the sickroom. On either side of the bed, the recently graduated high school girls gazed with somber expressions at Satoshi Iriya, who lay sleeping in the center.
His entire body was wrapped in bandages, with less of his skin exposed than covered. His eyelids remained closed and still, making it seem as if he were a corpse.
“When will you wake up… There are so many things I want to ask you, so many things I want to tell you?”
I, Satsuki Saionji, muttered softly, as if hoping he could hear me in his sleep.
It had been several days, and he still hadn’t regained consciousness. According to the doctor, he had narrowly escaped death thanks to the appropriate treatment. However, they also said there was a possibility he might remain in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.
“I’ll come again…”
At my signal, everyone stood up. We didn’t speak a word until we left the sickroom. Since that day, we had been visiting the sickroom whenever we had free time.
I wanted him to wake up soon. It wasn’t a pure wish for our savior to awaken, but a selfish desire for our own sake.
What exactly are we? What were his thoughts when he saved us?
What will become of us from now on…?
We were trying to cling to the life of our savior, who was teetering on the brink of life and death, for such a base, self-serving reason. I hated myself for it. Looking at their expressions, everyone felt the same way.
…Perhaps, even this situation is a fabricated event.
That anxiety wouldn’t go away. It felt as if the ground was disappearing from beneath our feet, and we were falling into the abyss.
“…Everyone. May I have a moment?”
Shinonome-san, who was walking at the rear, stopped. We all turned back.
“What is it?”
“…I have investigated the person named Satoshi Iriya using the power of the Shinonome family.”
We were momentarily taken aback by the word “investigated.”
“Oh… As expected of the young lady of the Shinonome financial group.”
Kitagawa-san looked at Shinonome-san with interest. Although she was being sarcastic, she couldn’t hide her curiosity. The same went for Nanjo-san and me.
“What I’m about to say is confidential. I’ve done some things that are somewhat illegal.”
“Got it~, my lips are sealed.”
We felt a sense of tension at Shinonome-san’s word “illegal,” but Nanjo-san’s words eased it. Her cuteness, which would make anyone want to punch her if she were a normal person, was forgivable because she was so innocent.
We moved to a deserted park near the hospital. Nanjo-san and I sat on the swings, while Shinonome-san sat on a fence around the swings, taking out her phone. Kitagawa-san leaned against a support, arms crossed. She was making sure to alert us if anyone came.
“First of all, about Satoshi Iriya’s family structure… It seems he’s estranged from his parents… He’s currently living alone, away from his family.”
“That’s quite something… Do you know the reason?”
“Yes. When I questioned his family, his mother said things like, ‘That’s not my son,’ ‘Give me back my son!’ and ‘Plague bringer.’ His father said similar things.”
“Does that mean he’s hated by his own parents?”
“Ehh~, I’m starting to get scared of Iriya-kun waking up~”
The bad image of him as a delinquent took hold, and Nanjo-san and I became frightened.
“However, it doesn’t seem to be the case. His impression from those around him was quite good.”
“Maybe he was tyrannical at home? That’s often the case. Source: my shitty parents.”
Kitagawa-san said self-deprecatingly, but Shinonome-san shook her head.
“He’s not disliked by his parents because of his bad behavior or lack of ability. In fact, it’s the opposite. He was too much of a genius.”
“Too much of a genius…? Uhm, what do you mean?”
“It means exactly what it sounds like. Satoshi Iriya was a ‘genius’ who shouldn’t have been born into an ordinary family. By kindergarten, he understood not only arithmetic but also high school mathematics. By the time he was in elementary school, he was dabbling in stocks and foreign exchange, and by middle school, he had turned his New Year’s allowance into tens of millions.”
“Th-that’s amazing~ He was such a genius.”
“Yes. Frankly, he’s better than me.”
Shinonome-san stated definitively. It was surprising that one of the most talented students in our high school, and even in the entire country, would admit defeat. That’s why when he defeated Shinonome-san in a mock exam, it became school news.
“Hee~, that’s unexpected… You admit defeat so honestly.”
“Fufu, I don’t think I’m the best in the world. I just thought there were very few like me…”
Shinonome-san, lightly brushing off Kitagawa-san’s provocation, seemed to be enjoying herself.
“To summarize, Satoshi Iriya was too talented, which led to a decisive rift with his parents, who were plagued by suspicion, and they became estranged.”
“It’s hard to understand… To doubt your own child just because they’re too talented…”
Normally, we would have laughed it off as something we couldn’t relate to, but we had the Diary, which delved into the core of Satoshi Iriya. After reading it, we couldn’t bring ourselves to blame his parents.
“It may be unfortunate for his parents, but perhaps the creator of LoD reincarnated a rebel who was punished in a higher world into the vessel of Satoshi Iriya. Fufu, I’m saying it myself, but I feel like I’m writing a bad sci-fi novel.”
“Don’t say it like you’re having fun…”
“My apologies. This encounter with the unknown is so exhilarating.”
Shinonome-san was enjoying this situation. She had the impression of being a quiet young lady, but now she seemed like a curious, troublemaking young lady. Then, Kitagawa-san, who had moved away from the swing’s support, looked at Shinonome-san with a sense of urgency.
“Hey, can you tell us what you want to do soon?”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t call us out here just to talk about this, did you? Unless you wanted to tell someone, we’re originally rivals who fell in love with the same person, right? Isn’t it normal to think there’s something more?”
Rivals…
Kitagawa-san was right. When I was in love with him, I resented the other three. They were all beautiful, cute, and wonderful women. It felt like a long time ago when I was desperately trying to stand out.
“As Kitagawa-san says, we were rivals in the past. It’s true that we had conflicts in the past.”
Shinonome-san looked at us directly.
“However, I can’t think of it that way now. Rather, I think of us as ‘Comrades’ who share the same suffering…”
“Eh…?”
We were surprised that the word “Comrade” came out of Shinonome-san’s mouth. It wasn’t a beautiful relationship, but it felt like the emotions that had been bubbling up inside me towards the three of them finally had a name.
“…That’s right! That might be good!”
“Yeah! I think so too~”
When I turned to Nanjo-san, we laughed, feeling embarrassed. We were only similar in that we were victims as characters in the world of LoD. But knowing that I wasn’t alone gave me a sense of relief more than anything else.
Even if they were former rivals. No, rather, it was because they were rivals that we understood each other’s inner feelings and could trust each other paradoxically.
“Comrades… Comrades, huh?”
Then, only Kitagawa-san was muttering to herself.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, um, well…”
When I called out to her, she reacted with a start. Had I said something that made her overreact so much?
Then, after hesitating and wavering, Kitagawa-san finally muttered.
“Wouldn’t ‘friends’ be better than ‘Comrades’?”
“Eh…?”
“Friends~?”
“Is that so?”
Nanjo-san and Shinonome-san looked at each other. And finally, they looked at Kitagawa-san. Then, Kitagawa-san’s pale skin turned bright red.
“~~~! Forget it! That was just a whim. Comrades is-” “That’s a great idea! That’s much better!” “Eh?”
I instinctively took Kitagawa-san’s hand. Contrary to her cold appearance, it was very warm.
“Fufu, rivals becoming friends. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“That’s right~, that’s way better than comrades~”
“Eh, ah, is that so, good… my first friends.”
Kitagawa-san, who was relieved, was so cute. Somehow, she was completely different from the impression I had of her at school. She was very beautiful, yet cute. We looked down at Kitagawa-san with warm eyes.
“Then, I’ll call you Reon, okay? Akina and Shino, is that okay with you?”
“…! Yes, nice to meet you~, Sakurazuki-chan. Shino-chan and Reon-chan too.”
“That’s right. I’ll also call you by your first names. Um, Akina-san, Sakurazuki-san, Reon-san… is that alright…?”
“Call me whatever you like. Um, nice to meet you from now on. Sakurazuki, Akina, Shino…”
Petals brushed my cheek. When I turned around, the plum blossoms were in full bloom. Known as “the flower that heralds spring,” they seemed to be blessing our relationship in the stillness of the night.
“Fufu, let’s leave deepening our friendship at this point—it’s about time we get to the main topic, shall we?”
Shino, not Shinonome… Shino looked at us with a serious gaze, so I straightened my back.
“I want confirmation. What is ‘LoD’? Who is that man? Who is Satoshi Iriya? And what exactly is ‘Shino Shinonome’…”
We want to know that too. If that so-called ‘Scenario’ is still in effect, we don’t know when we might go crazy due to the ‘World’s Compulsion’.
“But, you know~, Satoshi-kun is currently unconscious, right? They even said he might be in a vegetative state for life…”
“Akina-san is right. For now, the most knowledgeable and trustworthy person in this world is Satoshi Iriya. However, it will be too late if something happens before he wakes up.”
“Then, what do you propose we do? Shino?”
“…Please don’t be embarrassed.”
“Hmph, shut up.”
“Alright, alright. Let’s put Reon aside for now. So, what do you propose we do?”
I steered the conversation back on track. Shino cleared her throat.
“From now on, let’s go to the apartment where Satoshi Iriya currently lives.”
““““Eh?””””
“I’ve already arranged for the key. No need to worry. I’m thorough.”
That’s not the problem, though…
“Fufu, he’s such a meticulous person that he keeps a diary for three years. If we go to his place, there should be physical evidence. I won’t say everything, but our questions should be resolved… What’s wrong?”
Shino noticed our bitter expressions. Then, Akina said to Shino, looking troubled.
“Shino-chan~, isn’t that breaking and entering~?”
“Is that so? Is there a problem?”
She’s tilting her head in confusion…
“Didn’t I say it at the beginning? That this is confidential. If other people find out about this, fufu, what do you think will happen?”
“I might dissolve our friendship…”
“Too late☆”
Shino winked at Reon with her best smile, while Reon had a strained smile.
Even though we’ve become friends, I really don’t understand what rich people are thinking…
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