No one knew how to respond to this. ‘Listen,’ Aki said, and gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘If we can’t see each other in the outside world, all we’ll have left at the end is our memories, no? Isn’t that a bit of a waste? Our memories won’t help us. Isn’t it better if at least one of us has their wish come true?’

‘I really don’t want to forget any of this,’ Fuka said.

Aki’s smile suddenly dropped.

‘I’m just saying – if we found it.’

They’d talked this through together already, so why was Aki suddenly saying this?

‘Well, let me know if you find any more Xs,’ said Aki, and left to go back to her room.

The group watched blankly as she walked off.

‘She’s got issues. A lot of issues,’ Subaru said when she’d gone. His cool tone gave Kokoro goosebumps. She sensed something was wrong.

‘You shouldn’t say that,’ Kokoro said without thinking. Subaru looked at her flatly. ‘Don’t say that. I don’t like it.’

Subaru’s words, a lot of issues, bothered her. Time was running out. And it hurt to be reminded she might also be in the same bracket as Aki.

She headed off to her own room. It had been quite some time since she’d been in it.

She lay on her bed and stared up at the ceiling.

What about me? she wondered.

As Aki said, if the key was found, what would she wish for? To erase Miori Sanada from her life – that had long been her wish. But would that be enough for her to return to her own reality? To a time before Miori had ruined her life?

There was a knock on her door.

‘Yes?’

‘It’s me.’

Subaru’s voice. She opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

Subaru was alone.

He stood there, slim and tall, and she noticed how the roots of his hair had grown out black again. He was beginning to look like a weirdo, and now she thought of it, she probably wouldn’t have gone near him if she hadn’t got to know him before.

‘I’m sorry I said that,’ he said. ‘I forgot how much I used to hate it when people said that about me.’

‘Oh.’ Hearing his gentle tone, she felt suddenly deflated.

‘And I’m glad you called me out on it. I’ve just been to apologize to Aki-chan.’

‘Oh! You didn’t have to do that. She didn’t hear what you said.’

‘I know. But the fact remains that I said it.’

This kind of slightly misjudged behaviour was just like him. Honest to a fault, but a little too by-the-book.

‘What did she say?’

‘She was pretty disgusted. Just like you were. She said she didn’t hear me say it, so I shouldn’t have told her. She said I always overthink things.’