Please take me back to a time when the girls in the volleyball club didn’t all hate me.

If none of these wishes can come true, I’m going to stay in this castle for ever.

I made up my mind the day before it was all due to be over.

I hid inside the wardrobe in my room, and I waited for five o’clock to come and go.

‘AKI-CHAN! AKI-CHAN, WHERE ARE YOU?’

I heard Ureshino calling my name, while he looked frantically for me.

I’m sorry, Ureshino.

Everyone, I’m sorry.

I can’t do this on my own any more.

I’m sorry you got mixed up in this.

I don’t want to go home.

I don’t want to go on living.

I just can’t bear it any more.

AOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Aooooooooooooooooooooo!

I heard the howling.

An overpowering light began to fill the castle.

The wardrobe door was being pulled open.

A wolf, with its mouth wide open, was staring at me—

‘DON’T RUN AWAY! COME OVER here! Give me your hand! Aki, please!’

‘Aki, keep breathing!’

‘Aki, it’s going to be OK!’

‘Aki!’

‘Aki!’

‘Aki!’

‘Aki!’

‘Aki!’

I suddenly notice the door is closed.

Someone is banging on it. Over and over, calling my name.

It’s – Kokoro.

‘It’s OK, Aki! Aki-chan! We can help each other! We can meet! We can see each other again! So you have to live! You’ve got to keep going, and grow up to be an adult.

‘Please, Aki. I’m … in the future. In the future, where you are too. Where you’re all grown up!’

The voice came closer.

In her confused mind, Aki suddenly thought, What the hell?

Kokoro sounded as though she was crying. Crying and pounding on the door.

‘The times we all live in – the years – they’re all different!’ Kokoro said. ‘We’re not in parallel worlds at all. We’re all students at Yukishina No. 5 Junior High, but we live in different time periods. We are all living in the same world!’

IT ALL STARTED WITH SOMETHING Tojo-san had said.

When are you moving?

The first of April.

Very soon, then.

Can’t help it. Dad wanted to move in March, but the first of April is a Saturday this year so he has the day off.

This year.

Something about this statement stayed with Kokoro.

Come to think of it …

The other kids in the castle were living through different days of the week. They didn’t match.

Nor did the day of the week when the opening ceremony at school was held.

Nor did the holidays – like Coming-of-Age Day.

She should have considered all this earlier.

That the weather was different.

Their shopping centres were different.

As was the geography of their district.

As were their teachers and the number of classes in each school year.