Masamune shot a grimace at Ureshino. ‘He wants to take Aki out.’

‘Oh?’ Kokoro managed to say, before Ureshino yelled out, ‘Hey! Why’re you telling?’ His face turned beetroot, and though he insisted Masamune hold his tongue, his tone of voice didn’t seem that annoyed. Subaru said nothing.

‘Ureshino-kun, you mean you like Aki-chan?’ Kokoro asked.

Ureshino didn’t reply. Kokoro was thinking she shouldn’t push it, but after a while he said quietly, ‘Yeah, that’s right. Is there a problem?’

‘No, no problem.’

‘Love at first sight,’ Ureshino said. ‘I told Aki how I feel, but she shot me down. That was about a week after we started coming here. Pretty fast, no?’

‘Aki-chan was confused by the whole thing too,’ Subaru said to Kokoro, a knowing smile on his lips. He lowered his voice. ‘Aki felt a little awkward when Ureshino looked at her.’

‘Oh.’

There were other kids Kokoro knew who were in thrall to a similar kind of crush, but these were almost always girls. It was pretty unusual for a boy to show his feelings so clearly. In fact, it was a first for her.

‘Masamune, Kokoro-chan doesn’t know what’s going on, so why’d you have to tell her?’

Ureshino sounded angry, but he also seemed a little pleased. Kokoro felt she had to say something. ‘But she is pretty amazing, Aki-chan,’ she said. ‘She’s smart, and fearless. I completely get how you’d fall for her.’

Ureshino looked surprised. But then he broke into a smile.

‘I know, right?’ he said.

Still, she’d never expected love to blossom in the two weeks she’d been away from the castle. They’d said that Aki was not especially happy about it, but supposing Ureshino did locate the key to the Wishing Room, would Aki fancy him back? What did she really feel about it all? Kokoro’s head was in a whirl.

Say a strange power did come into play and Aki fell in love with Ureshino. Would that be the original Aki who Ureshino had fallen for? If somebody manipulated your thoughts and feelings, would you still be the same person as before?

Kokoro took out the apple she’d brought and placed it on the table.

Instead of reaching for a controller, she sank into the sofa. ‘I brought an apple. Anyone want some?’

Ureshino’s face lit up. ‘Can I?’

His over-enthusiasm left Kokoro a bit confused, but there was one thing she clocked about Ureshino: he was not a bad person. She smiled at the thought.

Masamune and Subaru looked uncertainly at the apple. ‘Aren’t you gonna take it off?’ It took her a beat to understand they meant the apple peel.

‘Oh – sure.’

‘Hm,’ Masamune said, but didn’t elaborate.

Kokoro didn’t find his response unusual, and went to fetch her knife to peel the apple. She realized she’d forgotten to bring a cutting board or a plate, so she sliced it on top of the plastic bag.