Extra Stage
“──You’ve come, Shinohara.”
A little before the designated meeting time.
Himeji and I, both in our uniforms, met up with Saionji at the amusement park we’d visited during that pseudo-date.
Even though the battle for the Unique Star has already ended, I’m meeting Saionji face-to-face without any disguise, but it’s probably not a big deal. That’s because Union Park is temporarily closed this afternoon for equipment maintenance. There’s not a single spectator around to catch our secret meeting.
“Still, what’s the deal here…? Not just Shinohara, but dragging me and Yuki along too?”
As soon as we meet, Saionji, with her luxurious red hair flowing, says this with a puzzled expression.
She’s right. With Shiina’s help, I managed to pinpoint the meeting place with the Game Master, but just a few minutes later, a new directive was added to《DearScript》. It was a mysterious line:【Additional Order: Himeji Shirayuki and Saionji Sarasa must also accompany to the meeting place】.
In response to Saionji’s question, Himeji, standing beside me, gently sways her silvery hair.
“Indeed, I can think of three possibilities. One is that Rina and I are simply being given a bonus reward. Another is that we’re about to move into the second phase of《DearScript》with this group.”
“Hm… Well, I suppose neither of those is impossible. …So, Yuki, what’s the third one? That’s probably the real deal, right?”
“As expected, you’re sharp, Rina. The final and most likely possibility is, in short, a display—assuming the person we’re about to meet is truly my master’s childhood friend. They haven’t seen my master in years, correct? If so, there’s a chance they harbor clear hostility toward Rina and me, who are by his side now. They might even resent us enough to want to kill us.”
“H-Hostility!? Wanting to kill us!?”
“…Himeji, that’s a bit much, don’t you think—”
“No, Master, you don’t understand. I only recently learned this myself, but romantic feelings can make a girl a little unhinged—so while hostility might be an overstatement, it’s not at all surprising if they’re plotting some minor retaliation. For example… let’s see, maybe clinging to Master and forcibly kissing him right in front of Rina.”
“! K-Kissing… Shinohara…?”
Saionji’s face flushes bright red as she brings the back of her right hand to her mouth, her ruby eyes glancing at me furtively. Then, squeezing her eyes shut, she continues.
“I-Idiot, what are you saying, Yuki!? And why would clinging to Shinohara in front of me be ‘retaliation’!?”
“? Rina, are you unaware? There’s a culture in this world called ‘netorare’—”
“Neto…!? I-I don’t know what that is! A-And anyway, I’m not Shinohara’s property!”
Teased by Himeji’s cool tone, Saionji (for some reason) points at me, her face still red, and turns away with a huff. Watching their playful banter up close, I quietly let my thoughts wander.
Well… realistically, considering the quality of《DearScript》, the chances of my childhood friend showing up here are practically zero. If it really were them, I wouldn’t even know how to react.
The person I’m searching for. My first love, my childhood friend. The reason I came to this island. …Of course, I want to see them, but it’s been years since we last met. I don’t even remember their name, and I can barely recall their appearance. Maybe reuniting would jog some memories, but I can’t imagine what emotions that would stir.
And then—at that moment.
“Ah…”
As we approached the designated meeting spot in front of the Ferris wheel, near a slightly larger plaza, a single figure came into view. Semi-long brown hair flowed elegantly. Their back was turned, so I couldn’t make out their face, but they were dressed in chic, mature clothing. Somehow, even from behind, it was obvious they were a beauty. With no other guests around, there’s no chance of mistaking them.
“Alright… let’s go—”
Swallowing hard, I started to take a step toward her—when, in that instant,
“!? H-Hold on, Shinohara!”
“—Whoa!?”
Saionji, standing next to me, grabbed my arm and forcefully stopped me in my tracks. When I shot her a confused and protesting glance, she clung to my arm, her face frantic as she said,
“W-W-W-What are you doing, trying to talk to her out of nowhere, Shinohara!? Strategy! We need a strategy meeting! We haven’t decided anything yet!”
“Huh? Strategy? For what?”
“F-For what…? I mean, uh, well…”
“I understand, Rina. If the person standing there is a predatory woman aiming to steal Master’s virtue, you’re wondering how we should fend her off, right?”
“Yes! …Wait, maybe not exactly! I mean, that person could be your childhood friend, right? So what kind of face are Yuki and I supposed to make—”
“────Hiroto?”
…That instant.
Our conversation must have carried farther than I thought in the absence of a noisy crowd, because the woman ahead turned around. Her chestnut-brown semi-long hair swayed in the breeze, and her orange eyes caught mine, widening slightly.
“Hiroto…!”
Immediately after, with a smile that seemed to well up from the depths of her heart, she pattered toward me. Then, without slowing her momentum, she leaped into my chest with a thud.
“Heh!?” “W-Wait—” “…………”
“────I missed you so much.”
Ignoring the three of us frozen in confusion, she hugged me tightly, rubbing her smooth cheek against mine and whispering in my ear. Her scent, not sweet but clean, tickled my nose, and the soft sensation of her body pressed against me made my head spin. Seriously, no joke, we were at zero distance. Her hands were around my head and back, and her beautiful face was so close that a slight movement could lead to a kiss—and… wait, huh?
“…H-Hey, hold on a second.”
At that moment, I managed to cling to my rationality and spoke. In response, Himeji, who had been looking away with an almost unchanged expression, Saionji, who was red-faced but peeking at me through her fingers, and the woman clinging to me with a blissful expression all turned to face me.
“What’s wrong, Hiroto? Something up?”
“Something up…? No, I mean, what are you doing?”
“What? Can’t you tell? I’m hugging the Hiroto I finally reunited with. I’ve got years of pent-up longing built up… Or, what, you don’t like me doing this?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it…”
“So, you’re happy about it?”
“That’s not what I—ugh!”
As if to physically shut down my protests, she flashed a teasing smile and hugged me even tighter. Her right hand, now behind me, was stroking my head in a strangely familiar way, and I couldn’t help but look up at the sky. …Ah, I get it now. That’s how it is. Sure, she’s definitely an “important person” to me. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her someone I’ve longed to see after all this time.
Because she is—
“Just explain already, I’m begging you—Sis!”
Against my real older sister, who wouldn’t stop rubbing her cheek against mine, I squeezed my eyes shut and shouted.
To take a moment to regroup, we moved to the Ferris wheel.
The setup was like this: to my right sat the Game Master of《DearScript》, her, while across from us, Himeji and Saionji sat side by side. The two facing us—especially Saionji—had been flustered earlier, saying things like, “Shinohara’s sister!? S-Should I, like, introduce myself…!?”, but now they’ve calmed down somewhat.
By the way, my sister chose the Ferris wheel. Knowing I’m afraid of heights and picking it anyway (and somehow getting it to run despite the park being closed) shows how wicked she is.
“Alright, let’s start over, okay?”
With that, as the Ferris wheel began to move, she slowly started speaking.
“I’m Shinohara Yuzuha. I run the《Meteor》account, I’m the Game Master of《DearScript》, the mastermind behind all this, and most importantly, Hiroto’s big sister. Age-wise, I’m about ten years older than you all.”
“Master’s older sister… Then, the message at the start of《DearScript》?”
“Oh, sorry, that was a lie. I wanted Hiroto to take it seriously and search for me, so I couldn’t help myself.”
“Couldn’t help yourself, huh…”
I let out a quiet sigh at my sister, who says this without a hint of remorse.
Shinohara Yuzuha—as she said, she’s my real older sister. She moved to Academy Island when she started high school and ended up getting a job here. The reason I hadn’t thought about her until now is that she’s the type who’s rarely in touch. I did send her a message before coming to the island, but as expected, it’s still unread. Though I knew there was a clear reason for that, I didn’t bother following up.
Yuzu-nee, as I call her, stretches lightly with a small “Mmm” before continuing.
“I love Hiroto so much. And when you love someone, you can’t help but want to tease them… It’s the same this time. If I wrote it like that, I knew Hiroto wouldn’t give up halfway. He’d keep thinking about me. That’s gotta feel good, right?”
“…What would you have done if I failed to complete one of the orders somewhere along the way?”
“Oh, come on, I knew you’d clear it with ease, Hiroto.”
Yuzu-nee says this with a slight smirk, loosening her lips. …Maybe she’s joking, but if she’s serious, that’s terrifying.
But, of course, she has no way of knowing my inner thoughts and continues with a bright smile.
“Anyway, that’s the first reason I planned《DearScript》. We haven’t seen each other in a while, so I thought a dramatic reunion would be better.”
“…Even so, can a single person prepare a《Duel》on that scale? And if you’re family, shouldn’t you be in touch more often?”
“Ahh… about that.”
Before Yuzu-nee can respond to Himeji’s reasonable question, I answer first.
“Yuzu-nee’s got a job with crazy strict information controls. She can only contact family at specific times, and it’s normal for her to reply to messages months later. I think it’s… the Academy Island Management Department, right?”
“The Management Department!? Shinohara, are you serious?”
“Huh? Yeah, I’m serious… Is that such a big deal?”
“Of course it is! The Academy Island Management Department is the elite core that runs the Star Acquisition Game! It’s operated by a tiny group of the absolute best, with top-level access to all kinds of information. It’s not a department you can just waltz into!”
“Indeed… It’s generally said that a minimum requirement is a 6-Star rank upon graduation. Additionally, since it handles highly confidential information, it’s known as the department with the strictest regulations. …I see, that explains why it’s difficult for Master to stay in contact with her.”
“Yup, it’s been, what, three years since we last met in person? Even this meeting took a ton of applications to get approved just for today.”
Yuzu-nee smirks as if to say, “You should be grateful.” …Well, hearing that, I can’t exactly brush her off.
“So, back to the topic? The second reason I planned《DearScript》was because the timing was just right.”
“…Timing?”
“Yeah. Summer’s coming soon, right? And, Hiroto, you might already know, but summer on Academy Island is when major events are held. As big as the May Inter-District Tournament… no, even bigger. And it’s starting soon.”
“…? And what’s that got to do with it?”
“Exactly what it sounds like.”
Maybe her way of thinking is just on a different level from mine, but she says this with a faint smile. Then, she adds one more thing.
“Listen. I love《Duel》. I love clashes between strong people. I love when true passion collides with true passion. But this year’s May Inter-District Tournament ended before I knew it… So, I thought it’d be great if the summer event could be even more exciting.”
“…And that’s related to《DearScript》?”
“It’s entirely related. For example, in the first quest of the Unique Star battle, Ouka’s 6-Star, Fujishiro Keiya-kun, was confessed to by Mano-chan. He’s always acted ‘aloof,’ but he’d definitely be stronger with something to protect. By gaining Mano-chan as someone to protect, he’ll undoubtedly be a major threat in the summer event.”
“Wha…”
“For example, in the second quest, Eimei’s 6-Star duo, Enomoto Shinji-kun and Asamiya Nanase-chan, went on a date. They were notorious for being incompatible, but《Astral》clearly disproved that. When those two sync up, they’ll create an explosive synergy. To make that happen, they need to get closer.”
“…You don’t mean the final quest too?”
“Exactly that. That girl—Minami-chan—would never show her true strength under someone else. Rather than that, it’s far better to pit her against ‘real’ opponents like Hiroto or《Empress》-chan and hope for a chemical reaction. …Honestly, with her, it was a long shot, but I thought it might at least spark something. And it seems to have worked a bit… Plus, Kirigaya Touya-kun and Kugasaki Seiran-kun got nicely frustrated, too. See? Everything’s going perfectly, right?”
“““…………”””
We sit in stunned silence as Yuzu-nee lays out these shocking facts. …She’s right. On the surface, it was just a “love consultation quest” from start to finish, but looking back,《DearScript》has awakened multiple 6-Star high-rankers. And probably without them even realizing it.
“You’re saying you planned all of that…? You used requests and orders to manipulate me and Saionji to get the results you wanted?”
“Yup, that’s the deal. I’ve been doing stuff like this since high school. Stirring people up, getting them serious, hyping things up, and then coming out on top—that’s what I love. …Wait, didn’t Natsume-chan tell you about this?”
“Natsume-chan? You mean… wait, Principal Ichinose?”
“Yeah, that Natsume-chan. We were in the same class the whole time. Eimei back then was strong—so strong, but I have one regret. Eimei got too strong, and every event ended in an instant. There was no time to enjoy it. …But this year’s different, right? Eimei, Ouka, Otowa, Shinra… even Seijo Rosalia, they’re all getting stronger.”
“…………”
“I’m really looking forward to summer. …Don’t you think so too, Hiroto?”
With that, Yuzu-nee lets her lips curl into a smirk. It’s a bold, alluring, transcendent smile, as if she finds the entire world amusing. Just facing her makes you feel like she’s forcing you into the “inferior” position—a smile of an unfathomable powerhouse.
Then it hit me. If she was Principal Ichinose’s classmate, she was right in the middle of the “golden generation” when Eimei dominated the school rankings for three straight years. From what she’s saying, she was clearly a central figure, and being in the Management Department means she must have been at least 6-Star.
Now that I think about it, when Yuzu-nee was in high school, she used to tell me these wild, almost manga-like stories of her exploits. I just listened for fun back then, but… could it be, Yuzu-nee was—
“…By the way, Master.”
Just as my thoughts reached that point, Himeji, seated across from me, spoke up hesitantly. Her clear blue eyes fixed on me, she continued in a slightly concerned tone.
“This time… it ended in a rather unfortunate way, didn’t it? It’s wonderful that you reunited with your family, but in the end, your childhood friend wasn’t involved.”
“Ah, yeah… you’re right about that.”
I nod slightly, shifting my thoughts. …It seems finding them will require a more methodical approach. I need to collect Unique Stars and become a “true 7-Star.” With the fourth one secured in this《Duel》, I’m about halfway there.
“…Hey, Hiroto.”
Then—I was suddenly called and turned my gaze toward her. Yuzu-nee was beckoning me with a little gesture. Drawn in, I leaned closer, and she, with a teasing smirk, brought her lips quietly to my ear.
And then, in a whisper, she said this.
“Since you worked so hard to find me, I’ll let you in on something good.”
“A reward, a reward. You know, being in the Management Department, I know all sorts of things.”
“Of course, I can’t tell you everything, and since I’m the type who likes to be mean to the people I love, I’d only tell you halfway even if I could… but listen.”
“──Hiroto, you’ve already reunited. With the childhood friend you’ve been searching for, your first love.”
♭♭
“──Yo, you’re the one who wanted to meet the great me, huh?”
“Probably sniffed me out from that Kurahashi Mikado mess, but too bad, I’m a busy guy. If it’s some half-baked deal, I’m not interested. Plus, I’m not the type to team up with anyone.”
“But I’ll at least hear you out.”
“Cut to the chase—what’s this about teaming up to crush Shinohara, ■■?”
♭♭
Minami Shizuku was troubled.
Ever since losing the《Duel》against Academy Island’s strongest and《Empress》, the haze in her heart hasn’t cleared. Even though her annoying “popular phase” has passed.
Of course, it’s not her first loss. She’s thrown matches plenty of times to adjust her rank. But—though it might have been an insignificant《Duel》in the grand scheme—she went into this one intending to win. Losing when she was serious was probably a first in her life.
That’s why her desire to avoid standing out might have been overtaken by her competitive nature.
“It pisses me off… I’m frustrated… I want to win.”
With a thud, she flopped face-down onto her bed, quietly muttering those words.
