The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria
Book 2: Chapter 4

May 1 (Friday), 1:00 PMThink I’ll lie low for now.

May 1 (Friday), 2:00 PM

I lose consciousness.

Then it comes back.

I’m sitting down. It should still be lunchtime, but for some reason I’m already here. I check the time. It’s two on the dot, so it’s about time for fifth period to end. I quickly survey my surroundings. Kokone’s and Daiya’s desks are empty. My guess is they probably went home early. Everyone else is focused on class for the most part. Nothing seems out of the ordinary at this point. On the desk are my textbook, notebook, and writing supplies. It doesn’t look like I’ve actually taken any notes, though.

There’s no doubting it now.

Someone else is inside my body with me. There’s “me” and an imperceptible “other me.”

And the other me was in control of my body until only a few minutes ago.

The bell rings.

Even though it’s break time, everyone’s keeping their distance from me because of the scene in the music room. I’m sure the other me intentionally brought this about. He did say he was going to destroy me, after all. This has to be one of his attacks.

I slump over my desk.

How am I supposed to fight this other me, especially now that even Otonashi has abandoned me?

“Hosshi.”

I lift my head at the sound of my name. Haruaki’s expression has none of its usual playfulness. The serious tone of voice doesn’t suit him at all. “Hey, why the hell would you do something like that to Kokone?”

I stay quiet. I have no answer for him, mostly because I don’t even know what I did.

“This is just me, but I don’t think you would do something like that for no reason. I can’t for the life of me figure out what it would be, but I’m sure you must have one. Come on—fill me in here. Don’t leave me in the dark.”

Haruaki sounds like he’s in pain.

“If you can’t help me understand, then I don’t know if I can have your back in this.”

Something dawns on me as he confesses.

Haruaki is the last bastion of normalcy in my life.

Would he believe me if I told him someone else is taking control of my body? …This is Haruaki we’re talking about, so he just might. Still…

“…I can’t tell you. At least not right now.”

My understanding of this situation is a scrambled mess, so I don’t have any confidence in my ability to explain things in a believable way.

“But don’t worry, I’ll tell you soon.”

I make sure I look Haruaki in the eye to show I’m sincere, at least.

“Got it. I’ll wait until you’re ready.”

That’s all he says, biting back all the other things I’m sure he wants to ask. He walks away quietly.

He’ll be waiting, he said. Now I’m obligated to explain to him once the time arrives. If I’m not careful about it, I could lose him.

And without Haruaki, the one thing that hasn’t changed, I probably have no hope of maintaining my life as I know it.

…That settles it. I know what I have to do now. I have to unravel the mystery of the Box and this other me.

Question is, how do I go about it? I have no way of interacting with this imposter in my body.

“……Oh.”

Right. How did I find out about him in the first place? He contacted me.

I step out into the hallway and pull out my phone. I’m going to record a message for my counterpart.

There’s no guarantee he’ll reply, of course, but it’s worth trying regardless.

“Nice to meet you, I guess? I’m talking to you, other me.”

I start the recording.

“I understand that you share my body with me. But there are a few things I still don’t get. I want you to tell me more about this Box of yours. I also want to know who, or what, you are.”

I wonder if he’ll respond to such straightforward questions. He is trying to completely ruin my life, after all.

That’s why I decide to issue him a challenge.

“You don’t have to say if you don’t want to. No matter how you answer, it won’t change my actions. I don’t care if you have some lofty purpose or if there’s a reason I should sympathize with you or even if you just hate me.”

I’m surprised at how naturally the anger wells up within me. This isn’t like me at all. Still, I feel like it has to be said.

“I cannot allow you to exist.”

He has to know I’m determined.

Who would sit back and let this happen? It’s unthinkable. He’s trying to take away everything I am.

My legs are shaking so hard that I have to steady myself against the wall. My body isn’t ready for the fact that, for perhaps the first time in my life, someone out there is trying to do me serious harm.

I close my phone and let out a long breath.

I will crush this “other me.”

No matter what happens, I cannot allow him to exist.

May 1 (Friday), 3:34 PMI notice Kazuki Hoshino has recorded a voice memo.

May 1 (Friday), 4:00 PM

In front of me is the face of an unfamiliar high school girl. I’m so startled that I let go of the strap in my hand and fall over. Ignoring the snickers from those around me, I stand up and try to get my bearings.

The strap means I’m on a train.

I don’t even need to think about it at this point. The other me was in control of my body again. I pull out my phone to check, and sure enough, there’s a new voice memo waiting for me.

I press the play button.

“I see… So this is a good way for us to keep in touch. I was starting to worry I’d get bored as the only one reaching out, so to return the favor, I’ll answer your questions.”

It’s my own voice coming from the speaker.

“I received a Box, and my wish was granted. That’s how I became you, Kazuki Hoshino.”

I swallow nervously.

“I’ve taken possession of your body now, but I only have control here and there, which makes me think ‘possession’ is perhaps too strong of a word. So relax. This is just a temporary thing. These little body-jackings will end within one week of when I used the Box. The instant it becomes the sixth, the final day of Golden Week, your soul will be erased from this body. Only I will remain.”

Which means I have only four days and change to find and destroy the Box.

“I hope that clarifies things for you. Now then, you also asked who I am. Heh-heh-heh, that’s a difficult one. Who am I, really? To tell you the truth, I don’t really know, myself. I mean, at the moment, I’m Kazuki Hoshino, aren’t I? I don’t think that’s the answer you’re looking for, though, is it? So I decided to make things a little easier for you to parse and came up with a temporary name for myself. You can call me…”

Using my voice, he says his name.

“…‘Yuhei Ishihara.’”

I’ve never heard it before. I commit the unfamiliar name to memory, and I won’t be forgetting it anytime soon.

“Now, let me give you my take on things. You won’t allow me to exist, will you? Don’t take this the wrong way, but I got a good laugh from that one. Don’t you see? There’s no way you and I will ever meet face-to-face. All we can do is record messages for each other on the phone like this. How do you think you’re going to get rid of me?”

“Yuhei Ishihara” giggles creepily in my voice.

“But I do feel some pity for you, so I’ll go ahead and tell you the one and only way you can be rid of me. I already control more than half of Kazuki Hoshino, so it’s really quite simple…”

He continues.

“…Just kill yourself.”

His unbearable laughter rings out again. The memo plays on, though it’s all I can do to refrain from pressing the stop button.

Having had his fill of laughter, “Yuhei Ishihara” brings his message to a close.

“Oh yeah. I got a text from one of your friends. You may not have noticed yet, so I thought I’d let you know.”

A friend…?

Swallowing hard, I open my in-box. At the very top is the name Haruaki Usui. The message has already been read, though I have no recollection of opening it.

What did he…

What did this bastard do to Haruaki…?!

I take a deep breath and let it out, but I still can’t seem to calm myself and end up chewing my lip nervously. I hate to admit it, but my hands are shaking.

I open the message.

“Don’t talk to me for a while.”

Oh no…

And that’s how I lost my last refuge, the one thing keeping my life sane.

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