The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria
Book 3: Chapter 1

I’m in the midst of sights I can remember only in dreams.

I wonder how many times I’ve met him now (or is it her?)… I guess it doesn’t matter.

As usual, I can’t make heads or tails of what they’re saying, so I decide to just let it go in one ear and out the other.

Still, one comment does reach me clearly.

“That’s right. Daiya Oomine is your enemy.”

*******

The first time I laid eyes on that silver hair, I never thought we would be a part of each other’s lives at all.

I’m sure the majority of my classmates had the same first impression as I did. Everything about Daiya Oomine was a rejection of others, and his overbearing attitude and tendency to dress like a rocker were a means of distancing himself from the rest of us.

But we became friends. Haruaki was a major part of it as the go-between, but that alone isn’t enough to really connect with someone.

“Uh…Kazuki Hoshino, right? I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something strange about you.”

That was the first thing Daiya ever said to me. Even so, I believed he meant to be friendly, and I could always tell he really enjoyed talking with me.

But then he had to say what he did.

“You’re mixed up with O, aren’t you?”

We’re on our lunch break right before midterms, and he’s sitting casually next to Maria in the cafeteria when he drops the bombshell.

“……Daiya, have you received a Box?” Maria asks the question for me, as I’m too stunned to speak.

“Clearly, I don’t need to answer, so why are you even asking? Of course I have. And I’m talking to Kazu here. His mom can shut up and butt out.”

Maria lets out a dramatic sigh and falls quiet, giving me a look as if to say he’s all mine to deal with now.

What exactly does she expect me to say, though…?

Daiya takes the lead, ignoring me as I simply stare at him, unable to respond.

“I always knew something strange was going on. Otonashi showing up, you confessing to Kokone, not to mention all the other stuff.”

Daiya touches one of the earrings in his right ear.

“Then I met O, and it all became clear. It happened in that moment. It was like, ‘Oh, so this freak—for lack of a better word—is responsible for all the crap that’s been happening recently. And then O told me about their interest in you.”

I continue to sit quietly and listen, unsure of what Daiya is getting at.

“I realized I wasn’t the only one who found something off about you… You see, Kazu, after a year of observation, I’ve figured out something about you.”

Daiya fixes me with a piercing gaze as he continues:

“It’s like you’re floating, somehow.”

“Floating…?”

The word makes no sense in context, so it takes me a moment to realize I haven’t misheard.

“It’s like you’re watching us all from somewhere slightly above. You are where you are, but deep down, you’re maintaining a certain distance. You’re not part of the group or outside of it; you’re just…above it.”

I frown, unable to parse his meaning.

“And yet, you still cling to your everyday life. I used to have no idea why you’d want to keep things normal, but when I spoke with O…I learned you refused one of those wish-granting Boxes, and I finally understood.”

Daiya speaks forcefully:

“Your goal is to crush other people’s wishes.”

“That’s not true!”

I’m surprised at how loud my voice is. Still, this is where I draw the line.

“The reason I care so much about normalcy…is because I believe searching for something is proof you’re alive. That’s why…”

“Don’t make me laugh.”

So he says, but his eyes and mouth aren’t so much as smiling.

“If that’s true, then are you seeking something yourself? Answer me.”

“Of course I am. It’s…”

I stop short.

I am. I have to be. But for some reason, I can’t say it.

…I’m sure it still hasn’t properly formulated in my mind, and that’s why.

“It’s because you want to keep seeking. Hmph, even if I accept what you’re saying for the sake of argument, that still brings up another question. Why have you become like that?”

“…Huh?”

Why am I so obsessed with maintaining normalcy in my life?

Actually, now that he mentions it, have I always been this way? …I don’t think I have. So when did I…?

“……”

Something surfaces in my mind.

…It’s a person, but I can’t tell who they are through the haze.

I don’t know who that blurry form belongs to. I don’t? …No, if I’m being honest, I would recognize that silhouette through all the fog in the world, wouldn’t I?

Hers…

“Do you get it now?”

Daiya interrupts my thoughts, and the one I was beginning to see vanishes back into the mist.

“…Get what…?”

“No matter what reason you try to assign to it, you’re just clinging to normalcy because you’ve been conditioned, like Pavlov’s dog.”

All I care about is keeping my life normal? If so, then…

“It’s the same impulse that makes you walk all over other people’s wishes… Listen, Kazu.”

Daiya says my name as casually as he always does.

“I have a Box. Now I’m in opposition to your everyday life. What are you gonna do?”

I have no idea what Daiya’s wish might be. But if it’s going to throw my life into chaos, then I…

“You know the answer, right?”

Daiya lightly touches the earrings in his right ear as he emotionlessly makes his position clear.

“That means…I’m your enemy.”

Our term-end tests have already come back, so we’re focusing on our July classes about as well as we would on a throwaway match in a tournament.

“Okay, while we’re at the hospital, don’t you say a word about going to the mall later!” Kokone says as we make our way to Mogi’s hospital room. She’s been wearing her hair in a bun lately. “That goes double for you, Haruaki!”

“I know that.”

“Oh really? I heard people have been using this new word ‘Haruaki’ that means ‘oblivious.’”

“Never heard of it! The only new word I know is ‘KK,’ which means ‘shut up.’”

“Hey! Why do my initials mean ‘shut up’?!”

“Kirino, if Mogi overhears you shouting, your thoughtfulness will go to waste,” Maria points out.

“Tee-hee,” Kokone giggles, then winks and sticks out her tongue.

“Is that supposed to be cute?” Haruaki mutters, earning him a glare from her.

This is par for the course between those two, and I sigh before entering the hospital room.

“…”

I’m greeted by the sight of a magazine with a shirtless macho man on the cover.

“Kasumi…?”

“Huh…? Eep!” She quickly shoves the magazine under a blanket. “H-hey, everyone… Wh-what’s up? You’re earlier than usual today…” An awkward smile appears on her face.

“……”

Maybe we saw something we shouldn’t have…? Kokone and I give each other a look of silent agreement: Let’s not even touch this one.

“Hey, what’ve you got hidden there, Kasumi?”

But it’s no use. We have Mr. Oblivious with us.

“I-I’m not hiding anything…”

“You can’t lie to me… Hmm, maybe it’s a porno mag? Show me, show me! I’ve always wanted to know what kind of porn gets girls— Oof!”

Kokone gives Haruaki a sharp jab with her elbow. Yeah, that was the right way to shut him up.

“Don’t worry, Kasumi. We didn’t see anything. Mm-hmm… I mean, you’ve been stuck here in the hospital all this time, and…yeah. Things get a little pent up, right?”

“N-n-n-nothing is getting pent up!!”

Her face bright red, Mogi waves her arms in denial.

“Th-that’s not what this is at all! It’s…well…”

She purses her lips and hesitates for a moment before pulling the magazine back out from under the blanket. On closer inspection, I can see that despite the buff model on the cover, the contents are actually about yoga, proper physical training techniques, and similar topics.

“It’s a magazine with exercises in it. It’s not…porny.”

“Huh? Hey, she’s right. Ah-ha-ha, sorry ’bout that! …But why did you hide it?”

For some reason Mogi looks at me and not Kokone as she softly replies, “…I mean, it looks a little strange for me to be reading it…”

Now that she mentions it, I instinctively glance at Mogi’s arms. Her pale limbs used to seem so ready to break, but now they’re a bit sturdier… Still delicate, though.

Following my gaze, Mogi seems embarrassed for some reason and hides her arms behind her back. “…I thought it might help out a bit with rehab,” she explains.

It’s already been four months since the endless repetition came to an end. Mogi’s broken bones have mended, and she’s begun the rehabilitation process. Her return to school, once such a distant dream, is now that much closer to becoming reality. Before too long, Mogi and her wheelchair will become a fixture in the classroom.

She’ll be a part of my normal daily life again.

…Just like when Maria wasn’t.

“Hey, Maria, do you not like Kasumi or something?” Haruaki asks the moment we step into the shopping mall. It’s something both Kokone and I have wondered, but we’ve never been able to actually voice our concern…

“Haru… You scare me sometimes…,” Kokone says.

“Why?”

Haruaki can’t even read between the lines. He really is frightening.

“…Why do you think I don’t like her?” Maria asks Haruaki with a casual lack of emotion.

“It’s just that I’ve never seen you and Kasumi actually talking to each other before, you know? I mean, it could be because I’ve never seen you two together without anyone else around, either.”

“…Listen up, Haru.” Kokone pulls Haruaki toward her and whispers into his ear. “…They’re rivals in love… That’s why things are weird between them. I’m sure you get that, at least…”

Um, Kokone…? I know you’re trying to be thoughtful, but we can hear everything you’re saying.

Haruaki is staring at me with a grin on his face… Man, he really knows how to get under my skin.

Maria lets out a sigh at their antics. “You’re free to interpret things however you want, but if the question is whether I find it easy to talk to her, the answer is no.”

“Whoo, do I smell a rivalry after all?”

“Usui, if someone were to treat you like an insect and then plunge a knife into your stomach, would you be able to talk to them without anything weighing on your mind?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m joking.”

Haruaki and Kokone look at each other in response to Maria’s deadpan question.

…Guess I’m the only one whose heart is aching from her near revelation.

“…Anyway, that’s enough of that… Now it’s time for the main event: finding some clothes that look nice on Maria! You’ll probably be fine no matter what you wear, though… Damn you and that model figure of yours!”

Says the girl featured in a fashion magazine the other day.

“Wait, so what does that have to do with any of this?”

“Just listen and you’ll find out! On our days off lately, I’ve been bumping into Maria in her street clothes more often, and she’s obviously completely neglecting her fashion. It’s not that her sense is bad, just that there’s no personal flair… And when I asked what brand she wears, she said UNIQLO.”

“Maybe it wasn’t always that way, but UNIQLO is in right now. The company has invested considerable effort into selling a wide range of high-quality products that are also low priced. They are superior.”

“I wear UNIQLO, too! But that’s not what I’m getting at! It’s just that I put more…I don’t know…effort into being my ideal version of myself… Agh, I’ve had it! I can still compete with you when it comes to this, dammit!!”

“Don’t worry, Kiri. You have her beat in the chest department, if nothing else.”

“If nothing else?! Quit being stupid, Haru! …Big boobs aren’t the only thing I…”

Kokone’s words fade as she carefully looks Maria over from head to toe with dismay.

“…Come on… Don’t tell me there’s no way I can win! Waaah, what the hell?! You’d better become Miss whatever-it’s-called, the prettiest in the world! Then I can acknowledge that you’re beautiful without feeling bad about myself!”

“…K-Kokone, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you know…”

“Okay then, Kazu, which one of us do you think is better looking?”

“……”

“Why aren’t you saying anything?! Even if it’s a lie, you have to say me!”

“That’s a tall order for him,” Haruaki commented.

“Shut up, you barely qualify for average!”

“What?! I am above average, and that’s putting it mildly!”

Thanks to their yammering, we’re beginning to attract the attention of the other customers around us… This always happens when Kokone’s around.

“H-hey, Kokone, don’t you think it’s about time you…?”

Kokone stares me down after I speak up. Oh man, I’m about to get tangled up in this, aren’t I…?

“Hey, Kazu, you wanna know what I really can’t stand about Mari-Mari’s wardrobe? It’s that you two are almost exactly the same height and share clothes!”

“…Huh? Is that bad?”

Kokone’s eyes go wide at my words. “…The heck? Why do you look so shocked? Don’t go saying ‘…Huh? Is that bad?’! Your sensibilities are out of whack! I almost passed out when I saw you and Mari-Mari wearing the same T-shirt on different days, you know!”

I really don’t get what the problem is, so I look over at Haruaki.

“Nah, she’s right, man.”

…He shut me down, too.

“You know what you are? You’re one of those guys who doesn’t think twice about downing the rest of a bottle when the girl he likes can’t finish it, aren’t you?”

“Isn’t that normal…?”

As if to demonstrate his point, Haruaki flings his hands toward the sky in exasperation and lets out a sigh.

…Hey, what was that for?

“Now do you see why I’m trying to get her to buy clothes, Haru?”

“All too well!”

Now that those two have joined forces, the selection of clothes for Maria begins according to Kokone’s plan. Still, Maria herself seems to have little to no interest in shopping, so she just offers comments on the options Kokone throws at her and occasionally tries them on under duress.

As I watch, I wonder if Kokone must be unhappy because Maria isn’t buying any of her suggestions, but she actually seems to be enjoying herself. In her words: “I have an unparalleled beauty as my doll for playing dress-up, and that’s fun enough!” …As a guy, I can’t say I relate.

As for my fellow man Haruaki, he seems to be content ogling the female customers and staff at the shops. I kind of envy the way his mind works… Actually, I don’t. I don’t at all.

Standing there by myself, I suggest taking a breather to Kokone, who has been going full throttle this entire time. I have no idea where she gets her energy. Three hours later, she eventually accepts.

Phew… I’m finally free, at least for the moment.

“…You seem like you’re having a good time, Haruaki!”

“You know it! I spent my time ranking all the girls I saw, so I feel like I got something done! The top of the list was one of the girls working at the last store,” he replies.

Kokone is not amused.

“She kinda looked like our student council president. Didn’t you think so, Hosshi?”

“…Well, now that you mention it, I guess she did, a little bit.”

“Hmm… Are you sure?” counters Kokone. “Our president is way cooler in my book… Hey, that reminds me—have you heard of the ‘Superhuman Three’?”

“Of course I have,” Haruaki says.

“…Well, I have encountered the term,” Maria adds.

It seems like the only one who hasn’t is me.

“…Who are these ‘Superhuman Three’?”

“Okay, so in our school, there’s one student in each year who has amazing scores, right? Well, as you can imagine, all three of them have something special beyond just their grades, so someone started referring to them as superhumans. The label fit so well that eventually everyone in the school started using it.”

“…And I’m guessing Maria is one of them?”

“Yes. I don’t really care what people say about me, but I don’t relish being the center of attention.”

Uh…you’re saying that after the stunt at the entrance ceremony?

“So, if the first-year is Maria, and the third-year is the president, then the second-year superhuman is…” Kokone stops on the verge of saying the name and becomes visibly upset.

…So the last one must be Daiya.

Daiya had vanished without a trace after announcing he was a Box owner to me that day in the cafeteria. He hadn’t come to school, and he wasn’t at home, either.

He hadn’t said a word to Kokone or Haruaki.

Kokone is furious about the entire thing. She can’t believe he would just up and leave without telling her. Of course, it’s just a roundabout way of expressing her concern.

Kokone probably believes Daiya’s absence is temporary. That’s why she can be angry about it. But as for me…I can’t help but think this might be more permanent.

I mean…he did receive a Box, after all. He removed himself from our everyday lives.

Still scowling, Kokone drains the rest of her caramel macchiato in one go with a little phew before continuing, “I couldn’t care less about that asshole, but the point is that the Superhuman Three are unusual, no matter how you slice it.”

“I can see what you mean about Maria and Daiya… Is the president incredible, too?”

“She is. They say her grades are good enough to get her into Tokyo University no sweat, she goes to national tournaments for her sprinting and long jump in the track club, and she’s even modernizing school regulations as part of the student council. But apparently, it’s also easy to see why she’s amazing even if you don’t know any of that superficial stuff.”

“…What do you mean?”

“This is just the story I heard, but the president isn’t a superfast sprinter during practice. She even gets beat by other members of the team sometimes. When it’s the real deal, though, she always wins and gets a new best time.”

“So she slacks off during practice?”

“No, no, no. To her, the goal of practice is to expand her potential. The goal of actual matches is to get results. That’s why it makes sense that she would be at her fastest during matches, where all the weight is placed on displaying her abilities to the fullest. According to her anyway… You see? I don’t really get it all, but it’s still awesome, right?”

“…Yeah. Sounds like she’s from another dimension.”

“Right?” Kokone quickly checks to make sure our drinks are finished, then smirks. “Okay! It’s about time we got back to dressing up Maria!”

Ugh, I honestly don’t know if I can stand any more waiting around…

“K-Kokone, I have to make it home in time for dinner, so I’d better be going…”

“Whaaaat…?” Kokone pouts. “Just one more shop! They have some clothes I absolutely have to see Maria in!”

The next place Kokone leads us to gives off a strange vibe even before we go in. Pretty much all the clothes are black and oddly frilly.

“I just know this’ll be perfect for you! You’ll be little goth-loli Maria, ha-ha!”

The overly excited Kokone holds up a tacky black dress with tons of frills. Maria’s face understandably twitches a bit as she accepts the garment. “…And I’m supposed to wear this?”

“Yep! …By the way, what do you think of gothic Lolita fashion, Mari-Mari?”

“It doesn’t feel grounded in reality.”

“Then it’s perfect for you!”

Yikes! K-kinda dropped a bomb there, don’t you think…?!

I look over at Maria fearfully. Fortunately, she seems more concerned with the dress Kokone forced into her hands than the comment.

“Now we need a headdress… Or maybe one of those miniature hats!” Kokone says, rummaging through the accessories.

Maria sighs.

“…If you really don’t like it, then you should just say no,” I offer.

Maria looks between the goth-loli dress and me as she asks, “Do you want to see me wear it, too?”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking if you want to see me in this.”

I don’t know exactly what she’s getting at, so I answer honestly. “…Well, if I had to say one way or the other, I would say I do.”

“I see. If it means that much to you, I’ll try it on.”

“…Hey, it doesn’t mean that much…”

“I’m only going to wear this because you said I should. You really are hopeless.”

……Okay?

Wait, does Maria actually want to try it out herself?

And thus, goth-loli Maria arrived.

“Ohhhhh myyyy gooooooood! Mari-Mari, step on me! Just…step on me!!”

Whoa, what do I do? She broke Kokone…

“My selection was too perfect. Don’t you agree, Kazu?!”

“Y-yeah.”

The style definitely suits her, no doubt about that. Haruaki is over there nodding with a satisfied expression, and even the staff here are peeking into the changing area. That’s how good it looks.

Maria, meanwhile, is staring at nothing in particular with her arms crossed, apparently unsure how to react.

“Hey, Kazu, is that it?”

“…Is what it?”

“I dunno… Shouldn’t you be acting more impressed? Y’know, gaping like some idiot as you unknowingly mumble, ‘S-so beautiful…,’ and then Mari-Mari overhears you and gets embarrassed, so she acts tough to try to cover her blushing, like, ‘Hmph, so you like me when I’m dressed like this?’ and then you’re suddenly all like, ‘N-no, you’re always beautiful in my mind! You’re gorgeous,’ and then you and Mari-Mari are both just standing there, sheepishly blushing like some cheap sappy drama. And then I punch you.”

“……No.”

“You’re so boring. You’re the type of guy who goes to karaoke and only sings ballads nobody else knows. Even worse, you’re not really good or bad at it, so no one has anything to say about your singing… Whatever, Kazu, you don’t matter. Hey, Mari-Mari, can I take a picture?”

“Absolutely not.”

Maria’s gaze flicks away as she says this, her arms still crossed.

…Wait. Don’t tell me she really is embarrassed dressing like this?

“What’re you smiling about, Kazuki?”

“Huh?”

“You were leering at me. It would appear the real reason you wanted me to try this on was to humiliate me.”

“Th-that’s not the case at all…”

“Come here.”

I step in front of Maria, ducking in anticipation of her anger. Goth-loli Maria assumes a commanding pose, her arms folded.

“Does it suit me?”

Wondering why she’s asking me this, I nod quickly.

“I see.”

Maria removes the lacy white headdress. Looking at the accessory in her hands, the corners of her mouth turn in a smile. And then…

“…Huh?”

…for some reason, she plunks it on my head.

“Hmm, it suits you, too.”

“…What?”

The look on Maria’s face is pure delight.

“I only tried on this getup because you claimed you absolutely had to see me in it. Isn’t that right?”

“…Um?”

“Isn’t that right?”

“…Yes.”

“I listened to one selfish request from you, so now it’s your turn to humor me, right?”

“…Sure, I guess.”

“This fits me perfectly. You and I wear the same size, so that means it’ll fit you, too.”

“……”

Maria brooks no discussion as she tells me:

“Put it on.”

And that’s how I became a gothic Lolita.

“Ugh…”

I groan at the awful sight of myself in the changing room.

I’m sure Maria only wore this because she intended to get it on me from the very beginning. She was cornering me so I couldn’t refuse. Now that I think about it, she was looking back and forth between me and the dress when she was holding it.

“Hey, you should be dressed by now, Kazuki. Hurry up and open the door.”

“Maria. Why did you do this to me…?”

“Because I absolutely have to see you in goth-loli getup, why else? And of course because I wanted to see you embarrassed, too.”

Maria hasn’t bullied me like this in a while…!

Well, I can’t stay holed up in the changing room forever. I steel myself and open the door.

“Gah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Kokone immediately points and laughs. I would be okay if Kokone, Maria, and Haruaki were the only ones out front, but for some reason the staff and even a few nosy shoppers are there, too. What is this, a public execution…?

“Gah-ha-ha-ha, you’re adorable, Kazuki!” Kokone crows, whipping out her cell phone and turning it toward me… She can’t be serious.

“S-stop! Don’t take pictures of me!”

“Sorry. I have to.”

And it’s not just Kokone. Haruaki and even Maria are snapping away. And after she didn’t let anyone take pictures of her, too! Now even the customers who don’t know me are getting in on it!

“Don’t worry, Kazu. You look very cute,” Maria adds. I’m not sure how to take that.

“Now then, time to send it.”

“H-hold on, Kokone, wh-who are you sending it to?”

“Huh? Kasumi, who else!”

“Wh-what do you think you’re doing?! I thought you said it would be better if we didn’t tell her we were going to the mall!”

“Are you dumb or something, Kazu? There are such things as priorities in the world, you know.”

You’re the one who’s stupid, Kokone! This is too low!

…My phone begins to vibrate almost immediately. I open it fearfully. I have one new message, and the sender’s name is Kasumi Mogi.

The message consists of only a single line.

Cute.

Screw it, I don’t care.

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