Because Nagine had been pestering Mana for a chat. By the time Nagine and Sou left the school, it was already dusk.
Ever since Mana decided to pursue the path of an actor, her agent now picks her up and drops her off at school every day. She no longer goes home with them as she did before.
The orange glow of the sunset bathed the buildings on either side of the street, casting fleeting shadows in the evening light.
The city was peaceful and tranquil as the sun set.
Standing in front of a convenience store, waiting for Nagine, Sou couldn’t help but feel a wave of loneliness and uncertainty.
The city, cloaked in the afterglow of sunset, seemed to distance itself from him.
It was as if he were on the verge of being left behind by the world and those around him.
Time moved relentlessly, pushing the unprepared Sou toward an uncertain future.
“Sorry to keep you waiting~”
A clear, melodious voice broke Sou from his contemplative thoughts.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting. As compensation, please extend your hand~”
Nagine stood before him, her right hand clenched into a fist, as if she was hiding something.
Although he wanted to explain that he hadn’t waited long, Sou silently stretched out his palm in response to Nagine’s uncompromising request.
She placed a brand-new eraser in his hand.
Its has the appearance of a black rabbit.
The tagline read, “Rabbits can die of loneliness, you know.”
It was an eraser that perfectly matched the naïve and childish side of Nagine.
“How is it? Isn’t it cute? ”
Though Sou considered that no junior high school student would still use such a childish eraser, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything when looking at her triumphant smile.
“Well, how much does it cost?”
“Huh? No need, this is my gift to Sou-kun.”
“But I always receive gifts from Nagi-chan one-sidedly…”
“Don’t worry, if Sou-kun is happy, then I’m satisfied~”
“But I do care. Is there anything you want?”
He had been on the receiving end of Nagine’s gifts for as long as he could remember.
The two had known each other for nearly ten years now. At every festival, big or small, he would receive a gift from Nagine, but he rarely returned the favor. Although he had mentioned this to her before, she always brushed it off.
Feeling that he should address this matter now that he was a junior high school student, Sou decided that he must talk to her about it.
Rеαԁ oո КatReαԁіnɡСafе “But I’ve already received the best gift from Sou-kun~”
“Really?”
Sou tried to recall if he had ever given Nagine anything particularly precious.
At that moment, he noticed that Nagine was holding a notebook he had just bought from the convenience store. The notebook had a simple design—solid color, smooth leather cover, without any fancy decorations.
It reminded him of when he was a child and, to celebrate Nagine’s successful stage performance at the campus cultural festival, he had bought and given her a similar notebook.
Could it be that the best gift Nagine mentioned was that notebook from a long time ago?
Though it was the first time he had used his own money to buy her a gift, it was merely a simple, inexpensive item bought with his meager allowance…
“Yes, there is~”
Nagine walked lightly and swiftly away from the convenience store, her slender figure bathed in the warm glow of the sunset.
“Meeting Sou-kun is the best gift I’ve ever received!”
She suddenly turned to look back at Sou, extending her right hand. Her pitch-black hair, flowing down to her waist, danced in the breeze. Her face, illuminated by the sunset, radiated a smile even more enchanting than the evening light.
In that moment, as they gazed at each other in the fading sunlight, it felt like time had stopped and only the two of them existed in the entire world.
Under the golden hues of the setting sun, Sou’s pale yellow eyes sparkled with a brilliance akin to pure gold. In their crystal-clear depths, they reflected Nagine’s luminous eyes, which seemed to be adorned with countless stars, much like the stars that would inevitably rise after the sun descended from the sky.
Even as the evening afterglow fades, I’ll turn into starlight and accompany you through the night.
Unable to resist, Sou took Nagine’s outstretched hand. Her smile deepened in response.
“…Don’t tease me.”
“But I’m speaking from the heart~”
Hand in hand, the two of them began their journey home.
On the street painted orange by dusk, the sunset behind them cast long shadows of the two walking side by side.
For Sou, this was his everyday life ever since he could remember. No matter what class they shared or what kind of weather it was, Nagine would always come to find him, and they would go home together.
— I want to be around you all the time.
— A future without you is unimaginable.
Yet, as they walked, a sudden wave of dread surged uncontrollably from Sou’s heart.
— She’s becoming more beautiful and captivating by the day.
— How long can I hold on to this close childhood bond we share?
— Will she one day smile like this for someone else?
The thoughts slithered through his mind like icy, venomous thorns, tightening around his throat. Without realizing it, he gripped Nagine’s hand tighter.
Read оո КаtRеаԁiոgСаfе “Sou-kun?” Nagine’s soft voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to reality.
Startled, he quickly loosened his hold. “Ah, sorry!”
But before he could completely let go, Nagine clasped his hand firmly in return, her fingers wrapping around his with gentle warmth.
“Don’t worry. I’ll always be here,” she whispered, her voice soft as the breeze, fading away before it could reach Sou’s ears.
— T i I l d e a t h d o u s a p a r t
Sou escorted Nagine back to the high-end apartment where she lived, which once again reminded him of the vast difference in their social standing. Being able to live in a luxurious high-rise in the heart of the city set the Hoshimiya family apart from ordinary households like his own.
At this moment, Sou couldn’t help but remember—Nagine was the daughter of a wealthy family, someone living in a world that felt so distant from his.
Because of Nagine, though, Sou had become unexpectedly familiar with the residents and staff of the upscale apartment complex, despite their worlds being so different.
“Good evening. Thanks for escorting Nagi-chan home, Tsukimi-kun!” The friendly, easygoing uncle who worked as the gatekeeper greeted them warmly, as if Sou were a regular part of the routine.
“The little couple looks as close as ever today~” A group of resident aunties lounging in the apartment lobby chimed in with teasing smiles.
Everyone who lived there knew Nagine well and adored her. Her cheerful personality and charm had earned her the love of nearly everyone in the building, further proving just how well-liked his childhood friend was.
“S-Seriously! It’s not what you think!” Nagine stammered, her face flushing as she waved her hands in protest, but the aunts only chuckled knowingly.
“Then… I’ll see you tomorrow,” Sou said, feeling the weight of the elderly uncles and aunts’ teasing stares on his back. He could never quite handle their knowing smiles and playful remarks.
“Okay, but Sou-kun, you’ll come to school with me tomorrow too, right?” Nagine’s voice had a hint of loneliness, a tone that made his heartbeat quicken unexpectedly.
“Alright, I’ll pick you up tomorrow, too,” he replied, trying to hide his sudden nervousness.
“Yes, be careful on the road,” Nagine said softly, standing at the front door of the apartment, gently waving her arms in farewell.
Nagine stood in front of the front door of the apartment, gently waving her arms and saying goodbye.
Every time Sou escorted Nagine home, their goodbyes played out in the same way. Each time she would continue waving at him until he disappeared around the corner, out of sight, before turning back to take the elevator upstairs.
This small, unspoken gesture always left Sou with a lingering warmth inside.
Most men are like that. While saying goodbye, they hope to hear “be careful on the road” tinged with a bit of loneliness; and a cheerful ‘good morning’ when they see each other the next day.
As Nagine waved goodbye, having farmed Sou’s affection stat for the day, she didn’t head straight for the elevator. Instead, she turned her gaze towards the garden nestled in the center of the apartment complex’s ground floor.
“Garuda,” she called out, her voice low and stripped of the innocent cheerfulness she had shown earlier. The youthful, vibrant girl that Sou had just walked home had vanished. In her place stood someone else entirely, her expression cold, devoid of warmth.
The starlight that usually sparkled in her eyes had faded, replaced by a hollow darkness. Her gaze, once radiant, was now as muddy as a black scribble drawn by a kindergarten child with a black crayon.
The air around her turned icy, the atmosphere thick with tension. A sudden sound cracked overhead, disappearing as swiftly as it came, leaving the wind howling in its wake.
A pure white pigeon descended from the sky, landing gracefully on Nagine’s slender shoulder.
Rеаԁ оո ΚatRеαⅾiոɡCαfe “Thank you for your hard work,” the bird said.
“Likewise”
A person and a bird greeted each other after work.
“Let’s start with the usual daily work summary report,” Nagine muttered, rubbing her temple as she sat heavily on a bench. Her movements were rough, almost brutish, completely lacking the grace or femininity she had just displayed with Sou.
“Report the whereabouts of the target in the neighboring Kawanishi City.”
“The guy’s still lurking around the western district, same as usual, with no sign or intention of leaving, though recently he seems to have sensed that he is being watched, and his trajectory are getting more erratic.”
“Alright, let me know if there’s any sign of him heading toward Kawano City (川西市).”
Her tone was ice-cold, completely business-like, as she slipped effortlessly back into the mindset of a worn-out wage slave from her previous life.
The entity she had Garuda track was none other than the “Doppelgänger”—a villainous monster slated to appear only in the middle and late stages of Star Guidance 2. It had the ability to transform into any form, making it a particularly troublesome enemy in both the game and the real world.
Although, by the original plotline, this monster shouldn’t have made its move so soon, Nagine knew that her very presence—her connection with Sou—had disrupted the timeline. She could no longer trust the game’s progression and had to remain vigilant.
Star Guidance 2 might be marketed as a galgame, filled with the sweet moments of blossoming love between young boys and girls, but it wasn’t all romance. This was a world where monsters lurked in the shadows, and any encounter could plunge people into supernatural warfare.
Monsters—or more specifically, “Imaginary Monsters”—were beings born from the collective fears and beliefs of humans. They fed off human imagination and dread, thriving on the chaos they could create in society. To them, human lives were insignificant, mere grains of sand to be crushed underfoot.
Although Nagine had no desire to return to the wage-slave life of her past, she knew she had a duty to protect the people around her—especially Sou, who had not yet come into his own. For now, her goal was to keep the monsters at bay, at least those within her reach.
“Next, what’s the status of the barrier? Any signs of our activities being picked up by the Special Environmental Management Association (S·E·M·A)?”
The “Special Environmental Management Association”, or SEMA, was a global organization featured prominently in the original work. On the surface, SEMA presented itself as an environmentally conscious, public welfare group that protected the ecology of our planet. But in reality, it was composed of special ability users and was focused on combating supernatural threats posed by monsters. Beyond SEMA, there were other organizations, such as the “Academy”, dedicated to training special ability users, and the “GlobalSecurity Mercenary Firm”, which existed for ability user to enrich themselves.
At this stage, Nagine had no intention of interacting with them. Hers and Sou’s presence needed to remain under the radar, at least for now.
Garuda, in his pigeon form, shook his head—an oddly human-like gesture—indicating that everything was clear. No unusual activity had been detected.
“It seems there’s no need to work overtime tonight,” Nagine sighed, visibly relaxing as she allowed herself to slip back into a lighter mood.
Garuda, too, seemed to welcome the shift in atmosphere. “Speaking of which, master, what are you holding in your hand?”
“This?” Nagine held up the notebook she had just bought from the convenience store earlier, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. “I haven’t told you yet, have I? This is a death diary1To be specific, this is the newest addition in her death diary collection..”
“…..A what?”
“Ah, don’t misunderstand,” Nagine said, flipping through the notebook. “This isn’t some magical book where writing someone’s name causes their untimely death.”
The death diary, as the name implies, is a “diary meant for others to read after my death”.
As the saying goes, “A serious person wouldn’t keep a diary!”
Nagine agreed with this sentiment deeply. Instead of a diary, she decided to write a biography. A diary is for personal reflection, while a biography is for others to understand one’s life and impact.
The simple notebook Sou had given her as a child had troubled her for a long time. It was the first gift he had ever given her, and she wanted to imbue it with greater meaning, making it play a greater role in evoking regrets.
Unfortunately, a notebook is less personal than a hairpin or other adornments. If it had been a hairpin, she could have worn it throughout childhood to adulthood, showing that she cherished it.
Rеaⅾ oո КаtRеαdіոgСafe
In the future, if Sou took her on a date, she could have staged a monster attack at the spot he chose.
In the end, amidst the ruins that was once a blazing inferno, he will spot a charred corpse with a very familiar hairpin pinned to it.
Well, it’s a pity that Sou hasn’t given her any adornments.
However, after some thought, Nagine found a fitting way to use the notebook as a lifelong symbol of regret: by writing a “biography” to be read by Sou after her death.
X Month X Day: Today, I became a junior high school student with Sou-kun. Sou-kun looked really handsome in his new uniform, and he even complimented me on mine, which made me really happy…
X Month X Day: Today, Sou-kun suddenly didn’t want to hold hands with me on the way to school anymore. Could it be that he hates me? Although I enjoyed holding hands with Sou-kun, I’m afraid it might make him uncomfortable, so I’ve stopped doing it…
X Month X Day: I saw a survey on TV today that said childhood friends often grow apart as they age. Will my relationship with Sou-kun become like that? I felt uneasy, so I called Sou-kun at night. He wasn’t angry and even chatted with me…
Sou-kun is really gentle. I like him the most~
Death is merely a fleeting event, and witnessing the death of a loved one is naturally heart-wrenching.
But what truly creates a lifetime of regret is the stark contrast between the “world with you” and the “world without you.”
So, the purpose of this diary is to help him remember the “good times when she was with him.”
It is also essential to record her “vision and yearning for a future together with Sou.”
This sense of despair is carved into the bone marrow through simple and straightforward words.
It allows him in the truest sense to experience a “lifetime” of regret.
Phew ~ I’m truly a wicked and sinful girl.
But she never regretted it.
However, it’s still too early to carry out her plan now.
In line with the plot of the original story, Nagine plans to make Sou regret for life after high school, pushing him to awaken the abilities necessary to save the world.
Until then, let me play the role of the most perfect beautiful girl who will always be beside you~.
Thanks Figurine for the Membership.