Chapter 9: Should I tear it up like a poster? (5)

Yume is missing.

This is what Hoshino found out on the second day I didn’t come to school.

When Hoshino, who hadn’t gone to school for two days, went to school, Yume had disappeared without a trace.

Hoshino thought Yume had just stepped out and waited endlessly.

But Yume didn’t come back.

Even late at night.

Hoshino, who realized the seriousness of the situation then, began to search for Yume all over Abydos.

Of course, she couldn’t find her.

If she had found her, there would be no reason for her to come to me.

Hoshino is a child who went to save Yume alone even when Yume was kidnapped.

And now, I’m with Hoshino, walking around the Abydos desert.

We searched almost everywhere in Abydos, but there was no sign of Yume, so the only place left was the desert.

Furthermore….

“Yume senior… didn’t even bring a compass….”

If Yume couldn’t return because she crossed the desert without a compass, Yume’s disappearance is understandable.

Yume has had a similar experience before.

“Hoshino, don’t worry too much. Yume will be okay.”

I pretended to be okay on the outside, trying to comfort Hoshino, but my heart was burning.

Maybe it’s worse than Hoshino’s.

The reason I stayed in Abydos and my purpose in life. Maybe will, representation.

The subject has disappeared.

And that without any contact.

“Yume will be okay.”

Is this for Hoshino?
Or is it for me?

What’s certain is that the words I say are just vain delusions and paradises to hide my anxiety.

Hoshino calms down the emotions that were shaking, believing in my empty words.

“…Thank you, senior. And I’m sorry.”

I didn’t expect to hear the word sorry from Hoshino.

Hoshino’s perception of me is the worst, so hearing those words is something I couldn’t have imagined.

“That kind of talk is enough. I know how you feel. More than that, let’s focus on finding Yume now.”

You can tell how kind Hoshino’s heart is just by the fact that Hoshino, who must be thinking of me as the worst and most pathetic senior, said those words to me.

So I cut her off.

Because there’s no need to cause Hoshino’s guilt.

“I know how kind your heart is, so let’s make that apology when we meet Yume again.”

I stroked Hoshino’s head, who was downcast, and Hoshino looked at me blankly.

Oh, no.

Hoshino got really angry after I did this before. Is she going to allow me to do this?

“…Yes, Hime senior.”

Hoshino said with a faint smile, as if my touch wasn’t so bad.

I felt like the distance between me and Hoshino had gotten a bit closer, and I could momentarily forget the hardships of this march.

All that’s left now is to meet Yume again.

Then… even if it’s not abundant, we can return to the fun Abydos school from before.

Again.

To that moment when we laughed and chatted together─

─I thought we could go back.

The last time I had that thought was 23 days after Yume disappeared.

I don’t know anymore.

Is Yume really alive?

To be honest, I would be very happy if she’s alive.

Maybe Hoshino feels the same way as me.

Even if Yume’s arm is gone, if she’s alive, I can be Yume’s arm.

If she doesn’t have legs, I can be her legs, and if she doesn’t have eyes, I can be her eyes.

But Yume hid somewhere in Abydos, not knowing my feelings.

Now, both my body and mind are exhausted.

I have a lot of work to do to pay off the debt, and I also have to find Yume.

It’s hard.

Yes, it’s so hard.

I can’t lie about this.

Still, I can’t give up.

The school that Yume wants to protect. Since Yume is absent now, we have no choice but to protect it instead.

I can’t give up Yume as I can’t give up the school that Yume wants to protect.

Rather, I can’t give up Yume, even if I have to give up the school.

Yume must be hiding somewhere in the desert and living well.

She must, she must be alive somehow.

“…Hime senior.”

I sighed at Hoshino’s tired voice and got up.

My overworked body screams. Ignoring it lightly, I forced a smile toward Hoshino and said.

“Let’s do our best today, too.”

Today is the 28th day since Yume disappeared.

It’s been almost a month.

What has Yume been doing for a month?
Yume seemed to like spending time with us.

She must have been quite lonely for a month.

Still, wouldn’t Yume have been doing well on her own? No, that’s too absurd.

I’ve never seen her do anything properly on her own, so maybe she will burst into tears of emotion as soon as she sees us.

Ah, I don’t think Yume is dead.

That is… Blue Archive is a story of blue youth.

Although I haven’t done it… It’s a game that was advertised like that from the beginning, so it wouldn’t deal with the subject of death.

What does death mean for the youth of the blue teens?

It doesn’t make sense.
Yes, so Yume must be alive.

“Hime senior, let’s stop here and go back today.”

“…Let’s look for a little longer.”

“…The sun is already setting. The temperature will drop rapidly soon.”

“…Yeah, we have to take care of our bodies.”

Our bodies weren’t in good condition recently because we overwork them.

It’s impossible to walk around the desert that has been taken over by the night in that state.

It’s right to stop here today and go back.

“…….”

I turned around, thinking that.

At that moment, I saw something familiar in the distance.

Hoshino’s eyes widened as well.

Yes, it’s Yume’s shield, which is so familiar to us.

Without saying anything, we were running towards the shield.

“…….”

It became even clearer up close.

This is definitely Yume’s shield.

That means Yume is nearby too.

Hope arose.

We might be able to find Yume. Yume might be right here.

“Hoshino, let’s look for a little longer. Surely, Yume is near─”

“No, there’s no need.”

Hoshino’s cold voice came.

Because of that voice?
The anxiety that had been building up from the corner of my chest began to shake.

My chest feels like it’s tightening.

“Hoshino…?”

Hoshino moves toward a large rock.

As if she knows something is behind it.

I couldn’t follow Hoshino.

Maybe it’s because I’m afraid.

I, who has been a coward since a long time ago, can’t bear to accept the sad truth.

So, I just watched Hoshino’s trembling arms and turned around the rock.

Time passes.
A moment, perhaps time that is close to eternity.

Footsteps are heard. Hoshino appears from behind the rock.

Someone is leaning on Hoshino’s back.

It’s a familiar face.

“Ah….”

Yume.

My will and representation.

And my dream.

“It’s okay, it’s okay…”

She was sleeping soundly, leaning on Hoshino’s back.

28 days of hardship.

The ending was a happy one.

“Did the heavens also see our efforts? We found Yume, who is fine except for a slightly injured leg!”

“…I see.”

“When will Yume wake up…. Can she wake up today?”

“…Yume, senior… will take a long time to wake up.”

“Umm… I see. After all. She spent 28 days in the desert, so she deserves it. What’s better than being alive!”

We were really lucky.

To be honest, I thought it was almost impossible to find Yume, but to find her like this.

Even alive!

Yume is sleeping on my back right now.

Because Hoshino’s height is too short to carry Yume, it seemed to be quite hard.

It’s right for me, who is a little taller than Hoshino, to carry her.

At that moment, Yume’s voice was heard.

“Umm… Hime-chan?”

“Yume!”

“It’s Hime-chan?”

“It’s okay, Yume. I thought you were dead! Ah, don’t move carelessly. You’ll hurt your leg a lot if you step on the ground.”

“Uuu… My head hurts….”

“It’s okay now, Yume. Now we just have to go home. Our home, Abydos school.”

“Hime senior.”

“Ah, that’s right. Hoshino, I think your words are wrong. Yume takes a long time to wake up, what are you talking about? She just woke up right now.”

“…….”

“More than that, Hoshino, why do you have such a gloomy face? Yume regained consciousness.”

“…I, I don’t think I can apologize to Yume senior.”

“That’s because of that mindset, Hoshino! You just have to convey your feelings, why are you having such a hard time?”

“…Who accepts an apology in the air.”

“What do you mean?”

“…I just said it.”

Umm.
How strange.

Did Hoshino hit puberty?

I don’t know.