空門蒼

I can fall asleep anywhere.

That is the price for touching the Seven Shadow Butterflies and peeking into others' memories.

People organize their memories while sleeping—I have experienced this firsthand.

That said, it's not really deep sleep.

It's more like constantly floating between dream and reality.

So, whenever someone comes near, I wake up immediately.

"...Hm? What are you doing?"

A few steps away from where I had woken up, Ryoichi and Tenzen were standing there in strange poses.

The two were desperately trying to keep their balance on one leg.

"Ah—... Ao-chan wake-up game?"

"This is special training, practicing a smash after cutting off your presence."

"I don't understand either of you..."

"It's like red light, green light."

"It's table tennis special training."

"That's what I'm saying, I don't understand..."

"They seem to want to see how close they can get to Ao."

"Ah, Nomiki. Wait, why are you holding a water gun?"

"Of course it's so that when they get within a certain distance, I can shoot these two. Because I have to protect the sleeping girl."

Nomiki said this and lowered the water gun.

"But Aoi, you're way too careless. You're a girl in the prime of your life, you should be a little more careful."

"Hmm—, isn't it fine?"

"I don't understand where your basis for that is."

"Because the people on this island have been together since birth, so aren't we just like family?"

I glanced at Ryoichi.

"Huh? No way. Aoi isn't within my defensive range. Please lower your age and come back."

"Did you just say something dangerous?"

Nomiki made a suspicious face and tightened her grip on the water gun.

As for Tenzen...

"Do you think I would feel desire for those meager breasts? How extremely rude."

"You're the one who's rude! Among people my age, I'm quite impressive, you know!"

"Nomiki, weren't you saying recently that your shoulder pain was really bad?"

"Yeah, my cup size went up, to F."

"Even more magnificent, that's wonderful————!"

I lost! I lost to Nomiki!

Isn't this way too unfair? Even though she's short, her breasts are so big!

"By the way, making a move on Aoi or something, how could I possibly do such a terrifying thing."

"Yeah, I still want to keep this life of mine."

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Ryoichi and Tenzen looked away, yet said in unison:

""Blue is scary.""

I didn't quite understand, but these two seemed to have some kind of psychological trauma regarding Blue.

All I knew was that Blue was gentle.

"Fwaaah..."

"Still sleepy?"

Nomiki looked at me yawning, her face exasperated.

"Yeah... because I wasn't deeply asleep, I just kept drifting in and out of consciousness..."

"You sleep at school all the time too, so why are your grades so good?"

"Just think of it as sleep learning."

That wasn't entirely a lie.

Thanks to the Seven-Shadow Butterflies, when it came to "knowledge" alone, I had several times more than others... just how many times, though?

Anyway, I just knew a whole lot about all sorts of things.

Without thinking, I looked up at the sky... at the sun.

"Ah, it's already two o'clock. I have to go to work."

From the season and the sun's position, I could roughly tell the time.

This was also one of the pieces of knowledge I'd gained from touching the "memories" of the Seven-Shadow Butterflies.

From the smell of the air and the feeling of moisture when rubbing my fingertips, I could also tell the next day's weather.

"Aoi, sometimes you really are like an old granny's bag of wisdom."

"Isn't that metaphor a bit strange? Aren't I myself the wisdom bag?"

"Hmm? Then, Ao is like an old granny."

"I'm a fresh and youthful high school girl, you know————!"

"Thank you for coming——"

I put the money for the goods into the bamboo basket.

I've gotten quite used to working part-time at the dagashi shop by now.

At first, I was just surprised by the number of products a dagashi shop shouldn't have.

Normally, would a dagashi shop carry hunting rifle bullets?

There's also a proxy purchasing service.

Like, for things that would be troublesome if they were sent directly to your home, they order them for you and such.

"Haa~... It's like I was forced to learn the islanders' secrets."

This is probably the root of why the dagashi shop granny's words carry so much influence.

Once the customer left, there was suddenly nothing to do.

I tried pointlessly tidying up the dagashi display, but it didn't even count as killing time.

"Hmm?"

From the shadows a little way off, a figure was occasionally peeking over this way.

"Shiroha?"

"Ah... h-hello..."

With a somewhat awkward expression, she timidly approached.

"Are you buying something? Or placing an order?"

"Yeah, yeah... I was thinking it's about time to restock, you know."

"Ah—, that. The watermelon popsicles."

"Right."

"Not yet."

"Sorry to bother you."

"That was fast! Did you really come all this way just for that?"

"Well, yes, that's true, but..."

"Anyway, there are no customers and I'm bored, so how about chatting for a bit before you go?"

"Huh... why?"

"Why... huh? Why? Do I need a reason?"

"Because, we haven't really been talking much lately..."

"That's exactly why. Let's have a girls' talk for the first time in a while, shall we?"

"Hmm... but... it's better if you don't pay too much attention to me, okay."

"Ah—, I don't mind that kind of thing. The Naruse family has it rough too—"

On Torishirojima, the Kozakura family and the Naruse family are somewhat special presences.

The Kozakura family, who preside over the mountain festivals, and the Naruse family, who once oversaw the sea festivals.

The reason I say "once" is because that is already a thing of the past.

Originally, the sea festival, the "Rite of the Summer Bird," was hosted by the Naruse family.

The shrine on the island called Naruse Shrine is a relic of that history.

It is said that long ago, there was a shrine maiden on this island who foresaw a disaster that was about to occur.

Because of that prophecy, many of the islanders were able to keep their lives.

The Naruse family are the direct descendants of that shrine maiden.

I don't know whether the prophecy was real or not, but it's true that the shrine maiden predicted that disaster, and the islanders were saved because of it.

I learned about this through the Seven-Shadow Butterflies.

The Sorakado family, who can peer into the past—into others' memories—are like living dictionaries.

Although it's now forbidden to touch the Seven-Shadow Butterflies, I'm sure our ancestors must have touched them.

The Naruse, who know the future; the Sorakado, who know the past.

On this island, they are special family lines.

So I don't think the rumors that Shiraho possesses mysterious powers are entirely groundless.

Though in this day and age, you can't exactly say such things openly.

"...Well, just for a little while, okay."

Shiraho looked troubled, but she still sat down on the bench in the shop.

I sat down next to her as well.

「……………」

「……………」

No conversation.

"So—what have you been up to lately?"

"Nothing in particular."

"Summer vacation's almost here—do you have any plans?"

"Nothing special."

"Then, is there anything you want to do?"

"Nothing special."

"Toss a few more lines of conversation back and forth with me!"

"Even if you say that..."

"Haa~, why did you end up with such a withdrawn personality? You used to play together with us, you know."

"Even if you say that..."

"That's why I'm telling you to toss the conversation back and forth!"

"Even if you say that..."

"Ahhh————! You weren't like this before——!"

"...Pfft."

"Huh? What was so funny just now?"

"Ao has become quite lively, hasn't she."

"You think so?"

"Because the old Ao was always clinging to Ai. She really felt like a little sister."

"Is... that so?"

That was probably an inferiority complex.

Because no matter what she did, she couldn't beat Ai, so she naturally shrank back.

"Did her role change Ao?"

"You mean the mountain rituals? Well——... I suppose I did start to feel a bit of a sense of mission."

Ever since I started middle school, I took over the mountain rituals from Mom.

At first, walking through the mountain at night was terrifying.

Because I'd always remember the time I got lost, and the time Ai had her accident.

The first time I patrolled the mountain, I found that mysterious glowing butterfly.

Mom was with me at the time too, but I was the only one who saw it.

Not knowing anything, I touched that butterfly, but luckily, that butterfly was one that knew about the mountain rituals.

Perhaps it was the ancestor of the Kuromon.

But because of that, in a single night I learned about the Seven-Shadow Butterflies and the duties of the Kuromon.

I also learned that there might be a way to wake Ai up.

If I've changed, it must have been then.

Because in my heart, the resolve to find Ai was born.

"Ao...?"

Hearing a voice call out to me with worry, I came back to my senses.

"Huh? Ah, what?"

"You suddenly spaced out."

"Ahaha, sorry, I was lost in thought."

"...May it come true even a tiny bit."

"Huh? What's that?"

"If you recite this, you'll receive the gods' protection. The mountain at night will surely be fine too... I think."

Shiroha said, averting her gaze.

Could it be, she's worried about me?

"Hehe, thanks. Er—, may it come true even a tiny... tiny... bit... bit! What did you make me say!"

"Ao... why did you become so lewd?"

"Lewd... I'm not lewd! I'm just at a slightly sentimental age—!"

Sometimes feeling gloomy, sometimes lost in delusions—it's all the Seven-Shadow Butterflies' fault.

Yeah, it's just that knowledge came first, and I've become what they call "ears grown up."

I'm absolutely not lewd. There's no way I'm lewd.

After my work shift ended, I headed to the clinic on the island.

To report what happened today to Ai, who has been sleeping all this time.

"...And that's how it went. Shirayuki's standoffish aura is accelerating more and more."

Facing Ai, who quietly breathes in her sleep, I talk while gesturing with my hands.

Even though she can't see me, I feel this conveys my feelings and thoughts better.

"But her kind nature hasn't changed. So even if Ai wakes up, I'm sure we'll be able to chat just like before right away."

Everyone on the island doesn't deliberately avoid the topic of Ai.

They're considerate about it, but they don't treat it as taboo.

That's because everyone believes she will definitely wake up.

So that she can chat with everyone just like before whenever she comes back, everyone keeps her in the conversation.

"Well then, next, Ai... it's time for your massage."

My eyes lit up.

I hung a "No Men Allowed" sign on the hospital room door and began preparations.

Taking care of Ai, who has been sleeping all this time, is my duty.

I wipe her body with a towel warmed in hot water, and massage her to keep her muscles from getting stiff.

"Well then, Ai, I'm going to undress you now."

I untie the strings of the hospital gown, exposing Ai's fair skin to the air.

Because she has been in the room all this time, her skin is even fairer than mine.

"Heave-ho..."

I wring out the towel in the hot water and start wiping from her neck downward.

The parts I rub gently turn slightly red. That's proof her blood circulation is improving.

Although there's no particular reaction, since her body is being shaken or pressure is being applied, her breath still leaks out.

"Nn... haah..."

Ai occasionally lets out a sexy sound from her mouth, making my heart race.

It feels like I'm doing something I shouldn't be.

"No way————! What am I thinking about my twin sister————!"

To shake off these thoughts, I close my eyes and focus single-mindedly on wiping Ai's body.

After wiping, I put the hospital gown back on her and start massaging to relax her muscles.

To keep her joints from getting stiff, I gently bend her elbows and knees.

"Mm... haa..."

Once again, she lets out a sexy sigh.

It makes my heart race... but there's also a sense of relief that she's still alive.

As I massage her, I steal glances at Ai's sleeping face.

Sometimes I imagine.

Will she suddenly say "That tickles" and wake up while I'm massaging her?

So I've even deliberately tickled her before.

Sometimes she furrows her brow, but in the end it's only a "reaction."

Come to think of it, this massage has caused some trouble too.

"Mmm... Ai's breasts have grown remarkably..."

Even though we're twins... this girl is a little more well-endowed.

I did the breast massage technique that Mizuori-senpai taught me on her, and this is the result.

I've tried it on myself too, so what exactly is this difference?

Could it be that it works better when someone else does it?

It's a little frustrating.

But these are Ai's breasts, so I can't just leave them alone.

"Well then, let's do the breast massage too."

I reach my hand toward Ai's chest.

"First, stimulate the collarbone lymph and underarm lymph so the nutrients get delivered properly to the breasts..."

"Phew... mm... phew..."

Her lymph wasn't really congested to begin with, so just a light stimulation is enough.

Next...

"Knead the flesh from the outside inward, with a gentle force... imagine a circular shape... and lift the side of the abdomen upward..."

"Ha... mm... haa..."

Fine skin, and a soft, clinging fleshiness.

Since I'm massaging around her chest, more breaths escape than during a normal massage.

Perhaps because her blood circulation improved, a faint blush spreads across her sleeping blue cheeks.

How should I put it... it feels like things are getting a little strange.

Click...

"Huh?"

"Hmm?"

Nomiki walked into the hospital room.

The sign on the door says no men allowed, so it's fine for her, a girl, to come in...

Nomiki turns her face away, blushing bright red.

"I knocked several times... um... excuse the interruption."

"No, it's not like that——! This is a wholesome massage——! A massage indispensable for a girl's growth——!"

"Mm, is it Mizuori-senpai's breast massage method?"

"Y-yes! That's the one! You understand?"

"Mm, she's taken care of me too."

"Huh...? Nomiki, you're... doing it too?"

"I thought I should at least keep the shape in good form, so I've been doing it, but it works too well and that's actually a problem."

"Hey—... ah, I see—..."

So the degree of growth really depends on the individual's aptitude, huh...

The visit to Ai was over, and somehow I felt mentally shaken.

By the time I walked out of the clinic, the sun had already begun to sink in the west.

"...Mayoi Tachibana, let's go take a look."

The start of the mountain festival is the period when the tachibana tree in the Kuumon divine realm blooms out of season.

So it hasn't bloomed yet, but I need to check the state of the buds.

The time during which the hanging lanterns can guide the seven shadow butterflies is limited.

Not a single day can be wasted.

I walked along the mountain path.

Since I'd walked through it several times in the dark of night, I was already quite used to it.

"Bump!"

"Ah, Inari. You're in the mountains today too."

"Bump, bump."

"Yeah, the mountain festival is almost here, so I'm going to see the Mayoi Tachibana."

"Bump—"

As if telling me to follow, it turned around and wagged its tail.

"Sure, then I'll take you up on that and let you lead the way."

"Bump♪"

A somewhat unusual fox.

It seems to understand what I say, and our meeting happened while I was on duty.

It was probably two years ago.

While guiding the Seven Shadow Butterflies, I found it collapsed in the middle of the road.

When I called out to it, it jumped up in surprise and looked around in every direction.

As if puzzled by my voice, it tilted its head several times.

But after that, it became very attached to me.

I don't know if it's animal intuition, but it can always find the Seven Shadow Butterflies accurately, and it's been a great help to me.

Although there are times when it seems strangely human, I somehow feel a sense of nostalgia, so we're still together now.

"Bonk."

"Hm? What's wrong?"

Inari, who was walking ahead, stopped and stared in the direction of the grass.

I looked in the same direction...

"...A Seven Shadow Butterfly...?"

A blurry Seven Shadow Butterfly, giving off a faint light, was fluttering.

It was so small that it was the first time I'd seen one, just like a child——...

"...! Could it be!"

I couldn't help but reach out to touch the Seven Shadow Butterfly.

But the Seven Shadow Butterfly lightly drifted away from me.

"Wait! Ai! Aren't you Ai!? Hey! Come over here!"

During the mountain festival, you can use hanging lanterns to call the Seven-Shadow Butterflies.

But at any other time, they're no different from ordinary butterflies.

They'll even avoid people and fly away.

"Inari! Go chase that Seven-Shadow Butterfly!"

"Bang!!"

Inari chased the Seven-Shadow Butterfly that vanished into the mountains.

I chased after it too.

If that was Ao's memory, I absolutely have to catch it!

Touch it, confirm the memory——...

Once confirmed, how do I catch it...?

Even if I put it in a bug cage, that butterfly would pass right through.

"Without a lantern, you can't keep a Seven-Shadow Butterfly..."

No, even with a lantern, outside the festival period, the butterflies won't gather to the lantern's light.

Why did I have to find that out at a time like this.

It might be Ao's Seven-Shadow Butterfly.

"Bang———, bang———"

Inari called to me from up ahead on the path.

I'll stop thinking about it for now.

If it's Ao's Seven-Shadow Butterfly, just knowing it exists is enough for now.

Because now I have a definite goal.

Guided by Inari's call, I ran along the mountain path.

The sun set, and the surroundings grew dark.

That actually worked in my favor, because the faintly glowing Seven-Shadow Butterflies were easier to find.

"...Thump."

Inari lowered its stance and, in a hushed voice, looked at me.

Then, with only its gaze, it pointed toward the grass.

"...It's... there."

I also lowered my voice, and looked at the same spot as Inari.

It rested on a flower growing by the mountain path, slowly moving its wings as if taking deep breaths.

It really was a very small butterfly.

Its way of glowing was also intermittent, appearing to flicker on and off.

I had never seen such a fragile Seven-Shadow Butterfly.

So illusory that if you didn't pay close attention, you might even miss it.

"...Don't run away, okay."

I held my breath and slowly approached the Seven-Shadow Butterfly.

Carefully, as if not even a breeze should stir, I reached my fingertips toward that light.

Just a little more and I could touch it.

The moment I thought that, the Seven-Shadow Butterfly's wings moved greatly.

"Wait! Ai!!"

The instant the butterfly took flight, its direction was upward or diagonally upward!

Just point your finger at that place—

My fingertip brushed past the light that was about to disappear.

The next instant, my dark night vision was surrounded by the glare of midsummer.

"Huh... this memory is...?"

My field of view is very low... it's a child's perspective.

Is this... a memory of summer?

The blurry, fragmentary scenery of the island appeared over and over again.

Meeting someone.

Again and again, again and again.

At first, an emotion close to fear washed over me repeatedly, like small waves lapping at the beach.

But it gradually became calm.

Who is this boy...?

The scenery is this island, but I've never seen this boy.

And besides, who is it that's watching this boy?

Why do we keep meeting over and over?

This memory is too incomplete to connect together as consciousness.

Every time I see it, every time it repeats, it scatters and vanishes within me.

"Nice to meet you. —I am."

At "my" greeting, the boy tilted his head.

"Nice to meet you... you are—?"

"Name."

"Ah, I am, ──Hara──Eri──"

The words I heard crumbled away like dust at once, unable to take shape in my mind.

But this boy and "I" somehow met again and again over the summer.

Who... am "I"?

"Bang! Bang!"

"Ah!"

Inari's cry brought me back to my senses.

"Ah..., just now, I saw someone's memory..."

My head felt a little dizzy.

I thought it was a small memory, but somehow it felt like a deep vortex of consciousness.

Unfortunately its shape was unstable, so in the end only incomprehensible things remained drifting in my mind like residue.

If I let my guard down, I might even forget that I had seen the memory—such a vague memory.

Looking around, that small seven-colored butterfly was already gone.

A memory just like a lost child of summer.

"Bang~..."

"Mm, sorry for worrying you. That one just now wasn't Ai."

I gently stroked Inari's head as it looked at me uneasily.

"...Where did I put the wok, I wonder."

I murmured to myself.

"Bump?"

"Nothing, I just suddenly felt like making fried rice."

I arrived at Mayoi Tachibana.

The flowers haven't bloomed yet, but I can see a few small buds.

I take a deep breath and look up at the sky.

A half-full moon floats there.

If it feels like this, the flowers should bloom when the moon is full.

If that happens... the mountain festival can begin.

Collect the seven shadow butterflies with hanging lanterns.

Search for Ai.

Summer vacation has begun.

I don't have to go out of my way to take the boat to school, so it's a relief.

Good thing I didn't join any clubs.

It's a rare holiday—no way I'm wearing my uniform and taking the boat.

But... I absolutely have to go to school that day.

No... well, it's my fault for forgetting to submit my second-semester elective courses.

Even though I'd only dozed off a little.

Couldn't I just hand it in after summer vacation and still be perfectly fine?

Off the island, everyone's so impatient and suffocating.

After finishing my errands in the morning, when I returned to the island, Inari was waiting for me at the harbor.

"I'm home, Inari."

"Bump♪"

"There's still time before work. Want to take a walk?"

"Pon—♪"

The air on the island is so comforting.

The smell of soil, the smell of greenery, the smell of the sea.

Surrounded by nature, I felt a sense of relief.

"Fwaaah..."

"Pon~?"

"Hehe, I'm getting a little sleepy."

This drowsy habit will probably stay with me as long as I'm searching for the Seven Shadow Butterflies.

But compared to before, I've gotten better at organizing my memories.

In fact, a short nap clears my head even more.

"I think I'll take a little nap."

"Bonk."

"Huh? You'll keep watch for me?"

"Pon pon."

"Nothing strange happens on this island, so it's fine."

"Bump—"

"Really? Then... haaah... I'll leave it to you..."

I sat down in the shade of a tree and closed my eyes.

I fell asleep right away.

At the same time, my closed field of vision was filled with countless flashbacks of memories.

The colors of too many memories, layered together, come infinitely close to black.

Choose and discard them—sink what is truly unnecessary deep into my unconscious.

Someday, will it overflow...?

But... I must keep searching for the Seven Shadow Butterflies.

Until I find Ai...

"Mmm..."

...I sense some kind of presence.

Someone is approaching...?

But my consciousness can't surface.

My body won't wake up.

Why...? Is it someone I don't mind being near, approaching...?

If Inari isn't reacting, it must be fine...

But...

How should I put it—I know...?

This presence—the memories sunk deep inside me are aching faintly.

Who?

"Mmm... mmnn... mmm~..."

I open my eyes, and there's the face of a boy I don't know right in front of me.

Not a child from the island...?

Wait, huh? Uh? Is this—I'm being held?

Who? Who is this child??

"Waaaaaaaahhhhh!? Wh-what, what!? Who are you? Why are you hugging me? Are you trying to violate me!? Please be gentle for my first time————!"

"If it's the last time, can we make it intense?"

"Like that's possible————! Let go of me————!"

It feels like a new summer has begun.