"What a weak defense."

"Maki said-"

"Black heart! I hate her!"

"That's what Tohko said."

"My, oh my."

Thus did I come and go down hallways and stairs delivering messages, all the while my actions were growing more and more fruitless. I wondered why I was doing this.

No matter how hard Tohko tried to hole up in there, there was no way Maki would ever change her mind. Tohko was losing her temper, and Maki was toying with her now.

"All right, what did Maki say? My retort left her unable to even growl bitterly this time, right?"

Tohko ran up to me when I returned to the library. Her legs wobbled a little, perhaps because of her hunger.

She could have just eaten the books I'd gotten for her, but exasperatingly, it looked as if she was doing a real hunger strike. She hadn't eaten anything but the mugwort dumplings ever since the Thomas Mann she'd had early that morning, which was probably relatively tough for a glutton like Tohko.

I started to pass on the message Maki had given me, but I was a little hesitant.

"Hmm? What is it, Konoha?"

"...I love you."

Tohko recoiled instantly and turned bright red from her neck up to her ears.

"Wha-wha-wha-wha-wha-wha...?"

"Marry me."

"K-Konoha-"

"I can make you happy."

Her eyes locked on mine, and her mouth open and shut repeatedly.

My cheeks felt as though they were on fire, too.

"That's what Maki told me to tell you."

"M-Maki?"

Tohko's face flared crimson, and the next moment she flopped limply onto the chaise lounge, as if all the strength had gone out of her. She lay there on her stomach as rubbery as a mollusk.

"Uggggh, she got me...All of that just made me hungrier."

She twitched as if she no longer had the energy to lift her head.

Sigh. Maki really did have the upper hand by far. Tohko couldn't hope to match her.

"You should eat something, Tohko. Do you want me to write you a story?"

"Urgh-no. I said I would do a hunger strike until Maki calls off the demolition."

"It's fine as long as you don't eat normal food, though. She'll never know if you just sneak bits of paper."

"That's dishonest."

She insisted stubbornly. She was so hardheaded in this way.

"Konoha...will you give Maki a message?"

"Another one?!" I shouted, fed up.

Tohko lifted her face petulantly as she lay limply on the chair. Her cheeks were puffed up like a hamster storing food, and her mouth curved into a frown as she said, "I would die before I became the bride of someone who disrespects books."

Sitting on a leather-upholstered chair, Maki snickered.

"Oh no, I've been dumped."

"Please, let this go now. My messenger services are closed for business."

"That's too bad. I was thinking of a declaration of love so intense it would make Tohko faint."

"You were going to make me say it? You're so twisted."

Even remembering the proposal I'd just made practically caused flames to leap off my face.

"Tohko is an unthinking straight line, so she really can keep going with this hunger strike until it takes her down. Couldn't you put the work tearing down the house on hold, even if it's just for the summer? I don't care what you do after that."

"You're pretty devious, huh?"

"Coming from you, I don't think I like hearing that."

What was Maki plotting, gathering together the descendants of the victims eighty years ago, making Takamizawa bring me here, and making me say something that would invite confusion?

She wouldn't tell me even if I asked. And I was tired of involving myself in trouble.

Maki gave a sharp, knifelike smile.

"But Konoha, when summer's over, it'll be too late. It doesn't mean anything unless I do it now."

The window facing the balcony rattled in the wind.

The cold air being spewed from the air conditioner gave me a sudden chill.

Maki's expression returned instantly to her friendly cheerfulness, and she said without ever consulting me, "And that is why I need you to make Tohko eat somehow. You're used to handling her, aren't you? I appreciate it."

I let out a sigh and exited the room.

If I could handle Tohko, I wouldn't suffer like this every time.

On my way back to the room where the famished book girl awaited, I was considering what I could possibly do now when I ran into Uotani.

She pushed a tray loaded with rice balls, pickles, and miso soup at me with a sullen look on her face.

"What?"

"...For Miss Tohko," she muttered and turned aside with a glower.

"Th-thanks."

Surprised, I accepted the tray and thanked her.

She glanced up at me, then immediately turned her back.

"Please leave the dishes in the kitchen," she said brusquely and went away with quick steps.

...On the surface she seemed harsh, but maybe she was nice.

The way she'd left was a lot like Kotobuki.

When I opened the door, Tohko was sprawled across the chaise lounge.

"Urgh...what's that, Konoha?"

Apparently she was too hungry to see things clearly, and she stared at my hands, lower lip trembling.

"It's a late meal."

"You're going to eat by yourself?! You already had dinner. Sneak. Torturer. Devil."

"No, this is for you."

I set the tray on a table.

"Uotani was worried about you and went out of her way to bring you this."

"Really?"

Tohko lightly touched the plate and fixed her eyes on the food.

"...It's my virtue that does it."

I nearly fell over.

Tohko was acting as though Uotani giving her food had deeply affected her.

"Then since you won't be eating anything, why not clean the plate, for Uotani's sake?"

"Urgh...okay."

With a crestfallen look, she picked up a tasteless rice ball and bit into it little by little.

"It tastes like human kindness...it's salty and sweet."

I sat down next to Tohko and started writing things down in my day planner.

"What are you writing?"

"I'm just killing time."

By the time the dishes were all empty, I had completed a frivolous story that took up two pages.

A mother comes to pick up her child in the evening.

That was all it was about.

I offered my entire day planner to Tohko, who was making a suspicious face.

"Would you read it for me? Just reading it won't count as eating, right?"

"...O-okay."

Tohko took the planner in both hands and started to read it slowly.

She was flustered at first. Then her expression gradually loosened up, and a gentle light tinged her smiling eyes.

Her eyes ran to the end, and she murmured, "That was a nice story. The choice of words was...very pretty."

"The prompts were 'dragonfly,' 'sunset,' and 'pick up,'" I told her, then took the planner from her hands and ripped the two pages out.

I ripped them up even smaller and sprinkled the pieces on Tohko's lap like flower petals.

Tohko's eyes went round.

"...Konoha."

"No one will be able to read it ever again. If you don't eat it for me, it'll go to waste."

I spoke brusquely, and she gazed intently at me, her face slightly pink.

I wished she wouldn't. Because I felt a tickle in the pit of my stomach that was driving me crazy.

"Thank you."

Tohko smiled.