Chapter Eight: Sudden Autumn Rain Umbrella Layers / Chapter Nine: Duet of Twin Stars

Nijika was thinking about dinner. Ichiri was teaching Kita guitar, while Ryo crouched by the cave entrance, watching Shiko scream and scratch.

Shiko crouched on the ground, desperately rubbing her chin as she stared at the torrential rain that seemed ready to swallow the world. She muttered to herself, every word reaching Ryo's ears: "The vegetation has small, thick leaves covered in a waxy layer. It should be subtropical evergreen sclerophyllous forest. Normally, the climate should be Mediterranean, with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. But why is there so much rain here even though it's summer... More importantly, why does this place have subtropical evergreen sclerophyllous forest...?"

Just like before, Shiko's words went in one of Ryo's ears and out the other. She didn't understand a single word. She recalled the judgment that the slightly gloomier Shiko had made about this rainy season: "God should have learned more geography before creating this world... At least to the level of compulsory education."

It really was hard to understand. She'd better go ask Nijika about dinner.

Ryo stood up and walked toward Nijika, who was tapping the lid of a pot with drumsticks.

"Weren't you supposed to be watching Little Shiko?" Nijika asked, puzzled when she saw Ryo return. Ryo froze for a moment. She really had crouched beside Shiko for that purpose. "I forgot." Her expression didn't change.

"That's so like you..."

"It's raining outside anyway. She won't run off."

"That's not necessarily true." Nijika pointed toward the cave entrance. Shiko had just opened an umbrella and walked outside alone, staring blankly at the sky. "Go after her, before she runs into some kind of danger again." Nijika handed Ryo her own umbrella and half-pushed, half-shooed her away. Just then, footsteps came from nearby. Ako and Rinko arrived first, followed by Sayo, and finally Lisa and Yukina. Roselia had finished training.

"There's still some time before dinner," Nijika said. The rice in the pot wasn't cooked yet.

"Is that so?" Yukina fell into thought. Her first reaction was to gather the members and continue band practice, but she quickly abandoned the idea. During the period after Roselia had first crossed over, their band practice had essentially come to a halt due to a lack of equipment. It was only after Kessoku Band brought over a large number of instruments that they were able to resume practicing. Logically speaking, in preparation for the Future World Fes, which they didn't even know whether they would have another chance to attend, they should have spent twice as much time making up for the time they had wasted. However, even though they got along normally, something was always wrong with everyone's condition whenever they performed. Yukina herself was no exception. Yet she couldn't find the reason either.

They couldn't improve in this state. More practice would be meaningless. How were they supposed to solve this?

"I'll make you all smile again!" A memory suddenly flashed through Yukina's mind. She covered her forehead and forced the image away.

She looked ahead. Sayo was standing at the cave entrance, staring blankly at the torrential rain outside, apparently lost in thought.

In a sense, this downpour had been caused by Sayo.

Sayo's ability was to create rain. It was ordinary rain, and originally had little use beyond providing water.

But everything changed after Ako developed a spell that could substitute the rainwater with other liquids. They had tried preserving the acid inside some monsters and converting Sayo's rainwater into terrifying group combat power. In Ako's words, it was "AOE."

Combined with Rinko's flexible switching between group buffs and group suppression, as well as Lisa's cookies, the power of their combo attacks could even keep up with the next level.

After Kessoku Band arrived, Nijika greatly increased the entire team's endurance. Ryo's sonic attacks and Rinko's group suppression could complement each other, while Shiko could temporarily copy Rinko's group buffs and let Rinko focus on a single mode. At the same time, Shiko and Kita could provide an endless supply of molten iron, and with sufficient preparation, Ichiri could convert the rainwater into freezing rain.

Even if anything slipped through the net, Yukina, who specialized in close combat, could handle it.

Thus, this combo had become one of their accustomed ways of advancing.

This method of action had only one flaw: This area received a great deal of rain, and the rainfall Sayo triggered often caused even heavier precipitation, sometimes even flash floods that obstructed their journey. That was why Sayo didn't use her ability often.

But this time was different. The river passed through a narrow canyon, whose cliffs were covered with monsters of all sizes. They covered the originally black-and-white rock walls, like maggots swarming over rotten flesh. Passing straight through the middle was impossible, but the surrounding mountains were high and the roads steep. Several vertical cliffs were clearly visible to the naked eye, making it even more absurd to travel by land.

"There's no other way." That had been Yukina's order at the time.

The battle had been fierce. The boat had nearly capsized. Not only had the visible monsters been stirred up, but those lurking beneath the river had also been dragged out. If not for Ichiri, several of them probably would have been thrown into the river and never recovered. After the battle, they had indeed passed through the bottleneck, but Sayo's full-powered release had attracted an unprecedented downpour. Combined with their exhaustion, they could only rest temporarily and recover.

Shiko and Ryo returned from outside. Sayo's expression caught Shiko's attention.

Sayo was immersed in her memories. Shiko could tell at a glance. Sayo's lips were moving as though she were muttering something. Though it was rude, Shiko moved slightly closer so she could see more clearly.

She read Sayo's lips: "Hi...na..."

Her lips split into a grin.

"So that's how it is." In front of Roselia's members—excluding Sayo—Shiko clapped her hands and announced her deduction about Sayo's current state.

"Hmm... Shiko, why are you smiling so strangely?" Lisa asked. Shiko hurriedly covered her mouth.

"So Sayo is missing Hina?" Yukina wasn't surprised.

Hina Hikawa was Sayo's twin younger sister, an all-around genius. The Hikawa twins could be called one of the top couple pairings in Bang Dream, and Shiko was, unfortunately, a devoted twin-shipper.

She was already completely thrilled.

"When the little sister who's been by your side day and night suddenly disappears, I understand," Shiko said, nodding repeatedly.

"You really do understand Sayo," Yukina said. She didn't ask how Shiko knew the specific circumstances. "So what are you planning to do?"

"Of course I'm going to make Sayo smile. Didn't I say that?" Shiko was excited, but she hadn't forgotten her original purpose.

Ako reclined against the backrest and tilted her chin. "Hmm... Ako misses her sister too, but not as seriously as Sayo-san. Still, isn't this something only Hina-san herself can resolve?"

"Well, it isn't something that can be solved in a moment. Let's think about it slowly," Lisa concluded. Everyone dispersed to do their own things.

"Oh, I got a message." Hearing a ding from her pocket, Shiko took out her phone.

"What is that?" Ichiri saw Shiko take out something else they couldn't see and tap at it.

"Nothing much. The theater club sent me a message. Just some minor business." Shiko put the phone back in her pocket.

When she looked up, she saw Ichiri staring at her as though she'd seen a ghost—even though Ichiri wasn't afraid of ghosts.

"T-The theater club...?" she asked, trembling.

Shiko tilted her head. "Yeah, the theater club. Didn't I join it?"

This time, Kita also stared at her as though she'd seen a ghost—and she really was afraid of ghosts.

They both still remembered how socially anxious Shiko had been when they first met her. Although Shiko had changed quite a bit, her current liveliness was something she displayed only around people she knew. They had seen her act socially anxious toward imagined strangers more than once. It was hard to imagine that, in her world, she had already joined a club! And not just any club, but the theater club—a large club that, although gradually becoming unpopular, still had a membership in the double digits!

Ichiri felt betrayed.

Shiko somewhat understood what they meant. "Actually, if I hadn't been able to establish a connection with Seisho, I wouldn't have wanted to join any club either... Doing activities with members whose faces I can't even recognize is torture. Until the end of the term, I only knew the club president and the members of the Seisho KyuKyu Group who occasionally came over to exchange information... Ah, I don't think I've told you about Seisho, have I? It's the stage where Revue Starlight takes place..."

Shiko began rambling on about Revue Starlight, about its brilliance that burned like a jewel and its happy times as colorful as a rainbow.

Oh, she's started again. Kita leaned back against the stone wall and listened quietly. Recently, because of Shiko's explosive urge to share, nearly all the stories related to their real lives had been spoiled for them, apart from their own stories.

When Shiko finally calmed down, she looked awkwardly at Ichiri and Kita. "Sorry, I did all the talking."

She turned and left. When she looked back, Sayo was still standing at the cave entrance.

"Hmph... The theater club?" She rubbed her chin.

Chapter Eight: Sudden Autumn Rain Umbrella Layers

Sayo stared at the torrential rain outside the cave.

Every time she used her ability, she remembered that day.

Sayo Hikawa

Ability: Sudden Autumn Rain Umbrella Layers

That figure running through the rain with an umbrella... Sayo's vision blurred. It seemed as though she saw a flash of blue through the curtain of rain, but when she focused, it was only an illusion.

In the cavern behind her, Shiko gathered everyone once more.

"If Sayo needs Hina, then all we have to do is let her meet Hina." Surrounded by everyone except Sayo, Shiko crossed her arms and spoke with complete confidence. This plan required everyone's cooperation, so the members of Kessoku Band were also informed of the situation.

"?" None of Roselia understood what Shiko meant.

The members of Kessoku Band looked at Shiko's raised mouth and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. Nijika hesitated over whether she should give Shiko a chance to reveal her earth-shattering plan.

In the brief moment she hesitated, everything was already too late.

Shiko's tone changed, becoming mischievous and eccentric. "Tonight, I am Hina!"

At dinner, there was a large serving of French fries on the table. Though it didn't show on her face, Sayo's mood improved slightly.

Of course, it wasn't because of anything special about the fries. She had simply been eating wild vegetables and fruits from this place for so long that she missed the flavors of civilized society. That was all.

"Sayo, you can have all of these..." Imai-san twitched her cheek and placed another plate of fries in front of Sayo.

"Eh... Ehh?" Sayo felt awkward. Imai-san's tone sounded a little strange. "Is something wrong?"

"Ahaha... I just know that you like French fries~"

That sentence made Sayo panic. "Eh? I-I don't particularly like them..."

"So Hikawa-senpai likes French fries?" Kita glanced at Shiko, who was eating with her head lowered. "(No wonder she made so many fries today... She seems to eat them often too. She said it was because of the influence of an idol...)"

Shiko didn't seem to notice Kita's gaze. She didn't look at Sayo either, merely stuffing another French fry into her mouth.

Something was definitely wrong! Imai-san would never say something this embarrassing in public... Sayo turned toward Yukina beside her, but Yukina deliberately seemed to avoid her gaze.

"What is this supposed to mean?" At the time, Yukina, who had heard Shiko say "I am Hina," still didn't understand what she meant. But she saw Nijika's expression twitch instantly.

"It means exactly what it sounds like." Shiko's expression held two parts anticipation, three parts curiosity, and five parts delight. "As a member of Shuka High School's theater club, tonight I'm going to play Hina and make her big sister go~!"

Thinking of this, Yukina picked up the coffee beside her and took a sip to prevent herself from losing her composure.

"This is ridiculous." Yukina had immediately rejected the proposal at the time.

"Why not?" Shiko's expression instantly changed into one part confusion, three parts eccentricity, and six parts self-evident certainty.

"Because..." Yukina finally came up with a reason before she became tongue-tied. "Leaving aside whether this is feasible, it would be disrespectful to their relationship as sisters."

"Disrespectful?" Shiko's eyes shifted. "But Hina is somewhere unknown right now. Since Sayo misses Hina so much, if we want to help her recover, this is the only way, isn't it? Don't worry, I'll apologize to her afterward."

"But..." Yukina still wanted to say something, but Nijika calmly patted her shoulder. Give it up.

Yukina continued struggling. "Even if you can play Hina well, she'll discover the truth sooner or later."

"But at least it can improve her mood, right? If Sayo recovers sooner, that will benefit Roselia too, won't it?"

"But..."

"Future World Fes." Shiko delivered the final blow.

Yukina frowned and looked at the coffee in her hand. She had forgotten to add sugar.

"Sorry, Wu-san..."

Shiko understood. With a flash, a bottle of sugar cubes appeared in her hand, which she passed to Yukina.

Yukina looked at Shiko, who was eating her vegetables with her head lowered. She really had it hard. After the plan was finalized, her personality had switched back, and everyone immediately told her what the other Shiko had said.

She hadn't said anything at the time. She had crouched on the ground and let out a long sigh. After a long while, she stood up. "Tonight, please make some extra French fries."

Sayo felt that everyone was acting strangely. She observed them carefully but couldn't find anything. After dinner ended, she still hadn't encountered anything unusual. Only the black tea served as a beverage tasted a little strange.

"(What exactly is going on? My head feels dizzy...)"

"I've had enough." Sayo stood up and cleared away her dishes. "Sorry, I need to rest for a while..." She staggered into the cavern next door. Once the instruments were put away, it had become their bedroom again.

The others exchanged glances.

The first objection Yukina had raised at the time was: "Sayo is extremely familiar with Hina. She also knows that Hina can't possibly be here. How are you going to avoid being exposed?"

Shiko proudly lifted a bottle of alcohol.

"What is that?" To everyone else, her hand held only empty air.

"It's alcohol." Shiko introduced it unhappily. "Although we're not legally old enough to drink, breaking the rules a little every now and then should be fine~ Add it to the drink. Once Sayo gets drunk, everything will be easy. Besides, as long as we aren't discovered during the process, afterward Sayo will just think it was a dream. That way, her feelings won't be hurt!"

Sayo did indeed look drunk now. The alcohol had also been provided by the current Shiko. Nijika poked Shiko in the waist, signaling that it was time for her to make her entrance. With dead fish eyes and a short stick in hand, Shiko struck herself on the head with a practiced "thunk" and immediately collapsed against the backrest.

Nijika quickly used starlight to wake her.

The moment Shiko opened her eyes, she showed everyone the blue wig in her hands. "Look! I found this in a nearby shop! Why would there be a wig in the shop? I don't get it~ But it's really interesting!"

The others didn't want to deal with her. Shiko stood up, tied up her long hair, and put on the wig. This time, she really did have a touch of Hina Hikawa's air about her. However, as long as there was light, anyone could see through her careless disguise at a glance.

But there was no problem as long as there was no light. The place where Sayo was now happened to be unlit.

"Then I'm off. See you~" By the time she said goodbye, Shiko's voice was already eighty to ninety percent similar to Hina's. Her superb voice imitation had shocked every member of Roselia present. Now, however, Yukina somewhat understood why she could play Hina.

In some ways, Shiko was also a genius like Hina.

A monster had once occupied the dark cavern, but it had long since been purged. Now, there were only several mattresses inside. Supporting herself against the wall, Sayo swayed her way to her own mattress and lay down.

Normally, she would never have gone to bed this early, nor would she have forgotten to wash up.

"(My head is spinning...)" She casually spread herself out on the mattress in a starfish position. She didn't usually sleep so carelessly either.

"...Sis?" In her hazy state, she seemed to hear a familiar voice.

She turned toward the doorway. The dim light outside outlined a silhouette.

"...Hina?"

Chapter Nine: Duet of Twin Stars

"Sis?" The figure she had longed for day and night appeared in the doorway just like that.