10. Causal (1/2)

"hey, riko... i know it might sounds strange, but, have you ever being called lily by anyone?"

"huh? what is it, out of the blue? no, i have never being called lily..." confused

"e-eh... well, i thought you were. then question number two...-"

"number two...?"

"let me finish! ask me back when i'm done!"

"o-okay..., then...?"

"number two: in this few days, no, this week, have you ever having dream about being with someone... let's say, for example, with me? being on a date or alike?"

"n, no, i don't think so...?" what is this inquiry? yoshiko-chan seemed really strange ever since the meeting at the cafe earlier

"number three: do you remember someone who's called yocchan?"

"...h-huh...? y-yocch-yocchan? i don't th-! wait! i think i recalled that name somewhere..."

"it's fine if you don't really remember..., now let's move on to number fo-" not finished talking and riko cut herself in

"wait! i remember it now! yocchan, yes yocchan! it was the nickname of the girl who's helping me back when i was unconscious in the festival in awashima three years ago. i think her mother or someone called her by that name. wait, d-do you know something about her, yoshiko-chan?"

"hmmmmm... hmmmm? wait a moment. at that time, i thought for sure she was unconscious. but if she even learnt about my nickname which my mom called back in middle school, then...?" yoshiko mumbled to herself as she unconsciously ignored the now-questioning red hair

"yoshiko-chan...?"

"but if she really know about it, then surely 'that book' must be surely existed inside her drawer right now... hmmmmm..." yoshiko didn't hear riko calling out to her

"yoshiko-chan..., hello?" she didn't hear me or what?

"yes, if that's true then all those dreams i've been seeing must be foresight of what happened in the future..-"

"yocchan!"

and, as fast as her body could react, yoshiko replied to the shouting that her mom usually did if she's busy playing games with headphones on "yes, mom!?"

after a split second, yoshiko was being

ought to the reality as her eyes locked onto the sight of the girl in front of her. riko, whose face was surely came into what seemed like enlightment to her questions. realizing that, yoshiko suddenly trapped in distraught. what should be done at a time like this? yoshiko didn't even considered that the one who shouted to her earlier was her senior. and inevitably, it's like she'd just blurted out that she was, indeed, the girl from three years ago

"yoshiko-chan...? don't tell me..., you're really that girl from three years ago...?"

"n-no, i-i wasn't the girl from three years ago, riko..." yoshiko tried

"but the way you responded earlier..." doubted the junior, fully at that

"i-it was a coincidence, okay... maybe both of us were just having the same nickname, right? look, even you was being called yocchan, too, right?"

"it might be similar, but they're not the same. besides, i'd already know that chika and you-chan was busy with their eating contest at that time so there's no way they were near the shrine..."

"b-but..." c'mon, make excuses, yoshiko!

"and what's more, your eyes! i saw those purple irises back then. they were the only clue i had about that girl. ever since i came here, after i tried to searched for them all this time, only you who's having those purple irises. you can't fool me anymore, yoshiko-chan!" riko, heated with mysteries that clouded her for so long finally being

ought to light, stood up unconsciously

"m-my mom also has the same purple irises, y-you know?"

"the one who's helping me was obviously a girl younger than your mother!" riko realized she was standing, and so she sat back and continued "hey, yoshiko-chan..., why are you keep on persisting that the girl from before wasn't you? did helping me back then make you that unhappy that you can't even accept it and always denied me like this...?" enraged, maybe?

"..."

"say something, yoshiko-chan!"