Chapter 60: The Third Dance: For the Literary Girl in a Hallucinatory Dream (Part 2)

Once upon a time, there was a child who harbored little fondness for the world around them.

Yet, by donning a mask, they skillfully deceived countless individuals, thereby ‘integrating’ themselves into that very world.

Yet, it appeared that the world itself held little affection for its own offspring.

It might have been simpler if everyone had merely matured according to an identical template; however, such a process hardly qualified as true ‘growth’.

Consequently, that child perpetually fled, until at last, every avenue of escape was irrevocably sealed.

“Dazai Osamu was hardly an optimistic writer; indeed, the narrative of *No Longer Human* evokes a profound sense of pity,” Sakuya mused aloud.

“I suppose I’m quite unlike the protagonist, even though my parents disapprove of my writing such things… they dismiss it all as chaotic nonsense.”

As she spoke, Sakuya lay sprawled across the table, her pen sketching a tiny, melancholic frowny face within the pages of her notebook, a tome already brimming with excerpts from various literary works and her own idiosyncratic reflections.

“But alas, I’m not nearly as clever as Oba Yozo, the protagonist of *No Longer Human*,” she continued, her voice trailing off.

“Just managing a passable grade in school already demands every ounce of my effort… If I were to persist in writing scripts or novels, I would likely face rebuke.

And truthfully, my writing isn’t even exceptional; it’s merely ordinary… yet, even achieving that ordinariness feels like I’m giving my absolute all…”

“Perhaps I’m being overly sentimental in saying this,” she mused, a hint of self-reproach in her tone.

“By all accounts, I am—or at least, should be—a truly fortunate person, yet I am the only one who fails to perceive it.

Is this what they mean by ‘being in bliss and not knowing it’?”

Having voiced these thoughts, Sakuya turned her head, her gaze drifting towards the opposite side of the room, the one nearest the window.

Neither the bonfire party nor the town’s buildings lay in that direction.

During the day, that same window offered a picturesque view of gently rolling hills, verdant forests, and pigeons soaring gracefully across a cerulean sky.

Yet, as night descended, only faint, flickering specks of starlight pierced the gloom, and even these would often be veiled.

When those ephemeral points of light were obscured, all that remained visible from her vantage point was an expanse of infinite darkness.

Sakuya closed her eyes, releasing a soft, almost imperceptible sigh.

“I… I wasn’t deliberately trying to vent my frustrations to Shion-san,” she clarified, her voice hushed.

“It’s just that sometimes, I genuinely feel a profound sense of… bewilderment about my own future.

Despite being merely a high school student, with what seems like an immensely long path ahead and many concerns that don’t yet require my direct attention, I simply… I find myself at a loss for how to navigate it all.”

The black-haired girl impatiently raked her fingers through her locks, transforming her usually smooth, long hair into a tangled mess.

Shion then picked up the pen Sakuya had discarded on the table, and in her friend’s notebook, she sketched a tiny smiley face, placing it directly beside the melancholic frowny one Sakuya had drawn moments before.

“Kujou-san, your willingness to confide in me like this already signifies that you’re not as lost as you believe,” Shion gently reassured her.

As she spoke, Shion tenderly stroked Sakuya’s hair, carefully smoothing the strands that had been disheveled moments ago.

“Kujou-san, there’s no need to blame yourself for these worries,” Shion continued, her voice soft.

“Everyone harbors their own anxieties; there’s truly nothing to feel guilty about.

Moreover, Kujou-san possesses many admirable qualities!

I, for one, don’t know nearly as many books, nor do I carry myself with your quiet grace.

And my grades… I constantly fret that I’ll be reprimanded for my poor academic test scores…”

Shion scratched her head, earnestly searching for words to soothe Sakuya.

Meanwhile, Sakuya sat in quiet repose beside her, attentively listening to Shion’s every word.

Unbeknownst to her, the subtle tension in Sakuya’s brow gradually softened and dispersed.

“I wouldn’t consider myself a terribly important person to Kujou-san,” Shion admitted, a slight stammer in her voice, “and I’m quite clumsy with words, so I don’t really know how to comfort you.

But I do want Kujou-san to know: you are an exceptionally important friend to me!

No matter what choices Kujou-san makes in the future, I will do everything within my power to help, whether that means standing behind you or simply being by your side.”

“Kujou-san might still feel a sense of bewilderment, but at the very least, Kujou-san will not be lost alone.

I will absolutely be there with you, Kujou-san!”

By this point, Shion had become a little flustered, her words tumbling out in a rush.

Yet, hearing her, Sakuya let out a soft burst of laughter.

“Shion-san,” she said, a smile gracing her lips, “your words actually make me feel a little hopeful for the future.”

Shion’s cheeks bloomed crimson, and as she shyly averted her gaze, her eyes caught the distant, faint glow of the bonfires outside the window.

“Kujou-san, would you care to dance together?” Shion suddenly proposed, a whimsical note in her voice.

“Eh?! But I… I haven’t put on my bottom half yet…” Sakuya exclaimed, her face flushing as she instinctively clutched at her skirt, embarrassed by Shion’s unexpected suggestion.

“We’re both girls, after all,” Shion retorted playfully. “And besides, I even watched you take it off.”

“Eh?! Shion-san, you didn’t keep your eyes properly closed back then, did you!” Sakuya gasped, her face instantly turning a deep crimson, a touch of indignant embarrassment coloring her features.

“That’s not what I meant at all!” Shion quickly protested.

“I *did* properly close my eyes back then!

I merely had to open them when I stumbled, and honestly, I didn’t really see anything anyway!”

Shion, seizing Sakuya’s hand, swiftly led her out of the classroom, eager to redirect the conversation from its awkward turn.

The corridor lights cast a dim glow, yet the incessant chirping of summer cicadas, harmonizing with the distant strains of music, unexpectedly coalesced into the most exquisite accompaniment.

“Come on, Kujou-san,” Shion urged softly, taking both of Sakuya’s hands in hers and gazing intently into the girl’s eyes.

Just then, as if by perfect synchronicity, the next song began to play.

This time, it was a vibrant, somewhat dazzling pop melody.

Shion’s feet began to move, swaying to the music’s rhythm.

Despite having only ever performed the Kagura suzu, her innate sense of beat proved remarkably keen.

Sakuya, in turn, gracefully mirrored Shion’s movements, her own steps equally nimble, indeed, not at all inferior to Shion’s.

“I actually studied dance in elementary school, you know, so don’t underestimate me~” Sakuya chirped, effortlessly matching Shion’s steps.

Despite her skill, she willingly surrendered the lead, gracefully allowing Shion to guide their impromptu dance.

This was no opulent golden hall, nor was there an elite orchestra playing.

There were only two young women, moving to the strains of not-quite-clear music, dancing a melody that belonged solely to them, beneath the moonlit, star-dappled corridor.

“Shion-san,” Sakuya murmured softly, her voice barely audible amidst the music of their dance.

“Hmm, what is it?” Shion responded, a gentle inquiry in her tone.

“You just said you would always be there with me as I make my choices, didn’t you?” Sakuya’s voice was remarkably earnest, imbued with a newfound gravity.

Shion nodded solemnly.

“Yes, I will.”

“Oh, and Shion-san,” Sakuya continued, a subtle shift in her voice, “you just said you weren’t a very important person to me yet, didn’t you?”

“Actually, that’s not necessarily true…” Sakuya’s voice was so soft it was almost a whisper, leaving it unclear whether Shion had even heard her.

But ah, the moonlight tonight was truly, exquisitely beautiful.