Chirr chirr chirr. Chirr chirr chirr.

The chorus of the cicadas rang. The road mirage flickered over the asphalt.

(Ah.. it’s really hot today. Is this what they call abnormal weather?)

(So hot, so hot, so hot, I’m dying.)

(I wonder why Rena is always so selfish. She’s really annoying. She must be misunderstanding something, she’s not as cute as she thinks she is. But if I don’t accompany her, it’ll be so troublesome too..)

(Ah.. I don’t want to work. I don’t want to work. Chief Tanaka should just die! What’s with his hair that’s folded to the side? I always desperately held myself back from blowing it out. Ah, it’s so hot. I don’t want to work.)

As he heard the constant stream of inner voices that couldn’t be blocked even if he covered his ears, Satori walked desperately while drenched in a cold sweat.

Onions, curry powder, bay leaves, and some fruits. Onions, curry powder, bay leaves, and some fruits.

(Whoa, what’s this guy mumbling to himself? So creepy! His bangs are too long. What is he, a nerd?)

As Satori chanted the things he needed to buy over and over in his mouth, he felt like his sickness subsided just a little bit. He bought what he needed at the supermarket he had visited with Sousuke before, and packed it in the shopping bag. When he was choosing the fruits, he was having a hard time choosing between peaches and pears. He finally decided on pears. After that, he also bought grapefruits, which Sousuke liked. Satori walked through the same way he had come from and was relieved when the familiar apartment building came into view.

It’s almost time for Sousuke to come home. I want to finish cleaning the bathroom before then.

The noisy chorus of cicadas had disappeared. When Satori looked up nonchalantly, he found the figure of someone who wasn’t supposed to be here.

“Dragon God..?”

Satori lost the strength in his hands and dropped the shopping bag. A pear rolled out of the opening of the bag, which the Dragon God picked up. The Dragon God glanced at the pear in his hand with a somewhat wistful expression.

“I see that you have yet to tell that human who you are.”

Unable to say anything back, Satori cast his eyes downwards. With blood drained out of his face, he tightly bit his lip.

It was obvious for what reason the Dragon God had come here. He had come to tell Satori that the time was up.

Satori had thought that he wouldn’t regret it even if his life were to disappear. But when he thought that Sousuke would return in just a little bit, a feeling of lingering attachment welled up within him.

I want to see Sousuke one more time, just a little more. I want to tell him that I love him. I want to thank him for teaching me how to study, and that I was happy that he was so kind to someone like me.

“I-I remember about the promise. I also have prepared myself for it. But in just a moment, in just a little bit Sousuke will come home, so could you please wait a little longer?”

As Satori desperately pleaded in a trembling voice, the Dragon God glanced at him with his translucent eyes, which no one could tell what he was thinking from them.

“I lose my patience just looking at you.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. It had been so hot just earlier, but now the atmosphere between Satori and the Dragon God turned into something stinging and icy.

“Ah..” Satori thought. As he recalled Sousuke’s figure that he won’t be able to see anymore, he closed his eyelids in resignation. It was at that moment.

“Sato? What are you doing there?”

The atmosphere that was eerily filled with silence was broken in an instant, and the cicadas began to sing again.

“Sousuke.”

Sousuke narrowed his eyes as he caught the sight of the unsettling atmosphere between Satori and the Dragon God, along with the shopping bag that was still left on the ground.

(Who’s this guy?)

“So-Sousuke..!”

Satori stepped in front of Sousuke with his hands outstretched, as if to protect him.

–Please. Don’t do anything to Sousuke.

The Dragon God must have heard Satori’s desperate inner voice.

The trembling in Satori’s body has stopped, as if it was an illusion and that he had not been frightened earlier. When he looked straight at the Dragon God with intense eyes, the Dragon God furrowed his eyebrows slightly.

(Sato?)

Satori could tell that Sousuke was confused about him, who was standing there as if to protect him, but Satori didn’t move.

(–You have time until the end of summer.)

Satori clearly heard what must have been the Dragon God’s inner voice delivered to him, which he heard for the first time. Seeing Satori nodding his head, the Dragon God suddenly relaxed his killing intent.

“..no name.”

“Huh?”

Sousuke furrowed his eyebrow in suspicion.

“Mortal, I have no name. You asked me earlier, did you not?”

“Huh?”

(What? What’s he talking about..)

“So-sousuke..”

Satori panicked. He didn’t think the Dragon God would do anything to Sousuke now that he had set a time limit until the end of summer, but there was no guarantee the Dragon God wouldn’t suddenly change his mind.

A smile suddenly appeared on the Dragon God’s face. In front of the surprised Satori, he tilted his head as if he had just noticed the pear in his hand, then suddenly threw it at Sousuke.

“Whoa, wha-what do you want?” Sousuke reflexively caught the pear thrown by the Dragon God.

“Satori. Remember, this is your last chance.”

“Yes.”

Satori nodded with a slightly nervous expression on his face. He could tell that Sousuke was suspicious of his exchange with the Dragon God.

(What’s this guy’s relationship with Sato? Who’s Satori? He’s Sato, right? Why does Sato look so gloomy? Anyway, why am I so curious about their relationship..?)

Every time Satori felt Sousuke’s confusion, he became filled with guilt. But he didn’t have the time to worry about Sousuke now.

“Just who are you..”

“Sousuke.”

Satori pulled on Sousuke’s arm and put his own hand over Sousuke’s mouth, as if asking Sousuke to be silent.

“Sato?”

“..I’ll tell you everything later.”

–So stay silent for now.

Sousuke gave a face as if saying ‘what are you talking about?’, and Satori pleaded with his eyes.

(You’ll tell me.. everything? What do you mean..?)

“Mortal. He just saved your life.”

“What? What are you talking about..?”

The Dragon God turned on his heels.

“Ah, hey..!”

(I’m not done talking.)

Satori stopped Sousuke, who tried to pursue the Dragon God.

“Hey, let’s go home.”

Sousuke looked unsure for a moment. He took one more glance at the direction where the Dragon God had disappeared, then nodded his head to Satori as if to say he had given up.