Chapter 12: Escape Plan
"...?"
"I've wanted to say this for a long time. You've been trapped in this place by your parents like a caged canary solated, without healthy relationships or any source of genuine happiness. Even if you weren't sick before, you were bound to fall ill eventually."
While Yukino stayed silent, Narumi Toru who seemed to be speaking half to himself sat up from the hospital bed. He straightened his wrinkled clothes and picked up the serialized magazine lying beside him.
"You're going to school tomorrow, right? Then I'll just skip your sister and pick you up myself."
"Wait… do you really intend to…?"
"I promised you before, didn't I? That I'd be there whenever you needed me. You've already sent out a distress signal, so how could I ignore your call for help?"
The young man scratched his curly hair, a mischievous grin flickering on his face as he spoke casually like someone planning a prison break rather than a favor.
"Besides, think about it—the ex-boyfriend of the Yukinoshita family's eldest daughter abducting the bedridden younger sister? That'd make a hell of a headline, don't you think?"
The man in front of me is definitely not mentally okay.
Only snow dares to make such an assertion.
But only this man this hopeless, reckless man, would completely disregard all expectations, all pressures, and still grant her wish without a second thought.
So, without further hesitation, Yukino gritted her teeth and made the boldest decision of her life.
She reached out and placed her delicate hand into the palm of the curly-haired youth.
"…Then let's see how far you can take me to escape."
Thus began their absurd and impulsive elopement.
Yukino Yukinoshita regretted running away with Narumi Toru the very next day.
And for good reason.
"Oh? You're giving Yukino a long leave of absence…?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka arched an eyebrow, her gaze filled with disbelief as she stared at the curly-haired young man who had just escorted the black-haired girl into her office.
"What did the doctor say again?"
"Doctor."
"…What I mean is, I'm not unaware of Yukino's condition," Hiratsuka continued, narrowing her eyes, "but why didn't her guardian contact me directly? Why did it come through you, Narumi?"
"Oh, dear~ Haruno stayed up all night playing on her phone and didn't sleep until dawn," Narumi said cheerfully. "So I came here to handle things in her place."
He grinned, his expression the picture of a harmless, sunny youth so disarmingly bright that even suspicion seemed to hesitate.
"That girl… honestly," Hiratsuka muttered, rubbing her temple. "Why stay up all night on the phone instead of sleeping?"
"iPhone 13 Pro Max."
"…You should go get checked out too. Either visit the psychiatric ward or I'll send you straight to the ICU myself."
Standing to the side, Yukino pressed a hand to her forehead. At that moment, she could completely empathize with Hiratsuka-sensei, whose patience was visibly thinning.
"Alright, fine. You can take her," Hiratsuka sighed at last, waving her hand wearily. "I'll confirm with Haruno later."
In this version of events, Hiratsuka was also Narumi Toru's former homeroom teacher, so she wasn't particularly wary of him.
"Or did you negotiate with Yukinoshita's family yourself?" she added, smirking faintly. "You and Haruno are still that close even after breaking up, huh? Quite the adult."
"After all, we're not little kids anymore, teacher. People can stay friends even after a fight."
Narumi smiled, rose to his feet, and bowed slightly to express his thanks. Then he turned toward Yukino, who understood immediately.
"Then we won't trouble you any longer."
With that subtle cue, Yukino nodded in gratitude to Hiratsuka before following him out of the office.
"That must've been the first time a good student like you ever lied," Narumi remarked lightly as they strolled through the hallway, crowded with students.
"The lie was yours, not mine," Yukino replied calmly, keeping pace beside him. "Since it didn't come from my mouth, it doesn't count as a lie I told."
Yukino Yukinoshita had learned to justify things now, to bend the rules when needed. Perhaps she had picked up some of his habits along the way.
"I feel like I've led you astray," Narumi muttered, feigning guilt as he scratched his cheek. Of course, there wasn't an ounce of remorse behind that grin.
"—Yes, that's probably the most accurate explanation."
A calm but firm male voice interrupted their exchange, carried by brisk, confident footsteps.
Narumi turned his head toward the sound. Standing before them was a short-haired boy with golden hair, wearing the familiar Soubu High School uniform.
"Narumi-senpai… where are you taking Yukinoshita-san?"
Narumi recognized him immediately Hayama Hayato. A name well-known across the school, a student admired for his charm and kindness. His connection to the Yukinoshita sisters was… complicated, to say the least.
In this world, Hayama's feelings toward Narumi were equally tangled. After all, Narumi had once been Haruno's boyfriend Hayato's unattainable crush—and now seemed intent on drawing Yukino into his orbit.
"As far as I know," Hayama continued, his tone measured but edged with concern, "Yukino-san only needs regular check-ups. You didn't inform Haruno-senpai about taking her on such a long leave, did you? So… where exactly are you taking her?"
Oh dear. So the kid had overheard everything outside the office, huh?
"Hayama-kun, if it's about visiting someone in the hospital, I appreciate your kindness," Yukino said coolly. Despite her pale complexion and fragile demeanor, her voice carried the same sharp composure as always.
"But where I go," she added, "is clearly none of your business."
"Yukinoshita-san…" Hayama's voice softened. "I know this may seem out of line coming from me, but I just don't want to see you hurt… or deceived."
Once upon a time, Yukino Yukinoshita and Hayato Hayama had been close friends back in elementary school, when things were simpler. But by the time they reached high school, that bond had long faded. Even casual greetings between them now felt strained.
The reason, of course, lay buried in the past—a truth Narumi had once mentioned to Hayato himself.
Remembering that, the curly-haired youth smiled faintly and reached out, lacing his fingers with Yukino's as he met Hayama's conflicted gaze.
"Hayama-kun, you are a good person.
Under Yukino's slightly stunned gaze, Narumi Toru turned his head toward Hayama, whose expression had frozen mid-thought.
"But sometimes even good people can't be perfect," Narumi said softly, his tone carrying a faint trace of irony. "When you treat everyone with the mindset of 'I just don't want anyone to get hurt,' that very attitude can end up hurting people even more. You know that yourself, don't you?"
"…"
The words struck home. Hayama looked away, his face stiffening as frustration and a flicker of pain surfaced between his brows. Narumi had hit the sore spot precisely the contradiction Hayama lived with but could never quite admit aloud.
"But I'm different," Narumi continued. "As you can see, I'm not burdened by things like morals, responsibilities, or the need to look good in front of others. Call me unreliable, unstable, or even immoral—it doesn't bother me. If you want to label me as the bad guy who kidnapped the frail second daughter of the Yukinoshita family, that's fine with me."
He felt the faint tremor of Yukino's fingers interlaced with his. Her hand, cold at first, had slowly warmed under his touch. When he turned toward her, her pale face reflected in his eyes—fragile, but resolute.
"—After all," he said quietly, "some things can only be done by bad guys."
Yukino didn't respond in words. She didn't need to. She could see her own reflection in Narumi's pupils steady, unwavering, and utterly trusting.
Only unwavering trust in the person in front of you.
He's just a guy who spouts nonsense, acts recklessly, and plays the fool in this simulation world. Yet right now, he's the only one I can rely on.
"…If this is your choice," Hayama said finally, exhaling a long breath, "then I understand."
His expression was complicated—somewhere between reluctant acceptance and faint sorrow. Maybe, deep down, he had never believed he could convince them otherwise. He gave a small, helpless smile.
"But running away won't solve anything, Yukinoshita. Sooner or later, you'll meet someone far harder to deal with than me. I hope you're ready for that since you've made this choice."
As he walked past, Hayama leaned slightly closer to Narumi, his voice dropping to a low murmur.
"At that time, I'd appreciate it if you took responsibility."
Then he turned and strode down the corridor, disappearing around the corner leaving Yukino standing there with a complicated expression, while Narumi only watched him go with an indifferent look.
"It sounds weird coming from that kid," Narumi mused, scratching his neck, "talking about taking responsibility and all that. Honestly, I'd rather hear it from you, Yukino."
"Maybe in the next life," she replied without missing a beat.
"Yare yare~"
With that teasing sound, the two walked side by side out of the teaching building until they reached the school gate. There, beside a slightly battered secondhand car, two familiar figures had been waiting for some time the other members of the Service Club, Hachiman Hikigaya and Yui Yuigahama.
Narumi hadn't expanded his escape plan to include them; they weren't eloping in a group. Rather, these two were the helpers he'd contacted beforehand.
"These are my clothes!" Yui stammered, face flushed as she handed Narumi the handle of a suitcase. "I lent them to Yukinoshita-san, so… it's okay if she returns them later!"
Yukino, pale but composed, managed a faint smile of gratitude.
"Thank you, Yuigahama-san. If only we'd met sooner—" she paused, then shook her head. "No, it's nothing."
If they had met earlier, perhaps Yukino could have learned what genuine warmth from a friend felt like. But time wasn't something she had much left of.
"Although I don't think this is a long-term solution," Hachiman muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets, "eloping is pretty childish for high schoolers… but for college students, it might pass as romantic."
He sighed, his dull, fish-like eyes betraying a faint trace of reluctant concern. "Anyway, good luck, both of you."
"Of course," Narumi said, grinning. "If anyone asks about the Service Club, I trust Mr. Penguin here to stall them with some clever jokes."
"Don't trust me in such a weird way and stop calling me that stupid nickname," Hachiman shot back immediately, glaring. "Seriously, you're hopeless."
Narumi only chuckled, offering no defense.
"So… have you decided where you're going?" Hachiman asked at last, a rare note of seriousness in his voice. He didn't say "You'll get caught sooner or later," though the thought hung between the lines.
"Of course," Narumi said. "And thank you both for your help."
He nodded with quiet sincerity, then turned to help the weakened Yukino into the passenger seat. Before getting in himself, he offered a final wave to his two unlikely allies.
"We probably won't see each other for quite a while. Take care, alright?"
"…You too," Yui murmured, her eyes soft with worry.
"…Take care of yourself," Hachiman added after a moment.
Although Yuihama and Hikigaya were slightly puzzled by Narumi's attitude, they still respon ded politely.
If you ask why, it's probably because the curl y-haired youth seemed to be saying goodbye to them.
———
———
"If this were a game with a visible progress bar," Narumi mused as he drove, one hand on the wheel, "we'd definitely be at the climax right about now."
The radio hummed softly as the car rolled through the city streets, sunlight slipping through the windshield. Beside him, Yukino leaned quietly against the window, the exhaustion from the past days showing plainly on her pale face.
Her health was fragile. If left untreated, her illness would worsen. Whether she eventually succumbed to the disease or was sent abroad for treatment Narumi wouldn't be able to follow her either way.
That thought lingered in his mind, heavy and bitter.
In the logic of this simulation, that meant the ending score wouldn't reach the "ideal" result.
Driven partly by obsession and partly by the faint, self-destructive urge of a hero complex, Narumi had crafted this plan—an escape, a rebellion against the system itself.
Taking Yukino away from the hospital and her family's suffocating control might not cure her body, but maybe it could change her heart—make her see a different kind of world, even if only briefly.
If that could rewrite her story, even for a moment, it would be worth it.
Yes, thanks to your reckless interference, Yukino Yukinoshita's fate has changed.
The system's cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[However, this change is temporary. Her fate only shifts from dying alone in a hospital bed to passing away beside you from illness or being found and sent abroad in time. That's all.]
So, nothing had truly changed after all?
No. Something had. If he could just find the root cause of this simulation maybe then…
"Miyazaki must be quite far from here," Yukino said softly, eyes on the GPS screen. Though clearly exhausted, she forced herself to sound cheerful, like she was trying to keep him company.
"I'll keep track of the navigation for you. Don't worry."
Narumi chuckled. "You really can't relax without doing something, can you?"