Rio impassively took a sip of coffee.
Sakuta decided it would be best to get the conversation back on track.
“Uh, let’s be a little more specific. Say I’m sitting here right in front of you. Is it possible you wouldn’t be able to see me?”
“If I close my eyes.”
“If your eyes are open and looking directly at me?”
“It’s possible.”
That was the opposite of the answer he’d expected. What’s more, there had been no hesitation.
“I just have to be focused on something else or be really out of it. So much so, I don’t notice you’re here.”
“No, that’s not what I…”
“Hear me out. Let’s stop looking at this in terms of light. Where sight is concerned, the workings of the human brain can have more of an effect than the actual physics involved.”
Rio must have run out of coffee, because she filled another beaker and placed it above the alcohol lamp.
“For example, to your eyes, I might look small, but to a child, I’d look pretty big.”
“You’re objectively big, Futaba. You try to hide it under the white lab coat, but even then, I can tell.”
His gaze locked onto the swell of her chest.
“Y-you leave my breasts out of this!”
She folded her arms protectively across herself. Very feminine.
“Oh, sorry, sensitive subject?”
“You have no concept of tact or shame, do you?”
“I must have dropped mine somewhere nearby.”
He checked around, searching for them.
“If you aren’t gonna listen seriously, leave. End of lecture!” Rio abandoned her seat.
“Sorry, I promise I’ll listen. And not look at your tits.”
“Then stop talking about them!”
Honestly, he was more than willing to promise not to look but wasn’t sure he could avoid it completely. His gaze was unconsciously drawn to them, and without adjustments at a genetic level, it would continue to be a struggle for him.
He took a sip of coffee, then changed the subject.
“So what you’re saying is…what we see is subjective?”
“Correct. We avoid seeing things we don’t want to see. The human brain can easily accomplish such a feat.”
People talked about pretending not to see things all the time: Out of sight, out of mind. Didn’t even notice. It escaped my attention. There were plenty of related idioms, so the concept was a familiar one.
But what Rio was talking about seemed to be directly refuting his vague notions of what was happening to Mai.
To put it bluntly, Sakuta’s working theory had been that the reason people couldn’t see her was because Mai was acting like the air. He thought the cause lay with her.
But Rio spoke like the issues all stemmed from the observer. According to her premise, the thoughts or intentions of the one being observed didn’t matter.
“There’s something called the Theory of Observation,” Rio said, throwing the next pitch before Sakuta could fully digest these new ideas.
“The what?” he gaped, blinking at her.
“To grossly oversimplify it, everything that exists only exists once someone has observed it. Sounds rather outlandish at first, right?” Rio asked. She didn’t seem to hold a strong opinion about it, herself. “You know about the cat in the box, right? Schrödinger’s cat.”
“Heard the name, at least.”
Rio pulled an empty cardboard box out from under the desk and plopped it down in front of Sakuta.
“Say there’s a cat in this box.”
She found a piggy bank shaped like a lucky cat and put that in the container. The physics teacher was using it to store five-hundred-yen coins. It seemed suspiciously light.
“Along with some radioisotopes that release radiation once an hour.”
She added the beaker full of boiling water.
“Finally, some poison gas, the lid of which will open if it detects that radiation. If the lid opens, the cat will breath the poison gas. Assume this is always fatal.”
She added the plastic bottle labeled MANGANESE DIOXIDE.
“Then you close the lid and wait thirty minutes,” Rio said, putting a lid on the box. “Now, here we have a box prepared thirty minutes earlier.”
“Like a cooking show?”
Rio ignored the comment.
“What do you think has happened to the cat?”
“Uh…so these radioisotopes could release radiation at any time within that hour? And if they do, the lid on the poison gas opens.”
Rio nodded.
“So if only thirty minutes has passed, that’s half the hour, so…the odds are fifty percent?”
“I’m astonished! You actually understood.”
“If I couldn’t follow this much, I’m either really stupid or wasn’t listening in the first place.”
“So is the cat alive or dead?”
“Well, it’s fifty-fifty, right? We could give the box a shake and find out.”
“The box is made of steel and fixed in place so it can’t move.”
She pointed at the box, which was clearly cardboard.
“Then I have faith it’s still alive!”
“Which side you place your chips on doesn’t actually matter here.”
“Then why ask?”
“The only way to determine the cat’s state is to look at it.”
“That’s surprisingly ordinary.”
Rio opened the lid. Naturally, the contents were still a lucky cat bank, a beaker, and a bottle labeled MANGANESE DIOXIDE.
“The moment the lid is opened, the cat’s state is determined. In other words, until we open the lid, the cat is both dead and alive. According to quantum mechanics anyway.”
“That makes no sense. What if it died ten minutes after we closed the lid? There’s no need to wait another twenty minutes for the lid to open. The cat’s still dead.”
To the cat, at least, its life was over. Supposedly, they have nine…but a dead cat is a dead cat.
“I said it was outlandish, didn’t I? Well, even if you ignore the quantum interpretation, I think the thought experiment has a ring of truth to it.”
“What truth?” Sakuta thought it all sounded rather fishy.
“Humans only see the world the way they wish to see it. The rumors about you are a perfect example, Azusagawa. People believe the rumors but not the truth. Extend the analogy to the real world—you’re the cat in the box, and the rest of the student body the observers.”
The subjective impressions of the people observing took priority over the actual contents of the box… That was what Rio seemed to be getting at. Sakuta’s perspective didn’t matter, only what the observers thought of him.
“That’s not funny…”
But this also didn’t quite match up with what was happening to Mai. Sakuta could see her, other people couldn’t, and he had no idea what conditions were causing her to go unseen.
All of this was interesting, but the pieces still weren’t falling into place.
It was questionable whether real-world physics could ever explain a phenomenon as dubious as Adolescence Syndrome. There were parts of what he had just learned that seemed like potential clues, but the more he talked to Rio, the more complicated everything seemed.
Maybe what was happening to Mai couldn’t be solved just by her going back to work. Sakuta felt a sinking feeling in his chest. Everything Rio talked about was from the observers’ perspective, so…maybe a change on Mai’s end wouldn’t be enough.
“Additionally, observation has been proven to change outcomes in some situations,” Rio said.
“Really?”
“It’s called the double-slit experiment. If I boil it down to just the conclusion…in cases where only the outcome was observed, the experiment results differed from when observations were also taken at the midpoint.”
“So, like, when the Japan team has a soccer match and all
I see is the final score on the news, they win, but if I actually watch the match, they always lose?”
“I’m speaking strictly about particles on a micro level. The particle’s positions exist in terms of probability—not as matter, but in the form of waves. Observing them constricts them to the form of matter.”
“But this micro stuff, banded together, forms people and things, right?”
Molecules, atoms, electrons…even Sakuta knew that’s what people and things were made of.
“If what I’ve described can happen on the macro level, your interpretation is fine. Also, for the sake of the Japan team, you’d better not watch any more soccer. Seriously, never again.”
Sound advice. As he nodded appreciatively, a voice came on the loudspeaker.
“Yuuma Kunimi, Class 2-2. Please meet with the basketball team adviser, Mr. Sano, in the teacher’s office.”
“…What did he do?”
“He’s not you, Azusagawa. It’s probably just reviewing the team practice schedule.”
Rio didn’t sound interested, but she definitely had Yuuma’s back.
He’d turned to look at the speaker, which meant he also saw the clock next to it. It was just after three.
“Oh, I’ve gotta get to work.”
“Then go.”
“Thanks a lot. For the coffee, too.”
“Thank the Science Club adviser. It isn’t my coffee.”
Rio showed him the name written on the lid of the instant coffee jar.
“Well, who’s gonna notice a few spoonfuls missing?” Sakuta said.
He stood up, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed for the door.
But as he reached for it, an idea hit him, and he looked back. Rio was adjusting the flame on a Bunsen burner, presumably getting ready to do a real experiment at last.
“Futaba.”
“Mm?”
Her eyes stayed glued to the blue flame.
“You handling this Kunimi thing okay?”
“……”
She looked up at him, eyes wavering.
“I’m…”
She quickly tried to answer, but the words caught in her throat. She couldn’t even say she was fine. Her voice had squeaked, and he could tell she was straining to keep it from showing on her face.
“I’m learning to get used to it,” she said while smiling weakly, abandoning the idea of insisting she was fine.
There was no comfort Sakuta could offer. All he could do was bear witness to Rio’s doomed love from the sidelines.
“You’ll be late for work,” she said, jerking her chin to make him scram.
And with that, Sakuta left the science lab.
As he closed the door behind him, he found himself muttering, “Getting used to it? That just means you can’t get over it.”
2
“Azusagawa!” his manager shouted. “Take your break before the dinner rush.”
“Got it.”
Sakuta headed for the break area that doubled as the men’s changing room at the back of the restaurant. There, he found Yuuma coming out from behind the lockers, having just finished getting into his uniform. He’d come straight from practice yet didn’t look at all worn-out.
“Yo,” Yuuma said, noticing Sakuta. He was tying his apron on.
“Mm,” Sakuta grunted, scowling at Yuuma’s pleasant smile.
“Break?”
“I’d be on the floor otherwise.”
“Fair… Okay, I’m all set.”
He tugged the apron strings tight and checked himself over in the mirror.
“Oh, right, Sakuta,” Yuuma said, as if remembering something.
“Mm?”
Yuuma sat down at the table and poured himself a cup of tea from the pot. He took a long sip.
“You’re hiding things from me.”
“Phrasing. Are you supposed to be my girlfriend?” Sakuta jibed, trying to cover his surprise. Rio’s heartbreak was the first thing that came to mind, but Yuuma soon made it clear he was talking about something else entirely.
“I’m not kidding around. I mean the thing with Kamisato.”
“Ohhh…”
Somewhat relieved, Sakuta still looked away. He didn’t really want to talk about that, either. But Yuuma had clearly found out about Saki Kamisato summoning him to the rooftop two weeks earlier.
“You picked a real winner, Kunimi.”
“Right? She’s great.”
“She told me not to talk to you ever again.”
“She wants to monopolize me! Her love is so strong.”
“She said your stock drops if you talk to me. How much are you going for on the market?”
“Yeah, well…sorry!” Yuuma clapped both palms together, bowing his head.
“You’re something else.”
“How so?”
“All these leading statements, yet I can’t get you to gripe about her even once.”
“Well, I’m in love with her. She can get carried away sometimes, but she’s honest with her emotions! She’s a great girl.”
Sakuta thought she could stand to be a little less honest…
“You sound like the misguided wife in an abusive relationship,” he said.
“You mean like the type that goes, ‘I swear he’s nice sometimes’? Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Well, don’t worry about me. Whatever Kamisato says is no skin off my teeth.”
“You could stand to care a little,” Yuuma laughed.
“And I guess I should say sorry.”
“For what?”
“Nobody wants to hear someone bitch about their girlfriend.”
“Don’t sweat it, man.”
“Kamisato wouldn’t appreciate you saying that.”
“That’s definitely true.” Yuuma grinned again. “But that’s whatever. Sakuta, don’t get any weird ideas. If you start avoiding me ‘for my sake’ or something, I’ll be seriously pissed.”
“Don’t blame me if that leads to bad blood between you lovebirds.”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But I’m pretty sure all her anger will just get directed back to you.”
That sounded way worse.
“Nah, come on, man. That’s not right!”
“You said it’s no skin off your teeth, right?” Yuuma smiled like he’d just seized a victory. “Just goes to show that a man capable of asking a lady if she’s on her period is made of sterner stuff. You sure your heart’s not solid steel?”
Yuuma laughed heartily. Then he glanced at his watch.
“Aw crap, it’s time,” he observed, punching his time card.
He headed straight to the floor, making sure the manager saw him.
But for some reason, he was back in the break room less than a minute later. Had he forgotten something? What was there even to forget?
However, Yuuma had clearly come back for Sakuta, looking like he had something else to say.
“What?”
“That reporter’s here again.”
Though Yuuma’s tone and expression were stable, Sakuta could nevertheless read the concern they masked. He knew full well Sakuta would not exactly be thrilled by this news.
Ignoring mandated break times, Sakuta went back on the floor and made a beeline for her table. There he found a woman in her late twenties, sitting alone at a booth that seated four. She was wearing a short-sleeved blouse in a pleasant spring color, along with a skirt that stopped just below her knees. Her natural makeup didn’t call attention to itself. The overall effect made her look intelligent, like a TV news reporter. Which she was…
“Can I take your order?” Sakuta asked, strictly professional.
“Nice to see you again, too.”
“Have we met?”
“So that’s how you want to play it? Then let me introduce myself. Here’s my card.”
With practiced ease, the woman offered up a business card.
A TV station logo. Reporting division. The name Fumika Nanjou emblazoned in
the center.
He knew who she was, of course. He’d first met Fumika while his sister was being bullied. She’d been working on a piece about junior high bullying at the time. By now, she’d been dropping by for a couple of years already.
“What is it today?”
“I’m in town for a story on raw whitebait, but I had the evening off so figured I’d touch base.”
There was a note of forced cheerfulness to her tone, but Sakuta didn’t let it get to him. Fumika was only after one thing. She’d found out about Adolescence Syndrome while working on the bullying story, which had sparked a personal curiosity. Naturally, she wasn’t about to believe an urban legend outright, but she’d learned enough to keep herself from being a pure skeptic. And if by chance it was real, the news alone would be a huge scoop, so she couldn’t just let it drop. She’d admitted as much to him once.
“Maybe get yourself a hot date with a baseball player instead.”
“Tempting, but during the season, the top players are always working.”
It was six in the evening. That meant game time.
“And I can get a date right here,” she said, shooting Sakuta a meaningful stare.
“Not into old women, sorry.”
“You’re such a child! Can’t appreciate my adult charms.”
She cupped her chin on one palm, looking up at him.
“I can tell you’ve gained weight in the last few months. You might want to work on those upper arms.”
“……!”
Her eyebrows shot up. He’d definitely gotten under her skin. She leaned back in the booth.
“You’re so uncute,” she said.
“I’d rather be cool. Your order?”
“One Sakuta to go.”
“You seem to have lost your mind,” he replied, without emotion. “Would you like to order an ambulance instead?”
“Cheesecake and a hot coffee,” she demanded, not even glancing at the menu. Fumika ordered the same thing every time she came here. This was a habit Sakuta usually associated with men.
“Anything else?”
“You still won’t talk about it?” She pulled her phone out of her pocket, checking her e-mail. “I’d settle for a photo of the scar on your chest.”
“Not happening.”
“Never?” She flicked a finger, scrolling past something on her screen.
“Are you gonna let me photograph you naked in return?”
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Volume 1 Page 6