Brynhildr in the Darkness (極黒のブリュンヒルデ)

Kuroneko...

That's what I called the girl I played with in my childhood.

Hey, have you really seen aliens?

Yeah.

And on that day ten years ago, I made two mistakes I'll never be able to undo.

The first mistake...

...was that I didn't turn back.

Ryouta!

And as for the second mistake...

At that moment, why...

Why did I grab Kuroneko's hand?

Every night since then,

I've been looking up at the stars alone.

Kuroneko...

I want to see you again...

I'm in my second year of high school, and my current goal is to become a scientist at NASA.

From the place on earth closest to space, I will prove what Kuroneko couldn't—the existence of aliens.

This is all I can do to atone for my sins.

Hey, how are you so sure aliens exist?

You won't believe me, so I won't tell.

I'll believe anything you say, Kuroneko.

Well, you see, I've seen them myself.

Aliens.

I even know where they are!

Then take me there!

Okay.

Just make sure you never tell anyone else.

I played with Kuroneko every day.

I liked her.

I thought I knew everything about her.

But that was the first time I heard her talk about aliens,

so I couldn't believe her that time.

The aliens are just ahead.

When you see them, you have to believe me.

That's when the accident occurred.

Ryouta!

When I woke up, I was in the hospital.

By some miracle, I survived.

They told me that Kuroneko was recovering in a different hospital.

How could I get Kuroneko to forgive me?

Would she forgive me if we proved the existence of aliens together?

That was all I could think about while I was in the hospital.

On the day of my discharge, they told me the truth.

Kuroneko fell from the dam and died soon after.

It may sound strange, but I don't know her real name.

All I remember are the moles by her armpit

and the fact that I called her "Kuroneko".

Morning!

Morning...

Morning!

Hey Murakami, did you see it yet?

See what?

The results of the last national practice exam.

You scored first among the second-years.

But I was only third when you include all high school students.

I still have a ways to go.

Don't say that.

Being top of your year is plenty to be proud of.

Thank you, Kashiwagi-san.

Blunt as ever.

Murakami never pays any attention to the girls.

Seriously...

It's not that I don't think about girls.

I'm just bad at handling them.

Hey, homeroom's starting!

Get back to your seats!

We have a transfer student today.

Transfer student?

That's rare...

Our transfer exam is supposed to be really hard, too.

This is Kuroha Neko-san.

Kuroha... Neko?!

Please get along wi—

What's wrong, Murakami?

She looks just like her! She feels a bit different, though...

But isn't she Kuroneko?!

That's right.

I never actually saw her die.

They just told me she did.

Could it be?

You're alive?

I don't believe I've met you before.

No! We were really young, so you might not remember, but...

You and I used to know each other!

We did?

I can prove it!

What are you getting at?

That's enough!

Just shut up and show me your armpits!

Did he just say armpits?

Hey, hey...

Is he serious?

All that studying must have turned his brain to mush.

I didn't think he was that kind of person.

Hey hey, Kuroha-san!

That uniform's really cute!

Is it from your old school?

It's an original.

Original?

I guess it's not her.

Today we're practing holding your breath underwater.

We're not here to play, so be careful.

Okay!

Look at that!

Yeah, that figure is out of this world!

High school girls this beautiful really do exist!

All the other girls in our school are boring bookworms.

Calm down, Kuroha-san!

Your feet will reach.

Look at that!

You can see everything from this angle!

I should "accidentally" fumble my way underwater to the girl's side and feel me some boobs!

This is why they put the girls on the other side.

Is the next group ready?

Yes...

Okay then, get started.

Kashiwagi-san!

What's wrong?

Sensei, Kashiwagi-san's leg got sucked into the pipe and we can't get her out!

She can't breathe!

Go tell them to stop the pump!

Y-Yes...

Kashiwagi-san!

I knew this would happen.

That today, two of the students at this school...

No, we won't make it in time!

...would die.

She's out! Are you okay?

S-Sensei...

Thank goodness, Kashiwagi-san!

Are you okay?

Hang on tight!

I thought she was done for.

That was really lucky.

The pavement collapsed and caused the pump to stop.

A collapse like that is incredibly unlikely.

And yet, the timing was perfect.

Maybe we just have to chalk it up to good luck.

After all that's happened today, the quiet stars will be a welcome sight.

I can't get it off my mind.

There's no way Kuroha could be Kuroneko.

That girl is dead, after all.

And yet...

No matter how much I tell myself to give up...

It still eats away at me.

Even after ten whole years, I don't want to accept it.

Maybe it would be better if my memories of Kuroneko...

...would all just disappear.

You!

Why are you here?

This place is for looking at stars, right?

Y-Yeah.

Back when the Apollo missions went to the moon, a lot of people got really into astronomy.

There was even enough interest to get this observatory built.

But now, I'm the only member of the astronomy club left.

The other members from last year graduated.

If we don't get any new members next year, we'll have to disband.

I'm sorry.

You looked just like my childhood friend.

That's why I ended up saying those things during homeroom.

Childhood friend?

Yeah, she was a weird girl who believed in aliens.

But...

Because of me, she died.

So, to find the aliens for her,

I look through this telescope every day.

Let me make myself clear.

I am not your childhood friend, and I have never met you before.

This is the first time we've met.

I know that.

But...

Then why did you come here?

I had something to tell you.

Two of the students at our school were to die today.

What?

One was supposed to die at the pool, but she was saved.

Hey, what are you saying?

And the other person to die...

...is you.

I'm going to die?

What do you mean?

The last bus leaves at 20:20.

Yeah, that's the bus I always take home.

No matter what, don't miss that bus.

If you do not board that bus, you will die.

Are you telling me to believe that crazy prediction?

I don't care what you believe. Just don't miss the bus.

Well, I wasn't planning on missing that bus anyway.

I wouldn't be able to get home if I did.

Okay. Good.

Then, I'll just...

How many constellations are there in all?

Oh, those are constellations from ancient times.

There's a list of them in the corner.

This?

One, two, three...

You don't need to count them one by one.

There are six columns and eight rows. Fourty-eight in total.

I'm impressed. You did that quite fast.

Are you making fun of me?