Nao.
Nao?
Nao.
I've never slept in a bed.
All I've done is dry blankets in the sun,
then rush to bring them in before sunset.
But...
Nao.
What are you spacing out for?
Sorry.
Good morning, Sunao.
This second day is killing me.
You go for me.
You got it.
I envy you, you know.
You'll never know how much this hurts.
Yeah.
I don't know what it feels like to lie under a blanket in a freshly made bed.
Sunao's mother makes breakfast for her before going to work, bright and early.
I have this.
We used to play in this living room, but now, I just stare at it.
Nowadays, I only do whatever Sunao wants me to.
Painkillers
I'll take four.
You're having grilled salmon for breakfast.
Your phone?
Make sure you lock the door.
Sure.
Okay, I'll see you later.
I'm a replica.
I belong to Sunao Aikawa, and my job is to take her place at school.
I'm supposed to learn, exercise, and live life normally for her.
Shizuoka
Bridge
So pretty.
It's been five days. This summer, I'm 16 years old.
Episode 1: A Replica Never Dreams
It's way too hot.
I can't survive a broken A/C.
Seriously, can't they just get a new one?
Okay, kids. Time to start the day.
It's a scorcher today, so make sure to hydrate so you don't get heatstroke.
Day Duty Sunao Aikawa
So it wasn't just her period. She had class helper duty, too.
I'll take the left side.
Okay.
There's a lot to erase.
But...
This is Shuya Sanada.
I've heard a lot about him.
Basketball Ace
Led Team to Prefectural Tournament
Rising Star
B-But I thought you'd be busy.
Not really.
I don't even play anymore.
Go on. Do your half.
Uh, right.
Thanks.
According to Sunao's memories,
Sanada-kun was hospitalized with an injury
right before the qualifiers for the Inter-High.
He only came back to school two days ago.
He's a classmate, but Sunao hasn't spoken to him once.
Literature Club
Ah, Nao-senpai. Glad you could make it.
Ricchan, good morning.
You sound like a busy actor when you say good morning this late in the day.
You think so?
But wouldn't good afternoon sound overly formal and weird?
And it's too early to say good evening.
Is that how it works?
This is Ricchan, AKA Ritsuko Hironaka.
She's a junior member of the literature club, and my only oasis.
Oh, yeah, Senpai.
Title TBD
Ritsuko Hironaka
Could you read my new story?
It's still a work in progress, though.
Sure thing.
Great!
Sunao and Ricchan first met when they were in elementary school.
Played Tag
Played at a Creek
Moved Away
Barbecues
Ricchan was a sweet neighborhood kid she used to play with.
When Sunao went to middle school, Ricchan moved away and the two grew apart.
Literature Club
New Members Wanted
New recruits or visitors can find us in the auxiliary building, 1st floor
I'd like a trial membership, please.
Nao-chan!
We were reunited two months ago when Ricchan officially joined the club.
Ricchan!
And here we are today.
How was it?
Can I be honest?
I want no special treatment from Miss Sunao Aikawa.
Give me your worst.
I think your writing might be forgetting the reader.
Like this bit where your two protagonists reunite when it's snowing.
Instead of a dramatic depiction of the scene,
I want to know their raw emotions in that moment.
What was the boy feeling when he gazed at the girl?
What was the girl thinking?
I wanted the story to tell me more.
That's really helpful.
Remember, I'm not an expert.
No, I mean it. I'm thankful for any feedback.
I'll bring in a new draft soon, so please read it again when I do.
Sure.
Bye, Senpai. Ciao.
Later.
I came into being when Sunao got into a fight with Ricchan.
Sunao was seven and didn't want to go to the local children's group afterward.
She knew it had been her fault, but she couldn't apologize.
Even so, she wanted to make up.
Please help me.
Those conflicting feelings gave birth to me.
Please go to the community center for me and make up with Ricchan.
Help me.
Ricchan!
Ricchan, I'm sorry for being mean to you the other day.
Jeez, Nao-chan.
Ricchan forgave everything.
Sunao waited anxiously for me to come back,
then hugged me when she heard the good news.
Let's keep this a secret between the two of us.
Why a secret?
People will get scared if they see us both together.
Oh.
We can't let Mommy or Daddy know either.
That night, before her parents came back, we left each other.
Or more accurately...
Bye.
My mind went blank the moment she said that to me.
Hey, come here.
The next day, she brought me back.
Wow! You're really here!
I didn't remember what had happened while I was away.
Whenever Sunao called me back, I would look just like her in that moment.
I'd show up in her world almost as if I'd stepped out of a mirror.
If she was wearing pajamas, I'd be wearing pajamas.
If she was wearing a new outfit, I'd be wearing that same outfit.
And when I vanished, the clothes would disappear with me.
But if I changed clothes in her world,
the second set would stay behind when I vanished.
That way, nothing would be added, and nothing would be subtracted.
It was as if someone or maybe some divine power
was keeping everything in balance and consistent.
Hey, did you know?
Something that looks like the real thing but isn't the real thing
is called a "replica."
A replica?
From then on, Sunao experimented to see how to coexist with me, a replica.
She tested how long a replica could exist in her world,
whether her parents could tell us apart,
and how long we'd throw the same hands in rock-paper-scissors.
After testing everything she could think of, we finally figured out
that Sunao and myself were basically the same biologically.
And yet, we were also different.
I enjoyed talking to Sunao's friends while pretending to be her.
But Sunao spent more and more time alone,
until she'd all but isolated herself.
At first, I thought these differences were unimportant.
But as we grew older, they became impossible to ignore.
Sunao, do you need help studying for your test?
You take it for me.
Huh?
It's fine. Just go to school for me.
Okay.
I thought if I got good grades that made her shine,
and if I did well in gym, I'd get to see her smile again.
I worked extra hard for her.
But...
Oh, my mom will be home in a minute.
Go away.
I'd only come and go to do whatever she said.
It gotten to the point...
where she only calls me a few times a month on a whim.
I still have no idea what's going through her head.
But even so...
I want to be useful whenever she calls on me.
Literature Club
If they'd give us a budget, we'd be able to buy a new one.
But I think we're too small to get any funding.
No!
This heat and green peas are the only things I can't stand.
I didn't know you hated green peas.
Yeah. They're a bunch of little jerks.
I wonder if fans are even that expensive.
I went to an electronics store that was selling discounted old ones.
Like for 3,000 yen.
Wow, that's cheap.
So we could get one for sixty 50-yen coins.
Yep.
Wait, why are you thinking in 50-yen pieces?
Since I'm a replica, I don't get an allowance like Sunao.
Out of jealousy,
I've been cleaning the bathroom and doing laundry since grade school,
and her mom would give me money for the work.
I hid the 50-yen pieces in a chocolate crunch can.
But the can couldn't hold all the coins, and I never spent the money.
Yeah, this weekend, we should—
It's open.
Um, can we help you?
Well...
You're looking for new members, right?
Uh, who's joining?
Isn't it obvious?
I want to join.
Are there rules we need to follow?
Rules?
Like, requirements for joining?
I don't believe there are any.
Why so formal?
Or are you saying you don't take people midway through the year?
N-No, I mean...
New members are always welcome in this club!
You're in our clutches now.
Help him fill out the form and go with him to turn it in, Nao-senpai.
Huh? Uh, sure.
Faculty Office
Excuse us.
Our club sponsor, Akai-sensei, isn't in, so let's leave it here.
Sure.
Oh, Sanada.
How are you holding up?
Okay, I guess.
We'll take our leave now.
Can we stop off there?
Library
I don't mind.
Reading a book is just like reviewing Sunao's memories.
If something makes a strong impression on her,
I can read that memory clearly, without any effort.
Cat
But if it's something that doesn't interest her, it's all fuzzy and hazy.
What are you doing?
The smell of books puts me at ease.
Sanada-kun, do you like books?
Not really.
They're all right, but they don't really click for me.
I see.
I usually read books at our club.
The other girl, Ricchan... I mean, Ritsuko Hironaka writes her own novels.
I often read them too and give her my thoughts.
Do members have to write novels?
No, not at all. Ricchan does, so she can submit stories to competitions.
Yeah?
Oh, and another thing. We publish a club zine for the school festival.
A magazine?
Yeah. We don't do performances or contests,
so we put out a zine filled with short book reviews and columns.
Sort of like an activity digest.
So Aikawa...
You really do take this club seriously, don't you?
I mean, you're always so uninterested in everything.
Sunao has never come to the club herself.
Since we're not completely the same,
we pretty much lead separate lives in what we do after school.
That way, no one will notice we're different people.
Sanada-kun.
Since we're here, we can find a book for you.
Any recommendations?
Do you have a preference?
Nope.
Makes sense.
Well, is there a story from a textbook that stuck with you?
"Anyone with no ambitions is an idiot."
That's the one line I remember being taught in class.
That's from Soseki Natsume's Kokoro.
"Anyone who has no spiritual aspirations is an idiot."
Yeah, that's the one.
Recently, I've been going through the Japanese classics,
and I just finished rereading Soseki.
But our textbooks only contain select passages.
Soseki Natsume
Kokoro
Here.
I'll try it.
Sure. Let me know what you think.
Okay.
It's done for! That thing's completely broken!
This is the summer Ritsuko Hironaka dies from extreme heat.
Maybe we can try asking the teachers—
I can bring in another one.
Bring what?
An electric fan. There's one at home we never use.
You're a god.
Huh?
You sure we can have it?
Yeah. We're not using it.
Thank you. You're a lifesaver.
Can I call you "Sanada-sama" from now on?
It's not that big a deal.
Is he flustered?
What? Is something wrong?
Oh, not at all.
I thought Sanada-kun would be unapproachable,
but maybe I was wrong.
So how do people dispose of electric fans?
In the oversized trash?
I say we should ask Akai-sensei about it.
But for now, we can just toss it in a bag or whatever.
Hold on, Ricchan.
Let's give it a send-off first.
What kind of send-off?
Well, I'm still in.
Thanks to you, good sir, we were able to withstand this cruel environment.
We pray you rest in peace.
Amen.
Wait, what's the point of this?
We're giving our thanks.
For all of its hard work over so many years.
You did good, electric fan.
Sanada-kun.
We would like to welcome you to the literature club.
Huh? You're doing this now?
It's good to have you! I'm so glad we have another member.
I have a feeling a bunch of totally unexpected things are about to happen.
But that doesn't mean I'll change. I can't.
Because a replica is just a replacement.
A replica is made never to dream.
Translation: Timing: Editing: Quality Control: Translation Check:
Gad Onyeneho Mariana Martinez SMR Riley Dalton David Saylor
I have that fan we talked about yesterday.
Aikawa?
Can we talk?
What?
I was talking about the fan.
Fan? What's this about?