16. Headphone Actor III

Headphone Actor III (ヘッドフォンアクター III Heddofon Akutā III) is the sixteenth chapter of the Kagerou Daze manga.

Summary

 * Takane is crying over Haruka's lifeless body when the classroom door suddenly opens. Kenjirou quickly enters lifts Haruka's body, assuring Takane that everything will be alright.


 * The two of them take Haruka to the hospital, where they wait for any news on his condition. As they are waiting, a distressed Takane questions Kenjirou if Haruka will be alright, and he comforts her. She laments herself for not being able to help Haruka or noticing earlier that something wasn't right. Soon enough, medical staff enters the waiting room. Kenjirou questions them about the surgery and after informs Takane that Haruka is still alive. She is relieved by this, but her mood quickly plummets, thinking that Haruka won't want to see her again after her actions. She tells Kenjirou that she's going back to the classroom to pick up Haruka's things. Stepping out of the hospital, a teary-eyed Takane puts on her headphones.


 * Arriving at the school, she starts reminiscing on the events of the school festival. A cheery Ayano, who was there to attend summer classes, greets her. After a short conversation about Shintaro, Takane informs Ayano on why she came to school. She somberly confesses that she would feel like a burden if she faced Haruka again. This makes Ayano cut her off, telling her that she should have courage and be honest. She tells her that she'll be there to comfort her if she gets rejected and then walks away, leaving behind a flustered Takane.


 * Takane continues on to the classroom, along the way trying to figure out her own feelings. As she opens the classroom door, she's greeted by a smiling Haruka, but this turns out to be just her imagination. Takane, finally realizing what she had always wanted to say to him, starts running to the hospital. But just as she begins running, she falls down in the hallway, her disease kicking in. She notices the Snake of Clearing Eyes in control of Kenjirou's body standing in the hallway, smirking maliciously. Just as she's about to lose her consciousness, she thinks of the words she wanted to tell Haruka, with those being "...Haruka, I love you."


 * The scene changes to a hill during a sunset. Takane is standing there in her Headphone Actor outfit. The sky opens up and the scene ends with Takane asleep in a black space.

Trivia

 * This is the chapter where the Snake of Clearing Eyes makes his first appearance in the manga.