"A bandage is fine, just..."
"No. If bacteria get in, it'll become bumpy."
I wondered what she meant by "bumpy." Whether the meat or the skin would become bumpy made a significant difference in the level of fear.
"Also, I'll make a special meal just for you later. Wait for it."
The word "special" gave it a strange connotation, not making me particularly excited. But I stopped Mayu as she tried to leave the room.
"That's okay for today. I'll eat... well, you, later."
I regretted the words as soon as they left my mouth. It was embarrassingly awkward. The kids' stares hurt more than the wound. Would she even understand such an outdated expression? As I pondered this, Mayu's expression turned serious. She then abruptly pulled my right hand, leading me to the living room outside the Japanese-style room. She closed the sliding door and then, suddenly, broke into a wide smile.
"Really?"
"What do you mean?"
I responded in an inexplicably gentlemanly tone.
"Hey, hey, you're going to eat Mayu-chan? Tonight? Yay!"
Her reaction was overwhelmingly effective. She raised both hands in joy. What runs through a young girl's mind, sulfuric acid?
"Um, about that, we'll discuss it later... for now, please get a bandage."
I tried to divert the topic by showing her the chopstick still embedded in my hand. I wasn't sure if it worked, but Mayu smiled and nodded, rushing off as if she had been eagerly waiting. After confirming the situation earlier, I returned to the Japanese-style room. I sat down in the same spot as before and used my left hand to grab the chopstick still embedded in my hand.
"Whoa, it's near the bone! Ouch, ouch, ouch! I managed to pull it out. I've got goosebumps!"
Alone, I yanked the chopstick out. Drops of blood welled up, and streaks of red spread across my palm. I licked the blood to prevent it from staining the tatami mats. I felt someone's gaze on me, so I glanced sideways.
Kouta was looking at me, but what surprised me more was how little yakisoba remained.
"Um... thank you."
"For what? The one who cooked the meal was that lady, so if you want to thank someone, thank her."
"It's not that," Kouta said hesitatingly, shaking his head. "It's because you protected Anzu."
Kouta, with an embarrassed smile, bowed his head slightly. His attitude made me wonder if he had taken a liking to me or if he considered me an ally.
Meanwhile, Anzu pretended not to notice and continued chewing on the remaining soba. To the two of them, I tried to play it off like it wasn't a big deal. Perhaps that's the nature of my relationship with Mayu. I don't even know how to describe it with common kanji.
After treating the wound, I quickly left Mayu's house. It was hard to leave Mayu with tears in her eyes, but I couldn't always cater to her needs, even if it was half a lie.
I was surprised by the temperature difference between day and night when I stepped outside the apartment building. The wind felt slightly chilly on my skin.
"...What a hectic day," I muttered. It felt as corrosive as hydrochloric acid.
I looked at my palm, now exaggeratedly wrapped in bandages. Mayu had reported, "We didn't have any adhesive bandages," and while she was clueless about how to wrap it, she had used a generous amount of bandage. I removed it all. Already, there was a lingering scent of medication. Maybe today was a day of peculiar smells.
"I didn't expect to get involved in another kidnapping..." I mused.
And this time, from the perspective of an accomplice. Time has reversed our positions. It would have been enough if it was just a rivalry between childhood friends.
The kidnapped siblings, the interaction I had with them, felt somewhat off. It was contradictory or different. I felt this slight discrepancy without being able to pinpoint what it was.
"Ah," I realized.
I had forgotten to ask a trivial question. I turned around to look at the apartment building, which was illuminated by the lights from various rooms, standing out against the surrounding darkness, resembling shadow art.
I can ask tomorrow. It's not that big of a deal, and I don't feel like going back just to ask. Besides, if I return to the room now, I might end up staying the night. And I fear my aunt might hit me with a stone lantern if I do that. So, if I remember tomorrow, I'll ask.
"Why did you kidnap those kids?"
The eighth person, "Mushikisatsujin."
I like chicken skin. I also like salmon skin and the meat on steel cheeks. However, it's too rigid to judge based solely on these preferences. It's like valuing only an ear and disregarding the rest of a person. That would be foolish. The remaining person has eyes, a mouth, and most importantly, all four limbs. To discard without appreciating their true value would be wasteful. I don't have cannibalistic tastes, nor am I interested in crafts made from human bodies. So, I'd like to pause this discussion and construct a constructive opinion for the future. But, there's one concern: if I meet someone like that, would we only talk? Honestly, I'm rather hot-blooded and tend to irritate people I like. It's not uncommon for arguments to escalate into fights. I'm hesitant. I'm afraid of looking in the mirror. And, for better or worse, right now, I'm swinging my fist at someone who's my mirror image. I haven’t yet had a true encounter with someone just like me. Even when looking back at the past, there was only one person, and our interaction lasted mere seconds. Why do those like me hide as if we’re endangered species? There should be many out there like me. I enjoy late-night convenience stores, and I'll listen to any song sung by a beautiful woman. If someone meets the criteria of having the habit of killing creatures in a near-unconscious state and is good at hiding, then they are completely an ally of mine. Well, given that I'm looking for similarity, it's okay if our music tastes differ. Even if they prefer men's songs, I'd welcome them at this point. Finding comrades is proving to be extremely difficult. No matter how shady the email or misleading the paid website claiming to be free, if they introduce me to someone like me, I might just go against my better judgment and approach. Today, too, while heading to the convenience store in hopes of finding a comrade, there was an enemy lurking like a beast in the grasslands. I had hoped that by the time I became a working adult, my life would be full of promise and smooth sailing, but alas, such was not the case.
Chapter 2: "Parents and Consultation"
"I wonder how everyone is doing."
"Everyone?"
"Like Nagase-san and Kawakita-san."
"Your school friends?"
"Yes."
"Well, they're probably just going about their usual school life."
"Do you think they're worried about us?"
"They probably are."
Saying that, deep inside, I felt they probably weren't.
"What about our parents?"
"...They must be."
Our conversation stopped there.
After that, we slept, trying to forget the current situation.
In the glaring morning sun around 7 am, I was already passing the school and heading towards Mayu's apartment. From today, we would be living together. The anticipation made me feel like I was waiting for a game release after 12 years, waking up unusually early for a once-childish adult. Well, that's an exaggeration. In reality, I just wanted to avoid running into my nurse aunt who lives a nocturnal life. After arriving home yesterday, we had a huge fight. Amidst accusations of questionable relationships and the suggestion that I didn’t deserve to live, my understanding doctor uncle mediated, allowing me to stay with the condition that I show my face once a month. My aunt was against it until the end. She's a bit overprotective, but at least she's not worse than me.
"Maybe it's a bit too early…" I murmured, pressing the doorbell to Mayu's apartment. If she didn’t answer, I’d wait outside. But the door opened and bumped into me.
"Ow, ow!" Overwhelmed, tears welled up in my eyes.
"Hey there, Mi-kun!"
Holding my nose, I was greeted by an exuberant Mayu.