Chapter 18: How Do You Hold a Pen with Those Hands?

As I descended the stairs to fulfill my duties as a library committee member, I discovered a mud dauber standing right in front of the library.

She was intently gazing at a mobile blackboard that had been set up.

The blackboard read, “What are your goals for this year!? (Not just words are OK!!)”, inviting everyone to write whatever they liked.

「Hello.」

「Ah, hello.」

A slender waist that looks like it might break at any moment.

Antennae moving around cutely.

As usual, it’s the beautiful girl Sakasegawa Miho-san.

「Was there something interesting written?」

「No, not particularly…」

Looking closer, she’s holding a piece of chalk.

How is she holding writing instruments with those hands?

I wonder and observe, but I can only describe it as simply holding.

She shouldn’t be able to hold it, yet she is.

Indeed, the blackboard had writings like “We’re going to Koshien” and “I’ll cut it to five minutes by the go-home club”, but nothing particularly eye-catching.

And Sakasegawa-san herself is gripping the chalk.

In other words, she must be planning to write something.

「Are you going to write a goal?」

「No, I was just going to do some drawing…」

「Ahh.」

Only then did I notice scattered illustrations in the corner.

「Are you good at it?」

「…Well, I’m about average.」

In these cases, they’re almost always extremely talented. I’m knowledgeable about this.

When the word “average” is used, it means they far exceed the average, as even the Kojiki states.

As I vaguely watched the white chalk dust accumulate on her black fingertips──if I can call them that──Sakasegawa-san made a small guts pose in front of her chest.

I watch the artist’s illustration-making for a while.

The sound of dry chalk meeting the blackboard.

Powder clinging to her supple fingers.

Ohh, this is…

Eventually, seeing the completed drawing, I let out a voice of admiration.

Hair with overwhelming presence, like thick noodles.

Eyes, nose, and mouth dance freely, breaking the rules of symmetry.

A seemingly attached, motionless torso displays an extreme functional beauty.

Fingers that wouldn’t look out of place even if there were six.

Legs that sharpen towards the tips.

It was a drawing that made it impossible to grasp the whole picture at once.

A subspecies of Cubism, perhaps?

「This is…」

「Embarrassingly, it’s Adashino-kun.」

Eh, this is me?

Is it a characteristic recognition method because she’s seeing through compound eyes?

Or is it simply a lack of artistic skill?

I tilt my head with a subtle expression.

Sakasegawa-san seemed genuinely embarrassed, as she said.

There’s a time when using the word “average” can mean below average.

The artist’s drawing is quite educational.

She adds a speech bubble next to that monster-like something──which I definitely don’t want to admit is me──and writes “Adashino has arrived” or something.

「…Yosh.」

「That’s not “yosh”.」

「Eh?」

Please don’t do graffiti like from a bygone era.

Ignoring Sakasegawa-san, who seems not to understand, I gently grip the blackboard eraser.

「Ah, ah, ah.」

The mud dauber suddenly started imitating a seal.

However, as someone who has been turned into a monster that shouldn’t exist in this world, a cute seal is an insignificant presence.

Apologies to Sakasegawa-san, who is flailing her legs in distress, but I will exorcise this cursed spirit here.

Within seconds, the monster had become meaningless powder attached to the blackboard.

Turning back to her, who looked sadly dejected,

「Then, shall we get to work?」

「…Yes.」

「Was it that shocking?」

「It feels like my child was killed.」

That much?

Probably, in terms of shock, I, who might be recognized as a monster, should feel it more.

Well, I don’t draw, so I don’t know the details.

It must be a “domain” that only those who draw can understand…

I enter the library with the mud dauber, whose walking speed has significantly decreased.

Despite it being lunchtime, it’s quiet.

As expected, there are few visitors.

「Ah, I’ve been waiting for you.」

「Sensei.」

As I wondered if we would spend another day without doing any real work, the librarian, who had been tinkering with a computer in the glass-walled book storage area behind the counter, came out, his lab coat swaying.

No one knows why he’s wearing a lab coat.

He’s not even a science teacher. Truly a mystery.

「You know not many students come here, right?」

「Yes.」

「I’m worried too, and I want to take some measures.」

「Haa.」

「So, could you make some pop-up displays? With beautiful illustrations. I think it might help if we decorate the front of the library with them.」

「I see.」

At least I perfectly understood that this is a task that should not be entrusted to Sakasegawa-san.

「It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate.」

「But you want it with beautiful illustrations, right?」

「Yeah.」

A difficult order.

The librarian waves his arm and says, “Then, I’m counting on you”, before leaving.

I wonder what that person usually does. I’ve never seen him at school.

It’s a mystery.

「…Sakasegawa-san, shall we get to work──」

「Please leave it to me. I will redeem my name.」

I don’t think it’s possible.

As I watched her roll up her uniform sleeves, showing she’s full of motivation, I sighed, wondering how I could make her give up without hurting her feelings.