I stare at the Purikura with Yuna.
After that, no matter how many times I looked, it was a beautiful girl.
Definitely not a zombie that looks like it’s about to rot away.
I place it on my desk in my room and cross my arms like a scientist conducting important research. My forehead, furrowed too much, itches a bit, perhaps due to poor blood circulation. To relieve the itch, I rubbed my forehead and leaned back in my chair.
「Unn.」
Now, let’s recall my sister’s words.
『By the way, there’s a lump of meat among my classmates.』
『Yeah.』
『Is that a human? Or is my vision just messed up?』
『Umm, when you inhale my miasma, you get closer to a world of strange forms. That’s why monsters start to look like monsters. Probably, that person is just normally a lump of meat.』
At that time, I was convinced that she was normally a lump of meat, in other words, a monster, but when I brought my sister to school, she couldn’t recognize Nanaka as a monster. Therefore, I concluded that even monsters can’t see “monsters” as “monsters”.
I look at the Purikura again.
Still a beautiful girl.
In my vision, they look like monsters. But when I see them through a machine like this, they look normal. Well, to be honest, I’m starting to think I’m the weird one, but which is the truth?
Just as I was about to think further, a cold sensation rose from somewhere deep inside my skull, and my consciousness faded for a moment.
【──Forget, child of man. For your own sake.】
「……?」
…huh.
What was I thinking about?
I completely lose track of what I was about to do──like not remembering if you’ve washed your hair or not in a routine action──and stop moving for a while.
Forgetting even the memory from a few seconds ago, it seems I’m aging quite fast for a high school student. As I ponder my thoughts that have vanished like a fool, I scratch my cheek while looking at the Purikura on the desk.
「Unn.」
Is it me that’s weird or the world?
Well, it doesn’t matter either way.
◇
It was raining.
Just like a few days ago, it was pouring.
Exposing oneself carelessly would surely lead to illness. I was staring at the sky with a dumb look on my face at the entrance.
「Oya, You-kun.」
「Hello.」
「What a coincidence.」
The dust-type high school girl, Susami Youko-san, who suddenly appeared, swings the plastic umbrella in her right hand as if to show off, and tilts her head with a mischievous tone in her voice.
「You’re unlucky, aren’t you?」
「…I guess so.」
「To get caught in such rain.」
I don’t want to catch a cold, so look. I brought an umbrella, see?
She said, opening and closing her plastic umbrella.
「I see.」
「By the way, I’m the type of beautiful girl who can’t overlook someone in trouble.」
「I wouldn’t know.」
「That’s why I use a big umbrella, so I can always lend it to someone in need.」
──Light Novels──
──Read Here──
「That’s amazing. Be sure to lend it if you see someone in trouble.」
「Got it.」
Susami-san silently extends her right hand.
Of course, the umbrella she’s holding comes with it.
I understood what she intended by that action, but foreseeing the hellish scene that would occur if I accepted her goodwill, I pretended not to understand and remained silent.
「I’ll lend you my umbrella.」
「Looks like you only have one.」
「On.」
「Susami-san would get wet.」
「Of course we’re going in together.」
Of course it was, huh.
I pinch my brow to suppress a painful cry.
She was still offering the umbrella.
We had spent quite a bit of time taking shelter from the rain, so the number of students had decreased significantly, but it wasn’t zero. Those leaving the entrance looked annoyed. As if they were seeing a stupid couple. It’s completely wrong though.
「…Susami-san, are you going to the station?」
「Actually, I live nearby.」
The excuse that I was going the opposite direction if she was heading to the station was silenced before it could leave my throat. I let my gaze wander in the air for a moment,
「I’d feel bad.」
「No need to hold back.」
「You see, we’re not even dating.」
「I don’t mind.」
Please mind.
I’m begging you.
I was in despair before this invincible dust.
No matter what I say, it feels like we’ll end up sharing an umbrella.
The worst part is that it’s not deliberate teasing like Miho, but pure goodwill.
With a slight hint of mischief mixed in.
「……」
「Sharing an umbrella with me is like a terrestrial TV premiere, you know.」
「It’s too early.」
「It’s been about two years since the movie was released.」
「I guess that’s about right.」
It was about right.
There’s no escape.
Even though I’ve gotten used to it, I don’t want to get close to a monster, but with goodwill pushed this far, I couldn’t refuse as a gentleman. You could say I’m easily swayed.
In the end, I hesitantly accepted her offer to share the umbrella──she was probably smiling cheerfully──and joined her under it. Apparently, Susami-san was right, and even though a male and female high school student were sharing the same space, it didn’t feel cramped.
「Isn’t this like a scene from a romantic comedy?」
「It’s not.」
She said, making her trademark throat sound.
I didn’t want to describe sharing an umbrella with a monster as a “romantic comedy”, so I answered immediately.
But Susami-san, as expected, smiled.
With an indescribable atmosphere, we headed home.