Chapter 32: Counseling 4

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

What year is it in Reiwa now? What month and day? What day of the week? What time is it? How old am I?

White. The room is completely white. From the ceiling to the floor, everything is white. The counselor's lab coat is also white.

In this bright, bright room, I'm lying back, staring blankly upward.

“What do you see?”

The counselor, who looks good in her red-rimmed glasses, asks the usual question.

“The apartment where I live. There are people gathering.”

Click clack, click clack.

I can see it. A crowd of people, gathered out of curiosity, pointing fingers.

“What time is it now?”

“I don't know. It's night. There are red cars… lots of fire trucks. …There's a fire. My home. My home is burning. Pfft. Hehe. Haha. Ahahaha.”

Click clack, click clack.

I can see it. The fire, like fireworks, like a flood, licking the balcony with its bright red tongue, sticking it out.

“What's making you laugh?”

“Hahahaha, it's just that I'm happy. All the people who tried to take Kai-chan away from me, they're all gone.”

Click clack, click clack.

I can see it. Three charred bodies being carried away on stretchers. One of them has a knife sticking out of it.

“Who is ‘everyone'?”

“…Everyone is everyone. Hahaha, everyone, everyone's dead, ahahahaha!”

Click clack, click clack.…Thud.

“Arahama-san? …Arahama-san?”

“Ahahahaha! Ahahahahaha! Kyahhhhh!”

I can see it. Alone, truly alone, wandering along the main road at night.

“Hah, hah, hah…”

I can see it. The woman driving a silver coupe, speeding well over the limit, who, just for a moment, looked down to adjust the audio, not watching the road ahead.

“Have you calmed down?”

“…Hah. Ah, it's so funny… heh.”

I can see it. After finally achieving a miracle that will never happen again, I literally crush it with my own hands.

“Ahahahaha! It's just too funny, ahahahaha!”

“Shall we end here for today?”

I can see it.

I can see it.

Me, becoming all alone, unbearably lonely, and not knowing what to do.