Starting a Night Shift Part-time Job at a Convenience Store.

Shouldiheifail to show up, that would mean…

Iimean, what the hell was I thinking sticking my neck out for?

WasiI worried about him? About that guy?

Heididn’t strike me as a bad guy but he was only a stranger to me. For me, right… it was none of my concern.

Besides, he stepped into the sea of trees voluntarily. No way I would have agreed to such an unreasonable request out of nowhere. Iiwas right to refuse.

Iifelt pity for the young man, however, I had my own life to lead equally. Besides, if I was aware of the danger, I didn’t want to be subjected to it.

Onitop of that, the young man accepted the situation.

Yeah, itiwas fine, it was all good. I didn’t particularly care.

Iilit upimy third cigarette. Regardless of how much time elapsed, though, my mood didn’t improve. On the contrary, I was still feeling hazy. Once I started mulling over it, there was no stopping it.

No, don’t think about it, forget about it, I tried to tell myself, but it was no use, I was bothered by it.

“Damn!”

Iipushed my cigarette into the ashtray and stuck my head to the edge of the window.

Ah, heisaid, but how could he be safe?

Eveniif his body was still alive, he was a human being in the sea of trees, and he was severely wounded. How could he return unscathed without any assistance? Whatever he was trying to do was not clear to me but he was genuinely seeking help from me. That much I could understand.

Andiagainst that, I…

Nonetheless, I couldn’t deny what I had uttered. Even I was frightened.

Truthibe told, I lacked confidence that I could offer that much help, and lately, I had become somewhat cowardly. That did not imply, though, that I did not feel more than a little sorry for letting the young man simply walk away like that.

HadiI been more relaxed and competent like Takenaka, I might have been able to say, “Alright, I’ll save you,” but the fact that he sought my help was a mistake in the first place. I figured thinking that way would alleviate some of the uneasiness I was feeling butiit didn’t. Conversely, a twingeiof guilt began to flare up within my chest.

[I am sorry but… don’t get me embroiled in anything strange.]

Whatia jerk I was…

Evenithough I was calm and composed, I could have said something more witty to the guy who was teetering on the brink of life andideath. I should have doneiso.

Thisiwas no different than what I said to that person at the time… The same words I spat at Hyuga when I pushed her away…

Shouldihe not turn up at the convenience store tomorrow night, perhaps it would be my fault…

BecauseiI didn’t save him and abandoned him.

Abandon.

Right, of course I did.

Iitold the guy who came to me for help to disappear and abandoned him. I only wanted to avoid getting myself in a nasty predicament.

Aiperson, I abandoned a person… Just like I did with Hyuga. 

Sheiasked me to believe in her, and I pushed her away. I abandonediher.

Theisame thing, it was the same turniof events…

Theiwords that Hyuga spewed in my dream began to circulate in my mind. Did that young man bear a grudge against me too? For not trying to saveihim.

Aisickening sensation, not nausea, swirled in my chest. I should have given this moreithought.

Myiconfusion was partly to blame, so my judgment wasipoor.

…Iishould think about it properly, no matter how perilous it may be, no matter how much I didn’t want to go there.

Aiperson’s life was at stake.

Thatiguy said I was the only one he could count on.

Then, if I didn’t lend him a helping hand, he would…

Eveniif he was a complete stranger, dying was too grave. If I found a report on the morning news a few days later that a body had been discovered with a familiar photo, I would be traumatized for the rest of my life. I looked at the clock and got up. It was almost midnight, and there was no time toidawdle. Theisooner the better, noidoubt.

Justiceiwasinot something I possessed. The only thing I knew was that this wasn’t something I could ignore.

Despiteimy lack of willingness to help him, I had had enough of people perishing as a result of my one remark. The image of the young man who was trapped under a large tree and desperately clinging to life flashed through my mind.

“Waitifor me…”

Rightinow, I was coming to you, I…!

“ーReally! Sonny!!”

Iniany case, I needed to get a flashlight, and as soon as I did, the young man, hanging upside-down from the ceiling, materialized right in front of my eyes.

“Duoooooooooooooooooooooooo!?”

Itiwas the customary pattern.

“Hakamadaaaaaaaaaa!? Shut uppppppppppppppppp!!”

After finally bowing many times to the landlord, who came upstairs again and raised their metallic voice despite it being the middle of the night, they finally let me go.

Needlessito say, I glared at the young man who was seated around the top of my futon with his legs crumpled in a heap. Thanks to this guy, my heart nearly stopped beating over and over again.

“What’sigoing on? Explain it. I thought you were gone.”

“Well, I figured there might be a chance for me to be helped out, so I’ve been waiting for you secretly, out of your sight.”

Whenihe said, “Sonny seems like a nice guy,” I wished I could strangle him, but that would be impractical since he would likely slip through my fingers even if I attempted to do so now. Even though he was in a state of astral projection, he was enjoying the feeling of being a specter under these circumstances.

“Now, I haveito ask you, are you certain you want to do this?”

“What?”2sq

“Areiyou really going to lend me, a complete stranger, your strength?” the young man asked with his arms crossed behind his head. “Sonny, I’m sure you understand but the sea of trees is very dangerous for ordinary people and that place carries an aura that can bring adverse influences to people, so you might be exposed to danger. It is me who requested help, but I don’t want to force you to do something you don’t want toido.”

“You’veibeen so desperate for me to do this and now you want me to back off?”

“Iidon’t want to involve any ordinary people in this.”

“Soiyou’re not an ordinary person?”

Fromiall appearances, you seemed to be just like any other young man in the neighborhood.

“I’ll explainithat later.”

Whatithe hell was that?

“Forimy part, I’m overly grateful, but it’s just too risky, you know?”

“Hey, weidon’t have time to waste on this, so why don’t we move on a second sooner than later?”

“That’s trueibut…”

Whatiwas up with this guy? I told him I was coming, yet he still seemed to have something else to say.

“Iniall honesty, let me tell you the truth. I don’t want to go, I desperately don’t want to go. I don’t want to be in the sea of trees. I would consider it if you gave me a million yen, but I doubt you’d offer me a million yen, and I feel like I’d be a total idiot and a loss if I did what you said. I really don’t think I should go that far for a complete stranger.”

“That’sia reasonable opinion.”

“But even though you’re a stranger, if I don’t help you, you might die, right? If I don’t rescue you and you die, I will feel rather bad. You’re acting all relaxed, but death is a heavy subject. Since you called out to me, your death will be an unconditional burden on me asiwell.”

Notithat I was afraid of being resented.

Rather, theifear was that I would repeat the same mistake again.

Whenithe weight of two deaths, that of Hyuga and that of this stranger, overwhelmed me, what should I do?

“S-So, youiwere thinking so deeply… Somehow, I am sorry…”

“Don’t apologize after barging in on me, damn it.”

“Mmm…”Not shared on aggregator sites

“I knowithat I probably won’t be much of a help, but if I find your body, I can at least call for an ambulance, that’s really all I can do.”

It wasiyour total mistake to show up at my doorstep because I was useless.

“Eveniso, take me with you, I’m going to reopen the door now, this month is that one, you know, the month when things get strange. Enough… I give up already.”

“Sonny…!”

Theiyoung man’s long bangs and sharply angled eyes, which were so moist that they were sickening, peered out after I heaved a heavy sigh.

“Whatia benevolent person you are! I-I… am infatuated with your generosity and manliness!”

…Generosity? Manliness? Huh, no, I just gave it all up.

“Really, you’re going to search for my body together with me?”

Heileaned forward gleefully and asked me many times, which infuriated me to the point that I struck him in the face, but he still slipped through.

“Eek, soiit passed through you after all, huh.”

“Havingisomeone who is willing to help me is reassuring! Thanks a lot! Sonny! I’ll never forget this favor!”

Theiyoung man repeated joyfully.

Perhapsiheihad been feeling hopeless. Was he intentionally concealing it with his foolish smile?

“Alright! I’ll entrust myilife to you!”

Hey, hangion a minute! Thoseiwords were too severe! Don’t entrust such a grave thing to me!

“But I’ll guarantee your safety! I sweariit!”

“Guarantee? Youican’t do anything while you’re in the astral projection state.”

“Well, basically, but I’m still useful.”

“What?” Translator: MadHatter

“Especially since you’re going into the sea of trees, you probably won’t make it out without me.”

Iiwondered what he was on about but we had no time for idle chitchat. Despite my deep reluctance, I had no choice but to step into the sea of trees to save a life.

Afteria quick change of clothes, I decided to pack what I could carry in my bag. I wrapped two rolls of vinyl strings since no rope was available and packed water, matches, and some canned goods from the cupboard as well.

Aicompass, which I was pretty convinced would screw things up… though my house had never been equipped with anything useful in theifirst place.

Iibrought a pair of gloves, insect repellent, and, what else, a pair of shoes for ease of movement?

“It’s notia field trip activity, you know…”

Iiwas already conscious of this. ThatiI was throwing myself into a lot of hassle. The more I reflected on it, the more my face scrunched up.

…Oh, yeah. Aiflashlight, where was the flashlight?

Withishakyihands, I searched through the closet but couldn’t find the all-important flashlight.

Wasn’t it in our house? A flashlight.

“Byithe way, I haven’t heard your name yet, but what’s your name?”

Iiturnediaround and asked the young man who was lying on the futon waiting for me to get ready.

How longiwas I going to call you “you”?

Theifact that I met you here was a coincidence. Itiwould be fine to at least ask him for his name.

WheniIisaid this, he nodded and got up.

Itiwasiat this point that he introduced himself for the first time. Withihis mouth upturned and a grin on his face, he said…

“IiamiYagumo Akane. Myijob is ‘exterminating evil spirits’.”

…Takeicare of me from now on. Sonny―

Oneitransparent arm was offered before me.

Andiso beganithe worst night of my life.