Volume 6 - CH 2.1

Story II

I hated meat. I found fat disgusting. I saw the female body as something repulsive.

I suspected that there was a defect in my brain, mind, or perhaps my eyes.

I have no sexual desire. My genitals do not respond. I cannot appreciate the allure of the human body.

The hands and feet are functional parts necessary for sustaining life.

As for breasts and buttocks, I do not even know why they are necessary.

If they were useful for raising children, I could at least understand.

But I have no idea why humans lust after lumps of flesh and fat.

My master laughed, saying we were alike. He slapped his knees in delight.

My master could not make love with women.

He had a sharply chiseled face and a body that was considered attractive. But he could not bed women. He had no interest. He did not even seem ashamed of it.

“You’re just like me, kid. Like me, you’ll die alone.”

That was my master’s words. True to his words, he lived alone and died alone.

I consider it a great stroke of luck that I, after what he said to me, was able to fall in love. She was one of the children my master gave to me. The moment I saw her, I was instantly captivated.

It was love at first sight, and it was destiny.

It wasn’t conceit; she was the perfect partner.

The days I spent with my partner were blissful. However, they too are coming to an end.

That is why I picked up a pen. There is a fitting way to meet my end.

To others, this letter may seem strange, and they may discard it as they read it.

But I was confident that she would accept it. She is that kind of girl.

She will read the letter with cold eyes and sigh in annoyance.

Mayuzumi Azaka. A girl with supernatural abilities.

She owes me a debt.

Slender fingers touched my eyelids. Slowly, flesh parted, exposing my eyes to the open.

My vision was gray. My cornea coming into contact with the air felt unpleasant. My eyelids twitched, almost closing time and again.

Moments later, Mayuzumi’s hand retreated. She grabbed my cheeks and peered closely into my face.

I smelled a sweet fragrance. Mayuzumi’s breath brushed against my cheek. Her pale face was faint in the dimness, her red lips like a vibrant flower.

My eyesight was gradually returning, but everything seemed distorted.

People and objects in my darkish field of view appeared as masses of color, faint like watercolor paint on paper. Even my familiar apartment felt like a place from another world. My eyes did not perceive reality faithfully; everything seemed unclear and vague.

“As I suspected, you still can’t see. And from what you’ve told me, it seems like something strange is happening. Your eyeballs were traumatized by the memory of being stabbed, and temporarily stopped functioning. Once your mind understands that there’s no damage to your body, your eyesight should return to normal. Should.”

Mayuzumi let out a sigh. She passed in front of me and sat on the opposite couch. Her milky skin was the only thing I could vaguely see. Her body, wrapped in a black dress, dissolved into the darkness. Her slender arms and legs seemed to be floating in the air.

“There seems to be some complications with your eyesight,” Mayuzumi said. “I didn’t see this coming. But there’s no need to worry. Things might be blurry, but what you see shouldn’t be that much different from reality. Just be patient and wait for your eyesight to return to normal.”

I nodded in agreement. Getting impatient wouldn’t get me anywhere. My eyesight was odd at the moment, but it was a lot better than when I was completely blind. I could grasp surrounding information, albeit only ambiguously.

For days on end, I was staying in a hospital owned by the Mayuzumi clan, where I couldn’t do anything without someone’s help, but now I could manage things on my own to some extent. After getting discharged, I spent my days in Mayuzumi’s apartment. The original plan was to remain in the hospital until I recovered, but my strange vision and stomach discomfort urged me to make the decision to leave.

My vision failed to recover after the eye-gouging incident, and my stomach condition worsened. Blood had begun seeping out of my stomach again, and a dull ache akin to menstruation plagued me incessantly. It didn’t rip open, but I stayed close to Mayuzumi just in case.

The trauma of the event and the ensuing doubts surrounding the man’s decision seemed to have affected my child, who occasionally writhed in distress, no matter how much I tried to soothe her.

Lying down on the leather couch, I sighed and covered my eyes with my arm, letting complete darkness enshroud me.

“Are you going to sleep?” Mayuzumi asked, biting on a piece of chocolate. “It’s too early for that. Can you keep your eyes open? I have something to tell you.”

I sat up. I saw Mayuzumi’s figure in bits and pieces, only her face and limbs visible, just like before, like a twisted marionette on strings. Her red lips shone brightly in my blurry vision.

“What is it?” I asked, interlacing my fingers. “I already paid for my meals.”

She shook her head, her lips curling up, and she placed a square white object on her lap.

“Relax. I’ve received everything I’m supposed to get. Though I feel like you’re avoiding conversations with me. Forget about any pointless resistance for now. Unfortunately, I have some bad news. I received a case.”

Mayuzumi handed me the white object, which turned out to be an old piece of paper that I couldn’t read. As I was about to give it back, I felt its brittle, damp texture. It was old.

“It’s a request from an acquaintance who usually avoids social interactions. He probably didn’t have any other good paper available. He wants to see me.”

Clink.

Mayuzumi lifted her cup. It wavered in front of her dark figure. A golden spoon sparkled ominously in the liquid.

I wasn’t sure what was what. I could identify things that I was used to seeing before, but they were still only blobs of colors.

“He said he’s going to die soon,” Mayuzumi said matter-of-factly, her voice devoid of any sadness. “He wants me to visit him before he passes away. That’s all. But there’s no way he actually wants to see me. He’s led a satisfying life. A reunion with me before his impending death is unnecessary. He must have a compelling reason.”

Mayuzumi tilted the cup. White touched red, and liquid flowed into her throat shrouded in darkness. It was a strange sight.

I touched my stomach. The child was sleeping soundly. It stirred occasionally, but it shouldn’t tear me up from inside. I should be fine even without Mayuzumi for a few days.

There was a risk involved, but I had no right to stop Mayuzumi if she wanted to go.

Besides, I wasn’t in the mood to deal with any cases at the moment.

“I understand,” I said. “Please go. I don’t know the details of the case, but please be careful,” I bowed.

“What are you saying?” Mayuzumi sounded appalled. “You’re coming with me.”

I raised my head, unable to comprehend what she just said. My eyesight was still bad, and I stumbled a lot.

Mayuzumi’s red lips lifted. “Why would I tell you about this if I planned on going alone?” she said melodiously. “Listen, Odagiri-kun. I said it was bad news. You should’ve realized at that point that it’s related to you.”

“But I can barely see.”

“I’ve made my decision. Give up. I want to refuse the case, but I owe the old man. It’s not the kind of debt that can be settled once he passes,” she said firmly, not allowing for any objections.

I tried to argue back, but I swallowed the words.

As long as I had this child in me, I couldn’t go against Mayuzumi. If she refused to close up my belly, I would die.

I let out a sigh and raised my hands. “For the record, not only am I useless, I can’t even walk properly. Don’t blame me if something goes wrong. I trust you can lead the way.”

“I am well aware, and I don’t mind. I don’t expect anything from a blind man anyway.”

Mayuzumi said she would take me with her. Wouldn’t I just be a burden?

Clink.

Mayuzumi returned the cup and saucer to the table. Her lips curled into a sinister smile. In my vague vision, she seemed like a beautiful monster blending into the darkness.

“The details of the case are currently unclear.” Her voice was soft and sweet. “But if we’re going to see him, your presence might be necessary.”

What does that mean? I touched my pulsating stomach.

With a gentle smile, Mayuzumi reached for a blue square and opened a fresh box of chocolates. A sweet aroma filled the air.

Something pink with a complex shape sat on her fingertips. Two overlapping petals, it seemed. The shape was too complex for a flower. As I studied its vague outline several times, I realized it was a butterfly.

Mayuzumi brought the beautiful insect to her mouth.

“Perhaps it’s a blessing that you can’t see.”

Crunch.

Wings snapped.

Faint pieces of the butterfly, resembling bones, fell.

They slipped into the darkness and vanished.