Chapter 16: “I don’t want to die.”
The first spider attacks Mutsuki-san.
Instead of going in a straight line, it tries to use the wall to attach to her from a blind spot. A dark situation with no light source. Only the red eyes of the spider were shining brightly and eerily. The red light traced a triangular orbit.
Jumping, it reaches the ceiling, then behind Mutsuki-san.
Mutsuki-san falls to her knees and loses sight of the spider.
――It’s useless. She’s getting attacked.
“Behind you!”
Mutsuki-san turned around at the sound of the voice. The spider turns its belly and pounces.
That very little time. Without hesitation, She turned her body around.
She swings her left leg around her damaged knee. This was probably unexpected for the spider. Evasive movements are difficult in the air. Therefore it is impossible to avoid.
The spider, helplessly receiving a roundhouse kick, scattered the organs from its stomach and hit the wall directly.
A broken leg falls into the hallway.
A tomato that was thrown and crushed.
The way the body fluids were splashed was exactly like that.
“……That’s for underestimating me.”
Holding her hurt knee, she relishes on her victory. But I can’t do the same. I point the light at Mutsuki-san. Her injured right leg is red and swollen. I can only admire her courage to stand up despite this.
“Masaomi…… even though you said…… you’ve already decided to cut it clean……”
I was the one who told Mutsuki-san the spider’s location. I realized that I made a mistake after shouting suddenly.
However, it’s already too late since I already said it.
“Kana, that’s!”
“I wonder why? Is my love not enough?”
How can she still smile?
How can she remain at ease?
“Nagasawa! The rooftop! Take me to the rooftop!”
The student council president gives an order to Kazuki.
“What are you doing! Hurry up! You half-wit!”
Kazuki tightens his lips as if he regrets lending his shoulder to him.
“Don’t you understand that I’m telling you to hurry up?”
“The key is…”
The third floor is the student council room, and the floor above it is the rooftop. It has a sturdy door and is usually locked.
“I have the key! If you want to be saved, carry me! This is my order as the student council president!”
The student council president has the authority to hold the key. It certainly seemed like there was no other option now that there’s no other way out of the situation.
“I understand.”
Kazuki muttered in an emotionless voice and started climbing the stairs.
“Yes…that’s how it should be.”
The student council president curled his lips in satisfaction.
“To bring up being the student council president now…… How stupid.”
Mutsuki-san expresses her resentment toward the student council president, who begins to climb the stairs with Kazuki.
“Mutsuki…… you better remember this.”
The student council president smiles eerily.
“I’m going to forget. Something like you.”
“You tramp……”
The two go up the stairs.
“……omm,y. Mom……”
The monster climbed the stairs. It twitches its body and approaches us. The sound of a monster walking barefoot seems to stick in my ears.
Hitahitahitahita. (TN: sfx for *speedy* movement)
Its speed was really inappropriate given its big size.
“Mommy, mommy. He must be a huge mama’s boy.”
Mutsuki-san was being herself, even though there was a lot of sweat on her forehead. She doesn’t try to break her own pace.
“Masaomi, shall we go too?”
Kana smiles at me. I have doubts about her tense smile.
“Yeah…… Let’s go.”
These doubts and frustrations are the result of the current situation.
That’s what I decided to believe.
When I turned the light on, I saw that the monster was still convulsing. Although there doesn’t seem to be any intention to attack, I can’t let my guard down. A large number of spiders were still writhing and making the sound of their legs, and the monster’s muscles were repeatedly expanding in various places. The blood gushing from his upper body looked like liquid leaking from a hypodermic needle. The monster’s eye, which can only see one side, move around busily, with the black eye disappearing and appearing.
Kana and I make a big detour around the monster and start climbing the stairs.
I look back at Mutsuki-san halfway up the stairs. There was no sign of her coming up the stairs. When Kana noticed me stopping and looking at Mutsuki-san, she covered my eyes with her hands from behind, just like lovers do*. (TN: Probably the “Guess who?” one.)
“You can’t, Masaomi. I told you before, that you will destroy yourself when a crucial moment arrives.”
I peel off Kana’s hands and turn around. Kana was still smiling.
“Now is the time. Break it up.”
I take turns comparing Kana and Mutsuki-san.
“Let’s go, Masaomi.”
A gentle voice. A voice that sounded like that of a goddess. Now that’s echoing in my head. In the midst of this intense conflict, I shine the light of my light on Mutsuki-san.
“If you’re going to the rooftop, Give that to me. I’m going to do my best for a while longer.”
She said lightly, crossing her arms. It’s a relaxed look.
“If you do, I might be able to win.”
I hand over the flashlight. Mutsuki-san, who received it, wiped the sweat from her forehead in annoyance. She’s not even exercising, but she’s sweating.
I recognized this scene.
Yes, that was when I carried Natsumi on my back. I ran away in fear, Kazuki stopped me, and Natsumi forced herself……
“Masaomi. See, she’s saying she’ll be okay.”
Kana pulls my arm.
“Go. I don’t want any help from a hypocrite.”
She points her finger at me and says.
“If you’re going to stop out of sympathy, why don’t you just go to the rooftop already? Being spectated on is an eyesore.”
Frustration and conflict. I’m at the mercy of myself.
If we go to the rooftop, Kana and I will be saved. But what will happen to Mutsuki-san?
She says she’s okay.
However, the opponent is an unknown monster. No matter how tough she is, it’s too dangerous.
“Masaomi, let’s quickly go. You have to break it off.”
Break her off.
I remember the determination I made even though I had a falling out with Kazuki. If I bend that will here, I feel like I’ll be ruining myself. I feel like everything I’ve lost is meaningless.
I’ll cut her off. We’ll part ways here. Isn’t that why I threw everything around me?
Hesitation is not an option.
“……Let’s go, Kana.”
Kana smiles even more happily and leads me by the hand as I walk up the stairs.
“Don’t leave me behind!”
That wasn’t Mutsuki-san’s scream. It was Satou, leaning into the corner of the hallway. As if he realizes that he can no longer crawl away, he reaches out for me.
“Please, don’t leave me behind…!”
The heartbreaking voice mixed with tears made my heart tremble once again. The depths of my heart, which should have been sealed away, begin to cry.
Satou was crying, his nose was dripping, and he was reaching out to me as if clinging to me.
“Masaomi.”
“I know!”
A raised voice.
“Sorry……. Satou…… and Mutsuki-san, too.”
“I don’t care. I don’t expect you to. And I also ended the contract. Why don’t you go already? She’s gonna get angry.”
She waves her hand like she’s driving away garbage to drive us away. She wants to part ways with me. Isn’t it pointless to feel guilty?
The trembling in my heart subsides.
“No way! And you still call yourself human!?”
Satou’s screams hit me as I turned my back.
He’s an opportunistic person who can only stay behind someone else. At other times, he is the student council president’s waistcoat. Sometimes he’s a coward and the first thing he does is run away.
He’s too selfish.
I walked up the stairs without even looking back at Satou. Every step I take up these stairs means that I can make a difference. My legs are heavy.
“Help me! Hey, can’t you hear me!? Help me! You hypocrite!”
Satou gets excited and tries to stop me. While making an appeal by slamming both hands on the floor.
I’ll cut them off.
If I don’t, I will lose someone precious again.
I don’t want that to happen again. I should be able to leave them behind.
“Masaomi. Protect me, okay?”
Kana’s voice pushed me back.
That’s right, there’s only one thing I have to protect. Even if I give up everything, there’s someone I must protect. I decided to protect Kana. That is what it means to cut it.
That must be the right thing to do.
“I know. I know that……”
Mutsuki-san and Satou were no longer visible.
