Volu 5, Chapter 13: What I Wanted to Say, Part 2
“What’s making all that noise?”
I ca to the shopping district ran shop again today.
If you’re eating ran all the ti like this, you would get fat, so Kotone-chan, who noticed that number on the scale for her was terrifying, decided that today she would be swimming at the gym instead of coming.
“Erm, well, it seems that there’s so roadwork?”
To my mutter, Misa, who was doing howork with , raised her head to tell .
“Is there a lot in the works this ti?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
When I looked outside from the window of the restroom instead of the inside of the store, I could hear so sounds but I couldn’t see where they were coming from.
“Just how many places are they working……?”
The roadwork itself weren’t unusual, but was it being done all over the shopping area?
Since it’s a school holiday tomorrow, it’s not a problem even if Kotone-chan cos to pick up, but I wonder if the car can even enter?
Well, it can’t be helped; I guess I’ll have to stay at the shop.
Now that I think on it, the backroom and the second floor of this ran shop is grandpa shopkeeper’s house, and Misa and Dad-chan are lodging on the second floor.
“Yuzu-chan, you should stay over~.”
“What should I do?”
“Well, let’s sleep together in the futon.
We’re sharing a bed. Yeah, that’s nice, isn’t it… When I started to drift off into my own thoughts, Dad-chan ca from the shop to the restroom with his cellphone.
“Yuzu-chan, there was a phone call from Ooba-kun, but since there were so many roads that were blocked due to construction work today, he might be late, so please make your way back by taxi before it’s too late.”
“Oh.”
“And Yuzu-chan, did your phone’s battery run out? I heard that Ooba-kun couldn’t reach you.”
“Really……?”
I took out my mobile phone from my bag, and indeed, it really was off.
When I pressed and held down the power button, it turned on, but after a couple of seconds, I saw the picture of an empty battery on the screen.
“A dead battery, huh……”
You can use our shop’s phone, so stay in contact. Would you like to call a taxi?”
“Yuzu-chan, you’re not going to stay over……?”
Misa looked sad when she heard.
“……Dad-chan, is it no good for to stay?”
“That’s not what I an. And I’m not Misa’s father! Recently Misa has been imitating you and calling [Dad-chan], so the rest of the people in the shopping district are also starting to call [Dad] these days!”
“It was an accident……?”
“It obviously wasn’t an accident!?”
As expected, the straight riposte from Dad-chan is strong.
After that, I called Ooba-onii-chan and then asked Dad-chan to call a taxi.
Ah, I wish I’d charged my mobile phone before the taxi had co…… I managed to charge it for one minute just before the taxi arrived.
It was around nine when I boarded the taxi and the ran shop was closed.
It was quite late. It took well over an hour to get a cab. At this rate, it might really be better to just stay over.
“I’m sorry, Miss. Because there was so much construction work ongoing, there were only a few roads that I could use.”
“Is that so?”
Because the young driver with a well-built physique was talking to , I answered properly, and went with the flow.
If I can’t even handle small talk, I don’t think I can ever beco a full mber of society. I am an elentary school student.
“Miss’s uniform, are you from the Takamine school?”
“Yes, that’s right. You know of it?”
“Well, it’s the best school in this area. With that kind of school tuition, I think it’s impossible for my children to attend.”
“There aren’t many of them, but there are children from ordinary families, you know?”
“Haha, those children are clearly treasured by their parents. If I had a cute little girl like you, dad would have liked her to go to Takamine, too.”
“…… Dad?”
Does Dad know Driver-san? No, it’s not a taxi company that’s often around here? Co to think of it, I haven’t seen any such company, either.
Anyway, this driver, seems rather talkative……
“When I got on the taxi, didn’t your dad co to see you off? What a pleasant parent-child relationship.”
“…………”
Did he think that Dad-chan and I were parent and child? …… It’s strange putting it into words.
People who co by the shopping district often would know that I call him [Dad-chan], but when did this driver hear of it?
Even though he was from the taxi company that was used by the shop, he didn’t seem acquainted with dad-chan.
And even though he’s a taxi driver, he doesn’t seem to know where I’m going…
“………”
“………”
The conversation got interrupted as I stayed silent.
The driver seed to be trying to get “sothing” out of . No…… It seems that he wanted “confirmation”?
“…… Mr. driver, isn’t this the wrong way?”
“…… My apologies, but there are many roads that aren’t accessible thanks to the road construction.”
This might be bad…… I’m not one to panic in such a situation, generally, but it’s quite the distance between being afraid of the danger and being at ease.
That strange [power] doesn’t always co out according to the situation. Since it cos out only when I tried to protect soone, I still don’t know for sure if I’m in danger.
Besides, this construction work itself is also suspicious.
“I wish to get off here. Please stop the car.”
“…… I can’t do that. It’s only a little more until we get onto the highway.”
“The highway?”
Although it could take up to 20 minutes by car to get to the ran shop from the Toukaki estate, there’s no need at all to use the expressway.
Ah, this is bad. Even if it wasn’t a kidnapper or so devious criminal, there’s no doubt at all that this is one of those corrupt taxis.
“If you don’t stop…… I’ll get violent?”
“Heeh…… why not try?”
The driver dropped his veneer of goodness, and his voice dripped with condescension. It’s a guilty confession.
“……Then, I won’t hesitate. *pusu*”
Without a single ounce of restraint, I stabbed a sharp pencil into the base of the driver’s skull.
“GyaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!?”
He howled. But, because I was weak, it only stabbed in about a centiter. I pulled out the tip of the pencil, and rolled myself under the seat.
*gagon*!
“*cough*”
The fake driver made a sound like he was spitting out air, and the car ca to a sudden stop. Thinking about it properly, it would’ve been dangerous if he’d collided with an oncoming car. But it’s too late by far now.
“……You… you cheeky brat”
“Oh my, you survived?”
While he bled profusely from his forehead and neck, he stretched out his hand to grab , but I gave an elegant smile, and left the car from the back seat.
Bag: ok, wallet: ok, uniform: a little wrinkled, and the mobile phone was charged to 3% or less. I’m all set.
“But… where is this place……?”
Apparently, it seems to be a street lined with office buildings. There seems to be a lot of places without power because of the hour of the day.
Let’s search for a police box for the ti being. Even though I can’t see it, I think there’s a convenience store sowhere.
“…………Why…”
That [Black Cat] was in the alley of the office town……
Those silver eyes stared straight at . Did you want to say sothing……? What did you want to tell ? What on earth are you……
“Ah, wait!”
As I approached it, it ran away. Even as I stopped, it ran further away. …… But, you were the one to appear before .
“Sothing” was scratching with its claws in the depths of my heart and mind.
It urged to follow [Him] as he ran away.
I’m out of breath. It’s natural, since I have no stamina. But I could still move more? And I was faster? And… stronger?
The fractured mories that my daily life had painted over, slowly regained their color.
You…… what did you want of ?
“You brat, I’ve found you!”
“……eh?”
Where…… was I? I was in sothing that looked like a vacant lot when I recovered my consciousness, and from behind , while holding the back of his neck with a cloth that was dyed with spots of red, was the fake driver, looking at angrily.
“……oh my, you seem energetic.”
“Stop playing the fool.”
Beside the fake driver, there were also so other ill-bred ruffians.
At my words, the fake driver clenched his fists and ca at . Will it hit?
“Cease your actions, Shimabara.”
“……tch”
A calm voice ca from behind him, and the fake driver Shimabara stiffened, and stopped.
Two black-suited n ca from the right of the car. A slender man walked in the middle of them.
Surely, eting like this in this place……
“Long ti no see, Miss.”
Said the man calmly, with a snake-like smile. The very man who I t in that shopping district.
… To lead to such a place, you, what did you want from .
Author’s Notes:
The serious tone will continue a little more.
The volu enters its climax.
Next ti, what will Yuzu who got exposed to malice do?
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