Sitting in relative silce until our drinks had arrived, I examined the chilled beverage in front of that looked more akin to sothing like a milkshake than a coffee.
In fact, from its appearance down to its sct, I don't think I could've ever known it was a coffee at first glance unless I was told.
Taking the straw betwe my lips, I gave it a taste.
"How is it? If the coffee is too much, we can get you an ordinary mocha with more chocolate?"
"..."
Ignoring Araceli's quiry, I thought to myself as I continued to drink.
In the past, I had tasted a coffee-flavoured treat giv to by the Wards.
I had be curious about why the Professors and other staff would always drink multiple cups of coffee a day, but since they never allowed to drink coffee myself, the only option I had was to request sothing with artificial coffee flavouring.
But, the momt I placed the treat into my mouth, I despised it.
That horrible, strange bitter aftertaste reminded of nothing but the dicine I was forced to take every day, and I imdiately rejected it.
That's why I never drink it to this day.
But this...
This coffee; a mochaccino, she said.
It's differt.
Sweet, ev.
Thanks to the chocolate sauce and cinnamon frosting, as well as that sweet cream and iced froth, it nullified the taste of the coffee itself almost tirely.
The taste of the coffee was still prest, and as bitter as ever, which caused my eyebrows to furrow.
But, for so reason, I had a strange thought.
That it wasn't too bad.
Sothing drew towards that bitterness I once detested with my tire being.
Still, it reminded of that dicine.
The dication that was ant to regulate my mtal state.
It was sothing I hadn't be forced to take in over t years now, ever since escaping from the San Cinelia Playg.
And yet, I could recall it like it was yesterday.
It's odd.
I had spt more ti in my life not taking the dication than I had taking it, but the way it affected has be graved into my mind.
Probably because I was on it from before I ev rember, throughout my childhood.
It's confusing.
That momt was always the worst of every day.
The momt wh it would be ti for to take the dication.
And yet, why does it feel nostalgic?
I had always rested it, but now that it had be so very long, was I looking back on it fondly?
That couldn't possibly be the case.
This coffee was just bitter ough to make recall the taste of that dication.
...Strange.
If I had gone with anything ev a little bit stronger than it is, the drink would've be far too disgusting for to take more than a sip of it.
Yet, if I had anything ev a little bit weaker than it is, th it wouldn't be ough to stimulate that sse of nostalgia.
It had just the right amount of coffee, of bitterness within it, to evoke that feeling.
That pungt aftertaste was sothing I had always hated since I first expericed it, and it wasn't sothing that could be simply masked by the drink's other ingredits.
But, for so reason.
"Um... Cipher...?"
I found myself unable to put it down.
"I guess... He likes it, huh..."
"Ahaha... I knew he would like it; that's why I ordered it for him... B-but, still, I didn't think he'd fall in love with it so quickly..."
The two watched in fascination, but I took no notice; not thinking of anything at all as I focused only on downing the contts of the drink.
Before I knew it, the glass in front of was empty.
"...Would you like another one?"
Turning my head to Araceli, I stared at her for a momt.
"It tastes horrible."
"..."
It really was coffee.
The rude bitterness made it seem as if only people who hated their lives would prefer to drink such a thing like that which made my tongue curl.
Maybe the Professors were right wh they claid that coffee was an acquired taste.
The only reason I could bear to drink the whole thing was because of the added sweetness offered by the chocolate sauce, cinnamon sprinkling and frothed cream.
And ev with all that, the unsavoury aftertaste still shot through, lingering on my disturbed palate for a short while afterwards.
Nevertheless.
"So, that's a no...?"
"What? I never said I wouldn't have another one."
Sothing about that drink, that felt more like an insult than anything else, drew in.
Almost like an addiction.
"We can get you another one if that's what you want. I'm the one who invited you here, so it's on . Anyway, I'm sure you don't want to spd too much ti with , right? So, I won't beat a the bush."
Suddly, Kiryuuin said as much and looked at solemnly.
"Cipher. Please, reconsider returning to the Playg."
Hearing his request, I rolled my eyes.
This again? Seriously?
"If that's all you called here to say, I'm disappointed."
If all he had to say was the sa thing he had already said countless tis before, th it really would be a disappointmt.
Co on, Kiryuuin.
Ev soone like you is smarter than that.
Listing to my nonanswer, he nodded.
"I understand. I won't ask you anymore."
"Good. It's annoying, and besides, you already know my answer."
If he thought he could get back into the Playg just by pestering ceaselessly and making the sa request over and over again, th he was plain stupid, so I'm glad to see that isn't the case.
"You're right. It's obvious that you ar't one to change your mind so simply, but I thought there was no loss in trying, so I did."
Kiryuuin shrugged, th continued.
"In any case, the thing I actually wanted to discuss is... I guess, sort of related? But, it's less one-sided coercion and more of a deal."
My eyes narrowed.
A deal?
I could already foresee what he would ask of .
"You want to make so kind of deal that'll have return to the Playg of my own accord?"
He nodded, "Precisely," To which I leant back in my seat and folded my arms.
"You did the sa thing last ti. Do you guinely think I would consider sothing like that?"
Perhaps, he really was just this foolish, I thought.
But, as if to prove wrong, Kiryuuin shook his head.
"No, it's not like that. Of course, I know you wouldn't accept if I asked a second ti. This ti, I'm offering you a deal to satisfy both our needs simultaneously."
Intrigued by what kind of deal the ti regressor ca up with, I waited for him to speak.
"What I want is for you to cause no further trouble, and for that, I feel like I have no choice but to keep you within the Playg."
"Obviously, however, you don't want that, which is sothing I understand. Still, although I feel bad about it, it's sothing I must do because it is necessary."
"If I'm correct in my understanding, what you desire is both freedom from the Wards as well as knowledge of the secrets of the world, right?"
"So, I propose a deal to you, Cipher, that will not only fulfil my wish to preserve the future of the world, but will also guarantee your security and sate your curiosity."
"If necessary, I will do whatever I can to make things as comfortable for you as you'd like. So, whatever it is, just tell ."
"Is that ough for you?"
Kiryuuin closed his mouth and we stared at each other for a while.
It seed like he would only tell the details of the deal if I expressed my interest in what he was saying, and I couldn't dy that I was.
Although he wouldn't tell about the deal, it wasn't difficult to guess what it might include.
I wasn't particularly surprised that he knew what I wanted since he bore the backing of the Wards, who held pottially the most information about compared to anyone else in the world except maybe Professor Marcus Lynton.
What was most interesting, however, was the assumption that locking up would 'preserve the future of the world'.
I already knew to so extt that he thought this way, but was it to such a degree?
Ev I'm aware that I've had so questionable thoughts, but not once have I ever be serious about plotting the world's d or sothing like that.
It really made wonder.
Just what did this guy see in his version of the future that convinced him so?
Or, like I was speculating before, was it ev that he ca from the future in the first place?
There was no way for to find out the answer to these things by sitting here in silce.
So, I stopped wasting ti and prompted him.
"We'll see if it's ough. Go on."
Nodding his head once more, Araceli and I each looked at Kiryuuin as he explained the deal, beginning by holding up his thumb.
"First of all, should you agree to the deal, Cipher, th we, the Wards, will guarantee your safety and personal security."
Th, he raised his index finger.
"Secondly, we will offer you all of the knowledge you desire. Frankly, I don't understand how there is sothing you can't figure out the answer to, but whatever it is you may want to know, I promise to extd our full power in helping to satisfy your curiosity--"
"Wait."
Just as Kiryuuin raised his middle finger and was about to continue, Araceli interjected from the side.
"...Araceli. Please, don't interrupt the deal. I don't understand what role you're trying to play here, but what is at stake is much more than you realise."
She stared at him sternly and shook her head.
"No. I'm sorry, but it's you who don't understand."
"Th, could you elaborate?"
I watched the two begin to ignore tirely and argue with each other about the contts of Kiryuuin's deal.
"Carelessly leaking knowledge that shouldn't be known is dangerous. You, who hold a good deal of secrets yourself, should know this better than anyone else, Azaki Kiryuuin."
"W-what? How do you-- No, never mind that. List. I don't know what your deal is, but you seem to know a lot about the situation, so how is it that you don't understand?"
"Huh? Like I said, it's not , but you who doesn't understand. You should be the one listing to , okay? I promise I'm not here to cause trouble or anything; I just want to help as best I can."
Sothing about this sce struck a nerve in .
It wasn't the fact I was being ignored, but rather that it seed as if Araceli's objective was to prevt from acquiring the Forbidd Knowledge.
It felt like I was finally beginning to understand what her goal here really was.
Araceli's interruption.
I don't know if it was because of that, but a vile, bitter ssation soon began to arise in my mouth.
...Right.
Just like the taste of coffee.
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