Chapter 1179 - The Near Miss No One Knows
As the stages transition from elementary school to middle school, and middle school to high school, the changing atmosphere is something that can be understood relatively clearly. Among these, the transition from high school to university is immense.
If they had only just become one, it might still be ambiguous, but at this time of year, there is no mistaking whether they are below or above. Since it is February, right before the end of the fiscal year, it is because they have completely changed.
Therefore, there is no mistake in my estimation that the girl is a high school student or younger.
Although she certainly possessed an eye-catching atmosphere, she drifted with the atmosphere of a protected child unique to those of high school age or younger...—which was precisely why.
"I came, alone."
"O-Oh... I see."
After earnestly explaining that I was by no means the second pickup artist.
Even if it was out of self-satisfaction, since I had intervened, leaving her alone was not an option. Thinking I should at least accompany her until her safety was secured, when I asked about the whereabouts of her real family or friends, this was what I got.
I just, don't, understand, the various, circumstances, anymore.
Sure, once you become a high school student, you go out alone, and even if there are rare daredevils who enjoy a solo amusement park, it wouldn't be an impossible story—if it were a holiday, right?
To repeat, today is February twentieth.
It is a hardcore weekday. It's not a holiday or anything, and just as my clever partner was diligently attending school, she should have school too. If she were a third-year high schooler, I suppose free attendance would have started, but if so, right now is within—or rather, right in the middle of—the exam season.
Either way, this place today is not a suitable place for a high school girl to be alone.
...Well, I'm sure there are various reasons. To repeat, since I know nothing of her circumstances, it would be stranger for me to nitpick and call someone else's actions strange at every turn.
Therefore, since there isn't much I can do.
"Well, then... as you've experienced firsthand."
"Yes."
When I speak to her, the girl obediently returns her voice.
Perhaps she calmed down while I was explaining, or rather, conveying my vibe, but now she has a perfectly calm face. She doesn't seem timid at all in front of an older guy... which makes me wonder why she allowed those two "heroes" to drag out their sloppy pickup attempt, given her mature demeanor.
"As expected, I think walking alone at night is dangerous, so..."
"Yes."
Including that, I really don't get it.
While wondering what on earth this girl is thinking, and having stepped in with my meddling, I tell myself that in the end she's a stranger, abandon my troublesome thoughts, and speak to her businesslike.
"I don't know your circumstances, but I think you should go home."
And then,
"Yes."
The girl obediently, and indeed very understandingly, gave a small nod.
...Seriously, what were you doing, kid?
◇◆◇◆◇
—Acrobat Guys Team C—
【Shoko】: Hey, Nozomin, yoo-hoo
【Shoko】: How long are you gonna keep flirting remotely with your partner-chan?
【Nozomi】: Hold on
【Shoko】: ?
【Nozomi】: Sorry, give me a bit of time
【Shoko】: What, what's up?
【Nozomi】: Go into the restaurant when it's time for the reservation
【Nozomi】: Don't wait, you can go ahead and eat first
【Nozomi】: Twenty minutes
【Nozomi】: I'll be about thirty minutes late
【Shoko】: That's fine, but
【Shoko】: So, what's up? Are you safe? Are you okay?
【Nozomi】: Just
【Nozomi】: going to drop off a lost child.
【Kaede】: A girl?
【Miki】: I feel like it's a girl
【Shoko】: And I bet she's a cute girl
【Toshiki】: Seriously, shouldn't you go get an actual exorcism?
【Toshiki】: What is up with your event encounter rate?
【Nozomi】: I'm off
【Kaede】: To the exorcism...?
◇◆◇◆◇
It has already been five minutes since we started walking together to see off the nodding girl to the outside of the park.
While thinking that maybe there was no need to accompany her... she didn't seem to have any complaints about me, whose thoughts and actions were sloppy regarding how far I should take this meddling.
A sense of distance that was neither close nor far. We walked through the crowd side-by-side, two steps apart.
"......"
Of course, there was no conversation.
I didn't know if she had been here since noon or since night, but a high schooler alone at an amusement park on a weekday. It was easy to guess there was some kind of circumstance, but I had neither the obligation nor the right to question her.
That's right, there was no necessity or anything. To put it bluntly, even I—
"............"
If the stranger girl walking silently beside me, even with her head down and her face cast in shadow, weren't an atmospheric beautiful girl who still drew the eyes of the people passing by. I wouldn't have gone to such trouble to look after her.
It was absolutely not because I wanted to pay attention to her because she was cute.
It was due to a realistic crisis-sensing thought: because she is a cute girl, she is in danger.
As expected, or rather, it was incongruous. Something was off. With this appearance, she must have had similar trouble before... and yet. The way she had frozen with a troubled face in front of a mere pickup attempt didn't mesh with everything else.
Did something happen, making her emotionally unstable, and she came here to escape reality?
To repeat, and repeat, I don't know, but—
"...Are you okay?"
"Yes."
That was about the only response I got, but her replies and her steps were steady for the time being. If so, I should just mind my own business without worrying more than necessary.
And so, after about fifteen minutes of accumulating time that felt awkward, yet not quite.
"Well, I've called a taxi."
"Yes. —...Eh...?"
Reaching the entrance/exit gate while maintaining almost zero conversation, the moment I successfully completed her escort outside the park, I quickly brought it up. Naturally, the girl reacted, but I pretended not to notice.
"Come on, this way. Since we've come this far, I'm going to see you off until you get in."
Leaving her bewildered face behind, I started walking without giving her a choice, and after a few seconds of hesitation, the sound of footsteps following reached my ears. Good, let's go with no more trouble for either of us.
I confirmed the vehicle (taxi) standing by at the roadside.
Next, communication was completed through a battle of nods with the driver whose gaze met mine. Flowing smoothly, I opened the rear door and threw the customer inside as if pushing her back with the momentum of the moment.
"U-Um..."
"Excuse me, she's alone. Please take care of her."
After that, it was easy. I shut the door to cut off the voice of the girl with circumstances who looked like she wanted to say something, and walked around the vehicle to talk to the cool middle-aged driver from the side of the driver's seat...
"Sure thing. So, where to—"
"She'll tell you the destination. As for the fare... sorry for the trouble, but charge it to this."
I took off my glasses, and along with that, handed over a memo with my contact information.
...Honestly, I wasn't sure if this would work or not—
"Huh? —...Eh, what?"
Five seconds,
"E-Eh...?"
Ten seconds passed.
"Eh, the real—"
"Can I trouble you?"
Apparently, my credibility worked. Putting the magic glasses back on while smiling with a gesture for silence, the flexible driver grinned and nodded.
Though,
"......C-Can I get an autograph, maybe...?"
"......Would on that memo be okay?"
Regarding the quietly conveyed request for additional compensation, well, I had no choice but to nod.
"Go straight home, presumed runaway girl."
"Eh, um, wait—"
Since I had calculated the position to block the girl's line of sight, only the driver saw my face.
If so, it was only natural that she didn't understand what was going on. When I threw words into the taxi, a voice thick with confusion returned... well, my role was done.
"Please. By the way..."
Bowing to the driver's seat once more, this time I gestured with my index finger, meaning confidentiality rather than silence. However, he must have been not only flexible but also quick-witted.
"Understood. Leave it to me."
I wondered about him enjoying himself with such mysteriously theatrical language, but the cool middle-aged driver gave me a thumbs-up as if to say, Okay, I've got the whole picture.
Okay, looks like I can trust him. And with that,
"Now then, I'm hungry."
With this, the sudden encounter event is complete.
I didn't stop my feet as I walked to enter the park again, ignoring the voice of someone reaching me from behind. Well, we're just strangers who met by chance—
After a while, we will surely have forgotten each other.
◇◆◇◆◇
"To..., please..."
"Sure thing!"
When I requested the destination, the driver, who was in an unusually high spirit, started the car with a reply. ...Since we had been arguing for a while after that, the figure of the meddler was already nowhere to be seen.
What was that all about, I wonder.
Not about him, but about today... or rather, about everything leading up to today.
What was all of it for, I wonder. What is it, and what will become of it? Lethargy, helplessness, dejection, resentment, anxiety—synonyms could be found, but none could express what was in my heart.
To repeat, those were not about him.
Then, when I vaguely wondered what he was all about.
"..................To think something like this could happen."
The voice that muttered was one of the two the girl possessed.
The usual voice that she let no one hear, yet let everyone hear. —But him, he was probably someone who didn't care about status enough to use different 'voices' like she did.
A celebrity of the virtual world.
To be helped by such a person by chance, with a miracle-like probability... or rather, to have the greatest disgrace in my roughly eighteen years of life witnessed by him, should I indeed be ashamed of it?
Or,
"..................An autograph, or something."
Whether true or false, according to what I've heard from public rumors—to one of his presumed fans.
"If I gave it as thanks, would they be happy...?"
I wonder if it would have been better if I did that.
"............"
Laughing at herself selfishly, thinking there was no way, the girl with circumstances sat inside the gently swaying car.
As if to forget the chance encounter, she closed her eyes.
[Author's Note]
Personally, I wrote this sixth episode as a short story-like side story.
In other words, strictly speaking, it is not part of the main story.
In other words, strictly speaking, it is, not, part of the main story.
That is to say, I am not a liar.