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V11 Story II – Part 01

In the night-shrouded city, a small bird scattered flowers, casting bright red petals into the air. Seeds spilled like rain onto the asphalt. In the darkness, devoid of streetlights, the little bird fluttered freely around the city. But suddenly, it stopped.

With a deep bow, the little bird greeted the fox amidst the swirling petals, her voice clear and bright.

“Hello there, how delightful to see you. Are you well, Mister Fox? Although I may not know you personally, my master does. She knows of a certain beast with a collar.”

Before the little bird stood a fox, lazily gazing at her. White fur, reminiscent of an old man’s hair, stirred gently. He averted his gaze from the bird and followed the drifting petals with disinterest.

Eventually, he spoke in a dispassionate tone. “What do you want to be? A bird or a cat? And is that black attire fur, feathers, or something entirely different? Oh, there’s no need to tell me; I’m not interested.”

The little bird chuckled at his disinterested response. She bowed once more, her black cloak flaring. She showed a gesture of respect to the creature who had been an animal long before her.

“I’m a little bird who dreams of being a cat,” she said cheerfully. “Now tell me, Mister Fox, if you could become something else, what would you desire to be? What do you long for?”

The fox regarded the little bird in silence as countless petals brushed his cheeks. Wrapped in red flowers and black feathers, the little bird awaited his response with a smile. The tempest of petals grew stronger.

“Well, I don’t wish to become anything,” the fox said. “Not a bird, not a cat, not even a fox.”

---

Clutching the rusty railing with my leather gloves, I paused halfway up the slightly tilted stairs of Maison de Nanase. The building groaned now and then in the strong wind. I gazed up at the clear blue sky.

Though the wind was biting cold, the sky remained clear. For a moment, I thought I saw the silhouette of a little bird against the bright expanse.

But perhaps it was just my imagination; there was nothing there. Only thin clouds drifted by.

Several days had passed since the remote island incident involving human flesh. Since returning from that place, things had become unnaturally stagnant.

Contrary to ominous premonitions, there had been no contact from the scarlet woman. Yagase Kotori remained missing as well. Despite the exhaustive efforts of the Mayuzumi clan, no new information had surfaced. I found myself engulfed in a vague sense of unease. With my left hand bandaged, however, everything seemed calm on the surface.

Even with people being eaten, killed, and disappearing, nothing changed. It was sickeningly normal.

Mikage’s eye was gone, and the possibility of the prophecy coming true had faded. But that wasn’t the end of it. The scarlet woman could still make contact in some unpredictable way. I had even offered to stay and guard, but Mayuzumi refused. Matters to be dealt with remained ambiguous.

How much longer would these days continue? I sighed and looked down. Then I noticed a car parked discreetly next to the apartment. Its metallic red color was uncommon. Had a visitor come to one of the apartment residents? Curious, I went up the stairs. I stopped in front of my unit, searching for my keys, when I heard noises from inside.

Someone was in my apartment. Through the door, I heard a distressed crying.

I hurriedly opened the door, only to be rendered speechless. The low table had been overturned, and someone was standing among the fluttering advertisements. Pigtails swayed gently.

When I looked at her feet, I immediately understood what was happening.

Nanami was in my apartment, stepping on someone, raising her index finger in a victorious pose.

Cold sweat trickled down my spine. I averted my gaze from her. I didn’t see anything, I told myself with a strained smile, then turned to shut the door.

“Huh? Oh, Odagiri. It’s you, right?”

I wished I could say it wasn’t me. I cracked the door open slightly, seeking the source of the voice.

“…Aya?”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s me… Don’t leave me alone.”

“Got it. I’m coming. But seriously, what are you doing there?”

Aya was stuck between the refrigerator and the stove.

I struggled to understand why she’d fled there. An appliqué of a rabbit on her apron seemed to cry. I moved closer to her, trying my utmost best not to look at Nanami.

“So what on earth happened here?” I asked. “What’s with all this mess?”

“Well, you see, Nanami-san and I were talking, and then Yusuke-kun came, and then a trespasser…”

Aya’s eyes misted over. I couldn’t quite understand what she was trying to say, but I could make a rough guess. Yusuke had likely arrived while Nanami and Aya were talking outside, leading to their confrontation in my apartment. Nanami was a nice girl, but for some reason, she showed no mercy to Yusuke. It was a pitiful sight.

You did your best, Yusuke. May you rest in peace.

“I really don’t know what’s going on. I never wanted to witness such an apocalyptic scene while I was still alive. Oh, what a terrifying, terrifying little girl.”

I felt like I heard a voice I shouldn’t have. I turned my head and saw Yusuke sitting outside the bathroom, clutching a radish to his chest with a pale face.

“A radish?”

“I get that you’re trying to distract yourself, but that’s not what you should be looking at! I rescued the radish because the squirt was gonna use it as a weapon. Close call.” Yusuke shielded the radish, his response barely audible.

He was right in front of me. But then who or what was Nanami standing on?

Fearfully, I turned around. At Nanami’s feet lay someone with white hair. Sweat poured from my every pore. That someone slowly lifted their head.

With an emotionless face, he casually spoke. “Hey, Odagiri. Sorry, but could you move her aside? Even my sister had never treated me so roughly. This is very humiliating.”

I swallowed my scream and collapsed. I couldn’t bear to see anything. Uka cried worriedly, Aya touched my head, and Yusuke nudged my shoulder.

“Odagiri-san… Hey, Odagiri-san, are you there?”

“Shut up, idiot. I can’t deal with all this.”

“Oh, welp. I can tell what’s going in your mind, but hang in there. Come on.”

My arm was shaken, but I disregarded it. Reality was all too cruel.

“Welcome back, Odagiri-san,” a voice said. “Do you know this algae?”

Nervously, I raised my head. Nanami was smiling broadly, but her eyes held no humor. I wished it was a dream. But unlike my dreams, Uka was safely nestled in my belly. This scene was painfully real.

Nanase Nanami was standing on Mayuzumi Asato’s back.

---

“Nanami-san and I were just chatting while cleaning, and then Yusuke-kun showed up,” Aya began.

We were sitting around the low table. Nanami sat beside her, munching on rice crackers. Yusuke leaned the radish against the wall and settled cross-legged, while Asato quietly sipped his green tea.

I wanted to smack myself for actually serving him tea. Why did I even make tea for everyone? I clenched my fists, utterly bewildered.

“And then, Yusuke-kun went to your apartment, so we followed him,” Aya continued. “We expected the door to be locked, but it wasn’t… Oh, Odagiri, you really need to remember to lock your door. Anyway, when we got inside, we found the master—I mean, the fox… I mean, this person!”

Aya’s expression soured. She had once worked for the fox, so she was unsure how to handle the situation. She fidgeted, readjusting herself several times.

“Um, yeah. Then Nanami-san asked, ‘Who are you?’ and he said, ‘I’m a friend of Odagiri’s,’ and they started arguing. Nanami-san got really mad and started ranting, saying, ‘You’re so annoying! Are you twelve or something?!'”

“Aya-san? I don’t think I talk like that. Please be accurate.”

“Oh, right. Sorry, Nanami-san! Um, and then, well…”

Aya’s gaze darted around. The two people on either side of her remained cool-faced. Asato bore marks from the tatami mats on his cheeks. Nanami continued munching her rice cracker.

“Things happened.”

“I see.”

An understatement, to say the least. Aya hung her head. Yusuke’s gaze went from Aya to Nanami, skipped over Asato, then me, before finally returning back to Nanami.

“Ah, this takes me back,” he said, wearing a faraway look. “A refreshing vibe.”

“Could you not say that, and with that face?” I wanted to beg him.

Asato calmly sipped his tea, seemingly unperturbed. His face was no longer swollen. I hadn’t seen him since the hospital. According to Mayuzumi, he was quietly apprehended after escaping his guards, then returned to the dungeon. So why was he here?

“Why are you here, Asato? You were supposed to be in your cell.”

“I was. But do I really need to explain why I’m here?”

He sounded irritated. It unsettled me. Asato wasn’t one to show his emotions openly, but here he was, furrowing his brows deeply, clearly frustrated.

It was as if he’d encountered something irrational. Something different from his encounter with Nanami.