Chapter 3 Part 2 – Drowsiness and Iced Tea

“I’ll try one more time tomorrow. If I still can’t convince her, then…”

Then—I’ll leave it to Love.

“Sure. I’ll give you one more day.” Love replied, as nonchalant as ever.

She gave me another chance, but it didn’t mean her attitude would suddenly change; that rarely happened. Love was always considering every angle, weighing every option. That was just how she operated.

“In that case, wrap things up for today. Want me to book a hotel nearby?”

“Yes, please.”

“Wha-?”

Suddenly, Kirie let out a voice of pure shock. Her large eyes grew even wider than usual as she stared at me.

“Going back and forth is a waste of time, especially because our target lives so far away. If you don’t want to stay, then I’ll buy you a ticket home.”

“Ugh… you’re being kinda dramatic, you know? I never said that I wanted to leave.”

Kirie grumbled, her eyes narrowing in dissatisfaction.

It wasn’t that I was trying to brush her off. An unexpected overnight stay would make it difficult for her to come up with excuses for her family. Besides, tomorrow… it might be better if I handled it alone.

“Oh, it’s fine if Mahina-chan stays with you. Should I book a room for her?”

“I shall stay! Please, Love-chan!”

“Wait… you’re actually staying?”

“Of course! I’m curious about Miss Shinohara.”

For some reason, Kirie puffed out her chest, making a smug expression with her face. It wasn’t just because she wanted to mess with me, but because she genuinely wanted to see how things turned out.

“Alright, I’ll send the reservation info. Good night, kiddos. Good luck tomorrow.” Love said in one breath and promptly hung up.

Immediately after, the details arrived. It was a business hotel in front of the station, but the place looked quite luxurious.

“Wow… it’s soooo pretty! Wait, they even have aromatherapy? The breakfast looks delicious too!” Kirie snatched my phone, her excitement spiking as her eyes scanned over the information.

Not being stingy when it came to the budget was one of Love’s few virtues.

“B-but, is this really okay? It’s such a fancy hotel…”

“It’s fine, it’s an expense.”

“Oh, right…! Expenses are amazing.” Well, from Love’s perspective, the company expenses were probably just her own pocket money. Either way, there was no need for us to be modest.

“…Huh?”

“Hmm? What is it? If you’re done looking, give it back.”

“U-um… this.”

With movements like an old, rusty machine, Kirie showed me the phone screen. Her face was stiff, and the corner of her mouth was twitching.

What is wrong with her?

“This room… it’s a twin,” Kirie said, pointing at the screen.

In the photo of the room, two white beds were lined up side-by-side.

“…”

Not being stingy was Love’s virtue. But, I had completely forgotten one of her many flaws.

Love was an idiot.

「”Mmm?, what’s the matter? You two probably have a lot to catch up on, right?”」

No matter how many times I called, Love didn’t pick up.

However, when I gave up and sent a message saying “Change the room,” a reply came instantly. In other words, the calls were being ignored on purpose.

“That’s unnecessary.”

「”Aw, really? But… it might be a chance for you two to get to know each other.”」

“We don’t need to do that.”

「”Mahina-chan might want to get along with you, though~”」

It was useless… we weren’t speaking the same language.

In the excessively spacious hotel lobby, I was struck by a headache.

Kirie was out shopping at the attached convenience store and was nowhere to be seen. Naturally, I hadn’t checked in yet. There was no way I would.

「”You still have a little time. It’ll be easier for you to do things if you’re on good terms with Mahina-chan, right, Mizuki-kun?”」

「”Also, simply put, I wanted to see you get all cute and embarrassed! Isn’t this what people call a ‘lucky event’?”」

「”Anyway, it’s my money, so stop complaining.”」

「”Bye-bye, good night! Have fun!”」

After firing off a string of one-sided messages, Love went completely silent. A deep, heavy sigh escaped me, and I was overcome by a terrible sense of exhaustion.

I had two choices. Either stay in the reserved room as is, or find alternative lodging for myself.

…No, no matter how I looked at it, it had to be the latter. It was only 9:00 PM.

For now, I could find another hotel, a karaoke box, an internet cafe—anything.

Staying in the same room as Kirie was out of the question.

Right as I made my decision, Kirie came through the door.

“Ah, Hidaka-kun.”

Just as I managed to stand up through sheer willpower, Kirie returned, carrying a small plastic bag. Inside, some packaged drinks and sweets were visible.

“Kirie, cancel my reservation. You’ll stay here alone tonight.”

“Huh?”

Kirie looked surprised by my words.

Why was she so shocked?

“I’ll find somewhere else to stay. I’ll contact you tomorrow morning.”

“Um, but—!”

“…What is it?”

Kirie raised her voice slightly as if to stop me from leaving. When I turned around, she was holding two small cards in her hand.

…Wait, those are–

“I… I already checked in.”

Key cards…

Instantly, that sense of exhaustion hit me again, and I slumped down on the spot.

Love wasn’t the only idiot here…

“B-but it looked like I was going to miss the check-in time! It said I had to contact them if I was late!”

“And besides! It would be too sad if only Hidaka-kun didn’t get to stay in a fancy hotel! Well I mean… I kind of wanted to try staying here too… but that’s besides the case!”

“It’ll be fine! The beds are separate! Wait– are you maybe conscious of me? Hidaka-kun~, you’re so—”

As Kirie rattled on and on, I no longer had the energy to argue.

All I wanted to do was to close my eyes and get some sleep.

“Let’s just go…”

Having decided that, I walked until we reached our rooms.

“Uwaaaa! It’s so pretty! The bed is huge! It feels so adult-like!” The dummy, Kirie, shouted with excitement and jumped straight onto the bed. Her body bounced once and then slowly sank in.

This girl has too much energy.

“It’s so fluffy… it smells nice too. Mmmmh…!”

“Just go to sleep.”

I wanted to sleep right away.

But, I guess I should at least take a shower since we’re here…

We organized our luggage and established our respective territories to an extent. Then, we played rock-paper-scissors to decide the order for the shower. Fortunately, the bathroom facilities were standard. You couldn’t see inside from the outside.

“Fancy hotels always have those, don’t they? See-through bathrooms. I’ve seen them in foreign dramas.”

“I guess even Love isn’t that stupid.”

“I think that Love-chan has great taste in rooms.”

Why is she so relaxed about this…?

No, I’m probably the one that’s overthinking it.

Now that we were actually in the room, it didn’t feel like a big deal. I’ll just take a quick shower and call it a day.

“Okayyyy! I’ll take a shower first. Don’t peek, Hidaka-kun!”

“Just go already.”

“Hmph, why aren’t you getting flustered?!” While saying something unreasonable, Kirie disappeared into the bathroom.

Truly, she is exhausting to be around.

I laid flat on my back on the bed and closed my eyes. The elasticity of the mattress was outstanding. At the very least, I could expect a high quality of sleep.

However—

“Woahhh! The bathtub is huge!”

Even in a luxury hotel, the soundproofing of the bathroom was subpar. Listening to the distant sound of Kirie’s singing and the rushing water, I sent Love another message: “You idiot.”

“…I’m finished!”

After a while, Kirie emerged from the bathroom. She was wearing the complimentary yukata provided, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. She might be wearing nothing but underwear underneath.

To shake off the thought, I cast my gaze toward the ceiling.

“H-hey! Don’t stare at me too much!”

“That’s why I looked away.” I wasn’t even looking that much to begin with.

Though, the bare minimum was an unavoidable consequence.

“Ugh… you’re actually pretty calm…”

“If I’m weirdly conscious of it, it’ll just make things weirder.”

“Hmph… you’re so boring. And a little frustrating.”

Don’t be frustrated…

After that, it was my turn for the shower. The bathroom was indeed spacious, the water pressure was great, and the hairdryer’s airflow was impeccable. When I returned to the room, Kirie was sitting on the bed with a thin towel blanket over her, leisurely watching TV.

“Ah, welcome back—”

“Hey, don’t look.”

“Eeeh, why not? It’s not like it’ll fall down.”

“That’s double standards.”

When I said that, Kirie let out a small giggle, her shoulders shaking. Watching her from the corner of my eye, I climbed into bed.

It was past 10:00 PM. I wasn’t sleepy yet, but there was no point in staying awake. In fact, I should probably sleep early just so I could avoid any unnecessary developments.

“Did you brush your teeth? I’m turning off the T.V.”

“Wha… ah, yeah.”

Without waiting for Kirie’s response, I used the two remotes to turn off both the TV and the lights. The room went dark, and only the small lamp by the pillow illuminated us.

“…”

Surprisingly, Kirie remained silent for a while. Only the faint sound of fabric rubbing could be heard. Perhaps we were in agreement that we should sleep quickly.

Just as I thought that, while my eyes were closed, I finally heard Kirie’s voice.

“Are you sleeping already?”

“Go to sleep.”

“Hidaka-kun, if you attack me, I’ll have no choice but to report you.”

“That’s my line.”

“Wait! Why would I attack you!?”

And I take back my previous thought. This girl clearly has no intention of sleeping yet.

“That person… they seemed to hate it,” Kirie said again.

“That person” likely referred to Yayoi Shinohara.

Still staring at the back of my eyelids, I answered.

“I told you. People like Yusa are rare.”

“…Yeah.”

“From their perspective, our claims are purely one-sided and selfish. Shinohara said it too, but that ability has already become a part of them. To let go of it is, in extreme terms, no different from losing an arm.”

These were words actually spoken to me by a former target of recovery.

‘You wouldn’t understand. But to me, this ability is that kind of thing.’

That person’s grief-stricken voice and expression were burned into my memories. I had only just started retrieval work back then… I was even more of a child than I am now.

“It’s especially hard for the people who’ve had the ability for a long time. According to Love, Shinohara has had it for over 10 years. In contrast, Yusa only had it for three.”

“…I see. I can’t fully imagine it… but, yeah, I guess that’s true,” Kirie said in a slow, cautious voice.

Since Kirie’s ability wasn’t confirmed, she could understand it from a bystanders perspective, but empathy was likely difficult.

“That ability… it’s dangerous, isn’t it?”

“…You mean the ‘boiling and roasting’ part?”

The story Shinohara had told us. An ability that puts others to sleep could, depending on how it was used, easily become a lethal weapon.

“Miss Shinohara said she didn’t intend to… but… she can do it, right?”

Her voice trailed off. An ability capable of taking a life. In one sense, it was the same type of power that Kirie might possess.

“Hidaka-kun, aren’t you a little scared…?”

She was becoming nervous, overlapping her own situation with Shinohara’s. I thought that was it, but Kirie’s question to me was slightly different than expected.

“This job… and being with someone like me. Are you okay with this, Hidaka-kun?”

“…”

I paused, thinking about how I should respond. After separating what needs to be said from the things that would be better off unsaid, I answered.

“You’re the one who said you wanted to come along. So… that’s quite the thing to ask me.”

“T-that’s true…! But this job was from a specific request, right? It wasn’t your choice, Hidaka-kun.”

I felt Kirie turn her body toward me. Apparently, she had no intention of letting this end without a conversation.

“Both things were decided by Love. I simply follow her orders. My own feelings aren’t important here.”

“…Even if you might die in the process?”

“If that happens, then it can’t be helped. Love’s judgment takes these things into account.”

“…No way.”

Kirie let out a small groan, sounding unconvinced. For someone as kind-hearted as her, it was a natural reaction. But in this case, Love’s arrangement was correct. Not that I intended to tell her that.

“Miss Shinohara… can’t you let her go?”

After a short silence, Kirie spoke again. Unlike before, this was exactly the line I expected. If anything, she was a little late.

“I’m not the one who decides that.”

This time, I gave the answer I had prepared in advance.

“Whether it’s right or wrong, or whatever my personal feelings are– none of that matters. If Love doesn’t intend to let her go, then there’s nothing I can do. That’s the nature of this job.”

“A job… right. Well, you do get paid, after all.”

“…”

“Then, what if it wasn’t a job?” Kirie asked.

“If you were the one who could decide, Hidaka-kun, what would you do?”

My throat was dry. I must be thirsty.

“I wouldn’t take it,” I said.

My own voice sounded raspy in the silence, and I hated it.

“There’s no way for me to be okay with that. Regardless of whether the person is evil or good. No one has the right to decide that.”

“…I see.”

Kirie let out a damp sigh, her words spilling out. “Honestly, I didn’t think you’d answer.”

“Me neither. Don’t make me regret it.”

When I replied instantly, Kirie gave a little laugh and said, “Sorry~”

It occurred to me now that I was probably talking too much. I hadn’t realized it, but in the end, I might have been affected by the atmosphere.

“You know, Hidaka-kun, you really are kind,” Kirie said, her voice suddenly turning bright and happy.

It was too much effort to deny it, so I stayed silent.

“You prepared a handheld fan for me, and you tried to give me this room at first. And even though I’m probably in the way, you’re letting me stay with you.”

“…The last part doesn’t have anything to do with me.”

“Mmm, if only you were a little more honest, you’d be cuter.” Kirie giggled again, saying whatever she pleased.

Keeping my eyes closed, I turned my body toward the wall.

Not taking the hint, or perhaps, not caring, Kirie continued.

“Thanks for letting me come along. Even if it was because of Love-chan… still, thank you. It means a lot to me.”

“…You haven’t been as much of a hindrance as I thought.”

“Eh… really?”

“…Yes. So, keep it up.”

So far, she hadn’t done anything to drag me. There were some tedious conversations along the way, but I didn’t hate them.

Of course, I’ve never felt grateful for them either.

“Hey, Hidaka-kun.”

Kirie lowered her tone, speaking as if she were sharing a secret.

When is this girl finally going to sleep?

Thinking this, I gave her a half-hearted nod of acknowledgement.

“What is it?”

“Actually, you’re pretty popular with the girls at school. Bet you didn’t know that~?”

“…How should I know?”

If anything, she was far more popular than I ever could be.

“I hear things like ‘He’s so cool and handsome!’ or ‘He’s so mature!’ Well, from my perspective, you’re a bit too cool. You’re a kind person, so why don’t you try being a bit more approachable?”

“Be quiet…”

“See? There you go again, being all prickly.”

After a weary sigh, Kirie added, “What a waste,” continuing to make assumptions about me.

I’m fine the way I am.

“…Oh. Come to think of it, Hidaka-kun, do you… happen to have a girlfriend?”

Realizing something important, Kirie began to panic.

“I-if you do, then this current arrangement looks really bad…! It completely slipped my mind… no, but Love-chan is the one who bought the room… so it’s not entirely my fault… ugh.”

“I don’t have one, so stop panicking.”

“Oh, really? Thank goodness. I thought I might get stabbed during my sleep.” With that, Kirie let out a sigh of relief.

I could never tell if she was being serious or just messing around.

Then, silence returned.

I realized, with a start, that I had almost opened my mouth several times.

Something is definitely off today. Or perhaps, I’ve simply spent too much time with Kirie.

I really should sleep now. Before I say something I don’t mean. Before I ask something I shouldn’t.

That was my plan, but it was too late.

“Hey, Hidaka-kun.”

She called my name once again.

“Yesterday, when you were at the hospital… who were you visiting?”

“..My sister.”

“Oh… I see. Right.”

I didn’t know what my own voice sounded like. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to process the words I was speaking.

Chiharu.

I called her name instinctively in my head.

“Your sister… is she sick?”

“That’s none of your business.”

This time, I heard my tone clearly. It was much heavier than I had intended, and it made me angry.

“I-I mean, that’s true, but still—”

“I told you to stop asking about my circumstances.” I said, cutting her off.

The ride home after recovering the ability from Yusa, the line I had drawn between us.

I thought to myself.

How cowardly.

If I was going to bring that up, then I shouldn’t have answered her questions to begin with. I shouldn’t have blurred the lines myself.

“It’s better for you to not know too much about me.”

“…”

“Focus on your own life. You’ve got something going on too, don’t you?”

Yes, even Kirie.

Even this girl, who might be capable of killing someone, surely had her own unique circumstances.

It’s enough to carry one’s own burdens.

Because we are, decisively and fatally, strangers to one another.

We don’t have the luxury of carrying someone else’s weight.

“Goodnight, Hidaka-kun,” Kirie quietly whispered.

I was grateful that she ended the conversation, yet I felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

She really is a good person.

That was my final thought before I drifted off to sleep.