Chapter 8: Arrival
The fact that I had killed someone wouldn’t disappear, but it was how I managed to protect Kimijima. Thinking this way, I faced forward.
Wary of another attack from the boar-faced monster we encountered earlier, we quickly moved away from that spot. The three companions of Carton who had escaped ahead of us were running down the road, so we could anticipate that if there were any monsters along the way, they would have already engaged in battle with them. While we didn’t let our guard down completely, this might be a chance to move at a slightly faster pace.
However, we were proceeding down the road in a somewhat awkward atmosphere.
I couldn’t gauge Kimijima’s feelings. Since then, Kimijima had noticeably become less talkative. I wondered if there was anything I could do. I pondered this as we continued down the path.
…An egg?
It was evening. It was time to start thinking about finding a place to hide.
“Kimijima, can you start a fire?”
“A fire? I can light one, I suppose…”
“Well, um. How about we try cooking the egg over a campfire?”
“…But the monsters might find us.”
“We can use leaves to hide it from view. What do you think?”
Food is the source of one’s energy. Just nibbling on these portable rations might provide calories, but not spirit. That’s why I thought about cooking the egg somehow, to see if we could eat something more substantial.
Kimijima looked a bit troubled but still helped light the fire. Apparently, wood-based magic doesn’t work well with fire-based magic, so she could barely manage to create a spark. We gathered some branches and built up the fire. Then, we stacked some stones to make a platform and gently placed the egg on it.
“Do you prefer it soft-boiled or something?”
“…Are we really going to eat it?”
“Don’t you want to try eating something proper for once?”
“Proper…? Is this really proper?”
“With a shell this thick, if we cook it like this, it should turn out like a boiled egg, right?”
“…I don’t like it soft-boiled. And eating it at all…”
“Alright, let’s cook it slowly then. That should be fine, right?”
“I’m not sure…”
Well, it’s understandable to hesitate when faced with the egg of an unknown monster in another world for the first time. But if it tastes good, it overcomes everything. I had no basis for it, but I was confident.
As the wood crackled, the egg was enveloped in flames. Given its size and the thickness of the shell, it would probably take some time to cook properly.
…
While I was feeling a bit excited, Kimijima was staring at the egg as if looking at something unpleasant. I had thought this might help lighten the mood a bit, but I was starting to feel like it might be a failure.
Still, after about thirty minutes of cooking, I thought it might be ready. That’s when Kimijima suddenly mumbled.
“Sensei… did you have a girlfriend?”
“Huh? Oh, me?”
“Yes.”
“Well… a girlfriend…”
Hmm. I had gone out to eat with Mayuri, the English Sensei, a few times recently… but she wasn’t exactly a girlfriend. I might have had more than just collegial feelings, but I had forgotten about it until now.
“Was there someone you liked?”
“Hmm… I wonder…”
“There were rumors that you were dating Miss Mayuri, weren’t there?”
“Wha- How… How did you…”
“Miss Mayuri was really popular with the boys… especially Tsuji, he was crazy about her. I remember him being angry about you.”
“Is that so? But we just had meals together a few times, you know?”
“…But Sensei. Miss Mayuri would be okay… right?”
“Wh-What do you mean?”
“Now… eighteen is considered an adult, you know?”
“…Huh?”
“I’m turning eighteen next month.”
“I… I see…”
Ugh… Was everything Kimijima had been holding back about to overflow? The pressure was intense. The egg continued to cook in the fire… I felt it might be getting dangerous, but it was hard to say anything in this situation.
“Or maybe you prefer Miree?”
“Mi-Miree…?”
“At the Sky Temple, you were always with Miree, weren’t you?”
“Ah, well. That was because we were discussing various things about this world—”
“Miree is beautiful, isn’t she? Now that I think about it, you seemed quite smitten…”
“Huh? R-Really?”
“…”
The pressure… the pressure… I was at a loss, not knowing what to do. But Kimijima didn’t stop.
“Is it because I call you ‘Sensei’?”
“Eh? No, that’s not—”
“Should I call you by your name?”
“M-My name?”
“Please stop calling me by my family name too. It feels too formal.”
“B-But…”
“It’s Yuzuki.”
“Yu…zuki.”
“Shigeto-san.”
“No, somehow, that feels… unnatural, doesn’t it?”
“…Hmm.”
Kimijima seemed to be deep in thought. Well. No man would be unhappy to receive such affection from a woman. Of course, even I couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered by Kimijima’s feminine expressions.
But now, another problem had arisen for me.
My bladder was about to burst.
“Sorry, I need to… go to the bathroom. Can you wait for me?”
“Are you trying to run away?”
“Huh? No, not at all. I really need to go! It’s urgent!”
Since we were completely surrounded by a curtain of trees, I asked Kimijima to create an exit. I quietly stepped out into the darkening outside and went a little distance away to relieve myself.
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…
Even while taking care of business, I continued to worry about what attitude I should take. Maybe due to the tension, my shoulders felt a bit stiff. I lightly massaged around my shoulders.
Hm? I wondered if massaging my shoulders too much might cause the the rank sign to peel off? With that worry, I glanced at my shoulder and felt something was off.
…What is it? Thinking this, I looked at my shoulder again and something seemed strange. Somehow the writing looked cleaner. Or rather, too clean.
Just as I was about to take a proper look at the mark on my shoulder, it happened.
“Eh? Kyaa!”
A small scream from Kimijima was heard from where we had been. I hurried back to her.
“Are you alright…? Huh?”
When I rushed into the tent, an unexpected sight greeted me.
Piyo!
…A red chick was sitting on Kimijima’s lap.
W-What is this thing?
“Kimijima!”
I hurriedly reached for the sword I had set aside.
“Wait!”
Kimijima stopped me. What’s going on?
Frozen in an awkward position, I stared at the red chick on Kimijima’s lap. I had never seen anything like it, but it looked just like the colored chicks I’d heard about. Except, it wasn’t the size of a chick. It was about the size of a small chicken.
“Be careful… Couldn’t it poke a hole in you with just a little peck?”
“I think it’s okay. I was surprised when the shell cracked and this little one came out, but…”
“It’s not… dangerous?”
“Even though it was in that fire, it’s not hot at all.”
The chick was curled up on Kimijima’s lap, nestling its head in its feathers and looking relaxed. Seeing it like this, it might actually be cute in a round sort of way. But still, not hot?
I slowly reached out to touch it.
Whack!!!
“Woah! That was close! It is dangerous after all!”
“No! There, there. Don’t be scared.”
The moment I brought my hand close, it tried to bite me with its beak. As I hurriedly pulled my hand back, Kimijima hugged the chick as if to restrain it.
“Wh-Why? Is it really… okay?”
When Kimijima touched it, the chick curled up again, looking content.
…What’s the deal with this thing?
“I saw something like this on TV before, it might be what they call imprinting.”
“Ah, like when a chick that hatches from an egg sees its first living creature as its mother… But it’s a monster, isn’t it?”
“But it seems to have really taken to me… It’s cute…”
“C-Cute? Somehow, that thing… is unusually big… My egg… turned into meat.”
“W-We’re not eating it!”
“Oh, uh… is that so?”
“Of course not. We won’t eat it!”
I see… So the egg is… gone now. I stared intently at the meat. Noticing my gaze, Kimijima hugged the meat as if to hide it.
Girls must like small animals like this. They hang them from their bags like straps and such. In our current situation, having a pet-like presence might become a source of comfort.
Kimijima crushed some of the portable food and placed it on her palm. The chick timidly pecked at it. This sight seemed to capture Kimijima’s heart, and she gazed at the chick with a smile I had never seen before. Somehow… I couldn’t help but feel a bit conflicted.
Eventually, when it got completely dark, Kimijima fell asleep next to me, holding the chick. While I was on night watch, I glanced at the chick from time to time, but it was sleeping peacefully in Kimijima’s arms, looking completely at ease.
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