Eeeii! This is no time to be laughing, okay!?
……Huh? Well, maybe laughing in this situation could be applied to something.
But whatever! Thinking those stupid things, I actually managed to calm my heart down, if only just a little.
Alright!
Concerning the objective of this trip, I’ve already seen more than enough of my father’s house.
I haven’t gone inside, but that’s enough. With a building this old, if I try to move in, just the remodeling would be an awful ordeal.
The location’s inconvenient, and it doesn’t look like summer house material. Rather, it isn’t even in a spot that would make having a summer house worthwhile.
At any rate, it looks like I’ve gathered more than enough info to decide what I want to do with this mansion, so—
Kei: Run away———!!
I make an about-face and run to the tunnel.
For the moment, let’s leave the forest and head out to the bus stop.
If I run down the road from there, whichever way I go has merit. If I were to choose, maybe I should head towards the direction the bus is coming from.
Even if I’m not at a bus stop, this seems like the kind of place where they’ll stop if I wave my hands, and if I see any field workers going at it on the way, then I’m safe.
With my sailor collar flipping over backwards, I run, run, run, run.
With my skirt flapping about in disarray, using all the strength I have, I run, run, sprinting with all my might.
Uuu… you can say the same for loafers, but a miniskirt just isn’t suited for running…
But, but, at least I can say I’m glad I’m fitted lightly today.
If I came here last night, dragging along my big suitcase, there’s no way I could run like I am now.
And if I didn’t come in the afternoon, the chances of me falling on my face would be more than doubled. That would truly be the end of my rope.
Compared to that, running through this heat is just a kappa poot. Even if the plate on my head dried up, I’m still okay as long as I’m not dead. (TN: Kappa poot – 屁の河童 (he no kappa) – an expression meaning “not a problem.” A kappa is a Japanese water imp, famous for the ring of hair around its bald head that curls up, making a plate-like surface into which it pours water to drink.)
Kei: Ah!?
—Of course, that doesn’t happen.
With this insufficiently trained body of mine, even if I run for my life, I can’t make it beyond the forest entrance. The moment I come out under the direct rays of the sun, my legs tangle up and topple over…
The magnificent roll takes me in a full revolution.
My backside hammers down to the earth.
Kei: —!!
My lungs are crushed flat, and yet I cannot suck in the air to reinflate them.
It hurts.
It hurts.
Only when my dizzy, shaken head at last becomes aware, that the view reflected in my eyes is the sky, does my breathing resume.
Kei: Hah! Hah! Whe! Whe! Whe! Hah! Whe! Hah!
As I look at the sky, lain upon the ground, my wild breathing draws ravenously at the air.
It’s painful. It hurts. And it’s…
Kei: ……hot……
The sunlight falling from that stupid, clear sky above, right now, is just plain hateful.
Uuu, why do I have to wind up in situations like this?
Coming at last to control my breath, I sluggishly rise to my feet, and look here and there at my beaten arms and legs.
Kei: …………
Unbelievably, there seems to be no particularly rough damage. If I had fallen on a rough, raspy surface like asphalt, I would probably have made so many scratches and scrapes that I couldn’t look at myself.
And while I don’t like this fair weather, thanks to it, the ground was dry, and hitting it attracted no dirt beyond a level that slightly stood out, so that was a glimmer of good fortune in the dank of misery, I suppose.
Kei: ……Hah.
No, in the end, misery is misery— wait, I wasn’t really in a situation that calls for sitting around and sighing all day, was I?
My body jerks into a stance as I look toward the forest.
I squint my eyes.
No shadowy figures in pursuit. The only sound I hear is the chirping of cicadas.
While I do feel a measure of relief, it is quickly followed by frustration, shame, and misery.
Kei: Uuu, I’ve had enough……
Once again, I turn to the road. Any desire I had of seeing the inside of the house is long gone. That visit was more than enough.
From here, I simply plan to wait for the bus as I am now, but the question is how long it’ll take to arrive.
The schedule chart is thoroughly unreadable. Rather, even the name of the bus stop is buried in rust and indistinguishable.
First glimpse-san wonders if the bus would even stop here for me.
Kei: Hah……
Now I can’t do anything but sigh.
I sure would like to share this feeling with someone.
But, there is no one nearby.
…………
However, gripped within this hand is that convenience of civilization known as a cell phone.
I select from the recorded addresses and dial.