The floor where my bottom is planted begins to vibrate. *dosu dosu dosu*
Kei: ……What the heck?
Before I can even tilt my head, just as I begin to think I’m hearing footsteps on the floor, *dan!* they come to a stop, and I see a shadow on the other side.
Sakuya: Kei!! What’s going on!? What was that scream about just now!?
Kei: Ah, no, I’m okay, I’m okay.
Sakuya: ……What happened here!?
Kei: That’s right! When I opened my eyes, there was this really big snake, okay? And when I screamed this woman came, and then Obana-chan came, and got rid of the snake!
Sakuya: …………
The sternness and seriousness flee her face, and all that’s left is a stunned expression making fun of me.
Sakuya: Hah!…… What the hell… you were just spacing out?
With a chiseled look of annoyance, she swirls around to leave the way she came.
I’ll admit my explanation sounded like an enumerated retelling of a bunch of nonsense, but I can’t just let her leave it at “spacing out.”
……Man, that makes me mad!
Kei: It was really dangerous, you know!
Sakuya: Ah— yeah, yeah. Just try not to scream so loud, all right? You’ll bother the neighbors.
Kei: There aren’t any neighbors here!!
Sakuya: Yeah, yeah, tha~t’s right, that’s exactly right. It’s good enough you’re at least that aware of your environment. So, where is this snake that attacked you?
Kei: Heh?
Sakuya: Where is it?
Kei: ……Umm, it sort of, disappeared……
Sakuya: Wo~w, now that’s the first I’ve heard of that. Who would’ve known that snakes can disappear, huh?
Kei: Uuu……
The only other person who saw it was Obana-chan, and he doesn’t really have what it takes to be a corroborating witness.
There’s nothing I can do, except hope that she’ll believe me.
Sakuya: You were probably just dreaming, right? Just have a little sleep and when the night is over, you’ll forget all about it.
Kei: But……
Sakuya: Anyway, whatever you’re gonna do or talk about, make it tomorrow, ‘kay? Tomorrow. So there ya go, good night.
Mixing a yawn into her speech, Sakuya-san departs for her room.
Kei: I guess people wouldn’t usually believe me, huh, Obana-chan……
The hand I reach out, intending to pet him, swipes through empty air.
Kei: Huh? Obana-cha~n?
It looks like Obana-chan left while I was talking with Sakuya-san.
In the hallway though the open door, and in this room, with the moonlight shining down, there is only me.
Inside the room, which had returned to silence as if nothing happened, I was alone.
Kei: ……I’m going to sleep.
I close the shouji door, and lie flat upon the futon.
Before I can ruminate over the events just passed, I am visited by a mud-like slumber.