54: He Still hasn't Realized
Finally getting off the long, rocking train ride, the wide, empty countryside spread out, bringing a strange sense of comfort. There were no rice fields; it was just an endless road.
A small, rundown station and a barely-there parking lot. Other than that, just roads.
This is what real countryside looks like.
Look, the next bus isn’t for another hour and a half!
Are they kidding?
I took a long breath, feeling the full brunt of the countryside’s hospitality.
The fatigue from the long journey hit me hard.
If there hadn’t been a bench in the station, I might have sulked and started preparing to head back.
Even though I’m used to it, the inconvenience is unavoidable.
Well, where I lived wasn’t this rural…
I rolled my suitcase beside me, gulped down a drink from the vending machine, and sat down exhausted.
“The timing was a bit off. There used to be more buses, I think.”
“Well, it can’t be helped. If there’s no demand, supply decreases… Not that there was much to begin with.”
“Haha… well, yeah. Still, there used to be quite a few.”
“When was this ‘used to be’ you’re talking about?”
She seemed to be receiving signals from a past life, but looking at the timetable, rewritten to show the current sparse schedule, it was hard to dismiss her words.
It’s disturbingly realistic…
I’m weak against objective evidence.
This place must be familiar to Kamidama; it’s no wonder she knows it well. It’s a gray area, leaning towards black.
“So, what should we do? We’ve got an hour and a half, we could do anything.”
“True. But we have no toys, and fiddling with our phones is dull…”
The station had nothing to offer. Not quite an unmanned station, but expecting anything from a rundown place was wrong.
Sitting quietly for over an hour was too boring.
I didn’t know where the bus would take us next, but I didn’t expect a strenuous event.
If there were, Kamidama would have told me.
So, a bit of physical activity should be fine.
“Alright, Kamidama, how about an adventure?”
“Adventure?”
“Yeah, adventure. Or exploration, maybe.”
“Wow…”
“Hey, what’s with that reaction…”
“Well, I just didn’t expect you to say something so active.”
Kamidama laughed, surprised. Her cheerful demeanor made it hard to complain.
Her reaction was justified, and I shrugged.
I’m known for being an indoor guy.
“It’s a trip. Even I get a little excited. Was it annoying?”
“No, no, don’t think so negatively. I’m happy when you’re energetic.”
“That sounds suspicious… like there’s a hidden meaning.”
Her words carried an emotion I couldn’t grasp. I didn’t like it.
She always throws curveballs in conversations.
If I take it wrong, I’ll end up fainting.
“Well, if it’s okay, let’s leave our luggage with the station staff. I think they lend out lockers if you ask.”
“Yeah, let’s go. Waiting for an hour doing something is better than just sitting.”
“Alright, alright. Don’t rush me.”
She naturally took my hand and pulled me up.
A different place, an unknown place. A different atmosphere, an unknown atmosphere.
The scent of a rural spring, different from the city’s.
Nostalgic yet fresh, it boosted my spirits, and I took a step forward.
Nagiura Uraku, as if knowing the place, walked through the station with his luggage.
Kamidama Kagari, walking beside him, glanced at his profile, pondering.
Hey, do you realize it?
This is your first time here in this life, yet you know where everything is without hesitation.
The station map, the bus stop, the timetable.
The hard-to-find vending machine, and the locker.
Only frequent users would know.
A first-time visitor wouldn’t grasp all this.
Kamidama had many questions but kept them to herself.
She knew it wasn’t necessary to speak—she believed he’d soon realize.
“Hey, right, Uraku?”
“Stop asking vague questions. It’s kind of creepy, Kamidama…”