ALL NOVEL 6: She Believes
“Well, shall we go home? Where do you live, Uraku? Is it close to school? Or far away… oh, do you commute by train? Or by bike? You don’t walk… do you?”
“You can’t ask that many questions in one breath… and don’t casually try to extract personal information.”
After homeroom, I grabbed my bag, ready to head home quickly, but standing in my way was Kamidama, of course.
She firmly grasped my wrist, looking at me as if to say she wouldn’t let me go home so easily.
Even at lunchtime, when we returned together, our classmates gave us looks like “Oh, those two really are…” and it made me feel sick, so I wished she’d let me off the hook.
At this rate, people would really think we were a couple or something!
The problem was that Kamidama didn’t seem to mind, or rather, it felt like she was intentionally laying the groundwork for that perception. It wasn’t that she had a bad personality, but she possessed an annoying sort of cleverness.
“But I need to know, so I can wake you up in the morning…”
“That’s way too much of a favor…”
“Don’t say that. Just by looking at your face, I can tell you’re not a morning person.”
“You’re reading way too much from my face.”
How could she read that much from my face? The fact that she was right about me not being a morning person made it even scarier.
Is Kamidama possibly an esper?
“It’s just that you’re too easy to read, Uraku. It wouldn’t be this easy with anyone else.”
“Ridiculous, I’ve been told countless times that people can’t figure out what I’m thinking…”
“So, you’re like that in this life too.”
“You’re picking up on past life signals again…”
I wished she’d stop seamlessly bringing up this past life stuff. The more we talked, the more uncomfortable it got, because it all started to feel too real.
It wasn’t like she was joking around; she said it as if it were completely natural (which, in her mind, it probably was). It made me feel like I was the one who was wrong.
Kamidama Kagari is a terrifying girl… Especially since she was still holding my hand despite our classmates starting to watch us again, it was beyond scary.
Thinking about how even the past life version of me in her head wasn’t much different from now made me feel a bit sad.
“Anyway, let’s go home together today.”
“Even if I say no, you’ll follow me anyway, won’t you…”
“As expected of my husband, you know me well.”
“Don’t transition into marriage so smoothly, it’s shocking.”
Whether we’re lovers or a married couple, at least pick one—no! It’s neither, obviously.
Her extreme way of thinking was starting to influence me.
This might be one of Kamidama’s strategies too. She’s an endlessly mysterious woman… but well, in this case, it might be convenient for me too.
After nodding internally a few times, I let out a small sigh.
“Alright, let’s go.”
“I like how quickly you switch gears.”
“What a coincidence, I like that about myself too.”
“Hehe, I know. I know everything about you.”
“Do you have to make every line sound so ominous?”
It was a line only a stalker could get away with. If Kamidama’s looks weren’t as perfect as they were, it would have felt slightly criminal.
If I had said it, it would have definitely been a problem.
Thinking about it, being beautiful really is an advantage. No matter what you do, as long as it’s not too extreme, people take it positively.
Well, on the flip side, it probably attracts unexpected accidents, so even being good-looking has its pros and cons.
Maybe it’s true that too much of anything is just as bad as too little.
When I say that, it seems like Kamidama Kagari herself is already an example of “too much.”
With a level of cleverness that wouldn’t be strange for someone living their second life.
After all, having a girl who’s like the school idol these days is an unusual situation.
Or maybe I just don’t know, and all those girls who end up on TV as actresses or idols had such childhoods.
Well, if I use the word “unusual,” it’s the same as saying Kamidama hanging around with someone like me is unusual in itself…
The root cause is Kamidama’s abnormality, so it feels like it was bound to happen.
Thinking about such pointless things, I headed out of the school building towards the bike parking area.
I usually commute by bike. It’s not a distance I couldn’t walk, but having a bike is more convenient.
After throwing my bag into the basket, I held out my hand to Kamidama.
“Here.”
“Thanks.”
“Alright… huh?”
In a short exchange, I took Kamidama’s bag and placed it in the basket, then thought, “Huh?”
Why did I take her bag so naturally…
As if it were natural to do so.
Oh well, it seems my skill of being considerate to my superiors activated automatically.
Realizing that I instinctively saw Kamidama as superior, I made a slightly bitter face.
“By the way, it’s fine to go home together, but where do you live, Kamidama? As you can see, I’m within biking distance, but you’re not, right?”
“No, I can walk too. It’s a bit far, so I know biking would be more convenient, but I enjoy walking.”
“Hmm, you enjoy walking, huh…”
I thought we’d never understand each other. I generally dislike anything tiring.
“Well, sometimes it might be nice to ride. Let’s go!”
“I’m not going. Why are you getting on the back like it’s natural…”
“Huh? Is that bad?”
“If you don’t mind falling and getting hurt badly, I’m okay with it.”
Of course, I’d never ridden with two people before. I’ve never had anyone to do that with in my life.
I could only see a future where we’d lose balance and fall.
But Kamidama gave a mature smile and wrapped her arms around my waist.
“It’s okay. I believe in you. Uraku would never let me get hurt.”
“… I see.”
Feeling the firm grip, I let out a sigh.
Rather than feeling nervous, I felt a strangely fitting sense, like when I found the fourth-floor classroom, and then I stepped on the pedal.