ALL NOVEL Chapter 10.4: It Appeared IV
Theiyoungiman put his head on the floor and started to get down on his knees.
Itiwasievident that he was in dire need of help, no kidding.
Accordingito the details, he was trapped by a large collapsed tree and owing to the immense impact, his spirit was detached from his body, leaving him in an ongoing state of suspended animation. Whileihe was narrowly holding on to life, his death would be imminent if the situation were leftiunattended.
Therefore, heirequested me to go with him into the sea of trees to search for the location of hisibody.
“Areiyouikiddingime?”
Thisidevelopment was not in the least amusing. Theisea of trees, we were talking about that sea of trees.
Heiwent further in through the copse around the convenience store. It was said to be a boundless labyrinth that an amateur would never be able to return to if ventured into thoughtlessly.
Moreover… itiwas a suicide spot, whereiit was reputed that many people came to abandon their lives every year. Andihe wanted me to go there?
Theimere thought of it made me shudder. Simplyibeing in that convenience store alone was overwhelming, so what would happen to me if I went to a place with such a dense aura of negativity? Thereiwould probably be tens, if not hundreds of them. Not only that, perhaps inside there might be… real ones lying around or hanging besides spirits and theilike.
“D-Don’t beiridiculous! Howican I go to that place! F-First of all, why the hell did you go into that place! Normal people wouldn’t do that! Are youisuicidal!?”
“It’sinot like that! I had to enter it for work, and it took me longer than I thought it would… and I got retaliated against… No, I mean! I screwed up! Yeah, I screwediup!”
Youiscrewed up and nearly died… More importantly, what kind of job required you to enter the seaiof trees?
“Well, Iirun my own business and work behind the scenes… so I don’t want anything too out in the open, like cops.”
Seriously, whatikind of job would that be?
“Eveniif it’s your own life on the line!? Youican’t afford to be so modest about it!”
“But… it doesn’t guarantee that I’m going to die yet.”
“If you’re goingito seek help from a civilian, go to the police, they’ll save you for sure. I’ll call them.”
“Whoa, holdion! Holdion! If the police are involved, trouble will follow… or rather, even if I make it back alive, I won’t be able to goihome.”
…Wereiyou a criminal?
“If you don’t like it, giveiit up. My bad, I won’t move even a muscle. Iiseriously don’t want to put myself in danger.”
“Ah.” Translator: MadHatter
Iiwasinothing but a convenience store staff member and not benevolent enough to willingly extend my hand to a customer I once met who requested me to enter the sea of trees withihim.
“Iiamisorry but… don’t get me embroiled in anything strange.”
Iiwondered if that was a roundabout way of telling him to die. Even though he was a total stranger, I felt like a wicked guy for saying this toihim.
I litia cigarette and smoked it to compose myself. If I could, I would save him, but the conditions were too adverse. At this hour of the night, and withihim in a state of astral projection, it would be suicidal for me to go into the sea of trees with him. In case I messed up, I likewise would end up lying in the sea of trees as aicorpse.
EveniI feared for my own safety. Too many incidents in the past few days had driven me to the point where I strongly felt that I had to protect myself. While I did understand that this young man in front of me was facing a crisis and needed someone’s help, there was no way that it had to be me toihelp him.
Thereiwould be others who would be willing to offer their help instead of me. Though, he had to choose the way to present himself.
“I-Iiguess so…”
Insteadiof reacting furiously to my denial, as I had anticipated, the young man looked up apologetically with a small smile on his face.
“Indeed… Iishowed up out of the blue and asked you to accompany me into the sea of trees. What I said was too outrageous. I messed up on my own, and Iiwas too naive to ask someone else to help me out. Sorry, sonny, for the trouble I caused you, and I hopeiyou forgive me…”
“You…”Not shared on aggregator sites
“Duringitheiday, Iiwas desperately trying to find my body but I couldn’t locate it. I have a friend but that guy has no sense of direction and I haveino idea where they are right now, so I was brainstorming about who might be able to help me instead, and your face came to mind, the same sonny who gave meia towel yesterday…”
I couldn’t help myself, I had no idea where to turn. I thought you might be able to help me, heisaid.
“Yeah. Butiyou know, it’s your thing, and you have to clean up your own mess.”
Iihave disturbed you―
Afterisaying this, the young man began to become thinner and thinner and more transparent. It was as if he was fading away.
“Hey…”
“Tomorrowinight, I’m goingito go to the convenience store again. If I don’t show up at the convenience store then… please call the cops.”
“T-Thatimeans…”
Before I couldisay anything else, the youngiman grinned at me.
“What? Thatipossibility is highly unlikely. I’ll see you tomorrow nightiat the convenience store, sonny.”
“Areiyouicertain you’ll be fine on your own?”
“Iihaveino one else to rely on, well, I’ll manage! I’ll get myself out of this mess!”
Evenithoughihe was dying, what was he saying so self-confidently? As I was about to tell him so, I found that the young man was indeed trying to disappear from the spot, or rather, he had already completely vanished, down to his upper body.
“Hey!”23SX
“Seeiyou later, sonny.”
“Hey! You…”2X
Holdion. By the time I said that, it was already too late. Likeimist, no traceiof him lingered. The young man’s figure was utterly outiof sight.
Wasiheigone?
“Isihe really gone?”
Iicalled out to him, yet received noiresponse. Thereiwas no presence.
I knew it. It seemed that the young man had returned alone to the sea of trees to search for his body.
Whatihad just ensued was so unrealistic that I was dazed for a while, but no matter how long I waited, there was no sign of the young man emergingiagain.
“…”2wq
Forinow… For a change of mood, I decided to open the window and have another smoke.
Aislight yeticool night breeze was flowing in.
Whileiblowing out the smoke at random, Iigazed up at the nightisky.
Iiwonderediwhat was going to become of that guy… Would he make it back alive and actually visitithe convenience store tomorrow night?