"11 years old."
"I'm 12."
When did you lose your sight?
"This is reopening old wounds."
"Sorry."
"Yes, I forgive you."
Haru nodded.
"5 years ago."
"It's been so long..."
"It's been a long time."
Haru fell silent, while Kita smiled.
What should I call you?
"Anything is fine."
How about kitten?
"...Whatever you want."
Nekoyashiki Haru said.
"Then, kitten... do you still want to draw?"
"It's not a question of whether or not I want to, but whether or not I can."
Kita approached Haru and whispered in his ear.
"Give it a try; pursuing your dreams is a beautiful thing."
"I can't do it."
"You can do it, I hope you can."
Kita's cheeks flushed an unnatural red as she grabbed Haru's hand, speaking as if in a coquettish tone.
"Why…"
Haru uttered a questioning sound.
"What?"
Kita smiled and asked.
"Why are you telling me all this? From the very beginning... we've only just met, haven't we?"
"Hmm...because...I've already been captivated by you."
"...a strange person."
"Ah...it is strange, everyone says I'm strange, but I'm very popular."
Kita smiled and then placed Nekoyashiki Haru's hand on her cheek.
"Please touch me carefully, and remember my appearance."
Why are you so beautiful, even though beauty itself rejected you?
Maybe they're just jealous of what you have.
I understand. I really do.
You never let go.
Kita stepped forward and hugged Haru, bringing her red hair close to the boy's nose.
"Please smell it carefully, and remember my scent forever..."
Every year... every year every year...
Your white shirt has paint stains on it.
I know you haven't let go, so I'm here to help you...
If it helps you achieve your wishes and helps you resolve the knots in your heart.
In return, I will possess your beauty.
…
...…
Vol 1: The Blind Boy and the Pink Soft Creature
The wind today is quite noisy.
The boy, dragging his suitcase, stopped in front of the station. The bright sun made his jet-black hair shine. He was wearing black sunglasses, the dark lenses completely covering his eyes.
The boy was very handsome, even with sunglasses on. To describe him... his features were three-dimensional but not overly prominent, instead exuding a soft and harmonious feel. His overall appearance was androgynous, the kind of handsome guy you'd only see on social media, the kind with a melancholic vibe.
He was wearing gray clothes, loose and obviously ill-fitting, yet they looked so unique on him…
That's right! It's all about individuality! Only people with a strong sense of individuality would dress like this!
So why did I have to meet someone like this?!
A pink-haired girl carrying a guitar met a boy on the only passageway in the station at that moment.
What do I do?! It's about to hit us! 5 meters! 2 meters! It's coming!
Although it was just a very ordinary passing by, the pink-haired girl named Gotou Hitori found it hard to think that way.
The aloofness he exuded, so unique to handsome men and beautiful women, almost crushed me! It felt like stepping on a caterpillar!
Just a fleeting moment, and my body will be completely reduced to ashes in this wind; I will vanish!
Gotou Hitori's expression completely collapsed, and her facial features began to shift.
Just like that, it's over! Gotou Hitori, hold on a little longer! We'll be just passing each other by...
Sizzle.
"?"
Hitori looked down at her feet, as if he had stepped on something.
Yellow and black... banana peel?
Banana peel?!
Sizzle————
The secreted water and sugar instantly propelled Gotou Hitori forward.
"Whoa!!!"
"!"
The boy in front of him seemed to have heard the sound before he reacted, turning his head towards Hitori, and then…
Bang!
The boy… Haru felt something soft knock him down, and the next moment, he lost his balance and fell to the ground behind him.
Bang!
"Ahhh! I'm so sorry, so sorry, so sorry!!!"
Hitori quickly sat up from Haru and apologized to the boy who was lying on the ground with his arms outstretched, staring blankly at the sky.
"...It's okay...but if possible, I hope you can get off me, otherwise I can't get up."
"Ah! I understand!"
Hitori quickly stood up and walked to the other side.
Looking at Haru lying on the ground, her lips couldn't help but twist in pain.
Ha...haha...my life is over...
This handsome guy must have a lot of friends, right? Tomorrow? The day after? I'll definitely be surrounded by his friends, beaten and kicked, and eventually accidentally killed by them, only to be thrown into a stinking ditch...
Ha...haha...I'm going to die, Gotou Hitori is going to die...
I'm sorry, Mom and Dad... You've raised someone like me for so long...
I'm sorry, Ryo, Ijichi, I might not be able to come back and play with you guys every day anymore.
Hitori was lost in her own world, imagining all sorts of things, but the scene before her quickly shattered all her fantasies.
The boy sat up and took out a silver-white stick-shaped object from his pocket.
Then he flicked it.
Click click click click…
The stick-like object instantly transformed into a silver staff. Haru extended the staff around, and the metal tip quickly touched the base of the wall on the side of the street. After confirming the distance, Haru leaned over, supporting himself against the wall with one hand as he stood up.
"…"
Click...
Hitori gradually lost color, and cracks seemed to appear on its body...
Blind...blind...blind...blind person...
I knocked down a blind person!
This is a real death sentence! I'm going to die! I'm absolutely going to die! If others don't execute me, I'll execute myself!
slap slap...
Haru dusted himself off and looked around.
Upon witnessing this scene, Hitori quickly realized that the other party was looking for her. Trembling, she snapped out of her reverie and whispered.
"Ah... I'm here."
Haru paused for a moment, then turned to Hitori.
"I'm fine, don't worry about it... Miss or classmate? You sound very young, you must be in school?"
"Ah...you...you're right..."
"My name is Nekoyashiki Haru, and yours is?
"Ah…Ah… Gotou Hitori …"
"Oh, I see. Please don't take it to heart. I used to live here, so this is kind of a return visit. I was a little relaxed and wanted to see if things were still the same, so I tried not to bring my cane. I was also partly responsible for bumping into you. Sorry. Well then, goodbye."
Haru's cane rhythmically tapped the ground left and right as the boy continued walking into Shimokitazawa.
Hitori stared blankly at the boy who was about to disappear behind her.
That said, he spoke so politely, using only honorifics... yet I still bumped into him...
"...No, no, no, no..."
Gotou Hitori shook his head frantically on the spot.
She just knocked a blind person down and left without saying a word. That's just awful.
Although going back and pretending nothing happened is a very tempting option, it's still not an option.