It wasn't ordinary realism.
Nor was it urban fantasy...
But the fact that the glass in the reptile house had broken...
Was already an incredibly bizarre thing.
After experiencing something that bizarre...
Encountering a snake filled with spirituality...
Wasn't so... impossible to believe, right?
The girl didn't know.
But she had had enough of other people acting strangely while pretending to comfort her.
In a fit of pique, she stopped trying to tell anyone about her experiences.
Of course.
After two failures, the girl no longer had anyone else she was close enough to confide in.
The girl noticed that after she stopped mentioning the red-eyed python, her family and friends all seemed somewhat relieved.
They no longer kept such a close watch over her.
They began to believe that her condition really was gradually improving.
That she was slowly breaking free from the effects of that day's incident.
Girl:...
She decided that the red-eyed python would remain a secret belonging only to her.
Finally, the girl could go out alone, and her parents no longer insisted on accompanying her.
Early one morning, the girl boarded a bus bound for the zoo.
Buses back then weren't as deserted as they were now, with barely anyone riding them.
Even though it was still early, the bus was packed with office workers heading to work early, along with energetic elderly people.
There were also children following the elderly passengers, shouting excitedly.
In short, the bus was lively.
There was none of the desolation of early morning.
The girl gripped the handrail tightly.
Her eyes stared out the window.
Her gaze was somewhat unfocused.
Her mind was filled with the red-eyed python.
So many days had passed...
Did the red-eyed python still remember her?