How should I describe the weather outside? The sunlight was hidden behind layers of mist, but the sun still seemed to be fighting its way through.
What did I think of the weather?
Honestly, whether the sky was clear or rain fell in a gentle drizzle, it never had any particularly noticeable physical effect on me. I felt nothing special when raindrops fell on my face or sunlight slipped across my fingertips.
So whether the weather was good or bad depended more on my mood. Like now, I thought the atmosphere was just right.
Perhaps it was an instinctive reaction, but the heaviness and restlessness before the light returned seemed a little like my current situation.
All in all, everything felt just right.
Well, I liked making fresh, delicious food myself, so every day or two I went out to buy ingredients and cook. As it happened, I'd just used up everything in the fridge.
So I'd take advantage of this leisurely afternoon to go for a stroll and enjoy life a little.
I opened the door, and a spring breeze carrying the scent of cherry blossoms brushed past me. Red maple leaves were scattered along the roadside.
The seafood market wasn't too far away. It was only about a fifteen-minute walk along the coast.
Sometimes, as I stood on the beach and gazed out at the boundless ocean, I'd feel an odd sense of unreality and a little uncertainty. Even though I'd mastered so much knowledge to near perfection—or at least, in my own understanding, I'd done things perfectly—I still felt somewhat out of my depth.
Maybe I just hadn't settled into my new life yet. No matter how much I'd longed to cross into another world, it had only been a way of giving up on or complaining about my former self in my previous world. But now that it had actually happened to me, I was a little scared. I was afraid it was all just a dream, afraid that after accepting how exceptional my new circumstances were, I'd end up back in my old life.
If I'd been told from the start that I'd live an ordinary life forever, perhaps it wouldn't have been so hard to accept. But after seeing and experiencing the beautiful scenery outside the window, even if I had to return to my old little room, I'd keep imagining the world outside that wasn't mine.
Maybe this state of mind was why I didn't feel fully at one with my body. It was making room for me, trying to convince me to accept it, but I couldn't help feeling that something was missing.
Still, there was no need to rush. I was just as content to keep moving at my current pace.
I bought a few ingredients. It looked like rain was coming; the dark clouds overhead had gathered thickly and grown even heavier since I'd left. Hadn't the sky been about to clear up when I went out? At least I'd brought a small umbrella with me.
Still, I didn't want to get caught in the rain, so I wasn't in the mood to take the main road today. I could get home a little faster by cutting through this nameless alley. It was a bit of a maze, but that was nothing I couldn't handle.
Raindrops began to fall, and I opened my umbrella. By chance, I heard a commotion nearby. It wasn't as if I was the kind of person who stuck their nose into other people's business, but there were unmistakable screams from a girl mixed in. Curiosity got the better of me, and I went to investigate.
The deeper I went, the harder it was to find my way out. The roads branched off in every direction. I hadn't planned to go any farther, but at the intersection, a girl happened to bump into me.
She didn't even apologize. First, she glanced behind her to see if anyone was chasing her. When she saw no one there, she pulled me straight into an inconspicuous corner.
The sky had darkened, and I could only vaguely make out her lovely figure and the ponytail tied up in her slightly golden hair.
"Hey, what are you standing in the middle of the road for?"
She raised her head and looked at me coldly. Beneath the sweat on her forehead and her slightly disheveled bangs from running, a cute face came into view.
Well, she was a super-cute girl, but her eyes were cold.
Even dressed up as a frivolous, flashy girl, her cuteness showed through. I could tell from the way she instinctively tried to cover her thighs and tug down her hem.
After all, there was quite a contrast between the stiff way she spoke and the cold expression she wore, and the way she instinctively tried to protect herself when she saw a boy. It was pretty cute, actually, though she might not realize it herself.
"You're the one who bumped into me."
"What? You're partly to blame too."
Damn it, don't try to pin the blame on me just because you're cute.
Forget it. I'd let it go for now. Raindrops trickled from her hair onto the ground, and her light-blue shirt was soaked through.
I moved a little closer to her so the umbrella could cover her too.
She didn't seem to understand my kind gesture and instinctively wrapped her arms around her chest.
Sure, her light-blue shirt had turned a little transparent from the rain, but it wasn't like I had those kinds of thoughts!
I just didn't want her getting rained on.
To avoid being misunderstood, I decided to end the awkward moment and explain.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I just didn't want you to catch a cold from the rain."
"Really?"
She still looked a little distrustful and edged closer to the wall.
I handed her my umbrella. She hesitated briefly, then took it.
Did I really look that much like a bad guy?
I rubbed my chin and looked her up and down.
Wouldn't it be a shame not to tease her a little, given that she seemed to be thinking that about me?
I braced one hand against the wall behind her shoulder and lowered my head.
We were close enough that the warm breath from her little mouth brushed straight against my face. She instinctively tried to dodge, but couldn't move.
People naturally kept their distance from one another. Strangers usually left some space between them when they talked; crossing that boundary made both parties uncomfortable. Friends stood a little closer. The most intimate distance was usually reserved for the people we trusted most, because trust meant that even standing close wouldn't make us feel uneasy.
I simply gazed at her. Maybe it had all happened too suddenly for her to react, but after meeting my eyes for a while, she blushed and turned her head away.
Well, I had to admit that her features were exquisitely delicate. Maybe it was the stuffy atmosphere of the thunderstorm, but even my breathing had grown a little rushed.
I tilted my head and leaned closer to her face.
She turned her flushed face aside and drew a deep breath. One hand pressed against my chest.
"W-what are you trying to do?"
At the sight of her panicked expression, the cold and haughty facade she'd been putting on vanished completely.
"I just wanted to prove to you that if I had any improper intentions, I would've acted on them already."
She bit her lip and glanced up at me, then lowered her blushing face again to avoid my gaze.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded at the intersection, accompanied by a string of curses.
"Who would've thought that bitch would get the better of us today? What a pain."
"Exactly. She really got bold today. We were already doing her a favor by not going after her, and she still dared to come after us."
"Ugh, what a pain! What was that stuff she used? It's filthy and stinks even more in the rain."
"Hmph. When we catch her, I'll make sure she remembers all the 'fun' she's had these past three years!"
It seemed the group had been roughed up a bit by the girl they were talking about. They didn't notice us around the corner and walked straight past.
Come to think of it, the girl in front of me had been running around in a panic earlier. Was she the one who'd done this? No wonder she hadn't been watching where she was going.
I didn't dwell on the little incident. I peered out at the intersection and saw that the passage was empty.
"Let's go. No one's around."
I motioned that she could leave, then noticed that my trouser leg had been splashed by the rain.
Hm? Shouldn't the umbrella have been big enough to cover us both? I turned around and found her still standing there, looking sweet and innocent.
When she saw me look back, she blinked her big eyes innocently and pointed to the inside of her knee.
"Um, I accidentally bumped it just now..."
"...What, do you want me to carry you?"
"I never said anything like that! Don't jump to conclusions all by yourself."
She really wasn't straightforward.
She awkwardly looked away.
"Then try walking."
She tried to take a step, but seemed to press her lips together involuntarily when it hurt.
"You're still trying to tough it out?"
"I-I'm not! It doesn't hurt at all, okay?"
I handed her the shopping bag and crouched down.
"I'm really fine..."
Her soft body settled against my back, and her quiet murmurs lingered by my ear.
The main reason I'd decided to help her was that I believed in standing up for people in trouble. It definitely had nothing to do with how cute she was or anything like that.
Yeah. Probably.