Volume 6 - CH 2.4

I heard the floorboards groaning in the distance. What could be making such a sound?

The woman appeared, crawling on all fours, dragging her breasts and belly on the floor. Her beautiful body was exposed, without shame or reason.

A voice sounded in my head, dry and mocking, the same voice I had heard the day before. I thought I heard it laughing, filled with envy.

I woke up. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. As usual, my vision was shrouded in perpetual darkness. My body was drenched in sweat, and my throat was parched. Wiping my jaw, I tried to stand up, but I sank back down.

Mayuzumi was nowhere to be found. I couldn’t see her pale skin. I was alone in the darkness. I could barely make out the walls, but most of it was enveloped in shadows. With no knowledge of the house’s structure, my only choice was to wait for her to return.

Just as I was about to close my eyes again, the door creaked open. I saw light blue. I looked up to see what was happening and found Mukai standing there, holding something in both hands.

He set it down. “I brought breakfast. Can you eat? You went to bed without having dinner last night. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

Several plates lay on the scarlet tray, filled with food. Unfortunately, they all appeared to me as a murky collection of colors. I picked up a pair of light green chopsticks from the tray and reached out to touch the milky-white container placed at the edge. The heat was enough to almost scorch my thumb, but I held it up to my lips nonetheless, blowing on it to cool it down before taking a sip.

The green tea streamed down my throat, heating it up.

“So,” Mukai spoke up. “It’s not that you can’t see. You can’t just see well.”

“Yes. I’m not completely blind. My eyesight is just really bad. Actually, everything looks weird… Poor eyesight alone shouldn’t be like this.”

The world I saw was darkness painted with shades of color. It wasn’t normal.

Mukai crossed his arms and sat down in front of me, nodding a few times. “I see. Understood. Then, it would be better to turn on the lights in the hallway. So, can you eat alone? Do you need assistance?”

“I can manage. I can see just enough.”

“Very well. On your right, you will find some greens, and next to that, pickled vegetables. Following that is the miso soup, and directly in front of you is rice, with salmon beside it. There shouldn’t be any bones, but if there are, you may blame the fish seller, not me.”

Mukai rose to his feet and left the room. His words echoed in my mind as I studied the tray. The mysterious collection of pale colors now held significance. I reached for the salmon with my chopsticks and brought it to my lips. It was overcooked and excessively salty, robbing moisture from my mouth. I raised the teacup again and drank cautiously.

The door creaked once more. When I looked up, Mukai had returned. He sat down and tilted an iron-colored object in his hand, the sound of water splashing within.

“Here, drink. Or do you prefer hot tea?”

“No, thank you.”

“I’ve been told before that my food is salty and the tea is too hot. Apparently, that is still the case.”

I took the glass and drank the water, finally quenching my thirst. As I handed the glass back, he refilled it and placed it back on the tray.

“Call me when you finish eating. Just shout, and I’ll hear you. I’ll have to guide you to the restroom too. And if you want to wash your face. Forget brushing your teeth, though. Just chew on some cloth.”

Mukai stood up and exited the room once more. I was taken aback. He was much more considerate than I had imagined.

“Thank you very much,” I said.

There was no reply. I reached for the vegetables with my chopsticks and put them in my mouth.

The boiled vegetables were salty.

After showing me to the toilet, I was made to sit down somewhere.

“Just stay there,” Mukai said. “Mayuzumi will be here soon. And that thing will handle the rest.”

I extended my hands and felt the smooth texture of a low table. Mukai handed me something orange and promptly retreated. I peeled the withered orange fruit and started eating.

I could hear the sound of dishes being washed. Household chores wasn’t exactly Mukai’s forte, apparently. I was surprised to find out he lived this way, considering he had a woman in attendance.

“So you do your own chores,” I said. “I’m sorry for sounding rude, but it’s just surprising. I thought espers don’t usually do things like this.”

“You’re a strange man. What’s surprising about it? Who else is going to do laundry, cook, and personal care if I don’t do it myself? Do you think anyone will do it for me?”

Mukai picked up a cloth and started wiping the plates. I could hear them being arranged.

“People like Mayuzumi are in the small minority,” he continued. “Most espers are good-for-nothings with hobbies and interests, just like ordinary people. They can’t escape obligations, love, daily necessities, troubles, inconveniences, and relationships.”

There was a sharp sound, like a plate being chipped. Mukai clicked his tongue and continued washing the dishes.

“If I had money, I would live with her and never step outside,” Mukai went on. “Who in their right would want to dispose of bodies? But it pays well. All money goes to her expenses, though. She’s like a beloved wife to me. I don’t mind spending whatever amount of money on her.”

After cleaning the dishes, Mukai sat down across from me. I still couldn’t see his figure clearly. He started peeling an orange he produced from somewhere.

The round fruit came apart like a delicate flower bud unfurling.

“That’s what you wanted to say, right? Espers are, well, freaks. Every single one of them are outcasts. We have no choice but to depend on others to survive. Espers or not, they’re all the same in that sense. Say, that orange tastes awful, doesn’t it?”

Mukai tossed the orange into his mouth. I could hear him chewing on the fruit. He was right. The orange was not juicy. I nodded wordlessly, and Mukai let out a dry laugh.

“Mine tastes awful too. Relax. I’m an old man about to kick the bucket. Mayuzumi is a rude girl with a sharp tongue. That’s all. You look like you get scared at the mere mention of espers. But I suppose I’m an odd one too for keeping that thing. Understandable.”

Mukai appeared to have convinced himself of something. He swallowed the orange and fell silent. I recalled what I saw yesterday—the pale woman’s naked body. I couldn’t deny being drawn to that flesh while I was sleeping. She was exceedingly abnormal, yet had a tremendous allure.

“What is your ability?” I asked. “Is it related to that woman?”

“Hmm? It is,” Mukai replied. “My ability is her. You shouldn’t ask for details. I’m human, yet also inhuman. It’s good that you can’t see. Don’t ask about things that will make you sick.”

Mukai clamped his mouth shut and scratched his skin roughly. We sat in silence.

I processed what he just said. His backstory was very different from other espers, like Ashiro and Yuri. It reminded me of Higasa who struggled to survive, unable to rely on either espers or ordinary people. They were humans, too. And humans have to find a way to keep on living.

If you were a human being, there was no need to distinguish yourself from ordinary people. That was what Mukai was trying to say.

“So when is Mayuzumi coming back?” he asked. “You need her help to move around.”

At that moment, I heard a sound in the distance. Mayuzumi was coming toward us. But there seemed to be more than one set of footsteps.

Seconds later, pale arms and legs appeared in the darkness.

“Mukai, are you there? You have guests.”

“I know that already. Get your butt over here.”

The floor creaked as Mayuzumi entered the room. Another shadow appeared behind her.

A long, pale face emerged in the darkness. His body blended into the shadows, probably wearing the same black outfit as Mayuzumi. He was quite tall, his face floating far above Mayuzumi’s face.

His white visage looked like the face of the Grim Reaper.

Mukai clicked his tongue. “I didn’t know he was coming.”

The man resembling the Grim Reaper slowly bent at the waist.

“It’s been a long time, Father.”

His voice was soft to the point of being unsettling.

A crescent-shaped smile appeared on his white face.