“Phew…”
I exited the bathroom with a relieved expression. I got lost, but I made it in time. I should have asked for directions. I realized that too late, as I was already lost.
I remember the way back, so I can go without getting lost. Turn right at this corner, straight ahead until you reach the end, then left, then immediately right, diagonally left at the intersection, through the crossing passage, left at the second crossroads, then straight left-right-left-left-right. Who designed this place, anyway?
“—“
As I walked without hesitation, I heard a strange sound coming from somewhere.
Is that… a person’s voice? Not just a noise. It’s a woman’s voice. It’s coming from a room right in front of me.
The door isn’t locked, it’s slightly ajar.
I’m sure this venue was supposed to be reserved for today. Is it a staff member or a cleaner? But the staff should be busy with the main event, and there are no signs of cleaning in progress.
I’m torn about whether to ignore it or investigate. But if it’s a suspicious person, that’s not good. There are so many security guards, they couldn’t have missed anything, but there’s always a chance.
I approached and listened carefully.
“Um, yeah. I guess so. We’re both heroes, so we should get along. But what if they hate me…? You think I’ll be okay if I’m more energetic? Can I do that…? Okay, I’ll try that.”
A listless voice. Is she talking to someone? No, I can only hear one voice. Is there someone else here not speaking, then?
I peeked quietly through the gap in the door.
“What does it mean to be energetic? Like this…? It’s difficult… I’m not good with cheerful people, so I don’t really know. When I see someone confident, I feel like garbage and want to die. But you don’t have to worry about that. Human relationships are tough… Anyway, everyone’s so slow.”
If I had to describe her in one word, she was like a condensed aura of darkness.
She’s not showing her face, so I can’t see her expression. She’s sitting on the floor, pulling out her long hair strand by strand. There’s no one around to talk to, and if it were midnight, I’d be scared enough to pee myself.
My heart warned me not to get involved with this person. I was about to pretend I didn’t see anything and quietly close the door.
“Oh.”
But at that moment, the woman raised her head, and our eyes met through the gap in the door.
Surprisingly, she has a well-defined face. Her features are sharp, and she’s undeniably beautiful. Her figure is also good, and at first glance, she looks like an adult beauty. But more than that, the heavy dark circles under her eyes and the blood-soaked bandages all over her body overshadowed any other impression.
“Who…? Are you a hero…? Uh, h-hi…”
The woman waved lightly. She probably intended to smile friendly, but her face twisted awkwardly. It’s actually scary.
“I-I’m just… a stranger.”
I unintentionally used honorific language. She’s definitely suspicious. I should report her.
“Huh…?”
As I tried to make a U-turn at full speed, I realized.
Wait a minute… Why didn’t I notice earlier? Her hair color is the same black as mine. And her eye color is also black. It’s rare, or rather, she’s the first person other than me I’ve seen like this.
I took another look at the woman from below.
Her glamorous cleavage peeking out from the black dress. Her pale skin looked unhealthy, and I became anxious about whether she was eating properly.
As I looked up, my gaze stopped at the distinctive dark purple pattern on her collarbone area
There was a distinctive pattern in dark purple – the holy mark [Holy Seal].
…Wait a minute. Could she be…?
“Kas-Entma? You’re the hero…”
“Y-yeah… that’s right… but…”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
I thought I was the only one who had changed.
Being different means deviating from the norm, and it can be perceived positively or negatively by society.
But for me, being different is a compliment. I value being myself above all else, and I strive to live authentically every day.
Even if I’m labeled as weird and criticized, I’ll continue on my own path. In my eighteen years of life, I’ve never seen anyone change more than me.
But it seems that’s about to change today.
“Should I approach him? But what should I talk about… I’m not good at making funny conversation, and if I come off as boring… huh, could that story make him laugh? Really?”
The girl in front of me is having a conversation with her imaginary friend right in front of me. Compared to that, I’m too ordinary. The world is vast. I already feel like I want nothing to do with this in just a few minutes.
“Well then, I’ll be going now. Maybe next time.”
“W-Wait!”
As I turn to leave, my arm is firmly grasped.
“Umm… do you, um, like bugs… or something?”
She asks me with a creepy laugh and a sidelong glance.
“I don’t hate them, but I don’t like them either.”
“W-Would you like to be friends?”
“Why though? I don’t want to.”
It feels like the conversational ball has been dropped a hundred times. Was she throwing it against a wall by herself?
“I’ve never met someone who didn’t say they didn’t like me…”
She looks up at me with hopeful eyes. I don’t know why, but it seems like my impression has improved in her eyes. I was the worst though, wasn’t I?
“Um, so it’s still a no…? I guess I’m just better off dead, being a creepy, gloomy piece of trash…”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
“S-So, um, would you be my friend?”
“…Well, I’ll consider it carefully and get back to you.”
“Maybe I should just die. It’s not like life is enjoyable anyway…”
“Hey, that’s not fair, you coward!”
Is that your last resort?!
“Kids run away just by looking at me, I’m unlucky, I fall and get hurt every day, I fail at work and get scolded every day, I’m a cursed hero so everyone avoids me, my only friends are the bugs I control… What’s the point of living?”
“There is a point! There definitely is! I don’t know anything about you, but there is!”
When I encourage her half-heartedly, she lifts her head, “Is that so…?”
She’s negative, to say the least. She’s not different from what she looks like. Honestly, I don’t want to deal with her anymore.
Come to think of it, there seem to be a lot of weirdos among today’s heroes. They all seem to have one or two quirks. Among them, she’s top class.
“…Huh? Hero?”
Right, come to think of it, she’s a hero too. That’s a good idea.
“Sure, why not?”
“Huh?”
“It’s okay to be friends. But there are conditions.”
“Really?”
She brightens up instantly. I didn’t want to have anything to do with her because she’s the source of the spark.
“Tell me Leti’s amazing secret. If you tell me that, we’re friends.”
That’s what I wanted to know. If I can find out here, I won’t need to be here anymore. She and I will be happy, and everyone will be happy!
“Leti’s amazing secret? If I tell you, will you become my friend?”
“Yeah. If you tell me, we’ll be best friends.”
But now that I think about it, she probably doesn’t know anything, considering she doesn’t seem to have any connections. So I don’t want to deal with her anymore, let’s go back to the venue.
“Well, I’m sure you don’t know, so…”
“Huh? I know, though…”
“…You know?”
“Yeah. It’s a super secret.”
Gulp, I swallow hard. Seriously, do you know?
“…Can you tell me?”
“But Leti-chan probably wants to keep it a secret…”
“It’s okay, I won’t tell anyone!”
“Well… Let me see…”
After some pushing and pulling, I finally manage to get her to talk.
“Well, you know, the thing is, …… “
Oh, yeah. …… “
“Letinoa, right? …… “
” Oh, ……! “
When my anticipation reached its peak—
“It was around here, there was a mole about this big…!”
She lifted her right leg, pointed around the base of her thigh, and said that…!
…?
…………??
………………????
“I saw it when we gathered with the heroes before, it’s usually hidden but I saw it when she was changing…! This must be the amazing secret that Letinoa-chan is hiding…!?”
Kaas’s face was filled with excitement. I looked up at the sky through the window. It was clear weather.
“This… this makes us friends, right…? Hehe, hehehe…”
“…Yeah, we’re best friends now. Let’s make a rule to commemorate becoming friends.”
“A rule? Sure, what is it?”
“It’s simple. Never talk to me again. If you break it, you’re dead.”
“Okay! …Huh?”
Ignoring the bewildered Kaas trailing behind, I headed towards the venue.
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