I’m a Telepath, but It’s Tough Because the Cool Beautiful Girl Next to Me Is Having Pink Thoughts - Chapter 27

After the slightly awkward series of events at the crepe shop, we finally arrived at our destination, the theater. Ever since that brief, the unexpected contact of crepes had felt strangely sweet, and it probably wasn’t just my imagination.

“I thought we got here pretty early, but the seats are filling up faster than I expected.”

We walked down the stairs toward our assigned seats.

Indeed, it had only been about five minutes since the doors opened. We had arrived with roughly forty minutes to spare before the show, yet around seventy percent of the seats were already taken. I’d never been to a place like this, so I didn’t know what was normal, but people seemed to gather unusually fast.

“Well, I guess everyone thinks the same way. Once the seats fill up, it’s a hassle to find your own.”

“Yeah… that makes sense.”

By then, we had finally reached our seats. Since mine were farther in, I led the way. 

The soft, cushioned chairs welcomed me as I sat. It was comfortable, or maybe too comfortable. I worried I might fall asleep during the performance, but that was something I’d just have to deal with.

While we waited for the show to start, she flipped through the program and the original novel. Maybe she was bored, or maybe it was the awkward silence. I thought about starting a conversation but stopped, sensing her mood.

She looked very serious, like a warrior preparing carefully before facing a powerful enemy. I could even sense her focus through the telepathy. She was mentally running through the story and the stage production, analyzing everything.

I didn’t know if this was just how Tatsuki prepared for a show, or if it was normal for anyone who watched theater seriously. Either way, I didn’t want to interfere. I’d just quietly follow along.

She spent a little while reading and flipping through the materials.

“Thank you very much for coming today. Before we begin the performance, we would like to—”

A clear, confident male voice announced from above.

Tatsuki and I exchanged a quick glance, then put our things away. Soon, the lights in the theater began to dim little by little.

A quiet tension filled the room. Reality and fiction were about to overlap. At times like this, I wished my telepathy would stop, but I forced myself to bear it.

In the dark, a small light appeared on the stage. Then the curtain rose, signaling the start of the story.

—

It’s not like I think of myself as some special person.. no, that wouldn’t be entirely true either with a weird ability like telepathy. But I want to be clear, I don’t brag about it or think it’s anything noble.

I rarely get truly moved by things. By that, I mean feeling strong emotions, sadness, surprise, excitement, or anything that really stirs the heart.

I remember being more emotional than most when I was younger, but people change, and at some point… Well, I can roughly guess when, but since then, only really extraordinary things have shaken me deeply.

It’s kind of ironic. I’m sensitive to other people’s feelings, yet my own emotions feel thin.

Anyway, the point is, I thought my reaction to this play would be simple, “That was interesting,” or “That was impressive,” nothing beyond what anyone could feel.

The play was reaching its climax. The most intense part of the story. The scene Tatsuki had been looking forward to the most, though she probably felt anxious, too.

A quick recap, in “The Vampire Next Door,” vampires and humans have been enemies for a long time. So when the human protagonist and the heroine, Rouge, fall in love, the world isn’t willing to forgive them.

They flee across Japan and beyond, but the human protagonist slowly weakens from injuries and stress.

“I don’t want to see you get weaker…”

“I… I won’t leave you alone. I promised that day, didn’t I?”

Rouge tells him he can’t save her, while the protagonist swears to stay with her no matter what. They argue through tears, one of the most memorable scenes in the story. I could even hear some sniffles from the audience.

“Hey! Found you! Over here!”

Then, just as the emotions peak, vampire hunters show up, breaking the tension. Exaggerated in true theater style, they quickly corner the couple.

Despite his weakness, the protagonist stands in their way, holding a shaky pistol. A heroic moment. But what follows is the story’s ultimate climax.

Rouge makes him her subordinate and, by her command, he loses consciousness. Part of the command even makes him forget her. He desperately calls her name as his awareness fades. She flies away elegantly, leaving him behind, and the scene cuts to black. The protagonist’s beloved has saved him at the cost of his own memory. A tragic and heart-wrenching.

The epilogue takes place later, so I’ll skip those details.

By this scene, nearly every audience member had tears in their eyes.

I was even filled with sadness. It’s not like I don’t feel emotions at all… but whether this counts as being truly moved is another matter. Somewhere inside, I still drew a line between fiction and reality, and my heart hadn’t been stirred enough to produce tears from real emotion.

Then, what about Tatsuki?

The performance itself was probably of decent quality, so she wouldn’t be disappointed. But, did it move her enough to loosen that usual poker face, even just a little?

As the protagonist’s lines echoed on stage, I glanced at her.

Tatsuki came into view. And I immediately noticed a strong change.

Her hair hadn’t changed, with each strand like fine silk.

Her pale, flawless arms visible from her casual sleeves hadn’t changed.

Her face, so beautiful it could be a gift from the gods, and the aura she gave off. Nothing had changed.

What had changed was her expression.

Even with our brief interactions, I already knew Tatsuki wasn’t some cold, emotionless pink thoughts in her mind. She could laugh, feel joy, and feel sadness. Just that her emotions rarely showed on her face.

But seeing her now… I froze. Maybe this is what they mean by catching one’s breath.

Tears streamed down her cheeks, and those sharp, precise eyes of hers had softened with compassion, sorrow, and sympathy.

I couldn’t look away.

I don’t want to call it falling in love; that sounds trivial. Yet even with my ability to hear thoughts, I couldn’t find the right words to describe what I was feeling.

The only thing I could clearly say was this… I was moved.

And at the same time, I realized how this story’s ending would unfold.