That Half-Finished Drink Was Lethal— What Happened When I Left My Bottle Behind in a 1:4 Male-to-Female World - 33

Chapter 33: With This Anger and This Sorrow — Smartphones and Tropical Fish

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White. That was the only thing I thought the moment I opened my eyes. The ceiling was white.

(This isn’t the ceiling of my room…)

I slowly pushed myself up. My head felt heavy. It was a strange sensation, like being pulled up from the bottom of a pool of water. As I looked around, I realized it was a room I had never seen before. It was spacious. Abnormally spacious. A space that looked like it could fit ten of my four-and-a-half-mat room. The walls were pure white, the furniture was all elegant, and the floor was covered with a rug that looked soft to the touch.

I approached the window. Looking outside, I involuntarily caught my breath. The cars looked like tiny beans. The people looked like ants.

(This place is incredibly high up.)

“Are you awake?”

A voice came from behind me. When I turned around, Rin-san was there.

She wasn’t in her usual suit. Wearing a soft-looking white dress, she stood in front of a table. On the table, steaming soup and a carefully plated meal were laid out.

It was as if she had been waiting here for a long time.

“…Rin-san.”

“Good morning, Yuu-kun. Did you sleep well?”

She gave a beaming, perfect smile.

(In the elevator, I was made to smell something.)

My memories started coming back. She told me we were going to see Yuki-chan, we got into the elevator, and then—

“Where is this?”

“It’s my new home. I prepared it for you, Yuu-kun.”

“…For me?”

“That’s right.”

Rin-san pulled out a chair and gestured for me to sit.

“The remnants of the Ootori Group are still targeting you. It’s dangerous for you to stay in that run-down apartment.”

(That’s a lie.)

I knew it immediately. Kisaragi-san had invalidated the three-hundred-million-yen contract, and Reika-san was removed from the Ootori Group’s registry. She was now washing dishes at Les Ailes. There was no way there were any remnants left.

But…

(Yelling here won’t change anything.)

I sat in the chair.

“…Thank you for the meal.”

“Enjoy.”

I took a sip of the soup. It was delicious. The broth had been carefully prepared; it was a flavor that seeped into my body.

“…It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad. I made it into a flavor I thought you’d like.”

Rin-san smiled happily. Looking at that face, anger and exasperation hit me at the same time. She was the person who became the foster parent for the white cat, Yuki. I knew how hard she worked. Even when she honestly told me about her strange fetishes, I couldn’t bring myself to hate her.

But..

(This is really going too far.)

“Rin-san.”

“What is it?”

“I was planning to contact Kujo-san today…”

“I canceled it for you.”

“…Eh?”

“From your smartphone. I said that an urgent matter came up.”

She said it so nonchalantly that I was lost for words. My phone was set to unlock with fingerprint authentication. In other words, she used my finger to unlock it while I was sleeping. My hand holding the spoon stopped.

“To Miya-san too?”

“I told her you wouldn’t be coming home for a while because you’ll be busy.”

“…What about Hikari-chan?”

“I sent a message saying you can’t go to practice for a while.”

“Shizuku-sa—-“

“I sent it.”

“…………”

“Your food is going to get cold, you know?”

Rin-san smiled once more. I put down the spoon.

“Rin-san, will you listen to what I have to say?”

“Of course.”

“I want to live on my own two feet. Earning for myself, deciding for myself. I know you’re worried about me, but I think that’s something for me to decide.”

Rin-san’s hand moved slightly on the table.

“…The Ootori remnants are truly dangerous. I looked into it through my connections.”

“What kind of remnants? How many are there, and where are they?”

“That is…”

“Rin-san.”

I spoke as calmly as possible.

“I believe I should be the one to decide my own life.”

There was a moment of silence. Rin-san looked out the window, then slowly returned her gaze to me.

“…For dessert, we have fruit. Would you like some?”

She didn’t answer me.

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The meal ended, and Rin-san began to clean up. I stood up and walked around the room. I checked the entrance. It was locked with a passcode system. I didn’t know the numbers. I put my hand on the window. It wouldn’t budge. It seemed to have a safety lock engaged, and perhaps because it was the top floor, I couldn’t even find a keyhole.

(I’m completely trapped.)

I took out my phone and opened the screen. Messages I would never write were being sent under my name.

The chat screen with Kujo-san:

『After thinking it through, I decided to turn down the part-time job offer. Please don’t contact me anymore.』

The replies to Les Ailes had also stopped. The chat screen with Shizuku-san:

『Thank you again for the matter with Reika-san. However, every time I visit the office I remember the trauma, so I’m going to stop going there. Thank you for everything until now.』

The chat screen with Miya:

『Miya-san, thank you for everything while we lived next to each other. Since my move has been decided, I won’t be returning there. Thank you for your help.』

The chat screen with Hikari-chan:

『I was wondering if I should seriously continue with basketball, but I’ve decided to quit after all. Thank you for sticking with me until now.』

(This is horrible.)

A dry breath escaped me involuntarily. It wasn’t that I wanted to scream. It wasn’t exactly anger. It was something else.

(I believe it’s true that Rin-san is worried about me. I understand that. But, when someone does something like this…)

(Even if I don’t want to hate someone I liked, I end up doing it.)

That was much sadder. I sat down on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. A white ceiling. Without a single blemish.

(Rin-san isn’t a bad person.)

That much, I knew. She took care of Yuki, brought me food, and never stopped smiling even when she was exhausted from work. It must have taken courage for her to tell me honestly about her strange fetishes. When she confessed that to me, I was surprised, but I couldn’t hate her.

But…

(This is clearly a different matter.)

Drugging me to sleep, taking me away without permission, and even manipulating my phone. There was no internet connection either, so I couldn’t reply or call for help. No matter how much she was worried about me, this was going too far.

(I’ll stay quiet for a while, if only to calm myself down.)

(I don’t know what Rin-san might do if I provoke her. For now, I have no choice but to spend my time peacefully and wait for an opportunity to act.)

“Yuu-kun, I’ve finished cutting the fruit.”

A bright voice came from the kitchen. I stood up and stood before the window once more. The city was beginning to be stained by the twilight. Orange light spread through the gaps between the buildings that looked like miniatures.

Miya was out there somewhere. That person who was flying the drone was there. Kujo-san was there. Reika-san was there. Shizuku-san was there. Hikari-chan was there.

(I hope someone notices.)

The twilight city was distant, quiet, and endlessly small. Behind me, I heard the sound of Rin-san plating the fruit on a dish.

“Yuu-kun?”

“…I’m coming.”

“Hey, could you lend me your phone for a second?”

Before I realized it, the phone that should have been in my hand was gone. I had no idea when she had taken it. Rin-san walked slowly toward the corner of the room just like that. She stopped in front of a tank where tropical fish were swimming.

Plop.

Inside the tank, the screen lit up for an instant and then went dark. Rin-san watched the sinking phone for a while. Then, she turned toward me.

“I’ll prepare a new one for you.”

She said with a smile on her face.

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