Ch.105Chapter 17. Above the Neck (1)

“Kuro.”

I called out to Kuro, who was sitting in front of me with a sullen expression.

From the outside, I don’t think it looks particularly strange.

I’ve never raised a cat or dog myself, but I’ve occasionally seen people who keep those two animals, or other animals, talking to their pets.

Some people might do it simply because the animals’ reactions are cute or because they want to play with them, but I imagine many people also share their inner worries with them.

Didn’t someone say that? The reason older people cherish their pets more than people is because animals accept everything about a person without saying anything unpleasant.

…….

Of course, that wasn’t why I was talking to Kuro right now.

“You’re not really a cat, are you?”

To be honest, I wasn’t asking because I had any certainty.

But something did feel a bit strange.

The most decisive reason I thought this was when I heard from Sasaki that Kuro was at his house, but there were suspicious points even before that.

Like how he’s unusually well-behaved for a cat and doesn’t cause trouble, or how he seemed wary of people at first, but at some point just started rolling around on the floor and stopped caring about seeing new people.

…Well, I suppose those two things could be considered cat-like.

I think I’ve seen videos of kittens that were extremely wary of people at first, but after just a few months, they let their guard down around humans and became dog-like cats…

Though Kuro was definitely not the type of cat you’d call dog-like.

Well, fine. Let’s put that aside.

The most suspicious thing is that he was being fed by Shii.

“……”

“Meow.”

When I stared intently at Kuro, who was lying on the table, he made that sound.

Just because this world resembles a light novel doesn’t mean I think every cliché from light novels of that era exists here.

But… thinking about it now, isn’t he the cat that Shii, who’s treated like a secondary heroine, secretly took care of?

It wouldn’t be strange at all if he suddenly turned into a beautiful girl at an important moment.

“Come on, be honest.”

I sat cross-legged in front of Kuro and spoke with a serious expression.

“Everyone in this house isn’t a normal human anyway. We won’t think it’s strange if you’re not an ordinary cat.”

“Meow.”

“……”

You understood that, right?

…Or not?

“Kotone?”

Koko, who was next to me, called out to me as I was trying to have a serious conversation with the cat.

Looking at my posture—kneeling on the floor, hands on the ground, body leaning toward Kuro—it seems she had also been staring intently at Kuro.

She was staring at Kuro just like I was, but her expression showed she couldn’t find anything different from the usual Kuro.

Come to think of it, when Kuro first saw Koko, he was extremely wary.

I never saw him directly when Koko was still nose-shaped, so even if he was wary after hearing her crawling on the ceiling, he still hissed at her even after she took human form.

Koko didn’t seem to understand exactly what that hissing meant, though.

…No, wait.

Did he hiss at me too?

I don’t think he hissed when he first saw Yamashita.

Kuro still hated water. When I tried to give him a bath, he would sulk, curl up in the corner of the room, and glare at me for a long time.

Both then and now, Kuro was a cat.

“…Sigh.”

Well, whatever.

If he doesn’t want to tell me, there’s no point in me asking.

“Meow.”

“……”

As I gave up thinking about it, Kuro, who had been staring at me intently until then, meowed.

His eyes looked somehow pitying, so I reached out and stroked Kuro vigorously.

Koko, who was watching from the side, found it fun and joined in, messing up Kuro’s glossy black fur.

“Meow.”

‘Fine, do as you please.’ As if saying that, Kuro lay flat on the table with a seemingly resigned expression.

…Maybe he’s just reached cat-enlightenment after living with Koko?

I guess we’ll find out eventually.

*

Did Sasaki’s biological mother ever visit the siblings again after that?

At least, from what I heard from Shii, she hadn’t.

Plus, Shii’s expression wasn’t as dark as it had been then, so I didn’t particularly doubt her words.

I just thought it was fortunate. That the method had worked.

“A school trip?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be going on a school trip this year too… but unfortunately on a different date than my brother. We’re also going to Kyoto, so it would have been nice if the dates overlapped…”

Why? What would you do if you were in the same place?

Surely she’s not thinking of going to Sasaki’s lodging to help with something.

Somehow I felt a bit scared because it seemed like something Shii would do.

“…That’s good.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

I blurted out my honest thoughts without realizing it, so I quickly answered like that.

Middle school and high school had different school trip dates, but perhaps because they were the same high school, the departure dates for Hanakawa High School’s first and second years were the same.

“This is my first time traveling abroad.”

Kaoru said with an expectant expression.

I thought her family was well-off since they owned a large inn.

“Well, both my parents help with the inn when it’s busy. My parents are still overprotective of me, so they’re against me traveling abroad alone.”

When I looked at her with a surprised expression, Kaoru explained.

Hmm… certainly, even I would probably discourage a high school student from suddenly going backpacking abroad, though it might be different for a college student.

“Three nights and four days. Since we’ll spend a long time on the plane on the departure and return days, we really only have two days to enjoy ourselves. Let’s do our best, Izumi!”

“…I wish you’d put in a little less effort.”

That’s right.

Perhaps because the destination was overseas, the second-year school trip was one day longer. Well, considering the hours spent on the plane and the time difference, two days would practically be wasted.

I’ve never been abroad, but I’ve heard that some people have digestive issues when traveling overseas, like traveler’s diarrhea. When you think about it that way, even three nights and four days might feel a bit short.

Second year.

Hawaii.

…I want to go too. It would definitely be a lot of fun to hang out with Yuka and Miura’s group.

I think Kyoto will be fun in its own way, but—

Anyway, time flew by quickly until the school trip departure day.

There was more to prepare than I expected.

Thanks to our homeroom teacher Ms. Suzuki’s consideration, I was placed in the same group as Miura’s friends and Koko, but that didn’t mean we could rely on them for everything we forgot to bring.

First, I got a large suitcase that could fit both my and Koko’s luggage. It was more expensive than I expected, but fortunately not unaffordable.

I neatly packed our outfits, underwear, socks, and the travel toiletries I had just purchased.

And I filled the backpack I would carry with lots of snacks.

Of course, Koko already wanted to eat those snacks, but when I told her we would share them with friends on the way, she made an “Uuu…” sound but endured it. How admirable.

As for Kuro… we ended up leaving him with Yuka’s family again.

“Be careful on your trip.”

“Meow.”

Ironically, Grandfather holding Kuro looked surprisingly natural.

It reminded me of an elderly man who had made a lot of money in his youth, now living a leisurely life with a cat by his side. Of course, I knew it was somewhat disrespectful to think that since Grandfather was still active in his work.

“Well then, we’ll be going.”

Yuka smiled and said that to her grandfather.

“…We’ll be going.”

Standing beside her, I found myself bowing and saying the same thing.

“We’ll be going!”

Koko energetically followed our lead. She was already in a great mood even before we departed.

“Yes, yes. Eat lots of delicious food and see many things while you’re there.”

Grandfather smiled as he sent us off.

“Now, Kuro should say goodbye too.”

I almost laughed when I saw Grandfather lifting one of Kuro’s paws to wave at us. Kuro’s face looked very sullen in Grandfather’s arms.

“Meow.”

Hearing Kuro’s meow, which sounded like he was doing it reluctantly, we turned away with a smile.

*

The Kyoto trip is good, but there’s something I need to take care of there.

The author of “Tokyo Slayers” didn’t miss the opportunity to use such events.

Kyoto was Japan’s capital for a thousand years. It’s similar to Gyeongju in Korea.

No, Gyeongju wasn’t the capital of Joseon but of Silla, which existed long before, so the weight might be somewhat different.

There was nearly 500 years of history of one dynasty between the fall of Silla and the founding of Joseon, but there was no dynasty between Kyoto and Tokyo.

Moreover, Japan’s capital didn’t change from Kyoto to Tokyo in ancient or medieval times. If I remember correctly, it was almost at the end of the modern era. So the Japanese view of Kyoto is somewhat different from how Koreans view Gyeongju.

That’s right. It’s a very good pretext for yokai and such things to appear, isn’t it?

While the light novel was titled “Tokyo Slayers,” it would be a bit boring if the setting was fixed in Tokyo throughout.

“Kotone-chan.”

“Yes.”

As I was lost in thought, staring blankly out the window beyond Koko who was sitting next to me, I heard someone calling me.

Mako was holding out a snack to me. It was a common snack you could always find in Korean or Japanese supermarkets—a long stick covered in chocolate.

The brand seemed different from what I knew, but anyway.

“Thanks.”

As I took it, Mako also gave one to Koko, who had been looking out the window like me but was now eyeing the snack.

On the train to Kyoto.

Yuka was naturally in a different seat. She was in a different class from us.

I sat Excited Koko by the window, and I sat next to her. Mako sat across from me, and Yamashita sat by the window on that side.

Inevitably, Fukuda was separated from us, but she didn’t seem to mind much. After all, Fukuda was generally friendly with everyone in our class.

Yamashita wasn’t completely silent with our classmates either… but regardless of friendliness, she was generally a person of few words. So if she was stuck among people she was only moderately friendly with, the atmosphere might become a bit awkward.

Not to mention me and Koko. Thankfully, Fukuda seemed to have considered that.

While eating the snack Mako had given me, I rummaged through my bag. Inside was another snack—potato chips.

I opened the bag and shared it with Mako.

We didn’t have any special conversation. Most of the time we looked out the window, occasionally took pictures, and talked about what we would do when we arrived.

“…Excuse me for a moment.”

“Okay.”

“Kotone?”

“…I’m just going to the bathroom for a bit.”

“Okay!”

I didn’t want to say it in front of others, but Koko gets anxious if I don’t tell her directly like this.

Mako and Yamashita seemed to have already noticed, though.

Leaving Mako with a wry smile, I headed to the bathroom.

As I got up from my seat and walked, I spotted a familiar face among the seated students.

Yuka. And Sasaki.

The two were together.

Perhaps it was predictable. After all, they were the closest people in that class. Of course, Yuka and Sasaki weren’t the type to contact each other and hang out, and they seemed more like acquaintances who knew each other through me or Shii.

If they were sitting in front and behind each other, it might be good to have some personal conversations during normal times.

…Well, it’s their choice, so I have no reason to say anything. They’ll figure it out.

I approached the two who were sitting somewhat awkwardly. The bathroom wasn’t that far anyway, and I wasn’t in a huge rush.

“Hi.”

“Kotone!”

“Kurosawa.”

Both of them looked at me with brightened expressions when I greeted them.

It seems I wasn’t mistaken.

After pondering what to say next,

“Are you okay?”

“Huh? Uh…”

“I’m fine.”

Hmm.

The situation seemed to have become even more awkward with my awkward question in an already awkward situation.

The two sitting across from Yuka and Sasaki had even more awkward expressions.

“……”

Still, it would be a bit much to stand the entire train ride or switch seats with others. It might be okay with our classmates, but switching seats with students from another class—not only would I mind, but the students sitting there probably wouldn’t like it either.

I waved to the two and quickly headed to the bathroom.

In the last moment, both of them gave me somewhat desperate looks, but—

Well…

Hang in there.

That encouragement was all I could offer.

*

The first day’s schedule began with a group tour.

Well, since we were here from school, it was natural to gather by class and go around various places.

The experience of going around with guidance from Ms. Suzuki and a tour guide was fresher and better than I expected.

Places like Gyeongju are in the same country, and with the thought that I could visit again someday, they didn’t feel particularly impressive. Especially as an elementary school student, one tends to think more about playing with friends than going around in groups like that.

Maybe it’s because my soul has aged, or because this is a different country, or because I’m not sure if I’ll be able to come back.

No, it was probably all of the above.

And that’s why I felt a bit resentful that I had to move tomorrow night.

Well, if I hadn’t been in “this state” in the first place, there would be no reason for me to be in this world.

Although I still don’t know the exact reason, I just vaguely thought so.

It’s probably not just a coincidence. If someone chose me and deliberately brought me here, there must be a reason.

That’s why I’m here as Kotone Kurosawa.

“Wow!”

Koko leaned against the railing with sparkling eyes. I gently grabbed her wrist. Koko obediently followed my gesture and stepped back slightly.

But I could understand Koko’s feelings. This place was that beautiful.

The good thing about group activities is that they show you the most scenic spots during the tour time. This place was like that too.

So… Kiyomizudera (清水寺)? Literally “Clear Water Temple.”

It was a very large temple, and there was a place called the “stage.” The stage means exactly what we know as a stage. They offered dances here, apparently to the Eleven-Faced… something Kannon. Well, I’m not particularly interested in the details, but this stage was an amazing place.

Using huge wooden pillars as a foundation below, they placed thick wooden beams horizontally to support each other, creating something like a terrace.

The building itself was impressive when seen from a distance, and the trees visible from the building were also beautiful. It would have been even more beautiful if the leaves had turned red, but unfortunately, Kyoto is fully covered in autumn foliage in November. Well, the weather is warmer than in Korea.

“……”

I silently took in the scenery for a while.

Click.

I heard that sound from beside me. Fukuda and Yamashita were taking pictures. More precisely, Fukuda was pulling in the indifferent Yamashita to take a selfie together.

When I stared at the two of them, Fukuda seemed to notice my gaze.

“What? Do you want to take a picture too?”

“Yes.”

When I nodded, Fukuda’s eyes widened slightly as if a bit surprised.

“Great. Let’s take one, let’s take one.”

Fukuda quickly came over to me and Koko and squeezed between us.

Then she held up her camera with me and Koko on either side of her.

“Everyone move a little closer.”

We did as she said.

Click.

The phone cameras of this era have significantly lower quality than those of the 2020s. If viewed on a computer about 20 years later, they would probably look incredibly small.

When we get back, I should take many film photos too. The photography club is right next door, so they’d probably teach me if I asked.

I don’t know how long I’ll be here, but I wanted to remain in the children’s memories. Even if I might hurt them when I leave in the end, being forgotten by everyone is too sad.

Even if forgotten, and forgotten again.

If at some point in their long lives, they happen to find a saved photo while browsing, and think, “Ah, yes, there was such a person. She was a bit unusual,” that would be enough for me.

“Mako-chan too.”

When I called her name, Mako’s eyes also widened slightly as if she hadn’t expected it. Fukuda, Mako, and Yamashita looked at each other and then at me simultaneously.

Fukuda smiled brightly.

“You’re excited about the trip too? Great, let’s all have fun together!”

At Fukuda’s words, I couldn’t help but smile a little.

*

“You know what? They say if you fall from here and survive, your wish will come true.”

…No, I have no intention of dying like that.

I looked down over the railing.

Could one survive? Wouldn’t they definitely die?

Sometimes people think that if limbs are severed, they can be reattached if you go to the hospital right away, but that’s not always highly probable. First, there aren’t many hospitals capable of such reattachment, and often the flesh rots if it fails. Then it has to be removed again.

There are many cases of people losing limbs after jumping.

Even if a wish comes true, it doesn’t seem worth it if the body isn’t intact.

“Uuu?”

“……”

“…No, Koko. It’s just a rumor, so don’t actually jump.”

Yuka said incredulously, as if she had forgotten there was a child next to her who might not die if she jumped.

“…Yuka, do you want to take a picture too?”

“Huh? Should I?”

I don’t know when she left her class and approached us, but it was a good opportunity.

At my words, Yuka took out her phone with a bright smile.

The three of us took pictures while smiling.

Despite the small screen, the image of three smiling girls was very beautiful.