episode_0045

And another day passed.

While I was maintaining my stall to start my bungeoppang business, I saw red hair under a tree. It’s Zenada.

“What are you doing there?”

“Ah… Senior, are you here..? The butterfly has become like this..”

When I glanced at Jenna’s expression, I saw that she looked somewhat sad. What is happening?

Out of curiosity, I approached and saw that the mother cat was dead, and the kittens were continuously licking the dead mother’s belly.

“Mya..”

“Yow..”

“This is what I saw when I first came to the academy… But when I saw it again, it was like this…”

Jenna clasped her hands together with bitter eyes.

I approached the mother cat.

The mother cat’s eyes had already lost focus, but they were still looking towards the kittens.

I covered his eyes.

And then I opened my eyes.

[Ghost Communion].

“Meow…meow.”

“Were you there?”

The mother cat’s spirit was also licking the kitten’s head.

Since a dead soul has no weight, it is likely to disappear if it does not have strong roots of attachment.

If you’re going to do something, you have to do it quickly.

I opened my eyes again, holding the kittens.

[Ghost Communion-Sharing the View].

It was only for a moment, but the gazes of the living and the dead met.

“Myaaaa…!”

“Meow. Sheep..!”

When the kittens saw their mother cat, they cried out in joy and continued to circle around her.

Passs.

Even as the soul slowly disappears, the mother is trying to lick her kitten.

For the soul, strong attachment has its own weight.

In other words, if the lingering attachment fades or is resolved, the soul disappears. It’s like being swept away by a wave.

“Go carefully. Don’t get sick on the way.”

“Yay…yaooong.”

Our eyes met briefly before the mother cat’s soul disappeared.

It is a law that no one can be free from death.

I realized that fact again after a long time.

“senior…”

Jenna gently grabbed my sleeve with a depressed expression on her face. It seems quite a shock that the cat died.

I rolled up my sleeves and got ready.

“Don’t worry too much. I’m sure you went to a good place.”

“Nam… but… what are you doing…?”

“I don’t want to leave it like this, so I’m going to bury it.”

“Ah.. I’ll join you too..!”

If left like this, the cat’s body will be eaten by bugs or taken over by maggots.

It probably won’t look that good on the outside.

I’m definitely not doing this because someone looks like they’re about to cry.

I lifted the cat corpse.

.

“It’s all buried.”

I dug up the ground and buried the cat. And a monument was also erected.

[Cat’s year of death unknown ~ Rainy day].

“…..”

I think I made it for no reason.

It started to rain while we were making the grave, so Jenna went to get an umbrella.

That means she and I share an umbrella.

Jenna, who was staring blankly at the tombstone, said.

“You know, I have a senior. Can I talk about the old days?”

“Say it.”

“It would be boring. It wouldn’t be fun.”

“It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“Huh. Yes.”

Jenna raises her little head and looks at the cloudy sky.

“When I was young, my whole family died.”

Her story continues.

“Actually, I don’t remember how I died. I only have good memories.”

“……”

Jenna scratched her head sheepishly.

After losing her family, she becomes a mercenary.

Hope for people while painfully feeling the cold reality. Don’t give up hope for good.

“I still really, really want to see you, but I can’t see you anymore.”

“What kind of people were your parents?”

“Hee. Mom was really pretty..! But she was really scary when she got angry.. Dad didn’t like the smell of cigarettes? But he was very kind.”

“They were good people.”

“That’s right.. And he also had a younger brother. His name was.. um.. Anyway, he was cute.”

Shocks from childhood can sometimes shake a person’s personality or memories.

I looked at Jenna without saying anything.

“I don’t remember how old he was, but one day, my younger brother started crying. He said he was in a lot of pain.”

“…are you sick?”

“Yes. The doctor came and looked at my younger brother and told me very coldly that he was terminally ill. He wouldn’t be able to live for more than half a year.”

“……”

When the word ‘terminal’ came out, my body flinched.

Let’s not panic. Because I will never die anyway.

“When I was young, I hated my younger brother who was always crying because I didn’t know what that meant. He was making things difficult for mom and dad. So I yelled at him a few times to tell him not to cry.”

Jenna paused for a moment and bit her lower lip.

Even though I played [Pro Seven] for 23,000 hours, I didn’t know this story.

Suddenly, I felt a sense of self-doubt. I just liked Jenna and had no interest in what she went through.

“I knew instinctively that my little brother was gone. I would never see him again… I think I cried for the first time that day.”

“……”

“So… I don’t want anyone around me to die. It hurts. My mind and body.”

“…….”

“Ahaha.. You said a lot of strange things today, right? You must be tired, Senpai.. I’m depressed after seeing the cat die, so stop.”

“Okay.”

Jenna, the main character of [Pro Seven], was always bright. It’s not a joke, but almost every episode contains elements that demonstrate her positive personality.

Even when betrayed by others, he smiles like a brat, forgives easily, and is sensitive to the pain of others, but insensitive to his own pain.

I may have unconsciously admired her.

Jenna is overly bright.

“I’m sure you’ll be happy.”

“Yes..? What is it..?”

“Have you become such a wonderful person?”

“aha…..”

When she realized that I was comforting her, her expression changed unusually. It looks like it has found its prey.

“Am I cool? How cool am I? How much?”

“Well, if I really have to ask…”

“Huh? Huh? Huh?”

The mischievous face is nothing short of sad.

Is there a need to say that? You are the main character. The main character who connected with me for 23,000 hours.

He runs his hand through his red hair.

While smoothing my soft hair, I slightly raised the corners of my mouth,

I opened my lips as I tilted the umbrella towards my miserable shoulder, which was being hit by the pouring rain.

“The best in the world.”

.

The sound of the rain subsided and the sun came out.

“…Hehehehehehehehe..!”

Her expression, which had been playful just a moment ago, changed to bewildered.

Her ears turn red, her pupils dilate, and she refuses to make eye contact with me. You keep trying to avoid me..?

I guess I’m not good at comforting people after all.

Like a fool, it seems like things have gone wrong again.

I looked at Jenna, who was avoiding my eyes.

Not knowing what to do, she hurriedly changed her mind. Still without looking into my eyes.

“That’s right..! Did you know that when I showed my senior’s lunch box to Rang and Rosé, they said it was really well made?! They asked for a bite..! I-I ignored everything..! So..”

“That’s a good thing.”

I decided to ignore the pathetic gestures of my hands and feet.

Since I no longer needed the umbrella, I took it down. Sunlight enters the body.

“…Senior. Can I ask you a favor?”

“What.”

“Can I carry you on my back? Just once.”

“no.”

“Ah~ Why..?!”

“My back hurts.”

“Oh, just this once..! Just once..!”

“…..”

I looked at Jenna with puzzled eyes.

The most annoying thing is the way they puff out their cheeks as if they are sad. I want to grab it, stretch it, and then throw it away.

“Just once..!”

Why is he suddenly acting like a jerk?

In the end, I couldn’t resist the torch and carried Jenna on my back. It feels lighter than I thought.

“Heehee..Senior, etc. are so hard..”

“…Is it good?”

“Depshaw, which is more comfortable to ride than most carriages? A senior is better than a horse..!”

What are you comparing to what?

“I’ll think about things like death later. We have a lot of time anyway, right? There’s next year, and the year after that. Even though the butterfly is dead…”

“……”

It’s next year.

“So, please take care of me until then, Senpai.”

Jenna said as she hugged me tightly from behind.

I didn’t answer.

Because I don’t want to lie.

.

next day. I packed my bags and went to the orphanage to volunteer.

“Aaaah!”

“Don’t cry..! It’s your fault!”

“hungry…”

“Huh…”

It’s a mess.

I don’t have my friend’s cream.

“Guys, please calm down…? I’ll feed you right away. Didn’t you say that God gets sad if you fight?”

“…Yes..”

“Ugh..”

The nun seemed to be accustomed to this type of situation and handled it skillfully. Surprisingly, his tone of voice is soft and his expression never loses its smile.

Is it acting?

Or is it sincere?

I don’t know what’s going on because the attitude towards me is different from yesterday.

“Oh, sir..! Would you like to sit down for a moment? I’m a little busy right now..”

A luxurious-looking chair was placed in front of me.

“Isn’t it lunch time now?”

“Yes, that’s right… I’m just about to do it, but I’m busy…”

In reality, the nun is running around frantically taking care of the children.

It is not enough to do it alone.

“Can I cook dinner?”

“Yes, yes, thank you for your help.. Food?! Aren’t you a nobleman?”

“He was a nobleman.”

not now but.

“Ahaha. You’re good at telling jokes. Is there a nobleman who can cook?”

“It’s right in front of your eyes.”

“…Huh? Really?”

The nun looks at me with eyes filled with distrust.

I faced him confidently.

Are you doubting me after making all the recipes on Pro Seven in real life? This me?

The day when I became the first winner of the 1st Pro 7 Cup Cooking Competition, the winner of the last competition, and the winner of all competitions?

No matter how much I play, there is no one who can beat me when it comes to control and cooking in Pro Seven.

“Anyway, you can bet. How about 10 gold bread?”

“…Well, it’s not like I, a humble person, doubt your cooking skills. Wouldn’t it be fun to make a bet?”

“Mama.. is this person cooking..? I hate it..!”

“Woo..! Get out! All people who dress like that are mean people!”

“That’s right! Get out!”

These damn pink-headed nuns and kids seem to be convinced that my cooking won’t taste good.

The kids were spitting and laughing at me.

It’s the chef’s job to turn that spit into saliva.