Children Reason (7 page)

"I see…… That means surprisingly you don’t know too"

"Ahh. Of course, I planned to investigate anything that can be investigated……. it’s on progress  now. Back then I also tried to explain to the police, but at the end there wasn’t any progression at all."

Sure, if this story is immediately told, not only no one will believe it, it’ll even become more troublesome.

I see, if Hibiya’s incident is similar to Kido and the others, that means it really isn’t a good idea to tell the police about it. Kido brought him here, saying that she’ll help him, is because he’s similar to her old self in the past.

"Unable to let the police believe". That’s right, it’s something really unforgettable.

Anyway the most unusual part in the conversation, perhaps is the “huge mouth” that swallowed Kido. Other than that the story was really miserable, but it wasn’t something that’ll happen in reality. That’s the only thing that can connect with these guy’s “abnormal trait”.

"How about the others? Did Kano and Seto got swallowed by the ‘huge mouth’?"

"Kano said ‘I saw the same thing too’, but he lost his memory after that like me. As for Seto he got his power after he drowned into the river, so he’s not sure whether he saw it or not"

When Kido said “drowned”, I suddenly recalled those youth memories like a fog. It was a memory that I could recalled it sometimes, but after listening to Kido, that memory had covered a different scary atmosphere than before.

"……… Momo becoming like this, perhaps is after she drowned into the sea"

"You mean Kisaragi?"

"Ahh, that’s right…… but I hope you don’t mention this in front of her. At that time……. even my father who tried to save her……."

That time, Dad who tried to save Momo, was seen by a lot of people. However when Dad swam towards Momo, both of them were swallowed by the waves. 

At that time I got the news from Mom when I was at tuition, and after all the hard work trying to find them, Dad was nowhere to be found, the second day, Momo was found on the beach, and was saved.

"I see…….. I understand. This sure is something better not to mention in front of Kisaragi."

"Thanks for the help. Just that, I thought about something after listening to your story."

That’s right,  from the part where Momo drowned, there was something similar to Kido’s story.

Momo was found the next day. If it’s to say about Momo, she was in the sea all along at that time.

To simply consider that, will a human actually survive in that kind of situation?

nope, impossible. Like a miracle, perhaps it’s possible, but for this, to use the word miracle as an explanation is just meaningless.

To say why, it’s because if we consider the “huge mouth” Kido mentioned, then everything seems to be clear enough.

The moment when Kido was burnt, the moment when Momo suffocated, both were swallowed by the “huge mouth”, how’s with that explanation. If between that time, both were trapped inside it, until before they were found then only they were spitted out from it.

It IS a bizarre hypothesis, but aren’t Kido’s and Momo’s  ”eye powers” the best evidences to proof this hypothesis.

"Those eye powers of yours’, if it’s because you had seen the "huge mouth", the perhaps Momo was swallowed by it too…… no, although it’s a bizarre hypothesis"

It IS a bizarre hypothesis, but even logic is weakened when it comes to these guys’s “eye powers”.

Comparing to the stories that happened to them, I just think that the key of this matter is that “certain thing”.

The unbelievable existence that is the source of those unbelievable powers…….. 

"Mhmm, we do had that kind of inference, but to add that thing that happened to Momo, the reason to these power activating is undeniably "that". What’s more Kano said that he saw the same thing, for now it’s…… like that. Just that……….."

"Just that?"

As if she was concerning about something, Kido laid her hand on her lips.

Just like solving a jigsaw puzzle on the clock, her eyes were staring at the bit of the table.

"Just makes people, frustrated. Same as Momo, we all almost died "with some certain person". I heard that Kano was with his mother, and Seto was kinda with his friend and became like this"

Kido said that while staring at the table as if she was still considering about something.

"However, the ones who were saved are us only. What’s more the people who were with us perhaps had "disappeared" in some way."

After listening to Kido, I had a big realization.

"Nee, when your house was on fire, your family…… that, were their bodies found?"

"Ahh, they were found. Just my father’s and mother’s…. only. However, my sister’s body wasn’t found. The only one who was found alive in the piles and debris was me."

"That means…………"

Double event. The power in the eyes. “Huge mouth”.

And according to Hibiya who said “There’s a girl who might be dead now, I need to save her”, an inference gradually popped out from my mind.

"You all, were swallowed by ‘something’ together with someone, later then only yourselves got the powers and came back……..?"

Kido immediately continued as if she was trying to catch my words.

"And those who were together with us were swallowed in and were not found till now. If that’s the case, means that they are still been swallowed up in there."

This unexpected bizarre truth, it may be a coincidence, but it makes sense as an inference. Momo’s power, disappearance of my father, the undiscovered “truth”, as if for sure, were inferred bit by bit.

"Actually we had thought that that is the truth. ‘Perhaps inside the [mouth], our important people are still in there’ as we convinced, and trying our best to discover its truth. However, the most important key that is our memories that happened ‘there’ were completely gone…….."

Kido sighed again, and leaned on the sofa. Losing parents, relatives, important people and now living like this, these guys had a really hard time.

Maybe after becoming lonely, because of those weird powers they were always abused.

In that kind of life, I wonder how do they feel to live on like that.

Me who couldn’t imagine that, who always live on freely with my own will, kinda got the feels.

That’s right. Me who gave up on everything, and chose to be lonely, how can I understand how these guys feel.

And because these guys know how “hard” it is that it hurts so much, that why they told the fallen Hibiya “We’ll help you.”.

"Well, that’s the case then. Just think that for now the process to getting the powers is still unlikely known. Just that, before Hibiya can control his power in some way, I think it’ll be for us to take care of him. After all we’re pretty familiar with dealing this"

Kido said as the nervous atmosphere was calmed.

"I don’t know whether the child who was swallowed together with that kid is safe or not, but it’ll be better to find her bit by bit…………"

.

"NO, WAIT"

.

Kido was about to end the topic, but this topic, is not over yet.

As if it’s for sure, as if someone pointed the way to move forward,  the direction to the next step was in front of my eyes.

"You said you ‘don’t remember what happened in there’ right? I think you even said ‘everybody’s the same’."

"Ahh, yeah. It’s true. We could only remember the things after we woke up"

Kido showed a face that she didn’t know what was I trying to say, and replied with a slightly timid voice.

"NO, IT CAN BE REMEMBERED. Hibiya even said to Konoha ‘you were just standing there and watched’. Perhaps THAT KID………………."

When I said till here, Kido wide opened her eyes as noticed my intention.

"He remembered don’t he? The thing that happened after he was swallowed inside"

Just when I stopped Kido immediately stood up, as she was heading to somewhere.

"O-oi where are you going!? Isn’t that kid sleeping right now!?"

And after she heard me, Kido suddenly reacted, and sat back on the sofa again.

Perhaps she was embarrassed because of her impetuous action, Kido blushed and lowered her sight.

Such action compared with her serious talk made me had a mind passing by my head “Ahh, this person is a girl”, such words that I might be punched away like Kano if I say out those words.

"Well, that’s also true……  even me. It’s been years since I ever met my father, so if I get to meet him again………."

What to do when we meet up?

What should I say?

Seeing his son being a neet for years, being rotten, I wonder how will my father think.

.

"Shintaro?"

"hmm? Ahh, sorry sorry. ………Well, let’s just leave the rest for tomorrow. I guess Kano isn’t coming back"

There were different kinds of clocks like cuckoo clocks and digital clocks everywhere in the basement.  Even on a tiny shelf, there was a machine that kinda drips some kind of unknown liquid, perhaps it was a clock too. Those clocks equivalently, showed with their own styles that it was 10.30 p.m.

"Hmm, yeah. What the heck is that dude doing…….. Still anyway today is a tiring day. Bringing a bunch of people back here, it’s really the first time"

Kido looked at the entrance, sighing, but saying in a way that she couldn’t refrain from being happy.

"That ‘leader’ name, sounds like it’s pretty tiresome"

As I said that, maybe I accidentally made her shy, Kido’s face became redder than before.

"sh-SHUDDUP! Don’t keep saying me like that! I-I’m going to sleep! okay!?"

After saying, Kido was clumsy back then, but this time she was so agitated that she stood up with a loud klunk! , and went towards her room.

I was speechless as I stared at her figure, but Kido suddenly stopped down and turned back “You can share the blankets with Konoha I already took it out it’s right there” and pointed the blankets piled beside the entrance, and just disappeared into her room.

"What’s up with her seriously……….."

No matter how serious she looks,  she’s still a girl okay. If it’s that then she is some creature that I will never ever understand. I should stop thinking.

As I suddenly stopped thinking, perhaps I was at my limits already, the sleepiness suddenly attacked my body.

"Haa……. I’m so darn tired……….."

I stood up from the sofa, as expected my body felt as heavy as lead.

After I finally reached the blankets, I took two from above, and returned to the sofa.

After covering the blanket for Konoha who was sleeping like a dead log on the floor, I realized that I didn’t ask Kido where to switch off the lights.

"Uhm…… where is the switch where is it"

Looking around the room, I couldn’t find anything that looked like a switch.

Ahh, this is really annoying, I want to sleep so darn badly, what should I do. Anyway if I sleep with the lights open it’ll be………..

As I was slowly searching in the room, I felt someone’s breath behind me.

I turned as I was shocked, there stood Mary with fluffy hair, wearing a white fluffy gown, and she stared at me, using such suspicious eyes.

"……… What are you doing? Shintaro"

.

"LET ME EXPLAIN! WHEN SHINTARO WAS BEING STARED INTENTLY BY A YOUNG GIRL, HE COULD RELEASE A BIG AMOUNT OF COLD SWEAT!" 
My mind was ringing such an  intense  explanation. I had done nothing wrong, but just like that explanation I perspired cold sweat, and replied with a strained smile.

.

"o-ohh!! MARY!! Nothing, I just wanted to switch off the lights, but I’m not sure where it is!"

After I reasoned out, Mary returned to her usual look, and pointed at the dartboard on the wall.

"The switch is there. Just press the center."

I sighed for relief, and pressed the center of the dartboard like Mary said, and with a ka-cha, the hanging bulbs all went off.

"EE, EEEEEEEEKKK! DON’T SWITCH OFF SO SUDDEN!"

Suddenly Mary’s scream made me so shocked that my heart jump at my throat, as I quickly pressed the switch again, Mary gave me a suspicious look again, with tears at the corners of her eyes.

"…….. What are you doing?"

"no, NO! I was just testing okay!? uhm…… aaaAAAA i’m sorry i’m sorry!"

 
Ahh, this is SO annoying. I really wanna sleep ASAP, why did this kind of thing even happened.

"I understand………."

Mary simply changed her direction, and headed to her room.

Why did Mary woke up. I wanted to ask, but if she goes away, it is better to not stimulate her with weird stuffs again.

"g-goodnight~"

I waved my hand, watched Mary as she returned to her room, and switched off the lights.

Haa…… I sighed, and fumbled to the sofa.

I lied down, covered myself with a blanket, and looked at my phone as usual, it seemed like Ene was still in her blanket just like before.

"Annoying brat………."

I said, but there was no response from her blanket.

I put my phone on the table, and close my eyes.

In the dark, there were only echos of the air conditioner growling.