short update this time. the next story is pretty long and will probably take a bit. o/
Hariyama-san, Center of the World 2
Interlude 1: Imposter
I'm, not, like that.
Did I mean to kill her? No, not at, all.
It's just, you know. Well, that girl was cheeky, so, yeah. To begin with,
an elementary-schooler taking a taxi alone, is cheeky, in itself.
So, I couldn't, help it. I, had to teach, a lesson to, that customer, the d.a.m.n
cheeky little p.u.s.s.ycat girl.
No, that's not, it. It doesn't, have anything to do, with her being a girl.
No. ...No.
I'm, not like, those lolicon perverts. I'm not, a pedophile. I'm, not like
that.
I, didn't mean, to. Not at all.
From now on. Up till now. Not at all. No.
I'm, not like that, I'm not like that. I didn't mean to. I didn't, mean to, do
anything to her, but I was just so, so, annoyed, yeah, yeah, she was just a
kid, she was just a kid but she was taking a taxi she was just a kid but she
was so d.a.m.n polite it p.i.s.sed me off she didn't act like a kid and I thought we
couldn't have that so I punished her by squeezing her neck a little and tried
to kill her.
Yes. I only tried to kill her, I didn't mean to kill her.
Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy.
Ahh, I'm so sleepy, so why, can't I, lie down?
All I wanted was to be a taxi driver. But, getting a cla.s.s two license, was too
hard, and I couldn't do it.
Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. I'm, so, sleepy.
And so. So, so, so, dammit. I had to do it.
How much, money, do you think it took, to make, that fake taxi? It was, going
so well, until that d.a.m.n cheeky brat, spoiled everything.
Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. What's happening dammit dammit dammit I'm so
sleepy but I can't sleep it's been so long so long so many months why, how
long, has it been?
Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy.
That brat, the b.i.t.c.h with the knapsack, she, noticed that I, i, I, i, I,
i was driving a fake taxi, so I had, to do something.
She was, cheeky.
I, killed her.
I killed her, and I, put her in the ground.
Then how, did that brat, manage manage manage sleepy manage to ride ride ryde
rid ried ryed my my my my sleepy my taxi my taxi again sleepy sleepy sleepy
sleepy sleepy sleepy how can I, shake off this sleepiness? I've been worrying,
and suffering, for a long time.
Even though, that brat died, she rode my taxi, and killed me, me.
She did… she, did. Sleepy. I'm. I'm sleepy.
I'm sleepy, but, it's over.
I've been trapped by her, ever since then, the whole time.
That brat, disappeared somewhere, with a weird taxi.
Disappeared, disappeared.
...back. She hasn't, come back.
……
……
I've… shaken off a bit of my sleepiness, sir.
Just… a little bit, though.
You're not answering. ...Can you not hear me? Well, I suppose you've bled out
too much. Isn't it about time that you stopped being able to see, too?
But it's all right. I can tell you that from experience.
Once you're completely dead, you'll be able to hear me again.
Well, it won't be for long, since I'll consume you immediately.
But, well, please listen, even if you can't hear me.
That brat disappeared somewhere and left me free for the first time since I
died.
I didn't believe in ghosts, but now that I've become one, I'm happy. It doesn't
seem like there's an afterlife either, so that makes me even happier.
Because if Heaven or h.e.l.l existed, I'd definitely be going to h.e.l.l.
Ahh, ahhhh, I want to wake up even more. Anyway, now that I've ended up like
this… I don't know how to sleep.
So all I can do is shake off this sleepiness. And you'll be the one to help me
with that, sir.
When I strangled that girl to death… well, how do I say this, my eyes were
opened and my heart was pounding… up until then, I'd never thought so clearly
in my life, as if all the world was laid out before me.
And so, uh… I thought perhaps I would wake up like that again if I killed you,
sir. And then I'd forcibly suppress your soul, which won't even know the basics
of being a ghost, and feed it into my own power. Like that brat did to me.
...Whoops, speaking of which, there's no way you would know who "that
brat" is, huh?
It looks like I'm still half-asleep. Excuse me, sir. Well, you'll come to
understand all of that later…
You're still not dead? You're quite stubborn.
...Oh, your breathing started slowing the moment I spoke.
Oh, don't worry about the fare.
I was still half-asleep when I said it before, but…
I'm not really a taxi driver or anything.
But, well, you may not believe me, but I'm feeling great right now.
I thought there was no way ghosts could exist, but I turned out like this. My
my, the world is really not that bad… now I can believe in aliens or yetis or
Nessie. I even feel like no completely imaginary thing exists in this world.
...Ah, but, but, sir.
They're not possible. I cannot believe in them.
The people that appear in Hollywood movies and the like, or in j.a.pan's tokusatsu
series… you know, those guys. Heroes of justice. The ones who transform and
fight against bad guys.
That's the only thing I can't believe in. You agree, don't you, sir?
If heroes of justice really did exist --
They would've come to save the little girl I killed before, and you now.
Well well, or perhaps those people are completely dedicated to fighting against
evil organizations and don't have the free time to save n.o.bodies like you or
that little girl. In that case, it's laughable, isn't it? Maybe they're
defending world peace, but to the people actually who die, they're more
unreliable than the police.
If you think about it, there's probably a reason for evil organizations to do
meaningless things like poison dams and hijack preschool buses. While the heroes
are occupied with those stupid farces, you're left here to die.
To tell the truth, pure good or pure evil are probably even less real than
things like ghosts or aliens. What do you think, sir?
...Oh, your pupils are dilating. It's about time, then.
That's how that little girl looked when she died too. Haha.
Oh, that's right.
Would you like a receipt, sir?
Continue to "The Scarlet Death of Cross Kas.h.i.+wagi"