Oomi
Everyone around me is strange.
One person finds comfort in birds. Another tries to catch them. I can't understand either.
Not even three minutes after that, Oze-san stepped out of the booth.
Yesterday, Oze-san sent Aochi-san and me a message: “There’s something I want to sort out before we get on the boat.” That’s why we agreed to meet at the office this morning.
Our office is right by the harbor, so either way, it’s a convenient place to wait for departure. The wharf is just a ten-minute walk away.
As we stepped out of the building, the winter wind greeted us with an obvious gust. Without a word, the three of us began walking.
There were no birds. Not even one.Not even the usual cries of seabirds could be heard.Maybe they’d all been devoured by that massive flock.
It’s terrifying. I don’t understand what anyone could possibly find healing about it—or why they’d approach it on purpose.I glanced over at Oze-san, walking a bit ahead of us. His profile was beautiful. His nose and jawline were strikingly defined.
He turned slightly toward me, and I looked away reflexively.
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Was it rude to look first and then avert my eyes?But it’s scary.He’s tall, and I always feel like he’s towering over me—that alone makes him feel intimidating. And after hearing about his, well, preferences… that fear only got worse.
I instinctively shifted behind Aochi-san’s shoulder.
Aochi-san looked at me curiously.
“Something wrong?”
That habit of his—saying whatever’s on his mind—is not exactly ideal.
“Nothing at all.”
I tried to answer with as little emotion as possible.
—What do I do?I thought I’d kept it neutral, but maybe I spoke too fast.Now both of them—two completely different types of seniors—were looking at me with the same puzzled expression.
“…Well, if you say so.”
Aochi-san replied vaguely.Great. I’ve made the mood weird. I need to change the subject.
“…Um, the boat we’re getting on—does it have anything to do with that ‘Man Who Burns at Sea’ case?”
Aochi-san’s silence wasn’t just because of the cold.
“Yeah… actually, it does.You’re sharp, you know that?”
Anyone would find it suspicious.Taking a random, non-passenger vessel out to sea right at the end of the year?
“Wait, what the hell is ‘The Man Who Burns at Sea’?”
“Oh, right—Oze doesn’t keep up with that kind of thing.”
Their exchange was so casual, so effortless—and maybe that's why I suddenly felt sad.
Why weren’t the seabirds flying today?
I wanted them to carry the sound of my heart across the sea, just like always.I didn’t want to hide my crying face beneath the stillness of the silent buildings.
“It started this month. Burned bodies have been found floating in oceans around the world.It’s not making the news, which only fuels the rumors.”
“Sounds like an urban legend.”
Oze-san said it softly, after murmuring “sea… burned… floating…” like he was tasting each word.His voice, like something drifting above the water, made the whole thing seem even less real.
“That’s what I thought too…Until I talked to the man who arranged this boat for us.”