Aochi
"You're all idiots, every last one of you."
The Harvester muttered with a look of exasperation, just after hauling up a clear bomb filled with a burnt-out heart—the fuel source.
Now it shimmered inside with a liquid as red and beautiful as the beak of my tufted puffin.
"Don't say it like that. We're dead serious over here."
I snapped back. And it wasn’t a lie—our lives literally depended on it.
The Harvester, maybe a little winded from hauling up the chained heart bomb on his own, leaned back against the wall, his deep gray eyes settling on me.
The shady aura he’d had when we first met was gone now. What got me was the fact that this old man had pulled that thing up with no machines, just brute strength. If he punched me, I'd definitely die.
But… would I really?
That’s what I came to find out. Maybe we’re already dead. Or maybe we’re dying.Either way, it’s clear we’re no longer in the real world.Could this be some dream the dead are having?
And when I asked him that, he called us idiots.
"I told you, I can’t tell just by looking. Weren’t you listening?"
"Sorry for the interruption! Aochi-san, see? I told you—let’s just go back."
Oomi tugged on my arm, but I shook him off and stepped closer to the Harvester.
"No. I need a straight answer. You're the one ferrying us—if you don’t know, then who the hell would? Don’t play dumb."
Oomi and the Harvester sighed at the exact same time.In sync. That ticked me off even more.
"…I’m telling you, I really can’t tell by appearance. But if you’re that desperate, fine. You both come here."
"Wait, me too?"
Oomi sounded annoyed, and I had no idea why. This was our chance.
"Finally ready to talk, huh?"
So he could tell us apart all along and just pretended not to. Figures.
I grabbed Oomi’s hand and stood beside him, both of us face-to-face with the Harvester.
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"Well? Tell us."
The next thing I knew, a giant hand clamped down on my head.
Before I could say “Let go,” I was pulled into his chest—me and Oomi both.
What the hell!? Was he trying to suffocate us?My face got squished against his rock-hard chest. Could barely breathe.Was Oomi okay?I caught a glimpse of him in the corner of my eye.He wasn’t moving at all. Oh no—what if he’s—
…Wait. He looked… peaceful? Like he was napping.
So that’s it. I’m struggling, and that’s making it worse.
I relaxed a little.The Harvester’s hand, which had felt like a threat, softened into something more like a cold, steady cradle.
Okay… I can breathe.
What was that scent?Like cool, crisp air—like ozone.
Wait, no. Snap out of it.Don’t start swooning over how this old guy smells.Oomi’ll laugh at me—Or so I thought, until I saw Oomi leaning into the Harvester’s chest, wearing a dazed, blissful smile.
Hey! Get a grip!!
Just as I was about to say that, the Harvester finally muttered something.
"...You’ve done it, haven’t you."
"Huh? Are we alive? Or dead?"
He spoke as he buried his face between our heads.
"If that’s what you’re asking, you’re alive."
Something about the way he held us made me feel like I’d get too comfortable if I stayed there, so I shoved myself free.He didn’t budge a millimeter, of course, but he exaggerated like I’d hit him hard.
"Rude. You’re the one who insisted I tell you.There's no other way. I have to smell the heart."
The scent of a heart…?Not the sound?
He meant it wasn’t about whether it was beating.Even a moving heart could be dead, and a still one might be alive?
"You're not lying, are you?"
"Pointless question. Believe it or not—your call. You done now?"
His tone sucked, but his eyes didn’t look like they were hiding anything.
"Well… good news, I guess. Right, Oomi?"
I turned to him, smiling to cover my nerves—only to find his face pale and tense.
"Hey, you okay?"
"…Yes. Harvester-san, I’m sorry for pushing. Aochi-san, let’s go."
Something was definitely off with him.
Oomi tugged me away from the boiler room, the whole place tinted in rusty coin-colored brown.
We’d snuck in using a wall map of the ship, but the Harvester hadn’t gotten mad.He even answered our questions—though he looked super annoyed.
What was going on?
"Hey, Oomi—"
He ignored me and kept walking straight into our room. Then shoved me inside.That was twice today.
"Calm down, will you?"
"I’m sorry… I just got scared."
He slumped onto the edge of the bed, looking more shaken than when he’d seen a dead person.
"It's fine. Just talk to me."
I said it with zero basis.
"Did you hear what the Harvester said?Aochi-san doesn’t make sense—so it has to be me."
"Yeah, he said something before 'you're alive,' but I didn’t catch it. What’d he say?"
Oomi looked at me with a weird, conflicted expression.
"He said, 'You’ve killed before.'"
"…………What?"
"I think he meant Mamoru-kun and Kaori-san.You’d never do something like that—so it must be me.I’m the one who killed them."
His voice cracked so badly, I barely understood it.But no way. No way this guy killed anyone.
"Come on. How old were you when they died?Didn’t Oze say it was illness and an accident?"
"No. I heard it clearly."
He shook his head hard. Stubborn as ever.
"Then he was messing with you."
"Does Harvester-san look like the kind of person who messes with people?"
"He 100% does."
Okay, yeah, I was the most shaken one here, but still—The Harvester’s totally the type who jokes around all the time. I’d know. I’m the same.
"I don’t know…What if I’ve forgotten something terrible I did when I was a kid…?That’s what scares me."
Honestly, I could see why the Harvester would mess with him.He’s way too easy to rattle.
"Let’s just ask Mamoru-kun and Kaori-san directly, then—"
That’s when the ship lurched hard,and a dull, metallic crash rang out like we’d slammed into something massive.