Oze
“Rhone, how did you get up here?”
Aochi stepped in front of him, as if to shield us.
So this is the Harvester from the other ship. It’s the first time I’ve seen him up close.
He’s more beautiful than I expected.Maybe it’s because he’s wet. And somehow… he feels so familiar. Is this really a killer? I can’t shake the feeling that there’s some mistake—
“The storm’s coming soon. That’s why I climbed up.”
His voice was gentle.
“You can climb up on your own, and yet you’ve been getting dragged along by the ship until now? What the hell are you thinking?”
Aochi believes without a doubt that this man is a murderer. But what’s the truth…?
“Because your Harvester was mad at me, wasn’t he? Hey, you two, put in a good word for me. But first—this is the first time we’ve met, right, you and you.”
Saying that, he turned toward me and Mamoru, extending his hand. His fingers were slender and beautiful. Did these hands really butcher three people?
“Don’t go sticking your filthy hand out.”
Stolen novel; please report.
Because Aochi brushed it away, I couldn’t touch it.
“You have beautiful hands.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“What are you talking about? Those are a killer’s hands.”
“No, it’s just… rope or chain or whatever—you pulled yourself up onto the ship with it, right? For all that, there’s not a single scratch on them…”
“…Well, yeah. Harvesters are the kind of people who’ve got brute strength and heal fast, I guess.”
I looked away from his shell-like nails and toward Mamoru. Oomi was holding his hand tightly, but he didn’t look scared.
“Are you okay, mister?”
Mamoru asked with concern. Rhone smiled as he answered.
“You’re worried about me? Thanks. But I was hoping to be called ‘big brother,’ too.”
Maybe it was his tone, or maybe the way he spoke so smoothly, almost like singing, but it didn’t sound the least bit brazen. Mamoru fidgeted, looking shy, which was cute.
“Um… mister—big brother, please don’t take Ululu away.”
Right, where did Ululu go? He was originally a passenger on Rhone’s ship. Maybe Rhone came to take him back.
“That’s right… You’re hiding over there, aren’t you? Sonta.”
As if suddenly remembering, Rhone said this and started walking toward the sofa in the lounge. As he passed in front of me, I caught the scent of a clear evening sky after rain—no, it wasn’t a scent. The air itself had changed.
“Sonta? You mean Ululu? Hey, if you do anything to Ululu—”
I followed after Aochi, who rushed ahead, and peeked behind the sofa.
“Ululu…”
There was Ululu, wrapped in the blanket I’d given him, crouching with his head hidden under a now-colorful T-shirt. Even through the fabric, I could see him trembling. Aochi held Ululu from above the shirt and glared at Rhone.
“You call him Ululu? Don’t worry, he’s fine. For now.”
“What do you mean, ‘for now’?”
Aochi’s voice was low as he hugged Ululu even tighter.
Rhone let out a sorrowful sigh.
“I don’t know either. Maybe that woman on the deck knows. Hey, has your Harvester told you? That in this world right now, there are many ships heading for their respective homelands—but when it’s time to go to the next world, there’s always only one passenger on board.”