Oze
I was gazing at the warm cream-colored hull of the adjacent ship, faintly floating in the dark.
They’re exhausted, yet unable to sleep...
I should’ve forced them to come along. Oomi had shoved me out of the room and, just as I was about to stubbornly knock on the door that had been shut in my face again, Rhone called out to me.
“Leave them alone for now. Oomi-kun is closer to Aochi-kun than you are. Hearing that they might be separated must’ve shocked him. It’s better for both of you to cool down. Come over to my ship.”
With those words, I lowered my shoulders and came here with Rhone.
On the way, he told me that if you fall asleep on your own ship, you’ll die. That drained the blood from my face, and I almost turned back to wake Aochi, but then I heard that Silent-chan had gone to tell them, and somehow I calmed down.
In my own way, I was sad about having to part with Aochi.
And yet, Oomi looked at me like I was the one who made that choice and rejected me. That cut deep. Even after coming to Rhone’s ship, I couldn’t sleep at all.
While sitting in the lounge, hugging my tired body and noisy thoughts on the couch, the plain silver door opened, and Rhone appeared.
“You alright? You don’t show it on your face much, even when you’re hurt, so I worry about you.”
He said this as he sat down next to me. He got unusually close, so I pretended to shift and created a bit of space.
“...Do I not look sad?”
The words slipped out of my mouth.
“To me, you look very sad. That’s why, out of those three, you’re my favorite. Not that I’m saying I’ll choose or anything.”
“…By the way, was it okay to leave Silent-chan and Ululu over there?”
Unsure how to respond, I changed the subject.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“Silent-chan seems to get along with Oomi-kun, and Ululu has taken a liking to Aochi-kun, right? So I’d like them to stay together. My wish is for those kids to be happy.”
He said that with a mysterious gaze, the kind that made it clear he was a different kind of being from us.
“I see. Well, the ships are connected, and it’s not like we’ll get separated, so maybe I’m just overthinking it.”
“That’s right. I’m sure they’ll all understand in the end that you’re the one suffering the most. Oh, and I bet you’re hungry, right? I made some food. Come join me in the cafeteria.”
I was definitely hungry, but I hesitated for a moment. What kind of food would this guy make?
It’s been a while since I boarded this ship, but I still can’t get used to the sterile atmosphere. It feels like the temperature drops a few degrees, like a ship without emotion. A place that has given up everything except function. A world of silver, white, and a touch of gold. I wish there were at least one more color—like blue, which I love.
“Hey, are you thinking my food is going to look bad or something?”
“No, not bad exactly. I just imagine it might be kind of bland—both in appearance and taste.”
“You’re really honest, aren’t you.”
I couldn’t help but ask Rhone, who gave a bitter smile.
“Does this ship reflect your heart?”
“…Huh?”
A flicker of confusion spread in Rhone’s beautiful eyes.
“If it does, then you must be lonely too.”
It was too painful to watch, so I just said that and looked away.
“…No one’s ever said that to me before… It kind of shook me. You’re really kind.”
He tried to lean in closer, but I raised a hand to stop him and stood up.
“Kaori-san and Mamoru are sleeping in the same room, right?”
Honestly, Kaori-san and Mamoru didn’t even need to come with me. It would've been safe for them to sleep on the other ship. Apparently, the rules of the ship don’t apply to the dead.
In fact, even though Mamoru had taken a nap right in front of me, it’s not like a knife had suddenly sprung out of his hand or anything.
“That’s right. If you ask me, they’re resting in a cell-like cabin.”
Rhone said this self-deprecatingly. I was honestly happy they’d come with me. I’d expected them both to say they wanted to stay with Aochi.
“I’ll go check on them for a bit. If they’re awake, I’ll invite them to dinner.”
They were probably getting hungry by now too.
“Okay. I’ll go ahead to the cafeteria and wait. Honestly, I thought I’d be spending the night alone. I’m really glad you all came.”
♢♢
I opened the door without a sound, thinking that if they were asleep, I’d quietly shut it again.
“Big bro…?”
Under the soft blue indirect lighting, I saw Mamoru sitting on the bed. His face clearly said, “I just woke up.”
“…So this is where the blue I love was hiding…”
“Oze-kun?”
Behind Mamoru, Kaori-san sat up.
“Ah, did I wake you? Sorry.”
“It’s fine. I was about to wake up anyway. I was dreaming about something from a long time ago… back when you were in middle school.”
Suddenly feeling embarrassed, I turned back to the door.
“Rhone made dinner. Let’s go together.”
“…Oze-kun, you don’t remember?”
Her voice chased after me from behind.
“…Huh?”
Half-opening the door, I turned back.
“Have you really forgotten? That you’re the one who killed us?”