Chapter 52Faucet and Cup
I spent days watching out for the blondie because I couldn't bear to have any harm come to Natsukawa. Since then, there has been no more contact from Claumaty. I've looked into the rumors of the 'East' and 'West' Sides again, and there still seems to be an awkward atmosphere. Right now, I feel that rumors of an unpleasant relationship are slowly spreading through club activities. Natsukawa and I, who are in the Go-Home Club, know nothing about it. Ashida also said that there were no students from the 'West' side in the Volleyball Club. The members of the Tea Ceremony Club, like Saitou-san, didn't seem to know each other and didn't talk much to each other.
Information is a weapon, and I'm worried that Natsukawa will get involved, but I don't want any trouble myself. I don't know what she'll do at any time, so I'll keep my radar up for these kinds of things as much as possible. Huh, do I seem like a good guy now?
Not really, oh, hahaha.
"...Huh?"
Rain dropped heavier. This is the purification of summer. The rainy season is usually associated with June, but it seems to continue into July and August for many years. Even if you wear an umbrella, your feet get soaked, and even if you spend the day inside the school, the discomfort of wet socks is a source of increasing frustration.
While walking to school, I likened the sound of rain to the accompaniment of a popular song and hummed. The sound of water droplets bouncing off my umbrella drowned out my voice. The streets that had been turned into karaoke bars also eased the discomfort caused by this humidity — Isn't that a bit poetic? Watao.
As I was thinking about the least important thing in Japan, I heard the sound of a large truck approaching from behind. I had to avoid it - but I was already walking on the sidewalk, so I didn't have to worry about that... ...Wait a second, okay!?
(TL Note: Oh, no, there's Truck-kun!)
"Wait a sec..."
♦
"Good guy who is splashed by water..."
"Your eyes and face are numb..."
This strain was a magical forkball, you know. Too far down and straight at the catcher. Those were words of moderate power, and if that really happened, my life as a baseball player, or rather my life as a guy, would be over...
"I'm sorry..."
I was struck by the water hard.
Ashida's face, which was filled with concern, was a great mental attack. I didn't expect to be given handkerchiefs and towels from all over the place. Thank you, Yamazaki, but when was the last time you took out your messy towel from the bottom side of your bag?
And besides, the mud and sand splashed on it can only be wiped off, and not be cleaned. This is the same type of inconvenience you feel when your dishes are still slimy after scrubbing with dish soap and a sponge.
"How can you still keep your jersey since the summer there... without taking it out?"
"Because I haven't worn it for days. By the time it's spring, only one suit is all I need."
"I mean, it still has the price tag, right?"
"3,980 yen only. ...This is already my price, right?"
"Hey..."
"I know, I understand how it feels to have negative thoughts when you're at your worst."
"Ugh..."
"It might sound pretty boring, but..."
A decoration fell on the sidewalk in front of me. It was painful, but it didn't hurt anymore. It was amazing, but I couldn't do anything else. Sometimes these things do happen even when it's not raining. If there's one thing that makes me happy, it's that Natsukawa is somewhat nicer to me. Ahhh.
"I can only say that it was bad luck."
"I wonder how come those trucks only pass by on rainy days..."
"I think those trucks are here just to imply puddles..."
Are trucks like that allowed to pass near residential areas? I can understand if it's a moving company, but it's a logistics company. ...Who's the scum that provides these advertisement units?
"..."
"Wait, eh, Wataru? Don't sleep here, at least take off the price tag first."
"Am I sleeping? Am I? That's impossible."
"You slept better than Airi, but..."
No, I haven't slept... but I'm fine. It was easier to stay lying down. I didn't want to feel my pants getting wet and stretching from unnecessary movements.
Though I haven't started to fall asleep yet, so what is this tired feeling... a mental problem? I should watch dog or cat videos to calm myself down... but I don't want to watch videos when there's no Wi-Fi... Mom will get mad at me again.
Ah... I have no motivation to do anything at all. I wonder if there's a motivation switch somewhere in my body... I don't care if there isn't. For now, at least, I'll wait until I dry up a bit...
♦
There was a cup.
A transparent cup in a clean, white room. I could only stare at it.
Then, a faucet appeared. A trendy faucet, like those in new houses.
The handle of the faucet lifted. Water was poured into the cup as if to say, "This is delicious".
The water stopped flowing from the faucet. There was just enough water in the cup to start drinking. I stretched out my hand to drink it, but I couldn't see my hand in the corner of my vision. I was dumbfounded, but the cup seemed rather satisfied.
Steam billowed from the cup. I touched the cup with my hand that was not visible but also did not feel hot. As I placed my hand on it, I could feel that my palm was damp. Is this water... evaporated?
Before I knew it, the trendy faucet had disappeared.
The water in the cup dwindled as if it was being re-drained at double the speed. Every time that happened, I could feel the cup desperately shouting "Wait, please don't go".
Slowly but surely, the diminishing water eventually reached the bottom and emptied the contents of the cup. The cup seemed to be in a state of grief. It cried out, "Why, why?". Seeing this, for some reason, made my heart ache.
It went on for a while. The cup remained empty. It was as if time was passing quickly here. Although it was easy to see the empty cup drying up, I could only watch. The cup seemed to have accepted its dryness and resigned itself.
The sound of water gurgling was heard.
I was surprised. So was the cup. The cup freaked out and hurriedly looked around to find a faucet. Then a faucet appeared above the cup. It was different from the previous faucet, this one was a bit rusty, like the ones you find in lonely parks. But this cup was happy to see the faucet.
In no time, water flowed from the faucet into the cup's body in a torrent. For a moment, the cup was happy to see itself being soaked in this way, but when the water exceeded its limit, the cup started to freak out. It was obvious that the cup was pleading fervently, "Enough, please don't pour more". However, the water continued to pour into the cup without stopping.
The faucet kept pouring water into the cup, as if it wasn't enough, as if it was saying "More, please I give you more". I don't know what drove it to that extent. The cup was angry at the faucet.
The flow of water slowed down a little. Looking at the faucet, the cup realized that it was leaking from a crack at the bottom of the spout. Maybe it was because the faucet had rusted, or maybe it couldn't withstand the force of too much water.
I looked at the cup with curiosity. The cup was filled with water while turning its 'face' away and feeling annoyed. The cup probably didn't have time to look at the faucet above its 'head'.
Some time passed before the sound of water from the faucet changed. As I looked up to see what was wrong, the faucet's spout exploded.
The spout broke and parts and water sprayed out. I reached out my hand without thinking to do anything, but the hand was still invisible. It was as if the hand wasn't there.
As I expected, the cup noticed it too. The change in the swiftness of the water that was being poured out must have been obvious, and the cup was very surprised when it looked up and looked at the faucet. "Are you okay?" asked the cup, but the voice didn't reach the faucet's 'ears'.
While the faucet was broken, the cup began to recover. The water was no longer running and the cup seemed to have more time than to worry about other things. The cup was happy to finally be back on track, even though the faucet was broken.
The water stopped flowing.
The faucet seemed to have distorted its shape as a faucet to the point of damming the water itself. The excitement that was there when the water gushed out could no longer be felt. It seemed that the faucet existed only as an object with no will — it was broken.
On the other hand, the cup was in a very happy mood, to the point of singing a song. The cup didn't do anything special, but continued to smile, wobbling happily on the surface of the water.
I wondered if it was safe to be that relaxed. Was this a situation that allowed the cup to laugh? As if in response to such a question, the same vaporization as before began. The cup hadn't realized it yet.
The water began to decrease. When it was less than half full, the cup realized it. The cup was shocked and freaked out, but it couldn't stop the diminishing water. Unlike the trendy faucet, the broken faucet above did not disappear but is still there.
The cup will never forget how it felt when it was filled to the brim, and it can't let itself go dry, not like the first time. Stop, don't go, that cup still needs water. Without water, the cup─
The cup ran out of water.
The cup was crying. I couldn't see the flowing 'tears' or the sad expression on its 'face'. It was supposed to be a quiet place, but somehow I could hear the sound of crying from the cup. My heart skipped a beat again at the sight of it. Whether the cup was full or thirsty, the fate of the cup, which couldn't do anything on its own, seemed very unreasonable.
The cup wouldn't stop crying. The water was also almost gone and the cup was dry, but the cup was still asking for more water.
Why, why are you still asking for more water? Isn't it the same as before? Is there no other way but to accept your fate and be content with it? Isn't that what reality is all about?
I just thought so. I never said it out loud - I should have — but the cup looked at me as if my message had gotten through to it.
The cup was surprised to see me and gently closed its consciousness.
— In the end, the cup dried up.
TL: Reeze27
ED: Reeze27
PR: Reeze27
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