Chapter 5 (1/2)

Day 14: The Past with Mary-san

”One, two, three, four… 'You open a marriage scam business but are instantly caught. Pay an $100,000 fine'… I'm on the steady path to bankruptcy!”

'Gnnn… I'll make a recovery. Spin the roulette!'

”Got it.”

Tikatikatikatikatika…

The spinning sound of the cheap spinner slows to indicate a number.

”You got a six. Which means… 'Your child is born. Receive congratulatory gifts'. Serves you right!”

'Again!? Just how many children am I supposed to pop out in this game!?'

”That makes five. Well now, I'm happy you seem to have forged a blessed household.”

'Kuh…'

'Twas Mary's vexed voice.

For the past two days, we've been playing the Game of Life. Though it's just a knockoff I got at a drugstore in the area. To my surprise, it was surprisingly well made, it came with a proper spinner attached, and the map was on the longer side, providing a relatively long span of enjoyment.

'Akira, the moment we changed the rules, you suddenly became way too overpowered…'

”I really wonder why. Perhaps my instincts are just geared towards self-destruction.”

'That just makes you a failure of a human being.'

On Mary's sulky voice, tsk, tsk, tsk, I wag my finger left and right.

Naïve, too naïve, Mary.

”Happiness isn't all there is to life. Life's all about reflecting on it all- fortune and misfortune- as the days pa.s.s you by.”

'No, on this very game board, your life has far surpa.s.sed what could be called a disaster.'

I have to admit, this game my house fell into debt the moment I was born, and even as I shouldered my parent's debt while making my way to university, my house was burned to the ground. My property and fortune all lost, I tried playing the stock market, only for a world-wide recession to cause the prices to fluctuate violently, forcing me to put up all I had as collateral. In a last-ditch effort, I tried dyeing my hands in a marriage scam business, but I was caught in no time… it's misfortune on a level where something has to up.

However, that is precisely why I am strong. The reason being, this isn't your ordinary game of life.

”You're stronger the more times tragedy strikes, at least in 'The Game of Failing Life'…!”

'Is that really something to brag about…?'

The Game of Failing Life.

The rules are simple. Lower your total a.s.sets as much as possible, that's all there is to it.

But for some reason, the moment we switched over to it from standard rules, I gained a strength matched by none. In normal rules, I always lost to Mary, but this special clause named me the absolute victor. I was consistently put on the fast track to a life of complete failure.

… Could it be I'm possessed by a G.o.d of misfortune or something?

I tried asking, but Mary gave a dubious response.

'Er, well, I can't really say. I'll admit you have a nature most worthy of a G.o.d of misfortune's possession, but…'

”Really!?”

'Yes. It's said that good luck comes to those that smile, but on the other side of that, G.o.ds of misfortune and other such existences cla.s.sified as calamities often choose dark and sullen people.'

”Am I that dark…”

What natural verbal abuse.

When I was about to crumble, Mary frantically came in to follow through.

'Ah, that's not what I meant! I'm not talking about you personally! … Um, there are some people who are just born with a disposition that attracts irregularities and evil spirits more easily. Akira, you're pretty much something like that.'

Pretty much something like what?

”No, I mean, I've never seen a ghost in my life, you know?”

'You drew me.'

”Ah, I see.”

Come to think of it, that's right. I can't help but get to thinking of Mary as just a normal girl rather than an irregularity. Perhaps it's because we play together every day… though even I say that, we've only got around half a month of this time left.

There, I ask what suddenly came to mind.

”… Huh, wait a second. Then could it be the reason I don't have any friends is–”

'Ah, that's just a problem with you personally.'

”That was fast!”

This accursed body that draws evil ends up rejecting the presence of others… with that super-cool setting, I'd meet a hot demon hunting sorceress and turn her hostile on a misunderstanding, only for the intervention of a third party causing us to work towards a common goal; a secret fight to protect her, the girl who tried to leave the organization after learning too much… a bond that deepens in the face of danger, the last boss gives a grand laugh… I had even imagined about seventy percent of the way up to the moving final arc.

I sulk as I ask Mary.

”And so? Why can't you say if I have a G.o.d of misfortune possessing me?”

'Because G.o.ds of misfortune aren't urban legends, they exist in the religious department. Even if I have clairvoyance. I won't be able to sense their presence.'

”You urban legends are like that. You've got way too many rigid categories, and it all sounds like an inflexible bureaucracy…”

'Unlike the fine gentlemen of the religion and folklore departments, we urban legends are still newcomers to the industry. We can't make it in the big leagues.'

She makes it sound like there's some discord between the departments.

It's a hard world we live in. I thought over it as I spin the roulette and reach the goal.

'… Ah!?'

”There we go… all my possessions total up to a promissory note of $1,350,000.”

'You s.h.i.+rked paying off a single dime…'

There's no doubt I left the world, leaving only an outrageous debt behind.

I spin the spinner for Mary, gazing on as her funds continue to s...o...b..ll in size.

At this rate, Mary's going to reach the goal as a multi-millionair.

'Muh…'

Mary was sulking.

I surmise that previous penalty was giving her cold feet. That really was a nice one, if I do say so myself. A penalty where you have to do nothing but praise the victor for five minutes.

It seems Mary's ridiculously good at acting, and despite the slight embarra.s.sment mixed in, she continued throwing the good points I was unaware of at me, so I was sure she had to like me or something, but once five minutes were up… 'L-lie. That was all a lie, I don't know a single good thing about you… I-I'm serious, you know? It's not like I just spoke out what was really on my mind,' She insisted, so it looks like that's not happening!

… Well, it's a sorrowful tale, to have it all be a lie, but that aside, it's quite a wonderful, hard-to-obtain experience to have everything you do affirmed. I hope she pulls out another one like that next time.

I lightly brush my bangs aside as I speak.

”Give it up. Your loss is already set in stone.”

'Muh, gngn…! … Sure enough, you have a point.'

”Oy, oy, don't be so down. The times you fall are the times you should laugh the loudest.”

'You're right. You're right, but–'

”Good grief, you hate having to take a penalty that badly?”

'I don't want to, or how should I put it, if I have to do something like that again, my feelings will lea… N-no! That's right! I am obstinately against the concept of penalties! These tyrannical agreements that ignore the free will of those subjected to them should be abolished!'

”Then how do you think I feel when I've carried them all out to this day..?”

'Erk.'

I sense what feels like her averting her eyes from the phone.

Hah, I let out a sigh.

… Well, I'm no demon. I admit I do have an urge to get Mary to wait on me and say embarra.s.sing things through a penalty. A large urge. An exceedingly large urge. But despite all of that, you know, it's precisely by letting her off with a tolerant heart, that I can show her the broadmindedness of an adult, is it not?

That being the case, in order to show Mary my tolerance, I made a certain proposal.

”Mary, just this once, I don't mind exempting you from a penalty.”

'Oh? Really?'

”But under one condition.”

'… I wonder what I'm feeling, I can't imagine it being anything decent.'

”Oy, oy, Mary, think back. Was there ever a time where I ever said anything unreasonable or lied to you?”

'So many times I can't even begin to list th…'

”No, of course not. You can't remember a single time, right? Thinking back on it now, just how much of a wholesome, gentle young man, overflowing with consideration and sociability am I… I have to say I fear myself.”

'You liar! We have a liar here!'

Ignoring Mary's accusations, I present my proposal.

”Could you take a picture of yourself and send it to me?”

'… A picture, is it? … Y-you mean a pervy one?'

”Wrong! What do you take me for?”

'A pervert?'

Hmmm, this tone is, you know. The tone of someone who simply, honestly believes I'm a pervert. It looks like I need to sit down and have a good, long talk with Mary one of these days.

”… No, um, I just thought to commemorate the moment.”

'Heh?'

But, well, if you insist… wait, no, that's wrong. I don't have any particular ulterior motives this time, but when I gave out a normal reason, Mary let out a slight voice of surprise.

”So, you know. However things go, you're eventually going to reach my place and become Mary-san, aren't you? After that, we won't be able to take it easy and play over the phone anymore, and it'll be lonely… so to remember this summer, I wanted some more picture of you.”

'Akira…'

”D-don't misunderstand me! I just wanted some pictures of a beautiful girl, nothing more!”

'Akira. Just now, you sounded seriously happy. Please don't say anything that'll make me seriously consider, 'This person might actually just be like that'.'

”Ah, got it.”

'Please wait just a moment.'

The photo sent after a little bit of time wasn't the usual selfie.

A young girl projected against an expanse of sunset sky, her whole body dyed in crimson.

A body so slender it might snap, her small silhouette capped off by a straw hat.

With the backlighting, I couldn't see her face itself. But I could tell the girl was smiling.

I mean, it was so gentle and quiet, a picture that made me feel at ease just looking at it. She had to be smiling.

'… How was it?'

”The best.”

'I-is that so…'

When I inputted my frank impression into the phone call that came, Mary bashfully shrank her voice.

… I mean, nice things are nice. I can't help but praise them.

”Did you have someone take it for you?”

'Yes, I asked an old man who was walking around the area… truthfully, it's not good for an urban legend to interact with anyone who isn't the target.'

But even so, I wanted to send a proper photo, said Mary.

”… I'll treasure it. Once you get over here, let's take one together.”

'Yes, of course. I guarantee it'll become a most bizarre ghost photo.'

”She guaranteed something crazy…”

So it's definitely coming out as a ghost photo…

Well, if you say that, then this one's practically a ghost photo already.

For a little while, silence pa.s.ses as I gaze at the photograph.

It wasn't as if it was awkward, and it wasn't as if I had nothing to say, even if we didn't talk this was plenty. So no one spoke… How should I put it, over the course of this summer, Mary had picked up some stoicism and grown a little loose in a good sense, but my excessive looseness had healed a bit, and perhaps I've gotten a little better at reading that thing called the mood.

As I gazed at the photo, and thought over such things, I noticed a certain something.

”Mary, Can I ask you something?”

'Ah, yes. What is it?'

”It's about your clothes… why are you wearing a one piece?”

'Is it strange?'

”No, it suits you extremely well.”

Those garments that gave off a vibe more summery than any other, they fit a delicate silky-black haired young girl exceedingly well. There was no doubt in my mind they suited her. However.

”Mary-san was based off of an old western doll, right? Then shouldn't it be a fancy dress?”

'You're fixating on something strange. I mean, a dress would be way too hot, would it not?'

…

No, yeah. That's definitely true. Come to think of it, she's exactly right.

But why does that explanation feel so unsatisfying…

Their values are human-like in the strangest places, these urban legends. Yeah, if they're made from human imagination, then perhaps you could simply call it obvious.

For argument's sake, she added on what sounded like an explanation.

'Of course, the irregularity called Mary-san has her characteristics. But originally, until the very end, Mary-san isn't supposed to be seen by her target, so no matter what I look like, it wouldn't really damage Mary-san's image.'

”Even in camo?”

'Yes, even in camo.'

”Even j.a.panese clothes?”

'Of course, even j.a.panese Clothes.'

”Even a maid uniform?”

'I presume even a maid uniform.'

”Even a swimsuit?”

'I'm sure even a swimsuit.'

”Then come over to my place in a swimsuit.”

'Very well, then a swimsuit… is not happening!? Why are you leading me as if it's the natural flow into walking around in a bathing suit in public?'

”… Eh?”

'Why do you look so purely perplexed!? So you were unaware, it was a desire that welled up from your subconscious!? Oh my, how scary, this person is scary!'