Chapter 7 (1/2)
Day 18: Mary-san's Call
”What's up, Mary? It's rare to hear from you at this hour”
Having finished up dinner, I was lazily lying around, lionizing the epitoirl across the line, I take up and take a proper seat in the chair… no, rather than rare, this is the first time Mary's called so late I , we talk the whole afternoon away
That's why I thought my relationshi+p with Mary was, so this felt a bit refreshi+ng
”What's this, did you get lonely on your own, and need someone to talk to?”
In short, if I had to say,my embarrassment I was happy Mary called outside of her usual hours, and in order to ht I would tease her a bit
That's why
'Good evening, Akira… that's right Won't you talk with me?'
… At her words, I feel soood old Mary always this honest? She's supposed to be more bashful, more obstinate, more…
… No, I see That's not the part I really found strange, it was her dripping voice When it was Mary's voice no different frolea its way into my brain Even when it was a cute voice, it contained colors within that were al voice
… So was clearly off
The Mary I kneasn't the sort of girl to put out a voice to envelop and y, the sort thatto it, she's the sort that lets out a voice like the sun, that girl called Mary
Andmore firm on her next words
'… That's right, I should've just done this from the start Akira, won't you talk to me forever and ever?'
”… Hah?”
'Morning and evening, noon and night, please talk toleft to fear As long as I have you, I' for er, I could…'
”Wait… wait a second”
I couldn't stand to listen to that voice any longer, I interrupted Mary's words
”Who the hell are you?”
'… What are you talking about? It'sties to come'
”… Now that's strange The Mary I know isn't this sweet on ive up”
… It irritates
I'm not supposed to be this short-tempered, but why do I feel so irritated this ti
Shutting away that irritation, I ask Mary
”… Oy, Mary”
'Yes, what is it, Akira?'
”I can't hear it, the sound of your footsteps… what happened?”
'Ah… I' that anymore'
”… Ah?”
For arguument's sake, at that moment, I definitely still had the leisure in my heart to try and carry a level-headed conversation with Mary
But… those words, they got me
I could tell the restraints onoff
”Oy, try saying that one more time”
'… I'ht? All I had to do was give up on walking Give up on beco Mary-san, and talk with you forever and ever I mean, I'm sure that ill be so much more fun Hey, Akira, don't you think so too…'
”Hah?”
Snap, a blood vessel popped in my head
”Quit screwing around”
'I' I'm already…'
”And I' around”
'… That has nothing to do with you Whether I quit being Mary-san or give up, that should be irrelevant to you Akira'
”It's got everything to do withoing at it with the guts to give up like that… Who are you? Give up? I don't know a Mary who'd babble so like that”
'… Why are you saying such a thing?'
”Christ! You can't get it if I don't spell it out!?”
I yell This half-hearted Mary isn't eh Mary I know
… Even I can tell I can at least understand it's unreasonably to lose your te different from what's on their mind… but you see, whether it's unreasonable or not, the resente'
Siry
”A Mary who's given up on being Mary-san isn't ”
'… That's… can't be'
”It'so on, get And don't call ain”
'… –!'
The moment I said that, I heard a cramped voice from the other side of the phone
As if she hadn't even tried to feign composure before, as if she had lost all the support she'd been clinging to
As if that was all that kept her up, Mary fell into a panic
'… I… mean I mean, I mean, I mean, I mean, ImeanImeanImeanImean! Then what am I supposed to do! I can't do it anyer is impossible for me! It's because I've learned that…!'
”… If you're going to speak, make it so I can understand”
'… I was afraid'
Mary took a coe, to a quiet, fearful voice as she said it
'… There was an… accident A car alht of ould happen if it really hit, when I thought of not being able to save her, when I thought of if I was the only one who got out, and I'd have to see her corpse…! … It was scary, so scary, and I can't walk anymore'
'… Even if they were both death, uncle's time was sad, but it wasn't this scary That person lived to the end of the end, giving a save a smile…!'
'I never should have learned That there was such unreasonable fear in this world, I never should have learned That there is life thatabout it, I never should've found out If I never learned, I' on… but I leaned, I found out So… I can't do it anymore'
”… I see”
While listening to her words, my head cooled off
… I don't know the specifics of what happened Even if I knew then, I' I wouldn't be able to understand But at this very irl called Mary across the line is definitely afraid Knowing there was despair she couldn't do anything about, she was tre in fear
… As I thought, I can't read the mood or peoples' hearts
I didn't even try to find out what Mary was thinking when she said such a thing, I just couldn't accept what she was saying and snapped
I think that was a failure That's precisely why I want to do what I can Just when I was about to try to the utive Mary some words of consolation…
'… I'ood like me to try at all'
The words about to come out stopped in their tracks
'I wasn't even an urban legend to begin with A badly done failure Swept away by amy limits'
”… Oy, shut it”
'I tried so pointlessly hard like an idiot, didn't I'
”Shut up”
'… So at the very least, you could laugh at me'
I heard a large banging sound It's the sound of the chair blown falling back as I stand
I hear a snap inside
Ah…………… who gives a dale word co some foolish drivel Are you an idiot? Do you have any intellect at all? Why are you able tofor that, then she's a master tactician She really is just a hopeless bastard
I take a deep breath, sucking in air with all e the voice I spat out
”You idiiiiiiiiiiooooooooooot!!!!”
'Heh? Eh? … Eh?'
”Idiot! Idddiot! Aaah, piss h, drive e, huge, huge, huge, huge idiot!”
'Eh? … Heh!?'
I throhatever vilification I want at a flustered Mary
”I always thought you were a bit stupid, but I never thought it was this bad! How on God's green earth did you reach that conclusion? Why are you thinking like that!? There's this thing called looking at things objectively, and just one htest effort to apply it, stupid Mary!”
'Wh… what!?'
”You're better off just eet an idea, you'll only be able to reach a trash conclusion, idiot! Ah, this is so, not, not, not happening, that brain of yours le word I', is it!?”
”What are What are you saying…!?”
Mary's voice was filling with anger
Like hell I know, I just arbitrarily went on a rant
”I'll say it again ang again, damn fool! You! Are! An! Idiot! A numbskull! Off in the head!”
'T-there you go again…!'
”What's this, you can't even get angry like a fully functionto be peer pressured by everyone without any critical judge, go start over froarten, fool!”
What I heard after that was a voice I was hearing for the first time
'… Please stop screwing with me!'