Tabi ni Deyou - Chapter 1 - Part 10

Interlude

"...Boy?"

The girl raised her voice a while after they had departed.

"Mhm?"

"...the director mentioned that the strawberries will be ripe in May next year, right?"

"...Yeah."

"Do you think he will last until then?"

"...I don't know. But indeed. What will happen first? His 'disappearance' or the strawberry harvest?"

"..."

There was silence between them for a while. The girl held tightly onto him.

Hang in there, secretary. Hang in there!

The wind of the Super Cub carried her voice away and, maybe without reaching anyone, disappeared in the summery asphalt.

✱✱✱✱

The Super Cub's several-horsepower engine kept running just fine even after the store of the director had disappeared below the horizon. The scenery that unfolded on both sides wasn't very different from what they had walked past the day before, but this time it was rather refreshing thanks to their speed. The sunlight still had a death-ray quality, but the fresh breeze eased it greatly.

"...by the way. Boy?"

The girl suddenly addressed him. With a cold voice at that.

"Yes. How may I help you, madam?"

"Could you tell me why I can smell the soft fragrance of soap from your body?"

The boy grew pale in an instant.

"Don't you think this is strange...? I mean, 'I' didn't have the occasion to take a bath. Why oh why?"

"...last night... after you fell asleep... I m-mean, you'd have gotten angry if I woke you up......ugh?!"

The girl wrapped her fingers around his neck.

"I see. Do you have anything left to say?"

"W-Wait a-"

She squeezed.

"Ungh!

"You wicked DEVIL!! Do you know when I had my last bath?! It's been more than A WEEK!! Can you imagine this agony?! Oh feel the distress of a girl that couldn't wash her hair for over a week!!"

Even while the remainder of the boy's life was slowly drained by her firm grip on his neck, the silver Super Cub continued its way on the dead straight road with a powerful sound.