Volume 5, Chapter 2: I became Yuzu, Part 2

It’s been a week since I got permission to go out. Up until then, I hadn’t taken a step from home and haven’t even gone to kindergarten.

That’s right. I am a “Kindergartener” now.

…… what kind of face should I make if I want to go to kindergarten?

Because I was still sick, I heard that I would be accompanied by Kotone-onee-chan when I went out. In other words: I can’t be allowed out alone. Onii-chan wanted to come along, but his schedule and onee-chan’s didn’t match, and it had been arranged to match her schedule.

It seems that I’ll be escorted by the chauffeur instead.

……eh? This is such a big household that we have a chauffeur?

Well, I heard that Father ran a food processing company with around 500 employees, and Mother was a director of accounts in a foreign company that did cosmetics.

How did the two of them even meet…?

Our family wasn’t one of those conglomerate households, nor were we among the rich, but since onee-chan and onii-chan were going to prestigious schools, I think that it was a necessity to commute by car.

I’m afraid of stepping into high society. I didn’t realize it since I usually ate convenience store pudding and natto at home.

……By the way, did you know? Natto without its flavor is just rotten beans.

Anyway, since I seem to have gone off on a tangent, I’m going out for my rehabilitation.

If I was a genuine high-cla.s.s lady, I think I’d be wearing custom-made clothes when I head out into the neighborhood, no? Still, although I’m wearing ordinary clothes I still feel unwilling to buy new items at the department store each time my size changes, since I’m a child.

……My way of thinking is surprisingly plebian.

Anyway, Kotone-onee-chan… sorry, that’s too troublesome to say… “Kotone-chan” and I headed to a munic.i.p.al park that was about 30 minutes away by car. Oh, but of course I’ll usually call her “Kotone onee-chan,” though.

As for why we were going to a remote metropolitan park, it was because they thought that it would be less dangerous in a more populated park than in a small park that was nearby.

Outside the window, the scenery of the city flowed by…… But since we didn’t talk at all about my memories, we arrived at the park just like that. Dropping Kotone-onee-chan and I off at the entrance, the driver went to park the car.

Although it’s a large park, I don’t see anyone sunbathing on the gra.s.s like in a foreign country. Instead, there’s housewives jogging normally and people who were walking their dogs, and there’re also signs for hot dog stands and shops selling soft-serves.

“Yuzu, don’t walk off on your own, okay?”

“Yes~”

I was afraid that my legs would atrophy because I hadn’t gone about in a week, but as I ran around a little, I was relieved that I could run normally.

It seems that it’s dangerous if I wander out of sight of Kotone-chan, and there’s a little freedom.

“I should have brought some toys to play with Yuzu.”

“What kind of toys?”

“Hmmm~…… Frisbee…?”

Please stop. I can’t retrieve it.

Somehow my strides were different from how I thought they should be and I fell down rolling, but since it was in the gra.s.s it didn’t hurt. While I fell a few times, I got used to running quite a bit.

But I have no physical strength. Come to think of it, I think I was told that my body wasn’t very strong, and that I would run out of breath when I ran about 100 meters.

This must be what they meant by having no physical strength. With myself in such a condition, there’s no way I can go with other children in kindergarten. While I was thinking while running, it seems I’ve gotten a distance away from Kotone-chan.

“……ah,”

A small noise leaked out from my mouth.

In front of me, there was an older man with no defense on his scalp that was pulling along a very big dog that had short fur. If it was a medium-sized dog it’s all well and good for it to be seen in the park, but I think that to bring such a large dog into a park where there’s a small infant is a breach of etiquette.

In short, the problem is that I just jumped out in front of this huge dog that looked like a hunting dog.

“Yuzu!”

I heard Kotone’s voice coming from the distance.

But the dog owner didn’t even notice my existence even with that yell.

Although this is just my perspective, I had the impression that people that were larger in height and width were oblivious to their surroundings so that they didn’t have to look around too much.

This man was exactly that type. Even though he knew that the dog that he owned could easily kill an infant with a bite, he thought that his dog was different, and even if it wasn’t, he believed that others would avoid him and be wary.

…… in this case, it’s my fault for being careless.

“[……Guruu…]”

The big dog saw me. I, too, looked at the dog.

It’s a big, black dog… but, I’m not too scared.

In spite of myself, I stretched out my hands to pat the dog, and smiled gently. Hey… it’s not scary?

“[Kyaaaaaain!!!!]”

“Betty-chan!?”

Suddenly, the doggy raised up a sorrowful cry and tried to drag away the confused pet owner, and disappeared out of sight quickly.

““…………””

After watching that scene, when Kotone-chan came running to me, she had an equally stunned expression, like myself who was still holding out my hand.

…… What’s the meaning of this!?

“……I think we should go home for now.”

“……Yes.”

Kotone-chan had a somewhat tired expression on her face as she said so, and I nodded honestly as I felt that the mood had been ruined.

Was I scared? I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense.

Although it’s a little earlier than scheduled, but I decided to go home, and the driver brought the car up from the parking lot to the park entrance.

“Would you like to get some juice from the shop?”

“……just water.”

“Eh~…… My throat got thirsty in the car, so let’s go get some.”

Apparently, Kotone-chan wants to get a drink. I’ll pa.s.s, sorry. Juice that isn’t tasty is harder to drink than plain sugar water.

“……Oh?”

“Yuzu, what’s wrong?”

“I…… heard a voice.”

“A voice……?”

At my words, Kotone-chan craned her neck at me with a strange expression. Was it my imagination……? No, it’s not, I heard it again. Something breaking in the distance…… and someone screaming.

It’s getting closer…… little by little.

“I don’t hear anything…… Ah, the car’s here. I’m sorry, I’m going to get some drinks.”

“Ah, Kotone-onee-chan”

*bakibakibaki!!!*

The instant that I called out to her, there came a big truck crashing into the park, breaking through the fence and the shrubbery behind the shop.

“Hee~!”

Kotone-chan froze at the suddenness of the event.

I heard a scream in the vicinity. The truck didn’t slow down and continued to plow straight ahead.

“Onee-chan”

“Yuzu, come here now!”

I was running to Kotone-chan’s side.

…… I saw it. The world around me swam slowly, and the truck driver’s eyes met mine.

He was smiling while blowing bubbles from his mouth, Eyes that were erratic and bloodshot……

He had obviously gone insane.

And clearly… he was looking at me, and aiming for “me”……?

Kotone-chan clung onto me as I stopped my feet.

Feeling myself trembling, as if bubbling up from the bottom of my heart, some kind of [Emotion] filled me.

“[……What are you doing with to onee-chan……]”

Looking over the shoulder of Kotone-chan who was hugging me, the face of the driver who ought to have gone insane cramped in fear, the birds and pigeons in the park few away in fear for some reason.

As the truck approached ever closer, I put out my hand in front of me, gently…

And with one hand, I caught the truck.

Gigagagan!!!

Like a small car colliding with a train, like a motorbike smashing into a concrete-reinforced bollard, it jumped up and over us contrary to its inertia, and rolled across the beautiful lawn, sc.r.a.ping it.

Screams and shouts of anger came from around us. In the midst of the confusion, I pulled Kotone-chan, who was still in a blank daze up, and quickly left the park before we got caught.

What… am I?

Author’s Notes:

Next time, she will finally go to the kindergarten.