Untangling the Threads
As expected, Arachne's cooking was always delicious. She single-handedly prepared hundreds of portions for every meal, and it wasn't just her skill that made the food exceptional—it was the care she took with each ingredient. Rather than any single element like the sauce or omelet dominating the flavor, everything harmonized beautifully, leaving a lingering happiness on the tongue. With every spoonful, a contented hum naturally escaped my lips.
"That was wonderful. Thank you."
After scraping the bowl clean and setting my spoon on the empty plate, Arachne gathered my dishes and replaced them with two freshly brewed cups of coffee, handling the cleanup herself.
"I was going to at least help with the dishes."
"It's fine. If I'm going to treat someone, I want to do it properly. Besides... I've always wanted to try something like this at least once."
"Even so, I don't get many chances to watch someone enjoy the food I made, given how I look."
"...Arachne."
Her pale skin and the three pairs of crimson eyes on her forehead were already striking enough, but few could casually accept the massive spider-like lower body she possessed. The enormous, heavy abdomen and the eight thick legs supporting it, covered in a hard, dark-blue exoskeleton that creaked with every movement, were enough to inspire fear.
"Hehe, no need to worry. I know you're trying not to be rude in front of me, and I'm grateful for that."
While I hesitated over whether forcing a compliment about her lower body would truly please her, she spoke first to reassure me. I wanted to apologize, but I doubted hearing an apology would make her happy either. She seemed to understand my silence perfectly. Her expression looked both a little lonely and oddly relieved.
"Ah, do you have time to sit and have coffee? I don't think I've asked yet."
"Don't worry about the time. I came here specifically to talk with you, Arachne."
"Right... I suppose so."
Everyone outside must have been struggling again... That's why they sent the Counselor. I know that, but still... it makes me a little sad.
The silk came from her body, so if its quality was declining, it was only natural to suspect her health. The cause was likely stress from overwork. Had she grown weary of being trapped in the kitchen every day, cooking without rest? Because she had lowered her spider abdomen comfortably to the floor and folded her legs, the height difference between us had lessened, giving me a perfect view of her complexion. It wasn't just her being mindful of me—she looked genuinely uncomfortable, with faint wrinkles at the corners of her eyes that she was trying her best to hide.
The gentle aroma of coffee helped ease the atmosphere, so it seemed best to hear as much as I could right now.
"Come to think of it... you said the silk isn't coming out."
"Ah...? Oh, um... y-yeah. That's right, but... you don't need to worry about that part. I'll just ask that troublemaker for help later."
"But your complexion looks poor right now. Couldn't I help in the President's place?"
"Ah, no...!"
Startled, she set her coffee cup down hard. A few drops splashed onto the table as she stared blankly at them, only belatedly realizing she had raised her voice. I kept my expression neutral, but I had seen her shoulders flinch when she set the cup down.
"Ah... no, sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."
Something like that... I could never ask you for that.
"If you're worried about being a burden, then please let me help even more. I'm always indebted to the meals you prepare, and the reason I came here in the first place was to help you, Arachne."
"Th-that's not it either..."
Setting aside whether it's a burden... I can't ask because it's too embarrassing...
Arachne pressed her fingertips to her temples as if her head ached, her eyelashes trembling. From her reaction, it didn't seem like she thought I lacked the ability—it felt more like she was reluctant to ask because it would trouble her. Just what kind of request could make her react so strongly?
Should I step back here? Or was this the moment to press forward? Given her personality, she would probably say it was fine even if I approached a little forcefully, but the fact that she had shown her emotions so openly made me hesitate. Still, remembering that I hadn't come here just for a good meal but to offer help, I knew I had to take the first step even if the path was uncertain.
Nothing would begin if I did nothing.
"If there's anything I can do, I'm willing. I want to be of help to you, Arachne."
"A-anything..."
Really... anything...? Then... ah, no... what am I even thinking...
For a moment, all her red eyes blinked rapidly, as if hurriedly chasing away stray thoughts. Still, I could feel her deliberating. A pair of crimson pupils atop her black eyes glanced at me. At a glance, the sight might have seemed cold or even menacing, but knowing she was timidly muttering "What do I do, what do I do" inside her head, it wasn't frightening at all.
And then... it seemed she had reached an answer.
"..."
Yeah... in the end, the problem I'm carrying is simple. It's better to accept the outcome without dragging it out. I still have things I want to do... I can't stay frozen like this forever.
"Then... first... the coffee will get cold, so shall we finish our cups?"
But... I'm still scared. I don't want to know. Even though the ending is already decided... even though I already know, I always end up hoping like a fool...
Arachne quickly drained her still-hot coffee as if her throat were parched, her mind racing with countless inner monologues—wavering, steeling herself, then regretting—until I finished my own cup. To reassure her, I firmly resolved to do my best no matter what request she made.
Clink.
Once I set my cup down as well, she had already told herself she was mentally prepared, yet fear seemed to surge as the moment drew near.
"A-actually... let's forget the request..."
"Arachne?"
When our eyes met, she realized that taking back everything now would require courage of its own.
"Ah... no. Right, it's nothing... Um, then... could you stand up and come behind me for a moment?"
I felt uneasy about what she might ask, but since she had always been kind to me, I didn't think she would request anything unreasonable. Even so, the moment she asked me to come around behind her, my steps grew heavy of their own accord.
"...All right."
After all, "behind her" meant the rear of her spider abdomen—right at the end of that massive body.
Step. Step. Step.
Moving carefully so she wouldn't notice the anxiety in my trembling footsteps, I found myself facing an even larger spider abdomen from behind. My fingers clutching my clothes began to shake.
"Actually... the reason the silk won't come out is because a tangled clump of thread inside is... blocking the... um..."
"...Arachne, could you speak a little louder?"
Something was tangled... I caught the beginning, but her voice grew smaller and smaller toward the end, making it impossible to understand the request. I asked her to repeat it, but there seemed to be a reason her voice kept dropping.
"I-I mean... the tangled clump inside is blocking my... that... back hole..."
"..."
"But I can't reach it with my hands, so... that's why... you..."
"Ah..."
Only then did I understand what she was asking of me. The troublemaker... so that was why she had said she would ask the President. I had half-suspected it midway through, but I must have been trying to deny it.
"If you could... put your arm in and... pull out the tangled clump... I'd be grateful..."
I see... So that's how it is.
The one saving grace was that, after spending time with Arachne, I had grown somewhat accustomed to her spider body. At least I managed not to gag rudely right in front of her. My gaze slowly traveled downward, scanning her lower half for the opening from which the silk emerged.
"...There are two holes."
"The lower one! It's the lower one...! Don't get it wrong?!"
Come to think of it, she had once mentioned that the silk came from spinnerets near the anus, not the anus itself. So the upper hole was for... other excretory purposes. And the lower one here was the "back hole" she needed help with. If I had gone by my usual understanding of a "back hole," I would have made a terrible mistake. Then... was there a separate front hole? Where? The pointless question nagged at me, but I set it aside for now.
"..."
I never imagined I would get the chance to observe a spider's rear this closely—close enough to examine in detail. The sheer size alone made the situation feel unreal. Then again, a spider of this scale had never been realistic to begin with.
"Um... Arachne, the opening looks a little too narrow for an arm to fit..."
"...That's... something I have to... open myself. Just give me a moment... I still need to prepare myself..."
"...Ah."
She had to open it herself. The surrounding exoskeleton did look quite hard; it probably couldn't be pried apart easily.
"..."
My mind was drifting far away. Was I really about to put my arm inside? If I just thought of it as a simple task—reaching in, grabbing the tangled clump, and pulling it out—it wasn't so different from cleaning up the silk in the kitchen earlier... No, of course it was.