Chapter 10
Chapter 10
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 10
Chapter Title: Tyui-█-█████(2)
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Silent Black Girl.
Identification Code: Tyui-█-█████
The ghost stories posted on Apocalypse of Ghost Stories all undergo rigorous, in-depth scrutiny by the veterans before being assigned an 'identification code'.
Identification code.
It's equivalent to the 'grade' attached to a ghost story.
In the case of the previous two ghost stories.
'Bus Stop 4444 Does Not Exist' received a 'D-grade' identification code, Tyui-D-61.
'Late Night Radio 125.5MHz' received an E-grade, lower than the bus ghost story, Tyui-E-150.
The criteria for assigning grades to each ghost story.
aren't as complicated as one might think.
There are two main criteria.
The first is the aspect that weighs most heavily in the grading process.
Lethality.
In other words, it's also described as an overwhelming gap in power.
Using ordinary citizens as the baseline.
It's judged by how many people it can kill instantaneously and simultaneously if they fall into the ghost story.
The bus ghost story and the late-night radio both received low grades due to their 'limited space'.
The second criterion.
is the difficulty of the escape method when you fall into that ghost story.
Combining these two criteria so far.
- The degree of pure strength.
- Escape difficulty.
Most ghost story grades are determined based on these two criteria.
However, conversely, if these two are not clearly established.
they are classified under the 'Unmeasurable Grade' category.
Despite the grandiose name of Unmeasurable Grade.
it's not a title given to entities with absurdly overwhelming power.
Usually, cases that receive Unmeasurable Grade fall into the following categories.
Insufficient explanation.
Sparse settings.
In other words, unfinished ghost stories.
Most cases of Unmeasurable Grade stem from such basic setup failures.
But occasionally...
Really, with low probability.
there are cases where the actual grade is truly Unmeasurable.
Under settings more meticulously crafted than any other.
an exceptional case assigned to a ghost story with potential exceeding even S-grade.
And the prime example of that...
is this one.
Silent Black Girl.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A white dress adorned with wavy frills and a black ribbon at the neck caught my eye.
I slightly lifted my head.
and gazed at the girl with ebony skin.
The girl with glossy black bobbed hair was looking down at me in turn.
Her eyes sparkled like precious jewels.
As she approached me without hesitation, smiling like a sunflower.
【What... color flowers do you like?】
Her soft, gentle voice rode the waves of my ear canal.
making even the blood vessels tremble as her voice rippled across the thin membrane of my eardrum.
Even with the Smile Badge pinned on, the trembling in my hands wouldn't stop.
Singgle-
The girl was smiling at me.
I desperately tried not to grimace in front of her.
But every time the girl opened her mouth.
the pounding of my heart made even my brain tremble.
【What color flowers do you like?】
The girl repeated the question to me.
asking what my favorite flower was.
【Red flowers?】
Red flowers won't do.
I'll turn to black ash.
【Blue flowers, maybe?】
Blue flowers won't do either.
I'll burst like a human water balloon.
The girl then began listing various flower colors one after another.
Yellow flowers.
Purple flowers.
Orange flowers.
From the girl's relentless questioning about my favorite flower color, the emotion I felt right then...
was terror.
Amid the rapidly accelerating heartbeat pressing in.
【Light green flowers, maybe?】
Every time I heard the next flower color, I felt like I was going insane.
Even in this split-second moment, I was frantically scanning my surroundings.
Because I was desperate.
Because I wanted to live.
So please.
Please just...
Please!!
'Where the hell is the white flower!'
I absolutely had to find the 'white flower' hidden somewhere here.
If I couldn't find it, I would... die here.
Suddenly-
!
【You look busy?】
The girl's jewel-like sparkling eyes filled my entire field of vision.
So close that the slightest movement would make our lips touch.
Flinch-!
My body shrank back.
I recoiled from the girl's sudden approach.
My body stiffened in that instant.
I couldn't breathe properly.
My hands grew cold from the cold sweat dripping from my palms.
The fear I had hidden so well up until now.
I exposed it right in front of her.
【Don't tell me... you hate█ flowers?】
!
The girl's voice began to crack.
No good.
I need to buy more time.
I can't die like this.
"...As if. I love flowers, actually."
I smiled.
Forcing the muscles at the corners of my mouth to tear into a faint smile.
"I have so many favorites, it'll take a bit to pick one."
I steadied the tremor.
To eliminate the shake from my voice, I gripped my wounded hands harder than ever.
The girl stared blankly at my face for a while.
Staring, and staring again.
Piercingly.
At my eyes only.
She gazed vacantly for a time.
And when she opened her mouth again.
the girl... had reddened eyes.
【You really... have pretty eyes. So I really want you to tell me. The color of the flower you truly love.】
Smoothly-
The girl's small hand naturally fell onto my cheek.
【I like you.】
The moment the girl's touch met my cheek.
it was warm.
The subtle warmth spread across my skin.
Slipping-
But the girl's hand didn't stop there.
The touch slowly trailed down my neck to my chest.
In sync, she gently rested her forehead on my shoulder.
【If it's hard to choose a color... I'll tell you one that suits you instead.】
"......"
Damn it.
Damn it damn it damn it damn it.
'Damn it!!'
I can't stall for more time like this.
The girl will soon name a flower that suits me.
If, right here.
the girl names the flower first.
I die...
"The flower I like is..."
I cut her off first.
But I couldn't recklessly name some other color.
At this point, without finding the white flower.
the death countdown had already begun.
No... wait.
Let's speak plainly.
In truth, from the very moment I stepped into this place.
my death might have already been presupposed.
【What is it?! I'm curious! Tell me quick!!】
The girl was looking at me with expectant eyes.
"......"
From now on.
I die.
Stalling any longer is no different from suicide.
I die.
I really die.
Whether I burn to death or burst like a water balloon.
If I'm going to die anyway...
"The color of the flower I like is."
If I'm doomed to die no matter what, the only possibility I could try right now.
was just one.
Silent Black Girl. The black girl's favorite flower is the 'white flower'. The girl... tends to white flowers every day. cares for white flowers every day. every day, she fusses over them so they don't wilt, so they don't lose their beauty. Waiting for the day someone appears who seeks the white flower she's cherished so dearly. Today too, the black girl tends to her white flowers.
"The color of the flower I like is 'white'."
【.......】
Extreme terror sometimes.
leads to the ultimate survival instinct.
I calmly wore a false smile on my lips and cloaked my entire body in false confidence.
Smoothly-
Approaching the girl before anyone else could.
I gently placed my hand over the back of hers.
As if I'd been waiting for this very moment.
"Let me say it again. The flower I like is..."
And I repeated the same words once more.
"white flowers."
【..........】
I had said it.
I had blurted it out.
The girl's silence followed my answer.
But her eyes were definitely fixed on me.
Thump thump thump thump-
The heartbeat that would normally race madly was, strangely, beating calmly.
【.............】
I waited.
For the girl's response.
Careful that this entire fabricated situation wouldn't be exposed.
And the response that came amid my wait.
Singgle-
was a bright smile and eyes sparkling more than ever.
【You like... white flowers.】
Swish-
【I knew it.】
A sudden strong gust of wind made me close my eyes unwittingly.
When the fierce wind died down and I opened my eyes again.
the scenery before me.
had become a different space in an instant.
Under a gray sky dyed in ashen hues.
All the flowers that had littered the area just moments ago vanished in a flash.
The only flower asserting its presence amid the parched, crumbly soil.
was one that had never shown itself before.
Black flowers.
Only black flowers.
filled this vast field completely.
Grip-!
The girl grabbed my hand.
and forcibly pulled me to my feet.
【White flowers... you said you like white flowers. I wanted you to say it so badly!】
The girl gazed at the pitch-black flower field with a brighter voice than ever.
smiling like bright sunlight.
【I'm so happy!】
She came right up to me.
and pressed her body against mine.
【How is it? Pretty? Pretty, right! White flowers are pretty!!】
Right now, only black flowers surrounded us.
No white flowers in sight.
But...
"It's prettier than words can describe."
【!!!】
The girl beamed at my words.
I stared warmly only at the girl before my eyes.
After that, the girl never left my side for a moment.
Stuck to me like gum.
she poured out endless repeated questions.
【How pretty?!】
"Prettier than anything I've ever seen."
【Pretty enough to look at forever?!】
"Yes."
Every time she heard my answer.
the girl showed unreserved joy on her face like an excited child.
The opposite of my false expression.
It was genuine.
Hop-!
!
Unable to contain her heightened emotions, the girl leaped toward me.
I lost my balance and tumbled into the black flower field.
My back ached bit by bit.
It would be a lie to say it didn't hurt.
But I endured even that pain, striving to maintain the false facade.
Conversely, the ecstatic girl, body pressed to mine.
once again approached me with those sparkling eyes and asked.
【If you like white flowers...】
Our distance was so close that I could feel her rough breath fully on my face.
But the girl didn't stop there.
【Let's live here together.】
!
For a moment, my false facade nearly tore.
【If you like white flowers, you're enough for me now.】
The girl's jewel-like eyes sparkled brighter than ever.
So much that my own eyes looking at her felt blinded.
【Is this what first love feels like?】
Tight-!
The girl's left hand dug into my right palm, interlocking fingers.
【What do you like? I'll go first!】
Tight-!
After binding my other hand too.
the girl's white dress was now soiled with dirt and my blood.
【I like you. As long as I'm with you, even this ████ flower field is fine. Dirty is fine. ████ fine. █████. ███ ██. So...】
In the cacophony of dissonant sounds, the girl's face drew toward my left ear.
whispering shyly right against it.
【██████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████.】
The girl's voice echoed inside my skull.
It was dizzying.
Even the girl's face right in front of me.
no longer came into clear view.
Drip-
Red blood began trickling down my philtrum.
The girl looked at the blood flowing from my nose.
without any hesitation.
Lick-
She wiped it away with her tongue, her lips lingering just before mine, exhaling shallow breaths.
【Sorry... I can't hold back anymore. So don't hold back either.】
The moment her head slowly descended toward my lips.
After confirming the Smile Badge on my collar.
she halted all movement.
【.......】
The girl stared at the badge for a while.
As if aware of her gaze, the Smile Badge.
Hehe-
showed a radiant smile toward the girl.
【...A bug's attached.】
With that short remark.
the girl redirected her lips from my mouth to my cheek.
Smack-
Not on the lips.
A girl's kiss landed on my cheek.
【I'll hold back this time. But don't make me wait too long.】
Snap-!
Accompanied by a sharp sound piercing my eardrum.
When I opened my eyes again.
a familiar dingy yellow ceiling and the shrill phone ring piercing my ears greeted me.
Ring ring ring-
Ring ring ring-
Ring ring ring-
......
I lay on the floor for a while.
staring blankly at the ceiling.
Truly... blankly at nothing but the yellow ceiling.
Ring ring ring-
!
When I registered the phone ringing once more.
I slowly... moved my stiff lips.
"............I... li..."
...ved.
......Fuck.