Slept Well
Slept Well
" Mmm.... "
My eyes opened slowly today of all days.
It was a rare occurrence. Usually, I opened them a bit faster.
Yet paradoxically, my body felt far more refreshed.
It felt like I had slept deeply for the first time in a very long while.
It was truly a refreshing morning, as if I had slept soundly without waking up for days.
If I had to compare this crisp freshness to something...
It was like going back to the former job I had quit,
and pouring out right into the face of a coworker I used to hate all the words I didn't get to say when I left.
'Of course, there's no way I actually did that, though.'
That's an impossible story.
Anyway, I really slept like a log.
To the point where I couldn't even remember how I had fallen asleep in the first place.
The last memory I can recall is....
- :: If you inhale this, you'll forget everything completely and fall asleep feeling great. ::
- :: Yeah, forget it all completely... ::
- Ah, then I won't decline. Thanks, Bell.
Ah. Is this the effect of that sleep powder?
It's remarkably effective.
To think I really can't remember a single thing that happened yesterday.
'Should I ask her for it again next time I get tired?'
:: Ah, you're awake? ::
As if sensing my presence, Bell, who was already up, greeted me.
Did she already finish breakfast?
There was powdered sugar around her mouth.
:: Ah, this? You were sleeping so soundly that I felt bad waking you up. ::
Noticing my gaze, Bell wiped away the powder on her mouth.
:: How's your body feeling? ::
" Extremely refreshed. "
:: No headache or anything like that? ::
" Mmm... not really? More than that, I'm concerned about you. You have dark circles under your eyes. "
Bell's skin was noticeably dark and exhausted-looking.
It was like, how should I put it...
It looked as if she had strained herself terribly trying to force something to happen.
:: Oh my, really? ::
:: Mmm... it must be because I tossed and turned last night. ::
:: Actually, that's why I woke up early. ::
" Oh dear. If you're tired, you can take today off. There aren't many customers in this shop anyway, so I can handle it alone. "
:: I can't do that! ::
Showcasing her meager biceps, Bell offered a smirk.
I burst out with a pfft- laugh before I could stop myself, but quickly corrected my expression as Bell glared at me.
:: What? Just whose fault do you think it is that I'm tired? ::
" Whose fault is it? "
:: It's because I was worrying about you, dummy! ::
" ....... "
No. It's just...
That line was just pure ridiculousness.
I knit my brows and stared intently at her instead of answering.
Then Bell averted her gaze as if embarrassed.
Naturally, that embarrassment contained not even a speck of heart-fluttering emotion.
:: If I make a joke, you could at least laugh a bit. Do you really have to make a person so embarrassed? ::
" Isn't it the fault of the person who told an unfunny joke first? "
When I delivered a heavy dose of facts, Bell cowardishly threw a flurry of punches puk-puk.
Of course, to me—a former agent—these weak, gnat-like punches couldn't possibly do anything.
Instead of pointing out that trying to hide embarrassment with violence was unhealthy, I just quietly took the hits.
'For some reason, I feel like if I point it out, she won't stop—she'll just keep going.'
If her personality were the type to stop just because someone pointed it out, wouldn't she have refrained from resorting to violence in the first place?
Then, suddenly, Bell stopped punching.
Her expression turned unusual, like someone who had just sensed something terrible.
She went outside, and—.
:: Gasps! We have to hurry! ::
:: There are only 2 minutes left until our shift starts! ::
"Gasp."
Going to work on time was a serious matter.
We put an end to our little comedy routine and stepped out to the counter together.
Classical music echoed softly today as well.
And the shopkeeper was fast asleep in a sweet slumber.
" Welcome to our candy shop! "
And so, today began just like any other day.
Tinkle-.
" Welcome. "
"O-Oh, it's been a while."
A police toy doll waved happily.
He was one of the few regulars at this shop, and among them, an especially rare toy customer.
Personally, I felt that a police officer would be better suited going to a donut shop rather than a candy shop, but....
"I tried making it myself, but
Here, I'll take the usual, please."
" Yeeeep. "
I wasn't clueless enough to voice such thoughts to a customer.
" One lollipop heavily smothered in jam coming right up! "
Just then, the police customer's name tag caught my eye by chance.
Where have I seen that name before...?
Ah. It hit me.
" Huh? Your name is identical to a famous wanted criminal's, isn't it? "
"...!!"
" You know, that guy who kills people and eats their corpses, the one called the Cannibal Fiend? I heard he's currently wanted... "
The atmosphere plummeted instantly.
Only then did I realize what I had just said.
Damn it. I was so tactless!
:: Sigh. I don't think it was this bad originally. ::
:: I didn't break him by messing with him too much, did I? ::
Rolling my eyes, I saw Bell tapping tak-tak on an innocent popcorn maker.
However, her posture was so awkward that one could easily tell the machine wasn't actually broken.
It was probably Bell's own effort to neutralize this awkward atmosphere.
But being that obvious only made the atmosphere even more awkward.
She's so terrible at acting, honestly.
Just as I was having a slightly shameless concern as the person who caused the situation in the first place—
"Haha, I hear that quite often."
Fortunately, the customer magnanimously understood!
The way he skillfully let out a hearty laugh and cracked a joke made it vividly clear that he didn't care at all.
If that was acting, he could easily aim for Best Actor of the Year.
Even if he were the real serial killer and got stopped by police for questioning, he would lie without batting an eye and slyly slide right past them.
He would even be capable of killing an off-guard police officer, making him extremely difficult to arrest.
"I'm terribly troubled by it myself. Whew. My worries are endless."
Hmm...?
But come to think of it, the wanted criminal I mentioned was from the world before I reincarnated.
Which means—.
:: This is troublesome. If I use any more powder, he might break completely. ::
:: Hmmm... should I use it first and think later...? ::
—I had talked nonsense about someone who doesn't even exist in this world.
Which means that customer skillfully played along with it anyway.
Unbelievable. As a store clerk, to commit such a discourtesy.
:: Guess it wasn't that. ::
" ...Here, please take this as well. "
"Huh? What is...?"
" It's on the house. To make up for my rudeness. "
I could just gloss over it.
From the perspective of social life, where minimizing discomfort is key, turning a blind eye might be wiser for both of us.
" Did I not commit the discourtesy of mistaking your name? "
Yet for some reason, today of all days, I feel like taking responsibility.
It's like, how should I put it?
I made an important promise to a customer, but completely forgot about it.
And because of that, a customer exiled somewhere is desperately waiting for their delivery to arrive,
that kind of incomprehensible guilt is pricking at my chest.
:: Pfft, stupid. ::
:: There's no way that's true. ::
Yeah. No way.
Not only was there no delivery reservation,
but where on earth would someone get trapped just because a delivery didn't come? Makes no sense.
It's just a figure of speech.
" So please take it. I insist. "
Anyway, doing at least this much feels like it will relieve this discomfort a bit.
"T-Thank you."
The customer generously accepted my apology.
However, was it still too overwhelming for him?
"By the way, I have a bit of business to take care of. I'll be back after taking a short walk around, so could I pick that up in a little while...?"
" Ah, yes. Of course. Take your time. "
Hmm... Lately, there are many people saying they have things to do.
Fumbling somewhat, the toy customer accepted only his original order and fled the shop.
" I guess it really was too burdensome... "
After that, he didn't visit again even by the time it was closing time for the shop.
:: Now, now. Don't take it to heart so much. ::
:: Who knows, maybe that customer really was a serial killer and felt guilty, so he didn't return. ::
:: Maybe he thought his identity was exposed and that something was spiked in the snack you handed him? ::
" How could that be? I just confused it with something from my previous world. "
Still, feeling my heart warm at her comforting words... or so I thought.
Seeing Bell with a strangely satisfied smirk at the corners of her mouth, I only then realized.
:: Or maybe he mistook you for a monster that slices people up like raw fish and ran off in sheer terror! ::
:: If a monster like that points out your exact name, wouldn't anyone run away in surprise? ::
:: Especially if they were trying to trick that monster in the first place! Kyahahahaha! ::
She was teasing me.
I was a fool for feeling touched even for a moment.
" ...You're laughing? "
:: Aaaaah! ::
:: Say no to violence! ::
...I haven't even done anything yet, what an exaggeration.
Whew. Fine. Let's admit it.
Still, thanks to her, my mood lightened up.
:: Come on, speaking seriously, there's probably some other reason. ::
:: Looks like your fatigue is making your imagination lean negative. ::
:: Speaking of which, I have a proposal. ::
A proposal?
:: After work tomorrow, why don't you go watch a street play with me? ::
:: It's a type of puppet show. ::
:: I'm sure it'll be a great change of pace. ::
###
Meanwhile around that time, at the Management Bureau.
"Yeah, yeah. I know fine well y'all are tired. Things got terribly tangled up because of that wretched bastard in Investigation Team 2, right?"
"Still, gotta do what gotta be done. We got a report, so we can't just leave a burning house alone just 'cause we're busy here."
"Heard he's some psycho playing puppet show with corpses. Everyone read through the documents in front of ya. Prepare thoroughly."
The field dispatch of Special Suppression Team 1 under the Anomaly Management Bureau was decided.
"What? What if that crazy anomaly storms the Management Bureau again while we're out?"
"Sigh, our rookie. How can your heart be so chicken-livered? If that guy was gonna come, he'd have come long ago."
"Seeing as he hasn't shown up till now, don't your instincts tell ya? As far as I see it, we won't be catching a single hair of his hide."