The Boundary of the Eyes
On a night when snow fell, as I climbed the hill a little distance from downtown, I found myself wondering whether I should take the umbrella from my bag.
The snow wasn't falling hard enough to obscure my vision, so it didn't seem necessary, but I knew that when I got home the water dripping from my clothes would only dirty the inside of the house.
In the end I pulled the umbrella out. I only took it out. It was a small one that fit adults or children perfectly. No matter how I looked at it, it didn't seem like something I would carry.
With that feeling of reluctance, I slipped the umbrella onto my wrist. I tucked both hands into my pockets and breathed out white clouds of breath as I climbed the hill, and there I saw someone.
A woman in a white kimono standing barefoot. Short bob hair, black strands. Her figure with its elegant curves clearly belonged to a woman, yet something seemed off about her. A woman, but an odd woman.
Who in this freezing weather would think of wandering around the streets in nothing but a kimono? The kimono itself was one thing, but to go barefoot? It was practically a threat to her life.
Thinking that, I kept walking. Before I knew it, I had reached right behind the woman. It was close enough that a single glance would have made us face to face.
It was because I hadn't been paying attention and also because she stood too near the guardrail for someone who could simply be pushed off.
Should I ignore her and keep going? It was just my mood, but this woman seemed perfectly capable of standing on her own. No, rather, it felt like this was the perfect moment to intervene.
I immediately slapped my cheek lightly. I wasn't hallucinating. What on earth had I been thinking? The only thing clear right now was that there was a dangerous woman out here in the freezing cold wearing nothing but a kimono.
I decided. I would help. A coat or something like that might be refused since it was a woman, but a scarf or umbrella, I thought, could at least be accepted. I opened the small umbrella hanging from my wrist and spoke to the woman.
“Hey. Out here in this cold weather, it's dangerous. If this umbrella is okay with you, could you use it?”
This was a bold statement for someone who had almost never spoken to someone of the opposite sex except during elementary school. But the woman showed no reaction.
When I wondered what mistake I had made, the third time I checked in my head, only then did the woman turn around to look at me.
Wow. The only word that came to mind was admiration. Could a person really smile that perfectly? A pure and innocent smile. The sight of the woman who turned her head only to gaze at me felt like a masterpiece.
Anyone who saw that smile wouldn't be able to look away. Just like me right now.
The falling snow stopped, and my gaze locked. Every nerve in my body was focused on her.
I wanted to hear what words she would say, what emotions she would carry. My eyes opened. Drawn by the same instinct, I was pulled in. She was different. No, the word “person” didn't fit her. She was several steps ahead....
“It's not a good idea to dig into a lady's secrets.”
My eyes closed. At the same moment, unbearable agony rushed over me. One knee buckled. I brought both hands to my face and felt warm, sticky liquid.
Somehow the “eyes” I couldn't control on my own had closed on their own. Whether it was temporary, the “eyes” quickly regained their strength. And in an instant, the emotions the woman in front of me had expressed were revived.
Curiosity and playfulness? And goodwill.
“You... no, you are...”
“I just went for a walk. I never thought someone would come.”
The woman approached me, who was standing with my hands gripping my tear ducts.
“I didn't see you, or perhaps the world has changed because of you?”
Up close, I realized her face was younger than I thought. She looked around my age, but her atmosphere had nothing to do with her years.
This can't be. My head was burning. There was no sign of cooling down like a computer left on all day. Before I knew it, the pain in my left eye had vanished. The blood that must have stained my hands earlier was somehow gone.
The only change was that I could now control the activation of the “eyes”. The “eyes” I had carried since birth. The “eyes” that had always activated on their own and made my life difficult were no longer out of control.
“I am... um. Interested in you. This is the reward for finding me.”
Sudden fatigue came rushing in. My body collapsed. Thanks to the eyes, it didn't hurt. Through the slowly closing eyelids, I saw a girl with a mischievous smile that was different from before.
“Please take care of her.”
Riiiiiiing! Riiiiiiing!
An alarm sounded in my small one-room apartment. A single long ray of sunlight fell from above my head. I turned off the alarm clock on my bedside table, yawned, and got up from my seat. I was stiff. The events from last night didn't feel real, as if I had been drinking.
I went into the bathroom, washed my messy hair, and roughly dried it. Still holding the towel on my head, I searched the fridge. There was leftover fried rice from yesterday. I put it in the frying pan, warmed it slightly, and ate it. The taste was plain.
I put on my suit and left the house. Today was the high school entrance ceremony. The suit I had never worn before felt awkward and uncomfortable.
I arrived at school by bus. The entrance was noisy with many students coming in for the first day. I sighed and took out my earphones. There were too many people talking.
The earphones would ring again, so I put them in my ears and walked while staring at the ground. But strangely, today's feelings that I usually heard were not coming.
We gathered in the auditorium for the boring entrance ceremony. School traditions and history. It was a tedious story. I even looked around at the students who might be in the same class as me.
A bespectacled boy who looked like he would only study. A boy with dyed hair obviously from the sports club. A girl wearing a kimono...?
“Even in this day and age, she's wearing a kimono?”
The casual words were small enough that they wouldn't be heard by those around me. After looking around, I was reassured and turned back to the girl in the kimono. It was clearly unusual.
The other students sitting around her also seemed interested. Of course. Who would wear a kimono in this era? Especially with someone who looked so good in it.
Was she a model? While I was making guesses, I realized the girl was somehow familiar. I had seen her somewhere.
But no matter how far back I traced my memories, it didn't come to mind. If she had worn a kimono, it should have been memorable. It was strange.
After the entrance ceremony ended, I immediately left the building and went outside to find the girl in the kimono I had seen earlier. I thought that if I knew her, she might know me too.
It was overthinking my actions, but I didn't care.
More than anything, she was beautiful... Was I that self-interested?
I found her. The crowd leaving the auditorium was huge, but she was clearly there. Black hair and blue kimono. It wasn't a mistake. I pushed through the people and ran ahead.
“Hello?”
Out of the blue. Blank expression. No answer. I hoped she would at least say something...
“Who are you?”
“Haven't we met somewhere before?”
“...I don't remember.”
“Ah. Really? Must have mistaken you for someone. Sorry!”
I ran straight to the main gate. What the world. This was the first time I had felt this embarrassed. What was I thinking when I walked up to a girl I didn't know?
Snap out of it, me. If I had known this would happen, I should have taken out the “eyes” and at least figured out if they were friendly or hostile...
“Huh?”
Take out the “eyes”? I had never controlled them on purpose before. Why did I think it was possible?
Strangely, when I decided to take out the “eyes”, they opened far too easily. A small mechanical sound, and the eyes opened wide. I was familiar with it. Then closing them was also up to me...
Kiiiing
They closed. I felt an unprecedented thrill. Finally I could control this damn “eyes”! Even though I had been casually reading people's emotions, it was strange that I was now docile, but it was good.
I didn't have to suffer anymore. I didn't need to take responsibility. Good. Today was a meat party. I should buy plenty on the way back. How could I celebrate if I didn't on a day like this?
That day became the start of my life.