Hirai’s Secret III |
“Na-oh.”
That mottled patterned cat was there.
My thoughts became downright disorganized at that moment.
How could that cat be in a place like this―
Seated before the garbage dumpster, its eyes glinting amidst the darkness, its tail wagging slowly in a steady rhythm, it was without a doubt the cat that had been stood in front of the white cat carcass last night, staring at me with a grudging look embedded in its eyes.
“Naa-oh.”
Its voice was uncanny to the point that goosebumps rose on my skin.
It was far from a normal meow. Could a cat purr like this?
“Naaaah.”
However, it was beyond my capacity to grasp what the cat was saying to me, and why did it appear in front of me again after yesterday’s occurrence? I mean, this was strange.
The thought that something sinister was about to ensue naturally sent tremors through my body, and I threw the garbage bag I was carrying into the dumpster and left the place.
I returned to the front of the store, feigning composure as though nothing had happened, but perspiration drenched my hands, my pulse was racing, and by all accounts, I was not calm.
The 25-year-old freeter was pathetically reassured by the brightness of the store.
What an embarrassment.
I heaved a small sigh that couldn’t be heard.
The delinquents were still hanging out in front of the store. They were too much of a nuisance… for heaven’s sake, hurry up and disappear.
While experiencing a strange sense of fatigue, I took a big detour around the delinquents’ hangout and walked to the entrance of the store.
“―Oh, that reminds me. The cat I ran over is still there, right?”
The voice I accidentally heard from behind me brought me to an involuntary halt.
“Ah… that white cat, right?”
“It’s decomposing quickly, isn’t it? The flies were swarming all over it.”
“It was pretty gross, huh!! Haha! Plus, it stunk!”
Hold on…
That conversation. It couldn’t be…
“Haha, it was wrong of it to leap out in front of us, that was like asking us to run over it!”
“Kahaha! Cats nowadays are dumb, they are too carefree! Aha!”
One of them laughed and several others caught on and began to laugh as well.
…No way.
These guys ran over it… They ran over that cat that was at the tunnel exit…
These guys were the ones who ran over that cat.
How could they be laughing after having run over that cat? These people were insane.
“It’s not like I ran over anybody. Who cares about that?” the man with the flashy-colored head spat out.
Hearing that, my face heated up as if my blood was rushing to my head.
These guys…
I wasn’t a cat lover, nor was I a member of any animal rights group. I didn’t have any interest in what these guys were talking about but…
As long as it was not a person they ran over, they wouldn’t care about it…?
I couldn’t bear to ignore that with them laughing this way. That white cat was reduced to a miserable mess.
Besides… the thought that because of these people, I was being haunted by that creepy cat with the mottled pattern and getting embroiled in another nefarious situation made me irrationally… aggravated.
I had no clue why the cat was showing up before me, nevertheless, it was these guys that the cat should be resenting, not me. What was unquestionable was that these delinquents ran over that white cat, incurring the wrath of the mottled patterned cat. The fact that they were laughing it off oblivious to all of this sparked a silent fit of indignation in my chest.
“Oi, you, what are you listening to?”
A slight pain was felt in the back of my head, and then an aluminum can struck the concrete ground and tumbled down. That aluminum can was hurled at the back of my head.
“No, you―”
You bastard! What the hell were you doing! I intended to yell at him but I lost that inclination immediately after turning around.
Because each of the dozen or so delinquents was staring at me, their eyes glaring. Even more so, they were all wearing an aura as if they were ready to start a fight with me.
Oh no―
As I retreated, a man who seemed to be the leader of the group approached me, swaying his body and shoved me on the shoulder vigorously.
Anyone would be stunned by such an abrupt action, and I instantly forgot my rage and let my heart skip a beat.
This guy may be younger than me but his height was insanely tall…!
“Oi, you were just eavesdropping on us, weren’t you? Right?”
I couldn’t say yes, so I clenched my teeth and held one of my arms to protect the shoulder that had been pushed away. Perhaps this action was interpreted as defiance, the leader of the group furrowed his brow deeply and came at me forcefully. It was agonizing to be seized by the chest with all his force, and I unconsciously turned my face away in discomfort when he blew his rough breath, which reeked of alcohol, at close range.
Good grief… such people who have been drinking were truly awful.
“What? Do you have something to complain about, hah?”
“You’re nothing but a store staff, don’t you dare listen to our conversation!”
“If you have something to say, why don’t you try saying it!?”
Not only did the man who grasped me by the chest raise a ruckus but the cronies behind him did as well.
These guys…
Without companions behind them, they couldn’t even drink or get violent. Disgraceful bunch.
I detested these people, I absolutely abhorred them.
Without even having a job, they gathered like-minded individuals and incited uproar without even being aware of the trouble they were wreaking on others.
“Hea… ven…”
“Aah?”
“Face heaven’s judgement.”
The expression in the eyes of the man in front of me shifted as I said these words while he gripped me by the chest.
I was convinced that I was going to be beaten.
No, I was prepared to be beaten up, and I said that bombshell remark that would rub the delinquents the wrong way. Under normal circumstances, I would have just let it drift by, and prioritized my own safety, even if the result was hard to swallow.
Tonight, though, I was in a foul mood.
Therefore, even though I would suffer a little pain, I decided to be a bit more honest with myself.
A solid fist flew at me from diagonally across me.
Oi… What was with that lumpy, pointed silver ring?
If I… took a serious hit from that thing.
Blood would pour out from me, right?
I reflexively shut my eyes.