Please Tell Me Your Favorite Place

This spring.

This is the story of when I noticed a personal project by someone named N on note called
'Please Tell Me Your Favorite Place' and decided to enter.

There is a small swamp in my neighborhood.

It was just after the cherry blossoms had fallen, and the entire surface of the swamp was covered in pink petals.
Looking at that sight, I felt like I could walk across it, so I captured the scene on my smartphone.

There was something like a small piece of trash floating in the middle of the swamp, but I didn't pay it any mind and,

"Under the cherry blossom carpet was a swamp."
I posted the photo with that comment.

Then, I immediately got a reaction from N.

"Oh, I know that place."

I was a little shaken by the sheer coincidence, but pretending to be calm since there was no way my identity could be revealed,
I replied, "Huh, what a coincidence."

Then,
"Really, we might even be neighbors," came the reply.

After that, we ended up chatting more than expected about local topics, like how there was a plant market at the home center near the swamp.

Ever since then, N would frequently 'like' my articles and always leave a comment.

Just as I was starting to feel an unsettling sense of familiarity, N commented on that swamp photo again.

"We met at the swamp yesterday, didn't we?"

I felt a chill.

It's true that I went to that swamp for a walk yesterday.
But there shouldn't have been anyone else around.

Hiding my unease,

"Please don't joke, there was no one there."
I replied, and a response came immediately.

"No, I live in this swamp."

"In the swamp? Come on..."

"It's true. Look closely at the photo you posted."

I brought my smartphone closer to my eyes and stared at the photo of the swamp.

Then, right in the middle of the swamp, I saw a small protrusion breaking through the petals.

When I zoomed in with my fingers, it was something only half-exposed above the water, and the top of its head was strangely flat and shining white.

That something and I locked eyes through the smartphone screen...

Today, more than three months later, N has started another personal project.

I was posting the story about that swamp.

The End
Or
Cold

(´ε｀；) Hmm...

#GoosebumpsChampionship