PERFECT World Chapter 7

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Nayuri was living her days as usual, at least on the surface.

Nayuri had been a child who could 'pretend' for anyone since she could remember.
It was obvious from her appearance that her father and brother were not her blood relatives, and the fact that she had no memories from before she arrived in this village only fueled the uncertainty of her own existence.

But she pretended not to care about any of that.
She pretended to be a bright and innocent child, so as not to worry her adoptive father and brother, and to keep them from having to worry about her.

That was likely the best way she could think of to repay them.

I only noticed Nayuri's personality because I had been helping her for so long.
I gradually began to feel uneasy about the smiles she would give me, saying 'I'm fine,' every time she was bullied by the outsiders who came to this village.

Ken is insensitive to other people's feelings, so he probably doesn't think about how it's impossible for someone in Nayuri's life to never come home crying after being bullied.

Even though I noticed, I was hesitant about how to talk to Nayuri about it. Because Nayuri was so desperate.
But now... now is the time I need to tell her.

Lucia is holed up in Taichi's room, and Ken is watching over it, feeling frustrated.

The village chief is apparently in an executive meeting. My father is attending as well. I was asked to look after the village's best clothing store, 'Our Shop,' but I didn't feel like helping out at the store today.

Ken's father will likely step down as village chief. If that happens, Nayuri's position will be in danger. No matter how much egalitarian education they've had, Nayuri's race, which is clearly visible, tends to stand out a bit.

'Nayuri, let's go for a walk outside.'
I invited Nayuri, who had nowhere else to go, to come with me.
'Thoma. But...'
'It's okay. Let's go toward the small hill. Over there... no one can see us, so you should be able to relax. ...Is that okay?'
I held out my hand to Nayuri. Nayuri nodded and took my hand.

It's not the first time I've escorted her, but my heart is racing a little. Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've opened my heart without excessive acting. ...I'm pretending, too. That's why I understand how Nayuri feels.

We walked a different path than the one that leads to the hill where you can see the woods. The pond is blocked by the large hill, so you can't see the woods from here either.
There is a large tree standing at the top of the small hill.
We walked toward that tree.

'You know, the baker overslept this morning. Since the bread I usually eat wasn't there, I tried a new menu item today.'

She kept talking about trivial things.
Until now, I would have been able to go along with that kind of talk, but I shouldn't do that now.

Because I didn't go along with the conversation, Nayuri gradually became quiet.
When we were almost at the top, I couldn't bear the silence I had invited, so I opened my mouth.
'...Nayuri, you don't have to force yourself.'

Nayuri's hand trembled slightly.

'I understand. You're always suppressing your feelings, aren't you, Nayuri? ...If it's painful, you can just say it's painful. If you feel like you can't tell everyone else now, you can tell me. ...Do you want to stay in that house? It must be suffocating, right? My sister's room is empty, so you can live at my house if you want.'

'Thoma, you have a girlfriend, don't you? It would be a bother if someone like me were there.'
Nayuri answered with her head down.

Well, that was the best start I could manage, but...

I think that was where it went from there.

I scratched my head lightly, cleared my throat, and began to speak.

'I broke up with her. It's been a while since we broke up, but... I was the one who ended it. I told her it was because there was someone I cared about. I might act frivolous usually, but I think seriously about the people I want to cherish. ...Won't you tell me? I don't want you to suffer alone, Nayuri.'

Nayuri pulled her hand away from mine and ran to the top of the hill. When she reached the tree at the top, she stopped and pressed her face against the trunk.
I ran over to her and gently placed my hand on Nayuri's shoulder.
'Stop it!!'
Nayuri shook off my hand. I didn't know what to do, so I called out Nayuri's name.

'Don't say such kind things. You only think of me like a little sister, right? Don't say things that lead me on. Don't act like you understand me. Don't come into my heart. I'm fine even if I'm alone. I can live without relying on my father or brother. ...Because I have to live.'

Nayuri shouted while keeping her face pressed against the trunk.
It's painful to watch.

"You can't live life all on your own. No one can. You don't have to hold back with me. I'm not Nayuri's family. Tell me. Okay? Just talking about it can lighten the burden on your heart."
It was right after I said that.

She ran up to me and buried her face in my chest. She was crying.

After crying for a while, Nayuri began to speak, her body trembling.
"I've always been afraid of Taichi. Ever since we first met, he was always glaring at me, and my brother told me it was only natural for me to be scared.
...That day, when I passed by Taichi as he came out of the woods. Even though he was wearing black clothes, it looked like he was covered in blood. I thought it was a hallucination, but I was curious about what business he had in the woods... so I went."

Nayuri spoke, savoring each word as if to confirm them.

"...You know, I don't remember the scenery of the village I was born in, nor the faces of my parents. Sometimes they appear in my dreams and I feel a sense of nostalgia, but that's all. I thought that was all there was to it. Until I saw Sion like that and remembered that nightmare..."

Fear began to envelop her.
I hugged Nayuri to encourage her.

"The same way Sion was killed. My father, my mother, and my little brother who was still a baby... their necks were broken at the end. I survived because I was distracted by someone who was about to attack Taichi. ...When I escaped outside, the village was engulfed in flames, and doll-like corpses were lying everywhere... That guy created that nightmare."

The smell of burning people. The smell of burning wood.

A four-year-old girl is running.
"Father... Mother... Help me... It's hot..."
Unable to put it into words, she ran and ran, and then she tripped and fell.
"Little girl, come here."
A man with his right side burned beckoned to her. Led by him, the girl ran.
Along the way here, her perception of humans had begun to shift.

"Listen. No matter what happens, you must not move from here. I've already asked another village for help. You must not move on your own. Okay?"
After being invited into the basement, the man left those words behind and closed the basement door from the outside.

I wonder what will happen to the man

A room where no one was there to answer such questions from young Nayuri.
As soon as she realized that the smells and sounds from outside had faded, Nayuri lost consciousness as if a string of tension had snapped.

"Our race is sometimes targeted, so we have preparations for evacuation. That village... was close to here, so it was a basement instead of a helicopter. But everyone was so traumatized by the horror that they couldn't even run away. ...After that, I was found unconscious in the basement."

My blood ran cold at Nayuri's words. I couldn't find any words to say to her. As long as I live in this village, I cannot save Nayuri from her suffering. I honestly thought so.

"But it's not this nightmare that I'm suffering from."
Nayuri whispered after a silence.
I looked at Nayuri's face, trying to discern her true feelings.

Nayuri unwound her arms from around my body and stared intently at her own hands.

"Now that my memories have returned, it's more accurate to say that it was a scene I had dreamed of many times and it made sense. The ten years in this village have healed the wounds.
...What's painful is that sensation. Even though I was delirious with fever, I stabbed someone. I can't talk about it inside the house, and I can't stop myself from thinking about it. ...It's painful. That sensation still remains..."

Emotions overflowed.
This is probably the first time Nayuri has shown her emotions to someone else to this extent.
No one can blame Nayuri for the crime.

Taichi will surely leave this village. And to escape the terror of the Imperial Army, everyone will act out the story as 'a village attacked by a Perfect that had absolutely nothing to do with Atype24'.

　At that time, Nayuri was attacked, but she will surely be treated as a brave girl who fought back. That scenario is the best way for everyone to survive.

However, the guilt inside Nayuri will not disappear.

Can I carry it? The guilt, the past, all of it?

“Nayuri, you didn't kill anyone. Please remember that clearly. ...I think it's natural to regret hurting someone. But if you stay bound by that, you won't be able to live. I want you to live, Nayuri.”

“Thoma, aren't you... aren't you afraid? I have such an ugly part inside me... won't you hate me?”

She looks at me with eyes still brimming with tears.

I know it's inappropriate, but honestly, she's so cute I want to hug her.

“If you look at me with such a cute face, how could I ever hate you? ...No, I'm serious. Besides, the reason you got sick enough to be bedridden is because that brother of yours keeps moving around.”
Nayuri lets go of my hand.

Nayuri wipes her tears and smiles at me. “You're kind, Thoma. You've always protected me since we were little. You've always helped me.
It's okay, I'm not weak. ...After I graduate from school, I'm thinking of leaving this village. I can't keep being a burden to everyone forever. I know.
People say my father is an eccentric who picked up a cursed race. ...If my father is no longer the village chief, his position will become even more precarious. That's why I can't be a burden to everyone.”

“You're not a burden!”

I shouted before I could stop myself.
Nayuri's surprised face.

The words I want to say won't stop.

“I don't think you're a burden. Even the village chief wouldn't have raised you this far if he only cared about his own status. Besides, that's not something a child should be thinking about. ...You're still a child, Nayuri. You only think about yourself first, and you act alone without sharing your opinions with others. That's... that's lonely. You can rely on others more. There are plenty of people who want to protect you, Nayuri. You have people you want to protect too, right? I want to protect you too, Nayuri.”

“Thank you.”

Her voice sounds like she's about to cry.
The next moment, she hugs me again.

The face looking up at me is smiling.
“Thank you.”
As I get drawn into that smile, I say with a bit of flair,
“You're welcome.”

◇　◇　◇　◇　◇

　That day, I talked to Thoma about so many things, more than I think I ever had before.
And the next day, and the day after that...

Since we had always only talked about trivial things, these past few days of talking properly about myself have been incredibly exhausting.

　But it was a pleasant exhaustion I had never felt before. ...I still can't do it with my brother or father, though.

I realize how reassuring it is to have someone who knows what I'm thinking.

　Today, after talking with Thoma a lot and returning home, Lucia-san was just rushing out of the house. Anxiety swirls in my chest.

"Lucia-san."
Perhaps noticing the anxious look on my face, Lucia-san spoke to me with a smile.

"Nayuri... It's okay. Taichi has already left the village. Though, crossing the desert with those wounds might be tough."
As she said that, her expression clouded over.

In this past month, she might have started to resemble my brother in these easy-to-read ways.
"Nayuri. If it's painful, talk to me... There's still time."

"I'm fine... I was just scolded by Toma, actually. It's good that I can talk about myself now, but he told me to listen to him too."
I stuck out my tongue and said it playfully.

Lucia-san smiled at me with a relieved expression.
"I see, Toma did... Are you two seeing each other?"
"Oh, Lucia-san! ...You've really become more lighthearted about things like that in the past month. ...? What do you mean by 'there's still time'?"
Her face clouded over again.

"You're leaving on today's flight, aren't you?"
Lucia-san nodded and looked at me as if she had made up her mind.
"Nayuri, do you hate Perfect?"
Her eyes were straight. I really think she's just like my brother in this way...

If you put everything else aside, I really think they are a perfect match for each other.

"I don't hate everything about Perfect. I love you, Lucia-san."
Truly, words from the bottom of my heart.

"What about me?"

I was hugged from behind and let out an involuntary shout.
Haru-san rubbed her cheek against mine.
"I've been the mood maker for the last ten days, you know. Praise me!"

It's true that Lucia-san was mostly holed up in Taichi's room, my brother was irritated watching that, and my father spent his days feeling drained, so Haru-san's brightness was helpful at times.

"I see... I'm doing it again, only thinking about myself..."
"No, no, that's not the part to get depressed about."

I really think these two are a great duo. I wish I had friends like that too.

It might be the first time I've ever thought "I want" something like that.

"Haru-san, you're heavy... I love you too, Haru-san. Because of your blue short hair, I thought you were some kind of weird person at first."

"Well, if I have hair like this, people know I'm 'not normal.' If they find out I'm Perfect, they just think, 'Ah, as expected.'"

I can tell from things like this that she's also secretly hurting.

Even though she seems like she doesn't care about those around her, she is just as considerate of others as Lucia-san.
And because she's so good at it, I like her.
"Oh, Haru-san, you're all prepared. You're wearing sneakers?"

She wasn't wearing her trademark high heels.
"Yeah, after we travel by helicopter, we have to cross the desert. ...Lou, we're going on the last flight today. Is that okay?"

"...I understand. It's true that today is the last possible day. ...The only thing I regret is the matter of Sunny and Shion's family..."
"Don't think you can solve everything by yourself, Lou. ...It's meaningless for us to comfort them. In the first place, they aren't in a state to see us right now."

At those words, I wonder if I would be comforted if it were me.

Probably not.
It has already become a memory like a distant dream.
How to move forward is not something I can use as a reference.

“Lucia-san, Haru-san. I have a request for you both.”
I spoke to them, trying to change the subject.

“I... I want to go to the [Village of the Living] someday. ...Could you let me know if you hear of any good villages?”

[Village of the Living] Just as Perfect has epithets, the cursed race also has epithets... or rather, they just don't want to call themselves cursed.
People of the Living People who have come back to life.
They say they died once in the Great War and came back to life. That is why they can endure the current environment a little bit. That seems to be the way they think.

“After all, it’s my roots, so I want to know about it. ...I want to consider various possibilities, including living there.”

“...I see. Nayuri, I think it’s fine for you to consider various possibilities. Understood. I’ll send you a letter. Come on, Haru. I have to get ready too. We don’t have much time until the two o’clock flight.”

It was already past 12:00 PM. Originally, I had come to eat lunch as well.

“By the way, where’s my brother?”
The words I muttered casually made Lucia-san’s face cloud over once again.

Just from that, I could understand somehow...
“I came to say goodbye to Ken. ...Nayuri, I’ve stirred things up as much as I could... but I can’t offer any follow-up...”

“Haru-san, you said it too, didn’t you? Please don’t try to solve everything by yourself. I’ll be fine. Because Toma is here for me.”

I told the two of them I would go to see them off, and then I returned home. As expected, my brother was not at the dining table.
I searched everywhere, and finally, I went to check on the room where Taichi had been sleeping.

My brother was there, burying his face in the bed.

I quietly left the room before he noticed me and started thinking. How to motivate my brother, and how to get Lucia-san to return to this village.

Lucia-san is favorable toward my brother’s foolish honesty.
Honestly, I don’t think there is another woman as unique as her.

Even though he’s still a child, my brother has actually had simple relationships a few times. I guess they come easily because he’s the village chief’s son, but... they start with them pursuing him and end with them dumping him.
Every time that happens, my brother has a look on his face like, “What did I do wrong?” but even if I explained it, he wouldn’t understand.

I have lived my life deceiving myself until now, so I understand it somewhat. In relationships between people, “lies and deception” are also necessary.

Lucia-san seems to be trying to remain straightforward even while knowing that. That’s why I think she might be able to understand my brother.

I really want to get the two of them together, setting everything else aside. I wonder if they could just get together quickly.

Suddenly, my eyes caught a dress hanging in my father’s room. My mother, who, along with my father, loved me as if I were her own child.

Perhaps my father took me in to comfort my mother.

That mother of mine also passed away four years ago... if she were still here, would Taichi have gone so out of control?

Regarding Taichi, I think I hate Shion and Sunny, but seeing my father’s dejected state, there are parts of me that can’t fully hate them.

Or rather, I have a stronger feeling of wanting to blame my father, thinking that if he had properly faced Taichi, things would be different.

I thought about these things idly while staring at the dress. Suddenly, an idea came to me.

I see, that was the solution.

Having had a flash of inspiration, I hurried to Toma's shop.

To be continued in Episode 8 (Final)

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