Novel: The Advisor in the Bucket
The Advisor in the Bucket
*This work is a novelization of a short story released on YouTube.
A disproportionately large bathtub sat on the desk in the six-tatami room. At the bottom, filled with water, a rounded stone lay submerged.
Rina straightened her posture and fixed a serious gaze upon the stone.
"Hey, what do you think about this next part-time job?"
The room was silent. Nevertheless, an answer returned, brushing against the back of her ears.
"...You should probably pass on it."
"I see..."
Rina nodded slightly, knitting her brows in thought.
"...I sense a wicked aura from the shop owner."
"...I see. Thank you, Oishi-sama."
She bowed her head to the bucket with a smile. The gesture, while appearing as if she were thanking someone, was somehow bizarre.
—I always consult this stone.
It was a stone I picked up when I went to the beach with my boyfriend. The moment I picked it up, I felt like I heard someone's voice.
After that, when I had broken up with my boyfriend and was starting to forget about the stone's existence, it spoke again when I submerged it in water. Since then, I have kept it submerged in a bucket of water.
When I added a little salt, the voice became even clearer.
I call this stone "Oishi-sama."
"What about the person who confessed to me before?"
"...That would be fine."
"Wait, really?"
Rina was surprised by the unexpected answer and blushed. There was no further reply, but the stone was always like that.
Suddenly, she stretched out and cleared her mind.
"Alright, I think I'll take a bath. Thanks for today, too, Oishi-sama."
"..."
"Oh, that's right. Shall we do the usual?"
The moment she said it, the water surface rippled slightly. The voice echoing in her ears was clearer than ever before.
"...Do you fear me?"
Rina answered without a pause.
"There is nothing more frightening than the world itself."
I did not understand the meaning of her voice. However, each time we repeated that exchange, Rina's heart was filled with a strange sense of relief.
—While surrendering myself to something that should be terrifying, I rely on Oishi-sama for my daily choices.
Whether that can truly be called "healthy" or not, I do not yet know.