Watcher #26

When I was in elementary school, I had a friend named Ikeda-kun.

Back then, I couldn't understand what Ikeda-kun was thinking.

I once called out to Ikeda-kun when I saw him staring at the flowers in the classroom vase.

Ikeda-kun said, "I wonder if these flowers are alive or dead."

I remember being shocked because, as an elementary school student, I had never thought about such things.

The elementary school I attended kept rabbits.

Ikeda-kun was in charge of the animal care committee.

Committees like the library committee or the animal care committee were made up of pairs of boys and girls.

Ikeda-kun did almost all of the rabbit care by himself.

I think the girl in the pair only did the simple task of taking care of the goldfish.

One day, a rabbit was found dead in the hutch.

For some reason, a rumor started that Ikeda-kun, who was in charge of the animals, had killed it.

The rumor spread through the class and was suddenly believed.

Ikeda-kun was questioned by several classmates.

Ikeda-kun didn't argue back; he just stayed silent.

Because of that, Ikeda-kun was treated as the culprit.

Even though the rabbit hadn't been killed in some bizarre way, like having its head cut off.

"The rabbit died of old age."

The homeroom teacher said that to admonish everyone, so the commotion died down.

Even so, some classmates continued to look at Ikeda-kun with suspicion.

I was no longer being interrogated, but I was being ignored by them.

"Why don't you just say you didn't do it?"

I asked Ikeda-kun.

Then, Ikeda-kun replied like this.

"It's hard to prove that you didn't do something, isn't it..."

Later, during my university days, I learned about what is called "probatio diabolica" (the devil's proof).

Why am I remembering my elementary school days on my way home from work?

Is it because I've been listening to or interacting with small children lately...?

A butterfly?

A butterfly is flying...

The surroundings look strange.

It's "that".

Before I knew it, I was surrounded by "that".

Well, I'm used to things like this.

If I keep walking, I'll return to normal.

I continued walking toward my house, not caring.

When several classmates were questioning Ikeda-kun, one girl said something.

It was a path behind the school building where almost no one passed by.

It was like a narrow shortcut that wasn't even paved.

She said that Ikeda-kun had been shaking the fence next to that path.

Ikeda is strange.

He's the kind of guy who does weird things.

He's suspicious.

I suppose that's what everyone thought.

It was true that Ikeda-kun was strange.

He was strange, but I thought that Ikeda-kun, who cleaned the animal shed beautifully every day, could never kill a rabbit.

I asked Ikeda-kun again.

"Why were you shaking the fence?"

Ikeda-kun answered me.

According to Ikeda-kun, there was a spider web there.

I thought that since it was a narrow path, it was certainly possible for a spider web to be there.

To pass through there, you would have to break the spider web.

So, he said he thought about turning back the way he came.

However, even if there wasn't much foot traffic, it wasn't as if no one ever passed by at all.

He said he thought that even if he didn't break it, someone else would.

So, he said he shook the fence where the spider web was stuck to let the spider escape before he broke it.

I see, so the girl who called Ikeda-kun weird couldn't see the spider web...

I asked one more thing.

But if someone else is going to break it, doesn't Ikeda-kun have to be the one to do it?

Ikeda-kun answered like this.

"You know, there are people who kill things even when they don't have to, right?"