Chapter 143: Volume 4.5 Chapter 3 Part 1

Conclusion. Looking for a place to eat lunch, I went to the stern of the ship on the 5th floor where not many people were. This is where I talked with Himeno last night. I’m sure that not many people come here usually.

A few minutes later, I forgot my original objective and stared at the waves that the ship was producing.

At that moment, an unexpected person approached me.

“Are you having a lonely lunch on your own at a place like this?”

“Sakayanagi. Are you here by coincidence?”

If I recall correctly she was at the deck with Nanase just now.

“’’Yes, is what I want to say, but I followed you.”

Followed me? But Sakayanagi’s legs are weak. She shouldn’t be able to keep up with my walking speed.

Besides, I didn’t precede anyone, nor did I feel anyone tailing me.

“A simple deduction. It seemed that you went to the bow of the ship and showed yourself at the deck to eat lunch. But after you saw how many people there were, you abandoned that notion, correct? With how light the food you’re carrying is, even if I suppose that you were looking for a view of the ocean, it isn’t that difficult to decide where to eat.”

So she completely read my movements and followed me here.

“Ayanokouji-kun, you too want to eat at a place with good scenery.”

“Unlike the bow, the view here isn’t first class but there’s not many opportunities to sea the ocean like this.”

By this time next year, we have no guarantee that there will be another uninhabited island test.

Other learning trips are planned for the 2nd years, but the details of those are unclear.

This could perhaps be the last time we can see the ocean.

“Like this ocean, I believe that we will be able to see many more sceneries that we haven’t seen before. I wonder, could that not be the reason you picked this school?”

“Yeah, I think it is. Though before I enrolled here, I did see the ocean once.”

Not having expected that, Sakayanagi was surprised. Maybe it’s understandable that she is. In actuality, until I became 14 years old, old enough to qualify for a 3rd year middle schooler, I hadn’t left the facility even once.

If someone knew what the White Room was about, that would be common sense.

The scenery I saw just once. That was after I was transferred outside of the facility and got an opportunity to go outside for a short while. I had never touched seawater before, but I could walk along a path where you could see the ocean from.

It’s just that I didn’t feel moved from seeing it for the first time.

It was nothing more than a dull walk in the outside world.

“Do you know about 『Beneath the Wheel?』”

“A novel by Herman Hesse.”

Among all the novels he had written, in Japan it was more popular than the rest.

“That story’s protagonist, Hans, was a genius blessed with talent. After enrolling in an elite school, despite having great prospects for the future, and having lived only in learning, he experienced doubt for the first time. Afterwards, he failed to answer the hopes placed on him and started declining rapidly.”

Living out his last days in woe, the protagonist Hans Giebenrath falls into a river and dies at the end.

“So is something the matter?”

“I can’t think of him as a genius. Because a real genius doesn’t ever fail. Not to mention that his deliberate death at the end was the height of foolishness.”

It seemed that Sakayanagi interpreted his death not as an accidental one but as a suicide.

“Before, I said, 『In feeling others one can experience warmth. That is very important. The warmth of a person’s skin is never a bad thing.』 Do you remember that?”

“You did say something like that.”

It was after the special test in the 3rd term of our first year.

“The one who wrote Under the Wheel, Hesse, like his protagonist, worried and failed. But the reason that he didn’t take his life but moved forward after that is said to be because of his family.”

The author Hesse and the protagonist Hans shared a strikingly similar history.

It’s inferrable that he projected himself into the story.

As Sakayanagi stared at the sea, a strong gust came.

“Ah-“

Seeing her hat start to fly up for a second, I stuck out my arm and caught it right away.

“Tto… that was dangerous.”

If I had been slightly slower in my reaction, her hat would have fallen to the ocean.

“Thank you very much.”

“It’s dangerous to wear that on deck.”

“Fufu, you’re correct. However, this is my trademark.”

Sakayanagi clinged onto her hat and held it to her chest like it was important to her.

“Just now, I suddenly remembered something sad.”

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“Something sad?”

“No, it is nothing important. I only have a few memories of my own of the sea.”

Although we see the exact same sea, each person has different memories that come to mind.

“By the way, you haven’t told me your reason for following me.”

“Is it a bother for me to do so with no particular reason?”

I wondered what kind of reason she would give, but she said that she hadn’t even thought of it.

“No reason?”

“I only thought of talking with you, Ayanokouji-kun. I could have called you in the previous location, but you don’t want to be seen speaking with me so much don’t you?”

She gave me consideration which I’m grateful for.

But, not being good at making conversation, there is no particular topic for me to speak about with Sakayanagi.

“Is it fine if I chatter with you a little bit?”

“Yeah. Can I eat while listening?”

“Please, without reservation. Lending your ears to me is enough.”

I took an onigiri out from my bag and started peeling the package with my hand.

“Yesterday, Ichinose-san came to me.”

“Ichinose?”

“Yes.”

Remembering the events of yesterday, Sakayanagi spoke.