The Way to Love in the Place of Dead Chapter 15

At the very least, he had a hunch that the Mother Core’s error hadn’t been merely a simple system issue.

At the same time, Kay asked the librarian about an unexpected name.

“Then may I request something else?”

“Of course. This time for sure! How can I help you?”

As Mille tilted her head, Kay spoke a short name.

“A book about Aran Rapperd.”

∞ ∞ ∞

After checking out the books the librarian recommended and leaving the library, Kay couldn’t believe his ears.

Next to the ivory-colored library that felt almost sacred. From the flowerbed, a series of unrestrained moans burst forth.

“Ah, ah, nngh!”

During the day, the dense greenery had simply looked beautiful, but now, because of that dense greenery, the rustling of the bushes was vivid and clear. Against his will, he saw a bare back illuminated under a streetlamp; it was outdoor sex as fervent as the taut muscles of that back.

He had no hobby of voyeurism, but he also couldn’t find a reason to take a detour, so he began walking along that path back toward the Residential Complex. And before long, he heard footsteps, and a man who hadn’t even managed to properly fasten his clothes ran up beside Kay.

“Hey.”

When he turned around at being called from behind, a man wearing only his lower garments haphazardly, his underwear fully visible, came trudging over.

“If you watched, you should pay the viewing fee.”

“I didn’t watch.”

“You saw my body. What a saucy little lie.”

“You’re walking around naked, and you’re telling me to pay because I saw?”

The approaching man, showing off his firm muscles, reeked of a mixture of strong cologne and sex. The handsome man with his striking, somewhat faded ash-gray hair and bluish eyes frowned.

“Instead of money, I’ll accept payment in body.”

“I have no intention of paying, whether in money or in body.”

Getting caught up in pointless trouble and dealing with it one by one seemed stupid, so Kay started walking again.

Tap, tap. Trudge, trudge. Between the footsteps, a question was tossed out.

“You’re from Willamere, aren’t you?”

“And if I am?”

“I knew it. Otherwise, there’s no way you wouldn’t know me.”

Relieved, as if to say ‘I thought so,’ the man began to introduce himself.

“Remember this. I’m Gray Hamilton. An A-rank guide with the broadest wavelength in this Center, and my skills are incredible too.”

“…”

“You seem to be an esper who just joined. If you come find me, I’ll treat you well anytime.”

He must have clearly known Kay was deliberately ignoring him, yet he deliberately maintained a distance close enough for their bodies to brush as he followed.

“Because small, stiff, yet proud-looking guys like you are really my type.”

That he could hold him in one embrace, that he’d writhe if taken from behind… Steadfastly ignoring the stream of lewd remarks, Kay entered the lounge of the Residential Complex, which remained bright even past midnight. Just then, Gray’s hand grabbed Kay.

“Ignoring me to the very end… Ah, hot!”

“If you don’t cool it down quickly, you’ll get a burn.”

Leaving behind the man who was hurting from having brushed against the heated skin, Kay walked in search of the cafeteria. The cafeteria, which operated as a 24-hour buffet for the military, had a few people even at the late hour. Kay picked up a tray and selected a few foods that at least looked familiar enough to eat, then sat down.

‘So hungry.’

The moment he became aware of it, hunger struck him all at once. He had gone nearly two days without a proper meal. He took a sip of milk and bit into the bread; a soft, fluffy taste spread richly. Perhaps something extra had been added to the dough, because it had quite a bit of sweetness, and the harmony with the boiled egg and vegetables was also rather good.

Having slept as little as he had eaten, a wave of drowsiness hit him before he’d even taken more than a few bites.

‘Should I sleep.’

Perhaps from the tension of being in an unfamiliar environment and space, it was a profound fatigue he hadn’t felt in a long time. Chewing the remaining bread and rubbing his eyes to keep from dozing off, he felt a vibration on his wrist. Characters floated up over the bracelet that had been clinging there unobtrusively.

It was Aran.

The faint, persistent vibration felt almost like it was urging him, so he hurriedly pressed the call button, and the vibration stopped.

“…Did it connect?”

— Yeah. It connected.

Aran’s voice resonated along his skin and inside his ear.

“Wait a moment.”

— Huh?

“Don’t say anything.”

He pressed his ears firmly with his hands, blocking them. He didn’t know the principle behind it, but he couldn’t stand the buzzing sound that immediately filled his ears.

— What’s this about calling and then telling me not to talk?

As if dumbfounded, a faint smile scraped against his eardrums. Goosebumps broke out all down his spine. He pressed inside his ears firmly with his fingers, letting out a pained groan without realizing it. Even though he remained still for a long while, Aran on the other end of the line waited, keeping even the faintest sound of breathing quiet.

“Alright now.”

When he made the request with his ears still covered, Aran, though having no idea why, obediently spoke up.

— Maybe I should have made it a video call. Then I’d at least know what the situation is.

Listening with his ears covered seemed to make it a little more bearable.

“The sound echoes.”

— What?

“I mean… the words you’re saying echo inside my ear.”

— That’s what a phone call is like.

“It doesn’t tickle?”

— Not at all. You’re just too sensitive.

“I’m not sensitive; this is just strange.”

— We’ll check it out later. Are you in your room now?

As the saying goes, humans are creatures of adaptation. After enduring the ticklish, unfamiliar sensation and exchanging a few lines of conversation, it felt a bit more familiar than at first. Though he still couldn’t take his hands off his ears.

“I’m in the cafeteria. Why?”

— No reason. Just thought you might miss me.

Unable to grasp what he’d just heard, Kay spent a moment in silence, then opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again.

“Who misses who?”

— You.

“Miss you?”

— This face.

It was an ambiguous answer. At the word “face,” Aran’s appearance naturally came to mind, followed by El’s features. Only then did he think he understood what Aran meant by “face,” and he cut him off sharply.

“What I miss is El, not El’s face. And it’s even less your face.”

— But they’re similar, aren’t they?

“What does being similar have to do with anything?”

You’re not that person.

— Really, you don’t? Even though we look exactly alike?

“Are you sick or something?”

With such persistent and strange questions continuing, he wondered if the man had hurt his head or something. And then, at the ensuing burst of laughter—’Ah-haha!’—he repeated to himself, ‘Right. His head was always messed up, wasn’t it.’

“Stop laughing. It tickles my ear.”

— I’m glad I called. Ah, hilarious.

“I’m asking because I’m seriously worried.”

After laughing his fill, the man suddenly fell silent again.

Just as Kay was about to ask if he was alright, thinking, ‘Is this guy really sick somewhere?’

— That’s nice.

“What is it this time.”

— Being worried about. I like it. It’s been a while.

He wondered what kind of expression the unseen man was wearing right now. He knew the man was strong, but even so, it was strange that no one worried about him.

— I’m not hurt anywhere, not sick anywhere. Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, all perfectly fine. I haven’t been sleeping properly, so I’m a little tired from that, though.

At the words recited as if he had been waiting for someone to ask, Kay felt relief and bitterness at the same time.

From beyond Aran’s voice, the surroundings grew noisy, and he could faintly hear people calling the man’s name.

— I was planning to come back today, but it looks like it’ll be delayed. Don’t wait up; go to sleep.

The fork that had been hovering over the cherry tomato slipped, and the tomato shot off the plate.

“I won’t wait.”

— That’s harsh.

“Harsh is whatever’s wrong with your thought process. Why on earth do you think I’d miss you and wait for you?”

— You wouldn’t?

“I wouldn’t!”

He snapped without realizing it. Even past midnight, there were a few people in the cafeteria, and he turned away to avoid their gazes. As his anger rose, heat rushed to his head, making it throb.

“Stop laughing.”

If it were right in front of him, he wouldn’t have been provoked like this.

“Tell me you’re scared I might cause trouble, at least.”

— That’s not scary; that’s something to look forward to.

“And just what trouble do you think I’d cause?”

— Just keep it within the range that money can fix.

“You said you were broke.”

— Yeah, so go easy on me.

Why did phone calls even exist?

It was a perplexing half-communication, forcing you to constantly imagine an unseen counterpart.