Otherside Picnic: Volume 8, page 1
Table of Contents
Cover
File 24: Mujina Attacks
File 25: Learn Your Lesson
File 26: Accomplices No More
Works Referenced
About J-Novel Club
Copyright
There are terrible things which, in the simplest of ways, with only a glance, are sufficient to instantly inspire fear. In the middle of the night, when there is no one else around and all is silent under the heavens, an encounter with an unidentified woman on the road is one of these things.
—Kyouka Izumi, The Black Wall
File 24: Mujina Attacks
1
“I love you, Sorawo,” said Toriko.
“...I know,” I had to reply.
She’d told me that several times now. Toriko loved me.
She stared at me and spoke again. “Well... How about you?”
I hadn’t been asked that question before.
I couldn’t answer it.
I’d feared being asked it for all this time. I had to have known it was coming eventually, but now that it had, I realized I wasn’t emotionally prepared for this at all.
“How do you feel about me, Sorawo?” Toriko repeated the question, cornering me further.
At the same time, I was indignant.
What’s she got to ask such a boring question for?
Boring, trite, unoriginal, stupid...
I hadn’t wanted to hear those words from Toriko Nishina’s lips, but I couldn’t find even a single answer to her tedious question.
“Come on, tell me.” Despite my silence, Toriko didn’t get angry or impatient. “Tell me. How do you feel about me?”
Gulping, I tried to formulate a response.
“I...”
2
June 6th. Toriko’s birthday.
I’d already heard from her that she wanted to spend the day relaxing together, which left me worrying over what exactly that entailed. Basically, she wasn’t looking for the usual sort of birthday celebration, where we might barge into Kozakura’s place like usual, or call up Akari and Natsumi to go have fun.
What was the best thing to do? I was already indifferent enough about my own birthday, so there was no way I was going to know what to do for someone else’s.
I remember being invited to a friend’s birthday party once back in elementary school. We had cake at their house, and a chicken dinner too. It was fun, sort of, but that kind of thing obviously wasn’t going to cut it anymore now that we were adults. Even I knew that much.
Well, what do I do, then?
I wasn’t getting any ideas. A lack of knowledge led to a lack of creativity.
Maybe I should just imitate her? I thought. Do exactly what Toriko did on May 14th, the anniversary of the day we first met.
Which means...make reservations for dinner at a hotel. And be smooth enough to book a room for us too...?
I couldn’t do that. No way. Not a chance.
I couldn’t possibly do it. Dinner? Sure. But booking a room? Making the reservation myself? There was only one way she was going to interpret that.
I was drunk that day, and wanted to collapse in bed as soon as possible, so all I thought at the time was how considerate Toriko was. But looking back at it with a clear head, it was impossible not to see what had been going on there. That day, Toriko was hoping that, if things went well, we might...
The thought of it made my head get all itchy. I wasn’t feeling embarrassed, or shy, just awkward.
Well, duh. Toriko loves me. She already said as much.
If I hadn’t ruined the moment by talking about Satsuki Uruma, would we have done what Toriko was planning to do? And if we did, how would I have reacted?
I couldn’t imagine it. Or maybe I didn’t want to imagine it.
Ultimately, the day arrived without me being able to decide anything.
I lacked the guts to book dinner for us at a hotel, so instead I chose as nice a drinking establishment as I could: a Japanese-style tavern in Ikebukuro with private rooms that was reasonably priced, and had good reviews for both the alcohol and seafood.
And what do we do after? Hit up another place? Split up?
I had no idea. I questioned if I even needed to think so deeply about it. I might just be wrestling with myself, worrying without cause. I mean...when you get down to it, it was just a birthday.
Oh, hey! Since it’s her birthday and all, I should get her a present too, shouldn’t I? I almost forgot. She’ll definitely be happier if I get her one.
...I think.
What’s Toriko gotten me in the past...?
After thinking that far, I clutched my head.
A pair of knives. With an original design branded into them. It wasn’t for my birthday, though. But if I have to match that level of gift, then what can I even give her?!?!?! This is tough! Way too tough...!
I was getting desperate.
Enough of this! I can’t figure out what I can’t figure out!
I’m scared that if I just buy something at random I’ll mess it up, so I’ll give her a frank apology, and ask what she really wants.
With that decided, I got out of the bed I had been lazing around in uselessly for the last three hours.
Time to get ready and go. I better not be late, at least...
“So, uh, yeah, sorry! I couldn’t figure out what to get you!”
Once we entered the tavern and were led to our private room, I bowed my head and apologized as soon as the staff left us alone.
“Oh, is that what it is? I was wondering what was up.”
“No, really, I’m sorry. I should’ve asked sooner, huh?” I was relieved to see Toriko was taking it rather lightly instead of getting all hurt. “What do you want? Let’s go shopping for it together.”
“Oh, sure.”
Toriko’s eyes pointed up and to the side, as if she were thinking. The indirect lighting of the private room shone softly on her golden locks and indigo irises. As always, she’d make a seriously pretty picture anywhere.
Her long-lashed eyes gazed at me, narrowing with almost a smile. “I’ll bet you actually forgot, didn’t you?”
“Did not.”
This time, she broke into a clear grin, and shook her head. “Jeez...”
“Wh-What?”
“I was just thinking, ‘Sorawo sure can’t tell a lie.’”
As I sat there, unable to refute her, the door to our room opened. Our first drinks, highballs for both of us, and a small appetizer consisting of whitebait and grated daikon that was included as part of the cover charge had arrived.
We ordered food, and then shared a toast.
“Happy birthday, Toriko.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ve gotta confess, I was totally at a loss for how we should celebrate, and the present totally slipped my mind.”
“Yeah, I figured that was it. Don’t sweat it. I’m glad you thought so hard about it.” Toriko looked all around the room. “Why’d you go for this place?”
“You said you wanted to spend some time relaxing alone together.”
“And that’s why you chose a tavern with private rooms?”
“Yeah...”
“Makes sense.” Toriko gave a satisfied nod. Today she was wearing a relaxed, sky-blue dress, not something showy like when we went for dinner at the hotel. She was probably matching the vibe of the tavern.
The food we ordered came, and from there things played out like any of our after-parties. I complained about the clearly excessive amount she’d ordered, and Toriko expressed confidence in my ability to scarf it all down. We got more drinks, trying out some unfamiliar Japanese sake. I perused the desserts, while also giving up and accepting I probably wouldn’t have room left for them.
“I told you you ordered too much. I tell you every time,” I complained as I dug the remaining meat out of a grilled yellowtail collar with my chopsticks. Toriko reached for my cheek with her right hand.
She liked rubbing and petting my cheeks, and touching my face, so this was no different from usual either. Or so I thought, until...
“Eek?!” I violently pulled back without meaning to.
Toriko’s eyes widened with surprise. Her hand hung in the air over the table.
I probably should have been able to respond with something like a “Hey, what’s that for, out of nowhere?” or a “Don’t interrupt me when I’m eating” or something. But words failed me.
The feeling that welled up inside me then was so intense I didn’t see it coming. My face couldn’t tell a lie, so I must have been staring at Toriko with a shock I couldn’t possibly mask.
The moment her hand touched my cheek, I had a flashback:
Of Satsuki Uruma’s face as she tried to seduce me in the ruined building in Oomiya.
Of her hand which had reached out, lovingly, to touch me...
“Sorawo...?”
“S-Sorry.” It had taken some force of will to even get that one word out.
The fact that I’d avoided Toriko’s hand shocked me really badly.
“It’s nothing, just...you surprised me a little,” I said weakly. Even I didn’t think she’d believe it one bit. How much must I have hurt Toriko? I hesitantly turned my eyes towards Toriko—her brow was furrowed as she looked back at me with concern.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Huh? Y... Yeah.”
“Sorry. I surprised you, huh?”
“Oh, no, not really...” Toriko silently pulled
While I was failing to give a proper response, Toriko called one of the waitstaff over and asked for a glass of water for me. Things felt super awkward to me, but Toriko carried on as if it were no big deal.
Not knowing what I should do, I followed suit, and gradually recovered. By the time the bill came, I was back to my usual self somehow.
On the outside, at least.
“Phew, I’m stuffed,” I said. “Couldn’t eat another bite.”
“You sure packed it away.”
“And whose fault is that? Every single time.”
“You always try so hard to eat it, so I can’t help myself.”
“There’s something questionable about that. Seriously.”
We had stopped after heading outside and were watching people walk around the bustling street. That was partially because we were too stuffed to feel up to walking right away, but mostly because we didn’t have anything else planned after this.
But we couldn’t just stand around forever. If we were going to go somewhere, we had to decide on a direction...
“Wh-What do you want to do after this?” I asked, still unable to find my resolve.
Toriko was silent for a while, then slowly opened her mouth. “Thanks for today.”
“Huh?”
“For remembering my birthday and celebrating with me.”
“Well... I’m not going to forget it at this point.”
“Glad to hear it.” Toriko smiled and turned to face me. Then, speaking firmly, she said, “I love you, Sorawo.”
“...I know.”
“Well... How about you?” Toriko stared at me as she asked the question. “How do you feel about me, Sorawo?”
I’d always feared she’d ask me this straight-out. I gulped, trying to figure out how I should answer.
“I...”
What do I tell her? How do I answer? What’s the right thing to say here?
Words failed me.
Toriko was my greatest partner, the one I had spent all this time close to the brink of death with, and also my “accomplice” in exploring the Otherside, yet I had no words to answer her.
Toriko didn’t get angry or cry. In fact, she nodded, as if she’d foreseen this.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to respond right away.”
“...”
“I’ll give you a week. Think on it for a week, and then tell me your answer.”
“A week...”
“Yeah. We won’t meet until then. I won’t contact you either. So take your time and think.” Toriko turned and started to walk off.
“Today was fun. See you again, Sorawo. Goodbye—until next week.”
3
The fact of the matter is, it wasn’t uncommon at all for me to go a week without seeing Toriko.
Neither of us was the type to keep in constant contact, and at busy times, like when we had finals, we often wouldn’t even send a simple “good morning” or “good night” message. Toriko sometimes went incommunicado when she was feeling down too.
But this was the first time that she’d explicitly said she wouldn’t contact me.
A week... A week, huh?
She’d given me a time limit.
“Tell me your answer,” huh?
Thinking back, Toriko had been rather calm and quiet, considering we were celebrating her birthday. Had she been thinking about something from the beginning? Like, “today’s the day. I’m gonna make her give a statement...”
I mean, she didn’t say anything about the place I picked, and she kinda brushed off the lack of a present.
No, wait... Maybe she was pissed from the start? Because I’d so miserably failed to meet her expectations.
It hadn’t looked that way, but it was possible. I couldn’t tell what Toriko was thinking sometimes.
Actually, had I ever been able to tell what Toriko was thinking?
No, I have, I have. Of course I have. There’s no way I understand her that poorly after all the time I’ve spent with her. Get it together.
As I was mulling over my thoughts, slurping up the noodles of my tempura soba in the cafeteria, someone suddenly called my name.
“Kamikoshi-san!”
I looked up to see Benimori-san standing there. She was a likable girl from the same seminar as me. There was a plate of curry on the tray she was holding.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Sure, I guess...” I replied cautiously.
What is it this time? Did they go off somewhere to do a test of courage again, get caught up in something weird, and now she wants my advice?
Benimori-san sat down across from me. “Sorry to bug you all of a sudden. You always head straight home, so it’s rare to get a chance to talk to you like this.”
Whatever the main topic of this conversation was going to be, Benimori-san opened with something inoffensive. “This is pretty rare for you too,” I replied after a moment’s pause.
“How so?”
“This might be the first time I’ve seen you alone, Benimori-san.”
Maybe the way I said it was funny, because she laughed and said, “Oh, what? Do you think I’m super popular or something, maybe?”
“Uh, well...”
When she put it into words like that, it felt awkward, as if she were exposing the shallowness of my understanding of other people. Fortunately, Benimori-san didn’t push any further on the matter.
“My presentation is up next, you know, and so I wanted to ask how much you prepared before doing yours, Kamikoshi-san.”
“Prepared? I didn’t really do anything special ahead of it... Just enough to cover what was on the handout I gave you.”
“But you had a pretty in-depth talk, right? Abekawa-sensei really got into it too.”
“Yeahhh. I wasn’t sure what to do either, so I just summarized the basic knowledge that people needed to have going into it. I think the question and answer period ended up being longer than the presentation itself.”
“Yeah, maybe it was, now that you mention it.”
“Other people’s were the same way too, so maybe you don’t really need to put a ton of effort into it? What was your topic again?”
“The fan communities of male idols...”
“Ohhh. Well, I suspect a lot of people really aren’t going to have a working knowledge of that, so maybe you should just do a summary of what things are like now?”
“Hey, that doesn’t feel so hard. You know how Abekawa-sensei can be kind of intimidating? I get all tense, thinking about presenting in front of him.”
“I get you.”
“But maybe what I actually need to do is slam on the brakes and not end up talking too much as a result. Once I start proselytizing the things I like, I lose all self-control. Though, I guess you’re the same way about ghost stories.”
“Because I go into it assuming people won’t get what I’m on about.”
“Aww, that’s such a shame. You’re fun to listen to, so I think there’s people who’d love to hear more from you.”
“Nah, I’m good, thanks... I mean, I’d rather that there weren’t too many other people getting into ghost stories.”
“Oh, yikes! That’s like the thing where some fans hate other girls stanning the same guys they do, only for ghost stories! I knew you were interesting, Kamikoshi-san.”
Was that a compliment? Maybe she was just teasing me.
“Anyway, I’m glad I asked. I was so worried about the presentation, but you’ve taken a real load off my shoulders. Thanks.”
“Oh, yeah? Glad to hear it.”
I was on my guard, expecting her to ask my advice about something abnormal at any moment, but Benimori-san refused to cut to the chase. Had she really just come to chat? Was that even possible?
“You have something worrying you too, right? I’d be happy to hear you out.”
“Huh?”
“Don’t you? I mean, you were kinda slurping that soba with this pained look on your face.”
It looked like it wasn’t just Toriko I couldn’t hide my inner thoughts from. It was everyone. I was getting sick of it.
I could’ve told her it was nothing, but... I reconsidered that before responding. This might be a rare opportunity to get an opinion from someone with no stake in the matter.
“Okay, there’s something I kinda want to ask you...”
