Episode 12: Slime and Sweet Jelly and the Half-Sharing Ritual
Since the day the world was folded‚ my mornings have begun with an intense vanilla scent.
Under the clear blue sky‚ sitting in the shade of trees with white trunks like sugar confections‚ I take out the student handbook from the pocket of my uniform.
I was about to write today's record on the pure white page with a mechanical pencil‚ when that happened.
"Rui. What are you writing? Munch munch..."
From behind‚ a sweet scent wafted down gently.
At the same time‚ a soft chin is placed on my right shoulder. Silver hair tickles my cheek‚ and together with the chewing sounds‚ a warm breath directly caresses the back of my ear.
(...I'm going to die. The driving sound of my heart seems ready to break through my eardrums. This girl doesn't recognize her own 'destructive face deviation value' as a weapon. It's been that way since my previous life‚ but the boundary line of personal space is buggy to the point of being a glitch.)
The moment my mechanical pencil lead snapped from the agitation‚ an inorganic window popped up at the edge of my vision.
『⚠️《Warning》: Severe mental contamination from the target's breath detected. Master Rui's heart rate has exceeded the prescribed value. Apply 50% opacity (mosaic) processing to the target's face?』
(Rejected‚ Ciel. It's just force majeure.)
『《Resolution》: It is violence in the name of force majeure. ...Really‚ unpleasant close contact from the morning.』
Ciel's voice resounding in my brain is extremely businesslike‚ but I know that deep down‚ there is a 'anger' mixed in like cold static electricity‚ prickling.
"It's nothing. Just a little diary."
"Hmm? Oh‚ look Rui! There's something weird over there!"
Serina‚ who separated from me‚ points beyond the grove.
There‚ a translucent blue viscous body -- the synonym for the weakest in isekai fantasy‚ 'slime' was crawling. Normally‚ it would be an unknown creature to be wary of.
However‚ Serina's eyes sparkled as she ran over and crouched in front of it.
"Stare..."
She stared at the slime at close range and casually poked its surface with her finger.
"Wow‚ squishy squishy... Somehow this looks really... delicious!"
-- That one word was the trigger for the world.
The moment Serina recognized it as "looks delicious‚" the slime's body began to expand with an abnormal sound.
Bubbling‚ the blue viscous body dyed amber‚ swallowing the surrounding grass and trees‚ transforming into a 'turbulent flow of maple syrup' emitting a sickly sweet scent.
It's a bug. Her unconscious divinity of "wanting to eat" is trying to twist the ecosystem of this forest.
『《Notification》: Due to the appetite of the individual named "Serina"‚ local ecosystem rewriting is in progress. Until the forest's complete syrupification‚ 30 seconds remaining.』
Ciel's voice announces with absolute zero coldness.
『...Really‚ a troublesome god. I recommend quickly compressing that unpleasant turbulent flow to the size of her stomach. (—Only I am allowed to touch Master Rui stickily.)』
The last phrase sounded like a sticky curse‚ unlike a system voice.
"...No choice. I'll clean up after it."
Sighing‚ I stood in front of Serina‚ who was about to be swallowed by the great tsunami of maple syrup.
She has no awareness of being in a pinch‚ and innocently laughs‚ "It got bigger!"
To not leave her alone on the throne of god‚ I have no choice but to take on the dirty role.
【Compensation: Previous life memory (Erase 'the face of my middle school homeroom teacher')】
"——『Infinite Seal・Confectionery Conversion (Sweets Seal)』"
My right eye glows blue.
At that moment‚ in my brain‚ a clear vision of loss ran: 'one page of the graduation album being shredded and whitened out.'
"......!"
The back of my head goes numb. My vision flickers‚ and the approaching syrup turbulent flow freezes with cracking sounds.
It instantly contracts‚ transforms into one beautiful blue cube‚ and plops into my palm.
It's a chilled‚ supreme 'fruit jelly (squishy squishy).'
"Waah! Amazing‚ it turned into squishy jelly!"
Serina raises a cheer and snatches the jelly from my hand. She bites half of it.
"Mmm~! Sweet and delicious!"
Her smile was so innocent it could repaint the world sweetly.
Then‚ she thrust the remaining half toward my mouth.
"Here‚ Rui too! Come on‚ eat it quickly!"
(...Half-sharing‚ huh)
She doesn't know. That what she is laughing and eating as "delicious" is part of my scraped-away life. That she is chewing and swallowing my lost memories.
"...Yeah‚ I'll take it."
I bite the remaining jelly directly from her hand.
『...Half-sharing the jelly‚ huh. Inefficient.』
Ciel drops a cold sarcasm in my brain. Ignoring it and swallowing‚ it's chilled and sweet. But deep down‚ it tastes like a gaping hole of absence.
I look up at the sky. I remember being severely scolded for skipping cleaning the science room in middle school. I can even recall the voice.
...But the face of that man who scolded me is completely painted over like a blank‚ and I can't recall it no matter what.
Only that fact quietly spreads coldly deep in my chest.
I quietly open the handbook and add text to the new page.
My proof of survival‚ written in beautiful kanji.
'Her smile is far more valuable than my memories'
"Rui! Let's go over there next! There might be more delicious things!"
"...You‚ learn a little‚ will you?"
While chasing after the innocently running back‚ today as well‚ I continue to lose myself.
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【Episode 02: The Memory Rui Lost This Time: 'The Face of My Middle School Homeroom Teacher'】
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