Episode 14.2 "The Monster of Reason (Fake) and the Unreachable Fingertips"
A burning orange sunset was dyeing the stone pavement of the royal capital in golden hues.
The air was filled with the scent of vanilla‚ as if I were walking through a sea of sugar.
I kept raising the brand-new copper plate I had just gripped tightly in my right hand toward the sky‚ gazing at it as if it were all mine.
"Ehehe... Rui‚ I really got registered in the guild!"
My own name‚ and right beside it‚ the proud job title.
With skipping steps‚ I peeked at Rui's face as he walked beside me.
Rui was wearing his hood deeply as always‚ but his profile‚ lit by the sunset‚ was quiet like a mysterious sculpture.
I couldn't help but stare happily at Rui's profile‚ which looked a little more grown-up than in his previous life.
"Congratulations‚ Serina. It was your long-cherished wish‚ after all."
Rui replied in an astonishingly calm voice.
Normally‚ if I got this close to him‚ he would turn bright red like a boiled octopus and panic‚ shouting "Too close!"
"Jeez‚ it's a special celebration‚ so show more joy from the bottom of your heart with a 'You did it!'"
When I pouted and pursed my lips‚ Rui tilted his head slightly.
"...I thought I gave a sufficiently rational congratulation. Well‚ anyway‚ congratulations."
(...Huh?)
At that moment‚ I thought I heard a cold‚ clear woman's laugh somewhere‚ like the tinkling of ice.
Must be my imagination‚ right?
"Rational? Rui seems kinda weird today. But... ehehe‚ thank you! Tomorrow‚ I'm going to bake the fluffiest bread ever. Rui‚ you have to eat the first piece‚ okay? If you don't‚ I'll go 'meeeh!' at you?"
When I peeked at him with eyes full of expectation‚ Rui quietly nodded.
His fingertips looked a little whitish‚ translucent in the sunset.
"Yeah‚ I'm looking forward to it. If it's bread you bake‚ it'll surely be the best in the royal capital... as long as you properly follow the fermentation and baking processes."
"Geez‚ Rui‚ you always make it sound so complicated!"
Feeling happy‚ I tugged gently at his sleeve.
But then...
The arm I touched through the sleeve felt a little colder than the evening air.
Like the chilly sensation of touching a faucet on a winter morning.
"...It's not flattery. I guarantee it. If you just omit the unnecessary steps‚ success is certain."
Rui's words were kind‚ but they had a strange transparency‚ as if echoing from the distant peak of a mountain.
I shook off that faint sense of unease and tugged at his sleeve again.
The usual Rui‚ who would complain "Don't pull‚" simply answered "...Yeah" shortly and didn't stop walking.
"...Hey‚ Rui? I'll really‚ really bake delicious bread‚ okay?"
"Yeah. I know‚ Serina."
Rui's eyes glanced at me for just a moment.
But the "Rui who's troubled by me" that should have been in the depths of those eyes seemed nowhere to be found‚ and my chest ached with a slight sting.
Like when the batteries in my favorite stuffed animal ran out just a little...
That kind of weird feeling.
"Oh‚ that's right! I've been curious about this the whole time... Ta-da! The chiffon cake Rui made earlier!"
I pulled out a neatly paper-wrapped lump from the magic bag at my waist.
It was the 'Earl Grey Chiffon Cake' that Rui had made during that scary test earlier.
When I remembered it came from that gooey black mass (something called a curse core?)‚ I was honestly a little scared to eat it.
...But I couldn't resist the perfect appearance and the sweetly spreading aroma that Rui had made just for me.
The moment I opened the wrapping‚ the noble scent of bergamot tickled my nose‚ and my stomach let out a cute "kyuu~" rumble.
"...Are you going to eat it? I made it for you to eat‚ so I don't mind. The taste is guaranteed‚ after all."
Rui‚ walking beside me‚ answered in an extremely matter-of-fact voice‚ like he had just finished a factory inspection.
I ignored it and tore off a fluffy piece with my fingers‚
"Mmm‚ munch munch..."
and popped a big bite into my mouth.
"Mmm~~~! It's super delicious! Rui‚ did you really make this with magic? The sugar and black tea flavors are dancing in my mouth!"
"It's not exactly magic... I just analyzed the target's structure and optimized the heat transfer. ...This should be sufficient."
Rui didn't look at my face; instead‚ he slightly averted his gaze toward empty space and murmured.
At that moment‚ along with that 'tinkle' of ice again‚
(Of course. There are no mistakes in my calculations.)
I thought I heard a clear‚ proud woman's voice echoing faintly in the back of my mind.
"Optimized? I don't really get it‚ but anyway‚ it's super delicious! Here‚ Rui‚ you too! Let's share this half?"
I held out half of the torn cake to Rui's mouth with an "aah~n."
My fingertips were close enough to faintly touch his lips.
The old Rui would have turned bright red and panicked‚ stepping back just from this.
I widened my eyes in expectation‚ wondering what funny reaction he would show‚ and peered into his eyes.
Normally‚ if I got this close‚ I should have been able to feel his heart pounding busily even through his clothes.
But from today's Rui‚ I couldn't hear that noisy heartbeat at all.
It was just quietly ticking a steady rhythm‚ like the hands of a cold clock.
"...Yeah‚ I'll take it. I used some magic power‚ and I was craving something sweet."
"...Eh?"
Rui neither blushed nor avoided my fingers; he quietly and far too naturally took the cake into his mouth.
His lips softly touched my fingertips‚ but what came from them wasn't the "heat" that would raise my heart rate—it was a surprisingly close-to-normal‚ overly gentle temperature.
"...What's wrong‚ Serina? There's a crumb at the corner of your mouth."
"Ah‚ no‚ it's nothing. ...Is it delicious?"
"Yeah‚ it's delicious. Just as calculated."
Rui smiled with satisfaction.
That smile was endlessly kind and perfect.
But... what was it?
The sweets were so sweet and delicious‚ yet the Rui who was supposed to be eating them with me felt like he had gone to the other side of transparent glass...
I stuffed the rest of the cake into my mouth‚ but after swallowing‚ a faint‚ unidentified bitter taste lingered deep in my chest.
"Jeez‚ Rui‚ you're so bad at getting into the mood! In that case‚ I'll catch you!"
I couldn't stand it anymore and pressed my body tightly against his slender arm.
As a girl‚ having my chest pressed against him was a little embarrassing‚ but...
Right now‚ more than that‚ I wanted to confirm his "heat."
The scorching heat and the fast‚ pounding heartbeat from when he hugged me at the fountain plaza before.
I wanted to feel that Rui again.
(...Huh? Something's weird... really‚ really weird.)
The body temperature coming through his arm felt abnormally low‚ even subtracting the evening chill.
It was like touching a meticulously crafted marble sculpture— an unnatural stillness that didn't feel like a living being.
"Hey‚ Rui... your face looks even paler than usual? Aren't you cold?"
"No. I'm in perfect condition. In fact‚ my mind is clearer than ever."
"You're lying. Because... the current Rui isn't saying 'I'm so embarrassed I could die!' at all."
When I looked up at him pleadingly‚ Rui shook his head without changing his expression at all.
"...There is no necessity to die anywhere. Biological functions are normal‚ and stress values from surrounding gazes are within acceptable ranges."
The moment he said that and glanced toward empty space for an instant‚
(――Vitals‚ all green. Perfect condition.)
that icy woman's voice rang again in the back of my mind.
Rui gently placed his hand on my head.
His touch was endlessly gentle and perfect as an escort.
But the old him would have had his fingertips trembling as if they would break just from touching my hair.
His fingers combing my hair were perfectly gentle‚ yet it felt like being stroked through thick glass.
The coldness of his palm cruelly proved that 'the heart of my beloved Rui' wasn't there.
"...I see. If Rui's feeling good‚ that's fine. But you somehow turned into an ice knight."
"A knight‚ huh. The most I can be is a 'shield' for you."
A strange feeling welled up in me—I wanted to run away‚ yet I absolutely didn't want to let go—so I gripped the hem of his coat tightly.
If I let go of this hand right now...
It felt like Rui would be sucked into some 'perfect answer' I could never understand no matter how long I lived‚ and disappear.
"Serina‚ what's wrong? If you grip that tightly‚ the fabric fibers will get damaged."
"It's fine! Even if it wrinkles‚ I'll iron it for you tomorrow! I'm never letting go!"
When I pretended to pout like a child‚ Rui just said "...I see" and started walking forward again.
His back stretching straight toward the sunset looked‚ to me now‚ like the farthest place in the world.
As we walked further...
A strange scent wafted faintly from Rui's body beside me.
It wasn't the lingering aroma of the Earl Grey chiffon cake we ate earlier.
It was denser‚ so sweet it stung the back of my nose‚ yet somehow sorrowful—a chocolate scent that tightened my chest.
Wanting to dispel the unidentified anxiety‚ I pressed my nose against his defenseless nape while still clinging to his arm and took a deep breath of that scent.
"Sniff... sniff sniff... Ah‚ as I thought."
"...Serina? Suddenly‚ what are you... The cake's scent just transferred to my clothes‚ that's all."
"No‚ Rui. It's not from outside. The scent is coming from 'inside' you... It's really sweet and somehow calming‚ but... why? It's a scent that makes my chest tighten painfully."
"...It's your imagination. I'm just a human. A chocolate scent coming from inside— that's the territory of a golem made of sweets."
Rui smiled awkwardly and gently tried to push my shoulder away.
But I knew.
Every time this sweet scent grew stronger‚ Rui became more and more "perfect‚" and in exchange‚ the "Rui who knew me" felt like it was fading away little by little—a scary premonition.
(Sniff sniff... I love it. My beloved scent... Why does it make me feel like crying?)
When I smelled this scent hitting my nose‚ it felt like 'Rui's precious memories and the softest part of his heart had burned and turned to ash'...
Like something I shouldn't touch was quietly disappearing.
That couldn't possibly be true.
Deep in my chest‚ it felt like someone was continuously ringing an alarm bell saying "It's dangerous."
"...Hey‚ Ru~i. I really‚ really love this scent of yours‚ you know? But... today's Rui feels a little... far away. Like even if I reach out my hand‚ my fingertips slip right through—that kind of feeling."
When I looked up at Rui's face‚ he widened his eyes for a moment as if at a loss for words.
Something seemed to waver in the depths of his lightless eyes‚ as if about to cry.
But right then...
(――Bug... elimination...)
I didn't understand the meaning of the words‚ but that cold‚ clear woman's voice fragment tinkled again in the back of my mind.
In that instant...
The slight wavering in Rui's eyes was beautifully painted over and disappeared.
Rui smiled with an extremely gentle yet chillingly calm relief‚ as if he had turned off an emotional switch.
"You're overthinking‚ Serina. I'm right here. Beside you‚ eating bread tomorrow too... There's no 'correct answer' more certain than that‚ right?"
"...Is it the correct answer?"
"Yeah. I guarantee it... My intuition is telling me so."
The chocolate scent only grew denser and denser.
We left the main street of the royal capital and entered a stone-paved alley leading to a sparsely populated inn.
The western sun shining through the gaps between buildings stretched our shadows astonishingly long and eerily vivid on the ground.
Unable to bear the silence any longer‚ I deliberately spoke in the brightest voice.
"Ehehe‚ look‚ Rui! Now I'm a proper baker starting today!
See‚ it's like a chocolate bar. Rui‚ let's split it!"
I tugged at his sleeve with an innocent smile.
The precious time when he would normally laugh in exasperation saying "What the heck?"
"...Huh?"
Suddenly‚ Rui's feet beside me came to a complete stop.
When I looked up‚ his focus was nowhere.
It was an utterly empty face‚ as if one piece of the puzzle in his head had just popped off and vanished.
For several seconds‚ only the sound of the wind passed through the alley.
"............Well‚ whatever. It's just a few copper coins."
"...A few copper? What are you talking about?"
When I asked anxiously‚ he slowly turned his gaze back to me and smiled with a perfect‚ gentle expression like a model.
"No. It's about 'garbage data' that's completely worthless for living."
――A shiver ran down my spine.
Something colder than the evening wind stroked my back.
I quietly reached out my right hand beside Rui‚ who was about to start walking.
I wanted to touch his fingers—even just a little—to confirm "I'm here."
But in that moment...
"...Hm‚ what's wrong‚ Serina? Did you forget something?"
Rui tucked the guild certificate into his pocket with a smooth‚ efficient motion‚ as if avoiding my fingertips.
My fingers that couldn't touch him simply slipped through the cold evening air.
In that instant‚ my chest tightened‚ and even my palms grew terribly cold.
"Ah‚ no‚ it's nothing! I just thought your walking pace was a tiny bit faster."
"I see... Walking speed adjusted downward by 0.05% to match Serina's stride."
"...Ahaha‚ you don't have to be that precise."
I laughed weakly.
Adjustment. Optimization. Calculation. Garbage data.
The words spilling from Rui's mouth were losing their humanity more and more.
When I glanced at my feet‚ the two long shadows stretching in the dim alley overlapped on the stone pavement.
My shadow was desperately chasing Rui's shadow‚ reaching out with all its might to grab his sleeve.
But only Rui's shadow‚ illuminated by the sunset—
It was melting into the sunset‚ looking slightly yet decisively distorted‚ like a monster that wasn't human.
(...No. I don't want to see it. That's not my Rui.)
I forcibly averted my eyes from that eerie shadow and pushed Rui's back with both hands as hard as I could.
"Come on‚ I'm hungry! Let's hurry home‚ Ru~i!"
"Okay‚ okay‚ stop pushing. What if I fall?"
Rui's voice with a wry smile.
Relying only on that voice‚ I told myself...
Tomorrow morning‚ if I shake him awake‚ he'll surely be back to the usual Rui.
If I didn't think that‚ my heartbeat this time would break the world's logic with sadness.
Beyond the burning sunset‚ the world grew ever sweeter and crueler‚ blurring our outlines.
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