“Oh no, that sucks! Oh well, let’s go to eat crepes the day after tomorrow, then.”
“Sure!”
“Cram school starts next week, right? I hate it, but I’m kind of looking forward to seeing Mr. Igasaki. He’s such a babe!”
I laughed. I was enjoying chatting on the phone with Shizuka after so long. Suddenly I felt a forceful thump on my back.
“Get off the phone!”
I turned to see my sister standing there looking cross. I supposed she’d kicked me again. She always comes and kicks my back when I’m on the phone.
“Sorry, it seems my sister wants to use the phone.”
“Oh really? Okay then, see you the day after tomorrow!”
“See you!”
When I hung up, my sister said irritably, “My fever comes back whenever I hear you speaking so loudly.”
“Sorry.”
She pushed me out of the room and slammed the door. It would be ages before she came out. It was always the same.
I tiptoed to my room, trying not to make a sound.
I slipped my ring onto my finger and gazed at it. When I did this, I felt like Yuu and I were sharing the same finger. Come to think of it, my ring finger did look strangely pale. It resembled Yuu’s slim fingers I thought, and I stroked it gently.
I lay down to sleep still wearing my ring. When I closed my eyes, I could see outer space.
I wanted to return to that pitch-blackness as soon as I could. I’d never been to Planet Popinpobopia, but I was beginning to feel it was my true home.
The day cram school started, I wondered what I should wear and eventually settled on a black shirt. I buttoned it up all the way to the top. It was a bit hot, even though it was short sleeved.
I picked up my school bag, slipped Piyyut inside it, and went downstairs. Mom was in the hall. She scowled when she saw me.
“What do you think you’re wearing? You look like you’re going to a funeral.”
“Um.”
“You’re so gloomy, I swear.” She sighed. “I’m tired enough as it is.”
It’s handy having a dumpster in the house. In this house, that’s my role. When Dad and Mom and Kise get so fed up they can’t bear it any longer, they dump everything onto me.
Mom was just on her way next door to pass on the neighborhood news circular, so I went out with her.
“Hi Natsuki, off to cram school are we?” the next-door neighbor called out to me. “You’re all grown-up now!”
“Oh no she isn’t,” Mom said loudly behind me. “She’s always making a mess of everything. Can’t take my eyes off her for a moment.”
“I don’t believe that, eh, Natsuki?” the woman said, turning to me.
“No, Mom’s right,” I said.
When I wasn’t using my magical powers, I really was a dead loss. I’d always been clumsy and ugly. From the perspective of the people in this Baby Factory town, my very presence must be a nuisance.
“In comparison,” Mom went on loudly, “your little Chika is so talented. This child is so stupid and slow at doing whatever she’s asked. She’s like a weight around my neck. I swear I’m quite worn out.”
She smacked me on the head with the file containing the circular. She often hit me on the head. She said that since I was so stupid, giving my head a little shock would make it better. And what’s more, since it was empty it made a good sound. That was probably true. The thwap as it hit my head rang out loud and clear.
“And just look at how she dresses! What a disgrace. We’ll never be able to get her married off looking like that.”
I nodded. “Yes, it’s true.”
The person who had given birth to me said I was a dead loss, so I decided it really must be true. I was probably causing a nuisance to the neighbors just by existing. My sister said I gave her the creeps. I was such a useless lump that she felt stressed out just looking at me.
“I’m sorry,” I said, automatically bowing my head in apology.
“Oh, but no! No, it’s not the case at all,” the woman said, taken aback.
“Well, I have to go,” I said, bowing my head again, and I got on my bicycle and headed off to cram school.
“I mean really,” I heard Mom’s voice behind me. “Where on earth does that child get it from? She doesn’t take after us, that’s for sure.”
As I cycled past the rows of identical houses, I thought to myself again how much like nests they looked. They resembled a huge cocoon that Yuu and I had once found in the Akishina mountains.
My town was a collection of nests, a factory for manufacturing babies. I was a tool for the town’s good, in two senses.
Firstly, I had to study hard to become a work tool.
Secondly, I had to be a good girl, so that I could become a reproductive organ for the town.
I would probably be a failure on both counts, I thought.
The cram school occupied the second floor of a community center built in the station area two years ago.
There were two classrooms: the one at the far end was taught by the school’s principal. It was for students who were taking exams to go on to junior high school. The nearest classroom was the ordinary course for kids like me who weren’t taking an exam. The teacher for this class was a university student called Mr. Igasaki who worked there part-time.
I parked my bike, took off my shoes by the entrance, and went upstairs to the classroom to find everyone else was already seated. Shizuka waved me over, and I sat down next to her.
Everyone looked a little different from when I’d seen them before the start of the summer break. Many were suntanned or had had their hair cut.
“Natsuki, are you going to the fireworks display? You’ll wear yukata, won’t you?”
“Yes, that’s what I’m thinking.”
“Shall we go look at new ones together? I saw one with a really cute goldfish pattern.”
Everyone was enjoying the summer vacation, but it was still really fun to spend time with classmates again. The classroom was buzzing with the incessant chattering and laughing of twenty or so children.
“Quiet now, everyone!” The door opened, and Mr. Igasaki came in.
“Yay!” Shizuka said happily.
Mr. Igasaki looked just like a member of a popular boys’ band, so all the girls loved him. And not only was he good-looking, but also his classes were known for being easy to follow and interesting.
“Natsuki, I have to make some more printouts after class. Will you stay behind to help me?”