Just the Two of Us in this Vast World

Chapter 1 — The boundary line, the marriage between a girl and a wolf. Part 16

Fear, fascination, and…

“W-what a, b-beautiful…”

I said nothing and went to a nearby payphone to call for an ambulance.

It was an anonymous call, and I only told them the location. As soon as I could hear the siren, I left that place together with Shiro.

He was still holding Mouse’s arm in his mouth, the arm that still held the knife.

Once we were far enough, he released the arm.

Then stood silently, not saying a single word.

I snatched the knife away from the arm. It was a sharp folding knife with a triangular blade.

A killer’s tool.

I lightly tapped the edge that was shining with a dull luster, with my fingertip. As soon as my skin came into contact with it, a slit was made and a round drop of crimson blood surfaced on my finger.

I spread the blood from my finger over my lips and stashed the knife away.

Shiro just watched me, dumbfounded as I acted in this way.

When I tried walking away, he didn’t follow me.

“Let’s go back,” I told him, but he didn’t react. It almost seemed as though my voice couldn’t reach him.

“Shiro.” He didn’t answer.

After I called out to him for the third time, he finally replied.

“…Oh, sorry, what is it?”

“What happened? You’re zoning out.”

“Nothing really.,” he said, though his face expressed the complete opposite. “Let’s go. It’ll be a pain if, in the off chance they find us, they take us for a questioning.”

“You have a point.”

He kept staring at the ground as he walked. His white fur lost its shine and his tail hung down lifelessly. Even his ears were drooping.

It almost gave the impression that his whole body had actually shrunk down to a certain degree.

“What should we do about dinner?”

“I’m fine with anything. I don’t mind even if we don’t eat much.”

“Then how about meat: steak, perhaps?”

“Don’t think too hard about it. Just eat whatever you want to eat.”

“I will think hard,” I said, then closed my eyes and shook my head. “I’m your wife after all.”

“That’s true.” He took a deep breath and his black eyes wavered, lost.

“Why do you look so depressed?”

“It’s no-“

“I won’t let you say it’s nothing.”

I jumped on him.

Because it was so sudden, he was unable to support himself properly, and I almost fell to the ground along with him.

“We are both together. We’ll eat together, go to bed together and take care of each other.”

It wasn’t a smart move by any means, but still, in a certain sense, I was taking care of him.

And I was sure that he understood that too.

“You’re right, let’s talk,” he said softly.

It had only been two days since we got married, too short of a time to really get to know each other.

Though, no matter how much time passed, we’d probably never be able to fully understand each other.

Thinking that it was possible was like chasing a mirage.