Lonely Rock for the Blind

Traffic was rushing past on the road, and Nekoyashiki Haru could hear the faint roar of the engines.

"Have you taken a shower?"

Yamada Ryo suddenly asked.

"Not yet. What? Do I smell?"

Nekoyashiki Haru asked in confusion, then raised his arm and sniffed it himself.

"No?"

"No, I'm just asking."

Yamada Ryo said, then walked forward holding Nekayashiki Haru's hand.

"where are we going?"

"do not know."

"Really? That's the expected answer."

Nekoyashiki Haru smiled.

"Ah."

Yamada Ryo nodded and then explained.

"Wherever we go, that's it."

"Oh? Then how long do you plan to leave?"

Nekoyashiki Haru asked.

"... "

Yamada Ryo was silent at first, then raised his head and spoke.

"Until I'm satisfied."

"Ah."

Nekoyashiki Haru responded softly.

Yamada Ryo took out a coin from his pocket.

"There's a fork in the road ahead, left or right."

"Hmm? So?"

"Which way are you going?"

Yamada Ryo turned around and looked at Nekayashiki Haru and asked.

"right."

"Then I'll go left, flowers or words?"

"Flip a coin? Then I choose the flower."

“I am the word.”

Snapped!

The coin flew high into the air and then spun back down.

Yamada Ryo reached out and took it.

"Is it a flower or a word?"

Nekoyashiki Haru asked.

"flower."

Yamada Ryo put away the coin with the letter facing up.

"Let's go, right."

"it is good."

She held the boy's hand and walked to the right.

That's a small alley.

There was no murder site, and no thugs blocking the road.

Just an ordinary alley.

There were still a few windows with white lights on on the roadside.

Yamada Ryo suddenly felt cold in this night.

"Liang, you have something to say, right? Why don't you just say it?"

Nekayashiki Haru asked, and Yamada Ryo continued to pull Nekayashiki Haru away in silence.

"... "

Without any urging, Nekayashiki Haru once again quietly followed the girl's footsteps.

"Ask after we get out."

Yamada Ryo said.

"Where are we?"

"A small alley."

"... "

Nekayashiki Haru nodded and then stopped talking.

The alley is not long.

Because it’s just normal social distance between buildings.

It contains loneliness and comfort.

Walking out of the alley, the city lit up again in Yamada Ryo's eyes.

Neon lights illuminate the place.

Yamada Ryo opened his mouth.

"How did it feel just now?"

Yamada Ryo asked Nekoyashiki Haru.

"…Um, what am I supposed to feel?"

Nekoyashiki Haru tilted her head.

“I usually think of this as an adventure.”

Yamada Ryo squatted down in the corner and pulled Nekoyashiki Haru to squat down with him.

“There’s a special feeling there.”

"I don't feel anything."

Nekoyashiki Haru said.

"I see."

Yamada Ryo nodded, then looked at the people who occasionally passed by in front of him.

“When you come out of the alley, you always feel disappointed.”

"why?"

"Because I walked through the secret passage, but still didn't reach the mysterious place."

Yamada Ryo lowered his head.

"I just changed the route and reached a place I was tired of."

"Where are we now?"

"A commercial street not far away on the other side of the stars."

Yamada Ryo said.

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru narrowed his eyes.

"You really like surprises."

"I just don't like normality. I don't care whether it's a surprise or not."

"Aren't these two different?"

"Different."

Yamada Ryo looked at Nekoyashiki Haru.

"I hope I can walk down that alley, to a place I wouldn't normally see, and then tomorrow I can tell other people about it and bring them to see it."

"Have you ever been to places you wouldn't normally see?"

"At first, there were, but later there weren't. I brought Hongxia twice, but she was too lazy to come."

"It should be boring for her after all."

Nekayashiki Haru smiled, and Yamada Ryo felt tenderness when he saw Nekayashiki Haru's smile.

"You care about Hongxia a lot."

"Isn't it obvious?"

“…But do you really care about Hong Xia that much?”

"Why do you ask?"

Nekoyashiki Haru asked.

"... "

Yamada Ryo didn't answer, but leaned against the wall behind him.

"Kitten, I told you before that you seemed unexpectedly aloof."

"You did."

Nekoyashiki Haru nodded.

Yamada Ryo continued.

"Maybe it's not indifference."

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru waited for Yamada Ryo's voice.

"Are you scared?"

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru narrowed his eyes.

"To be honest, I don't quite understand what you're talking about."

"Ah."

Yamada Ryo nodded without explaining, but suddenly said.

"I heard you talking to Pa-san today."

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru was silent.

“Are you afraid of not being able to see color?”

"... "

Nekoyashiki Haru didn't say anything, and seeing this, Yamada Ryo didn't say anything either.

It wasn't until a minute later that Nekayashiki Haru spoke.