Due to deal restructure text to speech player is currently unavailable. Will find a solution soon.

Chapter 560: 560

Arriving at the stall area with Illness-san, whom I met by chance, I bought two skewers first, giving one to Illness-san .

[Here, Illness-san . ]

[Kuhihi, thank you . ]

I was a little hesitant about the idea of bringing a girl to a skewer stall right from the start…… but there was no way around it . After all, with Illness-san’s personality, even if I asked her “What would you like to eat?”, she would only respond with “I will go with whatever you want to eat, Kaito-sama” .

I thought about buying things that weren’t really what I wanted to eat, getting a candy apple or something but…… Illness-san might be able to easily see through that . So, as a result, I decided to buy something called Red Horn Bull Skewers which is something I would normally eat .

Red Horn Bull is the beef of my world, and I’ve had it a few times before, so I’m comfortable with it . No, seriously…… The reassurance that this was made of meat I know of is wonderful .

While I was thinking about this, Illness-san put one hand on her skewer, using her other hand to cover her mouth while taking a bite .

[……It’s reallyyyyy tasty, isn’t iiiiiiit?]

[……………… . . ]

Hmmm, an elegant way of eating without showing the inside of her mouth . For such an Illness-san who can do something like this so naturally, the word “lady” really suits her very well .

If you consciously looked at her, I can see the elegance in her posture and gestures, but it didn’t seem like she was doing it consciously, and was doing it in a very natural way .

If it weren’t for the fact that she was dressed in a maid uniform, she would have looked like a noble lady, and I felt that every movement she made was so refined .

Thereupon, just at that moment, I made eye contact with Illness-san when she looked at me…… Eh? She’s…… looking at me, right? It kind of looks like she’s looking right past me and into the view behind me…… U- Unnn, she’s probably looking at me .

[What’s the matteeeeer?]

[Ah, n- no, the way Illness-san eats is so elegant, so I thought it was amazing……]

[Kuhihi, that’s not the caaaaase . This way of eating is just something I got used toooooo . ]

[Is that so?]

[Moreoveeeeer~~ It’s not like eating elegantly is good, you knooooow? The best way to enjoy a meaaaal is to eat well, riiiiiiiiight?]

[I see . ]

The words she said must have been a follow-up for me who was about to eat my skewer . I think it’s really amazing that people can say such things so naturally .

Prompted by Illness-san’s words, I too was able to eat the skewers without being particularly conscious of them .

When I finished my skewer, Illness-san smoothly took the skewer out of my hand and threw it into a nearby can, along with her own skewer .

Then, she turned to me and gently spoke .

[……Sooo~~ Kaito-samaaaa, what are you “feeling uneasy about”?]

[……Eh?]

[I think there’s a plaza over theeeeeere~~ How about we talk over thereeee? Even if it’s just listeniiiiiing, I think it’s something I can doooooo . ]

[……Ummm, could it be…… You’ve noticed everything from the beginning?]

[I wondeeeeer~~? What do you thiiiiiink? Kuhihihi . ]

I really can’t match against her .

Just as Illness-san said, I was indeed feeling uneasy . Rather, there was something that I was feeling a little heavy-hearted about .

I invited Illness-san with the purpose of thanking her…… but perhaps, I might have been trying to distract myself from my emotions .

Illness-san, who easily saw through my emotions, moved to a less popular plaza and urged me to sit on a bench .

Sitting down on the bench, Illness-san also sat on a bench with a little distance between us, and without saying anything, she turned her face to me .

[……Errr, actually, tomorrow, I was supposed to go around the festival with Shiro-sa…… God of Creation-sama . ]

[Myyy~~ That would be quite a great honoooor . ]

[Yes . It’s not that I don’t like going around with Shiro-san . Rather, I’m having a lot of fun being with Shiro-san…… so I’m rather looking forward to tomorrow . ]

[In that caaaase~~ What are you worried abouuuuuuut?]

[No, ummm, I’m sure we’re going to get a lot of attention……]

Yes, I’m looking forward to going around with Shiro-san…… but compared to Kuro and the others, Shiro-san would attract even more attention .

I mean, just her mere appearance at the opening ceremony was enough to make everyone kneel in unison . On top of that, all the Gods were on high alert…… I’m just a small commoner, so such attention is hard for me to take .

[I seeeee~~ I don’t reaaaaally like standing out eitheeeeer~~ so I understand how you feeeeel . ]

[Yes, so…… I thought it would be rude to Shiro-san to go around while I’m feeling like that, so I was thinking of having some change of pace . ]

[……In that case~~ are you going to stop going around with God of Creation-sama tomorrooooow?]

[……No, just as I had said, I’m really looking forward to going around with her . ]

[Theeeen~~ I think you’ll do just fiiiiine . I’m suuuuure~~ God of Creation-sama will also be pleased going around with youuuuu . ]

[I guess you’re right . ]

Illness-san is this kind of person after all . She would never say things like how you should do things . She would positively affirm with you…… And when you find an answer, she will gently encourage you .

Even though I’m feeling anxious, she would tell me that it isn’t that big of a deal, it’s just something that requires great attention . Illness-san understood the complicated feelings I had, and that’s why she let me say it like this to change my mood .

In fact, I think it’s very easy to say it out loud . I just need to enjoy my time with Shiro-san and not worry about what’s going on around me……

Illness-san…… really is amazing . When I talk to Illness-san, I feel like I can naturally be more positive about things…… Her voice that gently affirms me and her words that gently push my back were very comfortable .

As I was relishing the feeling of my mind clearing up, I heard a gentle voice and the clapping of hands

[……Let’s say if the world were a single storyyyyy, how many pages would there beeeee?]

[……Illness-san?]

When I turned my gaze to the voice, I saw that Illness-san had turned towards the sky and was singing a song while softly clapping her hands .

[The you on that page may be very smaaaaall and hard to seeeeee . ]

[………………]

[But that doesn’t matteeeer, for you are the next page’s…… important piiiiiiiece . ]

[………………]

[Pleeeease, keep walkiiing, for the future lies where you’re goiiiing . ]

I’ve never heard this song before, but it seems to have kind lyrics . Even so, Illness-san…… is really good at singing . I couldn’t help but listen to her song that was kindly and gently spun, as if it was speaking to me .

[Let’s say if the world were a single storyyyyy, the miracle of meeting you like thiiiiis is something I’m grateful foooor . ]

The lyrics seemed to have entered the second verse, and she had sung with the same rhythm as the first line .

[As you who reach out to otheeeeers, the others also reach out to youuuuu . And so, the circle expaaaands, and the page gains color . ]

[……………… . . ]

[You are never aloooone, for you have many friends by your side . ]

[……………… . . ]

[Pleeeease, don’t forgeeeet, for there are fans who wish for your happiness . ]

With those words, Illness-san turned to me, and for a brief moment…… I felt her eyes focus on me .

[I’m sure the road you walk will not be smooooooth, strong winds may push you back, but I’m suuuuuuure, you will grow with each of your steeeps . ]

[……………… . . ]

[Sooooomeday, when you are old, reading the story again will make me smile, even when I’m not in its pageeeees . ]

[……………… . . ]

[That’s why pleeeease, don’t forgeeeet, I will be your fan, wishing you happiness . ]

It seems that this is where the song ends, as Illness-san ended it with an unusual smile…… a small, gentle smile, before she looked away from me and turned up to the sky .

[……That’s a beautiful song . What song is it?]

[……A song named “A Small Story”, it was popular about a hundred years agoooo . I thouuuught it would be the most appropriate song to send to you, Kaito-samaaaaa . ]

[Ehh? Errr……]

[I will aaaaaalways be on your side . That’s whyyyy~~ even in the fuuuuture, you can rely on me as muuuuuuch you want . I’m most happy when you’re happy after alllllll~~ or something like thaaaaat?]

Saying this, Illness-san tilted her head . Illness-san, as she was basking beneath the faint moonlight, looked so beautiful and fantastic .

[Kuhihi…… Well theeeen~~ since we still have some tiiiiime, how about we go around stalls a bit moooooore?]

[Ahh, y- yes! You’re right, let’s go!]

As Illness-san stood up with the usual smile she had on her face, I also stood up . I don’t know if it’s because I heard her tell me that she would always be by my side or not, but I felt like my face is blushing red right now .

Dear Mom, Dad————- Affirming me, supporting me, pushing me forward…… and sincerely wishing me happiness . The song that Illness-san gave me had such an impossibly gentle———- and devotional lyrics .

I don’t care if my feelings aren’t rewarded . I just keep wishing for you, my beloved’s happiness————- Illness/Pandemonium is such a woman .

Serious-senpai : [……Arehh? For someone who just popped out of nowhere, she’s acting like a heroine…… Stop that, stop, stop that woman with a high heroine power…… I mean, that is what’s going to happen, right? After this, we’ll have an Intermission chapter from Pandemonium’s point of view, right?]