short update this time. the next story is pretty long and will probably take a bit. o/

Hariyama-san, Center of the World 2

Interlude 1: Imposter

I'm, not, like that.

Did I mean to kill her? No, not at, all.

It's just, you know. Well, that girl was cheeky, so, yeah. To begin with,

an elementary-schooler taking a taxi alone, is cheeky, in itself.

So, I couldn't, help it. I, had to teach, a lesson to, that customer, the d.a.m.n

cheeky little p.u.s.s.ycat girl.

No, that's not, it. It doesn't, have anything to do, with her being a girl.

No. ...No.

I'm, not like, those lolicon perverts. I'm not, a pedophile. I'm, not like

that.

I, didn't mean, to. Not at all.

From now on. Up till now. Not at all. No.

I'm, not like that, I'm not like that. I didn't mean to. I didn't, mean to, do

anything to her, but I was just so, so, annoyed, yeah, yeah, she was just a

kid, she was just a kid but she was taking a taxi she was just a kid but she

was so d.a.m.n polite it p.i.s.sed me off she didn't act like a kid and I thought we

couldn't have that so I punished her by squeezing her neck a little and tried

to kill her.

Yes. I only tried to kill her, I didn't mean to kill her.

Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy.

Ahh, I'm so sleepy, so why, can't I, lie down?

All I wanted was to be a taxi driver. But, getting a cla.s.s two license, was too

hard, and I couldn't do it.

Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. I'm, so, sleepy.

And so. So, so, so, dammit. I had to do it.

How much, money, do you think it took, to make, that fake taxi? It was, going

so well, until that d.a.m.n cheeky brat, spoiled everything.

Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy. What's happening dammit dammit dammit I'm so

sleepy but I can't sleep it's been so long so long so many months why, how

long, has it been?

Sleepy. Sleepy. Sleepy.

That brat, the b.i.t.c.h with the knapsack, she, noticed that I, i, I, i, I,

i was driving a fake taxi, so I had, to do something.

She was, cheeky.

I, killed her.

I killed her, and I, put her in the ground.

Then how, did that brat, manage manage manage sleepy manage to ride ride ryde

rid ried ryed my my my my sleepy my taxi my taxi again sleepy sleepy sleepy

sleepy sleepy sleepy how can I, shake off this sleepiness? I've been worrying,

and suffering, for a long time.

Even though, that brat died, she rode my taxi, and killed me, me.

She did… she, did. Sleepy. I'm. I'm sleepy.

I'm sleepy, but, it's over.

I've been trapped by her, ever since then, the whole time.

That brat, disappeared somewhere, with a weird taxi.

Disappeared, disappeared.

...back. She hasn't, come back.

……

……

I've… shaken off a bit of my sleepiness, sir.

Just… a little bit, though.

You're not answering. ...Can you not hear me? Well, I suppose you've bled out

too much. Isn't it about time that you stopped being able to see, too?

But it's all right. I can tell you that from experience.

Once you're completely dead, you'll be able to hear me again.

Well, it won't be for long, since I'll consume you immediately.

But, well, please listen, even if you can't hear me.

That brat disappeared somewhere and left me free for the first time since I

died.

I didn't believe in ghosts, but now that I've become one, I'm happy. It doesn't

seem like there's an afterlife either, so that makes me even happier.

Because if Heaven or h.e.l.l existed, I'd definitely be going to h.e.l.l.

Ahh, ahhhh, I want to wake up even more. Anyway, now that I've ended up like

this… I don't know how to sleep.

So all I can do is shake off this sleepiness. And you'll be the one to help me

with that, sir.

When I strangled that girl to death… well, how do I say this, my eyes were

opened and my heart was pounding… up until then, I'd never thought so clearly

in my life, as if all the world was laid out before me.

And so, uh… I thought perhaps I would wake up like that again if I killed you,

sir. And then I'd forcibly suppress your soul, which won't even know the basics

of being a ghost, and feed it into my own power. Like that brat did to me.

...Whoops, speaking of which, there's no way you would know who "that

brat" is, huh?

It looks like I'm still half-asleep. Excuse me, sir. Well, you'll come to

understand all of that later…

You're still not dead? You're quite stubborn.

...Oh, your breathing started slowing the moment I spoke.

Oh, don't worry about the fare.

I was still half-asleep when I said it before, but…

I'm not really a taxi driver or anything.

But, well, you may not believe me, but I'm feeling great right now.

I thought there was no way ghosts could exist, but I turned out like this. My

my, the world is really not that bad… now I can believe in aliens or yetis or

Nessie. I even feel like no completely imaginary thing exists in this world.

...Ah, but, but, sir.

They're not possible. I cannot believe in them.

The people that appear in Hollywood movies and the like, or in j.a.pan's tokusatsu

series… you know, those guys. Heroes of justice. The ones who transform and

fight against bad guys.

That's the only thing I can't believe in. You agree, don't you, sir?

If heroes of justice really did exist --

They would've come to save the little girl I killed before, and you now.

Well well, or perhaps those people are completely dedicated to fighting against

evil organizations and don't have the free time to save n.o.bodies like you or

that little girl. In that case, it's laughable, isn't it? Maybe they're

defending world peace, but to the people actually who die, they're more

unreliable than the police.

If you think about it, there's probably a reason for evil organizations to do

meaningless things like poison dams and hijack preschool buses. While the heroes

are occupied with those stupid farces, you're left here to die.

To tell the truth, pure good or pure evil are probably even less real than

things like ghosts or aliens. What do you think, sir?

...Oh, your pupils are dilating. It's about time, then.

That's how that little girl looked when she died too. Haha.

Oh, that's right.

Would you like a receipt, sir?

Continue to "The Scarlet Death of Cross Kas.h.i.+wagi"