Mushoku No Sonzai 無色の存在 (Colorless Existence)

Perspective : Nobiyuki Susumu
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Melancholic Ties Final
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Grabbing my bag, I take a step outside, immediately greeted by the warm sunlight.
Ren was leaning on the wall, waiting for me.

"It's so hot! It's barely March too! Ahhhh!!!"

"It's not that hot, though. It still rains sometimes too."

He sighs.

"I guess I shouldn't complain then."

We walk down the sidewalk, towards the school. As we pass by a train station, a few girls point at Ren chuckling and blushing.
He nudges my arm.

"Look, look! They might be looking at you too!"

I look away.

"Fine! But, isn't it nice to just enjoy the flattery once in a while?"

We cross the street, avoiding other people walking the same road.

"Say, Ren."

"Eh?"

We continue to walk, still facing the road.

"Lately, I've been feeling strange?"

"How so?"

I remember the way I woke up feeling more energetic than usual. I remember my body feeling far stronger in the forest during that battle.

"It's hard to explain...I just feel-----"

"WATCH OUT!"

BEEEP

Crash

Before I could process Ren's yelling, I instinctively moved my hand, as if it were second nature...

As my eyes widen to what I had done, I felt more shocked than ever before.
A car at full speed, which was supposed to have killed me...
It was stopped, right there in my hand....
The hood of the car squeezed like a towel in my hand.

"Hey! Are you okay!?"

The driver steps out of the car, panic in his eyes.

I rise to my feet. I don't feel anything...
I feel...perfectly fine.

"Y-Yes. I'm okay. I'm sorry about that."

"Hey hey, kid. You gotta be more careful on the streets, y'know?"

He stares at my hand, which was still grasping the hood of his car.

"Uh..."

I pull my hand away, but I then notice the people nearby giving me and Ren strange looks.

The crowds murmured.

"Did you see that..?"

"Is there blood?"

Ren stares at me with an unusually serious face, and pulls me away.
He quickly runs with me to a nearby alleyway, analyzing the area as if to assure nobody was around.

His face was unusually stern.

Is he mad at me for doing something stupid..?

"Susumu."

What?
My ears felt suspense. He finally spoke...

I turn to him. His tone was unusually low.

"Wh-What's with that look? I really am sorry for not watching where I was goi--"