#sorry 4 the wait midterms were kicking my ass etc. this chapter was shorter than i thought though

[italiantnea]

#0/ The dispersed and accumulated solutions are unknown not a piece of cake

i feel no pity sorrow too is unthinkable

it is the path i follow though i barely progress forward

in the end, is it nothing more than a path without a path

— “Work #1”, S

#0-1_otogiri_tobi/ I don’t know who you are

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—–

The teacher with the black-rimmed glasses who always stood in front of the school gate called out to the students. What he wore was, as usual, an awfully tight-fitting suit.

“Asamiyaa”

On this morning, he detained one of Tobi’s classmates.

“Those bangs, aren't they too long? Go cut them. It’s bad for your eyes. Sensei’s eyesight got bad from that, you know?”

“Yagi-sensei also had long bangs in the past?”

“Who’re you calling Yagi? Well, yeah. It was long. I didn't have this hairstyle in the past, after all. Well, that’s obvious.”

“Yagi-sensei, you mean you used to break school rules?”

“Like I said, it’s Yagarashima-sensei, not Yagi! The school I attended was one in the countryside with about thirty students in the entire school, so there weren’t really school rule-like school rules…”

“I’ll cut it next time…”

“Make sure you do, Asamiya! It’s bad for your eyes!”

As soon as Asamiya went by, Yagarashima-sensei with his black-rimmed glasses immediately zeroed in on another student.

“Oi, Takagii. You don't look well. You ok?”

“I got low air pressure, so”

“What’re you talking about, low air pressure. If you’re going with that, it’s low blood pressure, isn't it?”

“Yagi-sensei, mornin!”

As another female student passed by and waved her hand in greeting, Yagarashima-sensei jumped up with enough force to dislodge his glasses.

“You there, Miyoshii! It’s not ‘mornin’, it’s ‘good morning’!”

Tobi hadn't noticed until now, but Yagarashima sensei seemed to be quite looked down upon by students. To put it in a better way, they were quite friendly with him.

As Tobi greeted him while passing by, Yagarashima-sensei’s face broke into a broad smile with an “oh!”.

“Good morning, Otogiri!”

He seemed awfully happy, or rather, he wore an expression that couldn't help but make him think he was smiling from the bottom of his heart. Caught off guard, Tobi bowed his head slightly without thinking.

The backpack Tobi carried on his back laughed with a small “heh.”

“He’s not a bad guy, is he?”

“...I never thought he was a bad person though?”

As Tobi responded in a low voice, Baku replied nastily, “Is that so?”

“Ah, but you know…”

He sure was cheeky for a damn backpack.

“I’m starving, damnit.”

“Haven't you been saying that all morning?”

Tobi had to lower his voice so the students walking towards the school wouldn't hear him.

“I’ll say it as many times as it takes!”

Baku didn't have to take the same care. Tobi was the only one who could hear the backpack’s voice.

That was the conclusion he’d made all by himself, but in reality, that hadn't been true.

But to the majority of people, Baku did not talk or go wild on his own. He was just a backpack.

“Tobi, you eat breakfast lunch and dinner every day, don't you? I gotta eat something too, or I’ll get hungry. I finally realized that recently.”

“If only you’d never realized that…”

Tobi sighed and patted his stomach. He’d eaten a proper breakfast at the facility. Today, he’d even had a second helping of rice for once. Even so, he didn't feel quite satiated.

“Nng…”

Baku writhed around as he grumbled.

Had their surroundings caught his eye? It was the same for Tobi.

On the shoulder of the boy walking slightly ahead of him, clung something that looked like an extremely flat gecko. And ahead of that, what looked like tiny teru-teru bozu with hands and feet dangled from a girl’s hair, spinning around and around.

“Hey, Tobi—”

“No, you can't.” Tobi told Baku flatly before he could finish his sentence.

“What the hell. I didn't even say anything.”

Baku seemed dissatisfied, but he really couldn't. Of course he couldn't.

Tobi saw right through what Baku was thinking. Is it ok if I eat that flat gecko, or the spinning teru-teru bozu? That was what Baku had been trying to ask Tobi.

For the sake of argument, if those things happened to be some mutant gecko or mystery animal that resembled teru-teru bozu, if Baku really insisted, Tobi would not stop him. However, that was not the case. Those strange things were not reptiles or teru-teru bozu shaped organisms.

Zingai.

That was what they were called.

Tobi sighed once again and lowered his head, trying to keep the zingai out of his field of vision. What would happen if he ate the zingai? Did Baku not know? There was no way he didn't know. He had to know.

Because Baku had eaten before.

He’d actually eaten a classmate’s zingai.

Kon Chiami, and Masamune, a.k.a. Masaki Shuuji. Baku had devoured their zingai. And what had happened after that?

“You know, even I’m not thinking of just gobbling them up indiscriminately…”

Baku grumbled, trying to defend himself.

“But, you know… aren't there a lot? Hmm? Is it just my imagination?”

Tobi ignored him. But he thought the same. There really were a lot.

There had always been a number of people with zingai, within reason. He hadn't counted them specifically, but if the elementary school students and middle school students made up a hundred people, among them a handful of people were accompanied by zingai. Those handful of people didn't seem to be aware of their own zingai, but anyway, it was probably around two or three percent of people. In that case, it wasn't strange if there were one or two, or several in his class.

To Tobi, being able to see zingai was normal. That was why even though there were several zingai in his classroom, he wasn't particularly surprised. Even after getting to middle school, he didn't find it particularly strange. Of course there would be this number of zingai around. He felt like it was natural for them to be there.

Aren't there kind of a lot?

He’d never had such a thought before.

After going through the door of the front entrance, Tobi stopped in his tracks. In front of him to the left, near the shoe box, the flat gecko-like zingai was clinging to the back of the girl changing her shoes. Tobi began walking right away.

“What’s wrong?” Baku asked.

Tobi feigned calmness without responding. Internally, he was a bit shaken. He wanted to confirm that zingai he’d just seen. But he’d gone too far ahead, he couldn't see it from here.

It’d been very flat, a thin flimsy gecko-shaped zingai. Around five centimeters in size, and he thought it looked whitish. That had been a third year student’s shoe box. It had been a third year female student.

Had he not actually caught sight of that flat gecko-like zingai?

Maybe the color and size were a bit off. He couldn't remember it clearly, but that flat gecko-like zingai had been clinging on the shoulder of a male student.

No way, he thought.

It was just a coincidence.

By chance, two people had similar zingai. That had to be it.

Asamiya had finished putting on his indoor shoes and was leaving the shoe box.

“Good morning.”

When Tobi spoke to him, Asamiya said “Eh?” and pitched forward for a moment. Then he turned around with great vigor and pushed back his long bangs.

“...Good morning, Otogiri.”

Asamiya was staring in surprise. He seemed to have spooked him.

“Just now—”

Tobi took the indoor shoes out from his own shoe box.

“Asamiya, you got picked on, huh? By Yagarashima-sensei.”

“Ahh… well yeah. Mm. It happens a lot.”

“‘It’s bad for your eyesight’ he said?”

“Yeah that. He says that every time.”

“I see.”

Tobi changed into his indoor shoes and put his outdoor shoes in the box. 

Walking out of the shoebox area and into the hallway, he found himself a bit disappointed.

“Ain't here huh, that O-Ryuu,” Baku muttered. That confirmed it for him.

Ryuuko might be there. Tobi had thought so. Of course, it wasn't like he’d been looking forward to it. It was that Ryuuko they were talking about. There was a possibility of her hiding in the shadows of the shoebox and suddenly jumping out, and it would be a disaster if he didn't brace himself for that. He could've been spooked like Asamiya just now.

Come to think of it, why had Asamiya been so surprised?

Asamiya was beside Tobi, and somehow they ended up walking side by side.

As Tobi tried to say Asamiya’s name, Asamiya too, said “Say, Otogiri,”. Their voices clashed together slightly.

“Ah… eh, it’s fine, Otogiri, you go first.”

“No.”

Tobi shook his head. It wasn't anything important anyway.

“What about me?”

“...Right. Otogiri you… how to say it. Were you always this type of person? How do I put it… like… friendly¹?”

“Friendly?” ¹ he uses the english loanword “friendly”

Tobi furrowed his brows. He knew the meaning of the word. But it wasn't a word he used often.

“Nobody’s ever called me that.”

“Figures.”

Asamiya let out a small laugh. It wasn't like being laughed at made him mad, but it didn't feel great. Maybe it showed on his face, but Asamiya apologized with a “Hey, sorry.” As he said those words, he was still laughing slightly.

“That’s fine…”

Tobi was strangely annoyed, if he did say so himself. That being said, he didn't think he was mad. Even though he wasn't mad, he was annoyed. That was strange. It was a contradiction.

Anyhow, it was weird.

 Tobi glanced behind him. Beyond that hallway was the infirmary. Why had Tobi turned around? That, he didn't know himself. But it was on his mind after all. As he walked, he looked behind him once more. He stopped.

Someone was looking at Tobi.

He wasn't in uniform. From the way he was dressed, he wasn't a student.

In the hallway leading to the infirmary stood a single lone man.

Judging from the build, it was probably a man. He was quite large. He was wearing a brimless hat and a mask. It was a strange mask. It was painted with a drawing of what looked like baring teeth. His eyes were unique as well. That man’s eyes were clearly looking at Tobi. Even so, they seemed to be looking at nothing in particular. They were right there, yet nowhere at all. Those eyes were real, yet seemed fake.

“Otogiri?”

When Asamiya spoke to him, Tobi replied, “Yeah?” halfheartedly. In the approximately one second he took to look at Asamiya’s face, his gaze left that man.

When he looked back, he was gone.

“Tobi…”

Baku’s backpack body stirred restlessly. He wanted to say something. But Tobi couldn't talk with him here. Asamiya was with him.

As Tobi began walking again, Asamiya followed. He seemed puzzled, but he didn't ask any questions. On his end, Tobi was thankful for that. If he asked he wouldn't have been able to give a good answer.

Who was that man? That hadn't been a child. It was an adult. Was he affiliated with the school? That would be strange. Such a huge man prowling around school would definitely be viewed with suspicion under normal circumstances. Why wasn't anyone making a big deal out of it? It was like no one had noticed the man. Had Tobi been the only one to witness him? Was that possible?

It wasn't his eyes playing tricks. Tobi had without a doubt seen that man. Tobi could recall him clearly. Though he’d only taken one look at him, he remembered him in detail.

The man was wearing a dark flight jacket-like blouson. His hands were large. He wore boots.

But had Tobi been looking at the man’s large hands? Had he really been wearing boots even though he was in the school building?

Even so, he remembered.

Perhaps this wasn't the first time he had met this man.

At some time, some place, it was possible he had seen him before.

It was possible Tobi knew this man.

---

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t/n: ok lots of things about the chapter quote. First of all the first two lines are made of two separate clauses smushed together without punctuation. The third line has a single comma for some reason? But yeah yeah stylistic choices. I’ve made the executive decision to transcribe it in all lowercase, I think it’s fitting. The word used for “sorrow” is 悲しさ (level of sadness) and not 悲しみ (the feeling of sadness). So more like ‘(I) don't think about how sad (I am)’. Lastly, to walk ‘a path without a path’ means to forge onward into unknown territory. The pronoun used is ‘boku’. ‘S’ you are so pretentious. If that even is your real name.