-Haruki’s POV-
「Haruki, today was so much fun!」
Yuri, who was helping me clean up the barbecue equipment, had a smile on her face the entire time. Seeing her like this reaffirmed that moving here was the right decision.
「I thought I was going to die after eating Papa-san grilled meat.」
「It’s not like it’s poisoned—」
「Meat grilled by my favorite is a divine feast fit for the gods.」
「Ah…」
I was stupid for asking. As usual, Sakura had this mystic sort of admiration for Naoki.
The other day, I jokingly asked her if she was having an affair, and she responded dead-seriously, asking if someone like her could even date a god.
When someone’s called a god you can actually meet, I can’t really argue with that logic.
Recently, she handed me a bottle and asked me to collect her favorite’s carbon dioxide.
Fearing she might resort to criminal behavior eventually, I gave her my own exhaled carbon dioxide instead.
She caught on right away and slapped me across the face, but it’s great she knows me well enough to tell the difference.
「By the way, what did you get from Kama-chan?」
「Oh, it was a book about Naoki.」
Inside the bag from the eccentric doctor was a book detailing Naoki’s illness. It was probably a recommendation from the doctor, who’s a professional in the field.
That aside, I couldn’t help but feel a little unsettled by Sakura’s closeness with the doctor.
「You’re not having an affair with the doctor, are you?」
「Absolutely not!」
She denied it so fervently that I had no choice but to believe her.
「A book about my favorite, huh… It’s basically a Bible, then.」
Honestly, I was starting to worry that she might genuinely fall for Naoki.
I hadn’t told Yuri or Sakura about Naoki’s illness. Talking about someone’s personal condition without their consent isn’t right.
Besides, I wasn’t sure if Naoki even fully understood his own illness.
I once overheard my dad talking about how Naoki’s grandparents had explained it to him when he was a child. But every time, Naoki seemed to forget it as if it were nothing.
That might have something to do with the illness itself.
「Alright, I’m going to take a bath with Yuri first.」
Once the cleanup was finished, Sakura and Yuri headed to the bath. In the meantime, I decided to read the book the doctor gave me.
The pages were filled with sticky notes and detailed handwriting. It was clearly written to make it easy for someone like me to understand.
「So, it starts by identifying the cause of the trauma.」
The process of healing begins with figuring out what in the past triggered the trauma.
Looking back on one’s life—from birth to the present—through photos, pinpointing what caused it and when is crucial to understanding.
For Naoki, the first step would likely be recognizing that his condition is PTSD.
「Symptoms vary from person to person, huh?」
Even when there are common symptoms, they often become complicated due to defensive reactions or the coexistence of other mental disorders.
When Naoki collapsed the other day, the doctor mentioned that his strong sense of personal responsibility might lead him to blame himself and apologize excessively.
Apparently, whenever Naoki feels like he’s inconvenienced others, he tends to over-apologize.
Knowing his personality, that explanation makes sense.
That time when that awful father of his told him he was “nothing but a burden,” Naoki seemed to spiral. His way of coping might have been to apologize repeatedly as a form of avoidance.
I’ve even overheard him calling out to his parents while apologizing or begging them to come back when he collapses.
Perhaps, deep down, he’s been blaming himself for their disappearance since he was a child, and that guilt has shaped who he is now.
The more I think about it, the more worried I get about Naoki.
「Next time I see that guy, how should I… deal with him?」
If the urban planning for the dungeon progresses, it’s likely that person will get involved again. If they try to mess with Naoki again, I’ll never forgive them.
As I read further into the book, I found a sheet of paper tucked between the pages.
「‘Ten Ways to Turn a Straight Into an Onee?’」
I wasn’t sure what “straight” meant, but maybe “onee” referred to eccentric people like the doctor.
Back when I lived in the city, I often got approached by people of the same gender.
City folk seemed so much more unique compared to people from the countryside. Could their behavior have been influenced by some kind of education from their teachers?
I remember how they’d casually touch me when talking, and there was even that one time someone tried slipping their hand into my pants—that was when I bolted from the spot. It feels nostalgic now, but at the time, the city was a terrifying place for someone like me who grew up in a rural area.
「Uh, so you start with the butt…」
Peeking at the contents, I saw step-by-step instructions with illustrations and detailed descriptions.
The moment I realized what it was, I closed the book immediately.
This is knowledge I absolutely don’t need.
I have no intention of becoming an “onee” or making anyone else one.
Honestly, I’ve never even imagined dating someone of the same gender. It’s so far outside my experience that I don’t feel the need to deny it—it’s just not my world.
These days, there are all kinds of people. I guess that’s just how things are.
「We’re out of the bath!」
「Thanks for calling me.」
When Sakura called me, I stuffed the book back into the bag and placed it on the desk.
At that moment, a piece of paper slipped out from between the pages.
「Hmm? What’s this…? Does that guy want to become an onee or something?」
Unaware of what had just happened, I headed to the bath.
Little did I know that this would lead to a major ordeal later on.
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