CH 20

In the manga, Mai Kurobe will be killed on July 28th and has a role as my brother’s disguised messed-up corpse. So, I think I might have been unharmed even after I was hit by a truck because I need to fulfil that role.

I couldn’t doubt that, as I was discharged from the hospital with a surprisingly normal test result from the doctor. My mother was worried, so she wished me to be hospitalized more, but the hospital couldn’t hospitalize a person with no injuries all the time, so I was discharged three days after I woke up.

“Mai, you should take a break from school until next week. Just because you’re discharged, don’t go wild and stay at home.”

My mother who drives the car home told me. Today is Saturday, so it’s a full holiday from Monday to Friday next week. Two days ago, Yukari-chan and Iwai came to show me the notes I missed while I was not at school, so I’m not worried about the class, but I’m more worried about my brother.

Mother said that my brother always stayed in the hospital room before I woke up. But after I woke up, he seemed to be relieved and went back to study for the exam, so the last conversation I had with my brother was just before the accident. I even haven’t been able to offer a surprise for the past week.

Well, I stopped the cat’s death. But instead, I was blown away by a truck and became a miracle survivor. There is no open wound or blood spilt, it’s surprising.

I had a near-death experience, and it wouldn’t be unusual for a type of person who kills 38 people has changed to the type of person who saves people.

As I was looking forward to seeing my brother again, the familiar scenery began to appear in the window of the car. After a while, the speed of the car gradually slowed down and finally stopped.

“We’ve arrived. Mom will take care of all the luggage, so go inside first.”

“Okayy!”

I received the key from my mother and opened the door to my house. It would be boring to say loudly “Onii-chan, I’m home!” as it is, so I rang the bell repeatedly.

“Onii-chan! I’m home! I’m home I’m home I’m home I’m home!”

Was my voice drowned by the bell ring or vice versa? When I called my brother while being careful not to bother the neighbourhood, I heard footsteps from the stairs going down.

From the stair’s landing, I can see the slender legs of my brother. Eventually, my brother with his face lowered came.

“There is nothing wrong with the check-up! Full health! I came back safe and sound…”　

When I saw my brother’s raised face, I almost stopped breathing. The eyes peeking through the gaps in the straight bangs felt horrifying. His eyes gave an expression that I had never seen in the manga that made me froze.

“……why”

A cold voice echoed in the foyer. His voice isn’t that loud, but it echoes violently in my eardrum. When I asked, “what is…” at the same time, my brother grabbed my wrist.

“Why are you smiling happily…?”

The pitch-black eyes that were so haunting and as if trying to devour, captured me. I immediately guessed it. Until now, my brother recognized me as if I’m just a background prop. But now, he’s aware of my presence. Whether he’s trying to kill me or is it because he wants to see me dying.

“……Onii-chan”

When I cautiously called him while touching his hand that grabbed my wrist, my brother back to his senses. He frowned, realizing he scared me and backs away.

“Onii-chan?”

“…Nothing. Go rest. Even though you just got discharged from the hospital, you were run over by a car.”

My brother’s face returns to his usual face. Then he turned his back.

I’m sure something has changed completely now. But it didn’t seem like a good change…

I froze in front of the foyer, couldn’t even enter the house until my mother who brought the luggage from the car called me out.

◇

That night, the unpleasant premonition I felt vaguely was right. Until now, my brother has always been careful not to make his footsteps loud when he wants to open his insect collection so that my parents didn’t wake up. But tonight, he went to the garden clumsily without concealing the sound of his quick steps.

That’s why I’m flattening my face to the window and trying to watch my brother. But the distance between the first and second floor is wider than I expected, so I still can’t see what he’s doing.

I can only see him crouching on the porch, and occasionally moving his arms. When I look closely, my brother stood up and went back inside. What the hell are you doing…

I waited for my brother to return to his room. To make it safe, I waited for 1 hour before I went downstairs. Until now, my brother always concealed his footsteps so that my parents would never know his hobby.

But today, his footsteps of going down the stairs was clearly heard, even the sound of the door leading to the garden echoed. Curiously, I head to the porch and reach for my brother’s collection.

Recently… until the accident happened, because I thought the day when the cat will be run over is near, I checked my brother’s collection almost every day. I think it would be nice if it had decreased compared to before, but there is a possibility that it has increased after the accident…

“……What…”

I made up my mind and opened the box— a sight I had never imagined; my head went blank.

Until last week, the corpses were evenly arranged. Like documenting his killing and showing my brother’s sensitivity.

But now.

As if they just received all hatred, the creatures were crushed together with the box.

◇

T/N: Hmm, no promise for when I will be updating but hopefully soon! See you in the next chapter!