Chapter 192 – Dayte (8)

Employee’s eyes… Clearly out of focus.
This is not Area 4, so there is nothing to be watched.
The water tank wall is blocking all sides, so it is a good place to hypnotize at any time even if you make a mistake.
I said, putting the vision phone on the table.

“Mr. Rapid… What do you think of District 4?”
“… Yes?”
“No… I think it might be an area that feels a little strange.”

Having said that, I also think District 4 is amazing.
Now that all of the buildings are being renovated and strengthened by True Vision and the National Guard, all of them are in a different form than before the negatives appeared.
The one-story building became impossible to find as it was compressed as much as it lost its livelihood by the negative.
But in District 4… A single-story market-like shopping mall is still in place.

There is a saying that there are always taxis in the District 4 mall.
It is also the area with the most elderly people.
It seems to be stopped at some point… On the surface, the area that seems to have stopped in the era before the Negatives attacked is Area 4.

“Area 4… That’s right, usually, everyone… They say it’s strange. I am also curious.”
“The architecture is also unique…”
“Rather than being unique… Because that’s what it used to be.”
“Okay, that’s how it was.”

In the past, that was normal, but now it really is the past.
Everyone was like that in the past, but now it’s different.
Maintaining the past form out of time… Should I say it’s special? Or should I say that it should be?

“It’s a place where a lot of people who like that kind of thing gather.”
“Is that so?”
“The old building, the old atmosphere, the situation before the negatives appeared… It’s amazing, that such an area exists…”
“Because everyone likes it.”

Everyone likes it… What do you think it means?
Do you not understand what I mean, or are you pretending not to know?
I held the vision phone in my hand and said with a smile as if handing over a joke.

“It’s a strange idea, but sometimes I wonder if a high-ranking person might have created such a place on purpose.”
“The high one… ? Are you from the National Guard?”
“True Vision, National Guard… Either way, I think someone in a high position somewhere made it because they wanted to reminisce about the old days.”
“Uh… ? Is it like that? Hmm… But as far as I know, it just happened because I was behind in development.”

I know that Rapid is right.
Unlike the other districts, District 4 developed very slowly.
Perhaps because there are not many people living in it compared to other districts, it was also delayed last in True Vision’s urban renovation project, which replaces all districts and buildings with a block type.

As far as I know, people in the past said they wanted to delay development because the number 4 was unlucky…
At that time, there was even talk of calling District 4 District F.
It is a strange prejudice that has become stronger and more difficult to ignore or to call superstition completely false now that the world has become attacked by negatives.

“Afraid of the negative… People who are afraid of the city who are worried about negatives gather in places where the old look remains, so I hope that the appearance won’t change, so maybe that’s how it happened… Yo. This?”
“… Are the people you visit are like that too?”
“Yes, that… It’s a place where people who like that kind of thing gather, so wouldn’t it be natural for it to be like that… Do you like Anger… Joe… ?”

When there is demand, there is supply.
Many people liked, and like, the atmosphere of being in the past that is unique to District 4.
So, it just naturally came into that form…
Rapid was talking about the characteristics of District 4 that ordinary people know about.

“Good… I do.”

I also don’t hate District 4.
However, it just feels out of place because it seems so out of touch with reality.
If you leave District 4, the surroundings immediately become reality.
It is like a theme park in the past.

“It’s just my delusion, because District 4 is so different from other places… I wondered if I was deliberately trying to create a place where I could reminisce about the past. Model garden… Amusement Park… Like a theme park? Actually, I go with that feeling.”
“Ahaha… I guess there are a lot of people like that.”
“Then the mall people are employees, hired by the person who set up the amusement park called District 4 Mall…”
“Wow… Then, will there be rides in the mall? Like a merry-go-round… ?”
“Uh… Is that so… ?”

Rapid’s response was quite ambiguous.
Even though I talk like this innocently, I laughed at the merry-go-round…
Does he not know this or is he pretending not to know anything?

It’s a certainty that Area 4 was created for Rapid by the man he was.
But if Rapid’s reaction is like this… This means that Rapid could be unaware of anything.
… Why is he doing this behind the scenes without Rapid knowing?

“Come to think of it, Mr. Rapid was close with the cake shop man, right?”
“Yes? Yes… Dear… Joe? My uncle is taking good care of me. Because I saved you…”
“Perhaps Mr. Rapid would have liked him even if he hadn’t saved him.”
“Uh? Is that so… ?”
“Because I liked Mr. Rapid even before he saved me.”

As I was contemplating what questions to ask to get more information while continuing the conversation, a clerk came in with a dish.
They put their dishes down in front of me and Rapid, say hello and disappear.
Rapid looked at the dish and blushed slightly to see if he was expecting it.
Looking at his mouth slightly open, it seems that he is already looking forward to the food.

“Shall we talk while eating… ?”
“Yes? Ah yes! Oh… It’s good.”

Rapid, who was quietly glancing at me, muttered quietly after taking a bite of seafood soup.
I followed Rapid and put my fork on the lobster pasta that was served to me.
When the lobster shell is crushed with a fork, the shell that only mimics the shape breaks crispy.

“Hmm…”

The shell is a synthetic food ingredient that mimics the taste of lobster shell… However, there are many evaluations that this is more delicious than the original lobster.
Crispy skin, soft flesh… Are you running an aquarium and accidentally using dead creatures… Great texture or scent.
Is it a mix of synthetic and natural meat? ?

I expected it to be delicious because the price is high, but it is a restaurant that is more delicious than I thought.
Even Rapid, who is obviously supposed to be eating only the best meals made with top-notch ingredients, quietly scoops up and drinks the soup, dips the grilled octopus, clams, and salad with a fork and swallows them all at once.
I don’t know what clam scallops are like… The octopus legs seem completely natural and look delicious.

“Oh…”

Rapid seemed to like eating the octopus, scallops, and salad all at once, but accidentally dropped it while trying to eat it again.
The salad escaped from the fork towards the mouth and landed softly on the large breast.
The shirt, which was open to reveal the breastbone, was also stained with sauce.

Salad on the breastbone… Is it right for me to wipe it?
Since we’re on a date, we need to polish our manners… Are you okay?
Would it be okay… No, maybe that’s the right thing to do.
I got up, pulled out a napkin from the table, and leaned over to Rapid.

“Oh, it’s okay, you don’t have to give me a napkin.”

Rapid immediately waved his hand, pointed a finger towards his chest, and carefully lifted the salad without touching it.
The sauce and even the slightest bit of water floated into the air… The fork in his hand sticks again.
I stared blankly at the sight, then sat down again, looking at Rapid with a shy smile.

Rapid put the salad back on his fork and brought it to his mouth.
The sauce-stained shirt was also returned to a clean, unstained state.
I’ve seen it before, but it’s still amazing magic.

But… Certainly, as Rapid said, it is not omnipotent.
If we could really reverse everything, the people in Area 4 wouldn’t be wearing prosthetic limbs or limbs like that.
However, that would be the result of Rapid returning the state as much as possible.

Suddenly, I thought I knew why Rapid was so strong.
Rapid is a magical girl who values ​​rescuing and healing others to the extent that she is called a saint.
She can not only fight, but also rescue and heal at the highest level.

As such, when it comes to Rapid, she can’t give up even if someone is hurt.
Because she can turn back time and treat her, no matter how bad her situation gets, she can go back to normal as long as she is herself.
She can’t let go of hope.

Because she knows better than anyone how great her own magic is, how limited and limiting she is.
The moment she felt inadequate, more often than anyone else, she would feel that if she had been a little stronger, if she had done a little better.
She can’t help but want to be strong.

People want magical girls to be able to block negatives.
I hope that they will protect themselves, and that the magical girl who fights negatives will be strong.
Rapid is strong, and he strives to be strong.
Strong, but not omnipotent.

“… It is a difficult magic.”
“Yes?”
“It’s just that the state is reversed… Suddenly, I feel like that.”

I ate quietly and let the thoughts that popped into my head out of my mouth.
Her candid sentiments spill out, forgetting to dig up information and forgetting that she has to win RAPID’s favor.

“Even if Mr. Rapid has limitations and limitations… For me, I just have to look great, right? I’m not a magical girl.”
“Right… ?”
“I just thought that people like that would have high expectations for Mr. Rapid.”

Everyone wants the magical girl who protects them not to be weak.
Magical girls want to be strong.
I don’t want the magical girl to lose.

Fight hard, don’t mind fighting desperately.
It is natural to be raped by the infected and the negative.
Because the magical girl was chosen.
Because she has power

“I’ll just look strong, I’ll look like I can do anything, I think I’ll be okay no matter what…”

I murmured as I rolled up the pasta next to the lobster with a fork.
Saying this, since I came to City A, I thought it was natural for a magical girl to protect me.
Even when I joined the National Guard, I thought I wanted to help Rapid, but I never thought of protecting Rapid.

Hamsters may be able to help people, but they cannot protect people.
There is a huge difference between the physical abilities of magical girls and ordinary people.
People also think similarly, and do not see magical girls as people.

A beautiful idol, an object of envy, a superhuman who was chosen upon awakening…
A guardian deity that protects from negatives with something more than human, strong power.
But… Maybe it’s because I got a hypnosis app, became close to Grape, and the sublime fantasy of a magical girl gradually disappeared… Even if she’s a magical girl, I get the feeling that she’s just a woman who uses magic.

The Grape I got to know, the team leader Grape, who was not a magical girl, was an ordinary woman who was hurt and cared about every single thing the company employees, who were ordinary people, said.
I don’t think Rapid is too different from Grape.
Even so, I do my best to protect people, and I try to get up no matter how much I fall… She must be a magical girl.
The more she thinks about it, the more she thinks it’s great.

“It’s great, it’s strong, it’s cool… In fact, I’m just a girl after all.”
“Ah…”

After I cooked the pasta to my satisfaction, I lifted the fork and put it in my mouth.
Rapid stopped moving the spoon with a blank face and stared at me.
… Are you already full?