On a Godless Planet:Volume2B Chapter 46
Final Chapter: Socket[edit]
–And my pieces are reconnected.
●
I thought for sure I was dreaming.
…I haven’t woken up yet.
I heard a voice while I was still dozing and thinking of maybe waking up.
“Wake up, Izumi.”
I didn’t recognize it. But it was strangely familiar. And…
…That’s Kido-senpai’s voice!
“Breakfast is ready, so you need to get up.”
I sprang out of bed.
●
I was in my bed.
It was the day after we returned from our camping trip. Probably anyway. I hadn’t rolled back, had I? I hadn’t. Good!
I turned toward the bottom of the bed, which meant toward the kitchen. And…
“––––”
I saw wavy black hair, a bluish-black blouse, and a long black skirt. The white straps around the hips meant she was using what I had dubbed the “Caretaker’s Apron”.
Kido-senpai was probably cooking miso soup.
And as I watched this…
“…”
I cried a little for no good reason. That seemed pathetic, so I was glad Kido-senpai had her back turned. For that matter, I was in my sexy mode! By which I mean a T-shirt and boxers!
“Um, good morning.”
“Yes, good morning.”
Only then did I notice the change of clothes folded up on the side of the bed. I also had a feeling the trash in my room had been thrown out.
Did Kido-senpai do that? I wondered, looking around and shuddering when I noticed the porn magazines hidden under my bed were now stacked up on my desk.
…Wow!
I kept that thought to myself, but I was also relieved all of that porn had been of the big boobs variety. Kido-senpai would have gotten an accurate view of my faith.
I changed clothes and walked into the kitchen. A knock came at the front door at the same time.
“G-good morning, Sumeragi-kun! Um!”
“You may enter, Douhai-san.”
“Eh!?”
Senpai reflectively opened the door and checked the shoes in the entranceway. Then she looked to Kido-senpai.
“Y-you’re already here? Um, good morning, Kido-san, but wasn’t that a little fast!?”
“I think you should calm down some, but I needed to arrive at 6:30 in order to prepare everything for breakfast.”
“Oh, that makes sense!”
“Yes. Anyway, there is some space over here, so you can make the bentos. Make sure you make one for me too.”
“Y-yes, of course!”
Senpai pulled her own apron from the shoulder bag she was carrying.
It had “Atami” printed large with a hot spring symbol. It was really cute. No, super cute! Because Senpai’s wearing it!
She asked a question while reaching for the bowl of soaked shiitake that Kido-senpai had prepared.
“Still, you’re here early, Kido-san. Where do you live?”
“Well,” said Kido-senpai. “I live in the room directly below Izumi’s. I am technically the landlord.”
So…
“When Izumi left the bathwater running the other day, I could hear the overflowing water. I knew he had rolled back, so I used my key to get in and shut off the water.”
“Eh? Eh? So I went to so much trouble to guard Sumeragi-kun’s room and you just ignored all that and came in!?”
“Again, I am the landlord. That also means I chose your room for you. I had Balancer interact with you at first, but do give some thought to what it means that I let you have the neighboring room.”
Senpai performed an instant prostration.
“Th-thank you so much!”
“Well, uh, I do understand how you feel.”
Senpai stood up and began cooking. She and Kido-senpai observed each other’s technique while chatting.
It wasn’t long ago I never could have imagined a scene like this. And…
“Oh.”
I remembered my dream from the other morning of someone waking me up. Thinking back…
...Was that a memory of my mom?
Had Balancer created it? Or…
“Mom.”
“Do you need something, Izumi?”
Her voice and that dream fit so perfectly I chose to believe in that answer.
●
Then I remembered when the morning sun washed over me in the Oume Line train on our way back from Okutama.
I sat next to Kido-senpai who was exhausted and sleeping, Senpai sat across from me, and I felt about as happy as I do now. But Senpai had suddenly spoken up.
“Balancer, I just remembered another question I had about Kido-san.”
<Oh? What might that be?>
“When she told us she had helped the water monster escape, she sounded used to that and seemed deep in thought about something.”
“Wow, Senpai! I didn’t notice that at all!”
“W-well, I thought I might have misread her at the time.”
<And what do you think now, Iwanaga-hime?>
“Well,” said Senpai. “I wonder if, during her old myths, Kido-san had helped her ‘children’ escape to safety.”
Senpai looked to me and smiled with tears in the corners of her eyes.
“So she must really appreciate Sumeragi-kun just for being with her.”
“Okay! I’ll do everything I can to be a constant but meaningless presence.”
<I hate to interrupt this, but I can provide more information on Kido’s treatment in Greek mythology as the Echidna.>
The train’s speakers announced the next stop was Oume, but this train was going to Tachikawa. Everyone was either sleeping or idly listening to our conversation. And…
<At around 400 BCE, three hundred years after the Echidna was mentioned in the Theogony, Herodotus wrote the Histories. That contained some theories on the origins of the Scythians.>
And…
<One of those, a story passed down by the Greeks, said the Echidna and the Greek hero Hercules had a child together and that child was the first Scythian. This story shows that the Greeks both feared and respected the Scythians, but...>
“The Echidna had a human child? What happened to them?”
<The Scythians eventually scattered and died out. Her descendants may have lived on as a bloodline, but none of her actual children remained after they were slain in the myths. Yes, and because the Scythians had no written language, you could say they ‘disappeared’ as well.>
“You mean…?”
<I am sure you have some thoughts, but that idiot is not a replacement for the Scythians. Kido herself seems to see herself as a new person since her virtual manifestation. So what does the idiot want?>
I had an immediate answer to that one.
“That’s an easy one. Kido-senpai’s already been added into the fun we have. And she’s my mom. How could I not be excited about what my everyday life’s gonna be like now?”
<That is for the best. Humans should have high expectations for the gods.>
“Really?” asked Senpai with a little smile and I looked to Kido-senpai. As the train rocked, her head lolled a little and I noticed a tear in the corner of her eye. I hoped she was having a nice dream.
That all happened then.
And now I had just called her “mom”. It was accurate and the way she managed to accept it showed me she really was an adult.
●
Being called “mom” was still kind of embarrassing.
...I’m still worried I’m not up to the task!
“M-mom!”
Again, it’s too soon for that!! But…
“What’s wrong, Iwanaga-san? You’ve stopped working.”
“Y-you’re in mother-in-law mode already!?”
“I always wanted to do that just once. But…”
I looked to the kitchen table and the bucket for washed dishes.
There was still room, so…
“There are still a few things I want to bring over from my room. And we can buy some other necessities at Will or someplace on the way back from the club today. Is that okay with both of you?”
I turned back and saw Izumi quickly wipe off his eyes.
He had been crying. I could somehow tell. Douhai-san and I exchanged a nod.
“Izumi. This means you are happy, doesn’t it?”
I held a finger to the corner of my eye and could feel myself smiling.
“That is the only time I cry as well.”
Izumi? You should surreptitiously shut the door to your room before Douhai-san sees your desk.
–I’m glad you’re here!
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