I Will Inspire Your Insipid Days - Volume 1 Chapter 3.5

Gazing

Finally, Komachi-san fell silent.

However, Natsume-san continued speaking without seeming particularly concerned.

“Viewers cannot accurately know who created the work, what environment they were in, and what psychology they had while creating it. Through the device called a work of art, they systemize the embedded elements and infer. For example, a carpet being used as a tablecloth, facial features turning into a chimera from various perspectives, or paintings hung in seemingly ordinary houses. They try to untangle the creator’s inner thoughts from these physical or mental aspects to touch upon the creator’s humanity. However, only the creator themselves truly know what they were thinking while creating the work, and the words spoken by the creator may not necessarily be their true feelings. But… while viewers cannot become the creator, conversely, it’s possible to capture the deep psychology that the creator couldn’t verbalize.”

She spoke too much in one breath…

The exchange was too clumsy to be called a conversation. I felt as if I was being shown a different vector of Natsume-san’s abnormality──however.

“Thank you for thinking so much about my work. I unconsciously exclude the views of others and am insensitive to their gazes, so it was fun to hear direct analysis.”

I wasn’t sure if they were connecting or not, but Natsume-san expressed her gratitude to Komachi-san.

“…It was unexpected. I thought ‘Natsume’ would be a more dangerous person.”

“I think she’s plenty dangerous, and even more, a precarious person…”

I couldn’t help but interject. What kind of image did she have of her?

At my words, Natsume-san muttered as if it concerned someone else, “Is that so?”

Komachi-san stood up, bowing to Natsume-san without paying me much heed.

“Thanks for letting me ask all these questions. Can I come again?”

“Sure. But I won’t be able to respond if I’m asleep. My sleep gets deep when I take medicine.”

“Then, is it okay if I drop by casually around this time?”

“Yeah. It’s fine to come casually. I’m bad with appointments.”

“Thanks. See you then.”

Following Komachi-san to the door, I went to see her off.

The door closed with a click, and she spoke to me in the hallway.

“Since coming to Shumonzuka, I’ve thought the world is full of geniuses.”

Pausing, Komachi-san continued.

“The real deal is really something else.”

What did she mean? I decided to ask directly.

“Were you able to talk about what you wanted to?”

“No, not at all. Whatever I touched on returned unexpected answers. Maybe I wasn’t prepared enough, or it was simply a lack of preparation──but”

Her eyes, contrary to her subdued voice,

“I realized something after actually meeting ‘Natsume.’ I can never be like her. I admire her, but that’s okay. Still, I want to know more about her.”

With an expression as if a weight had been lifted,

She seemed filled with a strong resolve.

“I might bother you frequently from now on, but please bear with me.”

***

After that, Komachi-san came almost every day.

Natsume-san, who only interacts in a literal manner, said, “You’re welcome anytime,” not as a polite formality but truly meaning any time is fine.

When I asked Natsume-san what she thought of Komachi-san,

“I think she’s probably truly strong in communication. I can’t verbalize it yet, but just the fact that a conversation with me makes sense already puts her in an extreme category. She could probably talk to aliens. That means I’m on the same level as aliens, but that’s the level I think she’s on. Is there anyone who can’t get along with her? Ah, but if we define those who can get along as ‘humans,’ then I’m not an alien.”

I didn’t understand the latter half of her response.

It was a term I hadn’t heard before, but “strong in communication” apparently means “someone who can smoothly communicate with anyone.” Surprisingly, Natsume-san was aware of her inability to converse well.

So, what makes Komachi-san “strong in communication”?

According to Natsume-san,

“Komachi probably thinks she’s just an ordinary person. At the same time, she understands that the ‘normal’ and ‘common sense’ she holds aren’t applicable to everyone else. That’s why she can talk normally with Yonon and me. Simply put, Komachi is the type who accepts others without denial before starting a conversation.”

I felt like I was lumped in with Natsume-san’s category, but let’s leave that aside.

“Being able to accept someone else’s background and thoughts before conversing is somewhat of a superpower. Despite thinking of herself as a normal person, not having thoughts like ‘That’s not normal’ shows she’s not just any ordinary person.”

I lost track of what she was saying halfway, but roughly speaking, Komachi-san is someone Natsume-san can get along with, perhaps.

“That’s right. Komachi is also one of us.”

Though I had some reservations about Natsume-san’s conclusion, I decided to go along with it.

So, when Komachi-san visits and converses with Natsume-san…

“What kind of food do you like?”

“Crab sticks.”

“What kind of music do you like?”

“Black metal.”

“Do you have a favorite band?”

“Cradle of Filth.”

“What’s your type?”

“Dragon, ground.”

“I was asking about your type in terms of romantic interest…”

“Uh, I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it. I guess someone who could handle all my client emails for me would be nice, but that sounds more like a manager than a lover. Maybe someone manager-like is my type. Though I’ve never had one.”

I wondered if their conversation truly made sense, but it seemed the last question sparked Komachi-san’s interest, and the talk progressed further, driven by her initiative.