Pygmalion Is Planting Seeds - Chapter 12

At the time we arrived at a residential area after clearing a mountainous district; the sun had already sunk behind the mountains. Misaki’s house was at the inner part of the area, connected with a forest.

“There are no streetlights here so it get’s pretty dark once the night falls.”

Just as Misaki said, the road at night felt unreliable without lighting. I remembered the declining town where I lived. Compared to that, Misaki’s town was expected to prosper in the future, Mine had already reached its decaying stage. In exchange for the darkness that gets chased out from the new towns, it gradually keeps expanding in the old ones.

Misaki’s house was a modern two story building. The garden had trees growing and flowers blooming proudly for their landlord.

“I’m going to prepare some tea, go wait for me in my room. It’s the first one you will see on the second floor.”

As she said that, Misaki, holding the Amaris she received from Erisa, disappeared into the interior of the house.

Doing as I was told, I opened the door to Misaki’s room while trying my best to control my throbbing heart. It was my first time entering the room of a girl my age, leaving aside that it was Misaki’s room.

The inside was neatly arranged and brimming with freshness. A shelf was installed on the wall, displaying various accessories, shade lamps, bracelets, aroma pots, and pen stands. They all gave the impression of being homemade, and their simple design showed that they were made from the same materials, giving the room a fashionable style.

Clothes and underwear were scattered above the bed, and makeup tools laid disorderly on the dresser. When I imagine Misaki preparing for the date in a rush to make it in time, an unconscious grin escapes my control.

“I forgot to place the Amabilis in the room first.”

Misaki appeared carrying a tray with tea in one hand and holding the flower with the other one. Placing the Amabilis on the window frame, she mumbled in a low voice wondering whether it will look attractive in the daytime.

“Is this your collection?”

Immediately after pointing to the handicraft on the shelf, Misaki puffed her chest as if she was waiting for that question.

“Rather than a collection, I made all of it by myself. I’ve been collecting the material and crafting them from my middle school days.”

“Hee, that’s amazing. I didn’t know you had such a talent.”

Well, I still don’t know anything about you anyway.

“I work on them in a cabin near the house since space and tools are necessary, not to mention that crafting them inside will make a mess of the whole place.”

“You also have a cabin? It seems like you’re taking your stuff seriously, aren’t you?”

“Do you want to go take a look?”

Going with the flow of the conversation, I ended up moving to Misaki’s cabin. Judging from her excitement, perhaps the main purpose for inviting me was to see her works and cabin..

I proceeded behind Misaki who was holding a flashlight in her hands. The foliage above our heads didn’t permit the least amount of light to make it past, rendering the dark path hard enough to cross. By clearing my ears, I could also hear the sound of running water. Apparently, according to Misaki, there was a small river near to us.

We finally arrived at a small hovel, a place a bit too cramped to be a residence. The roof was built from corrugated zinc and had countless holes. Obviously, it wouldn’t stand a chance against rain.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to show it to anybody in this shape, but I made an exception for you, Kuuya.”

“What was this place originally?”

“I’m not very sure, it was something like a storage room used by some forestry workers. It looked like it was abandoned, so I’m secretly using it now.”

Right after opening the door with a creaking sound, a lot of things entered my field of vision. Rusty tools, fertilizer, and compost were scattered everywhere in the moldy room.

The workplace was behind a door in the inner part. Misaki entered the room first and turned on a lantern switch hanging from the ceiling. It seems there’s no electricity. Somehow, I started to faintly recall the thousand yen grandma.

Excluding the single window, there was some furniture installed here and there, though it was nothing but empty shelves. A lathe and a milling machine were set in the corner, covered with vinyl sheets suggesting that they were used not too long ago.

A big wooden table was placed in the center and above it were placed some relatively new looking knives waiting for their turn to be used. One-third of the table was covered by a cloth hiding its inside.

“This is the leather I’m using to make them. It takes a lot of troubles to make it this clean.”

“Wait, don’t tell me, you also make your own leather?”

Misaki made a giggle to my surprised expression and put the leather on her palm.

“Well, it’s indeed quite difficult to make it. The process is long and requires much effort, but the joy I feel once I finish making it makes the whole thing worth it.”

“You must be spending a considerable amount of time to make it like this.”

“The longest part is separating the fat without scratching the leather I guess. If I leave even a small amount, it will oxidize and get maggot-infested afterwards.”

“Such a sensitive task.”

“If you laze around at that part, it will have a huge effect in the end. If you’re too slow the leather will deteriorate and getting too impatient will risk to wound it. You need both prudence and speed in order to perfectly achieve the job.”

“I really didn’t imagine you’d have such a special skill.”

Misaki raised a triumphant air due to my praising words.

“Then, after chipping the fat, you need to soak it in a special chemical compound for a few months to turn it into good leather. The medicinal ingredients are a secret by the way. Even though I was never asked about it. Next, you stretch it on the back of a chair below the lamp shade. By using a lamp of warm colors, the light reflects a beautiful appearance on the pores and guarantees the good quality of the leather.”

Watching Misaki freely explaining the process to me, I felt a bit happy. The unease I had earlier in the town turned into an enjoyment thanks to discovering another new side of her. I guess it will be normal to face those kinds of worries, get angry, and sometimes even enter into an argument with her. But the moments when I will be delighted and laugh from the bottom of my heart are going visit at the same frequency for sure. The future is not something to be scared of, the fact that we don’t know what’s waiting for us is what makes it entertaining.

“But this leather here you see, I just can’t bring myself to accept it.”

Misaki picked a piece of leather from its edge. The part she pointed to had a wound similar to a sunburn. The amber color in that scratch made it look very strange.

[Pr: Don’t tell me, the leather is made using Human skin, isn’t it?]

“I didn’t realize when I was peeling off the skin. But when the tan became visible later It I regretted killing it for nothing in the first place.”

“Killing it? You mean you also go out of your way to kill the animal and obtain its leather?” I replied with a high pitched voice.

“There’s a limit to how enthusiastic you can get. To begin with, How do you acquire it?”

“That’s easy. All you need to do is randomly walk around. When you find one, just call for it, then it will follow you until it gets here.”

“It’s like you’re using Pied Piper’s flute.”

That’s interesting. I wonder what animal possessing this leather live near these mountains.

“But wait. Wouldn’t you face troubles if you kill it by yourself? You can simply deliver it to a specialist and he will give you back the leather you know.”

“I have no clue about this specialist. I mean, I’m not sure if there’s someone who’d accept a human dismantling task.”

–What did she just say?!

Before I asked her again, Misaki swiftly embraced me.

Her breath tickled my ears.

“Sorry Kuuya, it will hurt for only a moment.”

A simultaneous gouging pain with her whisper ran through my flank resulting in me collapsing.

Tormenting pain and confusion swirled in my head.

What the heck happened?

Why am I collapsing?

Misaki, why are you looking down at me with those cold eyes?

The old phone she was seizing in her right hand released a dangerous looking purple lightning.

“Did you know, stun guns have lots of styles and shapes. Out of all of them, the phone model is the handiest. You can act as if you’re talking and take your opponent by surprise. You don’t need a special permit to use it either, as for the efficacy, you’re currently experiencing it. By merely running a spark of electricity, you lose control over your body.”

[Pr: I’m pretty sure you DO need a permit to own a stun gun, unless you don’t in Japan I guess…]

Having my head all hazy, I barely listened to Misaki’s statement of efficiency. Precisely as she said, all my muscles are paralyzed halting me from moving my arms. My flank is continuously dispatching an explosive pain to my brain and disturbing my thought. If a female college student is able to obtain such a disturbing weapon, I wouldn’t really support the actual Japanese law.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to do this. I wished to live a carefree life in your house. But those feelings were blown off once I met Jinka Erisa again. At that moment, I remembered that I still had something left to achieve.”

I couldn’t keep up with her story because of the pain and numbness from the shock.

But why did she mention Erisa?

“I’m not going to let her live. But before I go trouble her again, It’s important to take care of my regrets first. So yeah, Kuuya, could you die for me?”

“Wa-wa-wait!! Why am I supposed to die?”

I was finally able to squeeze out those words with my trembling voice.

“You’re pretty dense, aren’t you kuuya?”

[Pr: Yes, yes he is]

Misaki’s amazed voice hovered in the dark corner of the room. Her tone was as cool as the cold water of a freezing lake.

“Just to let you know Kuuya, I always watched you these last three years. It’s true that I had an enjoyable time with Akira, but I couldn’t find what I really craved in him. Frankly speaking, I thought of him as an annoying person. Sometimes, it was awfully painful to be recognized and applauded as the official couple of the class with him.”

I couldn’t control my astonishment hearing Isezaki’s name from her mouth.

How was that even possible.

I certainly did whisper it in her ears, Isezaki Akira doesn’t exist. There shouldn’t be any remaining memories of him in her brain.

“Why is it me and not him? Did I ever do something to offend you?”

“Did something offensive? Hm, that’s pretty weird. If I’m not wrong, I was constantly loved and protected by you kuuya, wasn’t I? And I should be loving you forever as well, right? By the way, what did you mean by “him”?”

Misaki’s face was filled with a distorted grin that she never showed me before.

I was assailed by a violent chill as if my blood was flowing out from my entire body.

She not only kept her memories about Isezaki, but she also maintained the false ones I planted in her.

To top it off, she could distinguish between the both of them without any of the confusion. What’s happening to Misaki exceeded my level of comprehension.

“You know, the reason you attracted my attention was because despite being a man, you had white, fine, and smooth skin. The first time I noticed it was in the fall of the first year of high school, the day when you confessed your love to me. And remember what was my reply? “I never saw you from that kind of light, Mamesaki”. You wouldn’t usually fall in love with a raw material. It’s like you’re waiting for a person to fall for a chicken used for its eggs.”

“What in the world do you mean by raw material?”

“Just look at this room. Can’t you realize such an obvious fact? You’re really dense, Kuuya.”

I think I would never forget that cruel voice she directed to me like a gleaming sword while giving me her scorning glances.

“I am going to kill you and peel off your skin, that’s what I mean.”

Misaki leisurely turned her back to me who didn’t have much difference from a harmless hornworm at that time, and grabbed a rustic knife unfitting of her looks from the shelf.

“Usually, I would have done this near the river leaving this place clean. Welp, it’s a dull cabin anyway, I guess it doesn’t really matter, although it would be a pain to get rid of the unnecessary parts later.”

A sharp sound in the air echoed by her waving the knife.

Erisa’s first words played back on my mind.

–That girl is a monster, be careful.

With her majestic steps, Misaki leisurely approached me, looking like a beast licking its’ lips and drawing near its’ captured prey.

“Be relieved, I’m not interested in torturing people before finishing them. If you stay quiet, I will easily slit your throat, blood will quickly come out like a water fountain and it will be the end. After I check that your heart has stopped, I will then neatly peel off your skin. Hey Kuuya, what do you want to become? A lamp? A cushion? A place mat? Or shall I turn you into a diary cover? I can write my daily life events under that light lamp made from the skin and bones of a college student and while smelling the fragrance of the aroma pot fabricated from the shaved cranium of a kindergartener. It will sound like I’m talking to you at that time. Ah, I may as well make a pen from your finger then. How does it sound? Writing down my life events addressed to you with a pen made from your finger and calling it a night with a kiss on the front cover. Don’t you think that’s a lovely idea?”

[Pr: The biggest mistake I made when tackling this chapter was expecting her to just try and kill him like a normal person, but no, she wants his skin and will use it to make a diary cover]

Raising her innocent sounding voice, she kept on attentively spewing her disturbing imagination. Meanwhile, I desperately searched for a way to save myself. During the time she was talking to herself, my body had already begun to recover. But although It was still impossible for me to escape, I could at least move my arms and legs. I examined my surroundings looking for something to be used as a weapon nearby, but unfortunately, the ground was full of nothing but garbage and piled up dust.

“I’ve been doing this from my middle school days so I’m used to killing people without making them suffer. Although I did mess up a bit with that child three years ago.”

Speaking of three years ago, I remembered the incident of the orphan child in the next town. His corpse was missing its left arm and had his back skin tragically torn off.

“I never thought I would be meeting the criminal of that unsettled case.”

“I don’t leave signs. But I can accept your skin instead. You know, your skin’s quality is the best, Kuuya. It’s number one for me out of all the materials I saw. I will thoughtfully tan it for you so you can rest in peace.”

Misaki’s face was too close, to the point where I felt her breath.

I charged most of my remaining strength to my legs and stretched them to blow her off.

Her body received the unforeseen blow and bumped into the table, resulting in the operating tools falling on the ground.

Making use of that opportunity, I stood up relying on my unsteady legs.

When only a few steps were left for me to make it to the door, Misaki pinned me.

I tried to shake her off, left and right, using my barely mobilized body but she didn’t show a sign of letting go. It feels like I got caught in a spider web.

“Don’t wriggle and die already!!”

Along with her demonic roar, Misaki thrusted the knife at my neck. An assault filled with killing intent rather than love struck a sharp blade in my neck instead of a kiss. I’m experiencing a deadly black love comedy.

Once again, I rolled on the floor and attempted my best to make it out of her binding.

Misaki’s legs started to faintly shake.

I imitated a sumo wrestling technique and with all my might, jumped aiming my back toward Misaki, then sank my entire weight above her.

Fortunate for me and unluckily for her, an iron machine tool was set in the place where we collapsed.

A dull stabbing sound echoed in the room.

Having Misaki crushed beneath me, we both fell to the ground.

I depended on my wobbly legs to somehow stand up again and nervously rubbed my neck ascertaining the wound’s condition.

I didn’t find any trace of a wound.

I reverted my sight to Misaki who dropped the knife from her hands. Her slender limbs convulsed. In the center of her head, blood petals were slowly crawling on the ground.

I remained standing in a daze and gazing down on Misaki who wasn’t moving anymore, looking like a mannequin.

Her half opened eyes were blank and her white teeth were peeking from her lips.

Except the blood rushing out of her head, her body was clean and unharmed. She looked as if she was about to wake up if I called her, answering me with her cheerful voice “Morning Kuuya, what’s for breakfast today?”

Misaki died again.

Exceeding the sorrow of losing her for the second time, my heart was raging from anguish, as if it was getting battered by a storm.

Where did I go wrong?

What did I mess up?

[Admin: Weren’t you paying attention? She was screwed up in the head from the get go. Even if she didn’t remember her former boyfriend, she would have wanted to peel your skin off for her pleasure.] [Pr: Our Mc? Pay attention? Pfft ha ha ha, I haven’t laughed like this in a while]

Why did I end up murdering her?

The open-hearted Misaki of the high school days. Misaki who transfigured into a bewitching adult. Misaki who drank my blood and fed on flesh. Misaki who bloomed a flower in my room. Misaki who loved me and acted as my lover. Misaki who held Isezaki’s memories. Misaki who joyfully talked about her strange hobby. Misaki who brandished a knife and tried to kill me.I wonder which Misaki was the real one.

I became unable to discern what happened.