The next morning, Nadeko goes to school like always.
Yes, i might be hallucinating, i may be possessed by a god, but i still have to go to school—that's what being a middle school student means.
i wake up in the morning, change into Nadeko's school uniform, and start heading to school.
A true middle school life.
If there's anything at all out of the ordinary, it's the white scrunchy around Nadeko's right wrist—and i hate that i'll need to insist that it's there because of Nadeko's sense of fashion.
"H-Hey, Mister Serpent, i don't mind that you're sticking to Nadeko's wrist...
i've already given up on it, but can you really not
become invisible to other people?"
"It's not that I can't, I just don't want to be using any more of my power than this—right now, by borrowing your body, I'm getting to take it easy."
"You're getting to..."
"Don't worry, it's not like they can hear me—and I'll pretend like I'm just a plain old accessory while you're at school. I don't mean to infringe on your everyday life, you see."
i was trying to warn him that Nadeko's teachers might confiscate him, but along the way, i start to feel Nadeko isn't up to explaining it well, and that's where that exchange ends.
Nadeko getting scolded would be the end of it.
If they confiscate him, then i guess that's that.
Whatever happens, it can just happen.
And so, i arrive at school. Nadeko switches out her shoes at the cupboard—and of course no white snake comes crawling out of it today.
The hallucinations were a message sent to Nadeko by Mister Serpent—they were messengers, and there's no need for them now that we're communicating directly.
Apparently he "summoned up his last remaining strength" to send his message to Nadeko...
"Hey, hey, Nadeko—why are you changing into a different pair of shoes? Why do you need to do that?"
...i dunno. i never thought about it, but, well, to keep the school clean. Um, please don't talk, okay?"
"Yeah, I get it—you don't need to keep on insisting. I've always been on the taciturn side. Just like you, Nadeko."
“…”
Nadeko can't bring herself to believe him. Will Mister Serpent really pretend to be a plain old accessory?
Nadeko's classmates don't greet her any differently when i walk into the classroom—and in the end Nadeko makes it to her seat like always.
"School, eh—well, similar educational activities took place at that shrine once upon a time."
“…”
i guess you could say i was right.
Mister Serpent isn't going to stay silent even when there are people around.
While he does "pretend to be an accessory" as far as staying enwrapped around Nadeko's right wrist and not fidgeting, i wouldn't say that he's keeping his promise.
"Look at the unnatural orderliness—it's disgusting," he says. "Or wait, is this something unique to this one class? It's like you're keeping each other in check, like there's all this tension in the air—or how would I describe it—”
“…”
Nadeko gets out of her seat.
Ihen i leave the classroom. From there, i walk across the hallway, go up the stairs, and move all the way to the door to the roof we're not allowed on.
"Hey, Mister Serpent?"
"What is it?"
"Be quiet," i ask seriously. It's the first time i've ever been this blunt to a person.
he's a snake, not a person. And also a god.
i doubt i've ever asked for something this seriously though, not on Nadeko's first shrine visit of the year, not even on New Year's Day.
"Hsshh, hsshh—sorry about that. I guess I lied when I said I was taciturn.”
"You shouldn't flip-flop so fast..."
Not that i ever believed him.
But it's not like i can ignore how brayzen he's being just because i didn't believe him... In fact, i even feel "indignent" at the way he's admitting it.
"Listen, Mister Serpent."
"What is it?"
"i think you know this, but Nadeko is a well-behaved girl."
"Well-behaved?"
"A well-behaved, reserved, and calm girl."
"Sounds like someone you never notice.”
"Right. A girl you never notice, that's Nadeko," i whisper to Nadeko's wrist.
…The problem is how it must look—we're only okay now because we're in an empty stairwell.
The picture is a big problem.
"When a girl you never notice is seen talking to her wrist by her classmates, guess what they'd think?"
"What?"
"That she's a 'pitiful girl."'
Upgraded from well-behaved to pitiful—no, Nadeko should be honest with herself and just call it a downgrade.
With the state Nadeko's class is in, it would be a disaster.
"Really? I feel like not much would change—what's your position shifting around a bit going to do?"
“…”
How am i supposed to answer that? Nadeko's position...
"It's not like you talk to anyone to begin with, so why does it
matter what they think—people can think anything they want about you, it's all the same if you never speak to them. Am I wrong?
“…”
Hm? Wait, is that true?
i'm almost convinced, but i also feel like i'm being tricked... i don't think a god would ever dupe a person, but if anyone can play with human emotions however they want, it's going to be a god.
He does lie, after all.
And—he preys on Nadeko's weakness.
"A-Anyway, Mister Serpent."
"Hm? C'mon, Nadeko. Have you gotten through your entire life switching topics with words like 'anyway' and 'that aside'? Without ever having a proper conversation? I haven't even managed to convince you but you don't bother arguing back. Is that how you get by in this world, Nadeko? By setting things aside without even considering them?"
“...Anyway."
How Nadeko gets by in this world.
She does it by—looking down and falling silent.
By waiting—until they go away.
"You promised Nadeko she could do what she wanted during the day. ..remember? That she could live her life like normal during the day... That i only had to look for your 'corpse' at night..
"I wouldn't call it a promise, but yeah—now that you mention it.
“…”d
"No, sure, it was a promise—yeah. Okay, I know, you're right. If you're gonna spend your nights on me, dear, I don't plan on getting in your way apart from that. I may be enwrapping your wrist, Nadeko, but it's not like I'm a pair of handcuffs."
“…”
Last night.
Mister Serpent and i made the following promise.
No, maybe you wouldn't call it a promise, after all—and it's not a deal, either, because Nadeko is just doing whatever Mister Serpent tells her to do.
Nadeko, dear. I want you to find my corpse—i trembled when he said that.
i cowered at that "gastly" word, corpse.
A corpse hunt?
"Wh-What do you mean? Y-Your.. .corpse..."
"Come on, Nadeko, don't make it sound like something filthy—you look like an elementary schooler who's just been told she has to clean the bathroom as punishment."
"Wh-Why such a specific example?"
It's not very god-like of him.
Hsshh, hsshh, hsshh, the Serpent laughed.
"Well—since I've merged with you, even if I can't read your or access your memories, I'm able to pull out a good bit of your knowledge."
"Are minds and memories and knowledge all different?"
i didn't really get it.
Was it like the relationship between Koyomi and Miss Shinobu, or maybe between Miss White Hanekawa and Miss Black Hanekawa? No, the one between Nadeko and Mister Serpent doesn't seem nearly as equal as those two combinations.
"Of course, a child not wanting to have to clean a bathroom is nothing new—but Nadeko, I'm not asking you to clean anything. I just want you to pick up some trash."
"Some trash?"
"I wouldn't call it a treasure hunt—even I wouldn't call my own corpse treasure. But humans used to treat that corpse as a god."
“…?”
"An object of worship, in other words. My corpse that was once deified at the shrine.. .though it's been lost now."
Lost—but more must have been lost than that object of worship.
Everything there, at Kita-Shirahebi Shrine, has been lost—its object of worship, faith—the power, everything.
Right now.
It's just a place.
No, maybe i should even say—it used to be just a place, used to be just a hangout.
"That's right. The fact that I can be this way—is a miracle. Well, it was that vampire—Shinobu Oshino, the former Kissshot. Maybe I should say it's all thanks to Acerolaorion Heartunderblade."
“…”
When Miss Shinobu, king of aberrations, came to this town, a lot of things followed her, not just frauds like Mister Deishu Kaiki.
A lot of—bad things.
They were especially drawn to those ruins of a hangout—the air pocket that was the shrine.
It was those "bad things" along with her "method of undoing" it that activated the originally ineffective "charm" on Nadeko—
And.
What should have been a fallen god—Mister Serpent.
It also resurrected him.
"So this is because of Miss Shinobu again.. Nadeko said, drooping her shoulders.
i couldn't tell Big Brother.
From that point of view, at least, Nadeko was right to refuse his help.
"Simply by being strong, she has an effect, both positive and negative, on her surroundings. She can't be held responsible for that—and anyway, my dear, you're making it sound like this is all someone else's responsibility, but your massacre is one of the reasons all of this is happening."
“…”
There was nothing i could say to that.
Not that i ever have anything to say.
"But even my moving, miraculous resurrection is only temporary—it's a temporary miracle. Something like an illusion. I'm going to disappear soon.
Again, the Serpent said.