COTE : Parasite in Love.

Chapter 3 : Friend

So it wasn’t unreasonable that when he arrived at Mizushina Park and found the person in question, he was confused.

He first noticed the hair, dyed silver. It was short, platinum-blonde hair that could look ash-gray depending on the lighting, and her eyebrows were also slightly bleached. In addition, her skin was unhealthily pale, and her eyes were a stark black that sucked you in.

His gaze next went to the long legs coming out of her skirt. Despite the temperature being enough for breaths to turn white, she wore a short skirt that left her thighs exposed. She wore no tights or stockings, either. If he remembered correctly, she was wearing the girls’ uniform from a high school in the area. She had a tartan scarf and an off-white cardigan on, but one couldn’t imagine that these covered for how cold her legs must have been.

She was wearing thick monitor headphones like would be used in a studio. With their bland design, there was not even a chance of them being meant as a fashion statement. From the sound that seeped out, he supposed she was listening to old rock music.

His gaze finally landed on the cigarette between her thin lips. At first, he couldn’t tell whether or not they were frigid white breaths, but closer inspection revealed it was indeed smoke coming out of her mouth.

Shina hiyori was a girl around seventeen years old. And not just any girl, but a type of girl Ayanokouji really couldn’t deal with.
Sheesh, what was that Tsukishiro expecting from me? He twisted his neck. What could have led him to the conclusion that I’d be suitable for this? He didn’t even have a clue.

He just wanted to run, but that wouldn’t fly. If he gave up his task already, Tsukishiro might turn him in to the police any moment. While he did feel that wouldn’t be entirely undeserved, he could at least try and fail first, and it wouldn’t be too late to give up then.

No need to get nervous. It’s not like I was told to seduce her and make her my lover. Just being friends will be enough.

He took off his face mask and put it in his pocket. Determined, he approached Hiyori.
Like Tsukishiro said, Hiyori was standing near the lake and feeding swans. She took bread crusts out of a paper bag and threw them into the air, and the swans swarmed them all at once. She watched contentedly. She didn’t seem to notice Ayanokouji beside her.

Not wanting to surprise her, he slowly entered her field of view and spoke.

“Um…”

After a few seconds, Hiyori looked toward him.

Facing her head-on, he couldn’t help but admire her appearance. Her figure made him imagine a female android created according to some clear design. Said design, however, wasn’t meant to relax or soothe people, but to disturb and tense up anyone nearby.

“…What?”, she asked, taking off her headphones and looking at him suspiciously.

He inadvertently looked away. It seemed his suit wasn’t doing its job of easing her wariness. That figured. A schoolgirl in uniform being approached in the park at night by a young man in a suit was unnatural, no question. To put it lightly, it felt dangerous. Exercise clothes might have seemed more natural, at this rate.

“Can we talk for a second?”, he asked, putting all his energy into a friendly smile.

“Do you have time right now?”

“No,” she replied lazily, cigarette in mouth.

“I’m busy.”

The natural response. She put her headphones back on and returned to her own world.