I, who advocate giving up, feel like a disqualified person

. . . . . . . . . .

There was still blood on his hands.

I just can't tell where it came from. After that, it seems like the blood from their three noses and mine got on it, too. But my palms are still mostly covered in dirt, and my clothes are just as dirty... I wonder if my family will scold me when I get home.

...

"Ah...it doesn't matter..."

I lay powerlessly on the ground, quietly looking at a small mound of earth in front of me, which was dug out bit by bit by hand.

I don't know why I want to bury it... I just think it will make me feel better.

...that's really strange.

Neither me nor humanity.

Live

"Clang—"

There was a sound of something hitting something in the deep darkness, and that sound seemed to tear the darkness apart before my eyes, and the world I could perceive suddenly became clear.

The first thing that comes to mind is the pain in the forehead.

His body tilted backward uncontrollably. His hands subconsciously tried to grab something to maintain his balance, but... he still fell heavily onto the hard floor.

“Crash…” “Crash…”

The back of his head hit the wall, and as a result, the things that were originally on top of his head fell down one after another.

“Ugh…ah…”

I wanted to rub the painful area with my hands, but when I felt carefully, I found that there was no part of my body that was not painful.

The warm liquid slowly trickled down from my head, swishing through the corners of my eyes, making it nearly impossible to open them. The only things I could perceive were the dancing shards of glass on the floor not far away, and several pairs of shoes... the owners of those shoes... I didn't seem to recognize any of them.

"It's just a warning."

Came a strange and emotionless voice.

"........"

"You should know the reason... If you still want to continue... it won't be so simple. Do you hear me?"

"Ah...I see."

Completely clueless about the situation, I responded perfunctorily.

"That's good to know. Let's go." "This is so boring..."

"Don't lie here pretending to be dead. Remember to clean the floor, okay?" His spread legs seemed to be kicked.

"That's right, because it's not nice for people like you to cause trouble for the cleaning lady." "You deserve it..."

...I could understand the words...but I didn't know the meaning behind them. Maybe it was because the shock was too great, my mind went blank and I couldn't feel anything except the pain.

"..."

Someone like me...?

My hand reached out to my face, which was still bleeding liquid, and wiped away the red liquid from my body that was staining the corners of my eyes.

"I guess I'm mistaken..."

I muttered to myself, looked to the side, and found a sink not far away that I could use to help myself stand up temporarily with my weak body.

“Sizzle—” “Crack—”

The sound of glass being stepped on continued to echo through my feet. Not only my body, but now even my ears were beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"...Is this the toilet...?"

After taking a closer look, I found that the environment here is quite familiar.

Corners of schools, places like that...it's very normal for similar things to happen.

...I think I should be here after all...Ahaha, this kind of thing has become a routine...

"what...."

Blood pooled from both cheeks to the chin, then dripped into the sink. And I also noticed that the creature in the mirror... was almost human.

If it is a wild beast, when it is stung, no matter how well it dodges normally, it will still struggle instinctively.

And yet...I never even thought of struggling.

"...Is this the rule...characteristic of humans...?"

I don't understand.

A guy like me...

Episode 2 Live

Humanity has evolved to a point where it can no longer be simply described as an "animal." Perhaps, in this so-called spiritual sublimation, the word "human" has long since been reduced to an abstract, judgmental concept... In other words, a species with only human-like limbs and appearance is not truly "human."

Perhaps in the eyes of others, even if it looks similar to you and lives in the same environment, it is just a humble life form and cannot be called a human being at all.

Before I met someone, this idea only existed in my slightly dark imagination and had never been confirmed.

until...

"Oh, sorry..."

Because I wasn't paying attention, I bumped into someone when I stood up from my seat. As long as the apology is timely and sincere, such an incident will be ignored in front of ordinary people.

However, I did not receive the response I expected.

"It's okay"?

I wondered, looking at the person I bumped into.

"......"

Even though her face was quite delicate and decent, even though the ordinary school uniform looked indescribably noble on her, even though I could clearly smell the expensive perfume, even though there were quite a few people in the classroom, and even though she didn't look injured.

But the first thing I noticed was the dark purple eyes.

There was no trace of anger on his face, nor was there even a tiny frown, even a millimeter. Yet, at that moment, I could sense... a deep sense of dissatisfaction in his eyes.

However, that is not dissatisfaction on the part of the person.

I can't help but think of how I felt when a flying insect landed on the back of my neck under the street light on a summer night and I caught it.

"Deserve the death penalty"

My thoughts at that time were so similar to the feeling she gave me.

Maybe to her...I'm just a lowly creature who offended her without thinking.

“Pah!”

Skilled technique.

It was like I was stepping on countless bugs.

A quick and loud slap hit me across the face. Moisture appeared in the corners of my eyes.

"..."

Then, without saying a word, she left in the direction she was supposed to go, as if she had not done anything excessive.

“…”

Yeah. When I stepped on the bug, I never thought about being responsible for the creature's death.

It's as if nothing happened.

Everyone was still doing what they were supposed to do, and I was the only one standing there in a daze.

"This is... the best of the best."

This seems to be the only thing that can be confirmed.

. . . . . . . . . .

I don't know how humans have removed themselves from the food chain.

Perhaps humans are better suited to a simple hierarchy, like existing primates. That way, even those at the top would recognize similar-looking beings as fellow creatures. Meanwhile, those at the bottom... would be too focused on survival and fitting in to the group to dwell on such tangled questions as what kind of creature they are.

At this point, humans, having separated themselves from the natural food chain, seem to have formed a separate food chain. It's like a poor imitation... Each person plays a different role in a different environment.

Those people who have smoothed out their individuality, act mechanically, and do not think about the future are like an ant colony. It is hard to say whether this is a human performance or a deliberate arrangement of life.

Humans, most of us, inevitably become "not human." But if we are no longer human, can we still be called human even if we have a human appearance?

I can't judge.

Because I am one of them, who has not yet realized how pathetic I am, and will not be considered pathetic by real people...a species that is similar to humans.

But most people don't realize it this way.

When they are treated normally by real people standing on high places, those at the bottom of the stairs will wonder why there is such a gap between them since they are all "human beings".

When those who treat "non-human" people as the same as themselves, they as humans will be very surprised. They are all human beings, but why do they feel that life is full of difficulties and hardships?

It's not that people can't understand each other. It's just that it's always difficult for creatures with human appearance to distinguish what the fundamental differences are between themselves and humans.

"..."

What is my true nature as a person with human appearance?

I don't know.

Maybe it won’t be clear later.

............

It seemed like ages since school was over.

I don't seem to remember clearly what happened before school and during the journey.

In short, I felt like I had been walking for a long time along this dilapidated road that hadn't been repaired for a long time, but my legs didn't feel any obvious fatigue at all.

"Where is home..."

I don't know if it's because I moved, but my memory of home should be nearby. However, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar surroundings, my impression of the address is gradually becoming vague.

"Gugu..."

My stomach felt hungry again.

Only then did I notice that I was holding what looked like cheap food I'd just bought from a street vendor. It looked like I'd already taken a bite. So, I let go and bit into the food, the noodles mixed with the vegetables making a crisp sound in my mouth.

"Crunch, crunch..."

Along with the regular chewing, the steps were also regular.

“Drip—drip—”

Suddenly, I heard the sound of a car horn.

Feeling somewhat bored, I turned my gaze towards it. Even though I wasn't interested in the model, brand, or price, the car looked quite high-end. It gave me the feeling...it shouldn't be there at this moment. This road was not only narrow but also quite dusty.

"Strange...crunch...gulp."

After swallowing the food in my mouth, I decided to look away. If I had looked away at that moment, perhaps the things that happened later would not have happened.

However, it seems that we are still a step behind.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a figure that stood out from the gate of the dilapidated residential complex. It was a figure that was completely different from the others. Her long, flowing hair seemed to gleam with light, her long, well-proportioned legs, her beautiful, well-proportioned face, her impressive figure...

All in all, this person is the one that should be matched with that car.

This was indeed the case. The beautiful woman in front of him easily got into the luxury car whose door was opened for her.

The car kicked up a little dust and left without stopping.

“…”

To others, this situation did not seem to be worthy of attention.