I do not like you. For some reason, I feel uncomfortable with you, who always approaches me and expresses friendliness. I hate how you quickly turn your gaze and run away elsewhere whenever I try to meet your eyes and share thoughts, thinking I should treat you as a friend. I do not welcome you, who chatters about trivial things to get closer and asks for my opinion with eyes full of intelligence. Even so, you reach out to me with a smile like carbonation spreading in a glass on a summer day, saying you will wait for me—it was so mismatched with my attitude of observing from a step away that it made me dizzy to the point of nausea. Even so, why won't you leave me?

You always come to my room to check on me after the day's work is over. At first, I tried to push you away to keep people at a distance. Of course, you didn't seem to notice my efforts. I suppose you liked me for always giving you unconditional affirmation. Otherwise, there's no reason you'd visit me every single day without fail. One might think I've grown fond of you by now, but seeing you crave my affection again from some point on makes a part of my chest ache. Repulsion? No, it's not that. It's just... the kind of thought one has when looking at a fool.

One day, we were in the middle of a battle. The others were likely busy coordinating according to Dante's instructions. I, too, was busy with no time to sink into reminiscence. I was dealing with small Abnormality entities and the people eroded by them. One step, two steps. As I leisurely avoided their attacks, I felt myself getting tired and thought I might as well just die. Dante would turn the clock for me anyway. So, I didn't avoid the attack headed for me. Let's pretend to die by mistake. Let's pretend to die by tripping like a fool, just like someone else. Let's pretend to die because there are too many enemies to handle—as I was thinking that, a clear color filled my vision. You, choked by love, must have made a foolish choice for a fool like me. Unless you're crazy, unless you're truly an idiot, there's no way you'd do such a thing.

...Guest?