電車の中でも寝る前のベッドの中でもサクサク快適に。
もっと読みたい！がどんどんみつかる。
「読んで」「書いて」毎日が楽しくなる小説アプリをダウンロードしよう。
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電車の中でも寝る前のベッドの中でもサクサク快適に。
もっと読みたい！がどんどんみつかる。
「読んで」「書いて」毎日が楽しくなる小説アプリをダウンロードしよう。
テラーノベル
アプリでサクサク楽しめる
On October 1st, Prof. Watari of the Department of Earth Sciences at Teito Science University was in high spirits.
First thing that morning, he had been summoned to the university president’s office and told that, starting with the second semester, he would no longer be required to supervise student seminars.
To top it off, he was being provided with a new laboratory several times the size of his current one.
Of course, there was one condition attached. The president asked him to act as the supervisor for a few working professionals transferring into the program as research students starting in the second semester — a request Watari readily accepted.
Wearing a look of delight that stood in stark contrast to his trademark scowl, and stroking his beard with his fingers as was his habit, Watari headed toward his current laboratory.
“So, the president has finally recognized my worth as a researcher. Right — if I don’t have to deal with today’s coddled students, I can throw myself wholeheartedly into my research.”
As Watari stepped off the elevator and into the hallway where his lab was located, he saw a woman standing in front of the door. Noting her attire — a pantsuit — and estimating her age to be in the mid-twenties, he spoke up.
“Well now, isn’t that Ms. Tsutsui?”
The woman gave a visible start, jumped back three paces, and bowed deeply at the waist.
“It … it’s been a long time, Prof. Watari.”
“Not since the ‘Bamboo Flower’ incident, I believe. So, what is a reporter from the Teito Shimbun City News Dpartment doing here? Are you here to interview someone?”
With a strained expression, Tsutsui held up the plastic ID badge — roughly the size of a business card — that was hanging around her neck. “N-no, um, well…”
“I’m not going to bite you, so stop cowering like that. Hmm? An auditor from the professional world? Ah, so you’re one of the few the president mentioned.”
“O-oh, yes. My company’s policy is that in this day and age, even reporters with liberal arts backgrounds need knowledge and grounding in the sciences.”
“I see! That’s a good thing.”
“U-um, it’s just that …”
“Like I said, I’m not going to prey on you, so don’t look so obviously terrified of me.”
“That’s the official reason, but … I was told that if incidents involving supernatural phenomena or giant creatures — like the ones in the past — happen again, I’m to act as the liaison between this university and the various media outlets.”
“And how does that explain why you’re coming to me?”
“Eek! I’m sorry, I’m sorry! But it was a decision made by the company’s upper management — it’s not my fault — sob…”
“Don’t go crying at your age! Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. Come into the lab for now. It’s hardly proper to stand here chatting.”
The two of them entered Watari’s lab and he was explaining the move to the new facility when there was a knock at the door.
The person who entered was, once again, a woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Watari furrowed his brow at the sight of her dark-colored pantsuit.
“Isn’t that Assistant Inspector Miyashita? Is there a case?”
“No.”
Miyashita replied while holding up the ID badge hanging around her neck.
“I’m here as a working professional auditing your course, starting today.”
“Why is a detective from the Metropolitan Police Department doing that?”
“It’s headquarters’ policy; with crimes becoming increasingly high-tech these days, field investigators need to acquire scientific knowledge. However…”
“However, what?”
“Well, that’s the official line. In reality, the higher-ups seem to think that having me on campus will facilitate smoother cooperation should any future incidents involving supernatural phenomena or giant creatures occur.”
“I’m a geoscientist specializing in seismology. I’m no expert on kaiju!”
“I’m fed up with it too — lately, I’m treated as nothing but a detective who specializes in kaiju incidents.”
“The wind seems to be blowing in a strange direction.”
Just then, there was another knock at the door. When Watari called out, “Come in,” a giant standing 185 centimeters tall ducked his head to enter.
“Prof. Watari, I looked forward to working with you starting today!”
Watari narrowed his eyes as he studied the massive man, who stood at rigid attention and snapped a salute.
“You’re the Self-Defense Force officer at the time of the Giant Ammonite incident, aren’t you?”
“Yes, sir! I’m Matsuda. I appreciate the assistance you provided back then.”
“This is a university. Stop saluting every time you turn around. Regular students will think it’s odd.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll be careful. As of today, I’ve been assigned as a working-professional auditor in the Watari Lab. I looked forward to working with you.”
“So, you’re one of those too, huh?”
“Yes, sir! SDF operations are becoming increasingly high-tech, and it is the Ministry of Defense’s policy that we acquire knowledge of the latest scientific technologies.”
“And that’s just the official line, isn’t it?”
“How did you realize that?”
“When it happens three times in a row, I’d have to be blind not to notice!”
“As you surmised, the idea is for me to act as a liaison — securing the cooperation of researchers like yourself for national defense should incidents involving paranormal phenomena or giant creatures occur again in the future.”
Watari groaned, clutching his head with both hands.
“I’ve got an even worse feeling about this now.”
The door opened without a knock, and Assistant Professor Toyama of the Department of Biology strolled in with a carefree smile.
“Good morning, Prof. Watari. Oh, is everyone already here?”
Watari’s face took on a fierce, lion-like scowl as he barked: “What are you doing here?”
“Huh? Haven’t you heard from the president? We’re establishing a new laboratory — one dedicated to cooperating with relevant agencies and helping resolve incidents involving supernatural phenomena or giant creatures whenever they arise.”
“What?!”
“You’re to head the lab, Prof. Watari, and I’ve been appointed as your assistant. Look, it says so right here in the official notice.”
Watari picked up the appointment notice the president had handed him earlier that morning. Sure enough, down at the bottom, in print so tiny it would require a magnifying glass to read, it stated exactly that.
Watari slammed the paper onto his desk and shouted:
“That old fox! I was happy thinking I wouldn’t have to handle any seminars, but this is what it was all about!”
Tsutsui glanced at the wall clock and spoke to Watari tentatively.
“Um, Prof. Watari? Isn’t it about time for your lecture?”
Watari glanced at the clock as well, then took off his lab coat and draped it over his desk chair.
“Oh, right. I’ll have to move my things to the new lab when I get back, too — looks like it’s going to be a busy day.”
Matsuda spoke up.
“If you’d like, shall I handle the preparations for the new lab? Just let me know if there’s anything that needs moving.”
“Oh? Then have this bookshelf moved over there. Don’t touch anything on the desk, though; there are documents there that only I can make sense of. Right, I suppose I’d better go look after the students.”
“Sir! Have a good day.”
“I told you, stop saluting every time we’re inside the university!”
After finishing his lecture and wrapping up some tedious faculty meeting business, Watari returned to the lab to find Toyama alone, tossing scraps of paper into a trash bag.
The wall-mounted bookshelves had already been hauled away, and the resulting cavernous, empty space gave Watari a sudden, faint sense of melancholy.
Toyama spoke with his usual air of flippancy.
“Prof. Watari, the only things left are what’s on your desk. I’ve got cardboard boxes ready, so please pack up whatever you need.”
“Actually, I was planning to move the desk itself.”
“We’ve got new desk and chair ready for you. That old set is pretty beat-up, isn’t it?”
“Is that so? Well, in that case…”
Just as Watari finished packing the items from his desk and drawers into cardboard boxes, Matsuda, Miyashita, and Tsutsui walked in. Matsuda spoke with excessive cheerfulness.
“We’ve pretty much finished moving the gear to the new lab. Is that everything left?”
Watari pointed to four large cardboard boxes and replied.
“Yeah, that’s it. Shall we get going, then?”
“I’ll carry them. I’ll take the two big ones. The rest of you, please handle the smaller ones.”
Matsuda effortlessly hoisted boxes measuring fifty centimeters on each side onto his shoulders; Miyashita and Tsutsui teamed up to carry one box between them; and Toyama struggled to carry the last one in his arms, groaning with the effort.
As he was about to leave the room, Watari paused for a moment, gazing at the space that was now nearly empty.
Toyama asked: “Is something wrong, Prof. Watari?”
“No.”
Watari shook his head as he spoke.
“I spent ages complaining about how cramped and inconvenient this place was, but now that it’s time to leave, I find myself feeling a bit sentimental.”
Watari’s new laboratory was located on the top floor of a new building that had just been completed this year. The four carrying the boxes entered first, with Watari stepping through the doorway last. He looked around the room and exclaimed:
“What is this? Is this really a laboratory?”
By the window at the far end of the room stood a massive wooden desk — the sort people might find in a major corporation executive’s suite — accompanied by a high-backed leather chair.
“Don’t tell me … is that my new desk?”
Toyama set his cardboard box down beside the desk and said with a laugh:
“You’re the person in charge of paranormal incident response, after all; surely you need something like that.”
“I’m a researcher. A researcher’s desk ought to be … well, more modest than that. Hey, what’s that over there?”
Matsuda looked at the object Watari was pointing to — a unit about two meters tall standing against the wall — and answered. “This is a large-scale computer known as a mainframe.”
“I can see that just by looking at it. What I’m asking is why something like that is in my laboratory!”
“It is the same type used by the Self-Defense Forces. I anticipate that the volume of data we’ll be handling from now on will be vastly larger than anything we’ve dealt with previously. Oh, and of course, I’ve moved your personal computer to the desk over there; it’s already connected to the Internet.”
As Watari looked further around the room, he saw four office desks arranged in a square formation. Beyond that, in a space on the left side of the room — roughly the same size as his previous laboratory — there was a large, low reception table surrounded by six leather armchairs.
“This is supposed to be my lab! Why are there so many desks and chairs in here?”
Miyashita answered him.
“Well, the president said that since we’re essentially acting as your assistants, we should be in the same room to provide support.”
“That old fox! He’s gone and turned my lab into a task force headquarters without asking. And what’s with this reception area?”
Tsutsui spoke up in a timid voice.
“U-um, the president mentioned that too; he said high-ranking officials from the police and the Defense Agency would likely be visiting more often, and we might need to deal with the press.”
“He’s not just an old fox — he’s a con artist! He’s foisting external relations onto me, too! Hmm? Hey, what’s that curtain? Is there another room behind it?”
Toyama slid the curtain aside to reveal what lay beyond.
“It’s a kitchenette. We’ve got a hot water dispenser, a sink, an induction cooktop, a refrigerator, and a microwave all set up.”
“Are you all planning to move in here? Honestly, I’m so dumbfounded I don’t even have the energy to complain.”
Still grumbling, Watari finished moving the documents from the cardboard box to his new desk; then, he tilted his head as he peered into the tall, narrow locker standing beside it.
“Huh? I don’t see my lab coat anywhere.”
Upon hearing this, Matsuda hurriedly ran to the corner of the room, grabbed a white coat, and rushed over to Watari.
“My apologies. Here is your coat, sir. The sleeve was slightly torn, so I mended it for you.”
Watari stared intently at the sleeve. Sure enough, the five-centimeter tear had been expertly stitched back together with white thread — so neatly that one wouldn’t even notice it unless it was pointed out.
“Oh, this is a splendid repair job. Did Assistant Inspector Miyashita or Tsutsui do this?”
Both Miyashita and Tsutsui shook their heads. Matsuda took a palm-sized sewing kit from his pocket and spoke up.
“I did it myself, sir.”
“You did? You’re quite dexterous for a man. And you carry a sewing kit around with you?”
“Yes, sir! In the Self-Defense Forces, it’s standard practice to mend minor tears in our uniforms or combat gear ourselves. We even sew on our own name tags.”
“I … I see.”
Matsuda turned to the other three and said with a smile:
“If any of you have anything that needs mending, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Miyashita replied with a somewhat strained smile.
“R-right. Well, I’ll be sure to ask you if the need arises.”
As evening fell and it grew dark outside, everyone had finished stowing their belongings at their respective desks. Watari glanced at his watch and started to rise from his seat.
“Right, I think I’ll head to the campus cafeteria. My wife is away at her parents’ home today for a relative’s memorial service.”
Toyama spoke up to Watari.
“Oh? Haven’t you heard, Prof. Watari? The cafeteria is closed temporarily from this evening until tomorrow afternoon. Apparently, they’re doing inspections and repairs on the gas equipment.”
Watari’s eyes widened in surprise.
“What! Is that so? That’s a problem. I was planning to get some more work done here after dinner.”
Matsuda lifted himself from his chair and spoke.
“If you’d like, shall I prepare a meal for everyone? After all, this lab is equipped with a kitchen.”
Toyama said, sounding excited.
“In that case, let’s hold a commemorative drinking party to celebrate the launch of the new Watari Lab. I’ll go handle the arrangements with the security office.”
Watari furrowed his brows.
“Well, everyone’s been a big help to me today. I suppose that would be fine.”
Toyama said to Matsuda: “The only thing is, the nearest shop selling groceries is two kilometers away as the crow flies …”
Before Toyama could finish speaking, Matsuda stood up from his chair.
“Oh, is it that close? Then I’ll head over right away.”
Tsutsui muttered as he watched Matsuda’s back as he ran out of the room.
“I mean … calling two kilometers ‘that close’…”
While waiting for Matsuda to return carrying a mountain of bags, Watari and the other three took care of some paperwork.
When Miyashita and Tsutsui tried to follow Matsuda into the kitchen, he gently held them back.
“No, I can handle this on my own. You two ladies must be tired after doing the heavy lifting today.”
About thirty minutes later, Matsuda pulled back the curtain to the kitchen area and announced to the group:
“It’s ready. Everyone, please move over to the reception area.”
As Watari and the others sat side-by-side on the sofa at the reception table, Matsuda brought over aluminum trays and set one down in front of each person.
On the trays were rolled omelets, “octopus-style” sausages, and bite-sized pieces of boiled broccoli.
Next came bowls of miso soup, containing finely chopped carrots, shaved burdock root, and thin slices of fish cake.
Then, a plastic tray piled high with rice balls was placed in the center of the table, and paper cups were handed out. Two bottles of wine, a small bottle of sake, and six cans of beer were set down as well.
Turning to the other four, who were staring in astonishment, Matsuda offered a smile so cheerful it couldn’t have been brighter.
“Since this is just a makeshift kitchen, I’m afraid the food is quite simple, but please, help yourselves. Oh — I forgot the disposable chopsticks. I’ll go get them right now.”
As Matsuda returned to the kitchen, Miyashita leaned in and whispered to Tsutsui.
“What is this? He’s a guy, yet he’s got more ‘girly’ domestic skills than we do.”
Tsutsui replied with a strained smile.
“Haha … yeah, it kind of makes us look bad, doesn’t it?”
Matsuda came back with a bundle of disposable chopsticks and addressed the group.
“Right, shall we get started? Please help yourselves to whatever drinks you like.”
Watari took the chopsticks and asked Matsuda in a tone of astonishment:
“You’re very efficient at this — are you good at cooking, too?”
“Oh, no. During field training with the Self-Defense Forces, we often have to cook for ourselves, so … I wouldn’t say I’m particularly skilled at it.”
And so, the drinking party began. Watari brought out a bottle of special whisky he had been keeping in his locker.
Noticing that Miyashita was just eating and hadn’t touched her drink, Watari spoke up.
“Ms. Miyashita, don’t you drink?”
“Oh, well … I don’t dislike it, but I don’t have much of a tolerance for alcohol.”
“I won’t force you, of course, but why not give this whisky a try? It’s an aged bottle straight from Scotland.”
“R-really? In that case, just a sip.”
Toyama sat next to Matsuda and struck up a conversation.
“You clearly have strength and stamina. Would you be willing to help with my fieldwork? I’m not very good at the heavy lifting.”
“Oh! I’d be happy to. When it comes to physical strength and heavy lifting, leave it to a Self-Defense Force member.”
Watari turned his face away from the others and sipped his whisky with a scowl. Before long, noticing how strangely quiet Miyashita had become, he spoke up.
“Hey, Ms. Miyashita. You okay?”
Miyashita looked up. Her complexion hadn’t changed at all, but her eyes had gone dead and fixed. Thrusting out his paper cup, she barked: “Hey, Beardy!”
Watari glanced around for a moment, though of course, he was the only one there with a beard.
“Er… me?”
“Who else? My cup’s empty. Pour me some, will ya? You’re a real dimwit, aren’t ya?”
“Huh? Oh — sorry about that.”
Watari hurriedly poured whisky into Miyashita’s cup. Miyashita downed about half of it in one go. Watari spoke up tentatively.
“You probably shouldn’t drink it all at once like that. You said you didn’t have a high tolerance for alcohol, didn’t you?”
“You idiot! I may not look it, but I’ve never lost a drinking contest to anyone. Hic. Hey, Prof…. do you have any idea what it’s like for a cop who can’t let loose because they’re always worried about what the public thinks? Cops are human, too, you know. We can’t keep a straight face and act serious twenty-four-seven. You get that? Hic.”
“Hmm? Ah, I see — yeah, I suppose so. That must be tough.”
“And on top of that — hic — since I’m on the elite career track, I’m constantly being told I have to set an example for the non-elite officers. By guys who don’t know the first thing about the hardships of actual fieldwork — the bastards!”
“So, the reason you didn’t want to drink was because you turn into a mean drunk?”
“Huh? Did you say something?”
“N-no, it’s nothing! I see — so becoming an assistant inspector at such a young age comes with a lot of unseen struggles.”
“You get it? Do you really get it? Alright, I like you. Hey, Beardy! You have a drink, too!”
Miyashita grabbed the whiskey bottle and poured some into Watari’s glass.
“Oh, sorry. No, that’s enough. It’s spilling — it’s spilling!”
After downing another glass of whiskey, Miyashita slumped face-down onto the table and fell silent.
“Hey, Ms. Miyashita? Did you fall asleep? Ah, Tsutsui, could you … take care of her?”
Watari was startled again when he looked at Tsutsui, who was sitting on the other side of Miyashita. Tsutsui’s cheeks were flushed pink — she must have had quite a few glasses of wine by now — and tears were streaming down her face.
“Hey, Tsutsui, what’s wrong? Are you in pain?”
Turning her face toward Watari, Tsutsui wailed tearfully:
“Waaah! I’m just a lousy reporter anyway, aren’t I?”
“No, nobody said that…”
“Just yesterday, my desk editor told me I lacked professionalism … but I am trying my best! Why won’t anyone understand that?”
“Oh boy, looks like I’ve got a weepy drunk on our hands.”
“You probably think so too, don’t you, Professor? Wondering why a useless reporter like me showed up?”
“N-no, that’s not it at all. The reason I’m hard on you is, in a way, because I see potential in you…”
“That’s what all men say! But deep down, you’re thinking, ‘Well, that’s just how women are,’ aren’t you?”
“That’s absolutely not true. At least, I don’t think that way.”
“Hic. Sniff. Really? Is that really true?”
“Yes, it is. I see — the world of newspaper reporting is a tough one, isn’t it?”
“It really is. Readership keeps dropping, it’s hard to get expenses approved, only the old-fashioned types get promoted, and the public calls us ‘trash media’ instead of ‘mass media’ — waaah!”
After venting her grievances for a while, Tsutsui slumped face-down onto the table next to Miyashita and fell silent.
“Oh dear, looks like she’s passed out from the drink, too. Hey, you guys — take care of the ladies…”
When Watari turned around, he saw Toyama and Matsuda sitting on the floor with their arms draped over each other’s shoulders, already fast asleep and snoring.
Watari took the whiskey bottle to his desk, poured a glass, and downed it in one gulp.
“I can’t deal with this unless I have a drink, too!”
When someone shook him awake, the morning sun was already streaming through the window; it seemed he had fallen asleep right there, leaning back in his chair.
He opened his eyes to find Matsuda standing beside him. A blanket had been draped over him at some point.
“Prof. Watari, I think it would be best if you woke up now.”
“Ah, right. What about the others?”
“They woke up a little while ago and are heading home for now. They asked me to convey their apologies for the trouble they caused last night.”
After washing his face in the restroom and returning, Watari found Matsuda waiting with a cup of hot green tea. Matsuda spoke to him, looking somewhat hesitant.
“I am terribly sorry, Professor.”
“Hm? For what?”
“Well … everyone got a bit carried away last night, and I was worried we might have offended you. I was the one who suggested it, after all.”
“No, not at all. If anything, I envy you. Or, to be honest, perhaps I should say I’m jealous.”
“You envy us, sir?”
“Back when I was young, I used to do all sorts of reckless things — like drinking until dawn. Perhaps I envy the youth you have. I don’t have the stamina I used to, and I can’t pull those kinds of stunts anymore. Intellectually, I know that’s just what getting older means, but…”
“Is that how it is?”
“Honestly, there are more and more times when I can’t keep up with the mindset of today’s students. I don’t even understand the slang young people use anymore. I know it’s because I’ve aged, but accepting that fact is actually quite difficult. By the way, Matsuda — are you all right to still stay here?”
“Yes, sir. If it’s alright with you, I’d like to go report for duty at the Ministry of Defense.”
“Ah, go ahead. I don’t have any specific tasks for you today.”
“In that case, I’ll take my leave for the day.”
After Matsuda left the room, Watari sipped his green tea while holding his head in one hand.
“Good grief … to be saddled with a job like this in my mid-fifties. This should be the prime harvest season of my career as a researcher. And yet, here I am, assigned full-time to paranormal phenomena and giant creature incidents…”
Watari drained his tea and looked up, wearing a scowl while smiling only with his mouth.
“Well … I suppose there might be something interesting about it, after all.”
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うわあ、第11話…めっちゃ面白かったです…！😭✨ 教授、研究室の移転で浮かれてたのにまさかの"怪異・怪獣対策室"的な新部署のトップにされちゃう展開、笑ったけどちょっと切なかったです。でも最終的には「面白いかもしれない」って前向きになるの、めっちゃ好きです。 それにしても渡君、料理も裁縫もできるイケメンすぎませんか？笑 「2キロは近い」って発言も含めて完璧すぎて強キャラ感がすごい。酔っぱらった宮下さんと筒井さんのギャップも可愛くて、一気に読みました！ このまま4人の珍道中、もっと見たいです…！次の話も楽しみにしてます🌙🤍
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