Drawn Mochi Volume 3 Chapter 12.2: Honey Trap and Trap Breaking *7

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“Let’s take these fruits home.” (Tougo)

　I quickly pick some of the fruits from the tree and put them in my bag. I made this bag as something like a fake weapon, but it’s quite nice because it’s really useful in times like this.

“Huh? Are you going to eat those?” (Croix)

“Um, I don’t want to eat them, I want to use them as paints.” (Tougo)

　Seeing that I started collecting the fruits, Ms. Croix seemed a little confused, but my actual purpose is different.

　These fruits are the first of its kind, so I want to use them as a commemorative paint. Both the color of the fruits themselves and the color of the juice from the fruits.

“…you have a more proper and beautiful red paint, right?” (Croix)

　Yeah, I know what Ms. Croix meant. I have a lot of red paint… for example, the color from flowers, the color of my blood, and so on. I have a lot more vivid red paints than the red that comes out of crushing this fruit.

　…but I still want it.

“Well, it’s useless. It’s useless, but it’s also food for my heart, so I need it…” (Tougo)

“…your paints grow like that, don’t they.” (Croix)

“Yes.” (Tougo)

　The subtle differences in color are fascinating, but perhaps more than that, increasing the amount of paint is “necessary” because it’s “useless” to me.

“…it’s useless, but is it necessary?” (Tougo)

　Ms. Croix seemed puzzled, but behind her puzzlement, I could also see some sort of curiosity or something like that.

　So, I’m going to try to propagate the teacher’s theory of food for the heart.

“There are wastes that can be eliminated and those that should not be eliminated… such as looking up at the sky and thinking it is beautiful, or looking at something you have never eaten and wondering what it tastes like, or going for a walk without any particular purpose… I was taught that such waste is waste that should not be eliminated and that our hearts live and feed on such waste.” (Tougo)

　That’s right. We live by eating waste. Our hearts are gluttonous, which is why Teacher went for walks for no particular reason, went to the trouble of growing cherry tomatoes and edamame in the garden when he could have just bought them, and rather lounged around on the couch when he shouldn’t have been sleeping. …They let me into their house even if it was worthless.

　And I, too, am eating berries I don’t need to eat, trying to make paints I don’t need, and most of all painting.

“Painting food doesn’t make my stomach full, but it does make my heart full. That is why I am painting. It’s a waste of time, but I paint to feed my heart.” (Tougo)

“……Is that so.” (Croix)

　Ms. Croix looked confused.

　But after a little while she smiled and gave me a little poke.

“It’s a nice way of thinking. It’s because of teachers like that that we have wonderful boys like you.” (Croix)

“…Yeah. I learned many things from my teacher.” (Tougo)

“I envy you. You had a wonderful teacher.” (Croix)

　Yes. I’m glad I got to meet and learn a lot from him. I like his way of thinking.

　I hope she likes it, too. No, but maybe her heat is not much of a glutton.

　I’m sure there are some hearts out there that can live without eating waste. …Yeah. I’ve seen a lot of people like that. So, umm…

　…Could it be that Ms. Croix doesn’t need waste?

　After about 10 minutes of riding the horses, we finally arrived at the place recommended by the horses. We finally arrived at the place recommended by the horses.

　…It was a beautiful flower garden.

“Amazing.” (Croix)

　I was more pleased than Ms. Croix. Yes. There were flowers of all colors. Some are pure white, some are yellow, some are orange, some are pink, and some are purple. Some of the flowers were pale blue, and I thought to myself, “If only I could have found this place, I could have made blue paint without having a giant bird mad me warm her eggs.”

　No, the blue of the eggshells is not the same as the blue of these flowers, so it was not a waste to warm the eggs…

“Thank you for showing me such a beautiful place.” (Tougo)

　I was so happy to see this beautiful field of flowers that I immediately petted the horses. I’ve been looking forward to seeing the beautiful flower garden. …They don’t seem to like men that much, but they don’t mind being petted. While swinging its tail loosely, it feels a little comfortable being petted by me.

“Ms. Croix. Did you like this place?” (Tougo)

“…Huh? Yes. It’s a very beautiful place.” (Croix)

　Ms. Croix seemed a little dazed, but soon after, she smiled and replied.

“…are you not feeling well?” (Laocles)

“No, I am not. No, I am feeling fine…” (Croix)

　When Laocles looked at her and asked, Ms. Croix had a confused, troubled, kind of look… and then smiled again to hide it.

　…When I saw that, I couldn’t help but ask.

“Um, is it possible that Ms. Croix has a small appetite?” (Tougo)

“Small appetite…?” (Croix)

“I was just wondering if you are one of those people who don’t any waste… I thought you might be one of them.” (Tougo)

　There are many people who can live without looking up at the sky or staring at flowers. For example, I think my parents were like that.

　So… if Ms. Croix is like that, she probably doesn’t need a flower garden. She thinks that being in this forest itself is “useless” to her…

“If that’s the case, you don’t need the sky or the flowers, I’m afraid I’m forcing you to do too much by taking you around like this.” (Tougo)

　If she says yes.

“That’s not true!” (Croix)

　Ms. Croix said so with an expression I had never seen before.

　…So, Ms. Croix can also make such an expression.

　Desperate, troubled, and anxious. That’s the face.

　I was very surprised because I had only seen her typical expression, which is relaxed and perfectly arranged.

“It’s something every person needs. I think so. It is necessary for any person, even for me, to look at flowers and think they are beautiful…” (Croix)

　Ms. Croix said that, and then she kind of quieted down, as if she herself was surprised to hear herself like that…

“If you think so, why don’t you take a look?” (Laocles)

　Laocles gave Ms. Croix a little push and moved him toward the flower garden.

“I know you’re a bit bewildered by this environment all of a sudden… but if you think it’s necessary, you should eat the waste.” (Laocles)

　Ms. Croix looked at Laocles, then at the flower garden in front of us… and then, sort of, smiled.

　Ah, I thought.

　Ms. Croix’s smile at that moment—that moment she looked absolutely beautiful.

“How did you?” (Tougo)

“…very dexterous.” (Laocles)

“Fufu, thank you… You are quite dexterous too…” (Croix)

　Then, Ms. Croix knitted a flower crown. I looked at it and decided to draw the scene.

　I had a sketchbook, a pencil, and a portable watercolor set, so I did a rough sketch.

　…The colors of the smudged watercolors are perfect for this kind of scene, a flower garden. It’s also perfect for Ms. Croix, who knits a flower crown there.

　The expression on Ms. Croix’s face is still a little uncomfortable. Is it because she is aware that she is being watched? Or maybe, after all, she is a person who doesn’t need much waste and there is no point in doing this kind of thing.

　But… because the expression on her face for a moment earlier was so good. So, I guess I’ll still have a few more days of taking Ms. Croix around.