Vague Clues

However, after hesitating for a moment, the girl shook her head.

"...Sorry. I don't know."

She had replied back honestly.

In fact, she did not know anything about herself.

Both who she was and why she was there.

"Hmm...I don't think she is lying."

"Then can you talk about what you understand? That, what, your circumstances──I want to understand."

He gently asked.

While shooting a sideward glance at him, Mana could only helplessly shrug her shoulders.

"Things to understand..."

The girl lowered her eyes as she searched deep within her memory.

While using the language she just learned, a fragmented scene began to resurface in her mind.

"I remember...on the surface of ground level…...three people. Two young men and one girl. Although I didn't know what they were talking about at that

moment──but I think now it was probably that language called English."

"Three people...?"

"On the surface at ground level...if it is related to that explosion, could it perhaps that large calamity that struck the skies of Eurasia? No, if that was the case, there shouldn't be any people…..."

"I don't know. Collecting, producing…...creating? I feel like it was something like that. And then...──"

The girl placed her hand against her forehead as if suffering from a painful headache.

Seeing this, Shinji gave an anxious look of concern.

"A-are you alright? Don't push yourself."

"I'm okay. It felt just a little painful."

After the girl said that, he let out a sigh of relief.

Overlooking this scene, Mana could only scratch her head in a perplexed manner.

"Well...it can't be helped if you can't remember right now. In that regard, try thinking more slowly."

After trying to raise her bangs upward, Mana casted an even sharper gaze onto the girl.

"──Now then, since there is now already no issue communicating anymore, I would like to inform you of my frank impression about yourself."

"Impression...?"

"Yes, to be honest, you are too suspicious. I think it is best to contact the police immediately to protect you."

"Mana…..."

Shinji turned around and stared at Mana with a troubled expression.

However, Mana continued to speak after exhaling in another sigh.

"...That being said, I actually don't want to do this. Creating clothes from thin air, mastering an unknown language immediately; anyway, no ordinary person could ever do that. If we let you go, there is the possibility of you being treated the same as mice from a research institute. Thinking about that gives me the creeps."

Mana continued speaking while shrugging her shoulders.

"For the time being, would it be okay for us to look after you? Either fortunately or unfortunately, mother and father are not home right now, so there is a spare room available."

As Mana crossed her arms against each other, Shinji's expression soon brightened up.

"..."

It took a moment for the girl to comprehend the information that she had heard.

To be precise, although the meaning behind the words was understood immediately, there still needed to be some time in order to comprehend the intentions of the speaker.

It seemed that they were intending to take care of her at this place.

"Why...me?"

"Yes…...did you understand what I said? This is not just following the flow and promising okay, alright? In any case, in this situation it's not like you have a place to go anyway."

"Although that is true."

Then, Mana scratched her cheek again in a troubled manner.

"Then it should be all set. You...umm."

"Come to think of it, I still don't know your name yet. Do you know your name?"