Three Days of Happiness

197
The men pestering me seemingly gave up with Shinbashi’s
appearance and prepared to leave. Once the three were gone,
Shinbashi sighed with relief and threw away his polite smile for his
usual sullen look.
“Let me just say first,” Shinbashi clarified, “I don’t necessarily
believe this “Miyagi” girl honestly exists.”
“I know. You were just helping, huh?”, I said. “Thanks, I’m grateful.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s not really that either.”
“Then what is it?”
“You may not admit this, but... at least personally, this is what I
think. I see what you’re doing as sort of a performance, attempting
to fool as many people as you can into believing this “Miyagi” really
exists. You’re attempting to prove through perfect pantomime that
people’s common sense can be shaken. ...And that attempt has
succeeded on me somewhat.”
“You mean you feel Miyagi’s existence to an extent?”
“I don’t like to admit it, but I believe so,” Shinbashi said, shrugging
his shoulders. “And while I’m at it, I’m somewhat interested in the
change taking place within myself. I wonder that if I were to actively
accept “Ms. Miyagi’s” existence like you’re causing me to, I’ll
eventually be able to see her for real.”
“Miyagi,” I began, “isn’t that tall. She has fair skin, and I would say
she’s more delicate than not. Usually she has sober eyes, but
sometimes she’ll show a modest smile. Her eyes are a little bad, but
when she needs to read small writing, she wears thinly-framed