Three Days of Happiness

72
“You okay not ordering anything?”
When I did that, Miyagi made an awkward face.
“...Um, you shouldn’t talk to me in front of others.”
“What, is there something bad about that?”
“I believe I did explain this to you before, but... Well, you see, the
presence of us observers cannot be sensed by anyone except for
those we observe. Like so.”
Miyagi grabbed the waitress’s sleeve and shook it slightly. Indeed,
as Miyagi said, there was no response.
“Any and all sensation I give to a person is treated as if it didn’t
happen,” she said, picking up a glass. “So though I may hold up this
glass, it is not as if she sees it floating. That said, neither does she
see the glass suddenly disappear when I touch it, nor does she think
it didn’t move at all - it just didn’t happen. I cannot be perceived as
being “there,” but furthermore, I cannot even be perceived as being
“gone.” ...However, there is one exception. The lone individual who
can perceive an observer is the person they observe. Troublingly,
while I am essentially “non-existent,” I cannot be non-existent to
you who is aware of me. ...The point is, Mr. Kusunoki, that you
currently appear as if you are talking to air.”
I checked the waitress’s expression.
She was looking at me as if I was a lunatic.
My coffee arrived a few minutes later, and as I sipped it, I
considered leaving once I was done drinking, without meeting
Naruse.