Feeling somewhat embarra.s.sed for various reasons, Tatsumi sat back down on the bench in order to turn away from the man. He reached for his second onigiri. It was a triangular onigiri wrapped in nori with tuna and mayonnaise inside. He started to eat his meal at his own pace, but the presence of the man behind Tatsumi didn’t vanish. After a while, he spoke.
“You can’t see at all?”
Tatsumi swallowed down his onigiri then nodded.
“My eyes were bad a long time ago, but I completely lost my sight when I was fourteen.”
That’s why he had a general understanding of color, and knew things like the faces of celebrities and what not. When he answered him in that manner, the man continued his words.
“They won’t heal? Ever?”
—He’s a pretty blunt person, isn’t he&h.e.l.lip;
It was better than treating him delicately, but there were very few people who ever questioned him directly like this.
A little lost, Tatsumi slowly shook his head.
“&h.e.l.lip;&h.e.l.lip;it’s not like they can’t be healed. There’s just no guarantee.”