one shot to kill time

There was a strange rumor about that library.

 Apparently, a penguin comes to borrow books every Monday morning at 9:00. If Monday is a public holiday, it apparently comes on the following weekday.

   ........

Although it calls itself a library, "Shiokaze Library" is actually closer to a book cafe. It's a cafe started by a book-loving owner as a hobby in his retirement, simply lending out his cherished collection of books that he's amassed over the years. Perhaps because the collection is biased towards the owner's tastes, the shop is always empty, but thanks to that, no one complains no matter how long I occupy a table, so I found it very convenient.

 One Sunday, I woke up in the early afternoon as usual, had a late breakfast, and left the house. I went through the alley in front of my house and headed west along the road by the sea, and the library came into view. It was a fifteen-minute walk from my house, a perfect distance for a stroll.

 There were few people in the deserted seaside town, and the only sounds I could hear were the waves and the cries of seagulls. Usually, it was like this, but today, unusually, there were elementary school children running around, giggling and laughing. Of all things, they were running into that library. I couldn't believe my eyes. There wasn't a single children's book there, I thought, and followed them. Though, when I say "followed," it's more accurate to say we were going to the same place.

 As I entered the shop, the children from earlier were swarming around the master standing at the lending counter. They stretched on their tiptoes and pressed themselves against the counter, bombarding him with questions in high-pitched voices.

"Where are the penguins?"

"We want to see the penguins!"

"There are penguins here, aren't there?"

 Penguins? What are they talking about? While I was thinking this, the master answered with a weary expression,

"Honestly, who did you hear that from? I told you

 not to spread it around." Then the children let out a shriek of delight.

"They really are here!"

"I want to see them too!"

"Show us the penguins!"

"They're not coming today," the master said with a sigh. "They're scheduled to come every Monday morning at nine o'clock."

 What?! The children all booed in unison. What?! You liar! We have school on Mondays! And so on. Amidst all this, one boy spoke up, "Well then!" and the others fell silent.

"Next Monday is a public holiday, so we can come and see the penguins!"

 It seemed as though the children were about to cheer again, but the master stopped them, saying, "It's useless."

"If Monday is a public holiday, they'll come on the next weekday."

 What?! What's that supposed to mean?! A storm of disappointments erupted. The children were making such a racket that it was impossible to hear what they were saying.

"Anyway, the penguins aren't coming today. If you're not customers, get out of here!"

 The master chased them away, and the children grumbled and complained as they left the library. Watching their small backs go, I walked over to the counter where the master was.

"What was that?"

"Oh, Hajime-chan. Welcome."

"Stop calling me 'chan',"

 the master said, speaking in a gentle manner despite his suspicious appearance—long, graying hair and a beard.

"Well, you see. A strange rumor has been spreading lately. It's causing me some trouble.

" "About the penguins?"

"Yeah, about the penguins. It's been a long time since anyone found out, but now it's become a real pain."

"Huh?"

 I asked back without thinking. Didn't he just say something weird?

"It's like, as if penguins really do come."

"Oh, right. Hajime, you've never seen them. They only ever come in the afternoon, don't they?"

"What? See what?"

"I mean, the penguins. It's been going on for years now. A penguin comes to our place once a week."

 That's when I heard the rumor I mentioned at the beginning again. The master was telling the story with a serious face despite it being a joke, and I didn't know how to interpret it, so I listened with a half-smile.

"What's with that schedule, it's like an aquarium's closing days."

 He was talking about holidays and all, why would a penguin care about a calendar?

"I don't know. I don't know for sure, but that's the truth."

"Ah, I get it. You're the one who started that rumor, aren't you? You're trying to attract customers who are looking for penguins."

 That's the only explanation. Otherwise, I'd have to suspect that the master is crazy. After all, while there might be seagulls flying around, there are no penguins living in this area, and the aquarium that used to be nearby closed down a few years ago. Besides, the idea of birds "coming to borrow books" is ridiculous.

"Hmm. That's a pretty interesting deduction, little detective. Why don't you become a novelist?" the master said jokingly.

"No way. I'm going to be a manga artist." Even though I knew he was joking, I replied seriously.

"Yeah, yeah. The usual."

"Look, I'm serious."

"I know, I know. But you know, I'd like you to be able to order a cup of coffee every day soon. No matter how often you come, we don't make any money just from you using the library."

 I grumbled. It was contradictory, but I couldn't argue.

"Okay, then a cup of coffee," I reluctantly told the master.

"Oh, you don't have to force yourself, you know?"

"I can make you a cafe latte if you want," I said, trying to sound even more boastful

. "It's fine, it's fine," the master laughed. "Coffee has a higher profit margin."

"You know, don't say

 things like that to customers," I thought, exasperated, but honestly, the master's carefully crafted coffee was too expensive even for a humble part-timer like me, even black, and a cafe latte was an inappropriate luxury. I was annoyed that he seemed to see right through me, but I decided to go along with his suggestion.

"Then, black, please."

"Yes, yes. I'll brew it to your liking, so just wait a moment."

   ........

 I stayed at the coffee shop until closing time with just one cup of coffee, then went to my late-night shift at the convenience store, and went straight to bed when I got home at dawn.

 I'm not usually a bad sleeper, but tonight I just couldn't sleep properly. The reason was obvious. It wasn't because of the coffee I had earlier in the day. It was because of that comment I got on the manga I posted last night.

"WHO?"

 An editor once said the same thing to me.

"Is this AI? No, modern AI is much better."

 These were the words of the editor of the boys' magazine I admired most.

 It lacked soul. It didn't stir the heart. He criticized my manga with incredibly cheesy and abstract words. In this modern age, where drawing manga is no longer a human privilege, he passionately argued that if there was one thing humans could do to surpass AI, it was to pour their soul into it.

 In short, my manga was empty and superficial, and did not go beyond imitating those of my predecessors. What do I want to convey? Who do I want to reach? Why do I draw manga? The editor pressed me hard on these questions, but I, who only wanted to be a manga artist, couldn't answer. Now, manga drawn by AI has reached a level that is quite skillful and reasonably interesting. It was an incident that made me realize that the manga I draw will be worthless in the coming era.

"AI?" Just three letters, but three letters that are more than enough to remind me of that day. When I close my eyes, the editor's face pops into my mind, and I can't fall asleep properly.

"No good,"

 I finally said, and sat up. I realized that three hours had passed since I got into bed, and it was past 8:30.

 At times like these, it's better to get moving.

 I grabbed my sketchbook and left the house.

   ........

 Since childhood, I've had a habit of drawing whenever something unpleasant happened. As I mindlessly moved my hands, the unease in my chest seemed to melt away onto the paper. I

 usually draw my comics digitally, but in times like these, analog drawing, a one-shot deal, is better because it doesn't require any extra thinking. The tote bag I clutched tightly contained only a set of pencils and paints.

 I walked along the same coastal road I always take to the library, searching for a subject to draw. The sound of the waves, the smell of the sea. Just those things made me feel much more at ease.

 Suddenly, I noticed a strange sound mixed in with the cries of the seagulls, and I stopped walking. Buoooooooo, buoooooooo, it was a loud, jarring sound, like a poorly made conch horn, not a horn at all. It seemed to be the sound of some living creature, and I could hear various variations, from short 'buh, buh, buh, buh' sounds to slightly higher-pitched 'bueeh, bueehh' sounds. Come

 to think of it, donkeys might sound like that, I remembered, and I looked around. Pet donkeys are rare, but if there was someone nearby with a donkey, I thought I'd like to draw it.

 However, when I turned my gaze towards the sea, I saw something unexpected.

"Huh?"

 What is that?

 A completely black figure standing upright like a human. But it was much shorter than a human, with smooth, sloping shoulders, giving it a mascot-like silhouette. It

 shook its body like a wet dog. Then it suddenly turned towards me, and I was able to see it clearly.

 Its back was solid black, but its belly had a white base. Its face was black, like a plague mask, and it had an oval-shaped band across its belly, with speckles like salt and pepper.

"It's a penguin."

 It was a penguin, just like the ones you often see in aquariums. The penguin pointed its beak towards the sky and made that strange sound I'd heard earlier: "Buoooo, buoooo." So that donkey-like sound was a penguin's cry?

"No, why?"

 There shouldn't be any wild penguins in this country. The nearest aquarium is in the next prefecture. Is it someone's pet? Can you keep penguins as pets? Or am I hallucinating?

 Suddenly, the penguin started running. I instinctively followed. I didn't know why I was chasing the penguin, but I was doing it on impulse.

 The penguin skillfully used its short legs to climb the embankment and ran west along the coastal road. It wasn't particularly fast, but it was a long distance, so it would take some time to catch up.

 Westward, westward. Running, running.

 Just as the penguin's back was about ten meters ahead, it suddenly vanished. It was right in front of the Shiokaze Library.

"Ah,"

 I finally remembered. That rumor about the library.

   .......

 As I rushed into the shop, the owner's eyes widened when he saw my face.

"Hajime-chan. It's unusual to see you here so early."

 I widened my eyes as well, seeing the owner interacting with the penguin so naturally.

"Why is a penguin borrowing books?"

 The penguin had just placed the book it was holding in its beak on the counter.

"I told you so. A penguin comes every Monday morning at nine."

"You're kidding."

 I had completely forgotten what I had heard just yesterday, because I had dismissed it as something the owner had made up. Or rather, I think it would be crazy to believe it. It's not like a dolphin suddenly appearing in the river or anything like that. Such an unbelievable situation was now unfolding before my eyes.

"I've told you this many times already, but you can't borrow any new books until you return the ones you've checked out."

 However, the owner continued to interact with the penguin as if he were used to it. The penguin bleated, as if trying to tell me something.

"What? This is your first time here? Another transparent lie. There's no way so many penguins would come here."

"Boo! Boo!"

 The penguin flapped its wings. For some reason, the master understood the penguin's words as if they were obvious.

"Even if you say that, I can't tell penguins apart."

"Boo, boo, booo!"

"What, you want me to look at the color of the bracelet?"

 Following his lead, the master saw that blue bands were attached to the base of both of the penguin's wings.

"Oh, this is the first time I've seen blue ones. Weren't they red last week?"

"Boo, boo."

"Well, I can change the bracelet as much as I want."

"Boooo! Boooo!"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" The master finally gave in. "I'll lend it to you for today because of your cunning. But there won't be a next time. No matter what you do with the bracelet, I won't lend you a new book until you return everything I've lent you now."

 Boo! Boo! With a slightly displeased look on his face, Penguin took the book from the master, skillfully tucked it under his arm, and rushed out of the library.

 I stood there stunned, staring at the door Penguin had just left through, when I was startled back to reality when I heard, "So, what happened to Hajime-chan?"

"Oh, he ordered coffee? Maybe he liked it?"

"No, that's not it. What was that just now?"

"What do you mean? You don't know Penguin? Well, I guess there are kids like that. The aquarium in the neighborhood closed down, after all."

"No, that's not it." It was the master's bad habit to just jump into the conversation. "Why Penguin?"

"I don't know why, but he's been a regular for years now. Thanks to him, I can understand most of what he's saying."

"You lend books to Penguin?"

"Well, he's a customer

, after all." "Where is he from?" "

I don't know. We don't ask for addresses when users register."

"Doesn't that bother you?!"

 I blurted out. However, the master remained completely unfazed by my sudden outburst and stared intently at my face.

"Are you curious?"

"Huh?"

"Are you curious?"

"No, not really."

"If you're curious, then go and check it out. I'm sure you can still catch up."

"No, I..."

" You," 　the master suddenly called me by my name in a formal tone. "You tend to overthink things a little. I think you should face your impulses more directly." 　When I looked at the master's face, he had a calm smile that seemed to see right through me. 　Without replying, I ran out of the shop.Creationbeginning

  ..........

 Looking left and right, I quickly spotted the penguin. I ran eastward, retracing my steps. Eventually, I passed the road leading home, but the penguin continued running straight ahead. I was already close enough to catch up if I wanted to, but I didn't want to startle the penguin, so I followed from a little distance. From there, a slightly brisk walking pace was enough to keep up.

 And so, I walked for about an hour. I walked straight ahead and finally arrived at a dilapidated facility that looked like a ruin.

"This place,"

 I remembered coming here several times when I was a child. I think it closed down about five years ago. The walls were faded and dirty, and the metal exposed to the sea breeze was rusted and decaying. There was no trace of its former bustling activity, but there was no mistaking it.

 This was once the only aquarium in this town.

 This aquarium was a fairly popular and large facility. Yet it went bankrupt because the management was incompetent and malicious. After the bankruptcy, there was no one to take over the business, no one to buy the land, and the building was left abandoned without even being demolished. And the animals, which were the most important part, were not properly cared for, and I heard that most of them were abandoned and starved to death.

 This penguin.

 I wondered.

 What is this penguin? Is it a survivor of the aquarium? Was it not all wiped out?

"Do you live here?"

 The penguin did not answer, but with cheerful pattering footsteps, it moved to the back of the building. I hurried after it.

 Leaving the parking lot and proceeding down a passageway leading to a secluded corner, a door appeared with the words "No Entry for Unauthorized Personnel" written on it. A penguin lightly pushed it with its beak, and the door opened easily. Forgetting any hesitation, I followed the penguin and stepped through the door.

 As we continued down the narrow passageway, the penguin, which had been walking with a pleasant, rhythmic waddling sound, suddenly stopped. When I caught up to it, the view suddenly opened up.

 In front of me was a gray rocky area, in the distance a blue pool, and further beyond an artificial fence, beyond which was probably the area where people were supposed to be.

 This was the penguin enclosure of the aquarium.

"Woooo! Woooo!"

 The penguins at my feet began to croak loudly. Suddenly, all the penguins in the enclosure began to gather.

 The first to arrive was the one wearing a red bracelet. Perhaps it was borrowed from the master, as I looked closely and saw that this one, too, was carrying a book under its arm.

 No. What is this sight? And it's not just this penguin. There must be nearly twenty of them, and every single one that came running over was holding a book. They were all making those noisy, slightly goofy noises, as if they were celebrating the arrival of a new book.

 What the hell? What is this?

 At that moment, I felt like I understood everything.

 These are the souls of penguins that once lived in this aquarium, only to be abandoned and lose their lives. They don't know they're dead, and bored with the days when no visitors came, they learned to read books for entertainment.

 Ah, I see. The reason they always visit the library on Mondays is because the aquarium is closed. They can't go to the library on holidays because the closing days shift, meaning they still remember the opening days and believe that one day visitors will come again. Even

 though no one will come anymore. You were abandoned.

 Before I knew it, I was sitting on the ground. I opened my sketchbook and emptied the art supplies from my tote bag. Without even wiping away the tears from my cheeks, I began to paint. I

 felt pity. I wanted to save him.

 Draw, draw, draw, draw.

 A story about returning penguins, still bound to the earth even after death, to the sky.

   .........

 Once upon a time, on a distant planet in the vast universe, a fierce conflict raged. The flames of war scorched the land, dried up the seas, and burned the sky, leaving all living things without a place to live.

 However, there was one survivor.

 They were those who possessed the power to fly. Encouraged by their flightless companions, they tearfully bid farewell to their homeland and soared into the sky with all their might.

 Despite being wounded by the sparks flying down on them, they flapped their wings with all their might. And finally, they reached the ocean of space.

 It was a vast and lonely world.

 With nowhere to go, they were at a loss as to what to do next.

 It was then that a beautiful blue star suddenly appeared before their eyes. It was a star they had coincidentally crossed paths with countless years into the past.

 Believing this miraculous encounter to be destiny, they decided to descend to that star.

 Having started their new life on their new planet, they never attempted to fly. They could not forget that a fierce conflict continued far beyond the blue sky.

 They would only cry out to the sky, "Buoo, buoo," thinking of their companions left behind on their home planet.

 They feared the sky and chose the sea instead. The sea provided abundant food, and they never lacked for sustenance. And so, over generations, they forgot that they could fly.

 But they hadn't forgotten how to fly. They flew freely through the sea as if swimming in the sky.

 Many years into the future, they came to be called "penguins."

 Flightless birds, penguins. That's what everyone thought. Even they themselves thought so. Their fear of the sky had, over generations, transformed into a longing for it.

 The feelings contained in their "buoo, buoo" sounds had surely changed as well. But even so, the penguins continued to croak. Buoo, buoo.

 Then one day, something strange happened. There was a response from the sky to the penguins' groaning, groaning. Groan, groan.

 Groan, groan.

 It was unmistakably coming from the sky.

 At that moment, the penguins remembered everything. About their homeland, which they could never have known. About the friends they had left behind. About the fact that they could fly.

 The penguins flapped their wings vigorously, making loud noises like "wooo, wooo." Gradually, their feet lifted into the air, their wings caught the air, and their bodies began to float.

 The penguins were flying through the sky.

 They were swimming freely through the air, as if flying through the ocean.

 And so the penguins flapped their wings with all their might and flew off into space.

 Over the course of many eons, they returned to their home planet, where they had once again crossed paths.

   .........

 I heard a flapping sound that resembled applause, and I looked up.

 I saw the penguins, who had been listening intently to my clumsy picture story, flapping their wings violently.

"Haha, did you like it

 ?" I laughed, and the penguins let out a loud roar!

 It was right after that.

 The penguins' bodies floated gently into the air.

 For a moment, they seemed confused, but they quickly got the hang of it and began to swim through the air effortlessly and freely.

 It flew.

 The penguin flew.

"Hahaha,"

 I was laughing and crying at the same time. Penguins really did fly.

 That's right. There's nothing holding you back anymore. If you want to, you can even fly.

"Hey!" I shouted towards the sky. "Go wherever you want! Make sure you find peace in the afterlife! Next time, be born in a place with even more freedom!"

 I waved my hands so hard I thought they might break off. The penguins seemed to respond with a whoosh, whoosh.

   ......

 The penguin commotion that day felt so unreal that I sometimes wonder if it was all a dream. But whenever I open my sketchbook, the story of the penguins I drew is always there.

 I drew it in a hurry, so the script is rough and the drawings are terrible. But for some reason, every time I look back at this sketchbook, I feel a sense of relief.

 On Tuesday, the day after the holiday, I woke up in the early afternoon as usual and headed to the Shiokaze Library.

 I walked along the road by the sea, drawn in by the aroma of coffee, and opened the entrance door.

 But what I saw there was anything but the usual sight. I wanted to scream, but no sound came out.

"Ah, Hajime-chan. You finally made it," the master greeted me with a slightly weary smile.

"Huh? What? What is this?" I was gaping, not understanding what was going on.

"Everyone's been waiting for you."

"Me? What? Why? What is this?"

 I had absolutely no idea. Because the lending counter was crammed with more than just penguins.

 Polar bears, sea lions, otters, and was that huge one a Steller sea lion? In any case, there were tons of aquarium animals that looked like they could walk on land. Leading the pack was that penguin with the blue bracelet. " So you hadn't found peace yet?"

"Well, I don't really know either, but this little penguin wants to introduce you to its friends."

"Huh? Why? Ah, wait, stop!"

 At that moment, I was tackled from behind, and my body was suspended in the air. Before I knew it, I was being spun around like a beach ball in front of a sea lion's nose.

"Wait! Stop! Let me down!"

 The sea creatures then left the shop, and I was carried away to the aquarium.

   .....

 There was a strange rumor about that library. Apparently, if you went there, you could meet a young man who would write our story.

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