30: A Growing Doubt

“Sorry, Rena! I didn’t mean to worry you!”

Tom pressed his hands together and looked at her with apologetic eyes—eyes that looked exactly like the Tom she knew.
His voice was normal, not raspy like before, and there were no signs of tension in his expression.
Still cautious, Rena responded as if trying to confirm what she was seeing.

“Are you really okay?
When I was pulled into the picture book… I saw you change.
I thought maybe it… took over you.”

“I’m fine now. Just a bit of a headache, that’s all.
Anyway, did you find the person you were looking for?”

“Actually… no. It wasn’t who I thought.
It was a little girl. Look—she’s soaking wet, can you see?”

“Huh? A girl? There’s no one here but you.”

“What? I mean this girl, right here! She’s standing—”

But Tom didn’t seem to see her.

“You sure you’re okay? Do you have a fever or something?”

He stepped closer and placed a cool hand gently on Rena’s cheek.
She flinched slightly, caught off guard by his sudden gesture.
And yet, the fact that he couldn’t see the girl dulled her sense of alarm—just enough to hesitate.

“Tom…?”

Rena looked away in embarrassment.
Then she noticed something strange at his feet.

“Tom… those white sneakers…
Did you imagine those too? Did you create them yourself?”

“Huh? My shoes? These are just my usual ones.
What do you mean, ‘create’?”

Her blood ran cold.
She dropped the phone from her trembling hand.
The green bumpy sandals she had made for Tom—
shoes she knew he’d been wearing—had been replaced by ordinary gym shoes.

And worse, his words didn’t line up with what she remembered.
Slowly, Rena placed her hands over his and gently pulled them away from her face, as if in prayer.

“I… I gave you those sandals, remember?
The ones with the cow print.
You were barefoot, so I gave them to you…
You didn’t like them?”

It was a trap—subtle, but intentional. She wanted to see if he would correct her.

“Oh, right, the cow sandals.
Yeah, uh… they moo when you walk, right?
Cute and all, but kind of embarrassing, you know? I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“…I see. That makes sense, right?”

Rena’s voice trembled.
Her suspicion had turned into certainty.

This wasn’t Tom.
Her hands began to shake.

“Rena? What’s wrong?
You’re trembling. Don’t be scared.
I’m here. I’ll protect you.
This time, I won’t let go.”

“You’re hurting me, Tom…
Please… stop…”

Tom’s grip on her hands tightened.
Tears welled in Rena’s eyes as she shook her head.
This wasn’t right.

Suddenly—

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

The girl beside Rena screamed.
The shrill cry startled both Rena and Tom, freezing them in place.
Then, for the first time, Tom seemed to notice the girl.
He turned his gaze toward her—eyes filled with contempt, as if she were a nuisance.

“Barefoot Tom!
You slipped on a banana!
Skip your turn!”

With her unexpected declaration, Tom’s sneakers flew off his feet as if pulled by magic,
and he fell flat to the ground, completely barefoot.