Izumi looked to the left and right, closing the curtains of his room in fear of being seen from the neighboring building.
"Tell me, what are you?" Izumi asked, pity evident on his face.
"T..i..r..e..d" the right hand replied, beginning to dissolve in order to return to the normal shape of a right hand.
"Ah! Wait!!! Tell me! I have so many questions I need you to answer," Izumi pleaded with his right hand.
But it was of no use; it returned to its normal shape.
"Izumi, is something wrong? Your voice is loud," his mother said as she knocked on his door.
"Nothing to worry about, Mom. I'm just practicing for the play I'm going to perform," Izumi replied.
After a few moments, Izumi stepped out of his room and headed towards the table, where his father was reading the newspaper and his mother was serving him a dish.
"What's wrong with your right hand, Izumi?" his mother asked.
"Ah, what!!!" Izumi's eyes widened in alarm at his mother's words.
"You're eating with your left hand instead of your right; that's unusual for you," his mother noted.
"Uh, it feels kind of numb," he said, raising his right hand to eye level.
He quickly lowered it and tucked it under the table, fearing it might transform into that frightening and strange shape in front of his parents.
Izumi grabbed his backpack and headed towards the university, walking with his hands in his coat pockets, his head downcast. He couldn't bear to look at people, lost in thought and fearful of what might happen.
The student bus carrying Dekim arrived. He got off after all the students had disembarked, raising his eyes to spot Izumi on the opposite sidewalk. He let Izumi walk a few steps ahead before following him to surprise him. Dekim raised his hand to place it on Izumi's shoulder, but before he could even notice, Izumi's right hand moved unexpectedly, grasping Dekim's hand involuntarily.
"Ah, your right hand, how?" Dekim asked.
"Are you sure you didn't notice me? Is your right hand..." Dekim continued.
"Yes, and your hand!!!" Izumi replied, seeking an answer that would ease his mind; he didn't want to be the only one facing this mystery.
"Yes, the left hand," Dekim said.
Izumi felt a sense of relief upon realizing that Dekim was experiencing the same thing; he didn't want to be alone in this.
"What does it look like?" Izumi asked eagerly.
"It's rubbery; I don't know how far it can stretch. There's one eye in the middle of the palm, and just below it is a mouth with sharp, saw-like teeth. At the tips of the middle and ring fingers, there are two additional eyes with larger pupils. The tip of the index finger resembles a small hand with fully formed fingers, and the same goes for the pinky finger. As for the thumb, it's a sharp tool that looks very much like a sickle with a serrated edge."
"And your right hand?" Dekim asked.
"The same thing," Izumi replied, surprised.
"It's the insect, isn't it?" Dekim said.
"Yes, but how? So many questions are swirling in my mind; I need answers," Izumi said.
In the midst of their conversation, Murano and Satomi interrupted them.
"Hey, what are you talking about in hushed tones? Planning the ultimate cheat for the exam?" Satomi asked.
"Be careful, or we'll report you to the exam supervisor, ha ha ha," Murano joked.
Suddenly, Izumi's right hand moved towards Murano's chest, and before he realized it, the hand began to touch and press lightly against her breast.
"What the!!!" Izumi lowered his head to find his right hand exploring Murano's chest.
"This is just a misunderstanding!!! I'm sorry, sorry," he stammered, his cheeks turning red as he quickly pulled his hand back, gripping it with his left.
But Murano didn't take it well; she slapped Izumi across the face, sending his glasses flying, amidst Dekim's laughter.
"You idiot, how dare you!!!" Murano stormed off in anger, with Satomi following her.
"Tell me, how did it feel?" Dekim teased.
"You deserved that slap, ha ha ha, you harasser!" he added.
"Shut up, you fool, it's that damn hand," Izumi said, picking up his glasses.
In the classroom, everyone was ready for the regular session exam. Dekim and Izumi took their seats in a row facing the university administration, with Izumi in the front and Dekim behind him. The supervisor walked through the aisles to ensure quiet and the smooth progress of the exam.
After half an hour, Izumi's answer sheet remained blank. He was physically present in the room, but his mind was still with his right hand and what it had done to Murano, for whom he held feelings of admiration.
Dekim was fidgeting and glancing at the other students, as he, too, hadn't prepared well for the exam. This behavior displeased the supervisor, who warned him first and then a second time. But Dekim had a different plan—or rather, let's say his left hand did. It reached for his backpack to fetch some help and save him from the embarrassment of turning in a blank sheet.
The supervisor, standing at the back of the classroom, noticed Dekim's attempt to cheat and rushed over, grabbing his arm.
"Ha!" Dekim lifted his head, surprised to see the supervisor holding his arm, which had been attempting to pull something from the bag.
"Whatever you were trying to do, you know it's prohibited!" the supervisor said, bending down to Dekim's eye level.
"But... I'm not..." Dekim started, taken aback by his left hand's actions, unable to finish his sentence.
"Come on, out of the classroom..." the supervisor said, taking his exam paper away.
Dekim left the classroom, heading towards the university's baseball field, his thoughts in disarray, wondering about the fate of his left hand, which had started causing him trouble.
The exam period ended, and Izumi stepped out, looking for his friend to check on him and ask what had happened, knowing exactly where he might be.
Izumi spotted Dekim and sneaked up from behind, giving him a light tap on the back.
"What happened to you? Ha ha ha! It's my turn now!" Izumi said.
"I didn't mean for that to happen... It seems we're starting to lose control of things," Dekim replied.
"What worries me more is our inability to tell anyone. It sounds like a fantasy; who would believe us?" Dekim added.
"No one, they'll think we're crazy... Has your dad found out about the bag?" Izumi asked.
"Not yet. What do you think? How will he react when he finds out?" Dekim replied.
"One thing's for sure: the more important the bag is for his work, the stronger his reaction will be. I just hope it's not that significant," Izumi said.
"Let's head back to the classroom; you need to apologize to the exam supervisor," Izumi added.
As they made their way back, they encountered Murano and Satomi in the hallway. Izumi initiated the conversation, saying, "Murano, about this morning..."
But Murano hurried away without listening to what Izumi had to say.
"She's angry. There's no choice; out of friendship, I'll go apologize to her on your behalf," Satomi said.
"Really? Thank you," Izumi replied.
"By the way, where are you headed?" Satomi asked.
"We're going to the classroom; Dekim wants to apologize to the supervisor for what he did," Izumi answered.
"Oh, he left just a few moments ago," Satomi said.
"Are you two okay? You've been acting strangely all day," she added.
"Yeah, yeah, we're feeling a bit worn out," Izumi and Dekim replied in unison.
"We should talk to the administration and ask to leave early," Dekim suggested.