I asked how humans were perceived in this world.
The sun had set, so I decided it was time to sleep. I would be leaving this settlement tomorrow. My next plan was to go meet the Kinnara and thank them. It was a shame to leave, but I couldn’t stay forever.
Just as everyone else was falling asleep, Veronica woke up and started smoking her usual cigarette near the dying bonfire. I had become worried about this habit of hers lately. It wasn’t that it was particularly bad, but she smoked it without a care, even with other people sleeping nearby.
I wished she would stop if possible… Maybe I was spacing out because she turned her gaze toward me.
“What? Is there something you want to say?”
“Ah, no, not really.”
Veronica snorted and extinguished the butt of her cigarette with her foot.
“Um, hey, about that cigarette…”
Seeing how hesitant I was, she narrowed one eye, looking grumpy, and offered me the cigarette she was holding.
“No, that’s not what I mean.”
“Then what is it? Speak clearly.”
As she started to get irritated, I made up my mind and decided to warn her.
“Um, I don’t really want you to smoke so much where everyone is, you know, Piyo and Pauline are here too.”
“Huh? What did you say? Why?”
As expected, she became even grumpier and crushed the cigarette in her mouth. Even though I was talking to an ally, my throat felt as dry as if I were in a pinch.
“No, no, it’s fine if you smoke, but you know, secondhand smoke, the smoke isn’t very good for your body. I’d prefer if you smoked somewhere farther away.”
She looked at me as if asking, “What is this guy talking about?” That made sense. Even in my previous world, it was only recently that people started making a fuss about cigarettes being harmful. Apparently, in the past, people used to smoke everywhere, at stations and on the roads. Thinking about it, people in this world, including her, still didn’t know.
“So, are you telling me to go over there?”
“Um, not exactly, I just want the smoke not to go toward everyone. Also, please don’t throw your cigarette butts on the ground, it’s dirty, isn’t it?”
Veronica looked unconvinced, but perhaps because I was nagging her, she stood up.
“Haaah, fine, fine. Tsk, what a pain.”
Muttering curses, she picked up a nearby bottle, emptied its contents, and put her cigarette butt inside.
