A Florist Under a Snake’s Gaze (1)

…

Nagi? What are you up to, standing as still as a statue in a place like this?

Shhh… keep it down a little.

Don’t come any closer either.

I’m bracing myself for death at the moment.

Hm? And why is that?

Hiss… hisssss…~

Oh, it looks like we have quite the beauty hidden in the darkness here.

Yeah… those glowing eyes.

It has to be a sign that it’ll strike at the slightest movement…

After being caught under this snake’s gaze, there is only one thing a humble florist on his way back from a delivery could do when he’s on death’s door…

And that’s picking the best way to die.

“The best way to die”?

Interesting. Those are pretty bold words coming from said humble florist.

What kind of death did you decide on?

For starters, snakes have poisonous fangs.

So getting bit and dying from the poison is an option.

But poison would take a long time to spread through my body, so it’ll be long and painful.

The same would go for something like aconite¹. So, I’d like to avoid that option if I can.

Is that so?

There’s also being swallowed whole, but that would be painful and it would take too long for me to be digested.

It’d be like how pitcher plants work.

True, but it doesn’t look big enough to manage something like that.

Well then, the only option left would be for it to wrap around my neck and suffocate m–

Hm? Oh, it’s you, Kuguri-san.

You’re only now realizing?

Sorry, I was in such a panic I didn’t notice you.

That’s a rather interesting way to panic.

Nevermind that, is this snake really so vicious?

Hisssss…!

Oh, if you get any closer, it’ll–