Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume10 Epilogue (section)

===Part 2===

On that day, early in the morning before the sun had risen completely, Konoha tiptoed her way across the corridor in the Yachi residence. Stepping cautiously, she finally reached her destination&mdash;in front of the door to ''his'' room.

Gingerly, she looked all around and took a deep breath. Then with a forceful nod that went "yes!", she slid open the paper door. Even though she did so with great gusto, Konoha still carefully paid attention to the sound when opening and closing the paper door.

This was his room. For a room belonging to a teenaged boy, this could be considered quite neat and tidy. The same sight as usual, yet carrying a different atmosphere from normal&mdash;His room. Lying in the futon laid out in the center of the room, he was giving off steady breathing noises. In this tiny room, there was only herself and the sounds of his breathing. This was a sight that made her feel very comfortable and happy.

Konoha gently knelt down by the futon to observe his sleeping face. So cute.

An impulse surged from the depths of her heart, almost driving her mad.

Surging from the heart of her, the one who was lying.

The memories of that day were awakened, accompanied by pain. Ahhh, on that day, she had intentionally lifted the seal of the lie buried deep inside her, lifted the self-hypnosis that caused her to fear the sight of blood, immobilized whenever she saw blood. Several times in the past during crises, she had surmounted that layer of restraint through momentary force of vigor. However, lifting the restraint itself was the very first time.

It could not be helped. Had she not done so, she would have been unable to protect him. But was it right? Did she do the wrong thing? She did not know.

Right now, she wanted to apply that self-hypnosis on herself again. However, that layer of restraint that had taken effect until now, was a lie that approached truth infinitely, having been carefully crafted and built up over the years, finally reaching completion. So true that even Konoha herself forgot about the fact under normal conditions.

Once lifted, returning to past levels would require spending some time on it. Currently, flaws and openings existed. Currently, her existence was equally dangerous as that cube of torture and execution&mdash;

The lie of the past, the lie of the present, should she inform him? To be honest, she was very afraid. At the time, perhaps her mind was not quite stable due to the effects of the mind-controlling tool's curse. Once the chance was lost, she was going to flounder helplessly henceforth.

Konoha reached out to caress his cheek in his sleep. How warm, it invited tender affection.

The depths of her body ached. If she could simply steal his lips like this... If she could simply enter his futon like this, using this body of hers to accept his all... If she could be embraced by these arms of his, to experience his warmth forever and ever&mdash;What bliss that would truly be.

Desired. Desired. She... desired him... so much&mdash;

Konoha suppressed this impulse while gently tracing the outline of his face.

(Hey, Haruaki-kun... I am actually... this sort of scary woman. A woman who could go mad any time. If... I unreservedly... confess everything to you&mdash;Haruaki-kun, how will... you answer me...?)

Just at this moment&mdash;

"Mmm... Hmm...?"

He woke up. Konoha withdrew her hand from his face as though nothing had happened and smiled tenderly. Her usual self. Right here was her usual self. She should maintain this always.

"Konoha...?"

"Good morning, Haruaki-kun. Sorry for waking you up."

"Yawn... No, I should be getting up around now, so it's fine. What's up?"

Haruaki sleepily glanced at the clock by his pillow to confirm the time then tapped the top of his alarm clock, sluggishly switching off the alarm. After he sat up, Konoha lightly presented to him the small box that she had been holding.

"Uh... This isn't anything particularly important... Umm... Today... isn't it that, you see? So... I just wanted to... give this to you."

"Hmm? Oh... Could this be chocolate...?"

Konoha nodded repeatedly. It was the chocolate she had made by hand personally, secretly made in the kitchen with the lights off in the middle of last night. If someone had happened to get up to go to the washroom, they would probably have witnessed the sight of a suspicious figure stirring a pot like a witch, relying on nothing more than the light from the gas stove's flame. Due to success beyond expectation, she apparently giggled secretly to herself a number of times... Even she found herself quite frightful. Luckily, no one saw her.

Haruaki blinked repeatedly quite a few times, finally scratching his face shyly, he took the box of chocolate.

"Thank you, Konoha. I'm so happy. But why so early in the morning?"

"S-Sorry. Umm... That's... because you will surely receive a lot of chocolate today, Haruaki-kun, so I was thinking I'd like to give it to you earlier than anyone else at least... Umm... Basically something like that..."

She stammered and murmured. Perhaps too quiet for Haruaki to hear, he tilted his head in puzzlement.

It was fine even if he did not catch it. After all, saying it again would be too embarrassing. "Anyway, it was involuntary, involuntary, okay!? Since I wanted to make breakfast today with great gusto, so I made this for you in the process as though to wake you up!" Reflexively, she glossed over things.

"O-Oh okay. Then I'll hurry to get dressed and head over&mdash;By the way, I'll say this again. Umm, thank you."

Haruaki lifted up the box of chocolate and spoke. Konoha replied with a smile and left the room. Sliding the paper door shut, she paused without moving for a few seconds. Coming from the room were sounds of him undressing and getting changed.

She had definitely handed the chocolate to him. He was very happy. Chocolate that was handed over earlier than anyone else would definitely be very special.

What needed to be done was done. But by this point, only then did she begin to realize: Would it be better if I was more proactive? Like giving him chocolate in a different manner, surprising him more, to let him know her feelings, then have all sorts of happy things happening. Such as... Such as&mdash;

"...Smearing chocolate on my body, then approaching and asking him to eat it... Something like that...?"

She could not help but murmur the image surfacing in her mind. After a second's delay, she was greatly shocked. Truly too indecent. Truly too perverted. What the heck was she thinking!?

Konoha rubbed her reddened cheeks and skipped her way to the kitchen to prepare a happy breakfast with him together.