Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume1 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 3===

A few hours had passed since Fear was left alone in the house. She quickly lost interest in watching television.

"Phew, I have nothing else to do... ."

It was the same thing that she said yesterday. A thought suddenly came into her mind. If she was bored inside the house, She should go outside.
She wore the sandals that were left on the porch and walked around the garden.

"...Boring."  

Fear walked around the outside of the house a few times, making a wry face. The accessory dwelling where Konoha was staying came into her view. The storeroom on the ground floor was closed behind a silver shutter. She thought that it was a garage or something. Her eyes went up to the second floor window, and she remembered what happened this morning.

"Er what can I say...Isn't Haruaki favoring that Cow Tits a bit too much? That shameless brat...I also don't like the fact that Cow Tits gets her own proper room while I have none. Talk about being unfair. Doesn't he even think that I also have things that I wanted to do? He always say 'Don't do this' and 'Don't do that'..."

She mumbled complaints and started to walk back toward the main house—but stopped.

"Oh yeah, he didn't say that I shouldn't do THAT. Hmm, I suppose there's no problem with me doing THAT so he didn't mention anything about it. Yes, it must be so."

Fear nodded to herself. But, there was one little problem. 

"So, what should I do now...?"

Fear looked up at the sky and tried to think about what she had to do. The next moment, she realized that the answer was simple. She grinned.

She looked up again at the outer building. There she saw the vast sky...and the little window on the second floor of the outer building, peeking from the corner of her eyes.
  




Taizou came back from his trip to the nearest vending machine to buy their drinks since he lost in the rock-scissors-paper game. But, he came back empty handed, shadowed by his dark expression. Haruaki who was having his lunch with the usual members looked up to ask Taizou what happened.

"Is there a problem, Taizou?"

"Hey, Haruaki... I know it's not good. But I can't help myself—I know that this line is too clichéd to use nowadays...But, I just have to say it! Tell me, Haruaki, can
I say the words that are meant to be said in a situation like this?!"

"W-What are you saying...?"

Haruaki sent Taizou a blank stare. Suddenly, Taizou grabbed Haruaki by his neck.

"Why! Is it! Always you!"

"Argh, Ergh?! What do you think you're doing, idiot! Tell me what happened!"

"Ask that to yourself, Bastard! Aren't you content with Konoha-san?!"

"I'm telling you, I don't know what you're talking ab—ooooooooogh!"

"Eeew! Gross!"

"Hey, Yachi! Something came out from your mouth!"

Haruaki forgot to apologize to Kana and Kirika. He couldn't believe what he was seeing right at that moment.
It was—a silver-haired head peeking out from the room's rear door.

"Hey you over there! Didn't you say you'll tell me where...Ah, so there you are."

Fear approached him with a self-possessed calm. For some reason, she was wearing a school uniform.

"Hehehe. I came here just as you wished, Haruaki."

Fear held her head high and told Haruaki triumphantly—When the atmosphere in the classroom became tense.

"Fear?! What are you doing here?!"

"You're asking me why I'm here. Well, you didn't say that I shouldn't go out or shouldn't come here. So, that means I can go to any place I want to." 

"I didn't tell you anything because I thought that it was obviou—argh!"

Kana who was sitting beside Haruaki grabbed his head and pressed it against his lunch box. Kana used that as a force to stand up, her eyes shining bright with interest.
She went beside Fear and started hugging her.

"Wow! She's so beautiful! How cute!"

"Er, woman. Stop touching me."

"Oh, I love how you speak! So, your name's Fear, huh? Where did you come from? What kind of relationship do you have with Akki...uh, I mean, Haruaki-kun?"

[[Image:C3 01-065.jpg|thumb]]
"What kind of relationship, you say... I wonder too. Basically, I live in his house."

"Are-you-two-living-together?!"

"My old man! I mean, she's the daughter of my old man's friend that he made abroad! That's why I have to take care of her in place of my old man!"

"Hmm... So you two are staying in the same house. Looks like...there are some things that need to be confirmed. As the class representative, of course."

Kirika stood up with strange vigor. Soon, all the other people in the class started to gather around them.
Haruaki slumped his shoulders in defeat. He just gave Fear a look that said she better not say anything unnecessary. Fear just nodded.
It seemed that people around them thought that Fear was a girl who came from abroad visiting the school because she had nothing much to do.
Needless to say, news about Fear quickly spread outside Haruaki's class.  

"H-Hey?!"

Haruaki looked at the direction where that voice came from and saw pale-faced Konoha staring at Fear.
She must have been on her way back to her homeroom from the snack shop since she was carrying a handful of sandwiches. 

"Why is she...?"

"She came here by herself. I'm going to pass out now. I'll leave the rest to you, Konoha..."

"What do you want me to do?!"

The moment Konoha entered the room, a boy left the circle forming around Fear. It was Taizou who changed his attitude as he saw Konoha coming to their room. 

"K-Konoha-san! W-Welcome to our room! Our room's kind of sordid since half of us are guys but I hope you won't mind! So, what can I do for you?"

Konoha answered his question with a polite smile. 
An idea came to her mind.

"Um, I was planning to have my lunch with Haruaki-kun... and since there's also Fear-san, I would have liked to eat with her too but as you can see, there are too many people so..."

Taizou moved to break the circle surrounding Fear just as Konoha expected him to. 
He ignored all the boo-ings coming from the crowd and proceeded to send them away. 
Konoha smiled her thanks and Taizou turned back, making a guts pose. Haruaki thought that he's a type who'd be tricked by a woman in the future.

"Hm—Oh, it's you. You needn't have come here."

Konoha moved her lips without making a sound. She said, "You're the one who shouldn't have come".

"Come on, get some more tables. Two more."

"Ah, hey Taizou, we're not..."

"Huh? You guys aren't gonna eat with us? Is there going to be a problem if Kana and I are present?"

"A lunch, is it? Sounds good to me. I found a lunch box back at the house so I stuffed some food in it."

Fear answered without any pretense. It would sound strange now to insist that they were not going to have lunch with them. 
But, if that was the case, Haruaki needed to remind Fear of some important things before they proceed to have lunch together.

"I'm gonna buy some drinks for us while we give her a tour of the school. C'mon Konoha, let's go."

"Yes, I am coming now. Excuse me, could you please hold these for me?"

Konoha handed Taizou the three pork cutlet sandwiches that she was holding, then started to follow Haruaki. 
Stares directed at Fear kept coming even when they were passing through the corridor—but, that can be ignored for now.

"You there, what were you thinking coming here all of a sudden?"

"Huh? I've already told you that I came here because you didn't say that I can't come here, haven't I? Well, there's also the fact that I didn't have anything to do at the house. Besides, it'd be unfair if this woman can attend school while I have to stay at home."

"It is not as though I started attending school right after I became human..."

"Really...I should have told you clearly that you can't go out yet, since you still lack a lot of common knowledge."

"Why you! Didn't you hear earlier that I was having a normal conversation with the people in your class?"

"I'm sorry to inform you that I almost had a heart attack while you were talking to them since I was afraid that you'd say something that you shouldn't. Let's just leave that topic. What's important now is that you should maintain the backstory that you don't know much about Japan since you just came here. If there was a question that you don't know how to answer, just shut up, smile, and shake your head. That's the Japanese way of solving problems."

Haruaki bought some drinks at the vending machine in front of the shoe lockers. Fear observed Haruaki, seeing something unusual for her. 
Konoha spoke to Fear while she was busy checking the vending machine.

"I was wondering since you came here... Where did you get the uniform you are wearing?"

"It's obvious whose uniform this is. The hip and bust measurements are too big and wide for me. You should lose weight."

"Y-You dared to trespass into my room?! Have you no sense of right and wrong!?"

Konoha drew her face near Fear's and glared. Fear simply bent her mouth into a cool smile.

"Oh...So you think you can say that to me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Listen, Haruaki, I found this really ugly underwear in her top drawer and—"

"No! No! No! I was not quite myself when I bought that!"

"What are you two fussing about? We should go back now. I already bought the drinks."

Haruaki started to walk, and looked down at Fear.

"I heard part of your conversation... You should know that entering other people's rooms without permission is very rude."

"Hmph, it can't be helped. I at least know that one can't enter school without wearing a uniform. Besides, I was able to come here because I asked people for directions to the school by using this uniform." 

"Why didn't you give up in the first place when you didn't have a uniform...?"

"By the way, how did you enter my room? I locked the door properly."

"...? What do you mean? I just entered by the window like anyone else would."

"How odd. I remember locking the window too... Wait. N-No way?!"

Fear made a "V" sign with her hand towards Konoha, who froze up in outrage.

"That's right. I broke it."

Konoha staggered as though having a dizzy spell, feeling all strength drained from her body. Haruaki let out a soul-escaping sigh. He didn't want to think about who was going to pay to repair the glass.

"...Damn. I can't take any more of this. You wear me out. Hey Fear, go back to home when you're done eating. I don't know what the teachers would say if they happen to see you."

"Hmm. I still wanted to see this 'lecture' thing. Can't I stay?"

"Of course, you can't!"

While they were having an argument, Kirika appeared from the opposite side of the corridor, walking towards them.

"Oh, it's you, Class Rep. Where have you been?"

"I just went to the staff room. Be glad to hear this, Yachi, and you too, Fear-kun."

Staff room. That word sent a bad feeling nagging at his gut. That bad feeling hit right at its mark.

"I negotiated with the teachers and consquently, our foreign visitor here was granted special permission to participate in the afternoon classes. No need for gratitude, by the way. I just did what I can do as a class representative. Besides, we don't have many chances for cultural interchange activities. It would be a good experience for all of us."

''Mind your own business!'' Haruaki wanted to roar angrily but suppressed himself. Kirika continued to speak with narrowed eyes.

"With that, I'll get more time to converse with Fear-kun. There are certain matters that still need to be confirmed—Such as the fact that although you're already living together with Konoha-kun, your cousin, in this case, you are now living as a high school boy with a young girl who has no family ties to you... Who knows if there was a mistake in arrangements somewhere...?!"

Judging from her sharp gaze, Haruaki could tell that she undoubtedly considered him to be the heart of the problem.

(Ohh damn, from where should I start complaining?)

In the end, Haruaki just slumped his shoulders and gave up all resistance. 

It was clear that none of his complaints were going to be heard after all. At least, he knew that much.

"I didn't get much of your conversations, but does that mean that I could participate in the lecture? Kirika, was it? You're a nice person!"

One of the reasons why Haruaki gave up complaining was the fact that Fear looked happier than he expected.