Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume2 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 3===

Classes were still in progress. In any case, they ought to sit down and reflect calmly first, so they went to the vending machines to buy cup-dispensed beverages near the shoe lockers. Smiling awkwardly, Shiraho confessed: "My purse is in a pinch right now." Hence Haruaki treated her as well. Then the three of them moved to a bench in the courtyard.

"Umm&mdash;Is this really okay?"

"I'd feel bad for us to be having beverages while you're left out. Consider it a sign of our friendship!"

"Ehehe, how embarrassing. Thank you."

"Besides, someone else is already freeloading on me anyway, so it's not much of an extra favor."

Haruaki cast a slanting glance at Fear whose face had become quite tense, seemingly vexed at letting Sovereignty escape. Sitting beside Haruaki, she spoke as she drank her juice:

"What!? If only I had money... Oh yeah, today when I was chatting with classmates, I learned about the concept of pocket money. I heard that everyone gets it from someone? Hand it over."

"What do you mean, hand it over? That's a really novel manner of requesting something. Anyway, it's too early for you."

He slapped her outreached hand with a smack. Fear snorted with displeasure and downed the rest of her juice with one pour of the cup. Watching this transpire, Shiraho could not help but chuckle.

Having ended the conversation, Haruaki stared blankly at the blue sky delineated by the straight outline of the school building.

He was pondering about the future. Regarding Sovereignty who had escaped as well as her declaration that she would continue absorbing life force within the school&mdash;even though he could not understand the meaning behind it, he was certain he could not allow her to proceed.

Haruaki recalled the male student who had fainted in the hallway. According to the school physician, the symptoms of the victims resembled malnutrition. All they needed was an IV drip and proper rest to recover eventually.

Eventually. Perhaps days or weeks later. Moreover, future victims might not be limited to the effects displayed today. In the worst case, students could be weakened to the point of death. Even if not to that extent, perhaps they would catch other illnesses as a result of their weakened condition&mdash;

Shiraho also seemed to be contemplating the future. Then she spoke quietly:

"So, uh&mdash;Haruaki-kun. Can I confirm something with you? I asked just now, but are you guys really not planning to destroy Sovereignty...?"

Haruaki had already explained about themselves while they were patrolling the school building. Regarding curses, the Yachi home, Fear and Konoha&mdash;as well as what happened during their search for the doll to return the superintendent's favor.

But simply searching for Sovereignty was troubling enough so Haruaki only covered the basics. Shiraho probably had more questions to ask, especially about the future fate of her friend.

"Of course. The superintendent only asked us to capture her and did not say anything about how to deal with her afterwards. Personally, the only thing I can't tolerate is her harming innocent people."

"Yes... That's definitely no good. I still can't believe it, why Sovereignty would do that kind of thing..."

"Naturally it's because of the curse? Even if we catch her, it's not like she can stop just because we tell her to."

Fear explained matter-of-factly.

"So... Suppose, I'm saying suppose, once Sovereignty is found, is there no choice but to keep her in Haruaki-kun's home to stop her from causing trouble to others? Haruaki-kun, curses don't affect  you, right?"

This was the root of the problem this time. If it were a curse that affected the "owner," then once Haruaki became the "owner" there would be no trouble for anyone. However, there existed extremely rare types of cursed tools that "indiscriminately affected everyone in the vicinity"&mdash;stones that brought discomfort to nearby people simply by existing, or dolls that wandered every night and attacked people&mdash;if this was the case, then changing owners would not work. After this was explained&mdash;

"Even if curses don't affect you, they will still affect others, right? Do you keep any of that type of tool in your house?"

"Yes, not many, but there are some of that type which have been sent to my home. In those cases... Pops keeps them in a special location, the storeroom in the depths of the basement. However..."

Haruaki sighed. Indeed, even if a curse targeted people nearby, harm could be minimized by locking the tool away in the basement&mdash;that said, it was not a solution Haruaki could agree with wholeheartedly.

"This is, however, the first time for me to encounter a tool with human form that bears that type of curse. I can't really bring myself to lock away for years in a basement a tool which has self-awareness and lives like a human&mdash;What's with that look, Fear?"

"S-Shut up, nothing! Hmph... If you actually did that, you'd really be in trouble..."

Muttering, Fear turned her face away, leaned back on the bench and closed her eyes.

"Fundamentally, we all wish to lift our curses. Take me for example&mdash;if the curse can be lifted without causing any trouble to others, even if it meant imprisonment, I'd make the sacrifice. But of course, I wouldn't be pleased about it."

Opening one eye, she glanced at Haruaki&mdash;

"On further thought, I think the problem is that the doll is not aware of the fact that 'there are ways to lift curses,' right? She is currently running away because she believes she will be locked up or destroyed once she is captured."

"Same here, before I learned about you guys, that's what I thought so too... So that must be what she believes."

Shiraho chattered softly as if talking to herself.

"In any case, she must go to Haruaki-kun's home in order to avoid causing trouble to others. So I must tell her this... Then only later on, I could ask her if she wishes to return to my place or not."

"You're really okay with that? Didn't you come to school for the purpose of bringing her home?"

Gazing into the distance, Shiraho answered with a smile:

"...Yes. My wish is just willfulness, and furthermore, harming innocent people is definitely unacceptable. So long as she returns to me after she has been purified of her troublesome curse, that is enough... Besides, it's not like we can't meet while her curse is being lifted, right?"

"Ah... Yes, though you'd only be able to make visits."

"Even so, if Sovereignty agrees then I will endure. Even if we cannot be together, my wish to be her friend does not change."

"I see."

Haruaki sipped coffee from his cup. From his standpoint, that of someone trying to bridge relations between humans and cursed tools, Shiraho's words were truly gratifying.

"I'm already clear on how you feel about that doll&mdash;but the most practical issue now is how she feels. Even if she refuses to return home because she is afraid of being destroyed, why would she come to school to absorb life force?"

"Dunno... I dunno, but I feel like... Even though I still see her as a friend, perhaps Sovereignty doesn't feel the same way... That's why she's doing that. Uh, in other words&mdash;"

Her voice was filled with sorrow.

"Perhaps she thinks... Humans betrayed her."



As if impatient with the resulting silence, the bell rang inside the school building. With the end of class signaled, the entire world changed with the noise and bustle of after school. From the courtyard, one could see through the windows students cheering up as they rushed out of the classrooms one after another.

Only in the courtyard did the serenity of class time linger. In a mere matter of minutes, that too was lost in the flow of time.

"Next time I see Sovereignty, I wish to apologize to her. Why Sovereignty refuses to come home... Is most likely because what my father did caused her to feel disappointed."

Fear and Haruaki waited silently for Shiraho to continue.

"We used to be friends... Or perhaps that was just my wishful thinking, but I still believe that was what she should have felt in the past. If she carries such an unbearable curse, yet she never absorbed my life force, doesn't that imply Sovereignty is being considerate for my sake and has been stopping herself from absorbing mine?"

"That's true. Maybe for a day or two, but she couldn't possibly have suppressed the curse for half a year. Perhaps in order to avoid harming you no matter what, she went out secretly at night."

"But then she was suddenly stuffed into a suitcase and sent to an unfamiliar location. Believing she was going to be abandoned or destroyed&mdash;it is possible she felt disappointed and was convinced that all humans, including me, had betrayed her."

"Disappointed... Eh?"

Fear repeated the word. Mentally, she asked herself.

&mdash;Do I feel disappointed in humans? Probably... Not.

Then...

&mdash;Did I ever feel disappointed in humans? In that instant, her mind became dominated by dark memories.

The castle lord's laughter. The smell of blood being called an appropriate perfume. Herself as a tool, wishing for what should not be wished. Listening to shouts that were not screams, a cube had no ears that could be covered. Fallen in a corner wishing to be picked up but no one extended a hand. Before she knew it, she had transformed from a lone object to a solitary person. Cold, dark, chilling. Ah... As she reached this cemetery of buried thoughts, only meaningless questions surfaced in her mind like tombstones.

Why was I created? Why was I cursed? Why was I abandoned?

&mdash;Whose fault is it?

(...This only belongs to the past, forget it!)

It was possible to forget. In her heart, there was one image sufficient to dispel this swathe of darkness.

A flashlight illuminating the dungeon, the one whose face she could still see, whose voice she could still hear, the one who was only affected by the curse known as the cold.

Indeed&mdash;at this current time and place, I do not feel disappointed.

I believe him.

That is enough.

"In the end, she must have decided humans were not worth caring about, which is why she's doing this... I don't understand why she insists in doing it at school, but&mdash;I want to tell her: 'Humans are not all like that. I'm sorry I was unable to stop my father. Please forgive me, for I am weak in many ways.' I want to apologize to her. Rather, I must apologize no matter what."

Shiraho's voice brought Fear back from her thoughts.

"Really? So ultimately, you just want to save her, right?"

"I don't have the power to help her. But because she is my friend, I must..."

Sovereignty Perfection Doll&mdash;the above-named doll was very disappointed in humans. Just like Fear's past self.

In that case, from that doll's perspective, this girl named Sakuramairi Shiraho was to her a similar existence as Haruaki and Honatsu was to Fear? People with the power to save cursed tools from their fates.

Hence&mdash;

"I promise you. I will find that doll for sure. I will capture her without damaging her and stop her from harming others. And the first I'll do is let you meet her&mdash;Don't worry. Just like the superintendent is client number one, you're client number two to me."

"...Right, that's our next step. You've summarized our direction, Fear. Surprisingly, good job!"

"Mmm! Surprisingly is redundant, dummy! Don't go patting my head so casually... Okay..."

Fear reflexively looked up to launch into a tirade, but the sight of Haruaki's expression stopped her impulse.

(This guy... Hmph! That's why he's such a shameless brat, seriously...)

Left with no choice, Fear averted her gaze to find Shiraho smile apologetically:

"Thank you, you two&mdash;I'm really sorry for causing so much trouble to you. I'll try to help as much as possible."

"So, a concrete strategy to capture that doll... Of course, I believe she will come again tomorrow so that opportunity must be seized, but we can't give up today yet. Whether or not she was telling truth when she said she'll only absorb life force within the school, it's best to catch her as soon as possible. Do you have any idea where she could be hiding outside of school?"

"Umm... Not really. She only told me before she didn't like crowds."

"That's understandable... Then we'll rule out the possibility of her wandering busy streets overnight or anything of that sort. Places requiring payment such as manga cafes, hotels or family restaurants&mdash;what we should be searching are remote unfrequented areas, right? But that's easier said than done, given the massively broad range..."

"Don't give up before we start! You must believe in my intuition!"

Fear's exasperation seemed to be reacting to the shameless brat, as if she was suppressing the urge to give him a good beating. Just as she was about to put her thoughts into action, Shiraho frantically spoke up:

"I-I will try my best to help! Maybe we can search separately? I'll look in my neighborhood while you guys take care of the school's surroundings?"

"Yeah, but who knows how close to the school that doll will hide herself. Then we'll rely on you for the neighboring town. Don't do anything too risky, okay?"

Haruaki answered Shiraho gently, causing Fear to feel like hitting him even more.

"Also, are you coming to school tomorrow?"

"Yes, if we don't find Sovereignty outside, we must stop her here. Uh... Why are you asking anyway?"

"No... Because you've been umm, absent all this time, I was wondering if you might have certain difficulties... If you need any help, we will try our best to assist you, so don't be shy. You can talk to us whenever you want."

"T-Thanks. You're right, since my father is gone... Once Sovereignty's issue is handled, I must pull myself together&mdash;ehehe. Haruaki-kun, you're so gentle."

Faced with her smile, Haruaki shyly scratched his head.

"It's not like I'm really gentle... How should I put this? I'm the type who can't resist helping those who are trying hard. In any case, don't think too much of it... Woah! Hey Fear! Why did you sock me in the gut!?"

"Hmph... Just as you advised earlier, I'm picking up on cues!"

"That's not what you're doing!"

While they were quarreling, the number of students walking through the courtyard increased. This was apparently a shortcut en route to club activities. Since it was pointless to continue chatting idly on the bench, Haruaki's group decided to part ways and expand the search to outside of school.

"Ah, there's still a bit left, let me finish it in one go! Gulp gulp..."

Watching Shiraho pour juice into her mouth from the side, Fear got up from the bench.

"Okay, let's go back to the classroom to get our bags. Hmm? Haruaki, why are you making that strange face?"

"No, I keep getting the feeling I'm forgetting something&mdash;what is it?"

"...How odd, I have the same feeling too. By the way, didn't that thing in your pocket make noises repeatedly starting a while ago?"

"Eh? Oh, it's a text message. Let me check... Oh no!"

Haruaki suddenly cried out. Thinking something disastrous happened, Fear moved over to glance at Haruaki's hand, only to find several sentences on the screen&mdash;

'How's the situation? Nothing unusual on my side.'

'You didn't respond. I am very worried but I can't leave my post. I have no choice but to keep monitoring.'

'Did something happen?'

'Nothing unusual has happened even after school. The number of people leaving are increasing. How much longer do I have to monitor the entrance?'

'Response please☠'

"Oh no, I completely forgot!"

"What's that skull symbol at the end? It looks kind of scary."

"Something like 'I'm dead tired from all this monitoring,' possibly? At least, that's what I sincerely hope...!"

"Maybe she means 'I'm gonna kill you' instead...?"

The two swallowed hard as they continued reading, but Shiraho suddenly screamed.

"Hyaaah!?"

"W-What happened?"

"Ooh... I was drinking too fast, the i-ice fell... into my uniform..."

Fear turned around to find Shiraho frowning and twisting her body, pulling up the front of her uniform where the ice cubes had fallen into. Then she curled up the shirt and started fanning her clothes as she yelled "Hey! Hey!" with a serious expression. The ice cubes immediately fell out but unbeknownst to Shiraho who continued her motions&mdash;exposing her snow-white abdomen and navel which flashed in and out of view (mildly moistened by the ice). Decidedly, this was an extremely bad influence in the shameless brat's education. This girl's airheaded behavior was fast becoming quite threatening.

As a mysterious scratching was heard from behind, there was a very ominous feeling. Before Fear and Haruaki turned around, they instinctively glanced at the cellphone display. The final text message read: 'Given the circumstances, she won't be leaving through the school gates. I'm going to look for you guys since I'm worried, Haruaki-kun☠'&mdash;The ominous feeling intensified.

Bracing themselves, they turned around.

Fear and Haruaki were standing side by side to look at the cellphone while Shiraho was in front, exposing her belly. A pair of glazed eyes was glaring at them&mdash;eyes filled with contempt.

"...I came running out of worry, and... Everyone turns out to be having fun...?"
[[image:C3 02-094.jpg|thumb]]

At the entryway connecting the courtyard to the school building, a bespectacled girl extended her upper torso forward, giving off an eerie aura like some kind of psychic phenomenon, her hand scratching against the surface of the door.