Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume5 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 4===

This shameless brat! Damn the shameless brat...!

Fear did not quite understand why, but she felt completely enraged. Tasked with searching outside the school building for dolls, Fear entered the courtyard, walking in huge strides and cursing in her mind to take out her anger.

There were numerous tents lined up here, giving an impression quite similar to roadside stalls. Just as Kirika pointed out, open flames were apparently allowed here, hence this area was even more filled with appetizing aromas than inside the school building. At this moment, Fear was reminded that she had not eaten lunch yet.

Inquisitively, Fear swallowed her drooling saliva and started to search. No place should be left unchecked. The paths paved with red bricks, the benches made of unvarnished wood, behind the stalls... Of course, the interiors of the stalls needed to be investigated as well. Hearing a familiar voice crying out "Welcome&mdash;!", Fear entered a stall that was packed tight with customers. Logically speaking, it should not be that easy to find one, but&mdash;

"...Eh, there really is one here!"

Placed on a long table, the doll was being used to prop up an advertising panel on which the words "Crepes specially prepared by the swimming club! A single bite is enough to take you across the Strait of Dover!" were written. One would expect a "Please do not touch" note somewhere... But judging from the situation, it either fell off or was lost.

In any case, Fear had found what she came to look for and she must take it with her.

"Oh? Isn't this Fear-chan? Welcome&mdash;!"

Fear looked up to find Kana standing before her. She was dressed in an apron with a bandanna, holding a small wooden ladle in her hand. The familiar voice that Fear had heard just now was probably Kana's.

"Now I remember, you're in the swimming club."

"That's right&mdash;Why did you come? For the crepes? I know~ You want to be able to cross the Strait of Dover as well?"

The aroma of the crepe pastry was making Fear's mouth water, but now was not the time for eating. Besides, she had not brought any money either.

"N-No. Actually, I have a request. This doll here, can I have it?"

"Eh?"

"Please, there's all sorts of reasons... But I must have it. Please, could you let me have it?"

"This thing huh? Without knowing when it was placed here, I simply used it on the spot to prop up the adverstizing panel. I guess it probably doesn't belong to anyone&mdash;But as a matter of courtesy, I should ask my club president."

Saying that, Kana turned around and walked inside the tent, her apron fluttering. Instantly, Fear stared in wide-eyed surprise.

Say, Kana, why are you dressed like that?

"Hmm? Yeah, actually, just find something else to support the panel... Wait a sec, it's that girl? The legendary super awesome silver-haired beauty in your class!? No way no way, let me amend my words. I absolutely cannot let slip this rare and perfect opportunity. As the club president, I order you, Miyama, please tell her this...!"

"Oh, I see I see. I get it now, I concur&mdash;!"

Kana instantly turned around towards Fear and deliberately cleared her throat, "cough cough," smiling as she spoke:

"The prez says no."

"W-What? That really makes things difficult, please, I beg you!"

"Ufufu&mdash;More precisely, you can't have it for free. Ah, but that doesn't mean we want money from you. What she proposes is that since you're here already, could you help our stall a little bit?"

"H-Help? I'm not really in a position to do that... because I have something urgent to do, there's not much time."

"Then you'll just have to make time somehow, thirty minutes! No, fifteen! Even ten would do! With your help, our stall's business will get even better!"

At this moment, a girl (probably the club president) emerged from the tent. Somehow, Fear found herself being the recipient of a request instead. Why?

However, Fear thought "Oh well, whatever" to herself and simply treated the request as the terms of exchange. Snatching by brute force should be a last resort only if pressed. But if a safer method were available, she should follow it. If it were really ten minutes only, it should not waste too much time&mdash;Perhaps it was fine to accept their condition.

"It can't be helped so I'll agree to it. But what do you need me to help? I don't know how to make crepes. Also, there's something that's been bugging me."

Fear half-narrowed her eyes at Kana's attire and asked her:

"&mdash;Why are you dressed in a swimsuit with an apron on top?"

At this moment, the club president reached out from beside the grinning Kana, her arms grabbing Fear's shoulders from across a table with an audible smack, an creepy smile on her face&mdash;

"That's because this is the swimming club."



"This&mdash;is&mdash;&mdash;utterly&mdash;shameless&mdash;! Ooooooh&mdash;!"

"Come! We have taken another step towards the advent of our era, prez! Our crowd pulling powers are greatly increasing! But why would you have that kind of thing prepared?"

"I was going to have Tsukiori wear it, but that girl managed to run away... Fufufu, luckily, it didn't go to waste!"

"Ah&mdash;Because Tsukiori-senpai is a loli."

"Hey, you two! Why is my apron different from the rest of you!? The clothing used in combination is also weird!"

"That's a school swimsuit. I originally thought it might be too cliched, but tried and true classics are very important... Yes yes."

"Prez, I don't think this is actually the same as cliched. Rather, the combination with the dainty little apron is the main point. How should I put it? It's very original...!"

Listening to the two's dialogue, Fear was moaning "oooooh" in suffering in front of the tent. Embarrassing, too embarrassing. The apron was even smaller than the ones Kana and the others were wearing, completely unable to conceal the swimsuit that was made of thick, navy-blue fabric and even had a name tag sewn on the front... Somehow, it felt like there was some sort of special meaning to this.
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"Hey, don't cover up your body with the panel! Up high, hold it up high! We're trying to promote here!"

"Do your best&mdash;Fear-chan&mdash;This is all for the sake of the doll&mdash;"

Hearing that, Fear looked towards the tent as though she had just woken from a dream. That's right, this was all for obtaining that doll.

As soon as she recalled her objective, the sense of embarrassment slowly weakened, but of course, it could not disappear completely.

Fear calmed her mind at this time, biting her lip hard. As much as she wanted to avoid thinking about it, she now had no choice but to focus her attention upon it, thinking about what might possibly happen. Right, the doll over there... The one not far away from Kana, what if it contained the bomb? What if it exploded? Kana, that club president, all the other members of the swimming club, as well as the customers whose numbers had increased, what would happen to them all?

Instantly, past images from her mind were superimposed with the future scenario she did not want to imagine. The man whose eyeballs fell into his mouth, the woman whose ribs were ripped open like a blooming flower, the girl whose arms and legs were twisted and deformed like a doll's, those scenes of gory flesh.

Could she allow such things to happen?

(How could I possibly allow that&mdash;Absolutely not!)

Once again, Fear carved in her mind what she needed to do and what she needed to do first.

How could she possibly lose to that man's game? She must win no matter what.

No matter what, she must win at all costs. Hence&mdash;

Raising her trembling arms, Fear lifted the advertising panel over her head, the one that Kana had handed over to her.

"Th-The Swimming club's specially prepared crepes, selling fast... Oh! If you don't come get them, they'll be gone in an instant!"

Fear yelled out with all the strength she could muster.

Okay, I'll do anything. So long as that man's conspiracy is crushed, I'll endure any kind of shame and do anything required. Because, this is the only way to protect Kirika and the other students.

(After all, I just need to bear this for ten minutes, it's nothing...!)

Fear muttered in her heart as though she were praying, but suddenly, she thought of Haruaki, Kirika and Cow Tits. What were those other guys doing? Were they currently undertaking unexpectedly challenging missions like herself?

(I'm already sacrificing myself to this degree, so you guys better search with your life on the line! Otherwise, I won't forgive you!)