Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume4 Chapter3 (section)

===Part 5===

Every pedestrian who met her gaze was taken aback in fright.

Not good, not good&mdash;Seeing their reaction, Konoha poked herself in the corners of her mouth to relax her expression. That said, she was not sure if her face really became less tense, but to be honest, she did not really care.

She looked up at the clock that was built in front of the train station. It was already dusk. As if reflecting her mood from the fruitless search, the sky was dark and gloomy. This was not only partially due to the setting sun, but also because of the dark clouds filling the sky overhead. It made the sunshine from noon earlier seem like a dream. Will the sports festival tomorrow be okay?

Konoha had hoped for the sports festival to arrive without incident.

During the picnic, Haruaki-kun was clearly still his usual self.

Biting her lower lip, Konoha made a turn and stepped into the commercial district again. How many times has she done this already? Forgotten.

As this sentence occupied her mind and shook her heart, she bared her fangs.

(Forgotten.)

Forgotten. Haruaki-kun has forgotten.

(Forgotten.)

Forgotten about the past, forgotten all those accumulated memories, forgotten all the times spent together.

(Forgotten&mdash;!)

For Konoha, those were very important things. What about for him? She wanted to believe it was important, she wanted to believe. Oh no, but he has forgotten. He does not remember. Even that time, or that moment, or that particular time, that occasion, that event&mdash;All forgotten!

Why? Who is the culprit? The one who caused this to him.

&mdash;Isn't the answer obvious? It was that man. That man!

Halting in her footsteps, she stroked the rim of her glasses. She did not need to look to know how other people were reacting. Given her current gaze, it would not be strange even if someone called the police.

While telling herself to be calm, she first went into a back alley between shops. This was the dark side of the world where the road was so narrow that even riding a bike would pose a challenge. The colorful bar signs also made the road even more difficult to pass through. Weeds growing through cracks in the concrete were as feeble as quarantined and terminally ill patients. The drifting smells of alcohol and yakitori grilled chicken evoked an atmosphere of traditional Japanese ballads. If a female high school student were walking through this kind of place in the middle of the night, it would be virtually the same as asking to be accosted by ruffians. But currently it was only dusk. If any unfortunate soul tried to annoy this apparently lovely high school student with her excellent figure&mdash;Thank you very much, I'll gladly pummel you to relieve my stress.

Just as Konoha adjusted her breathing, she heard a strange and unpleasant noise&mdash;Someone was vomiting loudly. An impatient drunk? Konoha cast her glance to the sound and her mood instantly brightened. Despite seeing vomit and smelling it, she felt wonderful.

It was Kururi.

By the time she noticed, Konoha's body had already acted.

Startled, Kururi looked up, drawing out the knife as she held the cross pendant in her mouth&mdash;Too late. Her movements were so unrefined that the speed she had displayed earlier during noon seemed unreal. Konoha effortlessly caught both her arms and successfully pinned her against the wall like a rapist.

"Ooh..."

"How fortunate, then let me pick up the pace and cut to the main query&mdash;That man... Abyss, where is he?"

"A-As if anyone would tell you, incompetent fool..."

"The incompetent one is you, to be caught so easily."

This retort must have struck a nerve, for Kururi's face distorted slightly. Serves you right&mdash;Thinking that, Konoha brought her face close and gazed into her eyes at close range, almost enough to make contact with her glasses.

How troubling, this dark impulse surging from the depths of my heart that cannot be suppressed.

"Yes, I am very troubled. To be honest, the one I seek is not you but Abyss."

"Then you've got the wrong person. Go find him yourself."

How amusing. Brushing her own nose past Kururi's nose, Konoha drew even closer to her face. As if breathing against her ear, Konoha spoke directly to Kururi's ear:

"Ara, in that case, in other words&mdash;"

Whisper. Whisper.

Gently, very gently, she whispered.

While licking that soft ear.

"Little lass&mdash;Is this what you mean? If you are merely a useless prisoner, then even if I were to take out my anger on you, no one will be complaining, yes?"

"Wha..."

"Ara ara, how unfortunate~ I originally planned to satisfy myself just by killing that man&mdash;But as luck would have it, I ran into you. It's perfectly fine if you embarrass yourself with incontinence, perfectly fine! Indeed, it's perfectly fine. However, please remember to squeal like a pig at least, so that I am satisfied, yes?"

Slowly, very slowly, she looked up and once again savored the sight of the pitiful girl and her pitiful gaze.

Then with a chuckle:

"&mdash;You're acting too scared!"

Konoha headbutted her in the forehead with all her strength. Kururi dropped her knife and collapsed to the ground. Did she receive a concussion?

"Oh dear! Did I just use a manner of attack unbecoming of a maiden? No good, no good."

Chastising herself for several seconds, Konoha dragged Kururi's body and loaded the girl onto her back. Then making an expression as though "taking care of a drunken friend is such a pain~", Konoha made her way home.

Even so&mdash;She thought to herself. Even so, why was this girl in that kind of place, engaged in an act that only useless salarymen would do after work...?