Editing CubexCursedxCurious:Volume1 Chapter2 (section)

===Part 8===

Collapsing on the roof staircase, Haruaki pondered.

What would have been the correct answer? What would have been the right thing to do?

"Wait a minute, I'll bandage and give you first aid immediately!"

Konoha controlled Haruaki's hands currently, slicing off the lower hem of his uniform for makeshift bandages. Then she returned to human form and began to bandage Haruaki's wound. The bleeding had essentially stopped, so there was no worry that she would faint again.

Rather than sharp pain, an ambiguous sense of heat and pain could be felt from his arm. Perhaps his drenched body was reeling from the cold, the sense of heat seemed to be spreading thinly throughout the body like a film of oil, finally settling in the depths of his mind.

"Done. Are you okay?"

"Yes... It doesn't hurt much. Probably because you avoided a critical hit. Thank you."

"I don't think it's anything serious, but you should still get examined at a hospital. Or rather, I am ordering you in the form of a suggestion... We're going to the hospital, right?"

Haruaki did not answer. He stared straight at Konoha through her glasses at extremely close range, but he did not answer.

"You're not going... Is that what you want to say?"

"If that's the case, what are you going to do?"

"Then even someone like me will get angry. You have to take care of your own health."

Haruaki silently lowered his gaze. Konoha narrowed her eyes with displeasure:

"You're going to chase after that child, isn't that what you're planning to do? She left by her own will! Besides, that woman only lost an arm, but she doesn't look like she'll give up... She'll probably come again. Given the fact her life is being targeted, I think running away is actually not a bad decision."

These words weighed heavily in Haruaki's heart.

What was the answer Fear sought? If he had answered correctly, would she not have left? Who knew—even now, there was still no solution. Even if he chased after and found her, then what? If he said the wrong thing again, things would simply repeat again.

Plus the meaning behind "Running away is actually not a bad decision"... Even if Fear was brought back, dealing with the enemy from here on was also a problem. Undoubtedly, that woman named Peavey was an enemy. Most terrifying of all, she really carried murderous intent. The murderous intent to destroy cursed tools and anyone in her way. Even if Fear came back, how could Peavey be convinced to give up? Who knows.

However.

"She said... 'It's better for me to sleep alone.'"

"Eh?"

"That girl... She's not running away. Instead, she chose to terminate things in a more terrible manner. That's why..."

Gazing into Konoha's eyes, he pondered how to convince her. As the sense of heat clouded his thinking—

There was only one conclusion. It could not be helped. Because it could not be helped, he could only ask in this manner.

"I beg you, this is my one and only wish of a lifetime, Kono-nee!"

Konoha instantly drew a deep breath in surprise, then sighed as if exhausted.

"...So unfair, didn't you promise never to call me that again? We're already going to high school together."

As if relishing being scolded, Haruaki deliberately giggled.

"Ever since a long time ago, whenever I begged in this manner... You never refused me, right? Even if you fumed angrily and kept complaining nonstop, in the end—you'd always help me."

"Who knows!"

Konoha turned her face away. Was she hiding embarrassment? Haruaki thought to himself.

"Are you troubled?"

"...I am troubled. Really."

"To be frank—something else also troubles me, but I don't know if I should voice it."

"Wh-What is it? You're in pain after all, right? Oh no, you have to immediately—"

"That's not it. How should I put it... That..."

"That?"

"S... P..."<!--Haruaki actually says まッぱ which are the beginning syllables of 真っ裸(まっぱだか), i.e fully naked
Konoha wonders if it is an abbreviation for まっはぱンち instead, which reads "Mach Punch" (Mach as in the speed of sound)-->

Haruaki muttered unintelligibly.

"SP? Is that some kind of acronym? Sonic punch?"

"Yeah, you could think of it as an acronym. Regarding something on a similar level of destructive power."

What does sonic punch have to do with anything? —As Konoha puzzled, she casually punched the air. Rather than producing slicing wind or sonic booms, the resulting sound effect was "boing." Realizing this, Konoha lowered her gaze mechanically as if her neck was fitted with some kind of switch. In actual fact, Haruaki had been desperately keeping his gaze on Konoha's face all this time, but he almost followed her downward shifting gaze. Frantically, he closed his eyes—

"In other words, stop parading naked!"

"You should've told me earlier—!"
[[image:C3_01-112.jpg|thumb]]

Almost bursting into tears, Konoha ran out to the roof through the pouring rain. She must have gone to retrieve her uniform.

What should he do next? Haruaki pondered gloomily. A few minutes later, the sound of splashing footsteps entering the roof door could be heard. Konoha came to Haruaki as he sat on the floor, wringing water out from her drenched uniform.

"...I am simply musing to myself. I was thinking, that child probably failed to understand a rather obvious truth. When clearly it is so simple a matter."

"What do you mean?"

"Iyaah, are my musings being overheard?"

Saying that deliberately, she smiled and continued:

"Since you overheard, it can't be helped. This is the hint to the answer—regarding guilt and curses, etc—to her question. Perhaps you can treat it as the answer to the question, 'What could you do once you catch up to her?'"

Konoha watched Haruaki with her head tilted.

"Simply stated—I never asked Haruaki for an answer."

"...Huh?"

"That child is the same as me. I used to ponder the same question, and even now I still ponder—but although I've yet to find the answer, I continue to stay in Haruaki's home. What does this mean? ...End of my musings."

Haruaki could get a vague sense of the meaning behind her words. In other words—

Whether the curse could be lifted or not, was irrelevant to the question of staying in that home.

Instead, what mattered was... Once he found Fear, he should say—

What he needed to do turned out to be simpler than imagined. His lips naturally smiled.

"W-What are you smiling about?"

"Nothing, nothing much."

As expected, begging Konoha in that manner really worked—Haruaki thought to himself as he stood up.

"Great! So now, let us go experience the true meaning of youth!"

"Youth?"

"Running a marathon under pouring rain is something that belongs exclusively to days of youth, right? It seems like it will serve as a glorious memory of high school days! So, could the lady over there please assist me in making these memories? No no no, it's not going to take too much of your time. That little girl's conspicuous silver shiny head is our goal, it will be very simple!"

"Making memories eh... Sigh—In that case, it can't be helped."

Like an exasperated older sister unable to refuse the whims of a willful little brother, Konoha smiled wryly and sighed.

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